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Nikon Z8 Comparison Review

The Nikon Z8 is a mirrorless interchangeable lens camera that was announced in May 2023 and is equipped with a full frame sensor. It offers a resolution of 45.4 megapixel.

camera

Is the Nikon Z8 a good camera? The Z8 has a Camera Elo of 3191. This very strong rating puts it among the elite group of camera grand masters. The Z8 ranks among the top 10 percent of all mirrorless interchangeable lens cameras. In terms of its sensor size category (full frame cameras), the Z8 also ranks among the top 10 percent.

Headline Specifications
Nikon Z8
Mirrorless system camera
Nikon Z mount lenses
45.4 MP, Full Frame Sensor
8K/30p Video
ISO 64 - 25 600 (32 - 102 400)
Electronic viewfinder (3690k dots)
3.2 LCD, 2089k dots
Fully flexible touchscreen
30 shutter flaps per second
In-body stabilization
Weathersealed body
340 shots per battery charge
144 x 119 x 83 mm, 910 g

Read on to find out more about the camera's size, sensor, features, reception by expert reviewers, and how it compares to other digital cameras.

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Body comparison with a credit card

The physical dimensions of the Nikon Z8 relative to a credit card are illustrated in the side-by-side display below. Three consecutive perspectives from the front, the top, and the back are presented. All width, height and depth measures are rounded to the nearest millimeter.

Nikon Z8 vs credit card front
Z8 versus credit card top view
Z8 and credit card rear side

The table below summarizes the key physical specs of the Nikon Z8 alongside a set of similar cameras. If you want to review a particular camera pair side-by-side, just move across to the CAM-parator tool and choose from the broad selection of possible comparisons there.

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Body Specifications
    Camera
Model
Camera
Width
Camera
Height
Camera
Depth
Camera
Weight
Battery
Life
Weather
Sealing
Camera
Launch
Launch
Price
Street
Price
1.
 
Nikon Z8 144 mm 119 mm 83 mm 910 g 340 Y May 2023 EUR 4 599 amazon.com
2.
 
Canon R5 138 mm 98 mm 88 mm 738 g 320 Y Jul 2020 EUR 4 499 amazon.com
3.
 
Canon R5 Mark II 138 mm 98 mm 88 mm 746 g 340 Y Jul 2024 EUR 4 799 amazon.com
4.
 
Canon R5 C 142 mm 101 mm 111 mm 770 g 320 Y Jan 2022 EUR 4 999 amazon.com
5.
 
Fujifilm GFX 50S II 150 mm 104 mm 87 mm 900 g 440 Y Sep 2021 EUR 3 999 amazon.com
6.
 
Nikon D850 146 mm 124 mm 79 mm 1005 g 1840 Y Jul 2017 EUR 3 799 amazon.com
7.
 
Nikon Z6 134 mm 101 mm 67 mm 675 g 310 Y Aug 2018 EUR 2 449ebay.com
8.
 
Nikon Z7 134 mm 101 mm 67 mm 675 g 330 Y Aug 2018 EUR 3 849ebay.com
9.
 
Nikon Z7 II 134 mm 101 mm 70 mm 705 g 420 Y Oct 2020 EUR 3 399 amazon.com
10.
 
Nikon Z9 149 mm 150 mm 91 mm 1340 g 740 Y Oct 2021 EUR 5 999 amazon.com
11.
 
Panasonic S1R 149 mm 110 mm 97 mm 1016 g 380 Y Feb 2019 EUR 3 699 amazon.com
Note: Measurements and pricing do not include easily detachable parts, such as add-on or interchangeable lenses or optional viewfinders.

The listed prices provide an indication of the market segment that the manufacturer of the cameras have been targeting. The Nikon Z8 was launched in the US market at a price of $3,999. Usually, retail prices stay at first close to the launch price, but after several months, discounts become available. Later in the product cycle and, in particular, when the replacement model is about to appear, further discounting and stock clearance sales often push the camera price considerably down. Then, after the new model is out, very good deals can frequently be found on the pre-owned market.

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Check Z8 price at
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Sensor comparison with a 35mm slide

The size of the sensor inside a digital camera is one of the key determinants of image quality. A large sensor will tend to have larger individual pixels that provide better low-light sensitivity, wider dynamic range, and richer color-depth than smaller pixel-units in a sensor of the same technological generation. Further, a large sensor camera will give the photographer additional creative options when using shallow depth-of-field to isolate a subject from its background. On the downside, larger sensors tend to be associated with larger, more expensive camera bodies and lenses.

The Nikon Z8 features a full frame sensor and has a format factor (sometimes also referred to as "crop factor") of 1.0. Within the spectrum of camera sensors, this places the Nikon Z8 among the large-sensor cameras that aim for top notch image quality.

Nikon Z8 sensor measures

Consistent information on actual sensor performance is available from DXO Mark for most cameras. This service assesses and scores the color depth ("DXO Portrait"), dynamic range ("DXO Landscape"), and low-light sensitivity ("DXO Sports") of camera sensors, and also publishes an overall camera score. The table below summarizes the physical sensor characteristics and sensor quality findings and compares them across a set of similar cameras.

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Sensor Characteristics
    Camera
Model
Sensor
Class
Resolution
(MP)
Horiz.
Pixels
Vert.
Pixels
Video
Format
DXO
Portrait
DXO
Landscape
DXO
Sports
DXO
Overall
1.
 
Nikon Z8 Full Frame 45.4 8256 55048K/30p26.314.2254898
2.
 
Canon R5 Full Frame 44.8 8192 54648K/30p25.314.6304295
3.
 
Canon R5 Mark II Full Frame 44.8 8192 54648k/60p25.414.8333297
4.
 
Canon R5 C Full Frame 44.8 8192 54648k/60p25.414.5308296
5.
 
Fujifilm GFX 50S II Medium Format 51.1 8256 61921080/30p25.914.83456100
6.
 
Nikon D850 Full Frame 45.4 8256 55044K/30p26.414.82660100
7.
 
Nikon Z6 Full Frame 24.3 6048 40244K/30p25.314.3329995
8.
 
Nikon Z7 Full Frame 45.4 8256 55044K/30p26.314.6266899
9.
 
Nikon Z7 II Full Frame 45.4 8256 55044K/60p26.314.72841100
10.
 
Nikon Z9 Full Frame 45.4 8256 55048K/30p26.314.4245198
11.
 
Panasonic S1R Full Frame 46.7 8368 55844K/60p26.414.13525100
Note: DXO values in italics represent estimates based on sensor size and age.

Many modern cameras cannot only take still pictures, but also record videos. The Z8 indeed provides movie recording capabilities. The highest resolution format that the Z8 can use is 8K/30p.

Feature comparison

Beyond body and sensor, cameras can and do differ across a range of features. For example, the Z8 has an electronic viewfinder with a resolution of 3690k dots. The viewfinder offers a field of view of 100% and a magnification of 0.80x. The adjacent tables list some of the other core features of the Nikon Z8 along with similar information for a selection of comparators.

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Core Features
    Camera
Model
Viewfinder
(Type or
000 dots)
Control
Panel
(yes/no)
LCD
Specifications
(inch/000 dots)
LCD
Attach-
ment
Touch
Screen
(yes/no)
Max
Shutter
Speed *
Max
Shutter
Flaps *
Built-in
Flash
(yes/no)
Built-in
Image
Stab
1.
 
Nikon Z83690 Y3.2 / 2089 full-flex Y 1/32000s 30.0/s n Y
2.
 
Canon R55760 Y3.2 / 2100 swivel Y 1/8000s 12.0/s n Y
3.
 
Canon R5 Mark II5760 Y3.2 / 2100 swivel Y 1/8000s 12.0/s n Y
4.
 
Canon R5 C5760 Y3.2 / 2100 swivel Y 1/8000s 12.0/s n n
5.
 
Fujifilm GFX 50S II3690 Y3.2 / 2360 full-flex Y 1/4000s 3.0/s n Y
6.
 
Nikon D850optical Y3.2 / 2359 tilting Y 1/8000s 9.0/s n n
7.
 
Nikon Z63690 Y3.2 / 2100 tilting Y 1/8000s 12.0/s n Y
8.
 
Nikon Z73690 Y3.2 / 2100 tilting Y 1/8000s 9.0/s n Y
9.
 
Nikon Z7 II3690 Y3.2 / 2100 tilting Y 1/8000s 10.0/s n Y
10.
 
Nikon Z93690 Y3.2 / 2089 full-flex Y 1/32000s 30.0/s n Y
11.
 
Panasonic S1R5760 Y3.2 / 2100 full-flex Y 1/8000s 9.0/s n Y
Note: *) Information refers to the mechanical shutter, unless the camera only has an electronic one.

The LCD screen on the Nikon Z8 is flexibly attached to the body. In particular, the LCD is multi-hinged and can be tilted both vertically and horizontally to enable odd-angle shots in landscape and portrait orientation. The LCD thereby offers a lot of flexibility to adjust and use the rear screen in a diverse set of situations.

articulated screen
Flexible screen on the Z8

One useful feature of the Z8 is a presence of a top-level LCD. While being, of course, smaller than the rear screen, the control panel conveys some of the essential shooting information and can be convenient for quick and easy settings verification.

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Connection comparison

For some imaging applications, the extent to which a camera can communicate with its environment can be an important aspect in the camera decision process. The table below provides an overview of the connectivity of the Nikon Z8 and, in particular, the interfaces the cameras (and selected comparators) provide for accessory control and data transfer.

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Input-Output Connections
    Camera
Model
Hotshoe
Port
Internal
Mic / Speaker
Microphone
Port
Headphone
Port
HDMI
Port
USB
Port
WiFi
Support
NFC
Support
Bluetooth
Support
1.
 
Nikon Z8Ystereo / monoYYfull3.2Y-Y
2.
 
Canon R5Ymono / monoYYmicro3.2Y-Y
3.
 
Canon R5 Mark IIYmono / monoYYfull3.2Y-Y
4.
 
Canon R5 CYstereo / monoYYmicro3.2Y-Y
5.
 
Fujifilm GFX 50S IIYstereo / monoYYmicro3.2Y--
6.
 
Nikon D850Ystereo / monoYYmini3.0YYY
7.
 
Nikon Z6Ystereo / monoYYmicro3.1Y-Y
8.
 
Nikon Z7Ystereo / monoYYmicro3.1Y-Y
9.
 
Nikon Z7 IIYstereo / monoYYmicro3.2Y-Y
10.
 
Nikon Z9Ystereo / monoYYfull3.2Y-Y
11.
 
Panasonic S1RYstereo / monoYYfull3.1Y-Y

It is notable that the Z8 has a microphone port. Such an external microphone input can help to substantially improve the quality of audio recordings when a good external microphone is used.

Further information on the features and operation of the Z8 can be found in the free online Nikon Z8 Manual or on the Nikon support site.

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Expert reviews

While the specs-based evaluation of cameras is instructive in revealing their potential as photographic tools, it says nothing about, for example, the handling, responsiveness, and overall imaging quality of the Z8 in practical situations. At times, user reviews, such as those published at amazon, address these issues in a useful manner, but such feedback is on many occasions incomplete, inconsistent, and unreliable. This is why expert reviews are important. The following table reports the overall rankings of the cameras as published by some of the major camera review sites (amateurphotographer [AP], cameralabs [CL], digitalcameraworld [DCW], dpreview [DPR], ephotozine [EPZ], photographyblog [PB]).

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Review Scores
     Camera 
 Model 
 AP 
 score 
 CL 
 score 
 DCW 
 score 
 DPR 
 score 
 EPZ 
 score 
 PB 
 score 
Camera
Launch
Launch
Price
Street
Price
1.
 
Nikon Z85/5..5/594/1005/54.5/5 May 2023 EUR 4 599 amazon.com
2.
 
Canon R54.5/5+4/591/1004.5/54.5/5 Jul 2020 EUR 4 499 amazon.com
3.
 
Canon R5 Mark II......93/100.... Jul 2024 EUR 4 799 amazon.com
4.
 
Canon R5 C..+ +........ Jan 2022 EUR 4 999 amazon.com
5.
 
Fujifilm GFX 50S II5/5..5/587/100..5/5 Sep 2021 EUR 3 999 amazon.com
6.
 
Nikon D8504.5/5+ +5/589/1004.5/55/5 Jul 2017 EUR 3 799 amazon.com
7.
 
Nikon Z65/5..5/589/1004.5/55/5 Aug 2018 EUR 2 449ebay.com
8.
 
Nikon Z75/5+4.8/589/1004.5/55/5 Aug 2018 EUR 3 849ebay.com
9.
 
Nikon Z7 II4.5/5..4.5/5..4.5/54.5/5 Oct 2020 EUR 3 399 amazon.com
10.
 
Nikon Z95/5..4.5/594/1005/55/5 Oct 2021 EUR 5 999 amazon.com
11.
 
Panasonic S1R4.5/5..4.6/589/1004.5/54.5/5 Feb 2019 EUR 3 699 amazon.com
Note: (+ +) highly recommended; (+) recommended; (o) reviewed; (..) not available.

The review scores listed above should be treated with care, though. The ratings are only valid when referring to cameras in the same category and of the same age. Thus, a score needs to be put into the context of the launch date and the launch price of the camera, and rating-comparisons among cameras that span long time periods or concern very differently equipped models make little sense. Also, kindly note that some of the listed sites have over time developped their review approaches and their reporting style.

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Check Z8 price at
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Nikon Z8 FAQ

Below are some additional questions and answers concerning some particular features of the Z8.

What technology is the imaging sensor in the Nikon Z8 based on?

The camera features a Stacked BSI-CMOS (Stacked Backside Illuminated Complementary Metal–Oxide–Semiconductor) sensor.

Which image processing chip is used in the Nikon Z8 to convert the raw signal into an image file and perform noise reduction and image sharpening?

Nikon equipped the Z8 with the EXPEED 7 image processor.

What is the ISO sensitivity range of the Nikon Z8?

The camera has a native sensitivity range from ISO 64 to ISO 25600, which can be extended to ISO 32-102400.

Is completely silent shooting possible with the Nikon Z8?

The camera has an electronic shutter option, so that it is indeed feasible to capture images without any shutter noise.

Do I need to purchase an external camera trigger to shoot time-lapse sequences with the Nikon Z8?

No, the Nikon Z8 has an intervalometer built-in, so that low frequency shooting (for example, flower blooming, sunset, moon rise) can be undertaken without the need to purchase a separate external intervalometer and related software.

Is it difficult to use manual focus lenses with the Nikon Z8?

The Z8 offers focus peaking as a manual focus aid. This feature works by placing a colored highlight on in-focus zones within the image.

Does the Nikon Z8 feature an autofocus assist light?

Yes, the camera has a lamp built-in that can illuminate the subject and improve autofocus in low-light settings.

What is the fastest shutter speed that can be used with the Nikon Z8 for flash photography?

The Z8's flash sync speed is 1/200 sec.

Does the Nikon Z8 support the Ultra High Speed (UHS) bus interface for SD cards?

Yes, the camera can indeed use UHS-II cards (data transfer speed of up to 312 MB/s).

Which battery does the Nikon Z8 use?

The camera gets its power from the Nikon EN-EL15c (here at amazon), which is a rechargeable Lithium-Ion power pack.

Is there a vertical grip available for the Nikon Z8?

Yes, Nikon offers the MB-N12 as an optional accessory to facilitate shooting in portrait orientation and to provide additional battery power.

Does the Nikon Z8 support geotagging?

The Z8 has a built-in GPS (Global Positioning System) module and can embed location information in the EXIF data of the captured image.

Where can I find the best deals for the Nikon Z8?

Grey imports from Asia, as found on ebay, are often very attractively priced. However, these cameras come without a warranty from Nikon.

Camera to camera comparisons

In case you are interested in seeing how this camera compares to another one, just make a corresponding selection in the search boxes below. There is also a set of direct links to comparison reviews that other users of the CAM-parator app explored.

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    Specifications Summary
    Camera Model Nikon Z8
    Camera Type Mirrorless system camera
    Camera Lens Nikon Z mount lenses
    Launch Date May 2023
    Launch Price USD 3 999
    Sensor Specs
    Sensor Technology Stacked BSI-CMOS
    Sensor Format Full Frame Sensor
    Sensor Size 35.9 x 23.9 mm
    Sensor Area 858 mm2
    Sensor Diagonal 43.1 mm
    Crop Factor 1.0x
    Sensor Resolution 45.4 Megapixels
    Image Resolution 8 256 x 5 504 pixels
    Pixel Pitch 4.35 μm
    Pixel Density 5.30 MP/cm2
    Moiré control no AA filter
    Movie Capability 8K/30p Video
    ISO Setting 64 - 25 600 ISO
    ISO Boost 32 - 102 400 ISO
    Image Processor EXPEED 7
    DXO Sensor Quality (score) 98
    DXO Color Depth (bits) 26.3
    DXO Dynamic Range (EV) 14.2
    DXO Low Light (ISO) 2548
    Screen Specs
    Viewfinder Type Electronic viewfinder
    Viewfinder Field of View 100%
    Viewfinder Magnification 0.80x
    Viewfinder Resolution 3690k dots
    Top-Level Screen Control Panel
    LCD Framing Live View
    LCD Size 3.2 inch
    LCD Resolution 2089k dots
    LCD Attachment Fully flexible screen
    V-logging Friendliness No front-flip
    Touch Input Touchscreen
    Shooting Specs
    Focus System On-Sensor Phase-detect
    Manual Focusing AidFocus Peaking
    Maximum Shutter Speed 1/32000s
    Continuous Shooting 30 shutter flaps/s
    Silent ShootingElectronic Shutter
    Time Lapse PhotographyIntervalometer Built-in
    Image StabilizationIn-body stabilization
    Fill Flash no On-Board Flash
    Storage Medium CFexB or SDXC cards
    Single or Dual Card Slots Dual card slots
    UHS card support UHS-II
    Connectivity Specs
    External Flash Hotshoe
    Studio Flash PC Sync socket
    USB Connector USB 3.2
    HDMI Port full HDMI
    Microphone Port External MIC port
    Headphone Socket Headphone port
    Wifi Support Wifi built-in
    Bluetooth Support Bluetooth built-in
    Geotagging GPS built-in
    Body Specs
    Environmental SealingWeathersealed body
    Battery Type Nikon EN-EL15c power pack
    Battery Life (CIPA)340 shots per charge
    In-Camera Charging USB charging
    Body Dimensions 144 x 119 x 83 mm
    (5.7 x 4.7 x 3.3 in)
    Camera Weight 910 g (32.1 oz)

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