Totally Confused Nikon Z8

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Paul T

Paul T

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Hi all.

I have just ordered a Z8 to replace my D850 and have started some pre reading including Steves Z8 & Z9 Setup Guide For Wildlife Photography to get some idea on setup & usage.

Unfortunately, at the moment I am thinking I have just made a mistake and have ordered a rather complex super computer rather than a camera.

That notwithstanding can people clarify the difference between the i Menu and My Menu please?

They seem to fulfill a similar if not the same function: that is providing shortcuts to frequently used menu items.

Thanks in advance.
 
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Paul T said:
That notwithstanding can people clarify the difference between the i Menu and My Menu please?

They seem to fulfill a similar if not the same function: that is providing shortcuts to frequently used menu items.
Click to expand...
Yeah, in many ways they're similar.

Saving items in My Menu and then ideally assigning the My Menu callup to one of the camera's function buttons allows you to dive right into the menu items you use most often. If you go this route you'll actually be in the menu but targeted just at those things you've assigned to the My Menu and you won't have to scroll through the various menu items or remember where to find a particular setting. But the interface is exactly the same thing you'd see if you actually went through the menus.

The I Menu option jumps you to a graphical screen where you can also store things you want to change quickly but it doesn't look anything like the normal menus and aren't lists of things to change but instead are a set of graphics in a table format. Yes, selecting one of those graphical icons lets you change the settings for that item but many folks find it quicker, easier and more intuitive than either going through the normal menu lists or going through the My Menu shortcuts to those same menu lists.

One advantage of the My Menu approach is you can create a long list of top priority menu items and jump right to them. The I Menu approach limits how many items you can place in the graphical table.

Different ways to change things, you can use one, the other, both when you feel like or neither and just change things via the normal menus. Basically Nikon gave you different ways to quickly reconfigure the camera. Personally for things I'll change quickly I like the I Menu but others may prefer following one of the other paths.
 
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I wouldn't worry about this. My first reaction was, "isn't the i menu on the D850, too?" but then I realized that I think it was on my Z7ii that I first saw it. In any case, it's just a button on the back of the camera that quickly brings up whatever 10 items you want for quick access. It's very, very intuitive I would say. On the other hand, I have never heard of or used My Menu and so I am sure you can get by just fine without it if you like!
 
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I share your pain. I recently bought a Z8 to upgrade from my beloved D850. I’m 75 yrs old, been a lifelong Nikon shooter for 55 yrs, and discovered that I was intimidated by the Z8 and after the first couple of tries with the Z, I actually got frustrated trying to first understand and then absorb all of the available options and continued using my 850’s for several months after receiving the Z. I kept telling myself that until I mastered the Z, I couldn’t trust using the new gear for important shoots. I rationalized that I could shoot with my D850 in my sleep. Pure muscle memory. No stopping to remember how to change focus point, AF, modes, or anything else. No remembering what customized function button did what. No thinking about anything at all other than composition.

I am scheduled to shoot a USTA tennis tournament in a couple of weeks and decided that it was nothing short of stupid to not use a camera that is reputed to excel at AF of of fast moving subjects, after all, I bought the Z precisely because of its ability to do sports and active wildlife. So I mounted my new Z70-200/2.8 on my Z8 and went out to get “comfortable “. I am pleased to report that it wasn’t nearly as bad as I thought. I share your thinking that the Z8 is really a supercomputer masquerading as a camera since there are all sorts of outright new buttons, many more customizable function buttons and many more options that are not found on my 850’s.

What I did was rather than trying to memorize all of the new capabilities, I would simply learn how to accomplish what I could do with the 850, burn in the muscle memory, and then SLOWLY begin to explore the hundreds of bells and whistles to see which ones might help me shoot better. The best example that I can give you is the various AF functions. I was excited to read about the Z6’s apparent ability to find, lock on and track fast moving subjects (programmable to distinguish between human eyes, animal eyes, cars, and other things) which for a sports shooter approaches the holy grail. And the ability to select all sorts of different focus areas (wide, large, small,yadda yadda is highly touted. But I just couldn’t remember the seemingly 50 different AF functions,let alone which button was assigned to what program. So I simply reverted back to learning how to accomplish the basics like single point, group points and other options I was already familiar with. I learned how to change AF-S to AF-C and how to toggle between single point and simply group points. Sort of like configuring my Z to act like my D. Guess what? Even without all of the new improved capabilities, the Z did all the basic stuff better than the D and,even more exciting, the Z24-70/2.8 and the Z70-200/2.8 and the Z100-400/f56 were noticeably sharper and punchy that my tried and true DSLR versions. Wow!

I am now tackling how to use the eye lock on capability which is nothing short of remarkable. When shooting tennis, where backgrounds are closer to players than on a football or soccer field, I try to shoot at 2.8 to soften the bokeh, but nailing eye focus with single point or group while at 2.8 ain’t that easy. With eye lock, it’s a game changer. DOF is still something I need to be conscious of, but I’m finding that eye tracking makes wide open shooting a reality. And 20fps for action or wildlife is also something to behold.

Bottom line is I’m beginning to really appreciate what this “computer” can do. It’s uncanny. BUT - there are still some problems for me. There are just too many options in every section of the menu for my 75yr old brain to retain. Sure, I can try them all out on Monday with Steve’s indispensable ebook in front of me and marvel at just what the Z can do, but by Tuesday I can’t remember how to engage/unengage the option or what button/front wheel turn/back wheel turn does what. There is no chance that I will be able to digest and become adept at using probably 25-30% of what can be done. (Sort of like my Photoshop capabilities - even when I was younger, I probably was fluent in maybe 40% of what PS wizards can do.

So don’t let the complexity of the Z8 frighten you. It will take some work, but it a terrific piece of gear.

BTW - I rambled off topic of Imenu. I like it. I have been using some small, light weight Sony mirrorless cameras for several years and while Sony menus are not easy to use, Sony does have a button that aggregates a dozen key adjustments (programmable) to be displayed with one touch. This is what the Z info button does. It is a one button push for display quick adjustments on the fly. Easier than the old dslr “my menu”.

Lastly, there are a couple of non-positives about the Z8 compared to 850.

- it is not a lightweight camera. No meaningful benefit over 850.
- really hard to get used to EVF. While I love the fact that it’s wysiwyg showing you in the viewfinder, tweaks you make to exposure, dof,etc, I still have to remind myself that if you put the cam up to your eye, you see nothing until you hit shutter or bbf.
- 20 fps is great when shooting sports. The bursts almost look like a slow mo video, but I’m gonna need a lot more CFE cards and sorting the pics in post is gonna be a *****.
- and biggest nit, which is what I stressed above, is that there are so many freaking options that I cannot conceive of anyone remembering them all or remembering how to engage or disengage. Even worse, the lenses all have more function buttons than the dslr lenses did and even if remember them, no 2 lenses have the same buttons.

Probably TMI for you, but for what it’s worth, I’m getting a second Z8, because switching between the dslr and mirrorless is hopeless.
 
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The MyMenu option has important advantages over iMenu:
  • You can select many different menu items from any menu and stack them in order of importance
  • these include Menu functions that I otherwise forget where to find (being buried in some submenu....). These include Important but rarely used functions like Sensor cleaning or changing how the sensor guard behaves
  • I find MyMenu works well to make a very quick changes eg between the Animal or Bird categories in the Z9 or adjust Custom Area AF settings in the D6
  • I assign "Access Top Item in MyMenu" to a function button within reach of the left thumb - such as Fn3 on the Z8 (Fn4 or LAN on the Z9).
As described, iMenu uses a graphical interface (like a smartphone or Windows on a computer):
  • It permits only a prescribed subset of menu items to be set up, and the total is only 12
  • Accessible to the right hand when taking photos ie looking through the EVF
  • I have focus-Shift stacking, Silent Shutter, PreCapture, Multiple Exposure, Exposure Delay Mode, Shooting Banks, Custom Settings etc in iMenu.
Agree with @RickW that it helps to setup your core functionality first, and return when ready to explore and test the more arcane remarkable functions in due course. Setting up and learning your Custom AF setup is the right place to launch your Z8 :)
Steve's suggested settings are a great platform to start.
 
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Can someone do them a favor and set up the Cam’s for them?
For now, turn off all lens FN buttons, camera Programable FN’s and control rings.
Set up the iMenu to display meaningful information, like ISO, Exposure comp. Screen/Evf brightness, etc.
Set AF to a Size similar to Group on the 850’s, etc.
basically work with them how to simplify the Z8, until they’re ready to try something new, like Recall Hold, or different AF overrides on a FN button. One at a time.

One can set it up for them, and email them the .bin file.

We must respect their dedication to still wanting to learn new things at their age, and they would share some of their knowledge and wisdom.
 
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My iMenu
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JoelKlein said:
Can someone do them a favor and set up the Cam’s for them?
For now, turn off all lens FN buttons, camera Programable FN’s and control rings.
Set up the iMenu to display meaningful information, like ISO, Exposure comp. Screen/Evf brightness, etc.
Set AF to a Size similar to Group on the 850’s, etc.
basically work with them how to simplify the Z8, until they’re ready to try something new, like Recall Hold, or different AF overrides on a FN button. One at a time.

One can set it up for them, and email them the .bin file.

We must respect their dedication to still wanting to learn new things at their age, and they would share some of their knowledge and wisdom.
Click to expand...
Wow - that’s kind of condescending, isn’t it? For the record, what you suggested doing “first” is exactly what I explained that I did. Initial set up was done to mimic the 850 and progress from there. My problem wasn’t setting up the Z. I followed Steve’s suggestions. My problem was understanding and remembering what the functions did and where the engage/disengage switches were parked . I’m 75 and may have lost a step, but I’m not stupid.
 
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RickW said:
Wow - that’s kind of condescending, isn’t it? For the record, what you suggested doing “first” is exactly what I explained that I did. Initial set up was done to mimic the 850 and progress from there. My problem wasn’t setting up the Z. I followed Steve’s suggestions. My problem was understanding and remembering what the functions did and where the engage/disengage switches were parked . I’m 75 and may have lost a step, but I’m not stupid.
Click to expand...
I was 71 when I made the jump into mirrorless with the Z9. I'd been shooting film and DSLRs since the 70's so I was well familiar with Nikon and their menus, etc. But the Z9 thru me for a loop. So many customization choices and this new AF system...... I did create a small spreadsheet that lists all of my button assignments and copied it to the phone. It turns out my initial choices were way too confusing and I spent days going thru it and trying to simplify. And then I got a z8 and wanted some commonality so it was back to the drawing board again. it took awhile for me to work thru where I wanted to put things....MyMenu, vs iMenu vs Button assignments. But I eventually came up with a solution that worked for me on both the Z8 and Z8. I still have the spreadsheet on my phone but I no longer need it. I've also set up 2 custom banks - one fo action and the other stills much like I had with DSLR's.

But this isn't the end of it. I got it all set up and then Nikon released new FW with more button assignments and functions I may want mapped to buttons...so it was time to revisit it again. That's great but as the firmware evolves so may your button and IMenu/MyMenu assignments...

Maybe the next cam will be voice controlled...there are not enough buttons to do everything but there are already too many buttons...lol...
 
Once you have the camera in hand you can run through Steve's guides trying stuff out, it will start to make sense. Also read the actual manual with camera in hand. Most cameras work pretty much the same, just different vocabulary and menus.
 
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i wouldn't sweat it. yah, there's a learning curve, but the d850 is a complex camera too.

you don't need to know how to do EVERYTHING to operate it. you can get the basics down and expand as you go.

quite frankly after a couple of years of owning the z9, there's a ton of stuff i would have to go look up to figure out how to do, but the realty is, i don't need to because they're things i don't need to change or use.

when i first got my d500, i literally couldn't get an image in focus for DAYS. i, too, feared i had made a terrible mistake. it turned out to be something dumb, i don't even remember what, but i went on to love that camera and i used the heck out of it for many years.
 
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Keep at it. The Z8 is a great camera. There is also a learning curve in going from a DSLR to a mirrorless body. I was shooting the D500 and D850 when I got my first Z body, the Z7. Shot them together (and later the Z7II) for a while. Having used a Z7/Z7II first made it easier for me to use the Z9 when I got one. I now have a Z9 and Z8 and sold my DSLRs (great cameras that were hard for me to sell, given my history with them, but which I was not using after getting the Z9).

The advice to get Steve’s and Thom Hogan’s ebooks is good. And I’d get both, finding them complimentary. They also explain their recommended settings and choices well.

I’d also agree that learning features of the Z8 incrementally makes sense, starting with the features you’d use most. My setup and customization has changed some too, over time, as Nikon had added features in new firmware and as I see what works for me.

Good luck.
 
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Paul T said:
Hi all.

I have just ordered a Z8 to replace my D850 and have started some pre reading including Steves Z8 & Z9 Setup Guide For Wildlife Photography to get some idea on setup & usage.

Unfortunately, at the moment I am thinking I have just made a mistake and have ordered a rather complex super computer rather than a camera.

That notwithstanding can people clarify the difference between the i Menu and My Menu please?

They seem to fulfill a similar if not the same function: that is providing shortcuts to frequently used menu items.

Thanks in advance.
Click to expand...

I have two Z8 cameras. I love this camera. Perfect feel and weight for me. You don't have to use any of the "bells and whistles" at first if you don't want to. Just use it as you do the D850 and work up to all the other options one-by-one. You will find the focus options to be very different but you can set the focus so that you control it and it does not automatically follow the animal, then when you get familiar with the camera you can use other focus options and learn what they do. In the meantime, you'll be getting a superior camera even if you don't use all the other options right away. I will say that if you are shooting a subject with a non-crowded background you might go ahead and try the auto-auto focus, the option where the camera finds the subject and follows it, it works great with this kind of subject. The "i" menu is a quick way to pull up a sort of mini-menu and make a quick change, I use it a lot.
 
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Thanks all for your help.

I think that I should have waited until I have my new Z8 in hand before starting my reading.Tis one of my traits however that I like to be pre prepared (in whatever venture personal or professional) in most of my undertakings.

My journey with Nikon DSLRs started with the D70 then onto the D200, D800, D810, D850 paired with the D500. I didn’t find adjusting (with the help of Steve & Thom) to any of these bodies daunting and that is due I think to the fact that each body in many ways simply built on their predecessors so the learning curve for me wasn’t steep.

The Z system ( and mirrorless in general) however seems to be a quantum jump from DSLR technology. Not so much in the hardware but more so the ‘software’ or more correctly the Firmware and it’s customization.

Another issue as others have alluded too is what we refer to ‘Downunder’ as being an Old Fart ( not sure if that term translates across cultures but Google it if you need to know its meaning 🥴😂). I have just turned 70 and that can have memory implications. Don‘t be tempted to misinterpret this as my memory is a1 for most things however trying to remember what button/dial combination does what is a little more daunting at 70 than it may have been at 25.

Another Old Fart Issue is being locked into the past, locked into various belief systems and refusing to accept change ( in whatever area) and refusing to explore new areas of technology or new social norms. I took a decision to not let this happen to me so I deliberately and methodically explore and listen too differing opinions about many things and to (where I can) explore new technology. Hence the Z8.

So after my long winded reply I am still waiting for my new Z8 with bated breath and enthusiasm and will act on the advise to take it one step at a time.

Again many thanks for your help.

Stay safe & well.
 
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Paul T said:
Thanks all for your help.

I think that I should have waited until I have my new Z8 in hand before starting my reading.Tis one of my traits however that I like to be pre prepared (in whatever venture personal or professional) in most of my undertakings.

My journey with Nikon DSLRs started with the D70 then onto the D200, D800, D810, D850 paired with the D500. I didn’t find adjusting (with the help of Steve & Thom) to any of these bodies daunting and that is due I think to the fact that each body in many ways simply built on their predecessors so the learning curve for me wasn’t steep.

The Z system ( and mirrorless in general) however seems to be a quantum jump from DSLR technology. Not so much in the hardware but more so the ‘software’ or more correctly the Firmware and it’s customization.

Another issue as others have alluded too is what we refer to ‘Downunder’ as being an Old Fart ( not sure if that term translates across cultures but Google it if you need to know its meaning 🥴😂). I have just turned 70 and that can have memory implications. Don‘t be tempted to misinterpret this as my memory is a1 for most things however trying to remember what button/dial combination does what is a little more daunting at 70 than it may have been at 25.

Another Old Fart Issue is being locked into the past, locked into various belief systems and refusing to accept change ( in whatever area) and refusing to explore new areas of technology or new social norms. I took a decision to not let this happen to me so I deliberately and methodically explore and listen too differing opinions about many things and to (where I can) explore new technology. Hence the Z8.

So after my long winded reply I am still waiting for my new Z8 with bated breath and enthusiasm and will act on the advise to take it one step at a time.

Again many thanks for your help.

Stay safe & well.
Click to expand...
I'm 70 and still learning...you'll figure it out.
 
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Paul T said:
Thanks all for your help.

I think that I should have waited until I have my new Z8 in hand before starting my reading.Tis one of my traits however that I like to be pre prepared (in whatever venture personal or professional) in most of my undertakings.

My journey with Nikon DSLRs started with the D70 then onto the D200, D800, D810, D850 paired with the D500. I didn’t find adjusting (with the help of Steve & Thom) to any of these bodies daunting and that is due I think to the fact that each body in many ways simply built on their predecessors so the learning curve for me wasn’t steep.

The Z system ( and mirrorless in general) however seems to be a quantum jump from DSLR technology. Not so much in the hardware but more so the ‘software’ or more correctly the Firmware and it’s customization.

Another issue as others have alluded too is what we refer to ‘Downunder’ as being an Old Fart ( not sure if that term translates across cultures but Google it if you need to know its meaning 🥴😂). I have just turned 70 and that can have memory implications. Don‘t be tempted to misinterpret this as my memory is a1 for most things however trying to remember what button/dial combination does what is a little more daunting at 70 than it may have been at 25.

Another Old Fart Issue is being locked into the past, locked into various belief systems and refusing to accept change ( in whatever area) and refusing to explore new areas of technology or new social norms. I took a decision to not let this happen to me so I deliberately and methodically explore and listen too differing opinions about many things and to (where I can) explore new technology. Hence the Z8.

So after my long winded reply I am still waiting for my new Z8 with bated breath and enthusiasm and will act on the advise to take it one step at a time.

Again many thanks for your help.

Stay safe & well.
Click to expand...
I think you have the right approach. Read about all the options and just focus on the ones that fit your needs. You can add more as you go. I bought my first DSLR in 2019, a D500. And using Steve books as a guide, I just use the options that work for me. I‘ll probably follow your path with a Z8 sometime in the spring or summer.
 
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