DaveyDitzer Loc: Western PA

If weight is a concern, study the factory weight numbers on the body and lens you want and then take your current kit and try to load it to the same weight and shoot it for a day to see you handle the weight. The Z8 lists at 32oz. and the 70-200 f2.8 lists at 48 oz. - that's 6 lbs. Take a 6lb. dumbbell and hold it while watching TV. See how your muscles handle that.

Burkley Loc: Park City

The biggest difference between full frame and smaller sensor formats is the ability to crop on one hand versus the light weight of a smaller camera. If I was better at my on site composition, the smaller formats would prove more than adequate. I gave my nice Panasonic travel camera to my son. I couldn’t get the results that I wanted for a few reasons and it made him very happy.

Normafries Loc: San Jose CA

Excellent idea. Given that, I seriously doubt I'd be happy with that weight! Back to the drawing board.....

Normafries Loc: San Jose CA

Right but full frame or not is not my concern. I have been shooting w the smaller format and you are right, it is adequate. Looking for a step up in quality. Had heard the Z8 w an S lends might be the ticket but not going to lug around 6 pounds. I am a small woman.....

Burkley Loc: Park City

The sharpness of the 70-200 lens is amazing. Despite what people might say, saving a pound or two over a DSL with the lens and camera and the diminished size matters to me. Walking 3-5 miles tires me and a few extra pounds on my back is less comfortable.

DaveyDitzer Loc: Western PA

In my experience I found the f2.8 lenses, while excellent, were too much weight for me. I went to f4 - 24-120 and 70-200. I also use primes when I can because they're much lighter and offer excellent results. The Z8 is as heavy as my D850, which, with a sizable lens, is a load to hand hold.

Burkley Loc: Park City

To be accurate, the Z8 combo with the 70-200 2.8 comes in just under 4 lbs at 60 oz, not 6 lbs.

b top gun

The Nikkor 70-200 f/2.8 F mount lens is my second sharpest lens only to my old Nikkor 55mm f/2.8 manual focus Micro lens from my film days. Have not used the Micro yet on my Z8, but it has been excellent on both my D7100 and D850.

I digress. I took both a D850 and a Z8 to Alaska at the end of September; had three lenses along, a pair of Nikkor 24-70 f/2.8 non VR F mounts and the above mentioned Nikkor 70-200 F mount. What I like about the 70-200, it is an internal focus lens, it has very quick focus acquisition/lock and is sharp from end to end. IBIS in the Z8 helped nicely with the non VR 24-70; when I had the 70-200 on the Z8 its VR system overrode IBIS. By the end of the second day I all but packed away the D850, preferring the Z8. I am still comfortable with the Z8/70-200 combination; walked around a local zoo for over three hours with it a couple of weeks ago; was glad I had it that day.

Only YOU can make the final choice on what YOU want to purchase and use. I have been all Nikon for over 40 years; like the fact that their legacy manual focus primes still deliver quality images even on digital bodies. Of course all those legacy lenses were made in Japan. I simply refuse to believe all the hype and brow beating that some here dish out while seeming to pimp for certain camera manufacturers. When I read some of the posts on UHH by certain individuals, I find them talking out of both sides of their mouth at the same time, kind of like politicians. Ya can't win a pi$$ing contest with a skunk!!!

Whatever delivers for YOU! I have images from several past Nikon holidays, images that were taken with a Samsung S22+; it was all I had at the moment and was happy I had that to get the shot!  

larryepage Loc: North Texas area

I'm a pretty loyal Nikon buyer. And from what I've learned about the Z8 while shopping for it, I'm sure you would love having one.

BUT...

Sixteen years ago, I went into my local camera store with my mind set on buying a Canon EOS-20D (pretty sure that was the model...might have been an EOS 10-D). After talking to the sales person for a few minutes, he asked if I'd ever considered a Nikon D200. I said no, not really. He said, "Let me show you a few things."

I ended up coming out of the store with a brand new D200 after learning about and considering some things I'd never thought about. I've been very happy, but the camera I bought is very different in a number of key ways from the one I went in to buy. And I see that the Canon that my heart was set on would not have worked nearly as well for me.

Getting ideas and suggestions here isn't the worst thing you could do. But you are considering a pretty significant change. It doesn't matter what any of us think. You are looking at spending a lot of money. Please find a way to visit a local camera store. Ask the sales person to tour you around a Z8. Ask him to tour you around a couple of the Canon options that have been suggested. Then make an intelligent choice based on what you learn.

photoman43

I shoot with a Z9, same family as the Z8. I did not buy the Z mount 70-200 f2.8 because of its weight and cost. Instead I got the Z mount 100-400mm S lens mainly for its extra reach. If I were to get a 70-200mm it would be the 70-180mm f2.8. My other Z mount lens is the 24-120mm f4 which I love using.

jerryc41 Loc: Catskill Mts of NY

I'm surprised that it hasn't been moved by Admin.

Bill_de Loc: US

It doesn't need to be moved as it's not the opening shot.

I meant to repost it in the Photo Gallery because it's a great dog photo IMHO.

---

Architect1776 Loc: In my mind

Architect1776 Loc: In my mind

Would not the D850 be a superior choice over the Z8 for a trip? According to DXO the D850 is demonstrably superior to the Z8 seeing as the D850 had a perfect score of 100 while the Z8 is way behind.
Just wondering.

JD750 Loc: SoCal

It is very good and loaded with emotion!!