p.36 #1 · Nikon unveils the highly anticipated Z8 camera!
I have never thought, I was gonna spend this much for a camera, but I did.
New shiny Z8 replaced my Z7II, time to play and learn how to get best out of it.
The IBIS is certainly much louder during on/off, playback or even going into menu, than on z7II, but it is more stable too.
p.36 #2 · Nikon unveils the highly anticipated Z8 camera!
cvrle59 wrote:
I have never thought, I was gonna spend this much for a camera, but I did.
New shiny Z8 replaced my Z7II, time to play and learn how to get best out of it.
The IBIS is certainly much louder during on/off, playback or even going into menu, than on z7II, but it is more stable too.
As said, moving the body to silent mode will eliminate both menu and playback clunks.
May 31, 2023 at 08:28 PM
duncang Offline • • • [X]
p.36 #3 · Nikon unveils the highly anticipated Z8 camera!
bs kite wrote:
Ahh, now I see the meaning of the acronym.
The Nikon technician did not use the acronym IBIS. He said "electronic stabilization" or "electronic VR" (so apparently this is the same as IBIS. Apparently this is IBIS.
Thank you for clarifying this.
In Body Image Stabilisation (aka IBIS). There is no such thing as electronic stabilisation there is only mechanical stabilisation (via IBIS or Lens movement or a combination of both) or digital stabilisation - the latter is applied in post by cropping the captured image (on or off camera), i.e. after capture of the image from the sensor, usually only applicable for video.
p.36 #4 · Nikon unveils the highly anticipated Z8 camera!
I had some doubts about size of this camera looking to the pictures and videos, but not any more.
It's very close to the size of Z7II with Smallrig L-plate, which I never took off, to have better grip, and it's only 50g heavier.
Z8 and 400f4.5 are made for each other, perfect combo.
I still have miles to go to find what the best set up for my use is, and to adopt again Nikon "pro kind of" controls layout. I used it back in the D700 days, but I drifted away from it in last few years.
One thing bothers me so far, I don't have idea why Nikon makes 4-way pad+Ok button so small. I have hard time to push OK button without activating one of the pad arrows.
For some reason, it's worse than Z7II. I think, it's more recessed, deeper, or it needs to travel farther to get activated.
The good thing is, card door feels very solid compared to Z7II, at least for now. That may change after some time, I hope not.
p.36 #5 · Nikon unveils the highly anticipated Z8 camera!
I wish I had access to a D850 just to hold one. The more I hold and touch the Z8, the more cheap the materials feel compared to the Z9. The difference is stark, but knowing the D850 ended up being one of the most robust bodies Nikon ever made and had that same plastic/metal type of body makes me feel like the Z8 will probably be fine long term.
It really speaks to the Z9 build, a body that feels like an absolute tank that would survive a bomb without weighing all that much, all things considered.
p.36 #6 · Nikon unveils the highly anticipated Z8 camera!
RoamingScott wrote:
I wish I had access to a D850 just to hold one. The more I hold and touch the Z8, the more cheap the materials feel compared to the Z9. The difference is stark, but knowing the D850 ended up being one of the most robust bodies Nikon ever made and had that same plastic/metal type of body makes me feel like the Z8 will probably be fine long term.
It really speaks to the Z9 build, a body that feels like an absolute tank that would survive a bomb without weighing all that much, all things considered.
I’ve no doubt the Z9 is built very well, but people have a sometimes incorrect tendency to associate weight with durability. Carbon fiber is far stronger than most metals for lighter weight. There is a reason that GM selected Sereebo for their truck beds instead of magnesium alloy.
Some may be caught off guard by the idea that Sereebo is a “carbon fiber reinforced thermoplastic” but that is the accurate description of all such materials from bikes to car cockpits that are built out of “carbon fiber”. Carbon fiber is manufactured through the baking /curing of plastic resins into/onto sheets of woven strands of carbon fiber. Thus making them “carbon fiber” (the carbon fiber strands) “reinforced” (carbon fibers themselves only reinforce the structure) “thermoplastics” (they are set / cured / solidified through the application of heat).
It is not cheaper to manufacture than magnesium alloys, but it is less brittle.
The one thing I think the Z8 has traded off from the use of carbon fiber pretty clearly is heat dissipation. Magnesium alloy is not the greatest conductor of heat compared to aluminum or copper, but it is far better than carbon fiber. And I think the increased heat warnings during video capture are enough to convince me that has played a roll here.
p.36 #8 · Nikon unveils the highly anticipated Z8 camera!
Yes, I also found the Z8 to feel more «cheap»/«plastic». Liked the size though.
Regarding performance (AF) I find it about on pair with Z9. As far as I can tell.
Was considering trading my Z9 for a Z8 (due to the size), but the build «feel» was a let down. So no trade for me. Of course, YMMV.
RoamingScott wrote:
I wish I had access to a D850 just to hold one. The more I hold and touch the Z8, the more cheap the materials feel compared to the Z9. The difference is stark, but knowing the D850 ended up being one of the most robust bodies Nikon ever made and had that same plastic/metal type of body makes me feel like the Z8 will probably be fine long term.
It really speaks to the Z9 build, a body that feels like an absolute tank that would survive a bomb without weighing all that much, all things considered.
p.36 #9 · Nikon unveils the highly anticipated Z8 camera!
RoamingScott wrote:
I wish I had access to a D850 just to hold one. The more I hold and touch the Z8, the more cheap the materials feel compared to the Z9. The difference is stark, but knowing the D850 ended up being one of the most robust bodies Nikon ever made and had that same plastic/metal type of body makes me feel like the Z8 will probably be fine long term.
It really speaks to the Z9 build, a body that feels like an absolute tank that would survive a bomb without weighing all that much, all things considered.
My experience with the D850 is different; I find the multi-controller's tactile feedback and reliability less good than e.g., D6 and one of my D850's multi-controller developed an annoying squeaking sound which makes me harder to tell when the requested action is going to be obeyed by the camera and when it is not. The Z8 doesn't squeak (at least not yet) but it feels similar in how the controller is implemented. I prefer the full body's clear clicking response to the press. With the D850/Z8 I just can't be sure when pressing one of the four wings of the multi-controller, what will happen. Also my D850's vertical grip power delivery circuit failed and actually it was during the repair that this squeak developed. I have no love for the build quality of the D850 but it does produce good images.
p.36 #10 · Nikon unveils the highly anticipated Z8 camera!
Jesse Evans wrote:
I’ve no doubt the Z9 is built very well, but people have a sometimes incorrect tendency to associate weight with durability. Carbon fiber is far stronger than most metals for lighter weight. There is a reason that GM selected Sereebo for their truck beds instead of magnesium alloy.
Some may be caught off guard by the idea that Sereebo is a “carbon fiber reinforced thermoplastic” but that is the accurate description of all such materials from bikes to car cockpits that are built out of “carbon fiber”. Carbon fiber is manufactured through the baking /curing of plastic resins into/onto sheets of woven strands of carbon fiber. Thus making them “carbon fiber” (the carbon fiber strands) “reinforced” (carbon fibers themselves only reinforce the structure) “thermoplastics” (they are set / cured / solidified through the application of heat).
It is not cheaper to manufacture than magnesium alloys, but it is less brittle.
The one thing I think the Z8 has traded off from the use of carbon fiber pretty clearly is heat dissipation. Magnesium alloy is not the greatest conductor of heat compared to aluminum or copper, but it is far better than carbon fiber. And I think the increased heat warnings during video capture are enough to convince me that has played a roll here. ...Show more →
Yeah, Nikon's been using Sereebo for about a decade and has had seemingly no long term issues because of it. Honestly, I think the texture of the material is one of the causes of it feeling "cheap". The Z9 texture is rougher/thicker and the Z8 is smoother. It's basically the difference between EF lens materials and RF lens materials, where the RF lenses just FEEL cheaper/less durable to the touch (to me at least).
It's interesting seeing the differences behind the LCD screens of both bodies, as that's one of the main heat dissipation points. There are little "fins" on the Z9 where they are absent on the Z8 for some reason, which makes me wonder if they are pushing heat to a different area.
p.36 #12 · Nikon unveils the highly anticipated Z8 camera!
RoamingScott wrote:
I wish I had access to a D850 just to hold one. The more I hold and touch the Z8, the more cheap the materials feel compared to the Z9. The difference is stark, but knowing the D850 ended up being one of the most robust bodies Nikon ever made and had that same plastic/metal type of body makes me feel like the Z8 will probably be fine long term.
It really speaks to the Z9 build, a body that feels like an absolute tank that would survive a bomb without weighing all that much, all things considered.
I empathize with this.
I also suspect that you will grow into the Z8.
I am still on the fence between the Z8 and Z9 but will probably go with the Z8.
Hmmm.... I thought my D850 frame was 100% magnesium alloy. I guess not now. Yes, my D850 has been extremely durable. I have never had the smallest issue with build quality. At the edge of the card door, silver now shows from the black paint worn off under my thumb. In my opinion that shows character.
I just noticed something this morning that might help you too: For years I thought that my D850 had two XQD card slots. This morning I noticed "for the first time again".... that I have just one XQD card and the other slot is SD (this slot is always empty.)
My point: I have been a little concerned that Nikon decided to put just one CFExpress card in the Z8, yet, I've had no such thoughts with my D850 having one XQD slot. It was all in my head.
p.36 #13 · Nikon unveils the highly anticipated Z8 camera!
bs kite wrote:
I empathize with this.
I also suspect that you will grow into the Z8.
I am still on the fence between the Z8 and Z9 but will probably go with the Z8.
Hmmm.... I thought my D850 frame was 100% magnesium alloy. I guess not now. Yes, my D850 has been extremely durable. I have never had the smallest issue with build quality. At the edge of the card door, silver now shows from the black paint worn off under my thumb. In my opinion that shows character.
I just noticed something this morning that might help you too: For years I thought that my D850 had two XQD card slots. This morning I noticed "for the first time again".... that I have just one XQD card and the other slot is SD (this slot is always empty.)
My point: I have been a little concerned that Nikon decided to put just one CFExpress card in the Z8, yet, I've had no such thoughts with my D850 having one XQD slot. It was all in my head.
I would have been better off never having used a Z9 for an extended period of time The Z8 is markedly nicer than the Z7ii and would have felt like a huge upgrade in contrast.
Since I'm fully aware of what the Z8 can do in terms of performance, it's all about how it feels and balances with my lenses.
p.36 #15 · Nikon unveils the highly anticipated Z8 camera!
arbitrage wrote:
Just one of my many minor annoyances with the Z9. Sad to hear it is even louder on the Z8.
I'm sure the mechanism is the same, it's just louder/more tactile likely because there's less metal between the IBIS unit and your hand to blunt the sound/vibration.
p.36 #16 · Nikon unveils the highly anticipated Z8 camera!
RoamingScott wrote:
I'm sure the mechanism is the same, it's just louder/more tactile likely because there's less metal between the IBIS unit and your hand to blunt the sound/vibration.
Yep. The solid chassis / size of Z9 just mutes the 'thunk' better. For me it's barely noticeable in the Z9 while in Z8 it will take a bit of getting used to. Wonder if there are any downsides of just running it constantly in 'silent' mode (I like my volume 1 shutter sound though).
p.36 #17 · Nikon unveils the highly anticipated Z8 camera!
As with all other brands. Variation is normal.
RoamingScott wrote:
Interestingly, the 100-400 has no "play" on the Z8 mount, where it had play from day one on the Z7ii and Z9. Probably just variability unit to unit.
p.36 #18 · Nikon unveils the highly anticipated Z8 camera!
lukemeup wrote:
Yep. The solid chassis / size of Z9 just mutes the 'thunk' better. For me it's barely noticeable in the Z9 while in Z8 it will take a bit of getting used to. Wonder if there are any downsides of just running it constantly in 'silent' mode (I like my volume 1 shutter sound though).
I think not having the shutter sound was the only issue I found for running it in silent mode. I actually run my Sony in complete silence but for whatever reason I liked the low volume Z9 sound as it was so low that no bird would be disturbed where as the Sony is not adjustable and I find it a bit loud. But I didn't like the IBIS clunk so I think in the end I did run in silent mode at least with your Z9....can't even remember what I did with the latest one.
p.36 #19 · Nikon unveils the highly anticipated Z8 camera!
arbitrage wrote:
I think not having the shutter sound was the only issue I found for running it in silent mode. I actually run my Sony in complete silence but for whatever reason I liked the low volume Z9 sound as it was so low that no bird would be disturbed where as the Sony is not adjustable and I find it a bit loud. But I didn't like the IBIS clunk so I think in the end I did run in silent mode at least with your Z9....can't even remember what I did with the latest one.
- The frame advance rate may drop in some circumstances.
- Long-exposure noise reduction is disabled.
- Optional flash units will not fire.
p.36 #20 · Nikon unveils the highly anticipated Z8 camera!
lukemeup wrote:
- The frame advance rate may drop in some circumstances.
- Long-exposure noise reduction is disabled.
- Optional flash units will not fire.
what the heck is 'frame advance rate'?
Nikon seems to use "frame advance rate" interchangeably with frames per second in the manual.
It was all in my head.
The Z8 is markedly nicer than the Z7ii and would have felt like a huge upgrade in contrast.