A year on: The Nikon Z 8 in awards
With the new Nikon Z 8 v.2.0 firmware update now available, we round up the awards and ratings the Z 8 has achieved
We think the Nikon Z 8 is phenomenal, but don’t just take our word for it. Here are the plaudits the 45MP camera has received since it launched last year.
Camera of the Year, PetaPixel
Winning with over 30 points more than the closest competitor, and for the second year in a row, Nikon captured the top honour of camera of the year. Reviewer Chris Niccolls said: “I’m happy to say that the Nikon Z 8 is as good as we had initially hoped. If you are a Nikon DSLR shooter that is ready to upgrade, or a professional photographer looking for a new compact kit, order one now.”
Camera of the Year, EISA
The Nikon Z 8 won the Expert Imaging and Sound Association Camera of the Year award (2023-2024).
“The Z 8 is a powerful hybrid camera that offers most of the capabilities of the Z 9 but in a more compact body,” read the citation. “This mirrorless camera has a 45.7MP full-frame sensor that delivers exceptional image quality and fast shooting speeds. It also has a fast and accurate autofocus system that can reliably track subjects in any lighting conditions, and a lag and blackout-free EVF. Its video capabilities are equally impressive, with the ability to record up to 12-bit 8K/60p RAW footage internally and a Hi-Res 2x zoom when filming in 4K. This makes the Z 8 an excellent choice for both stills and video.”
Gold Award (94%) and Reader’s Choice Award, Digital Photography Review
In Digital Photography Review, the Z 8 won a DP Review Gold Award with a 94% score, while the Nikon Z f scored 90%. Reviewer Richard Butler said, “The Z 8 is probably the best camera I’ve ever used, [thanks to] its faster shooting with less rolling shutter, and more advanced video feature set (waveform displays, oversampled 4K/60, 8K/60 option).” The Z 8 also scooped the Reader’s Choice Product of the Year Award.
Product of the Year, Amateur Photographer
The Nikon Z 8 is the Product of the Year and Premium Camera of the Year at the 2024 Amateur Photographer Awards. “A clear standout winner,” the Nikon Z 8 left editors at Amateur Photographer “exceptionally impressed,” stating: “The Nikon Z 8 is the ultimate all-rounder that beats rivals from other brands costing thousands of pounds more. If you want a high-end camera that can do everything, this is it.”
iF Product Design Award
The Z 8 has scooped the globally prestigious design award, sponsored by iF International Forum Design GmbH. “The Z 8 offers the same superior functionality and performance as the Nikon Z series flagship, the Z 9, in a compact, robust, and reliable body. It also offers new features including a subject-detection option dedicated to airplanes, and HLG shooting and display that take advantage of a newly added bright EVF,” said judges.
Editor’s Choice, Pocket Lint
Awarding five out of five stars, Pocket Lint journalist Luke Baker described the Z 8 as an “incredible hybrid camera. No matter what you’re shooting, the Z 8 can likely handle it. It offers wonderfully detailed images, fast and accurate autofocus, super speedy burst shooting and a tonne of pro-level video functionality.”
Allrounder buying recommendation, Colorfoto
The Z 8 is the perfect allrounder camera, according to Colorfoto magazine. “The Z 8 packs the technology of Nikon’s flagship Z 9 into a more compact, affordable body, making it available to a wider range of users.”
The print magazine added: “Sports and wildlife photographers benefit from the enormous speed of the camera and gain scope for cropping images thanks to the high sensor resolution. Travel photographers will appreciate the low weight compared to the Z 9.”
Overall rating: Excellent, ProfiFoto magazine
Awarding an overall rating of excellent, ProfiFoto magazine said, “The Nikon Z 8 offers great features for both photos and videos, with a focus on portability and speed, with extremely fast continuous shooting options and excellent scene recognition.”
Rating: Super, fotomagazin.de
The Nikon Z 8 achieved the highest possible rating in fotomagazin.de. “With the Z 8, Nikon has hit the jackpot. In our test, the Z 8 achieves the best JPEG quality of all Nikon cameras,” the magazine said.
Overall rating: Excellent, Foto Hits
An excellent rating was awarded to the Z 8 by Foto Hits. “The camera could shine in all areas with very good to excellent rewards. In combination with the noticeably lower price, this makes it very attractive. The videos are first-class and broadcast-ready movie recordings.”
“Outshines the competition,”Digital Kamera
Digital Kamera said: “With the Z 8, Nikon offers a successful, significantly lower-priced alternative to the Z 9. In the sum of all features, it puts the competition in this price range in the shade by far.”
5 stars:Chasseur d’Images, Les Numériques, Réponses Photo
French publications Chasseur d’Images and Les Numériques gave the Z 8 a five-star review, while print magazine Réponses Photo rated the mirrorless camera 90/100.
9/10 rating, Frandoid
Awarding 9/10, Frandoid described the Nikon Z 8 as the best camera body of 2023. Highlights included excellent ergonomics, more compact with complete connectivity and autofocus, complete video mode with 8K and 4K without cropping or time limit, and good bursts of up to 120fps in JPEG.
Best full-frame professional camera, TIPA World Awards 2024
Winning the best full-frame professional camera at the 2024 World Awards, the Technical Image Press Association praised the Nikon Z 8 for packing many of the Z 9 features into a lightweight body, hitting the ‘sweet spot’ in terms of size and weight for on-the-go photographers and videographers, whether enthusiasts or pros. “The Z 8 is ideal for use with a gimbal for video, and being 30 per cent smaller is ideal for all day jobs when kit bag weight is an important consideration,” TIPA said.
Winner, Red Dot Design Award
The Nikon Z 8, alongside the Nikon Z f, NIKKOR Z 600mm f/6.3 VR S and NIKKOR Z 135mm f/1.8 S Plena, has been awarded the Red Dot Design Award based on its “high functionality and performance” and “rugged, reliable and more compact body” compared to the Nikon Z 9. One of the world’s largest design competitions, the Red Dot Design Award selects products with excellent design based on their degree of innovation, functionality, ergonomics, ecology and durability.
Want to know more about the Z 8? Discover its new Pre-Release Capture feature and our Ambassador’s first impression of the new camera, or watch The Movement, a Nikon limited series following nine image-makers as they embark on a trip around the west coast of Spain with the Nikon Z 8.
Introducing The Movement
Nine creators embark on a trip around Spain with the new Nikon Z 8
High fashion and the philosophy of image-making with Mous Lamrabat
Expose the drama of the night sky with Mikko Lagerstedt and the Nikon Z 8
Capturing the portrait moment with Esther Horvath
Shooting mountain sports with Aurelie Gonin and the lightweight Z 8
What lenses are the pros using with the new Nikon Z 8?
Discover the Nikon Z 8
The new Nikon Z 8: first impressions
The Nikon Z 8 — made for video
The Nikon Z 8 firmware v.2.0 is here!
Unlock greater creativity