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Nikon Z 8 vs Sony Alpha 7R VI

Every spec side by side, from each maker's published figures.

Better figure, where one is clearly better

NikonZ 8SonyAlpha 7R VI
Overview
ReleasedMay 2023June 2026
Image and sensor
Camera typeMirrorlessMirrorless
Sensor formatFull frameFull frame
Sensor typeStacked backside-illuminated CMOSBack-illuminated fully stacked Exmor RS CMOS
Sensor dimensions35.9 × 23.9 mm35.9 × 24 mm
Effective resolution45.7 MP66.8 MP
Largest image8256 × 55049984 × 6656
RAW recordingYesYes
Standard ISO range64–25600100–32000
Sensor detail52.37 million total pixels; sensor cleaning, dust-off reference data, protective sensor shield and electro-conductive/fluorine coatingsApproximately 72.6 million total pixels; effective resolution is up to 66.8 MP for stills and 55.8 MP for movies. Four- or 16-frame Pixel Shift Multi Shooting requires computer compositing; extended RAW processing modes are separate from the 9984 × 6656 normal still output.
Image formats14-bit NEF RAW with lossless or high-efficiency compression; JPEG, HEIF and RAW plus JPEG or HEIFJPEG, HEIF, RAW, RAW+JPEG and RAW+HEIF; Sony ARW 6.0. Compressed HQ RAW available.
ISO detailExpandable to equivalent ISO 32–102400; HLG still photography starts at ISO 400; auto ISO supportedStandard still-image ISO 100–32000; expanded ISO 50–102400. Dynamic Active movie stabilisation limits movie ISO to 100–25600 in the exact Japanese specification.
Image processorEXPEED 7BIONZ XR2 with integrated AI processing unit.
Lens and shooting
Lens mountNikon Z mountSony E-mount
StabilisationSensor shiftSensor shift
Maximum continuous burst20 fps30 fps
Lens detailNIKKOR Z lenses; NIKKOR F lenses require a mount adapter and retain model-dependent restrictions–
AutofocusHybrid 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.Fast Hybrid AF with up to 759 phase-detection points for stills or movies and approximately 94% still-image area coverage. Recognition covers people, animals, birds, insects, cars, trains and aircraft; Auto subject recognition supported. AF-S sensitivity is EV −6 to 20 with F1.2 at ISO 100, or EV −11 to 20 in the specified Bright Monitoring mode.
ShutterElectronic 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.Mechanical and electronic shutters; exact Sony specifications list 30 seconds to 1/8000 second for stills, with Bulb for mechanical shooting. Flash sync 1/250 second full-frame or 1/320 second APS-C with compatible Sony flash; electronic first curtain supported.
Burst detailContinuous 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.Up to approximately 30 fps blackout-free electronic Hi+ with AF/AE tracking and up to 60 AF/AE calculations per second; mechanical Hi+ up to 10 fps. Maker buffer figures include 215 fine JPEG, 150 RAW or 65 compressed HQ RAW frames; card and recording conditions affect results. Pre-Capture and continuous-speed boost supported; lens compatibility affects maximum speed.
Stabilisation detailFive-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 availableFive-axis sensor shift; Sony claims 8.5 stops at the centre and 7.0 at the periphery under CIPA 2024 pitch/yaw/roll conditions with FE 50mm F1.2 GM and long-exposure noise reduction off. Dynamic Active video stabilisation narrows the field of view more than Active mode.
FlashNo built-in flash; ISO 518 hot shoe with compatible external i-TTL Speedlights–
Exposure controlsP/S/A/M; ±5 EV still-image or ±3 EV movie compensation; matrix, centre-weighted, spot and highlight-weighted metering–
Video
Highest video resolution8256 × 4644 at 59.94 fps7680 × 4320 at 30 fps
Video detailN-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.XAVC HS 8K at approximately 30p/25p/24p supports 10-bit 4:2:2 or 4:2:0. 8K oversamples from 8.2K and narrows the field of view. Full-frame 4K 60p is uncropped; uncropped 4K 120p requires 4K angle-of-view priority On. Dual Gain Shooting works only at 4K 30p or lower. Sony's 120-minute 8K claim uses 30p 200 Mbps 4:2:0 10-bit, temperature setting High, monitor open and 25°C ambient; it is not an unconditional recording limit.
AudioBuilt-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 monitoringBuilt-in stereo microphone and 3.5 mm microphone/headphone sockets. Optional XLR-A4 enables up to 96 kHz 32-bit float four-channel in-camera recording through the digital-audio Multi Interface Shoe; this is not an internal-microphone specification.
Screen and viewfinder
ViewfinderElectronicElectronic
Screen size3.2″3.2″
Screen dots2,100,0002,095,104
TouchscreenYesYes
Tilting screenYesYes
Display detailFour-axis horizontal/vertical tilt, approximately 100% coverage and 170° viewing angle; dots count subpixelsFour-axis TFT LCD tilts approximately 98° up and 40° down, opens 180° sideways and rotates 270° in the open position; automatic vertical information display supported.
Viewfinder detail0.5-inch Quad-VGA OLED, approximately 3.69 million dots, 100% coverage, 0.8× magnification and 23 mm eyepoint; blackout-free display0.64-inch Quad-XGA OLED with 9,437,184 dots and approximately 0.90× magnification; 60/120 fps display. Sony specifies DCI-P3-equivalent gamut and 10-bit HDR display.
Connections and design
Wi-FiYesYes
BluetoothYesYes
Battery life (maker's claim)370 photographs710 photographs
Body weight820 g622 g
Release detailAnnounced 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.Sony UK specifies availability from June 2026; month precision is retained. Sony Japan separately specifies 5 June 2026 for ILCE-7RM6, which is not treated as the UK sale day.
Recording mediaOne CFexpress Type B/XQD slot and one UHS-II SD/SDHC/SDXC slot; overflow, backup and separate format recordingTwo multi-format slots, each accepting CFexpress 2 Type A or UHS-I/UHS-II SD media.
PortsUSB-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.Two USB Type-C ports; port 1 supports 10 Gbps USB 3.2, port 2 supports 480 Mbps USB 2.0. Full-size HDMI, microphone and headphone sockets, sync terminal and digital-audio Multi Interface Shoe; no Micro USB terminal.
Wireless connectionsWi-Fi IEEE 802.11a/b/g/n/ac and Bluetooth 5.0; SnapBridgeWi-Fi IEEE 802.11a/b/g/n/ac/ax at 2.4/5/6 GHz and Bluetooth 5.3; no NFC in maker specifications.
Battery life detailEN-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.NP-SA100, 2670 mAh; CIPA approximately 710 photographs with LCD or 600 with viewfinder. USB Type-C Power Delivery charging and power supported; Sony Japan requires a 27 W or higher compatible supply/cable for the specified in-camera charging setup.
ChargingUSB 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.–
DimensionsApproximately 144 × 118.5 × 83 mmApproximately 132.7 × 96.9 × 82.9 mm (width × height × maximum depth); grip-to-monitor depth 72.8 mm.
Weight detailApproximately 820 g body only or 910 g with battery/card, excluding body cap and shoe coverApproximately 622 g body only; 713 g with battery and memory card; lens excluded.
MaterialsMagnesium alloy and carbon-fibre composite; dust/moisture-resistant construction, maker operating range −10°C to 40°C–
In the boxCurrent 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 chargerNP-SA100 battery, BC-SAD1 charger, cable clamper, shoulder strap, body cap, accessory shoe cap and eyepiece cup, according to Sony UK.

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