I am hoping that the Nikon Z8 will be the Nikon D850 that I never owned - Update: preorder placed - will be shipped to me May 25 - shipped - delivered

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Don L Turner

Don L Turner

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Hello folks,
I am new to this site, but have been following Steve Perry on YouTube for a number of years. My current photo gear is a Nikon D610 and a first generation 70-200 mm lens from Tamron. I have a few other lenses but that one is my favorite. I have been saving up money for my next camera since before Nikon got into the mirrorless game. I thought my next camera was going to be the D850; but, before I had the money for it, Nikon came out with the Z6 and Z7. Those weren't good enough to make me want to spend more money, but they certainly peaked my interest, peaked further by the emergence of the Z6 II and Z7 II. At one point I rented a Z6 II for a week. It was a great camera but too small for my partially disabled right hand. And so I waited. Then came out the Z9. I rented it for a week and it blew me away. By that point I had already bought a 100-400mm Z lens when they came back in stock. That combination was amazing. But before I could save enough money for the Z9, the Z8 rumors started. And if the latest rumors are true, if it's going to have much of the Z9's technology, then that's the camera for me. And we should all know for sure in just a few days. I am very excited.
 
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It's gonna happen this week. After years of waiting, it's gonna happen. At least, I hope so. If the Z8 is announced and it is the camera that I hope it is, then I will be ordering one as soon as possible, hopefully Wednesday morning. On Tuesday I will move some money out of savings into my checking account in preparation. On Wednesday morning ... Holy crap! On Wednesday morning I have a dental appointment at 9 AM, with about a half hour drive to get there. The announcement is scheduled to happen at 8 AM, leaving me a half hour to find out if the Z8 is available and is what I want, and then to place the order, assuming the online photography stores make it available for purchase and don't crash from all the folks trying to buy that camera.

Photography is complicated.
 
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Welcome to BCG,

As you say, we will have more reliable information mid week. The D850 is probably still the best all round camera, particularly for outdoor photography: landscapes and wildlife. Integration of mirrorless tech (Liveview) + then state-of-the-art DSLR autofocus + 45mp BSI sensor was the underlying basis of the wide scope and its abilities. The 'power' arguably resides in the D5 engine-based autofocus (2016 tech) with the scope to customize the controls.

In comparison to the Zeds, well, the D850 silent shutter feature is 'cumbersome' to try and use. I found the Z7 has significant advantages for the latter, but its Autofocus is not as robust nor flexible enough for my needs for wildlife subjects. 5 years post its release, a Z7 is however one of the optimum ILCs for landscape and macro photography.

A Z6 has its benefits in lowlight. It's also a favourite choice of some photographers for video work.

In its collective features, the Z9 embraces the scope of the D850 but with autofocus ability that parallels the D6, and exceeds any DSLR for Subject-Detection and tracking, and one buys in many other novel features. Obviously, a Z9 has its price and its ergonomics don't match the preferences of some photographers. The D850 uses the 2016 era EXPEED5 processor prior to the 2018 update to the EXPEED6. In 2021, the EXPEED7 upgraded to 10x faster, and Nikon has this in the Z8, we hear in leaks.

The key questions for camera choice relate to what subjects you like to photograph, where and when; and as importantly, which lenses are optimal in features and costs. The Glass outlives the cameras.
 
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Don L Turner said:
It's gonna happen this week. After years of waiting, it's gonna happen. At least, I hope so. If the Z8 is announced and it is the camera that I hope it is, then I will be ordering one as soon as possible, hopefully Wednesday morning. On Tuesday I will move some money out of savings into my checking account in preparation. On Wednesday morning ... Holy crap! On Wednesday morning I have a dental appointment at 9 AM, with about a half hour drive to get there. The announcement is scheduled to happen at 8 AM, leaving me a half hour to find out if the Z8 is available and is what I want, and then to place the order, assuming the online photography stores make it available for purchase and don't crash from all the folks trying to buy that camera.

Photography is complicated.
Click to expand...
You would be far better off going to your local Nikon stockist than buying from a major online store like B&H or Ad. Each regular dealer will receive an initial allocation and you could be lucky if you speak to them today, whereas folk who placed orders with the major online retailers are still waiting for their Z9 .... or so I heard.

I am very lucky, my local Nikon dealers are Grays of Westminster followed closely by Fixation in Vauxhall (now part of Wex/Calumet) and I have been exceptionally well served by them both over the last 4 decades.
 
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fcotterill said:
Welcome to BCG,

As you say, we will have more reliable information mid week. The D850 is probably still the best all round camera, particularly for outdoor photography: landscapes and wildlife. Integration of mirrorless tech (Liveview) + then state-of-the-art DSLR autofocus + 45mp BSI sensor was the underlying basis of the wide scope and its abilities. The 'power' arguably resides in the D5 engine-based autofocus (2016 tech) with the scope to customize the controls.

In comparison to the Zeds, well, the D850 silent shutter feature is 'cumbersome' to try and use. I found the Z7 has significant advantages for the latter, but its Autofocus is not as robust nor flexible enough for my needs for wildlife subjects. 5 years post its release, a Z7 is however one of the optimum ILCs for landscape and macro photography.

A Z6 has its benefits in lowlight. It's also a favourite choice of some photographers for video work.

In its collective features, the Z9 embraces the scope of the D850 but with autofocus ability that parallels the D6, and exceeds any DSLR for Subject-Detection and tracking, and one buys in many other novel features. Obviously, a Z9 has its price and its ergonomics don't match the preferences of some photographers. The D850 uses the 2016 era EXPEED5 processor prior to the 2018 update to the EXPEED6. In 2021, the EXPEED7 upgraded to 10x faster, and Nikon has this in the Z8, we hear in leaks.

The key questions for camera choice relate to what subjects you like to photograph, where and when; and as importantly, which lenses are optimal in features and costs. The Glass outlives the cameras.
Click to expand...
Thanks for all the info. I'm guessing that if I had previously upgraded from my D610 to a D850 it might be hard to justify a Z8. In fact, my main justification is the expectation that the next camera I buy will be the last camera I buy. I am 74 years old, frustrated by the limitations of my D610 in certain wildlife situations, and think the Z8 is exactly what I need. I'll know better on Wednesday morning. I already own the 100-400 mm Z lens and plan to buy my favorite focal length in the 70-200 mm Z lens. In my case, it is likely that both the glass and the camera will outlast me.
 
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Andy Miller Photo UK said:
You would be far better off going to your local Nikon stockist than buying from a major online store like B&H or Ad. Each regular dealer will receive an initial allocation and you could be lucky if you speak to them today, whereas folk who placed orders with the major online retailers are still waiting for their Z9 .... or so I heard.
Click to expand...
Dealing with your local camera shops is probably the best thing for a lot of folks. But there's no camera store in my city and the closest one is in another city. That drive is a bit out of my comfort zone. So I'll be taking my chances online, like I've done with most of my photo gear.
 
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I'm also waiting for the Z8 with bated breath. If it's what I hope it to be I'll immediately jump on it and upgrade from my Z6II.
You mentioned that the Z6II is too small for your partially disabled hand. Indications are that the Z8 may be a similar size as the Z6/7 series. If that turns out to be true, then even the Z8 may be too small for you?
 
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Rassie said:
I'm also waiting for the Z8 with bated breath. If it's what I hope it to be I'll immediately jump on it and upgrade from my Z6II.
You mentioned that the Z6II is too small for your partially disabled hand. Indications are that the Z8 may be a similar size as the Z6/7 series. If that turns out to be true, then even the Z8 may be too small for you?
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I am banking on the Z8 being more the size of the D850, as it has been suggested in a few places. If it isn't, then my decision will be complicated. It's all wishful thinking on my part right now. A Z9 purchase is not totally out of the question, but that would be an expensive move.
 
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It is going to be interesting to see what Nikon releases on May 10, will it be what everyone is expecting and rumored, or will it be something a little different?
 
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Rassie said:
I'm also waiting for the Z8 with bated breath. If it's what I hope it to be I'll immediately jump on it and upgrade from my Z6II.
You mentioned that the Z6II is too small for your partially disabled hand. Indications are that the Z8 may be a similar size as the Z6/7 series. If that turns out to be true, then even the Z8 may be too small for you?
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And I'm really hoping that part of the delay in announcing them was building up a stock so there aren't delivery issues…I realize that's unlikely given their recent history…but hope springs eternal.
 
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MartyD said:
It is going to be interesting to see what Nikon releases on May 10, will it be what everyone is expecting and rumored, or will it be something a little different?
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Considering how surprising the Z9 turned out to be, I think we should expect some sort of surprise. Of course, I'm hoping the surprise will be $3500 for a Z8. If it's much over $4000 I'll have some thinking to do. I'm hoping that the Z8 will have some new and fantastic feature that no one has thought of yet. And mostly, I'm hoping that the Z8 will be part of the May 10 announcement.
 
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Well, if you still want a D850 they are $500 off right now. ;)
But if, as you say, you already have a Z 100-400, then the Z8 should be the camera for you. I will be interested to see the size, because I have large hands and like you the Z6/Z7 are too small. I would get a battery grip if I got one, which I have for my Sony A74 that supplements my two D850's. One rumor said the Z8 will be bigger but others said it will be the same. I guess we will know tomorrow.
 
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MrFotoFool said:
Well, if you still want a D850 they are $500 off right now. ;)
But if, as you say, you already have a Z 100-400, then the Z8 should be the camera for you. I will be interested to see the size, because I have large hands and like you the Z6/Z7 are too small. I would get a battery grip if I got one, which I have for my Sony A74 that supplements my two D850's. One rumor said the Z8 will be bigger but others said it will be the same. I guess we will know tomorrow.
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That D850 price is very tempting. But I want to make a clean break from DSLRs. I will still have my D610 as backup for a while, but I'll be concentrating on learning everything about my new (I hope) Nikon Z8. Let's hope we all get what we want tomorrow morning; especially me me me. If an asteroid destroys the Earth before I place my order, I'm gonna be very upset.
 
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If the latest leaked image just posted on NR is real —then what might the bottom port be for — the shape on the cover is new to me — unless it is the place for a security lock.

Well it turns out to be a USB-C shaped Power Delivery port -- well done to those of you who can decipher hieroglyphs on ultra low res images !!!
 
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Andy Miller Photo UK said:
If the latest leaked image just posted on NR is real —then what might the bottom port be for — the shape on the cover is new to me — unless it is the place for a security lock.
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It looks like the top portion of the lower cover is for the USB C port; I can't make out the symbol on the bottom part. It also looks like the HDMI cover is large enough for a full-sized HDMI port, if the USB C is actually below under a separate cover, as it seems.
 
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Don L Turner said:
It looks like the top portion of the lower cover is for the USB C port; I can't make out the symbol on the bottom part. It also looks like the HDMI cover is large enough for a full-sized HDMI port, if the USB C is actually below under a separate cover, as it seems.
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Yes definately full sized HDMI AND the top part of the lower section is usb-c. So if not a security slot what might the 2nd lower port be for?

Well it turns out to be a USB-C shaped Power Delivery port -- well done to those of you who can decipher hieroglyphs on ultra low res images !!!
 
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I am happy to say that I managed to squeeze in the order of my Z8 between the 8 AM official announcement and my 8:30 AM time to leave for my dental appointment. Initially, on B&H the camera was available for preorder, but no specs were posted. Knowing that I could cancel the order if needed, I went ahead and ordered one anyway, along with a Nikon 70-200 mm f/2.8 lens and a couple of other things. (I already have a Nikon 100-400 Z lens).

Those two lenses will cover almost everything I will ever want to shoot, and if that changes I will take a look at other lenses.

Those minutes after 8 AM were incredibly hectic for me. I decided to use PayPal for payment so that the money would leave my account right away and not stay in my checking account. (I had moved money over from another account yesterday. I like to keep my checking account balance fairly low.) Initially, PayPal rejected my attempt to purchase the gear. It did that three times before I figured out what I was doing wrong. The sale did finally go through.

On any days that I have a medical appointment I reward myself with a fast food breakfast. That was going to be tricky today, because, by the time I was finished with my dental appointment, fast food breakfast ordering time would be over. So I placed an order to be delivered and put it on hold until 10 AM. I've never trusted that before and wasn't sure it was going to work out right. Plus, what happens if I get held up at the Dentist and my food is out there exposed to hungry kids or hungry animals.

I managed to get the order placed and headed for my dental appointment. Just as I was about to pull into the parking area for the dentist office I got a call from the fraud protection group from my bank. Fortunately, I was able to pull over and take the call and confirm that I had, in fact, spent a lot of money that morning.

The dental appointment was for a cleaning. The nice lady who does that cleaning so well was not in the same hurry I was in this morning. But when someone has sharp utensils in your mouth it's not a good idea to try to get them to hurry. The cleaning went well, the dentist said my teeth looked good, but the receptionist wanted me to fill out a form to update my health status. I told her I didn't really have time. At this point, the food was supposed to be delivered to my home within about 10 or 15 minutes and I was 15 or 20 minutes away from home. We did a fast version of the form she showed me ... and I was out of there.

When I got home the food was on the little table on my front porch. The coffee was still hot. And the food tasted delicious. I spent most of the morning watching a bunch of videos about the Nikon Z8. It looks perfect for my use case.

I only have one question:
When am I gonna get my camera?
 
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Don L Turner said:
Dealing with your local camera shops is probably the best thing for a lot of folks. But there's no camera store in my city and the closest one is in another city. That drive is a bit out of my comfort zone. So I'll be taking my chances online, like I've done with most of my photo gear.
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Sadly for me, the closest local camera shop is the next state over (I'm close to the state line) and while I thought their sales tax was pretty much the same as my state, it was much higher so that when I bought my Z9 from them I paid close to $500 in state sales tax! That's nothing to sneeze at so I'm on a pre-order list for the Z8 at B&H where I can save the sales tax by using their Payboo Credit Card. I'm in no big hurry to get it.
 
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I was in Grays of Westminster when the Z8 was launched so immediately placed my pre-order and paid the deposit... then headed over to Somerset House where Photo London is being held and I could see the Nikon area in the basement where they had the Nikon Europe launch.
 
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