Nikon has announced its latest Z-Series mirrorless camera. Here’s what’s on the way

Nikon has introduced its latest addition to the Z-Series mirrorless camera range — the all-new Z8.

The new camera is out on May 25 and now available for pre-order. It condenses the performance of the flagship Z9 into a more compact and portable camera body, while also trying to maintain reliability and uncompromised functionality.

WATCH THE VIDEO ABOVE: A product tour of the new Z8.

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Labelled as the ultimate successor to the Nikon D850, the Z8 is engineered for creatives across the board, targeting both high-end video and stills capabilities.

Key Specifications

• 45.7MP Stacked CMOS sensor
• One CFexpress card or XQD card and One Secure Digital (SD) card.
• 3690k dot (Quad VGA) OLED electronic viewfinder
• 20fps with Raw and 30fps full-sized JPEG
• 493 focus points
• 2.1M dot screen on a two-way hinge
• Dual USB-C ports
• Top LCD screen
• 8K/30p or up to 4K/60p from 8K
• Subject recognition AF and 3D Tracking
• EXPEED 7 Image Processor
• Lighter body weight at 910g compared to the Z9 (1340g)

New features

The Z8 is smaller than the Z9 (30 per cent) and D850 (15 per cent), but packs in the majority of the Z9’s impressive features into a lighter and more compact body unit.

The Z8 also implements a new portrait function with a skin softening feature, which can be applied in stills, videos and livestreaming functionalities while retaining sharpness in eyes and hair.

A new portrait impression balance effect can also be utilised in the Z8 where adjustments in hue and brightness are made in-camera to effectively enhance portraits.

The Z8 also includes a new assortment of subject tracking modes, such as people, cat, dog, bird, car, motorbike, bicycle and train-specific targeting.

The Z8 also includes the new HEIF format support for all still images allowing for more tonal gradation.

Video

The Z8’s filming performance remains relatively unchanged to the specifications of the Z9, having the ability to capture visuals in high-definition 4K UHD/60p, 50p, and 30p over-sampled from 8K. The Z8 also offers 4K in 120fps providing more flexibility for slow motion filming opportunities. Compared to the Z9’s unlimited recording time, the Z8 is restrained to recording 8K/ 30p for 90 minutes and 4K/60p for just over two hours.

Pricing and availability

Nikon’s Z8 is out on May 25 and now available for pre-order at $6999 (body only), a considerable price drop from the Z9 in which users can obtain a majority of the flagship features.

All the latest editions to Nikon’s Z series line-up, including Z8, are available for purchase from the Nikon website and selected stores.

With many promises of high-end video and stills performance, I am eager to see how it holds up in a real-world test, so stay tuned.