Z8 Journey. Officially PIC HEAVY

[407370]

Hi All,

I eventually got my hands on my Nikon Z8. Long story but I had to work overseas after I ordered the Z8 and here we are several months later and I actually have it in my hands. While I was waiting the recall thing was done and all is well.

I have never owned a high end camera before. So a few first impressions:

FAST - My goodness everything just works faster. AF, Transfer etc it all just works at light speed compared to what I am used to.
CONSISTENT - The AF is my biggest surprise. It is utterly consistent. Single point AF is awesome for when I want to pick out an object in a scene for emphasis outside of the center of the pic.
THATS A LOT OF PIXELS - Oh my how many pixels do I actually need? all of them. Cropping has never been so much fun
SHEER QUALITY - Yes its an eye opener. I look at my old FUJI stuff and I really did not know what I was missing.

First Pic has to be a sunrise, this one in Sharm El Sheikh (Egypt):

Shrunk to fit forum:

I cropped out a 1000Px section for comparison:

Lots of reading and practice to come.

I will be posting my Z8 journey, wins / losses / lessons etc

Please note the above pics are JPG generated in Nikon software. So basically unprocessed. The full on HDR / Tone mapping is coming soon.

CHEERS
JBO

 

[D7K]

Really nice shot, I’ve not used the Z range but always been tempted, have fun and happy shooting! Looking forward to seeing more

 

[407370]

Really nice shot, I’ve not used the Z range but always been tempted, have fun and happy shooting! Looking forward to seeing more

Oh dont worry.... the forum will crack under the weight of the pics in this thread.

CHEERS

 

[bulldurham]

My suggestion to you and your Z8 is to do the bank setups from Hudson Henry (youtube and it's free) if you really want to understand what's going on in your camera and how to best use all it's features. It is a sweet camera with lots of everything nice, but it is far more complex than any other camera you have used to date. I've had mine for over a month now, and even with Henry's setup, I am still learning the nuances of this camera's capabilities.

HH setup basic A bank

Banks b-c-d

 

[Strodav]

Have had my Z9 for quite a while now and I understand the Z8 and Z9 are twinsies. It is an amazing camera with unbelievable capabilities to someone who started in film many, many years ago. I mainly use it for nature and wildlife, especially birds. I found Steve Perry's ( backcountrygallery.com ) E books on setup and understanding the AF system very, very helpful. Right now, he's offering a free Z8 and Z9 custom controls worksheet. Just go to his website and you'll see it right there. Enjoy the Z8. I know my Z9 significantly increased my keeper rate.

 

[407370]

My suggestion to you and your Z8 is to do the bank setups from Hudson Henry (youtube and it's free) if you really want to understand what's going on in your camera and how to best use all it's features. It is a sweet camera with lots of everything nice, but it is far more complex than any other camera you have used to date. I've had mine for over a month now, and even with Henry's setup, I am still learning the nuances of this camera's capabilities.

HH setup basic A bank

Banks b-c-d

Have had my Z9 for quite a while now and I understand the Z8 and Z9 are twinsies. It is an amazing camera with unbelievable capabilities to someone who started in film many, many years ago. I mainly use it for nature and wildlife, especially birds. I found Steve Perry's ( backcountrygallery.com ) E books on setup and understanding the AF system very, very helpful. Right now, he's offering a free Z8 and Z9 custom controls worksheet. Just go to his website and you'll see it right there. Enjoy the Z8. I know my Z9 significantly increased my keeper rate.

Thanks for the replies.

Me and Hudson have some time booked in the near future. I did not know about Steve Perry but will certainly look backcountry gallery up.

I have had the Z8 in my hands for a total of 24 hours. I found out loads from just messing around. I have 2 lenses and so far I have only used 1. The MC105 is taking a turn tomorrow.

Part of my joy of owning such a complex beast is the learning process. I am in no rush and will take all the time I need.

 

[407370]

105 Macro used for landscapes???? yes please:

 

[407370]

As I was walking down to the beach in the dark I had a shot in my head. This was my checklist:
1. Moody
2. Mysterious
3. Lonely boat
4. Misty Island

Among 200 various shots I got this:

Seems to tick all my boxes.
I missed loads of shots at the beginning of the session messing around with camera settings. I settled on one set of parameters and just changed Exposure Compensation. Lesson being just do 1 thing with a session and stick to it. I am not used to the camera interface yet and the more I use it the quicker I will get to change settings.

wee test to see what big pics look like on forum:

Looks like 3000 Px works so will stick to that.

CHEERS
JBO

 

[D7K]

Nicely done

 

[407370]

Macro time.
Z8 + dedicated Macro lens does not affect just how difficult it is to get a good pic of a small flower on a windy day.
I placed a small flower in a controlled situation and tried several methods.

This was my first attempt:

Not great, I know.

However I persevered and eventually ended up with this:

The setup:

If you look really closely at the second pic you can see my little friend:

I learned a lot from the session today. Lighting + lighting + lighting = chance of a good macro pic.

CHEERS
JBO

 

[407370]

Went back to the beach this morning to get more sunrise pics but just did not workout as expected.
Heres one from yesterday:

CHEERS
JBO

 

[bulldurham]

You might want to have a look at the Z8 recall concerning the strap lugs tendency to pull out...mine did and it's back to Nikon, yet one more time.

 

[407370]

You might want to have a look at the Z8 recall concerning the strap lugs tendency to pull out...mine did and it's back to Nikon, yet one more time.

I had a look at the recall serial list and mine is not on it. I will keep a look out for any signs. I am so careful with the Z8 and its seldom hanging from a strap.

CHEERS
JBO

 

[Jeff15]

Very nice shots...

 

[407370]

I had an attempt at Focus Stacking. It was hilariously bad. Too embarrassed to post. Tomorrow is another day.

Very nice shots...

Thanks Jeff.