Z8 vs Z9 in view of new firmware

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jerrylwatson said:
I take it the 1 pound difference in weight means alot to most.
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Smaller size and lower weight is becoming a bigger consideration as people age. For me, as a video-centric Z9 owner, I appreciate the Z9's battery capacity and lack of overheating issues and have so far I've resisted buying the Z8 for that reason. But the latest firmware update (which sent a clear message that Nikon doesn't seem to care about differentiating its "pro" bodies from it's"enthusiast" bodies) the idea of tacking on a Z8 to my recently acquired 600pf for the ultimate light-weight walk-around rig is very enticing indeed.
 
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When getting down to brass tacks, I'd say that for 99.99% of potential buyers, the decision of whether to buy a Z8 or Z9 comes down to ergonomics and initial cost. The Z8 has the benefit in initial cost. As for weight and how it feels in the hands with various lenses attached, I'd wager that for most the Z8 wins by a less considerable margin, but still wins. I know two local professionals who are using the Z system Nikons; neither is using the Z9. One is using Z7s and the other is using the Z7 and now also the Z8.

It makes me think that if the Z8 and Z9 were released at the same time, the Z8 would have outsold the Z9.

Either way you go, if you want a Nikon camera with great performance and great capabilities, you should be able to get what you want from one or the other, if not both of them.

And if you don't get what you want in a camera from either, then there are likely cameras from other manufacturers that fit the bill.

We live in a wonderful time to be photographers, at whatever level we practice.
 
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Whiskeyman said:
When getting down to brass tacks, I'd say that for 99.99% of potential buyers, the decision of whether to buy a Z8 or Z9 comes down to ergonomics and initial cost. The Z8 has the benefit in initial cost. As for weight and how it feels in the hands with various lenses attached, I'd wager that for most the Z8 wins by a less considerable margin, but still wins. I know two local professionals who are using the Z system Nikons; neither is using the Z9. One is using Z7s and the other is using the Z7 and now also the Z8.

It makes me think that if the Z8 and Z9 were released at the same time, the Z8 would have outsold the Z9.

Either way you go, if you want a Nikon camera with great performance and great capabilities, you should be able to get what you want from one or the other, if not both of them.

And if you don't get what you want in a camera from either, then there are likely cameras from other manufacturers that fit the bill.

We live in a wonderful time to be photographers, at whatever level we practice.
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The Z8 is one of the top cameras on the market, any price, any brand. Maybe the top one. If you're heavily into video or love the beastly form-factor, the Z9 eeks out on top.
 
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Nimi said:
The Z8 is one of the top cameras on the market, any price, any brand. Maybe the top one. If you're heavily into video or love the beastly form-factor, the Z9 eeks out on top.
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You have no argument from me on these points. And the "beastly form-factor" is why I love my Z9, and will likely get another Z9 instead of a Z8 when I go "full mirrorless."
 
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I am pretty happy with the Z9 form factor and no-compromises capability and quality. The slightly over 1 lb difference in weight does not bother me. The Z9 is built like a tank and I could probably use it as a hammer if I needed one.

To me the Z8 is not a light or compact camera. The Z7ii is much lighter and more compact. The Z8 is close to the D800 series in weight as I recall.

To me weight affects what you use to carry the camera comfortably. The Z8 and lens would feel heavy to me on a neck strap but when I use a blackrapid shoulder strap the Z9 with a Z 800mm pf is a comfortable all day carry.

I have been saved by the Z9 dual CF Express card layout. On more than one occasion in the rush out the door I forgot that my main card was still at home in the card reader. Having a backup CF Express B card meant I did not miss a beat.
 
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I think it is difficult now to sell the Z9 as there is not a lot of interest in a used Z9 even if it is priced competitively. I base this on trying to sell mine on this site and seeing what happens when others post theirs on this site. There are a lot of them for sale. I ended up selling mine by trading out photography trips with a tour guide leader for some of the cost, it worked out well for both of us. I bought the Z9 when it first came out, used it until the Z8 came out, bought one, then bought another one. So far no over-heating issues but then I don't shoot a lot of video. I did shoot 20,000 images, over a period of days, in Antarctica without any problem. However, the battery life sucks...I don't know if it's just one of my cameras or both, I need to investigate this, but at one point I only got 59 photos on a fully charged battery, it was 20 degrees out. I have nine or so batteries so it's not a problem, just an annoyance for the most part. I can't decide which functions to put on the available buttons I already have so certainly don't need more buttons and I can't really remember what I've set them to anyway! I always remember what the AF-ON is set to, but always have to check the rest. I love the Z8 and the 600PF, a really great combo.
 
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arbitrage said:
I've been waiting for Z8 to get the updated Z9 4.10 AF. Z8 for me....I don't shoot backup so don't really need the 2nd CFExpress card slot. When I owned the Z9 (twice) it always felt like an overly heavy camera for MILC. Compared to an R3 it is night and day.

The Z8 is big enough I don't need the battery grip (which if I did, I'd buy the Z9 instead). I've tried out a friend's Z8 and my pinky fits and hand is comfortable. Unlike my Sony bodies where my hand can only stretch out and relax if I use a grip.

So when I buy back into Nikon it will be Z8 for me this time over a 3rd attempt at a Z9.

As I see Nikon currently a buy in for me would be an addition to Sony for now...it would be a compact setup for walk around and would be a Z8/600PF. Because that is my goal with a Nikon system the Z9 doesn't make sense anymore.
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Can you expand on the comment about the R3
 
The Canon competitor to the z8 is the R5. New it is $3800 and 26 ounces. As the brands leapfrog the r5ii expected in a couple months ought to be a winner and be worth considering. The R3 with its low pixel dimensions and much higher price is positioned as a professional camera for journalists, sports, events, etc. Who would rather have smaller files and faster write speeds, more in the buffer.
 
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