Nikon Z f vs Nikon Z 8
Better figure, where one is clearly better
| NikonZ f | NikonZ 8 | |
|---|---|---|
| Overview | ||
| Released | October 2023 | May 2023 |
| Image and sensor | ||
| Camera type | Mirrorless | Mirrorless |
| Sensor format | Full frame | Full frame |
| Sensor type | Back-illuminated CMOS | Stacked backside-illuminated CMOS |
| Sensor dimensions | 35.9 × 23.9 mm | 35.9 × 23.9 mm |
| Effective resolution | 24.5 MP | 45.7 MP |
| Largest image | 6048 × 4032 | 8256 × 5504 |
| RAW recording | Yes | Yes |
| Standard ISO range | 100–64000 | 64–25600 |
| Sensor detail | 25.28 million total pixels; sensor cleaning and image-dust-off data for NX Studio. Pixel-shift frames require software combination and a static camera/subject; no composite resolution is substituted for the single-frame main figure. | 52.37 million total pixels; sensor cleaning, dust-off reference data, protective sensor shield and electro-conductive/fluorine coatings |
| Image formats | 14-bit NEF RAW with lossless or high-efficiency compression; JPEG and HEIF; RAW plus JPEG or HEIF. Firmware 3.00 adds adjustable Film Grain for stills/video with movie restrictions. | 14-bit NEF RAW with lossless or high-efficiency compression; JPEG, HEIF and RAW plus JPEG or HEIF |
| ISO detail | Standard still-image ISO 100–64000, expandable to equivalent ISO 50–204800; HLG starts at ISO 400. Movie ISO 100–51200 with format-dependent expansion; physical dial and command-dial ranges differ. | Expandable to equivalent ISO 32–102400; HLG still photography starts at ISO 400; auto ISO supported |
| Image processor | EXPEED 7 | EXPEED 7 |
| Lens and shooting | ||
| Lens mount | Nikon Z mount | Nikon Z mount |
| Stabilisation | Sensor shift | Sensor shift |
| Maximum continuous burst | 30 fps | 20 fps |
| Lens detail | NIKKOR Z lenses; NIKKOR F lenses require an adapter and retain model-dependent restrictions. Manual-focus subject detection and focus confirmation available with compatible setups. | NIKKOR Z lenses; NIKKOR F lenses require a mount adapter and retain model-dependent restrictions |
| Autofocus | Hybrid phase/contrast detection; 273 single-point or 299 auto-area positions in FX stills; subject detection and 3D tracking. Nikon's −10 EV sensitivity uses AF-S, ISO 100, f/1.2 and 20°C. | Hybrid phase/contrast detection, 493 single-point FX still positions, 3D tracking and subject detection including people, animals, birds and vehicles/aircraft. Maker sensitivity −7 EV or −9 EV with Starlight View, measured in AF-S at ISO 100, 20°C and f/1.2. |
| Shutter | Mechanical, electronic front-curtain and electronic; 1/8000 to 30 seconds using command dial, with Bulb/Time and manual extension to 900 seconds. Physical dial covers 1/8000 to 4 seconds plus special settings. Flash sync 1/200 and Auto FP support; threaded shutter button accepts a cable release. | Electronic shutter only, with selectable sound and sensor shield; 1/32000 to 30 seconds, Bulb/Time and manual-mode extension to 900 seconds. Flash sync 1/200 or 1/250 second with reduced guide number at the higher speeds; compatible Auto FP up to 1/8000. |
| Burst detail | Ordinary high approximately 7.8 fps and extended high up to 14 fps, subject to format restrictions. C15/C30 high-speed capture reaches 30 fps with pre-release capture for JPEG normal; it is not a 30 fps RAW mode. | Continuous high-speed shooting up to 20 fps for full-resolution RAW. High-speed capture C15/C30 uses large FX or DX JPEGs, C60 requires large DX JPEGs and C120 requires small FX JPEGs (4128 × 2752). High-speed burst length varies by frame rate according to the current manual; these restricted JPEG modes are separate from the main continuous RAW figure. Pre-release capture available. Current manual restrictions take precedence over UK marketing prose and TechRadar's erroneous full-resolution 60 fps claim. |
| Stabilisation detail | Five-axis sensor shift; Nikon claims 8 stops under CIPA with NIKKOR Z 24–120mm f/4 S at the telephoto end in NORMAL mode. Focus Point VR has compatible-lens and AF-area restrictions; electronic video VR available. | Five-axis sensor shift; lens VR supported, with Synchro VR up to 6 stops using NIKKOR Z 70–200mm f/2.8 VR S at the telephoto end under Nikon's CIPA conditions; electronic movie VR available |
| Flash | No built-in flash; ISO 518 accessory shoe and compatible external i-TTL Speedlights | No built-in flash; ISO 518 hot shoe with compatible external i-TTL Speedlights |
| Exposure controls | Auto and P/S/A/M; physical compensation dial ±3 EV, command control ±5 EV in C setting; dedicated black-and-white switch | P/S/A/M; ±5 EV still-image or ±3 EV movie compensation; matrix, centre-weighted, spot and highlight-weighted metering |
| Video | ||
| Highest video resolution | 3840 × 2160 at 60 fps | 8256 × 4644 at 59.94 fps |
| Video detail | UHD 3840 × 2160 up to 60p in cropped DX mode; full-frame UHD up to 30p oversampled from 6K. Full HD up to 120p. H.265 8/10-bit and H.264, N-Log, HLG, waveform and timecode; current maker table lists Hi-Res Zoom. Maximum recording time 125 minutes, subject to temperature, power and media conditions; no internal RAW video listed. | N-RAW 12-bit 8256 × 4644 up to 59.94p; 5392 × 3032 up to 59.94p and 4128 × 2322 up to 119.88p. Conventional UHD 7680 × 4320 up to 29.97p; UHD 4K and Full HD up to 119.88p. ProRes RAW HQ, ProRes 422 HQ, H.265 8/10-bit and H.264 have format-dependent limits. Internal N-Log/HLG, waveform, timecode, RAW proxies and Hi-Res Zoom. Nikon's launch recording claims approximately 125 minutes UHD 4K/60p and 90 minutes UHD 8K/30p use specified media, temperature and external-power conditions. |
| Audio | Built-in stereo microphones; PCM 48 kHz/24-bit for MOV or AAC 48 kHz/16-bit for MP4; external microphone input and headphone monitoring | Built-in stereo microphones; PCM 48 kHz/24-bit for NEV/MOV or AAC 48 kHz/16-bit for MP4; external microphone with attenuator and headphone monitoring |
| Screen and viewfinder | ||
| Viewfinder | Electronic | Electronic |
| Screen size | 3.2″ | 3.2″ |
| Screen dots | 2,100,000 | 2,100,000 |
| Touchscreen | Yes | Yes |
| Tilting screen | Yes | Yes |
| Display detail | Vari-angle TFT with approximately 100% coverage and 170° viewing angle; Touch Fn supports settings and focus-point adjustment while using the viewfinder; dots count subpixels | Four-axis horizontal/vertical tilt, approximately 100% coverage and 170° viewing angle; dots count subpixels |
| Viewfinder detail | 0.5-inch Quad-VGA OLED, approximately 3.69 million dots, 100% coverage, 0.8× magnification and 21 mm eyepoint | 0.5-inch Quad-VGA OLED, approximately 3.69 million dots, 100% coverage, 0.8× magnification and 23 mm eyepoint; blackout-free display |
| Connections and design | ||
| Wi-Fi | Yes | Yes |
| Bluetooth | Yes | Yes |
| Battery life (maker's claim) | 430 photographs | 370 photographs |
| Body weight | 630 g (better) | 820 g |
| Release detail | Nikon US states first availability in mid-October 2023; main retains month precision. The later silver exterior is the same camera hardware, and Nikon explicitly states firmware 3.00 supports both original and silver editions. | Announced on 10 May 2023; Nikon US explicitly states availability on 25 May, corroborated by TechRadar's launch coverage. Exact first UK retail day is not independently established. |
| Recording media | Primary UHS-II SD/SDHC/SDXC slot and secondary UHS-I microSD/microSDHC/microSDXC slot; overflow, backup and separate format recording | One CFexpress Type B/XQD slot and one UHS-II SD/SDHC/SDXC slot; overflow, backup and separate format recording |
| Ports | USB-C SuperSpeed USB, Micro HDMI Type D, 3.5 mm microphone and headphone sockets | USB-C SuperSpeed data port and separate USB-C Power Delivery port; full-size HDMI Type A; 3.5 mm microphone/headphone sockets; ten-pin remote terminal. Ethernet requires a compatible USB-LAN adapter; no built-in Ethernet socket or GPS receiver. |
| Wireless connections | Wi-Fi IEEE 802.11a/b/g/n/ac and Bluetooth 5.0; SnapBridge. Nikon Imaging Cloud and automatic firmware updates supported by current firmware. | Wi-Fi IEEE 802.11a/b/g/n/ac and Bluetooth 5.0; SnapBridge |
| Battery life detail | EN-EL15c; CIPA approximately 430 monitor shots with power saving enabled or 380 without; EVF 410 with power saving or 360 without. Tested with NIKKOR Z 40mm f/2. Movie battery-life claim approximately 90 minutes; EN-EL15b/15a compatibility gives shorter endurance. | EN-EL15c; CIPA monitor approximately 370 shots with power saving or 340 without; EVF 340 with power saving or 330 without. Nikon's separate continuous-shooting test gives approximately 2280 shots; movie battery claim approximately 85 minutes. EN-EL15b/15a provide fewer shots; optional MB-N12 takes two batteries. |
| Charging | USB charging and power delivery with compatible equipment; optional EH-8P/EH-7P; EN-EL15c/15b rechargeable in camera. Nikon UK states no charger included. | USB charging and power delivery with suitable optional cable/adapter; in-camera charging supports EN-EL15c/15b. MH-25a external charger appears in the technical accessory list; current UK included-accessory tiles do not list it, so verify regional package contents. |
| Dimensions | Approximately 144 × 103 × 49 mm | Approximately 144 × 118.5 × 83 mm |
| Weight detail | Approximately 630 g body only or 710 g with battery/card, excluding body cap and shoe cover; TechRadar's body-only narrative uses the battery/card figure, so main follows Nikon. | Approximately 820 g body only or 910 g with battery/card, excluding body cap and shoe cover |
| Materials | Magnesium-alloy front and top covers, brass control dials and embossed artificial leather; dust- and drip-resistant construction | Magnesium alloy and carbon-fibre composite; dust/moisture-resistant construction, maker operating range −10°C to 40°C |
| Colours | Original black and later silver finishes with maker-specific exterior colour options; cosmetic variants remain one hardware product. Photograph shows the current silver/black finish. | – |
| In the box | EN-EL15c battery, UC-E25 USB cable, BF-N1 body cap, AN-DC27 strap, BS-1 shoe cover and DK-33 eyepiece | Current UK accessory tiles list EN-EL15c, UC-E24 USB cable, AN-DC26 strap, DK-33 eyecup and BF-N1 body cap; technical list additionally names BS-1 shoe cover, HDMI/USB cable clip and region-dependent MH-25a charger |
More comparisons
- Nikon Z f vs Nikon Z5IIC
- Nikon Z5IIC vs Nikon Z 8
- Nikon Z 8 vs Sony Alpha 7R VI
- Nikon Z f vs Nikon ZR
- Nikon Z 8 vs Nikon ZR
- Fujifilm X-E5 vs Nikon Z f
- Nikon Z f vs Nikon Z5II
- Nikon Z5II vs Nikon Z 8
- Nikon Z 8 vs Panasonic LUMIX S1RII
- Nikon Z f vs Nikon Z50II
- Nikon Z50II vs Nikon Z 8
- Canon EOS R5 Mark II vs Nikon Z 8
- Fujifilm GFX100S II vs Nikon Z 8
- Nikon Z f vs Nikon Z6III
- Nikon Z6III vs Nikon Z 8
- Nikon Z f vs Nikon Z fc

