The Nikon Z8 is set to be the mirrorless successor to the Nikon D850 and the most compelling Nikon camera to date
If you’ve given up on seeing the Nikon Z8 – a camera has been discussed for more than two years and tipped to be one of the most exciting professional cameras in 2023 – then hope might just be on the horizon.
While yet to be confirmed, Nikon Rumors suggests the Nikon Z8 is “production ready”. In fact, it could have been on shelves already were it not for components shortages that have held back so many releases over the last couple of years.
However, there are still no official teasers out there online, so we’ve had to get a little creative to offer a preview of what to expect in the Nikon Z8. Below you’ll find our predictions regarding the most exciting features we’re likely to see.
Last year it was suggested the Nikon Z8 would be announced at CES in January. That didn’t happen. The CP+ show in February is another candidate for an announcement. However, Nikon Rumors suggests a March announcement with a release in May set to be the most likely outcome.
It’s expected to be a direct rival to the Sony A7R V, which was announced in October 2022 and costs $3,900 / £4,000 / AU$5,900. That gives you a very rough guide on how much you should expect to pay for a Nikon Z8 — thankfully, it should cost significantly less than the Nikon Z9.
We are expecting the Nikon Z8 to be the true successor to 2017’s excellent Nikon D850. This means it will be a high performance camera with top-tier capabilities, but won’t have the “pro” style battery grip of the Nikon Z9.
While a vertical grip’s ability to increase battery life and improve handling of huge lenses is unquestioned, a shape like the Nikon Z7 II is more approachable to wider audiences, plus there could be an optional battery grip that unleashes pro-level stamina and form-factor.
The Nikon Z8 will have a full-frame sensor, so its dimensions are likely to be somewhat similar to those of the Nikon Z7 II. And we can expect the same excellent weatherproofing offered in that model.
Mockups of the Nikon Z8 also show a similar control layout to that of existing model’s, although these images are effectively fan creations, not leaks.
