Nikon Z8

Nikon's latest high-end full-frame camera promises all the performance of the flagship Z9 in a smaller, less-expensive package. Andy Westlake puts it to the test

- Andy Westlake

Nikon’s latest high-end full-frame mirrorless camera, the Z 8, offers essentially the same specifications as the firm’s flagship Z 9, but in a significantly smaller and less-expensive body. With an impressive combination of high resolution, high speed, and cutting-edge autofocus, all wrapped up in a rugged pro-spec body, it’s a camera that should be able to take on any conceivable task. However, ‘smaller and less expensive’ doesn’t by any means mean ‘small and cheap’ – it’s still a hefty camera, and at £3,999, it’s a serious investment. Nikon is pitching it as a ‘true successor to the D850’, which is quite a claim given that the D850 was probably the best DSLR ever made.

Compared to its major competitors, though, the Nikon Z 8 looks like quite a bargain. This is a camera that can shoot 45.7MP raw files at 20 frames per second, while recognising and tracking focus on specific subjects. It can also record 8K video at 30fps. Perhaps its clearest direct rivals are the Sony Alpha A1, which shoots 50MP stills at 30fps and costs £5,879, and the Canon EOS R5, which offers 45MP at 20fps for £4,299. But neither of these older, more- expensive models has quite such a sophisticated AF system.

Indeed, possibly the biggest question posed by the Z 8 relates to the Z 9. A detailed comparison reveals that the supposedly junior model is a match for its £5,300 sibling in every aspect of its operation, aside from battery life. So is the Z 8 really as good as it looks, and if so, why on Earth would anyone now spend an extra £1,300 on the Z 9?

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