Yes, I do think the Z7 will morph into Nikon's highest resolution body, though they may go beyond 60MP. Thom Hogan brought up a good point in that they really need a sensor that is more advanced than the fairly pedestrian sensor that Sony put in their A7RV that is all about the MP...slow readout, rolling shutter, etc. That might take some time.
May 10, 2023
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You turned out to be right about the “baby Z9” in your prediction a couple weeks ago. Can you go 2-for-2?? 😄. IMHO you have a good chance… they’re not gonna stay at 45mp forever. That said, I have two Z7’s for mostly landscape… didn’t see a good reason to upgrade to the Z7ii… and I’m not really longing for more pixels in a Z7iii. But I do think you’re right. We’ll see … maybe later this year.
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Wouldn't be most of the weight be in the lenses anyway? 100-200g will be negligible once you kit out the whole thing.
I mean, you don't have to have a Z8 to practice photography!
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Thanks, perhaps it was just wishful thinking on my part, no inside knowledge that I'll admit to. I'm with you in not really being in the market for higher resolution, at least not with current sensor technology. We've very much gotten to the point of diminishing returns with FX format sensors. If I needed more resolution, I'd own a medium format camera for that. Horses for courses, as they say.
Seems to me that one of Nikon's stickiest problems is how to address the D500 replacement...though in a sense they just did, though at double the price. Can Nikon develop/source a stacked-CMOS, DX, >20MP sensor at a price that allows them to build a mini-Z8 at $2500-$3000. And if they can, is the market big enough to support developing that product? Me personally, the only DX body I'd like to buy would be a Z50 II with IBIS and an upgraded processor...either an Expeed 7 or maybe an Expeed 7-lite, so to speak. Body price of $600-$750.
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An APS-C version of this would be sweet :)
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This might be useful, or of interest, to those who enjoy, or are willing to consume videos and to apply critical thinking to answers provided by professional photographers who also serve as brand ambassadors.
Live for questions May 11, 3pm NYC (1900 UTC). Streaming thereafter.
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For me, the Z8 is exactly what I was hoping it would be. Got my NPS preorder in via my local camera store before 9AM on May 10.
When I take a major photography related trip, I always take a second camera body. I photograph wildlife, landscapes and macro. With large telephoto lenses I prefer to have a vertical grip, so the Z9 is prefect. However, traveling with larger telephotos and two Z9’s is just too much weight. The Z8 makes a great lighter weight backup to the Z9, and also will become my lighter hiking and travel photography body. Sold my Z7ii…
(Separate thought) For those wanting a Z80 (D500 replacement), I hope Thom will look into the use of DX mode in the likes of the FX Z8, vs a dedicated DX D80 action/wildlife camera body. Unlike a DSLR, a mirrorless body shows the full view when in DX mode. Makes me wonder with the dropping volume of cameras sold, if the economics of a smaller DX sensor size still applies. By that I mean to sell a D80, Nikon would have to price it well below the FX Z8 - but the D80 would require a new sensor. Smaller DX sensors should be less expensive than FX due to yield, but how many D80’s would Nikon have to sell to recover the development cost of the new DX sensor?
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Exactly, one of my staffers didn't sign up for health care, saying he couldn't afford the small premiums we would take out of his check. He is 40 and invincible, not regarding his stay at home wife and three kids under 10. Had an MRI yesterday, torn meniscus. $10k easy.
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The Z9 didn't need two controls to do the same thing. Most of us all set the Release Dial at the "use Release Button" position ;~). I and others mentioned that to Nikon at some point. They apparently noticed.
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I don't. Given the mules and prototypes that were circulating, Nikon had three very different ideas for what the Z8 should/might be.
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Out of curiosity, is that your shot used in the Z8 marketing material with the green, orange and blue bird taking off?
Maybe my mind is playing tricks with me but didn't you post a very similar cover photo on your bythom site last week? -
If you think Nikon would raise the retail price of its flagship by 40% with the next gen body, you've not been paying attention to their product releases over the last two years. Nikon is a distant third in market share and competitive pricing of their professional products is part of the strategy to change that.
Whatever Nikon chooses to call the next flagship, it'll be priced below the Canon and Sony equivalents. As popular as the Z9 has been, I don't see why Nikon would choose to abandon that brand with a mid-gen upgrade. It makes more sense to me that they would retain and build on the Z9 brand.
If they do adopt a new name - you're hearing it here, first - Nikon will call their new flagship the ZX. Vin Diesel will debut it by crashing a Lamborghini through a wall, stepping out of the vehicle, and brandishing the camera like a boss.
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I was kidding about the 1.4x price increment. If Nikon is updating the original Z9 after two years, i.e. in 2024, it will be a moderate hardware upgrade and I don't see them deviate from the Z9 model number. It will be a Z9ii or Z9s. Any Z1 or ZX (Roman Numeral for 10) will have to be a very major hardware improvement.
I kind of doubt that any $500, $1000 difference from Canon or Sony's flagship models will make a whole lot of difference among pros. What Nikon leads the competition is the lenses, especially the super teles. 400mm and 600mm with built-in 1.4x TC and a 800mm PF are currently very unique to Nikon and is making a lot more difference.
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Apologies if this has been covered (I did read the thread, but I may have missed it), is does the Z8 have the same build-quality/frame material as the Z9?
I ask because the D700 was a tank, and subsequent models, well, not so much. -
According to Seth Miranda (via a YouTube stream I was backgrounding) the Z8 body is composite, not magnesium. He didn’t make a specific reference to the frame. Might be a questioned answered on the evening Q&A with Nikon Reps. that he’s hosting. (Certainly a question that could be asked. I won’t be able to attend “live” to ask it though.)
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Can't comment on build quality (maybe Thom will answer that one), but the press release says:
whereas the Z9 is described as having a full magnesium frame.
When you say "subsequent models not so much" do you mean the Z9's not tough enough for you?
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Here’s another YouTube livestream. This one hosted by “the other” big NYC camera store:
Nikon Z8 Live Panel Discussion | B&H
Goes live 30 minutes from posting
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Sorry, no. I meant that the cameras immediately the D700 didn't "appeared to me" to have the same build quality.
Not my intention to insult any D750/800, etc. owners, it was just how I perceived the later cameras.
And maybe to add, the D700 was the last camera outside of my Leica M6 and Ricoh GR that I truly loved. And since I keep trying (unsucessfuly) to convince myself that I can find a replacement in a Fujifilm body (so far I've bought and sold an X100V and I'm contemplating selling my months-old X-Pro3), I'm considering going back to Nikon.