Z8 Q&A with Keiji Oishi

Nikon’s Manager of User Experience Planning, Keiji Oishi, speaks exclusively to N-Photo about the Z 8 and the future direction of Nikon…

What are the advantages and disadvantages of having no mechanical shutter?

Mechanical shutters tend to have a faster scan speed than electronic shutters, and this means that rolling shutter distortion can be suppressed. On the flip side, electronic shutters have the advantage of having no moving parts, there is no limit for the life of the shutter, they are able to maintain more accurate shutter speeds, and there is no sound or vibration. However, the adaptation of a stacked CMOS sensor for the Z 8 enables a high-speed scan rate, eliminating rolling shutter distortion, so it has the advantage of both a mechanical and electronic shutter.

Will this be adopted in future lower-cost Z-series cameras – such as DX models?

The shutter-less mechanism used for the Z 8 design is combined with the high-speed stacked sensor, so the question is really about what kind of sensor and shutter mechanism can be combined in future products. We will consider this based on the target customer’s needs, for both full-frame and DX products. Wait and see!

Is the Z 8 the natural choice for video?

Yes! I think the Z 8 will be used extensively for 8K shooting, partly due to the ease of use in camera rig assemblies, and also in terms of performance. It has a variety of format options that can be selected according to the video shooting and editing environment of the user, so it is very flexible. ProRes Raw can be recorded internally, same as the Z 9. We believe the demand for lower-cost equipment that can handle pro-standard video will grow.

The D850 is widely considered the best all-round DSLR ever made, is the Z 8 the best all-round mirrorless ever made?