Hey everyone, thanks for watching! I want to make a quick comment on the nature of this video as you watch it. This was not meant to be a full, analytical review. You'll notice that I don't point out many negatives about this camera, and that's because 1) There aren't many 2) This was meant to be an impression focused video. A few genuine critiques (all of which I'll cover in future video(s) focused on the negatives) include: 1) The focus stacking feature is sub par compared to Canon, forcing you to dive into a menu for each focus stack without being able to see your frame. 2) The autofocus has a learning curve. It's every bit as good as the other top systems right now, and at times better, but it takes some practice. 3) I very occasionally have managed to change the shooting profile in the settings without knowing it, effectively changing all of my settings suddenly. Easily fixed in the menu, but when it happens, it can be really frustrating. 4) The button on the front bottom left to change focus modes is useless for me. I'd love to be able to change it to anything else. If you have any thoughts on the Z8, pop them in below! I'd love to chat :)
Re: Left side focus mode button - agreed, it needs more customization choices. I think I've figured out that it's designed to be "squeezed" to activate with the lower-left corner of your left palm. That aside - I have it set to the normal AF Area / Release Mode setting, because I changed my Fn2 button to Cycle AF Mode (so handy!).
@@csc-photo Good setup! I don't use it for anything haha. I set the red record button to cycle AF because I always switch to the video mode when I am filming. That's worked well for me.
Another great video. Seeing a lot of overlap in features and users across Nikon and Fuji. I'm a Fuji shooter and have been toying with the idea of moving to full frame. Nikon, at least on paper, looks to have everything I'm looking for (except maybe compact size).
Appreciate that 🤙🏻 I’ve used most of the major brands and Nikon is just so dang good. Love the feel in hand, the look, and I believe the lens mount is the most versatile/powerful of them all. They may be slightly bigger size, but their weight isn’t much bigger if at all on some models, they just opt for a bigger grip reminiscent of the older Nikons. Can’t recommend them high enough.
@ there’s not much out there that has the full range that the Z8 has. I’m biased because I love the Z8 and have never enjoyed using Sony cameras haha. Sony will always have the newest tech and the most lenses, but so far Nikon has taken their best cameras and kept them at the top of the market through firmware updates, plus they really do have an excellent range of lenses now. Only thing to keep in mind is the Z8 will probably be a bit bigger than whatever you’ve been shooting with Sony. Have fun with the new cam and I’m stoked my video was able to help at all!
@@SamBugas Thanks for your reply! I have an A9ii and I was going to upgrade to an A1 mainly for the video specs, But it is still so expensive which is why I looked at Canon and Nikon, finally decided on Nikon because of the lens choices and then I discovered the Z8. Actually had the chance to see a Z8 in the flesh this week and the size was perfect!
@ epic! The A1 II is likely being announced this week, but I suspect the cost will be insanity. While the Z8 is still expensive, it’s by far the best value of any brands top end. Canon lenses are grotesquely expensive, and Sony A1 and A9III are in entirely different leagues for price than the Z8. I can say for sure that you won’t be disappointed with the Z8. I encourage you to be patient with finding an autofocus process that works for you. Nikon sometimes scares people off because the AF is a little funny to work as best as it possibly can, but when you crack the code it works as well as any other camera available (at least in my experience).
I have both the Z8 and 9, i have really falling in love with the 8, the 9 is damn good with the bigger battery but the smaller size and weight on the 8 is just so nice. But both together is just fantastic tools for work. The lenses, i can only agree, they are amazing.
Great video!!! Just subscribed. Your images are epic. I was at the faroe islands this june. That location where the lake and ocean meet was amazing. I got that evening sun light when i went. I was so fortunate!. Happy z8 user here too!
That spot is an all time great spot! I wasn’t doing much video when I travelled there so I don’t have footage, but man do I want to go back and make a movie or something haha. Possibly the most purely beautiful country I’ve ever seen
@@SamBugas it truly is! A d the walk there is so beautiful and relaxing. I tackled Iceland and Faroe the same trip. I would definitely do it again! . I go to Morroco in a month. Happy travels bro!
Would love a video of how you pack your hiking bag with gear… and how do you shoot? I feel like if I had to go through getting my camera out of my bag and setting it up I’d just skip taking the photo. I usually keep my camera around my neck… but the Nikon z8 is much larger than my current xt30ii. Really hoping to upgrade to a z8, but idk if the size will stop me from shooting.
Hey thanks for the suggestion! I actually released a video this morning about some stuff I recommend. In that video I show how I access my camera while on the move. It’s not crazy comprehensive so I may make another video eventually about packing, but it might start to help! Thanks for watching 🤙🏻
Thank you for sharing your thoughts. I agree with everything, but as you said the Z8 is huge. For professionals such as you it may be perfect but my wish list is the Z3 (close to the sony A7C II).
Hey Luis thanks for chiming in! Can’t tell you how happy I’d be for a tiny full frame Nikon like that (and not the ZF because it’s not as tiny as people think haha). For video work, B camera work, and the outings where I’d really like to be light, a 30 megapixel Z3 concept would be excellent 🤙🏻
Great review / summary of the Z8, it's magical. By far the most advanced tool I own / have ever owned. Hey how do you like that Tamron 150-500? I see Tamron just announced the 50-400 4.5-6.3 for Z mount, early previews show some really impressive results for such a range (Matt Irwin and Adrian Alford have vids up today).
Hey Craig! I appreciate the support! I have two points around the 150-500. First, it’s just a bit bigger than I would have liked, and that means it comes with me on my bigger outings far less often. Second, I’ve had a hard time getting sharp shots since buying it. I have to admit that I have it a bit of a knock a while back, and unfortunately its focus system seems to be somewhat broken. Shots are all nearly sharp but just slightly off, and have been that way for months. Regardless of the damage I’ve caused it, I would by the 50-400 if I could do it over today. That lens looks exceptional! I thought I’d get the 150-500 to be a landscape/wildlife hybrid but in truth I’d rather have a smaller super zoom and something like the 400 PF or 600 PF (even if on rental for wildlife opportunities). Hope this provides some value haha.
@@SamBugas Good to know! I'm generally a native lens guy but there are 3 Tamron Z lenses that have my attention (50-400, 28-75 G2, 35-150).I think my long-long lens will be the 180-600, next spring. Thanks man!
@@csc-photo The 180-600 loos immaculate and I think that's a great choice. I'd love to use the 35-150 as well. That would be the absolutely perfect one and done solution. I use the 24-120 F4 which is also incredible, but that bright aperture on the 35-150 through the whole range would be insanity haha. Hope to give it a whirl at some point!
I’ve had no problems with it! I also suggest going into the AF speed setting and pulling it down a little to give it a more natural focus pull. I have it set at -1 or -2 most of the time. If I’m shooting action though, like mountain biking, I’ll bump it up to 4 right away so that it catches the biker mid air. Long story short, it’s excellent in my opinion, but it is always able to be improved by dialing in focus settings.
Great review Sam. I also own the Z8 and have been trying different color grading methods in Resolve. I was wondering what your approach is to color grading, as your clips look so great. Thanks!
Thanks for the support Scott! I have to be honest, I’ve dug into color grading a bit but haven’t really invested in implementing a good process yet. I use resolve and basically edit each clip with a four node structure: base color adjustments -> base exposure adjustments -> log conversion. That’s basically it right now. It’s just me being lazy. A more complex node tree I’ve set up that I’d like to perfect better includes 12 nodes that basically walk you through editing your frame much like a photo, from color balance to clarity, noise to offset, etc… I’ll make a video on it some day haha
Great question! The answer is both yes and no. I really enjoy the Fuji colors, especially in story driven moments, but Nikon has excellent colors as well. I’ve bounced around most major brands, and I feel that Nikon and Fuji are at the top (not counting leica). This is why the Fuji complements my Nikon well. Put simply, the Fuji colors are absolutely nice to have, but the Nikon is so exceptional in its own ways that I don’t feel like I’m missing anything when I use it.
I have zf and now i would prefer to have something with more comfort for bigger lenses. Question is z6iii (not sure if i need speed) or z8 or maybe even older z6ii/z7ii. But the fact i like new af on new nikons not sure if i can go to z6/7ii
Hey all kinds of great thoughts here! If I were you, I’d probably buy a grip for the ZF and call it good. That camera is really exceptional and you won’t find an upgrade in the Z6iii most likely. The Z6ii and Z7ii would both probably feel like a step back for you. It’s nice having a solid grip, but I’ve used the small rig grip for the ZF and loved the feel of the setup.
@@SamBugas that was fast :) thank you for getting back to me :) … ya probably you are right about getting a grip on my zf. I am sure z6iii is fantastic but somehow i do not get a that feeling i should get it. I just like z8 , zf combo as much better pairing in my eyes. Btw .. your thoughts about z6iii and hit dr topics online.
@@_krakra_Z6iii looks amazing, just not probably worth moving on from the excellent ZF. The Z6iii dynamic range thing was overblown. I’ve seen a few channels (Gerald undone being the best) explaining how the DR is totally fine and the hit on it is a misunderstanding about how the camera really works.
Can’t blame you for that choice! Just depends on what you’re using the camera for. For me, the slightly slower pace of those cameras (even though they’re much faster now than they used to be) isn’t quite enough for some of my work. To be honest, the GFX would be one of my top choices if money were no concern haha
@@SamBugas what was interesting Sam? I'm in Australia. The Z8 was still around $6000 and I waited for the GFX 100s II ... And it's absolutely amazing but yes, it was a bit more expensive, but you can't go wrong with the Z8. It's a great camera mate.
I hired one and I did really like it but I stuck with my D850 because the image quality and I'm purely talking about image quality not the camera itself was not a big jump from the D850 and that probably says a lot about the D850.... So I jumped over to GFX and I have not regretted it and with all due respect to the Nikon Z8 the GFX blows it out of the water for image quality. Sure it's a slow camera but oh my gosh the image quality out of it leaves the Z8 for Dead. And yes image quality is everything to me
I’m glad you found the perfect cam for you! The GFX is one I’d like to try out more than almost any other. As far as resolution, I just don’t need those files for most of my work, but when I’m doing pure landscape work, the GFX seems like the best camera available. Thanks for commenting, and enjoy that camera 🤙🏻
@@SamBugas there is one other thing I love about the GFX system because it is a little bit slow. It becomes a methodical process each time to get the shot you create. You don't take photos and I think that's something that i love about it
My Z8 went to a buy/sell/trade section of a forum. I moved to a system that focuses fast action well by a company that backs their products up with reliable and fast service... unlike Nikon.
Very cool you found the right system for you! Which one did you end up using? I use the Nikon for fast action on a nearly constant basis and find it works better than what I’d experienced before (canon R5). Ive heard sony has the edge over the Nikon, but with the AF on the Nikon, the camera is never the issue, only my own mistakes haha. Thanks for chiming in Steve!
@@SamBugas My split between photographing football (soccer) and birds is about equal. In the DSLR days Nikon vs Canon was a wash for football, but Nikon had an advantage for birds. It was most noticeable at the start of action like when a bird went from perched to flight and enough to make me leave Canon for Nikon. Things are very different now. On the way back to Canon I tried Sony. Both Canon and Sony enjoy a palpable AF advantage over Nikon. This is not fanboyism. I just want the best and most reliable user experience, so I have put in ample time behind the viewfinders and have more than sufficient understanding of the AF systems and configuration. For soccer, Canon’s new AI predictive AF (action priority mode) is tracking my intended subject before I even have time to consider framing. It is on a different level. I suspect the same for the other ball sports covered by this AF mode. The other problem I had with Nikon is service. In my city I still have a Nikon service depot where I can go in person to deposit and retrieve items. Canon’s operations are centralized in another part of the country. One would think Nikon has the advantage here. My last lens repair for Nikon took over three months. The narrative of the delay changed often and took on so many flavors it rang of incompetence if not dishonesty. The last time I took a Nikon body for repair the rep claimed that my problem was user error, and the service was chargeable. They were apparently ‘unaware’ that Nikon had issued a recall for the problem. I’m sure most would agree that this was audacious. With Canon it is no BS. I ship my repair to them, I get an estimate within 48 hours of receipt, and after acceptance of the estimate I have my product back typically within a few business days. People can buy a Z8 and say that it is satisfactory for their purpose. I take nothing away from that, but the fervent brand loyalty we see on YT videos and forums is a minority. The difference between ‘satisfactory’ and ‘best’ is vast. So, I find it unsurprising that Nikon took the biggest hit from Sony’s meteoric rise and despite praise from the usual suspects for the current state of the Z system, market share hasn’t improved. In our society no one forces anyone to buy anything. People can buy what they want or nothing at all. Nikon’s recent market share history is not as much a success story as it is narrative of people voting against them with their wallets. This said, I have nothing against Nikon. If they produce the better product again one day, that’s where I’ll put my money.
@@SamBugas My split between photographing football (soccer) and birds is about equal. In the DSLR days Nikon vs Canon was a wash for football, but Nikon had an advantage for birds. It was most noticeable at the start of action like when a bird went from perched to flight and enough to make me leave Canon for Nikon. Things are very different now. On the way back to Canon I tried Sony. Both Canon and Sony enjoy a palpable AF advantage over Nikon. This is not fanboyism. I just want the best and most reliable user experience, so I have put in ample time behind the viewfinders and have more than sufficient understanding of the AF systems and configuration. For soccer, Canon’s new AI predictive AF (action priority mode) is tracking my intended subject before I even have time to consider framing. It is on a different level. I suspect the same for the other ball sports covered by this AF mode. The other problem I had with Nikon is service. In my city I still have a Nikon service depot where I can go in person to deposit and retrieve items. Canon’s operations are centralized in another part of the country. One would think Nikon has the advantage here. My last lens repair for Nikon took over three months. The narrative of the delay changed often and took on so many flavors it rang of incompetence if not dishonesty. The last time I took a Nikon body for repair the rep claimed that my problem was user error, and the service was chargeable. They were apparently ‘unaware’ that Nikon had issued a recall for the problem. I’m sure most would agree that this was audacious. With Canon it is no BS. I ship my repair to them, I get an estimate within 48 hours of receipt, and after acceptance of the estimate I have my product back typically within a few business days. People can buy a Z8 and say that it is satisfactory for their purpose. I take nothing away from that, but the fervent brand loyalty we see on YT videos and forums is a minority. The difference between ‘satisfactory’ and ‘best’ is vast. So, I find it unsurprising that Nikon took the biggest hit from Sony’s meteoric rise and despite praise from the usual suspects for the Z system, market share hasn’t improved. In our society no one forces anyone to buy anything. People can buy what they want or nothing at all. Nikon’s recent market share history is not as much a success story as it is narrative of people voting against them with their wallets. This said, I have nothing against Nikon. If they produce the better product again one day, that’s where I’ll put my money.
Than Nikon? I’ve used Sony and canon and can say comfortably that Nikon stacks up well at this point. The Z8 gives me better results than the canon did for sure. From the people that I know who shoot Panasonic, their main gripe with those cameras is their autofocus, and most would agree they are quite a bit behind. I will say though that all four brands are good enough to capture anything you want to capture. Amazing autofocus is a nice feature for sure, but it’s not essential for good photography by any means
Panasonic? They are behind all of them. They are known for video. Their image quality and lenses also lack. Nikon, canon, and Sony are pretty much the same spectrum in most use cases. Nikon z8 is amazing. Also has better image quality than the r52 even when it uses a mechanical shutter. Also while being a year newer;). but then again the r52 is just a firmware updated r5
Ive shot all brands. Nikon z8 has the best af, only slightly behind a7s3 in video…youre talking absolute nonsense. More importantly: if the af on the z8 isnt „good enough“, then enjoy sonys colours…and maybe look for answers behind the camera…
Hey everyone, thanks for watching! I want to make a quick comment on the nature of this video as you watch it. This was not meant to be a full, analytical review. You'll notice that I don't point out many negatives about this camera, and that's because 1) There aren't many 2) This was meant to be an impression focused video. A few genuine critiques (all of which I'll cover in future video(s) focused on the negatives) include:
1) The focus stacking feature is sub par compared to Canon, forcing you to dive into a menu for each focus stack without being able to see your frame.
2) The autofocus has a learning curve. It's every bit as good as the other top systems right now, and at times better, but it takes some practice.
3) I very occasionally have managed to change the shooting profile in the settings without knowing it, effectively changing all of my settings suddenly. Easily fixed in the menu, but when it happens, it can be really frustrating.
4) The button on the front bottom left to change focus modes is useless for me. I'd love to be able to change it to anything else.
If you have any thoughts on the Z8, pop them in below! I'd love to chat :)
Re: Left side focus mode button - agreed, it needs more customization choices. I think I've figured out that it's designed to be "squeezed" to activate with the lower-left corner of your left palm. That aside - I have it set to the normal AF Area / Release Mode setting, because I changed my Fn2 button to Cycle AF Mode (so handy!).
@@csc-photo Good setup! I don't use it for anything haha. I set the red record button to cycle AF because I always switch to the video mode when I am filming. That's worked well for me.
I subscribed, you do too, Bro!
Another great video. Seeing a lot of overlap in features and users across Nikon and Fuji. I'm a Fuji shooter and have been toying with the idea of moving to full frame. Nikon, at least on paper, looks to have everything I'm looking for (except maybe compact size).
Appreciate that 🤙🏻 I’ve used most of the major brands and Nikon is just so dang good. Love the feel in hand, the look, and I believe the lens mount is the most versatile/powerful of them all. They may be slightly bigger size, but their weight isn’t much bigger if at all on some models, they just opt for a bigger grip reminiscent of the older Nikons. Can’t recommend them high enough.
Beautiful "love letter" to the Nikon Z8 👏🏼👍🏼👌🏼 thanks
Thanks for watching!
Love my Z8. Awesome video!
It's such a killer camera! Thanks for the support and the kind words.
Beautiful images Sam, another amazing video!
Thank you! I really appreciate the support 😊
What a great video! I love your enthusiasm and positivity.Very inspiring cheers!
Thanks so much for the support! Glad you enjoyed and that my emotions showed through. Really love this stuff haha!
@@SamBugas I'm thinking of changing to Nikon from Sony and your video has helped me decide to go for the Z8. Thanks!
@ there’s not much out there that has the full range that the Z8 has. I’m biased because I love the Z8 and have never enjoyed using Sony cameras haha. Sony will always have the newest tech and the most lenses, but so far Nikon has taken their best cameras and kept them at the top of the market through firmware updates, plus they really do have an excellent range of lenses now. Only thing to keep in mind is the Z8 will probably be a bit bigger than whatever you’ve been shooting with Sony. Have fun with the new cam and I’m stoked my video was able to help at all!
@@SamBugas Thanks for your reply! I have an A9ii and I was going to upgrade to an A1 mainly for the video specs, But it is still so expensive which is why I looked at Canon and Nikon, finally decided on Nikon because of the lens choices and then I discovered the Z8. Actually had the chance to see a Z8 in the flesh this week and the size was perfect!
@ epic! The A1 II is likely being announced this week, but I suspect the cost will be insanity. While the Z8 is still expensive, it’s by far the best value of any brands top end. Canon lenses are grotesquely expensive, and Sony A1 and A9III are in entirely different leagues for price than the Z8. I can say for sure that you won’t be disappointed with the Z8. I encourage you to be patient with finding an autofocus process that works for you. Nikon sometimes scares people off because the AF is a little funny to work as best as it possibly can, but when you crack the code it works as well as any other camera available (at least in my experience).
I have both the Z8 and 9, i have really falling in love with the 8, the 9 is damn good with the bigger battery but the smaller size and weight on the 8 is just so nice. But both together is just fantastic tools for work. The lenses, i can only agree, they are amazing.
Absolutely incredible cameras. I love the feel of the Z9 in hand, but the Z8 is far and away the better camera for me. So much performance in each cam
Best camera I’ve ever had ❤
It’s an absolute dream cam 🤙🏻😊
Great video!!! Just subscribed. Your images are epic. I was at the faroe islands this june. That location where the lake and ocean meet was amazing. I got that evening sun light when i went. I was so fortunate!. Happy z8 user here too!
That spot is an all time great spot! I wasn’t doing much video when I travelled there so I don’t have footage, but man do I want to go back and make a movie or something haha. Possibly the most purely beautiful country I’ve ever seen
@@SamBugas it truly is! A d the walk there is so beautiful and relaxing. I tackled Iceland and Faroe the same trip. I would definitely do it again! . I go to Morroco in a month. Happy travels bro!
Would love a video of how you pack your hiking bag with gear… and how do you shoot? I feel like if I had to go through getting my camera out of my bag and setting it up I’d just skip taking the photo. I usually keep my camera around my neck… but the Nikon z8 is much larger than my current xt30ii. Really hoping to upgrade to a z8, but idk if the size will stop me from shooting.
Hey thanks for the suggestion! I actually released a video this morning about some stuff I recommend. In that video I show how I access my camera while on the move. It’s not crazy comprehensive so I may make another video eventually about packing, but it might start to help! Thanks for watching 🤙🏻
Thank you for sharing your thoughts. I agree with everything, but as you said the Z8 is huge. For professionals such as you it may be perfect but my wish list is the Z3 (close to the sony A7C II).
Hey Luis thanks for chiming in! Can’t tell you how happy I’d be for a tiny full frame Nikon like that (and not the ZF because it’s not as tiny as people think haha). For video work, B camera work, and the outings where I’d really like to be light, a 30 megapixel Z3 concept would be excellent 🤙🏻
Great review / summary of the Z8, it's magical. By far the most advanced tool I own / have ever owned. Hey how do you like that Tamron 150-500? I see Tamron just announced the 50-400 4.5-6.3 for Z mount, early previews show some really impressive results for such a range (Matt Irwin and Adrian Alford have vids up today).
Hey Craig! I appreciate the support! I have two points around the 150-500. First, it’s just a bit bigger than I would have liked, and that means it comes with me on my bigger outings far less often. Second, I’ve had a hard time getting sharp shots since buying it. I have to admit that I have it a bit of a knock a while back, and unfortunately its focus system seems to be somewhat broken. Shots are all nearly sharp but just slightly off, and have been that way for months. Regardless of the damage I’ve caused it, I would by the 50-400 if I could do it over today. That lens looks exceptional! I thought I’d get the 150-500 to be a landscape/wildlife hybrid but in truth I’d rather have a smaller super zoom and something like the 400 PF or 600 PF (even if on rental for wildlife opportunities). Hope this provides some value haha.
@@SamBugas Good to know! I'm generally a native lens guy but there are 3 Tamron Z lenses that have my attention (50-400, 28-75 G2, 35-150).I think my long-long lens will be the 180-600, next spring. Thanks man!
@@csc-photo The 180-600 loos immaculate and I think that's a great choice. I'd love to use the 35-150 as well. That would be the absolutely perfect one and done solution. I use the 24-120 F4 which is also incredible, but that bright aperture on the 35-150 through the whole range would be insanity haha. Hope to give it a whirl at some point!
Great video, thanks! :) What do you think about the video autofocus from the Nikon Z8?
I’ve had no problems with it! I also suggest going into the AF speed setting and pulling it down a little to give it a more natural focus pull. I have it set at -1 or -2 most of the time. If I’m shooting action though, like mountain biking, I’ll bump it up to 4 right away so that it catches the biker mid air. Long story short, it’s excellent in my opinion, but it is always able to be improved by dialing in focus settings.
Thanks a lot! 😃
Great review Sam. I also own the Z8 and have been trying different color grading methods in Resolve. I was wondering what your approach is to color grading, as your clips look so great. Thanks!
Thanks for the support Scott! I have to be honest, I’ve dug into color grading a bit but haven’t really invested in implementing a good process yet. I use resolve and basically edit each clip with a four node structure: base color adjustments -> base exposure adjustments -> log conversion. That’s basically it right now. It’s just me being lazy. A more complex node tree I’ve set up that I’d like to perfect better includes 12 nodes that basically walk you through editing your frame much like a photo, from color balance to clarity, noise to offset, etc… I’ll make a video on it some day haha
Dont you miss the Fuji colours when you use the Nikon?
Great question! The answer is both yes and no. I really enjoy the Fuji colors, especially in story driven moments, but Nikon has excellent colors as well. I’ve bounced around most major brands, and I feel that Nikon and Fuji are at the top (not counting leica). This is why the Fuji complements my Nikon well. Put simply, the Fuji colors are absolutely nice to have, but the Nikon is so exceptional in its own ways that I don’t feel like I’m missing anything when I use it.
I have zf and now i would prefer to have something with more comfort for bigger lenses. Question is z6iii (not sure if i need speed) or z8 or maybe even older z6ii/z7ii. But the fact i like new af on new nikons not sure if i can go to z6/7ii
Hey all kinds of great thoughts here! If I were you, I’d probably buy a grip for the ZF and call it good. That camera is really exceptional and you won’t find an upgrade in the Z6iii most likely. The Z6ii and Z7ii would both probably feel like a step back for you. It’s nice having a solid grip, but I’ve used the small rig grip for the ZF and loved the feel of the setup.
@@SamBugas that was fast :) thank you for getting back to me :) … ya probably you are right about getting a grip on my zf. I am sure z6iii is fantastic but somehow i do not get a that feeling i should get it. I just like z8 , zf combo as much better pairing in my eyes. Btw .. your thoughts about z6iii and hit dr topics online.
@@_krakra_Z6iii looks amazing, just not probably worth moving on from the excellent ZF. The Z6iii dynamic range thing was overblown. I’ve seen a few channels (Gerald undone being the best) explaining how the DR is totally fine and the hit on it is a misunderstanding about how the camera really works.
I did try the Z8 for a few days.And I ended up with the gfx. That said it's a great camera
Can’t blame you for that choice! Just depends on what you’re using the camera for. For me, the slightly slower pace of those cameras (even though they’re much faster now than they used to be) isn’t quite enough for some of my work. To be honest, the GFX would be one of my top choices if money were no concern haha
@@SamBugas what was interesting Sam? I'm in Australia. The Z8 was still around $6000 and I waited for the GFX 100s II ... And it's absolutely amazing but yes, it was a bit more expensive, but you can't go wrong with the Z8. It's a great camera mate.
I hired one and I did really like it but I stuck with my D850 because the image quality and I'm purely talking about image quality not the camera itself was not a big jump from the D850 and that probably says a lot about the D850.... So I jumped over to GFX and I have not regretted it and with all due respect to the Nikon Z8 the GFX blows it out of the water for image quality. Sure it's a slow camera but oh my gosh the image quality out of it leaves the Z8 for Dead. And yes image quality is everything to me
I’m glad you found the perfect cam for you! The GFX is one I’d like to try out more than almost any other. As far as resolution, I just don’t need those files for most of my work, but when I’m doing pure landscape work, the GFX seems like the best camera available. Thanks for commenting, and enjoy that camera 🤙🏻
@@SamBugas there is one other thing I love about the GFX system because it is a little bit slow. It becomes a methodical process each time to get the shot you create. You don't take photos and I think that's something that i love about it
My Z8 went to a buy/sell/trade section of a forum. I moved to a system that focuses fast action well by a company that backs their products up with reliable and fast service... unlike Nikon.
Very cool you found the right system for you! Which one did you end up using? I use the Nikon for fast action on a nearly constant basis and find it works better than what I’d experienced before (canon R5). Ive heard sony has the edge over the Nikon, but with the AF on the Nikon, the camera is never the issue, only my own mistakes haha. Thanks for chiming in Steve!
@@SamBugas My split between photographing football (soccer) and birds is about equal. In the DSLR days Nikon vs Canon was a wash for football, but Nikon had an advantage for birds. It was most noticeable at the start of action like when a bird went from perched to flight and enough to make me leave Canon for Nikon. Things are very different now. On the way back to Canon I tried Sony. Both Canon and Sony enjoy a palpable AF advantage over Nikon. This is not fanboyism. I just want the best and most reliable user experience, so I have put in ample time behind the viewfinders and have more than sufficient understanding of the AF systems and configuration. For soccer, Canon’s new AI predictive AF (action priority mode) is tracking my intended subject before I even have time to consider framing. It is on a different level. I suspect the same for the other ball sports covered by this AF mode. The other problem I had with Nikon is service. In my city I still have a Nikon service depot where I can go in person to deposit and retrieve items. Canon’s operations are centralized in another part of the country. One would think Nikon has the advantage here. My last lens repair for Nikon took over three months. The narrative of the delay changed often and took on so many flavors it rang of incompetence if not dishonesty. The last time I took a Nikon body for repair the rep claimed that my problem was user error, and the service was chargeable. They were apparently ‘unaware’ that Nikon had issued a recall for the problem. I’m sure most would agree that this was audacious. With Canon it is no BS. I ship my repair to them, I get an estimate within 48 hours of receipt, and after acceptance of the estimate I have my product back typically within a few business days. People can buy a Z8 and say that it is satisfactory for their purpose. I take nothing away from that, but the fervent brand loyalty we see on YT videos and forums is a minority. The difference between ‘satisfactory’ and ‘best’ is vast. So, I find it unsurprising that Nikon took the biggest hit from Sony’s meteoric rise and despite praise from the usual suspects for the current state of the Z system, market share hasn’t improved. In our society no one forces anyone to buy anything. People can buy what they want or nothing at all. Nikon’s recent market share history is not as much a success story as it is narrative of people voting against them with their wallets. This said, I have nothing against Nikon. If they produce the better product again one day, that’s where I’ll put my money.
@@SamBugas My split between photographing football (soccer) and birds is about equal. In the DSLR days Nikon vs Canon was a wash for football, but Nikon had an advantage for birds. It was most noticeable at the start of action like when a bird went from perched to flight and enough to make me leave Canon for Nikon. Things are very different now. On the way back to Canon I tried Sony. Both Canon and Sony enjoy a palpable AF advantage over Nikon. This is not fanboyism. I just want the best and most reliable user experience, so I have put in ample time behind the viewfinders and have more than sufficient understanding of the AF systems and configuration. For soccer, Canon’s new AI predictive AF (action priority mode) is tracking my intended subject before I even have time to consider framing. It is on a different level. I suspect the same for the other ball sports covered by this AF mode. The other problem I had with Nikon is service. In my city I still have a Nikon service depot where I can go in person to deposit and retrieve items. Canon’s operations are centralized in another part of the country. One would think Nikon has the advantage here. My last lens repair for Nikon took over three months. The narrative of the delay changed often and took on so many flavors it rang of incompetence if not dishonesty. The last time I took a Nikon body for repair the rep claimed that my problem was user error, and the service was chargeable. They were apparently ‘unaware’ that Nikon had issued a recall for the problem. I’m sure most would agree that this was audacious. With Canon it is no BS. I ship my repair to them, I get an estimate within 48 hours of receipt, and after acceptance of the estimate I have my product back typically within a few business days. People can buy a Z8 and say that it is satisfactory for their purpose. I take nothing away from that, but the fervent brand loyalty we see on YT videos and forums is a minority. The difference between ‘satisfactory’ and ‘best’ is vast. So, I find it unsurprising that Nikon took the biggest hit from Sony’s meteoric rise and despite praise from the usual suspects for the Z system, market share hasn’t improved. In our society no one forces anyone to buy anything. People can buy what they want or nothing at all. Nikon’s recent market share history is not as much a success story as it is narrative of people voting against them with their wallets. This said, I have nothing against Nikon. If they produce the better product again one day, that’s where I’ll put my money.
Sony and canon now Panasonic have better autofocus cameras in 2024
Than Nikon? I’ve used Sony and canon and can say comfortably that Nikon stacks up well at this point. The Z8 gives me better results than the canon did for sure. From the people that I know who shoot Panasonic, their main gripe with those cameras is their autofocus, and most would agree they are quite a bit behind. I will say though that all four brands are good enough to capture anything you want to capture. Amazing autofocus is a nice feature for sure, but it’s not essential for good photography by any means
Panasonic? They are behind all of them. They are known for video. Their image quality and lenses also lack. Nikon, canon, and Sony are pretty much the same spectrum in most use cases. Nikon z8 is amazing. Also has better image quality than the r52 even when it uses a mechanical shutter. Also while being a year newer;). but then again the r52 is just a firmware updated r5
And you have used all of these cameras?
Ive shot all brands. Nikon z8 has the best af, only slightly behind a7s3 in video…youre talking absolute nonsense.
More importantly: if the af on the z8 isnt „good enough“, then enjoy sonys colours…and maybe look for answers behind the camera…
LOL, salty much?