johnec Loc: Lancaster county, PA

I know that there are many similarities between these two, as well as some differences such a the Z8's subject selection in autofocus having a setting for airplanes, which Z9 doesn't have but possibly will with a future firmware update.

However this morning I discovered that when using shooting menu banks the Z9 will retain the setting for both shutter speed and aperture, but the Z8 will not.

This is curious to me since the Z8 is newer, the 'younger brother' so to speak. I would have thought that the ability to retain these settings vs. not retaining them would have been a desirable feature. At least for me it is.

It seems this would have been a simple piece of code to copy from Z9 to Z8.

johnec Loc: Lancaster county, PA

Aha! "read the manual!". Extended memory bank function must be turned on. smh

photoman43

If you really want to master your Z9 or Z8, get Steve Perry's Guide book to the Z9 and Z8. (It covers a lot more than just wildlife.)

Format: 561 page PDF e-book (v 1.3.0, updated on 08-26-2023. Covers Z9 firmware 4.01 and Z8 firmware 1.01)

https://bcgwebstore.com/product/the-ultimate-nikon-z9-setup-shooting-guide-for-wildlife-photography/

johnec Loc: Lancaster county, PA

[quote=photoman43]If you really want to master your Z9 or Z8, get Steve Perry's Guide book to the Z9 and Z8. (It covers a lot more than just wildlife.)

Thank you. Will do.

Bill_de Loc: US

When in doubt ...



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gmar3180 Loc: Waxahachie, TX

johnec is correct. Extended menu bank function in the Shooting Menu must be turned on.

leftj Loc: Texas

It's called product defferentiation. If the Z8 had everything the Z9 has why would one buy the more expensive Z9?

billnikon Loc: Pennsylvania/Ohio/Florida/Maui/Oregon/Vermont

There are many differences between the two. But first, Nikon is famous for bringing out a less than flagship model after the release of the flagship while retaining many of the features of the flagship model.
For me, the zet 9 offers more programmable buttons and so I can keep my face to the viewfinder while taking images of fast moving subjects without taking my eyes off the subject. More is always better. I can make adjustments with my fingers.
Another difference for me is the balance of long lenses with the zet 9, I find the body weight of the zet 9 really helps with hand holding long lenses. I would have to buy an extra battery grip for the zet 8 to get the most out of it. And with the battery grip on the zet 8 it is actually bigger than the zet 9.
Another difference is the battery, I can shoot all day with the battery of the zet 9, yes, I could just carry more batteries for the zet 8 but why bother in the field. If I am changing batteries I might miss a moment that would make the whole day better.
But the nicest thing about the 2 zets is the fact that you can choose which is right for you. And isn't having a choice better than not having one. Both are excellent choices and offer a variety of shooting options.
For me the zet 9 is the perfect fit for my type of shooting.
Good luck and keep on shooting until the end.

neillaubenthal

Actually…I disagree a bit with billnikon…there ar differences but they’re minor. Grip vs not…a few menu options (auto capture and airplanes) tha5 differ but IMO a lot of that will converge…different battery life but IMO that’s not really a significant issue…and SD in the second slot which is not really a big deal unless you need both 20FPS and 2nd card backup vs overflow…weight…and tha5 about covers most of the differences. Whether any of those ar significant to you is another question. In my case…I have both and bought the Z9 because it was available first and is way better for wildlife action than my Z7II is…but I don’t care about the grip and would rather not have it as I rarely shoot portrait and the other differences are insignificant to my needs. Bought the Z8 as a second body…and less weight for when I want a walk around body was the key…and it’s cheaper to boot. If both had been available at Z9 launch…I would have gotten the Z8 instead because overall it fits my needs better…and I would swap my Z9 with an extra battery and tripod bracket straight up for another Z8 instead.

larryepage Loc: North Texas area

The level of difference depends largely on how you use the camera. Years ago, a prominent member here tried to counsel me that a Nikon D90 was the same as a D300s, which had been discontinued. I have both (the D90 is an IR conversion). I can tell you that for me, these cameras are nowhere near even similar to use. Only the resolution is the same. A photographer who is less integrated with his equipment might feel different, but for me, the differences are many and huge. Many people have opined here that the D7500 and D500 are similar. Some even say that the D7500 is superior. I own one of them and have used the other. Statements like those display massive ignorance of the cameras.

The Z8 and Z9 seem to have similar basic capabilities. The Z9 is a camera I would never buy. The Z8 is a camera I would consider some day down the road. While they seem similar on paper, close real-life examination reveals deep and numerous real-life differences.

gmar3180 Loc: Waxahachie, TX

I would take you up on that swap if I hadn't owned a D6 before I got the Z8. I'm agree with you, I prefer the smaller footprint and weight difference of the Z8.

johnec Loc: Lancaster county, PA

Terrible GAS attack. I bought the Z8 first and was preparing to send it in (tsa for eyelets) when I saw B&H had a used Z9 'like new'. So I got it and was planning on sending the Z8 back, as I hadn't had it for more than a week before I discovered the eyelet issue.

Once I got the Z9 and tried it out I knew I had to keep it. Then I got the Z8 back, but dog-gone it, I liked it too much to send it back. So now I have both.

As I was setting them both up, hoping to basically have them the same, I began to pick up on the differences, which is why I made the post in the first place. I don't think the differences are a problem, just something I have to get accustomed to.

One thing I do wish is for Nikon to make a way to set the Release Mode in the memory banks so that would change when I change from shoot A to shoot B. Haven't found a way to make that happen.

jamesl Loc: Pennsylvania