Nikon has announced the Z8 – price tag £3,999 / €4,799 – a new full-frame mirrorless camera billed as the successor to the Nikon D850 and boasting many features of the flagship Nikon Z9.
Like the Z9, the Nikon Z8 is built for high-end video and stills. Inside the camera are the same 45.7-megapixel stacked CMOS sensor and EXPEED 7 processor that sit in the Z9. This enables the Nikon Z8 to record in-camera 12-bit raw video at up to 8.3K at 60p or 4.1K at 120p.
The camera’s 12-bit raw footage is saved in Nikon’s N-RAW file format, which is half the size of a ProRes RAW HQ file, and in-camera Full-HD proxy files are created when shooting internal 8.3K N-RAW or 4.1K ProRes RAW HQ.
Nikon says the Z8’s sensor also achieves the world’s fastest scanning speed which, combined with the electronic shutter, can virtually eliminate the effects of rolling shutter.
For those who want to shoot HDR content, the Nikon Z8 can record 10-bit HLG video or 10-bit HEIF stills.
- Jump to our Nikon Z8 review
The Nikon Z8 also boasts a sophisticated Deep-learning AF system with subject detection for tracking people, dogs, cats, birds, cars, motorcycles, bicycles, trains and planes. Nikon’s Eye AF is also available, and Nikon says it can even track eyes if the subject is upside down or moving very fast. Impressively, the Z8’s AF system can lock onto subjects in light levels as low as -9EV.
At 910g, the Nikon Z8 body is 30% smaller than the Z9 and 15% smaller than the D850, making it more portable but also more easier to manage for long periods mounted on a gimbal or rig. The body is also weather-sealed.
Other features include a 4-axis tilting touchscreen monitor and a blackout-free EVF. The Z8 can also be used with Nikon’s new optional Power Battery Pack MB-N12, which can be used as a grip for vertical shooting or to counterbalance telephoto lenses.
Nikon Z8 Price & Release Date
The Nikon Z8 price tag will be £3,999 / €4,799, with a release date set for 25 May 2023.