Nikon Z 8 Squeezes Z 9 Features Into a Slimmer Camera Body

pcmag.com:

For its latest release, the Z 8, Nikon is taking a page out of its own playbook. Instead of developing an all-new camera it's taken the guts of the heavyweight Z 9 and squeezed them into a form factor that will please fans of small cameras without sacrificing performance in any way. If that sounds familiar, you've probably been around long enough to remember the big, gripped D3(Opens in a new window) from 2007, and the smaller D700(Opens in a new window) that followed a year later.

So calling the Z 8 a "baby Z 9," is entirely appropriate. The new camera drops the integrated vertical grip, netting a thirty percent reduction in size, but includes the same stabilized 45MP Stacked CMOS sensor and all of its high-speed features: tracking focus for 120fps photography at 11MP, full-size Raw at 20fps, and ProRes 422 video encoding. The Z 8 also adds support for 10-bit HEIF files as an alternative to 8-bit JPGs.

The high-speed burst rate is bolstered by Nikon's most capable autofocus system. The Z 9 re-introduced the 3D Tracking system, a staple of Nikon SLRs, for mirrorless. Subject recognition for people, animals, and birds goes beyond what SLRs could manage; in our tests the Z 9 had no problem picking out birds in busy, branch-filled scenes and rarely missed focus. The Z 8 promises to deliver the same performance. For more detail, refer to our Z 9 review from last year.

There are a few changes made to accommodate the smaller body. The Z 8 maintains dual card slots, but splits formats between CFExpress (Type B) and UHS-II SDXC. It drops the Gigabit Ethernet port, but offers dual USB-C connections so you can power the camera with one and connect to a computer for tethering with the other. The Z 8 uses a smaller battery, the