Nikon Z8 Launched

From a business point of view, don’t you think this undermines the Z9 to some extent? I can’t really see why anyone would buy a Z9 when the Z8 is available.

Maybe I’d get used to it. I had a D810 before my Z7 ii and the reduction in weight was very noticeable to me. This would feel like going backwards.

Because you want the bigger battery, built in ethernet, don't mind the weight, etc etc.
It's like how the d850 didn't steal sales from the d5 (or at least, enough to matter).

Honestly, dual cfe slots is huge for me. I'm glad I don't have to worry about sd cards at all anymore.

I'll have more to say about that on Friday in my presentation.

The Z9 is a beast. Hard to break. Battery life is freaky long (I was recharging every third or fourth day in Africa, and I wasn't holding back on photos). That said, for most people the Z8 is probably the right camera now.

I did a quick flick down through "Explore the Z8" on Nikon USA site. I saw this "Nikon’s most advanced autofocus system" which does not necessarily mean "better" I assume you've used one side by side with the Z9, so my question would be - on things that move, would you consider the AF better, lesser, or equal to the Z9, again on things that move. Wildlife / BIF.

To qualify, and not that I need a Z8, but I would only be interested in a 46mp body that AF'ed as good or better than the D5/D6. One major downside is that it would be overpriced in Canada as Nikon Canada would put the exchange rate on the full US retail price to prevent cross border bargain shopping, which would mean a $4000 USD body would be about $5500 Cdn + 15% tax which = about $6300, so more than likely it would have to be far superior to my D850 / D4s combo to even give it a glance.

For reference a Z9 is $7000 + 15%

Currently, exactly $5,399.00 CAD
It's starting to do a lot to practice a hobby. 😬

That's going to take more sessions to figure out for sure. But initial impression: at least as good.

As I've written before, that's a trickier question to answer than most think. And you lump the D5 and D6 together, which you most definitely should not: the D6 is clearly and obviously better than the D5 with autofocus.

Where the D6 has an advantage over the Z8/Z9 is in vertical detail, particularly in low light. 3D-tracking works differently on a D6, too, which may or may not favor your style of work. The Z8/Z9 are faster (even with the same F-mount lenses), focus at f/11 maximum aperture quite well, and, of course, can focus through 90% of the image area, using sophisticated subject detection. I can do many things with my Z9 I can't do with my D6. I can do a few things with my D6 I can't do with my Z9.

I'll have much more to say about Z8 versus D850 on Friday evening. I'll simply say that initial impressions say the Z8 is a much better all around camera than a D850, and the D850 was still one of the top three on my list.

Are you sure? This image (from my local dealer) shows an SD card as far as I can see:

From my personal perspective I would have preferred to see a camera at the Z7 ii price point, with AF that’s competitive in 2023 with other manufacturers’ products at that level. The Z7 came out in 2018, and the Z7 ii is not greatly different. I’m sure the Z8 is a great camera, but it’s not tempting me to part with £4000.

The comment about dual cfe slots was referring to the z9 I have.

I feel like the SD card slot is a step back in the Z8, but ymmv

I think that was on me for not being clear enough.

I think he meant that dual cfe slots was a good reason why some people would still prefer the Z9.

Yep. Definitely good for video in slot b, photos in a and I don't have to worry about different write speeds, etc.

The Z8 is phenomenal news for many Nikon shooters. On paper it's a true competitor to the Sony A1 (as is the Z9) but for Sony A9II money. It's also at the same price point as the Canon R5, but that camera doesn't have a stacked sensor. So the specification to price ratio of the Nikon Z8 is truly remarkable!

On the issue of it being a smaller Z9 that many folk want, well yes it is, but it's still around D850 size and 910g. That's quite a bit larger and heavier than the Z6/7 range.

Some folks will see this as an advantage, while others will have wished for the Z8 to be Z6/7 size and weight. Other folk won't mind either way. As ever, we all have different needs and these are largely First World Problems.

Yes, I’m sure it’s a great camera. For me it’s probably not worth parting with £4000 but I can see that the spec to price ratio is good. First World Problems indeed - it’s impossible to produce something that’s an exact fit for everyone’s needs. for now I’ll keep shooting with my Z7 ii (and my Z50) and I’ll be happy.

In reality, the only exchange that should go on the, in this case Z8, is on the amount Nikon Canada paid Nikon Corporate. And that's likely on about $1500 +/- So the Canadian consumer is paying the price for Nikon USA to protect themselves from Americans picking up Nikon gear in Canada for less.

Thanks. Merely a data point at this point in time. I'll keep following. To me, just not worth a $6300 price tag, but that won't take away from what it is.

On the D5/D6, I wasn't intending them to lump them as the same, but more is it as good or better than a D5?, is it as good or better than a D6? I shoot a D4s, which I'm happy with, so if it were as good as a D5 or D6................

We'll see what Thom has to say on Friday. However, from my point of view, at least 80% or perhaps 90% of the Z9 Nikon will ever sell in the Z9's entire product cycle have already been sold. Nikon will sell a few more in the next 10 months or so, perhaps to some pros who accidentally damage their Z9 and need a replacement immediately. I don't think Nikon cares about Z9 sales any more. Most likely, by January/February 2024, Nikon will announce a Z9ii to restore the $5500 price point or perhaps even raise that to $6000, ahead of the 2024 Paris Summer Olympics. Likewise, Sony will probably update the A1 and Canon's R1 will be introduced. Performance will be raised to another level in less than a year with new competition.

Who truly want a Z9, will buy it. I did, and i would still but a z9 today. I prefer the ergonomics, I love it is a weather tank, the integrated battery pack, and Thom is right, the battery is amazing ... lasts days. And i still believe there are subtle differences only who is pushing the z9 would notice on the z8 (like matched CFE).
There is however people who bought the z9 because they could not wait or were dying with their z7/6 ..... that buying crowd is now over (in fact they might even sell the z9 and buy a z8). of course, there are now Z8 buyers who have lost faith and cannot wait for the z6/7 coming next year.