where there’s smoke there’s fire

A summarized underwater review of the Nikon Z8, tested in Australia by Nicolas Remy (Instagram: @nicolaslenaremy) from The Underwater Club (see the detailed review here, check also his Z9 underwater review here).

Introduction

Considering how popular the Nikon D850 has been with underwater photographers, the Nikon Z8 was a much-anticipated camera in our community.

When reviewing the Nikon Z9 in a Nauticam housing, I found the flagship Nikon to be a compelling upgrade over the best D850, but it came with a hefty weight & cost penalty.

So does the Nikon Z8 really offer Z9-level performance in a smaller body, when dealing with the specific challenges of underwater photography?  To find out, I spent 35 hours over a five-week period diving the camera in a Nauticam NA-Z8 housing, in the temperate and sometimes murky waters of Sydney (Australia), with visibility ranging from 4 to 20 meters (13 to 65 feet).

I don’t think NikonRumors’ readers need yet another list of the Z8’s specifications, so I will rather focus on those aspects which matter most for underwater photography, comparing the newcomer with the D850, and with the Z9. We’ll cover autofocus performance, the viewfinder experience and a few other key aspects of the Nikon Z8.

The author with the Nikon Z8 in a Nauticam NA-Z8 housing with the Nauticam WWL-C wide-angle conversion lens and two Ikelite DS230 strobes

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