Getting used to the Nikon Z8

[Many Feathers]

I have both a Z9 and a Z8. My advice is to not worry that you have all those options, just forget about a lot of them in the beginning, use only what you really need, set up maybe two or three buttons so you can remember what each one does. My Z8 is set on auto auto-focus for a subject that is not surrounded by a lot of "stuff" and the focus is right-on, actually tack sharp for most of the shots. I shoot mainly wildlife so mine is set to animal tracking and I've most often used the auto auto-focus because it is so good. At times I will have to give the auto-focus a nudge by turning the focus ring on the lens or by moving the camera to readjust the focus. Start with the basics, really as we would with any camera, and build on those basics over time as you begin to better understand the camera. Right now the only thing I have configured on it is the i menu, and that is easy to remember because it tells you what it is. This little hummer is a shot from yesterday, using the auto auto-focus setting and even though there were branches in the background the auto-focus locked onto the bird. I love the Z8, it is a really great camera. I have hundreds of other hummingbird shots at the feeder at my house that are all tack-sharp using the auto auto-focus setting. I feel like I'm cheating because it is so easy to use.

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Wonderful photo! Must be a baby hummer! Just this week, I started using Auto with Animal Detection for small birds. I was using mostly Wide S with Animal Detection and switching to 3D. Still, I am surprised Auto is getting me more flight keepers. Although, it's very frustrating when it wants to lock on something else. The camera is amazing! Again, love the baby hummer!

 

[Many Feathers]

I’ll take a contrary view. And say no way bring the new gear on trip several days after you get it. I came to the Z8 from my D850 and have shot with pretty much every F mount Nikon SLR and DSLR produced going back to my old Nikon F in the 60’s. I can shoot previous Nikons in my sleep. 100% no think muscle memory. Then I got my Z8. First, let me admit that I’m 75 yrs old and the old adage about “teaching old dogs new tricks” is quite accurate in my case. I have Steve’s book and watched his videos. The Z8 is, by all accounts, an outstanding computer masquerading as a camera. The EVF is welcomed since you can see any tweaks in real time before tripping the shutter.

My problem has to do with the overwhelming number of options available. In the recent dslrs, we had to decide on which focus area to use and how m@ny points. In my frequent sports and wildlife shooting, I tended to use either single focus point or D9 points for almost everything. With 5he new Z 8&9, not only do you have similar choices for main options plus a lot more new ones, but then each of the main opinions have numerous sub options. I’ve had the camera a couple of weeks and I’m still not sure I understand most of the options available to me . Worse yet, not only am I struggling to remember all of the capabilities offered, even if I do recall something I want to use, I can’t easily figure out where to find them. To make matters worse, there are so many more function buttons available that just remembering what button does what is a bear. AND - now my various lenses have function recall buttons and rings in addition to what’s on the body and, not every lens has th3 same functions in the same location.

I find myself struggling to use all of the various focus areas, being able to change not only the size but the orientation (vertical or horizontal). I originally set up the camera to focus on @animals’ eyes and yesterday, when I shot my stationary dog, I couldn’t remember how to turn off the eye focus.

I’ll figure it out eventually, but I have a family vacation in late August and I will be bringing my DSLR kit. Not a chance I’m going to be anywhere near proficient with the Z.

Hi Rick, I, too, am coming from the D850 and am a "senior". The first 2 weeks I had the Z8, I was right where you are. I even had the thought I might have to return the camera...was I ever gonna get it? I felt like I didn't know how to take a photo! I, too, watched Steve's videos (and others' on the web) and read his Z8 book several times. I then read his Understanding Nikon's Autofocus Mirrorless edition and I highly recommend it. It has even more than the Z8 book and was extremely helpful. I bought the Z8 for my backyard birdie photos. The D850 was fantastic for everything else and I have a D5500 that went with me everywhere, just for snapshots. Still, there was a family party, so I brought the Z8 and here's a quote from an email from my brother after I shared a few photos, "The surprising thing is you bought the camera because it was going to improve your bird pictures but it seems to have really helped your people pictures as well. " Why? I think because the eyes are almost always in focus, I didn't use flash (fix noise on the computer) and the people didn't know when I was shooting because I have the shutter release very low. They were waiting for the clack of the D850. And it has really improved my little backyard birdie photos with detail I rarely saw before and lots of small inflight birdie photos I've never been able to get for years of shooting from the D100-D850. I'm ready to sell my D850 and the D5500 and carry the heavier Z8 with me everywhere Enjoy the journey. Take your Z8 along with your D850 to the family vacation and have fun. My guess is if you have some time to play with the Z8 before then, you'll get used to it and it will be much easier than the D850. One more thing, I, too, had trouble remembering where that eye focus was. It's seems to be hidden with other menus. So, I put it on F3, one button press. "Custom Settings, f-Controls, f2-Custom Controls (shooting), Fn3 set to Access Top item in MY MENU". Of course, you have to set up MY MENU, top menu item to be "AF subject detection options" Anyway, that works great for me...

 

[Viathelens]

Wonderful photo! Must be a baby hummer! Just this week, I started using Auto with Animal Detection for small birds. I was using mostly Wide S with Animal Detection and switching to 3D. Still, I am surprised Auto is getting me more flight keepers. Although, it's very frustrating when it wants to lock on something else. The camera is amazing! Again, love the baby hummer!

Yes, a baby. There were several babies and adults in a large bush. The babies might have been waiting to get fed but there was plenty of bugs to hunt. These are Anna's hummers and they do hunt insects. When the camera locks on to something I often move the camera to get a new "lock on" and this has worked fairly well.