So I'm looking at moving to Mirrorless, leaving behind my D800.

I was originally looking at a Z6II/Z6III, but I've seen a few Z9's come up for sale and I am tempted by the Z8.... (Can anyone say gear creap?!) A used Z9 is about the same price as a used Z8, wondering what people think about the Z8 vs the Z9, any real advantages of either?

What’s the difference between the z8 and z9 in terms of video capabilities? And which one do you suggest I get?

Hey guys!

I am thinking about getting either the Nikon Z8 or Z9 and have been browsing websites and came across this. Is it true that the Z8 has Insect Tracking AF and the Z9 doesn’t? It would be good to know since I would definitely be taking some photos of insects :). Thanks in advance for the help!

Im a bit overwhelmed with all the features in the Z8 and the Z9. Of course there are the obvious ones like the battery grip and some differences in the button layout but Im talking about features, functions, settings and performance. The Nikon Z8 is often called the baby Z9 because it almost does everything the Z9 does. So whats the actual difference now?

Besides the battery, the mempry cards, built-in Ethernet, and GPS, are there any other differences? Should I try to hold out until the Z9II is released? I think I should have the money by July in order to buy myself a birthday gift for August. I’d like to get a 24-70mm f/2.8 and a fast prime

Long story short, I purchased a Nikon Z9 last winter. It was an estate sale and I got it for an absolute deal. I paid 4500$ Cdn in mint like new shape with orig box, etc.

Amazing camera, no complaints. BUT. It's heavy, it's a beast, and it is a handful when I am out mountain biking.

With the Z8 on the new sale, I can sell my Z9 and get a Z8. However after I sell used, and pay new price plus tax it will come out even.

Is this a mistake in your opinion? I value portability, and I am not sure if there are any major differences other then the GPS, the larger battery, and the vertical grip. I would love to hear any pros and cons of making the change?!

Essentially I want something smaller for mountain biking/hiking. For lenses I have the 14-30f4,24-70f4. 70-200f2.8 and the 180-600.

Curious as to any thoughts/suggestions.

Whenever you look online for the differences between the Z8 and Z9 many of the comparisons are outdated in regards to firmware updates. So, why not ask Nikon directly? Note, this has been translated to English.

"At this point, the main differences are as follows:

HEIF support is available on the Z8 but not on the Z9.

Maximum burst length is approximately 330 shots on the Z8 and 700 shots on the Z9.

The Z8 has a dedicated USB data (communications) port, which is not available on the Z9.

Ethernet support is built into the Z9, while the Z8 requires a USB-to-Ethernet adapter.

A flash sync terminal is available on the Z9 but not on the Z8.

Continuous 8K video recording time is approximately 90 minutes on the Z8 and up to 125 minutes on the Z9 thanks to superior heat dissipation.

The viewfinder eye point is 21mm on the Z8 and 23mm on the Z9.

The Z8 supports dual CFexpress Type B and UHS-II SD cards, while the Z9 only supports dual CFexpress Type B.

GPS support and a microphone for voice messages are available on the Z9 but not on the Z8.

Dust and drip resistance are equivalent to the D850 on the Z8 and the D6 on the Z9.

The camera body materials are different, with the Z8 using magnesium alloy and SereeboⓇ P-series material, and the Z9 using a full magnesium alloy body.

Dimensions are 144×118.5×83 mm for the Z8 and 149×149.5×90.5 mm for the Z9.

Weight is approximately 910g for the Z8 and 1340g for the Z9.

Please note that several features have been added to both the Z8 and Z9 through firmware updates, so it is important to ensure that the cameras are updated to the latest firmware versions."

Hopefully this will help people in deciding which is the better purchase for them.

I'm finally switching to mirrorless. Love my D500 and 500pf combo for birds (all I do), but after trying a friend's mirrorless I never realized how much the shutter sound of the DSLR made birds fly away. I know it sounds obvious, but it was a such a different experience. Anyway...the Z8 new is now discounted to the price of a used z9. What would you go with? I'm going to adapt the 500pf for now.

For wildlife photography, I use a Nikon Z6II paired with a 2.0 teleconverter and a 180-600mm lens.

But the Z8 and Z9 are significantly heavier than the Z6II, and I have some concerns about whether the weight might damage the connection between the teleconverter and the lenses.

I am especially worried about the Z9 in hiking or travel conditions.

Does anyone in the group use this setup and could offer some advice?

Use case: prosumer/hobbyist (will not make any money with this camera).

Landscapes, travel photography, wildlife, weddings, family/portraits.

Will use photo and video (trying to record elderly parents in 8k 60p while still alive...), nieces' weddings...

I read/watched almost everything about the Z8 announcement.

Z8 pro: lightweight, small (but only without battery grip, otherwise bigger than Z9), "cheaper"

Z9 pro: heavier (more Magnesium alloy, less polycarbonate, sturdier?), much better battery life, dual CFexpress slots, GPS!

Regarding the prices:

I can get the Z9 right now with 2 x 2TB CFexpress for $6700 ($5500 for camera, 2 x Sabrent CFexpress Pro CF-XXIT-2T at B&H at $600 each).

Z8: $4000, 1 x CFE $600, 4 x 512GB V90 at $400 each, Battery grip $346, 3 extra batteries $180 for total of $6726

GPS is important for me as I plan to travel extensively and don't want to deal with cellphone app for coordinates.

The fastest SDXC V90 cards still have only 20-30% of the speed of the CFexpress card with a quarter of the capacity.

I am planning this as a long-term purchase, will keep it for 5-8 years.

Are there any facts about both cameras that I have overlooked and that I should be considering?

Thanks for any pertinent response

(Context: I am a wildlife photographer upgrading from D500/Z6 Mk i. In this case I am not considering the price of the cameras in this decision) Is there anyone here who has experience with both a Z8 and a Z9? I would prefer a Z9 due to the longer battery life, dual CFexpress card slots, cooling and the fact that Nikon do now seem to be trying to differentiate both cameras with FW 4.0 (sneaky removal of any mention of Auto Capture coming to the Z8)?

I am specifically interested in:

• The size difference - is it significantly more difficult to lug the Z9 around compared with the Z8 or does it make up for this by being more 'balanced' with long lenses as I have heard some folk say?

• How much of a big deal is Auto Capture - I really like the sound of it as I quite often work in hides with small birds which are very quick, and also like the idea of being able leave my camera with a wide angle next to a location where I could potentially disturb wildlife.

• Anyone familiar with Nikon's working practices - do you expect Nikon to further differentiate the Z8 and Z9 with firmware updates or do you think they will leave it at just Auto Capture.

• Do most Z9 users use the extra card slot for backup or to extend storage?

Thanks

Hey all,

These are the types of photography I do:

• portrait (headshots and creative)

• real estate

• event

• concert

• engagement (maybe I’ll get into wedding photography if I get the opportunity?)

Also I’m getting into video.

I have a D7500, but I’m due for an upgrade I have (Tamron lenses): 24-70 f/2.8 70-200 f/2.8 10-24 f/3.5-4.5

Those are my main lenses and I’ll upgrade to Z lenses when I have the monies.

What do y’all think?