Not just Nikon

Moderated by: chrisbet,

Z8Change time

Author	Post

Posted by Iain: Sun Jan 5th, 2025 22:13

1^st Post

After two years with Sony I am changing back to Nikon with a Z8. I am not impressed with the robustness of the Sony. As Nikon has caught up with the rest it’s time to head back. I prefer the handling and the colours out of the Nikons.

Posted by chrisbet: Sun Jan 5th, 2025 23:02

2^nd Post

Interesting, welcome back!

I have built up a selection of professional Nikon F mount lenses now so will stay with Nikon F for stills (only been with Nikon for 40 odd years!) I do have a Sony but that is an FS5 video cam.

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Posted by jk: Mon Jan 6th, 2025 10:02

3^rd Post

Agree that Nikon have caught up Sony in the functionality in the camera.
I have always preferred Nikon to Canon but that was just ergonomics in the DSLR. I think that no matter what make of camera they can all perfom well so it is more about how the camera feels in your hands.

Hope you like the Z8.

I love my Zf but find my Z9 heavy but very functional. Currently holding out for Nikon to release the Z7iii as that seems to be a natural replacement for my Z7.
Z8 seems much larger than the Z7 but since there are no camera shops nearby temptation is reduced!

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Posted by Iain: Mon Jan 6th, 2025 15:29

4^th Post

jk wrote:
Agree that Nikon have caught up Sony in the functionality in the camera.
I have always preferred Nikon to Canon but that was just ergonomics in the DSLR. I think that no matter what make of camera they can all perfom well so it is more about how the camera feels in your hands.

Hope you like the Z8.

I love my Zf but find my Z9 heavy but very functional. Currently holding out for Nikon to release the Z7iii as that seems to be a natural replacement for my Z7.
Z8 seems much larger than the Z7 but since there are no camera shops nearby temptation is reduced! I thought of a Z9 but didn't want to go that big again and as the Z8 is in essence a cut down Z9 I think that will be fine.
Chris, I have ordered a FTZii as well as I still have a 70-200 2.8 vr, a1.4tc and old 28-200 that was very sharp on my DSLRs. I still have an old D300s that has been to the moon and back as far as shutter count but still takes good pictures. It earned me good money in the old days so Its sentimental value.

Posted by Iain: Thu Jan 9th, 2025 21:47

5^th Post

Camera and lens arrived today, not had any time to play just been setting it up.

Posted by Eric: Sat Jan 11th, 2025 11:11

6^th Post

Iain wrote:
Camera and lens arrived today, not had any time to play just been setting it up. What lens have you gone for Iain? A long birding lens or just mid range for now?

Presumable, if you don’t go for a Z lens you still need the adapter thingie?

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Eric

Posted by Iain: Sat Jan 11th, 2025 14:29

7^th Post

Eric wrote:
What lens have you gone for Iain? A long birding lens or just mid range for now?

Presumable, if you don’t go for a Z lens you still need the adapter thingie? I have got the Z 180-600mm Eric. I have got the FTZii as I still have a 70-200mm f2.8.

Posted by chrisbet: Sat Jan 11th, 2025 17:33

8^th Post

Is that a 70-200 2.8 vr I or II?

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Posted by jk: Sat Jan 11th, 2025 19:26

9^th Post

chrisbet wrote:
Is that a 70-200 2.8 vr I or II? Optically I dont think there is much difference just that the v.ii has Nano crystals!!!
I have the v.i and found it very good but the better version in my opinion was the 80-200 f2.8 AFS (I think Eric had this version as well). For great colour you need to go back to 80-200 f2.8 push pull which makes lovely warm images.

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Posted by Iain: Sat Jan 11th, 2025 20:42

10^th Post

chrisbet wrote:
Is that a 70-200 2.8 vr I or II? It's the VR1. one of the few Nikon bits I didn't get rid of. Still have a 1.4tc ii 28-200mm and a old D300s.

Posted by jk: Mon Jan 20th, 2025 23:04

11^th Post

How goes the Z8 testing and use?

Still holding off for the Z7iii (still to be announced by Nikon) as I hope it is a smaller and lighter Z8 but I need to decide before September when I am off to Namibia.

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Posted by Iain: Tue Jan 21st, 2025 15:25

12^th Post

jk wrote:
How goes the Z8 testing and use?

Its going fine Jonathan just sometimes refuses to focus, if I turn it off and on again its fine. Some people are saying they sent theirs into Nikon and they said they couldn't find a fault but it never did it again. Mine is on the latest firmware so will wait and see if it does it again.

Posted by Eric: Wed Jan 22nd, 2025 09:20

13^th Post

Iain wrote:
Its going fine Jonathan just sometimes refuses to focus, if I turn it off and on again its fine. Some people are saying they sent theirs into Nikon and they said they couldn't find a fault but it never did it again. Mine is on the latest firmware so will wait and see if it does it again. I had a similar fault with an earlier Nikon and it turned out to be a dirty contact on the lens/body interface. I found releasing the lens and reseating influenced it but cleaning the contacts solved it. Probably not same issue on new camera kit but makes you wonder if Nikon ‘finding no fault’ involved Nikon removing the lens, wiping it and replacing it?

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Eric

Posted by Iain: Wed Jan 22nd, 2025 15:53

14^th Post

Eric wrote:
I had a similar fault with an earlier Nikon and it turned out to be a dirty contact on the lens/body interface. I found releasing the lens and reseating influenced it but cleaning the contacts solved it. Probably not same issue on new camera kit but makes you wonder if Nikon ‘finding no fault’ involved Nikon removing the lens, wiping it and replacing it? I think I'll give that a try. It will do no harm.

Posted by Iain: Wed Jan 22nd, 2025 15:57

15^th Post

Just cleaned the contacts on the camera and lens and was surprised that there was some grime come off both.

Posted by Eric: Wed Jan 22nd, 2025 23:40

16^th Post

Iain wrote:
Just cleaned the contacts on the camera and lens and was surprised that there was some grime come off both. Could it be that simple? Hope so. Time will tell eh?

____________________
Eric

Posted by Iain: Thu Jan 23rd, 2025 13:40

17^th Post

Eric wrote:
Could it be that simple? Hope so. Time will tell eh? Used it today and it was better in that it never refused to focus and locked up. It refused to focus twice but I just moved the focus point and it focused. We will see. The only other thing I have noticed is that at high ISO, i.e above 6400 it produces more noise than the A1. Not a great problem in that there is plenty of denoise software to deal with that.

Posted by jk: Fri Jan 24th, 2025 00:10

18^th Post

Iain, have you used a Z7 orZ7ii in the past? If yes then how does the AF speed of the Z8 compare with a Z7?

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Posted by Iain: Fri Jan 24th, 2025 13:55

19^th Post

jk wrote:
Iain, have you used a Z7 orZ7ii in the past? If yes then how does the AF speed of the Z8 compare with a Z7? I've never used a Z7. I've used a Z6, and the Z8 is a little faster I think, it's hard to tell. I think it was Steve Perry of Backcountry Gallery that did tests on them and found that the Z9/8 were the quickest and the Z6/7 were a bit slower.
I have noticed that when shooting birds with the bird capture selected the Z8 I quick at focusing on the bird.

Posted by Eric: Fri Jan 24th, 2025 18:26

20^th Post

Iain wrote:
Used it today and it was better in that it never refused to focus and locked up. It refused to focus twice but I just moved the focus point and it focused. We will see. The only other thing I have noticed is that at high ISO, i.e above 6400 it produces more noise than the A1. Not a great problem in that there is plenty of denoise software to deal with that. That’s interesting because I feel the Sony raw files are quite noisey, especially colour noise.

IMHO there has been little noise reduction improvement in any cameras in the 3000 - 6000 iso range. Manufacturers seem to have worked more on getting acceptable levels in the 10000+ regions rather than extending/applying the low noise levels seen at 400 to 4000.

UK wildlife photography routinely requires us to compensate for dull lighting with higher ISO than the average photographer in brighter sunnier climes needs to use.

If I had a camera that required NO denoising below 10000iso, it would be far more useful.

____________________
Eric

Posted by jk: Fri Jan 24th, 2025 21:00

21^st Post

Looked at the Steve Perry YouTube videos but also found this other one by Thomas Heaton who I also follow.
https://youtu.be/g-SC1VxwpEw?feature=shared

and this from Nigel Danson is good.
https://youtu.be/Ry1i3W6gtSo?feature=shared

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Posted by jk: Mon Jan 27th, 2025 12:01

22^nd Post

OK decided that I would not wait for a Z7iii so a Z8 is in-coming!

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Posted by Iain: Mon Jan 27th, 2025 13:35

23^rd Post

jk wrote:
OK decided that I would not wait for a Z7iii so a Z8 is in-coming! I think you will enjoy it Jonathan.

Posted by Iain: Tue Jan 28th, 2025 21:00

24^th Post

Did you get your Z8 Jonathan?

Posted by jk: Wed Jan 29th, 2025 20:13

25^th Post

Yes it arrived yesterday so it has kept me busy customising.
That is all done now while I waited for the Smallrig Arca L bracket to arrive. That is here and fitted.
Tomorrow hopefully will be a good day to go out and take some photos.

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Posted by Iain: Thu Jan 30th, 2025 13:43

26^th Post

Let us know how you get on.

Posted by jk: Thu Jan 30th, 2025 19:32

27^th Post

Had a quick play with the camera today.
Very disconcerting to have little sound associated with the shutter release but have adjusted that now.

I really like the four banks and switching between them.

AF difference between Z7 and Z8 is very noticeable, the Z8 is so much quicker and also much surer.

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