Futuromic Photo AV, the official distributor for Nikon in Malaysia, recently announced the price and availability of the Nikon Z 8, the latest full-frame mirrorless camera from the Japanese camera manufacturer.

The all-new Nikon Z 8, is available now in Malaysia. The body-only version of the Z 8 BK SG retails retails for RM18,338 while the version with a 24 to 120mm f4 kit lens retails for RM22,608.

The Basics

The Z 8 weighs 910g —with battery and two memory cards but without a body cap and accessory shoe cover—and is approximately 30% smaller than the flagship Nikon Z 9 but shares some of its features. It is compatible with existing accessories, including the MC-N10 Remote Grip and wireless video transmitters, and v-mount batteries.

With High-Res Zoom, the Z 8 can digitally zoom up to 2x the focal length, even with a prime lens, during 4K UHD (30p/25p/24p) and Full HD video recording in full-frame. It can also record up to approximately 125 minutes in 4K UHD/60p and up to approximately 90 minutes in 8K UHD/30p.

For more shooting angles, the camera has a 4-axis tilting monitor and the display of the i menu will rotate accordingly.

For Videographers

There is a wide variety of video formats to choose from: 12-bit N-RAW and ProRes RAW, to 10-bit Apple ProRes 422 HQ and 8 bit-H265 SDR in-camera recording.

Videos can be recorded in high-definition 4K UHD/60p/50p and 30p oversampled from 8K when [Extended oversampling] in the video recording menu is [ON], the image area is [FX], and frame size/frame rate is 3840×2160 60p/50p. Note that battery power consumption increases when [ON] is selected.

For those requiring higher frame rates, there’s 4K 120p. For higher resolution, there’s 8.3K/60P (in N-RAW only) or 8K UHD/30P with N-Log for colour grading.

Videos in 8K HDR in-camera are compatible with viewing on Hybrid Log Gamma (HLG)-compatible 8K monitors using an HDMI 2.1 connection.

For Photographers

Capture images fast with Pre-Release Capture. It can be set only when shooting in High-Speed Frame Capture+, which enables continuous shooting at the frame rate of 120 fps.

With High-Speed Frame Capture+, the camera can record up to 1 second before the shutter button is fully pressed, or up to 4 seconds after the button is fully pressed.

To keep the subject in focus, the camera’s autofocusing automatically detects approximately 3%4 of the human face size in the frame. Subject detection also works in 3D-tracking, auto-area autofocus (AF), or 20 types of custom wide-area AF (12 types in the video).

Capture night scenes with the AF detection range down to -7 EV (-9 to 19 EV in starlight view mode) —When using photo mode in single-servo AF (AF-S) with an f/1.2 lens— for detection of subjects under darker conditions.

The AF identifies and tracks up to nine different kinds of subjects. There’s also a new Airplane mode to the AF subject detection menu. It focused on the intended aircraft regardless of the magnification (size), including in low-light situations or with a cluttered background.

The new support for HLG (HEIF) format also provides an option for 10-bit still images with richer tonal gradation. An HDR-compatible TV or monitor is needed when viewing HEIF images.

In-Camera Beauty Filters

The Z 8 has a skin softening feature, which auto-detects human faces and softens the skin while keeping eyes and hair sharp. This effect can be applied to videos, live streaming, and stills.

The portrait impression balance effect enhances portraits in-camera by adjusting the hue and brightness. The adjustment is also available in direct settings and i menu while confirming the subjects through live-view images, in addition to the photo or video shooting menu.

A more accessible colour temperature adjustment and an enhanced auto white balance (AWB) performance helps to reduce colour cast.

Additional Features

The main body components of the Z8 are said to be made with Sereebo P series carbon fibre-reinforced polymer. It is touted as environmentally and durable. The camera is also built to be dust and drip resistant, but to be safe Nikon says thorough dust and drip resistance is not guaranteed in all situations or under all conditions.

For added durability, the Z 8 has a Vibration Reduction (VR) lock to prevent accidental damage to the image sensor when the power is turned off, dual coating on the image sensor and an optical filter to prevent dust and it comes with a sensor shield that protects the sensor during lens changes.

The Real-Live Viewfinder displays the subject in real-time with no blackout —depending on settings, such as shutter speed

Stable shots are assisted by VR that simulates a shutter speed of 6.0 stops —Based on CIPA Standards and when using the telephoto end of the NIKKOR Z 70-200mm f/2.8 VR S with NORMAL mode — with the in-camera VR and Synchro VR. Electronic VR is also available for video recording.

The MB-N12 Power Battery Pack with USB charging adds approximately 1.8x more shots and recording time while retaining the same durability, and dust and drip resistance.

Rounding up the features, the camera is also the first Z series model to provide two USB terminals; one for power charging/delivery and the other for data communication.

For more information on the new Z 8 and other Nikon products, please visit https://www.futuromic.com/.