Z8 has same card-door problem as Z7

[arbitrage]

The problem is not the camera, but the way the owner carries it.

No it isn’t because D500, D850 etc had similar design and never popped open. Z6/7 was a poor design and sounds like Z8 is only slightly improved.

Sure, one can be careful how they carry it and minimize the chance of opening but that doesn’t excuse a poor design.

 

[ingweDave]

I find this post really interesting. As an owner of two Z9s the card door really annoyed me. However, having read the various opinions on this post it makes me realise, I don’t actually have to open the door that often. Certainly not in the field. So maybe the security feature is worth the 2 seconds I spend fumbling.
So this post has removed an irritation that in reality was not a problem.

 

[ricardo00]

The problem is not the camera, but the way the owner carries it.

If only one person had this complaint, one could blame the person. The fact that multiple people have had this problem argues that it is a design flaw. At least IMO.

 

[Tim Karels]

The problem is not the camera, but the way the owner carries it.

Just as Steve Jobs said about the poor reception in the iPhone 4; “Just avoid holding it that way.”

 

[ricardo00]

Just as Steve Jobs said about the poor reception in the iPhone 4; “Just avoid holding it that way.”

Is it possible that some Z8s require less pressure to open the card door than others due to manufacturing specs? I just tested my D500 and it definitely requires more pressure to open the card door than my Z8. Maybe this is a problem with a subset of the Z8s?

 

[Tim Karels]

Is it possible that some Z8s require less pressure to open the card door than others due to manufacturing specs? I just tested my D500 and it definitely requires more pressure to open the card door than my Z8. Maybe this is a problem with a subset of the Z8s?

I've only held one Z8, so I cannot comment on any variation within that model. I never had a door open accidentally in the field with a D800, 810, 850, or 500 – only Z7 and now Z8.

 

[Roy]

I was hiking yesterday with my Z8 and Z 400 on a sling strap so that the camera was at my hip. I stopped for a breather and grabbed the camera and noticed the door was open, furthermore the card was partially ejected and no doubt would have fallen out in short order. Although I tend to have the bottom of the camera against my hip, it must have rotated at some point so that the door was bumped and then the card must have been bumped in order to eject it.

I'm a little disappointed that Nikon decided to go back to the same door style as the Z7 and did not use the same door as the Z9. I've never had the door open on the z9 in the 17 months that I've been using it. I know that some people complained that the z9 door was too cumbersome to open. Perhaps the complaining was a little too loud and now we've taken a step back to a door that opens a little too easy.

Still love the Z8, but now a strip of gaffer tape adorns it to add some more security.

Too many plonkers complained about the Z9 door ...

 

[O]

I was hiking yesterday with my Z8 and Z 400 on a sling strap so that the camera was at my hip. I stopped for a breather and grabbed the camera and noticed the door was open, furthermore the card was partially ejected and no doubt would have fallen out in short order. Although I tend to have the bottom of the camera against my hip, it must have rotated at some point so that the door was bumped and then the card must have been bumped in order to eject it.

I'm a little disappointed that Nikon decided to go back to the same door style as the Z7 and did not use the same door as the Z9. I've never had the door open on the z9 in the 17 months that I've been using it. I know that some people complained that the z9 door was too cumbersome to open. Perhaps the complaining was a little too loud and now we've taken a step back to a door that opens a little too easy.

Still love the Z8, but now a strip of gaffer tape adorns it to add some more security.

Never an issue with the Z9 door, have never met anyone who has an issue with it, the Z7 door is cheaper to make i feel.

 

[Anjin San]

Never an issue with the Z9 door, have never met anyone who has an issue with it, the Z7 door is cheaper to make i feel.

I don’t have any issue with it either…and to a recovering engineer the reason it is that way is because it makes weatherproofing better than the 7/8 style door…but then I’ve never had an issue with that door either. My guess is that either cost or space or engineering concerns drove the Zi door to be what it is…probably a bit of all of them.

 

[MrFotoFool]

I haven't received my Z8 yet (it's on the way), but for those with an issue I wonder if this is a better solution? Since gaffer tape must be removed and replaced each time, how about installing a small strip of Velcro® that wraps around, so you can just pull it back when you need to access the card?

 

[TJ McG]

I can't even imagine how this can happen. Even after opening the door on my Z7II, I sometimes have to snap the CF card hard two or three times to get it to pop out far enough to pull it out. I can see the door coming open, though it has never happened to me, but how the card gets bumped with that door sticking out is a mystery to me...

 

[DrHawk]

The doors on the on the 850 and D6 were excellent- Z9 not so much. “The perfect is the enemy of good .” Voltaire

 

[CentralCoast]

Interesting

 

[ccirelli]

Honestly it's my only disappointment with the Z8 - no card door lock button. That said, it's been more secure than my Z6II door for sure - no pop-opens yet I think the thumb-rest flange thingy is slightly smaller on the Z8. It was mostly an issue when pulling my Z6II out of certain bags (side access bags) so I had to re-train my hand to grip the body a different way. But so far so good with the Z8's door.

 

[ccirelli]

What's the issue with the Z9 door? It seems ideal but I've never tried it. I miss the door setup from my D200

The doors on the on the 850 and D6 were excellent- Z9 not so much. “The perfect is the enemy of good .” Voltaire

 

[Cameron T]

What's the issue with the Z9 door? It seems ideal but I've never tried it. I miss the door setup from my D200

Some people complained about having to slide to unlock the door, but I found it incredibly easy (put hand on camera, rotate hand slightly, slide down using thumb and pushing door open at the same time)

 

[DRwyoming]

What's the issue with the Z9 door?

It has a little vertically oriented slide latch on the right side of the camera (viewed from the back) that you slide down and then need to slide the whole door assembly towards the back of the camera. Some folks find this motion awkward and at least mine was pretty stiff when the camera first arrived though it's loosened up a bit over time. It's a secure mechanism but takes a bit of practice to open it one handed.

I miss the nice spring loaded flap to a push button mechanism found on Nikon's previous flagship cameras though now that I've used it a while the Z9 mechanism isn't too bad.

 

[ricardo00]

What's the issue with the Z9 door? It seems ideal but I've never tried it. I miss the door setup from my D200

For me, the Z9 is a bit hard to open. But I would take that over what seems a way to easy opening of my Z8. My D500 was perfect. Not sure if there is variability with different Z8s due to slight differences in the manufacturing tolerances but seem to have popped the door open of my Z8 accidentally on my first photo trip with this camera (something that had never happened with either of my two D500s over many years and trips).

 

[Chappy]

The problem is not the camera, but the way the owner carries it.

Very true but its hard to hold your main camera and the backup camera when you are shooting sports. The door on my z9 has never opened unless I open it. The Z6II is totally opposite as I have had it come open several times while shooting sports with the Z6II on a Black Rapid Sports Strap. I quickly learned that a piece of gaffers tape over the door works well. Sometimes we have to adapt. Eventually I will get a Z8 as a backup to my Z9 and the gaffers tape will continue to work well. Opening the Z9 door has never been a problem.

 

[lukemeup]

I've been using the Z8 for ~2 weeks now (regularly) - I'm yet to experience the issue of the door opening itself. Though I wish it was designed like the Z9 one.

 

[Anjin San]

What's the issue with the Z9 door? It seems ideal but I've never tried it. I miss the door setup from my D200

I think the issue is that it's different…and to be honest it is harder to open than anything earlier…but mostly it's because it's different. As I said before…I think it was to make the weather sealing better but it obviously is more expensive to build than what the earlier Z models door is and with their lower but still good weather sealing Nikon decided to go with the old style doors. Could also be something to do with space required and the Z6/7/8 bodies being smaller and maybe there just wasn't enough space to do the Z9 style ones.

 

[SteveReid]

B S!