At first sight, the new Nikon Z8 seems to be just a more compact version of the Z9 flagship camera but when you dig deeper into the details, you find out there are further small differences between the two. For me, the Z8 is the 'better' camera for my needs hands down due to its smaller size ( and the lower price is a big plus) and none of the other differences are deal breakers for my use scenarios but your mileage may vary.
Here I have just listed these 9 differences between the Z8 and the Z9:
9 Differences Between the Nikon Z8 and the Nikon Z9
- Low-light AF: The new Z8 is rated to AF at -7.5 EV (f/2 Lens, ISO 100) whereas the Z9 is limited at -7 EV, which gives the Z8 a slight advantage at focusing under extreme dark conditions
- Max Recording time: The Z9 had a ax video recording limit of 125 min but this limit goes down to 90 min with the Z8 which may be critical for some.
- GPS: The in-built GPS of the Z9 is removed on the Z8 so yiou have to rely on your smartphone's GPS if this is a necessity.
- Ethernet Port: The Z9 has the ethernet port which lets you connect your camera to a computer via an ethernet cable for fast transfer whereas the Z8 doesn't have this port anymore, relying mostly on the wireless transfer.
- Battery Life: Due to the lack of the built-in battery grip, the Z8 uses the much smaller EN-EL15c battery which provides a battery life of only 340shots. On the other hand, this value goes over >700 shots with the Z9. It is not the end of the world for the Z8 shooters , just invest in some extra batteries.
- Storage Type: The Z9 had 2 CFexpress Type B card slots, but the Z8 has one CFexpress Type and one SD UHS-II card slot which is slower than the CFexpress but still adequate for most situations.
- Weight: At 910g including battery and memory card the new Z8 is 430g lighter than the Z9's 1340 total weight. This makes a big difference in real life use for sure.
- External Dimensions: One of my biggest complaint with the Z9 washuge size and weight due to the built-in battery grip, making this camera not practical for my typical use. The Ze is not a small camera either, check this size comparison with A7R V/EOS R5/Panasonic S5 II here to see for yourself but still much more compact and suitable for daily use compared to the brick that we call the Z9.
- Price: The new Z8 has an MSRP of $3,999 while the Z9 is still selling for its original MSRP of $5,499. This is a whopping $1,500 difference between the two cameras which is very significant for anyone.
So what do you think, which camera is the better choice for you? For the majority of people, I am sure the Z8 will be the safest bet. And if you want to improve the ergonomics and the battery life in the future, you can always buy the optional MB-12 Battery grip for $349. If you need the ethernet connection, you can also buy a USB to Ethernet adapter. And for the GPS, you can pair your smartphone with the Z8 and use its GPS to tag your photo locations (not as seamless as the built-in GPS though). Check the specs of the Nikon Z8 below and read our detailed review for further evaluation.
Nikon Z8 Key Specs
- Announcement Date: 2023-05-10
- 46MP - Full frame Stacked CMOS Sensor
- ISO 64 - 25600 ( expands to 32 - 102400)
- Nikon Z Mount
- Sensor-shift Image Stabilization( Up to 6.0-stops)
- 3.20" Tilting Screen
- 3686k dot Electronic viewfinder
- 30.0fps (30.0fps Electronic) continuous shooting
- 8K - 7680 x 4320 video resolution
- 120fps High-Speed Video
- Built-in Wireless
- 910g. 144 x 119 x 83 mm
- Weather-sealed Body
- Read the Review
- Check Price at: Amazon, B&H Photo