should I buy a Z8/Z9

BillN_33

BillN_33

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devoted Nikon uses from the Nikon F and a long line of Nikon bodies and glass -still use my D750, D810 and D850, (and I still miss the D700)

but I feel I'm missing something!!

and the Z8 keeps calling
 
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With the right F mount glass that's pretty much obvious and inevitable. Unless you fancy waiting for Z9 II which will be a fair bit more expensive. The only let down is that entry level EVF....
 
LongLensPhotography said:
With the right F mount glass that's pretty much obvious and inevitable. Unless you fancy waiting for Z9 II which will be a fair bit more expensive. The only let down is that entry level EVF....
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Thanks, yep I have most of the F mount glass but I cannot see me ever, at my age, buying the equivalent "Z" mount glass.

BUT

when I read about Z bodies there is always a reference to say that the D850 is as good as you can get or thereabouts
 
BillN_33 said:
when I read about Z bodies there is always a reference to say that the D850 is as good as you can get or thereabouts
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In terms of sensor output: sharpness and dynamic range - these are very hard to beat in 35mm format.

however there is autofocus accuracy, consistency, substantial frame rate increase, video features and more that really make it a no-brainer for anyone but exclusively landscape or architectural photographer but even then you may want access to better wideangles than what little was available on F mount
 
If you have the itch and can afford to scratch it, go for it!!!
 
Go for it, especially with the prices at the moment.

I hesitated for a long time but snapped last November, but I am still keeping the D500 and D850; sometimes I take just the Ds instead of the Z if I take 2 bodies out more for convenience.
 
What you are missing is the EVF which is a game changer compared to a D850. Don't get me wrong I'm a huge fan of the D850, it's the best DSLR in my opinion Nikon ever made and after using mainly my D850 and D5 the only reason I went mirrorless was because I wanted a Nikon camera with the EVF that was as good as a cross between the D850 and D5 which the Z9 is. I'd happily live with a D850 if it was the only camera I could use BUT the Z9 and Z8 are exceptional cameras and work flawlessly with the F mount glass. My Z9 is almost 3 and a half years old, I bought a Z8 as it's much lighter and is used when there is no need for the bigger battery. I shoot motorpsort and you'll always find the Z9 with one of my super telephoto's on it and the Z8 does all the other duties with the Z mount 70-200 and 24-70 f/2.8 jobbies. One massive point to remember with the Z8 is it has no mechanical shutter therefore unlike your D850 the shutter will not wear out. Hope this helps.
 
BillN_33 said:
devoted Nikon uses from the Nikon F and a long line of Nikon bodies and glass -still use my D750, D810 and D850, (and I still miss the D700)

but I feel I'm missing something!!

and the Z8 keeps calling
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Full disclosure I have never even held a 'Z' Nikon.

If you have the brass and the itch is bad enough, don't try and logic the decision too much. You'll find a rationale regardless. It's your money and your decision.

I find that ideas involving spending large amounts of money sometimes fade if I think about it long enough.

If I didn't have a camera and wanted one, I'd probably just go mirrorless. If I had a clutch of Nikon FF cameras and a good selection of FX lenses, probably not unless I could identify a gap in my armoury. But I do not have the itch!

That said I marvel still at the D750. I took maybe 250 shots on Saturday, about half of them of moving vehicles. With AF-C using Group Area focus, I find it super-intuitive to use and almost 100% reliable, and despite rushing and constantly adjusting the zoom I don't think I have one shot that isn't sharp. I know the Z8 is faster, but how much faster do I need it to be? And what would I pay for speed I don't need? But that's only me...

1965 Alfa Giulia Spyder (Flickr)
 
BillN_33 said:
devoted Nikon uses from the Nikon F and a long line of Nikon bodies and glass -still use my D750, D810 and D850, (and I still miss the D700)

but I feel I'm missing something!!

and the Z8 keeps calling
Click to expand...
Get the Z8, you wont regret it, like yourself, I have been through a lot of F mount bodies (D7000, D7200, D800, D810, D500, D850) yes I had GAS I then tried Z7, Z7II and had great images but it really wasnt good enough AF speed so kept the Z7II and got another D500, when then Z9 came down in price and was available, I picked up one of those, it was game changing IMHO, D500 focus speed if not quicker, 20FPS, electronic silent shutter mode etc I guess its like going from DOS to Windows, WYSIWYG if people remember that saying ! I found it too heavy when I wanted a walk about combo, sold up and moved to Sony A6700, loved it but it was not as good as my Z9 for wildlife, I then tried the A1 and that was really good but after years of Nikon and muscle memory for setttings etc sold up and come back to Nikon with the Z8, I love that body, I have since tried the Z6III which is as good I would say but a lot less mega pixels, if you dont need 45MP go Z6III if you want the crop ability factor then go Z8.
Sorry for the long post but I feel you maybe on the same path and will save you a lot less pain.
 
IMHO, you're not missing much. If you tend to push the exposure away from the metered exposure for creative reasons, then being able to see the result in the EVF is a benefit. And it can help you catch metering errors when that occurs. Otherwise I don't find it to be much of a benefit. Most of the time there's very little difference between when I have it set for showing the exposure vs adjusting for ease of view (more like optical viewfinder).

And as far as AF speed/accuracy, etc... I don't find it to be hugely better than the D5/D850 is/was. I was expecting more, and now I mostly wonder what the others were doing wrong that they find the performance so revolutionary. Sometimes I find the AF to be more prone to error, i.e. grabbing the BG and refusing to refocus nearer. And trying to photograph a chimney swift in flight is still just as frustrating.
Mostly, I just take more images than I want/need because it's set to 20fps when 10 would be more than enough.

Overall I would say that there are incremental benefits; and a few more when combined with Z lenses. Silent shutter (or set nearly silent) can be a pretty big deal with some wildlife and event photography.
 
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