Question for Z8 users

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Kevin.M

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I sold my D850 awhile ago which I was EXTREMELY happy with, I did so I could go to the projected Z8 before it was actually released, I waited when it was released, I didn't jump right on it and then the recalls happened. I'm thinking Nikon has corrected the defects and in the interim I've tried a crop sensor camera and I'm not satisfied with the results.

I'm thinking about buying the Z8 but I'm concerned with the specs saying it's only is rated for 340 shots, that's not a lot when the camera is rated to shoot 20 frames per second shooting raw. How are you Z8 users feeling about this camera? Battery life, image quality, weight etc.

Thanks in advance for your input and advise. ~Kevin
 
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You’ve sold the D850….Elvis has left the building.. I still have both cameras as they have different intended uses. The manufacturing snafu in the Z8 has been addressed by Nikon and should be in the rear view mirror. The Z8, et al Z’s have EVF.… electronic view finder. This feature and some other battery driven enhancements reduce the number of shots you get. If your Z8 were hooked to a power source you could likely fill a card. However, the Z8 can and will warm up with videos on occasion. Carry an extra battery.
 
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I have shot the Z8 extensively - often using 20 fps. I have seldom had to put in a second battery. While out shooting, I have the camera in airplane mode and and do not spend a lot of time reviewing images on the LCD, and make sure there are not other settings that might drain the battery.

Other than for video use, I seldom here of folks having real world issues with the battery. Again, I carry one spare - some heavy users carry two spares. They are small. Not a big deal.
 
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Here’s the size comparison……. The D850 is larger and heavier… Image quality identical. But… this is important: the Z8 has IBIS, ”in body image stabilization”. A huge advantage……
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I have no idea how they calculate the battery life but real world for my typical shooting it's good for hundreds of frames. Actually the higher fps you shoot the more frames you're likely to get out of a battery. Most of the power requirement it screen time not number of captures. @Steve did a video a while back on this subject. You may want to search his video channel on Youtube.
 
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Butlerkid said:
I have shot the Z8 extensively - often using 20 fps. I have seldom had to put in a second battery. While out shooting, I have the camera in airplane mode and and do not spend a lot of time reviewing images on the LCD, and make sure there are not other settings that might drain the battery.

Other than for video use, I seldom here of folks having real world issues with the battery. Again, I carry one spare - some heavy users carry two spares. They are small. Not a big deal.
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Exactly!
 
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with the nikon mirrorless cameras you should think about battery life in terms of power-on time, not number of shots. the z8 will probably run about 2hrs power on time with a single battery. regardless if you take 1 shot or 6000.

i switched to the z9/z8 from the d500 and never looked back and i loved that d500.
 
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John Navitsky said:
with the nikon mirrorless cameras you should think about battery life in terms of power-on time, not number of shots. the z8 will probably run about 2hrs power on time with a single battery. regardless if you take 1 shot or 6000.

i switched to the z9/z8 from the d500 and never looked back and i loved that d500.
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It depends......I was recently doing architectural shooting....using the LCD almost continually. After 4 hours of constant shooting, I still had about 25% battery remaining. I wasn't shooting thousands of images using 20 fps - but with that kind of shooting I don't use the LCD much at all. With shooting in Africa, I could get about 1,500 images in a day - but in Africa there can also be long periods when one isn't shooting at all. It is really variable - on a lot of things.
 
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John Navitsky said:
with the nikon mirrorless cameras you should think about battery life in terms of power-on time, not number of shots. the z8 will probably run about 2hrs power on time with a single battery. regardless if you take 1 shot or 6000.

i switched to the z9/z8 from the d500 and never looked back and i loved that d500.
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Butlerkid said:
It depends......I was recently doing architectural shooting....using the LCD almost continually. After 4 hours of constant shooting, I still had about 25% battery remaining. I wasn't shooting thousands of images using 20 fps - but with that kind of shooting I don't use the LCD much at all. With shooting in Africa, I could get about 1,500 images in a day - but in Africa there an also be long periods when one isn't shooting at all. It is really variable - on a lot of things.
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As another data point: Back in August I sat on the side of a creek for eight hours with the Z8/400mm 4.5 without changing the battery. Judging by image file names I shot 1954 frames.
 
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The Z8 is in my opinion a better camera than the D850. That's not to say they are not close but 20fps is way better and I get 1000+ images if I don't chimp all the time. I'm looking forward to the firmware update so it's back on par with the Z9. I have both and now that the Z9 has the most recent firmware it has moved ahead of the Z8 in AF and acquisition. Should have the new firmware in the 1st quarter of 2024 so it should be back on par with Z9 for AF.
 
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I used a D850 and D500 before going to mirrorless (starting with a Z7). Liked them a lot. Used them together with a Z7 or Z7II until I got a Z9. Then sold the DSLRs. Now I mostly use a Z9 and Z8.

Battery life for the Z8 is somewhat shorter than for the D850 (at least if you are using the optical viewfinder on the D850 rather than live view). However, I have not found battery life to be an issue with my Z8. CIPA battery estimates are generally much lower than the real world results I see in my use, generally wildlife and landscape photography. I always carry an extra battery or two with me (and I did so with my DSLRs too). I also use airplane mode and turn off bluetooth, to reduce battery use, as I do not need wifi or bluetooth in my normal phototgraphy.

John is right that battery life for Z bodies generally turns on how long the camera and its EVF or rear LCD screen is on more than the number of shots you take. So if you are shooting wildlife with bursts (for example, the 20 fps with RAW you mention) you will get significantly more photos from a single battery than the CIPA estimates. I also find I get more than the CIPA estimates with more methodical landscape work.

I used my Z8 for landscape, seascapes and Northern Lights on a trip to Greenland in September. I started with a fully charged battery each day and generally did not need a second battery during the day. I put a new battery in for Northern Lights at night, given the longer exposures. I used my Z8 for landscapes on a trip to Grand Staircase Escalante NM in October. Again, a single fully charged battery was generally enough for a day of shooting.

I find the size and weight of the Z8 to be pretty similar to my D850, although I did not own them at the same time. The Z8 is noticeably lighter than my Z9 and noticeably heavier than my Z7II (which I still have). Overall, I like the feel and weight of the Z8 in use. It reminds me of the D850 in that regard.

Image quality is great on the Z8. Not sure there is much difference here between the Z8, Z9, Z7II, Z7 and D850.

The D850 was a great camera. I have a lot of photos from it that I like a lot. But I have not missed it since I started shooting withe Z9 and Z8.

Good luck with your decision.
 
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I don't own a Z8, but recently rented one for a weekend with the 800 PF. I also rented a spare battery because I was concerned about it running out while in the field. I was able to get 2000 pictures over several hours on one battery and still had more juice, so never even used the spare. However, I also turned off the camera when I was walking around because it's very easy to turn it on quickly and it's ready to shoot before I can put my eye to the EVF. I'm sure that helped.
 
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The Z8 is so good I'd put up with AAA's if that's what it took to power it up...Just carry a spare battery and turn off the camera between shots and you should be fine.

I Agree with other here regarding the D850...but I don't miss it either....

Favorite SLR: F100
Favorite DSLR: D850
Favorite Mirrorless: Z8
 
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I switched from the D500/D750 combo. I sold the D500 and never use the D750 as the Z8 focusing system, increase in frame rate, increase in resolution, and great new lenses combine to render more keepers. I'm super happy to have made the jump.
 
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If you twisted my arm and demanded I find I nitpick with the Z8... I guess it would be battery life, but only because the camera I used directly before it was the Z9, and I could run that puppy for days without charging. Z8's battery I can deplete after a day in the field, or sooner, if I'm constantly eye-to-viewfinder using it, but most often it's not a concern at all. I do shut the camera off between "scenes" though, run it in Airplane mode, and never chimp... I know this thing nails focus every time, so gone is DSLR-era practice of chimping every shot in the hopes you didn't miss focus or exposure :D

D500... superb camera, loved every minute of shooting with it, but if you were to ask me now to go back? No way in hell! Z8 is truly beyond next level, couldn't give it (or my Z lenses) up.
 
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MatthewK said:
D500... superb camera, loved every minute of shooting with it, but if you were to ask me now to go back? No way in hell! Z8 is truly beyond next level, couldn't give it (or my Z lenses) up.
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Yep, I'm with ya.....I just sold my last F Lens. After I sell a TC-14 III and TC-17 II (and a lens scope converter) my transition to Z will be complete. It was expensive to switch and I had to sell some damn good [and favored] glass (for too little $$ :rolleyes:) but I'm happy I made the switch. The Z8 (when it gets bird SD) is just about perfect and my all time favorite Nikon cam (probably till the Z10 comes along....lol). And, as you mentioned, the new Z lenses are another step up.
Nikon's offerings have never been better....
 
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I have a Z8. All of my other Nikon cameras have been sold or are for sale - including the D850, D500, etc. But if you give me any of the recent or current Nikon cameras, I can still get the shot. The difference with the Z8 is new capabilities - and as a result, higher keeper rates or rates that are so high I don't even consider focus when making my first pass evaluating images - I assumed they are all in focus.

In the past month, I've used my Z8 at frame rates as high as 60 fps when I want a specific wing and head position. I've used pre-release capture when I anticipate fast action. I've used subject detection both successfully and not - and turned it off when I wanted a shot focusing on something other than the eyes of the subject.

The question for the Z8 is not about the camera - it's about the photographer. There is a lot of new capability and features, but it an be overwhelming if you don't fully embrace the required learning. You can't effectively use features like subject detection with the AF modes and FN buttons of a D850.
 
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Kevin.M said:
I'm thinking about buying the Z8 but I'm concerned with the specs saying it's only is rated for 340 shots, that's not a lot when the camera is rated to shoot 20 frames per second shooting raw.
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Some yes - some no.
The CIPA rating method has probably no more than 1% relevance to shooting RAW at 20 fps :mad:

The test presumes the camera monitor permanently on and 1 shot (from a fallible memory) about every 30 seconds.

The main battery drain is the power used by the viewfinder or rear monitor and NOT taking images.

If you intend to shoot mainly at 20 fps the battery can easily last well over a thousand shots ;)

If as I sometimes do - shooting flowers or insects in windy conditions and waiting up to 2 minutes for a lull in the breeze between shots - I find 380 about right.

A spare battery is not expensive and lightweight to carry.
 
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You have an 850 (I seriously disliked that camera, most loved it) you likely have spare battery, one or more? It is fast to replace the battery should you need to in field. Forget the battery concern and buy the Z8. You will not look back.
 
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A very recent Z8 battery example. I took my dog for two walks in a nearby national wildlife refuge last week. Each walk was around 2 hours. Took around a thousand shots on the two walks with my Z8 and the Z 180-600 mm lens -- trumpeter swans, Canada geese, bald eagles, green-winged teal, wigeons, mallards, etc. Trying to get to know the Z 180-600 (which I got a couple of weeks ago) better. And also trying to teach my dog (who was on a waist leash) to sit when I stop to shoot so that he is not an anti-VR device. He did pretty well.

Today, when the dog and I returned from a walk in the neighborhood, there was a beautiful red-tailed hawk sitting on a neighbor's fence along our alley. After taking my dog back to the house, I grabbed my Z8 and the Z 180-600 mm lens. The hawk had moved, but was nearby. I watched him in several different trees and while he ate a mouse. I took photos for 45 minutes. Took another thousand or so shots -- used bursts and a slower than usual shutter speed, given the low light (the sun was setting), figuring that some of each burst would be sharp. Probably could have gone slower.

When I got home, I checked my battery stats. The Z8 said I had taken 2,054 shots on the current battery (over the three sessions) and that I had 18% charge left. The battery was an EN-EL 15c and was fully charged when I put it in the Z8 last week before the first of the walks.

I'm happy with the battery performance on the Z8. I do always try to bring a spare charged battery or two along, but do not often need it if I start with a fully charged battery.

[Corrected a typo about the battery I was using. It was an EN EL 15c. I had mistakenly typed EN EL 18c in my original post, which was both wrong and confusing.]
 
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