As a result, the Fujifilm X100VI hasn’t seen as much use as it once did. That doesn’t mean I’ve fallen out of love with it though. In fact, after more than two years of ownership, I still consider it one of the most enjoyable cameras I’ve used. I’ve covered my experience in much greater detail in my Fujifilm X100VI review.

That changed this week.

A family walk through Strathearn Castle Estate gave me the perfect excuse to take the X100VI out again and remind myself why I enjoyed it so much in the first place.

A Camera That Fits Around Life

The main purpose of the walk wasn’t photography.

It was family time.

My wife, Sofia, Isobelle, my mum and I wandered through the estate’s old woodland, following the main track towards the lake below the castle.

Before long Sofia and my mum had wandered off together, leaving me pushing Isobelle’s pram for most of the walk.

That was exactly where the X100VI made sense.

It’s small enough that bringing it along never feels like a commitment. If I use it, great. If I don’t, it never feels like a burden.

After carrying the Nikon Z8 with various lenses on recent outings, the X100VI felt tiny by comparison.

Not in a bad way.

Just refreshingly light.

Relearning an Old Friend

Initially I found myself needing a few minutes to readjust.

After shooting Nikon almost exclusively lately, the Fuji controls felt slightly unfamiliar.

That didn’t last long.

The old muscle memory quickly returned.

I shot in manual exposure mode using Classic Chrome, a simulation I’ve always enjoyed for its slightly muted colours and gentle contrast. It looks great straight out of camera while still providing an excellent starting point for later editing.

One thing I had to consciously remind myself was depth of field.

Having spent so much time shooting full-frame cameras recently, I automatically found myself thinking in terms of f/8. With the APS-C sensor in the X100VI, I often found myself comfortably working at f/5.6 instead.

Woodland and a Familiar Perspective

The woodland looked as beautiful as ever.

Scots Pines, birches and mature broadleaf trees filled the estate, their branches gently swaying in the breeze.

The light was subdued.

Not dark, but certainly flatter than when I visited recently with the Nikon Z 20mm f/1.8 S.

That brought another adjustment.

The X100VI’s 35mm equivalent field of view felt almost conservative after spending so much time shooting 20mm. In many ways, this walk reminded me why I continue to enjoy the X100VI despite owning larger and more capable cameras. I’ve previously compared it directly against an interchangeable lens setup in my X-T5 and 23mm f/2 vs X100VI comparison, and many of the same strengths became obvious again here.

At first my images felt a little flatter.

Less dramatic.

Less immersive.

But after a while I began to appreciate what the 35mm perspective offers.

The photographs remain about the subject rather than the lens. That’s one reason I continue to recommend the camera so highly for travel. It remains one of the few cameras that genuinely encourages me to carry it everywhere.

You don’t get the immediate visual impact that ultra-wide lenses can provide, but you gain flexibility and simplicity. Compositions become easier to arrange, and the field of view rarely calls attention to itself.

The result feels natural.

Perhaps that’s why the 35mm focal length remains so popular.

Why I Still Love the X100VI

What stood out most wasn’t image quality.

I already knew the image quality would be excellent.

What struck me was how enjoyable the camera remains to use, even after more than two years of ownership. In an industry where the excitement of new gear often fades quickly, the X100VI still feels like a camera I genuinely want to pick up and use.

The colours are beautiful.

The film simulations are still among the best available on any camera system.

The camera itself encourages me to stop thinking about equipment.

Actually, forget my understated British ways for a second.

I’ll just say it.

It felt great to be back shooting with the X100VI.

Its fixed lens, its constraints and its simplicity force me to stop thinking about lenses, specifications and endless choices.

Instead, I simply focus on photography.

And honestly, I think I need more of that.

Final Thoughts

This wasn’t a dedicated photography outing.

It wasn’t a review session.

It wasn’t a carefully planned landscape shoot.

It was simply a family walk through one of my favourite local woodlands.

And perhaps that’s exactly why the X100VI felt so at home.

Over the past few months I’ve spent a lot of time thinking about cameras, lenses and systems. Yet a simple afternoon in the woods reminded me that sometimes the best camera isn’t necessarily the most capable one.

Sometimes it’s simply the camera you want to carry.

And after more than two years of ownership, the Fujifilm X100VI remains one of those cameras for me.

Instead, I’ve found myself using it not for traditional wide vistas and expansive views of the Highlands, but on local walks through ancient woodland and farmland. Rather than using it to capture grand landscapes, I’ve been using it to explore a different way of seeing and composing photographs.

As a result, this lens has spent far more time on my camera than I ever expected.

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More Than Just a Landscape Lens

Initially, I took the Nikon Z 20mm f/1.8 S out on my Z6 III during a particularly stressful period.

I wanted to walk my local woodland, clear my head and spend some time outdoors. To simplify things, I deliberately chose a prime lens. Removing the option to zoom meant one less decision to make, while the bright f/1.8 aperture would help keep ISO levels under control on the dull, rainy days that are so common in Scottish woodland.

To be honest, I wasn’t expecting to come home with any great photographs. The goal was simply to get out of the house and decompress.

What I found while exploring local farm tracks and ancient woodland was unexpected.

The 20mm focal length encouraged me to really look and see in a way that zoom lenses often don’t. Its wide perspective forced me to pay close attention to every element in the frame, move closer to subjects, and think carefully about the relationship between foreground and background.

At the same time, the lens offered an unusual combination: I could get physically close to a subject while still including a strong sense of place and context. A patch of grass, a weathered fence post or a small group of trees could become the focal point of an image without losing the surrounding environment that gave it meaning.

As a result, composing photographs became a far more immersive experience. Sometimes it was challenging. Often it required more thought than simply zooming in on a subject. But when everything came together, it was also incredibly rewarding.

That experience is a large part of why the Nikon Z 20mm f/1.8 S has spent far more time on my camera than I originally expected. It encouraged me to shoot it more on my Nikon Z8 too.

Build Quality

Like the rest of Nikon’s S-Line prime lenses, the Nikon Z 20mm f/1.8 S feels exceptionally well made.

Constructed from a combination of high-quality plastics and metal, the lens strikes an excellent balance between durability and weight. At 505g, it isn’t the smallest wide-angle prime available for the Nikon Z system, but it is light enough that I’ve happily carried it for several hours while exploring local woodland and farm tracks.

It takes 77mm filters which is a standard filter size and happens to be one of the two sizes of filters that I managed to salvage from the Philippines when I moved to Scotland this year. That allows me to share filters between it and some of my other lenses such as the Nikon Z 24-120mm f/4.

Mounted on both the Nikon Z6 III and Nikon Z8, the lens feels well balanced. It’s substantial enough to inspire confidence without ever becoming burdensome, which is particularly important for a lens that often encourages longer walks and slower, more deliberate photography. The design is similar to the Nikon Z 85mm 1.8S lens in that Nikon have opted for a more narrow and long design rather than fat and short. I prefer fat and short but that’s very subjective.

The weather sealing is also reassuring. Much of my early use of the lens took place during typical Scottish weather, where damp conditions, drizzle and muddy paths are often part of the experience. I never felt the need to baby the 20mm f/1.8 S when shooting outdoors.

Image Quality

The Nikon Z 20mm f/1.8 S delivers excellent image quality and is one of those lenses that quickly disappears as a limitation when you’re shooting.

Wide open at f/1.8, the lens is impressively sharp in the centre of the frame whether mounted on the Nikon Z6 III or the higher-resolution Nikon Z8. Corner sharpness does soften slightly at wider apertures, but in practice I rarely found this to be an issue. If I’m shooting at f/1.8, my attention is usually on ensuring the subject is sharp rather than critically assessing corner performance.

Stop the lens down and the performance becomes even more impressive. Between f/5.6 and f/11, the Nikon Z 20mm f/1.8 S produces excellent detail across the frame, including the corners. On the 45.7MP Nikon Z8, images remain highly detailed even when viewed at 100%.

One aspect of the lens that particularly impressed me during woodland photography was its control of chromatic aberration. Backlit trees against bright skies are one of the harshest tests for any lens, yet the 20mm f/1.8 S handled these situations exceptionally well. Even in scenes with extreme contrast, I saw virtually no distracting colour fringing.

Flare resistance is similarly impressive. Nikon’s coatings do an excellent job of maintaining contrast when shooting into challenging light, while the supplied lens hood provides additional protection from stray light. Although no lens is completely immune to flare, the 20mm f/1.8 S performed very well in the situations I encountered.

As with any ultra-wide-angle lens, distortion is something you need to be aware of. Keeping the camera level is important if you want to avoid converging verticals and exaggerated perspective effects. Fortunately, Nikon Z camera’s built-in level makes this easy, and any remaining distortion is quickly corrected in Lightroom using the lens profile. In real-world use, I found the optical distortion to be relatively well controlled.

What stands out most about the Nikon Z 20mm f/1.8 S, however, isn’t its sharpness, lack of chromatic aberration, or flare resistance—impressive though those qualities are.

What makes this lens special is the way it encourages you to see. Its wide field of view pushes you to think more carefully about composition, relationships between subjects, and the use of foreground elements. It demands more attention than many lenses, but it also rewards that effort. The excellent optical performance simply ensures that when you do find a compelling composition, the resulting image lives up to the vision you saw in the field.

Autofocus Performance

Autofocus performance is exactly what I’ve come to expect from Nikon’s S-Line prime lenses. Focusing is fast, accurate and essentially silent.

In my use, which has mainly consisted of woodland photography, countryside walks and general outdoor shooting, the lens has never given me reason to think about autofocus at all. Focus acquisition is quick, subject detection works as expected, and accuracy has been consistently excellent on both the Nikon Z6 III and Nikon Z8.

Ultimately, autofocus is one of those areas where the Nikon Z 20mm f/1.8 S simply gets out of the way and lets you concentrate on making photographs.

Final Thoughts

I bought the Nikon Z 20mm f/1.8 S as a relatively lightweight wide-angle lens for those occasions when my Nikon Z 24-120mm f/4 S wasn’t quite wide enough.

What I didn’t expect was how much I would enjoy using it.

While the optical performance is excellent, with impressive sharpness, excellent control of chromatic aberration and strong flare resistance, those aren’t the reasons this lens has spent so much time on my camera.

The real appeal of the Nikon Z 20mm f/1.8 S is the way it encourages you to photograph differently. It rewards photographers who are willing to slow down, pay attention to the relationships between elements within a scene and think carefully about composition. In return, it offers a perspective that is difficult to replicate with other lenses.

It won’t be the right lens for everyone. Many photographers will be better served by the flexibility of the Nikon Z 14-30mm f/4 S or 14-24mm f/2.8 S, while others may find a 35mm or 50mm prime more useful for everyday photography.

However, if you enjoy working with a fixed focal length, appreciate the immersive perspective of a wide-angle lens and want something capable of far more than simply capturing expansive landscapes, the Nikon Z 20mm f/1.8 S is an easy lens to recommend.

For me, it has become one of the most enjoyable lenses in my Nikon kit.

Woodland is notoriously hard to photograph. Clutter everywhere, difficult light, endless distractions. You would naturally think using a longer focal length would help isolate subjects and simplify compositions, yet I’ve found myself opting for the Nikon Z 20mm f/1.8 S lens for my woodland walks lately. For more details see my full Nikon Z 20mm 1.8S review.

Today, I wanted to get a walk in my local woodland. It was the hottest day of the year so far, blue skies and harsh midday sun by the time I was free to get out. Not exactly the conditions we dream about as photographers, but that’s the time I had and, unlike in my younger years when I was free to pick and choose the best light, I’ll take whatever time I get these days and try to make the most of it.

So I headed out with the Nikon Z 20mm f/1.8 S attached to my Z8, a bottle of water and nothing else. I considered other lenses but decided I really do enjoy the focus and challenge of one lens, one point of view and the simplicity that offers. With everything else going on in life, a prime lens removes at least one more choice from my brain.

Photographing Woodland in Harsh Midday Light

Today was hot, the sunshine was beautiful, but the light was harsh and contrasty, creating huge differences in dynamic range between the pockets of light and the dark forest floor. The kind of light where you have to pay attention to your histogram and, more often than not, make choices about where you want your exposure to sit.

As I walked into the woods, huge Scots Pines towered over me, offering welcome shade and relief from the sun. I could hear a chorus of birdsong all around me. A few minutes in, I stumbled upon a Roe Deer feeding at the side of the path, no more than 10 metres away. I half rued my choice to shoot woodland instead of wildlife as the deer froze and stared straight at me. I watched her for a moment before deciding to keep walking slowly away, allowing her to relax and continue feeding.

The Scots Pine trees in particular evoke a sense of awe in me as they tower straight up into the sky, their trunks covered in incredible bark so textured I could spend the whole day simply admiring them.

This kind of harsh light, with trees and the forest canopy strongly backlit by the midday sun, lends itself to strong compositions, but more than that, it makes me look for light breaking through the canopy and illuminating small areas of interest. That was my focus today, not picture-postcard woodland images, but light and how it felt on and reacted with the environment.

Why I Chose One Lens and Nothing Else

Yesterday I had laid out several lenses and even cameras to take out with me for a walk. I actually swapped lens choice a couple of times. Maybe I’ll take two cameras for coverage. At one point I had the 50mm f/1.8 S on the Z6III and the 20mm f/1.8 S on the Z8. I looked at my 400mm f/4.5 and wondered if I should take that as well to capture any chance wildlife encounters. Maybe I’ll just go light and take the OM-3.

All of this was adding to my mental load when really all I wanted was a walk in nature for some peace, relaxation and to take some photos should I see anything interesting.

I laid the Z6III down and said to myself, no, just take one camera with a fixed lens. Then I know what I have and what type of shots to look for.

And this is the real strength of prime lenses for me. Instead of trying to cover every possible scenario, they limit you in a way that a zoom doesn’t, but that limitation actually helps focus your mind. It removes indecision, not only about what lens to use, but also about the types of images you are able to make. That leads to clarity, calms your brain and, in my case, actually allows me to think about the photos I am going to make rather than being overwhelmed by choice.

In my experience, that clarity and focus allows you to concentrate on creative thinking, composition and light. More often than not, I end up with a coherent set of photos which are usually better than if I’d taken a zoom or multiple lenses.

And in the past year or so, when I’m out taking photos for myself, when it’s my time, I value that clarity more than being able to cover every possible scenario with zooms or multiple lenses.

Maybe that’s just me and a reflection of how busy my headspace has been lately, but it’s something worth thinking about. Rather than trying to cover every possible shooting scenario, make a decision, introduce a creative constraint and see if it helps improve not only the photos you make, but also your enjoyment while making them.

Why the Nikon Z 20mm f/1.8 S Works So Well in Woodland

The Nikon Z 20mm f/1.8 S is perhaps not the most natural choice for woodland photography, and neither is it a particularly small lens, but it pairs well with cameras like the Z6III and Z8.

What it does well is encourage you to look for compositions you may not otherwise consider, to push in closer, get lower and really pay attention to your framing. In woodland especially, where clutter is everywhere, you start looking for angles that create separation and order within the frame intentionally. Moving in and out with your feet to remove distractions and arrange elements becomes part of the process because you cannot simply zoom in to eliminate them.

As with some of my shots of the horses, the Nikon Z 20mm f/1.8 S also allows you to get creative with depth of field, opting for a shallower depth of field which is quite unusual in wide-angle photography. That creates a very different look to standard landscape-style images shot at f/11 and beyond. Instead of trying to maximise depth and sharpness throughout the frame, I found myself trying to create atmosphere and, in yesterday’s harsh light, almost an ethereal quality.

I’ll go into the specifics of the Nikon Z 20mm f/1.8 S in much more detail in my full review, but for now I can say that the optical performance is exactly what I’ve come to expect from Nikon’s Z S-line lenses.

The 20mm perspective, when used in this way, can give the feeling of being immersed in the landscape, almost as if you are part of it, rather than feeling like an outside observer, which shots taken with 35–100mm lenses often create. It feels intimate when you push in close to your subject, yet expansive at the same time.

I was photographing the horses yesterday from no more than around 1.5 metres away. The ability of the 20mm lens to get that close while still giving context to the environment is unique to these wider-angle lenses. It’s a viewpoint that challenges you creatively but is ultimately very rewarding when you get things right, very similar in fact to the way I felt using the Fujifilm 18mm f/1.4 WR lens. I recently shot the same woodland with the Fuji X100VI which gave a very different look to the images.

Why I Processed the Photos This Way

I don’t usually enjoy sepia toning. It’s not something I use often as I tend to prefer darker, moodier edits with more contrast and weight to them. Yet when I was editing the photos from my walk yesterday, I found myself wanting to remove the saturated greens and focus instead on the pockets of light breaking through the trees.

Black and white immediately felt like the right direction. As I edited the first image, initially without any intention of processing the whole set in the same way, my usual black and white style simply didn’t reflect how the woodland had felt to me yesterday. The darker, moodier processing I normally gravitate towards felt too heavy for the atmosphere I had experienced walking through the woods.

As I’d wandered beneath the trees, the overwhelming feeling I got was that this was a little slice of heaven. The heat, the birdsong, the shafts of light breaking through the canopy and the huge Scots Pines towering above me all combined to create a feeling that was peaceful, ancient and almost dreamlike. Naturally, that pushed me towards warming the images in editing, controlling the highlights while still allowing the overall brightness to come through.

In the end, I replicated that processing style throughout the set and I think the images work well together as a group, all shot with a single lens to represent how that walk and that place felt to me in that moment.

And I’ve realised this more and more over the years: photography for me is less about trying to create images that will be popular, follow the trend of the day or even accurately show how a place looked. What matters to me now is trying to convey how a place felt.

Apologies for the lack of posts lately. I’m dealing with a few things behind the scenes at the moment and don’t really feel capable of writing anything meaningful right now.

Sometimes just getting outside with a camera is enough.

I took the Nikon Z 20mm 1.8S lens out on my Z8 recently too and have now written a review of the Nikon Z 20mm 1.8S lens.

I want to say right here, I don’t really have a preference for a particular sensor size and I shoot everything from Micro Four Thirds to Fuji’s GFX. Each has their own pros and cons in my opinion, all are capable of producing excellent photos in the right hands and like most things within photography, its normally a case of working out your priorities and where you are willing to compromise. I use my cameras for specific tasks or sometimes, just because I feel like using a certain camera on any given outing.

One such recent outing was to my local loch and mountains. I decided to take the Fujifilm GFX100S and Fuji GF 20-35mm f/4 lens as I’ve been shooting a lot of Nikon lately and my GFX was giving me evils.

I’m not a particularly dramatic type of person, think typical British, understated and calm. If something is better I don’t say it’s the best in the world/most amazing ever or any of those superlatives that are thrown around on Youtube so often.

As I said, I’ve owned the GFX100S for 2-3 years now, I’ve shot some of the best lenses on the system and I’ve always been impressed with the image quality. It definitely gives a different look to other systems. I’m not going to go on about some vague medium format look like so many do, without being able to specify what it is.

I see it too, but it’s really a result of the way focal lengths behave on a sensor of this size. You get a wider field of view for a given focal length and that results in differrent depth of field and focus fall off than on other systems. What I’ve never really quite appreciated until recently is just how incredibly detailed the files are. Of course, Ive seen it but its never really mattered before because I have tended to shoot portraits and people with the GFX and therefore often found myself shooting with a relatively narrow depth of field, where detail across the whole image wasn’t a factor. That was until I took the GFX100S out in Scotland over the last week or so.

Now I should be clear, I think the image quality from every sensor size is more than usable these days depending upon the subject, and I’m also of the opinion that a detailed photo does not by itself make it a good photo. A great shot on a Micro Four Thirds sensor is still going to look way better than a mediocre or poorly composed shot on even a Phase One back. However, the photo that I shot in the Highlands of Scotland this week really showed me what the GFX 100mp sensor is capable of.

So, rather than trying to explain it, here’s the image that made me stop and rethink what the GFX100S is capable of in terms of detail. I didn’t go out with the itention to test this. But this particular file genuinely impressed me so much that I wanted to write about it. Don’t forget, this is hand-held.

I have uploaded a full resolution file that you can view over on Flickr.

What’s staggering to me is the amount of detail in the distant mountains, it’s beyond anything I’ve shot on any other system in terms of pure detail except for perhaps 4×5 film.

What is also noticeable is just how much sharpening the GFX100S files can take as well as how easily the sensor dealt with the dynamic range in this scene, with the histogram being comfortably within the sensor’s parameters, neither blocking shadows or blowing highlights.

I didn’t go out with the intention to maximise detail or sharpness, in fact I was shooting handheld. But nevertheless, when I opened this image in Lightroom and zoomed in to the foreground rocks and then again to the distant mountains I was stunned at how sharp, crisp and detailed the image was throughout the entire frame. I’ve shot this location before, admittedly in different light, with the Fuji X-T5 and Nikon Z8 as well as other cameras and although the Z8 didn’t have one of the professional top tier lenses mounted, the difference between the files off it and the GFX100S in this case was stark. So much so, that I’m now going to buy in the Nikon Z 24-70mm f/2.8II in order to do some direct comparisons between the various sensor sizes and ensure that I am giving each one a fair crack at the whip by mounting only the best optically performing lenses for each system.

It started off in the Philippines, trying to sell our belongings and arrange our international family move back to Scotland. Sorting out all the loose ends while also getting a home organised from the other side of the world was a bit of a logistical nightmare.

However, we managed to arrange everything after basically culling our belongings down to the bare minimum.

At the end of January, we arrived in Scotland and spent the next few weeks making the new house feel like a home. Buying the essentials, finding suitable furniture and helping Sofia settle into school.

Things finally started to calm down a little.

Then I received a phone call from the lettings agent.

The call left me stunned.

We had taken on the house as a long term let, somewhere to settle and build family life here. A place to give Sofia and Isabelle a secure, comfortable environment to grow up in.

But after the call, everything changed again.

The owners of the house had changed their minds and decided they wanted to move back in themselves. So with just two weeks before my wife and Isabelle arrived in the UK, I suddenly found myself desperately searching for another house for us to call home.

By that point Sofia had settled into school really well, made new friends and joined the local horse riding club, so I had to limit my house search to somewhere within a reasonable commute because I wasn’t prepared to disrupt her again.

With the whole move being driven largely by our developmental concerns regarding Isabelle, and with her arrival already delayed due to the situation around Iran making the usual transit through Dubai unsafe, I was suddenly juggling rearranged flights alongside trying to secure another home and dealing with uncertainty over how long we even had left in the current one.

I didn’t tell my wife about the house situation at the time.

I didn’t really see the point. It was up to me to sort it out and try and do so without making her worry even more during an already stressful move.

Now, nearly two months after their arrival, I’m relieved to say that I found another home for us.

It’s a bit smaller and a bit further away from Sofia’s school, but it’s in a lovely countryside location and it genuinely feels like somewhere we can make home.

So for the last few weeks, I’ve really struggled to think straight, let alone get out for as much photography as I’d like.

We’re settling Isabelle into nursery life here, arranging medical appointments and thankfully she seems to be adapting really well to life and routine in Scotland.

My mental load though still hasn’t really reduced.

There are still tensions within the house and unfortunately I suspect those tensions are going to come to a head over the next few weeks as I look to ensure that my youngest daughter’s best interests remain prioritised, even if that creates some conflict.

With all of this going on, and having spent a lot of time lately shooting wildlife with the Nikon Z8 — a camera built around speed and responsiveness — for the last few days, whenever I’ve managed to muster the energy for small local walks, I’ve found myself taking the Fujifilm GFX100S instead. If you want to see how detailed GFX100S files are then I wrote this post about them.

A camera that even when it was released back in 2021 wasn’t exactly considered fast.

And honestly, I think that’s part of why I need it right now.

The fact that it isn’t a fast camera forces me to slow down a little. It forces me to focus more carefully on shooting technique because that 100 megapixel sensor is brutally unforgiving of sloppy handling.

But more than that, after shooting a lot of bursts lately with wildlife on the Z8, I think my mental space right now requires something slower, more purposeful, more meaningful and ultimately more calming as I sense an oncoming storm building again.

I’ve also been exploring the opposite end of the spectrum recently, returning to the compact Fujifilm X100VI for a family walk through local woodland.

Here was a camera that finally seemed like the leap forward from my old Z7II — a camera that offered the kind of autofocus performance, handling, and ergonomics I’d been missing ever since my DSLR days shooting with the Nikon D850.

But despite how tempting it was, I never quite found myself in a position where I could justify buying one.

At the time, I was living in the Philippines, shooting mainly travel photography alongside everyday life there. The Z9 felt too big, too expensive, and ultimately too much camera for the kind of photography I was doing at that stage.

Then Nikon removed two of my biggest objections almost overnight by releasing the Nikon Z8.

It was smaller, cheaper, and seemed to offer almost everything the Z9 did in terms of performance. I cracked and bought one — and I’ve been shooting with it ever since.

Since then, the Z8 has travelled with me from the Philippines to Scotland. I’ve used it for travel photography, family photography, landscapes, wildlife work, and general day-to-day shooting here in the Scottish Highlands.

I’ve deliberately held off writing this review for quite a while because the Z8 is such a capable camera across so many different genres that I always felt I needed more time with it before trying to properly review it.

Now, after owning it for around a year and shooting a huge variety of subjects with it, I finally feel ready to give a proper long-term verdict.

And to put it simply: the Nikon Z8 is the best camera for photography that I’ve ever used.

That doesn’t mean it’s perfect, and it certainly doesn’t mean everyone needs one, but after months of real-world use, it has become my primary camera — and I expect it will stay that way for a long time to come.

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Why I Bought the Nikon Z8

For years, I’d dreamed of properly getting into wildlife photography, but circumstances never quite lined up.

I’d bought into wildlife-capable systems before, but if I’m honest, I usually ended up compromising somewhere along the way — downsizing my ambitions and convincing myself I didn’t really need a serious wildlife setup. Deep down, I think I was trying to justify the expense of buying into a system for a type of photography I wasn’t sure I’d ever truly have time to pursue.

Everything changed once we knew we were almost certainly moving back to Scotland from the Philippines.

At that point, I realised that if I was ever going to properly pursue wildlife photography, this was the moment to do it.

But there was another side to it as well.

I didn’t just want a wildlife camera. I also wanted a camera that was just as capable for landscape photography because, in many ways, moving back to Scotland also meant returning to my landscape photography roots — roots that were originally formed nearly two decades ago while shooting in the Outer Hebrides.

Now, back in Scotland again, surrounded by mountains, forests, rivers, and constantly changing weather, I wanted to immerse myself in what I think of as real landscape photography once more.

I already knew from my years using the Nikon Z system that the lens lineup suited my style of photography almost perfectly.

The smaller 1.8 S primes like the 35mm 1.8S had been ideal for my travel photography and everyday shooting while living in the Philippines, while Nikon’s high quality zooms felt perfectly suited to landscape work here in Scotland. And when it came to wildlife photography, I genuinely believe Nikon now offers one of the strongest lens lineups available — especially for Z8 users.

Before the Z8, I already owned cameras that excelled in specific areas. The Fuji GFX100S gave me incredible image quality, while the OM System OM-1 was, on paper, an extremely capable wildlife camera.

But what I didn’t have was a single camera that combined both worlds as convincingly as the Z8 seemed to.

I wanted one professional-level workhorse camera that could handle landscapes, wildlife, travel, and general photography without feeling like I was making major compromises in any particular area.

That’s exactly what drew me to the Nikon Z8.

And as you’ll see throughout this review — and across much of my website — the Z8 has since become my default camera for landscapes and wildlife photography here in the Scottish Highlands.

It’s a camera that gives me confidence to head out and shoot regardless of the weather, the subject, or the conditions.

Design, Handling & Build Quality

I’m just going to come right out and say it: the Nikon Z8 is the Nikon Z mirrorless camera that Nikon D850 DSLR owners have been waiting for.

The feel, weight, size, and overall ergonomics make it feel like Nikon finally created the true mirrorless successor to cameras like the D850.

Compared to my old Z7II, which often felt like Nikon trying to downsize their cameras simply because mirrorless cameras were supposed to be smaller, the Z8 feels like Nikon decided to prioritise handling and usability first. It feels like a camera designed around the things Nikon DSLRs became famous for — confidence, ergonomics, reliability, and speed of operation.

At 144 x 119 x 83mm and around 910g, it’s certainly not a small camera, but for my medium-sized hands, it feels just about perfect in use.

I’ve previously praised the ergonomics of the Z6III — and rightly so — but going back to the Z6III after using the Z8, the difference is immediately noticeable, particularly in the grip.

The Z8 has a deeper grip that comfortably accommodates all of my fingers. It feels secure and confidence inspiring, especially when shooting in colder conditions where your fingers aren’t always as dexterous as they could be. Even while wearing gloves, the camera still feels extremely secure in the hand.

Where some cameras — particularly the Sony A7IV — can start to feel as if they’re twisting or digging into your hand during long shooting sessions, the Z8 never gives me that sensation. The lower corner of the grip sits comfortably against my hand, making the camera feel stable and well balanced over extended periods of use.

If weight and size are genuinely major concerns for you, then there’s no getting around the fact that compared to cameras like the OM System OM-1 Mark II or APS-C bodies from Fujifilm, the Z8 is substantially larger.

But ergonomically, it’s one of the best cameras I’ve ever used.

Balance With Lenses

One of the things Nikon has got absolutely right with the Z8 is how well balanced it feels across a huge range of lenses.

I’ve used it with everything from Nikon’s smaller 1.8 S prime lenses and the excellent 24-120mm f/4 through to lenses like the Nikon Z 800mm f/6.3, and the body has always felt appropriately matched.

The camera feels substantial enough to comfortably handle large telephoto lenses for wildlife photography, while still feeling perfectly reasonable with something like the Nikon Z 50mm f/1.8 S mounted for casual everyday shooting.

That balance is something Nikon has traditionally done very well, and the Z8 continues that tradition.

Build Quality & Weather Sealing

Nikon claims that the Z8 is weather sealed to the same standard as the flagship Z9, and I have absolutely no reason to doubt that.

I’ve taken the camera out during a typhoon in the Philippines and photographed the aftermath the following day. Since moving back to Scotland, the Z8 has been out with me in wind-driven rain, sleet, freezing temperatures, and generally miserable Highland weather conditions.

It has never so much as batted an eyelid.

The camera feels solid, dependable, and reliable regardless of the weather. It genuinely feels like a professional tool designed to be used properly outdoors rather than babied.

Controls & Button Layout

The body itself features just about every ergonomic nicety you could reasonably want from a professional camera body.

There’s a relatively large top LCD screen which can be illuminated by flicking the power switch to its furthest position. Direct buttons for exposure compensation, ISO, and video recording sit conveniently behind the shutter button, while the photo/video selector dial is placed logically and easy to operate.

The AF-ON button sits exactly where my thumb naturally rests, and the AF joystick is responsive and well positioned. Both the front and rear command dials offer the right amount of damping and protrude enough from the body to remain easy to operate while wearing gloves.

The overall control layout simply works.

Everything feels designed around allowing photographers to work quickly and efficiently with minimal fuss or adjustment period.

Nikon also continues to use my preferred power switch design, wrapping the on/off switch around the shutter button. This allows you to turn the camera on one-handed while raising it to your eye.

On the rear of the camera, Nikon includes a quick-access button for the “i” menu, a four-way controller surrounding the OK button, playback controls, zoom buttons, and a dedicated menu button.

Nikon has also retained the familiar hard-formatting shortcut from cameras like the D850 by pressing the delete and video record buttons simultaneously.

On the front of the camera, to the right of the lens mount, there are two additional function buttons alongside a dedicated AF button positioned on the lower left corner of the body. This allows you to quickly change focus modes and AF-area settings without diving into menus — something notably missing from the Z6III.

The control layout is rounded out by Nikon’s traditional professional controls on the top left of the camera, including dedicated buttons for:

• Bracketing
• White Balance
• Shooting Mode
• Drive Mode

I’m not personally a huge fan of Nikon’s left-side control binnacle design, but that’s entirely subjective and it works exactly as Nikon users would expect.

Rear Screen & EVF

The rear LCD uses a hinged three-way tilt design, which remains my preferred screen implementation for photography.

It allows the screen to tilt up and down in landscape orientation while also being usable when shooting vertically. It’s a far more photography-focused solution than a fully articulating selfie-style screen.

The screen itself is bright, sharp, and perfectly usable outdoors, but as someone who primarily shoots through the EVF, I’m much more interested in how the electronic viewfinder performs.

On paper, the Z8’s 3.69-million-dot EVF perhaps looks a little underwhelming compared to some newer Sony bodies and other recent competitors.

In real-world use though — particularly for wildlife photography — it’s excellent.

The blackout-free shooting experience makes tracking moving subjects feel natural and uninterrupted, and I’ve never felt limited by the EVF while photographing wildlife or birds in flight.

Card Slots, Ports & Battery

The Z8 uses dual card slots:

• one CFexpress Type B slot
• one UHS-II SD card slot

The CFexpress slot enables the camera’s higher burst rates and more demanding video codecs, though CFexpress cards are still notably more expensive than SD cards.

In terms of connectivity, the Z8 includes:

• a full-sized HDMI port
• dual USB-C ports
• microphone input
• headphone output

which is exactly what you’d expect from such a capable hybrid camera.

Pleasingly, Nikon also uses the same EN-EL15C batteries found in my other Nikon Z cameras, meaning I can share batteries between multiple bodies without needing to invest in an entirely separate battery ecosystem.

Real-World Handling

Once you move beyond the specifications and actually start using the Z8 in the field, everything about the camera simply feels refined and well thought through.

The buttons are nicely damped, protrude enough to be easy to use while wearing gloves, and provide satisfying tactile feedback that allows you to operate the camera quickly without constantly checking settings visually.

The top LCD is large enough to clearly display important shooting information at a glance, and illuminating it quickly one-handed via the power switch is genuinely useful in darker conditions.

The way I’ve configured my own Z8 — particularly for wildlife photography — means I rarely need to enter the menu system at all because I’ve mapped virtually all of the key functions I regularly use to physical buttons. If you want to set up your Z8 exactly the same as mine then I’ve written a full artilce detailing the best settings for the Nikon Z8 for wildlife photography.

There’s a lot of detail here because the Z8 deserves detail, but ultimately the important thing is this:

If you’re used to using Nikon’s professional DSLR cameras, the Z8 will feel immediately familiar.

It feels like a camera designed to work in the fastest, simplest, and most efficient way possible.

It’s a camera built to get the job done.

And if I’m honest, I take a certain kind of pleasure from using a tool that simply lets you concentrate on photography rather than fighting the camera itself.

Autofocus Performance

I’ve shot with DSLR cameras and a huge range of mirrorless systems dating all the way back to cameras like the Panasonic G3 and the original OM-D E-M5, through to more recent bodies such as the Canon R5, Sony A7IV, Nikon Z7II, and Nikon Z6III.

When I first used the Nikon Z8, the autofocus performance immediately felt very similar to the Z6III — which is already an excellent thing — but with one important difference.

It felt stickier.

Once the camera locked onto a subject, it simply seemed more determined to stay locked on.

Compared to my old Z7II, everything has effectively been turned up a level or two.

Face and eye detection works at greater distances, picks up subjects faster, and remains locked onto faces even when they become smaller in the frame, move erratically, or turn at more awkward angles.

3D Tracking

One of the biggest additions on the Z8 compared to cameras like the Z7II is Nikon’s 3D Tracking system.

This makes focusing incredibly easy for general photography.

You simply place the focus point over your subject, half-press the shutter button, and then freely recompose while the camera continues tracking the subject around the frame.

For general photography and people photography, it’s incredibly effective and intuitive. It also works alongside face and eye detection, making it an excellent default focusing mode for travel and everyday shooting.

When I was still living in the Philippines and primarily photographing travel scenes and people, 3D Tracking became my default autofocus mode because it was so reliable and simple to use.

Wildlife Autofocus

As I’ve spent more time back in Scotland photographing wildlife though, I’ve found that taking the time to properly configure the autofocus system is absolutely worth it.

For wildlife photography, I now primarily use Wide-Area AF (L) combined with one of Nikon’s subject detection modes — usually Bird or Animal detection in my case, though Nikon also includes Auto, Vehicle, and Aircraft subject detection modes.

Using Wide-Area AF gives the camera the best chance of initially acquiring the intended subject before subject detection takes over.

I then use custom buttons to quickly switch to larger focus areas once the camera has locked onto the subject, which I’ve found gives the best overall balance of acquisition speed and tracking reliability for wildlife work.

Using this setup, the Z8 is close to flawless with animals when the background is relatively clean.

With birds in flight against clearer skies, the Z8 delivers the highest hit rate I’ve personally ever experienced from a camera system. Assuming I do my part correctly, the number of critically sharp keepers is incredibly high. I’ve written a full article showing exactly how to set up the Nikon Z8 for wildlife photography.

Where the Z8 Autofocus Struggles

The areas where I’ve noticed the autofocus system become less reliable are situations involving:

• heavily cluttered woodland backgrounds
• very small subjects in the frame
• birds flying rapidly towards or away from the camera
• erratic movement combined with initial focus point being far from subject

For example, small birds weaving quickly through branches in woodland remain challenging — but honestly, that’s true of virtually every autofocus system I’ve ever used.

The great thing about the Z8 though is just how configurable the autofocus system is.

You can:

• use the focus limiter to improve acquisition speed
• adjust blocked shot response behaviour
• tune settings for erratic or steady subject movement
• customise focus-area switching behaviour
• create custom autofocus setups for different subjects

There’s an enormous amount of flexibility available once you spend time learning the system properly.

Lately, I’ve been practising extensively with swallows in flight, photographing them weaving rapidly around bushes and trees sometimes only a metre or two away from me.

The Z8 has handled these situations remarkably well.

Reliability & Keeper Rate

The important thing about the Z8 autofocus system isn’t just that it’s fast.

It’s that it’s reliable.

Once I’d spent enough time tailoring it to my own shooting style, the autofocus system rarely felt like a limiting factor anymore.

If you do your part as a photographer, the Z8 autofocus system is among the best currently available.

More importantly, it’s good enough that it’s highly unlikely you’ll miss a once-in-a-lifetime shot because the autofocus system simply wasn’t capable enough.

Burst Shooting & Buffer Performance

The autofocus system is also backed up by extremely impressive shooting speeds.

The Z8 can shoot:

• up to 20fps in RAW
• up to 30fps in JPEG

Personally, I only shoot RAW on the Z8, but even at 20fps, the camera feels incredibly fast and responsive.

Combined with a deep buffer and fast CFexpress Type B cards, the camera clears the buffer quickly enough that it always feels ready for the next burst of action.

That’s especially important for wildlife photography where opportunities often happen in short bursts and unpredictably.

Pre-Release Capture

The Z8 also includes Nikon’s pre-release capture mode.

This constantly records frames into a temporary loop while you half-press the shutter button, before permanently saving frames once you fully press the shutter.

In practice, this allows you to capture up to one second of action before you fully press the shutter button.

It’s an incredibly useful feature for wildlife photography and fast action.

However, unlike the OM System implementation of this feature on cameras like the OM-1 Mark II, Nikon currently limits pre-release capture to JPEG shooting only.

Having previously used this feature extensively on the OM-1, I know just how useful it can be in real-world situations, so I’d love to eventually see Nikon enable RAW support for pre-release capture via firmware update or on the Z8II.

Electronic Shutter & Sensor Protection

All of this speed is possible thanks to the Z8’s stacked 45.7MP sensor and one particularly important design choice:

The Z8 has no mechanical shutter at all.

Everything is handled electronically.

Normally, professional cameras are given expected shutter lifespans based on how many physical actuations the shutter mechanism is expected to survive.

With the Z8, that concern effectively disappears.

The lack of a mechanical shutter also contributes to the camera’s speed and blackout-free shooting experience.

One of the biggest concerns many photographers have when they hear that the Nikon Z8 only uses an electronic shutter is whether images and video show any warping or rolling shutter effect. In practice though, thanks to the extremely fast readout speed (1/270) of the stacked sensor, it’s something I’ve never encountered in real-world use.

Even photographing fast moving wildlife, birds in flight, or quickly panning while tracking subjects, I’ve yet to notice any rolling shutter issues in my own shooting. Compared to older electronic shutter implementations, the Z8 feels incredibly natural and responsive to shoot with, to the point where after a while you simply stop thinking about the fact that it doesn’t have a mechanical shutter at all, well, except the rather meek fake shutter sounds that you can choose are not really befitting of a camera of this level.

One smaller feature that I’ve particularly appreciated is Nikon’s built-in sensor shield.

When the camera powers off, a protective shield can automatically cover the sensor, helping protect it from dust and debris during lens changes — particularly useful when working outdoors in difficult conditions.

Oddly, Nikon ships this feature disabled by default, so it’s worth enabling it when you first set up the camera.

Image Quality

If you look at an image from the Nikon Z8 at full-screen view next to one from the Z6III — or indeed most other modern full-frame cameras — the results initially look fairly similar.

In other words, they look like what we’ve come to expect from high-end modern full-frame cameras:

• clean
• detailed
• high dynamic range
• natural looking
• realistic

The files have a very true-to-life look to them.

Where you really begin to appreciate the image quality from the Z8’s 45.7MP full-frame sensor is when you start pushing the files harder or shooting in ways that take advantage of what the camera is capable of.

ISO 64 & Tonality

One of the things that immediately sets the Z8 apart from most other full-frame cameras is Nikon’s use of a native ISO 64 base ISO.

To my knowledge, there are very few full-frame cameras that offer this, and it does make a difference.

At ISO 64, the files coming out of the Z8 are incredibly clean and rich in tonality. It also allows you to use slightly slower shutter speeds in brighter conditions for things like moving water without always needing to immediately reach for ND filters.

More importantly though, ISO 64 helps bring the Z8’s image quality closer to my Fuji GFX100S than any other full-frame camera I’ve used.

Resolution & DX Crop Flexibility

The other thing that makes the Z8 stand out is the way it combines this level of image quality and tonality with such a high-resolution sensor.

For wildlife photography in particular, the 45MP sensor makes Nikon’s DX crop mode genuinely useful because it still leaves you with approximately 20MP files.

In practical terms, this effectively gives you two usable focal lengths from every lens you own.

That flexibility becomes incredibly valuable for wildlife photography here in Scotland where subjects are often distant, unpredictable, or difficult to approach.

Dynamic Range

The dynamic range from the Z8 is excellent, particularly at ISO 64.

The files offer plenty of flexibility when recovering shadows while still retaining highlight detail, which is particularly useful for landscape photography in difficult Scottish lighting conditions where bright skies and dark foregrounds are often unavoidable.

I’ve heard people say that the Z7II sensor performs slightly better in this area on paper, but having owned and shot extensively with both cameras, any difference in real-world shooting is so small that I personally don’t notice it outside of controlled comparisons.

For practical landscape photography, the Z8 is more than capable of producing professional-quality files suitable for large prints.

High ISO Performance

The only area where I consistently notice a meaningful image quality difference between the Z8 and my Z6III is at higher ISO levels.

At ISO 6400 and above, the native files from the Z6III generally look a little cleaner thanks to its lower-resolution 24MP sensor.

However, there’s an important caveat to that.

Once you downsample the Z8 files to match the Z6III’s resolution, the difference becomes surprisingly small.

I’ve shot wildlife at:

• ISO 6400
• ISO 10,000
• ISO 12,800

when necessary to maintain fast shutter speeds, and the Z8 handles those situations remarkably well.

Once you also factor in modern noise reduction software, the results can be genuinely impressive.

Colour & Rendering

The colours coming from the Nikon Z8 strike a really nice balance between:

• realistic
• natural
• slightly punchy

They don’t quite have the nostalgic character that Fujifilm cameras can sometimes produce, but they still look excellent.

In particular, I find Nikon colours exceptionally good for landscape photography.

Greens in particular tend to look natural and believable without becoming overly saturated, while tonal transitions in landscapes appear smooth and realistic.

Skin tones also look more natural to my eye compared to many APS-C systems I’ve used.

In post processing, the files are extremely easy to work with.

They feel:

• malleable
• robust
• flexible

which makes it easy to push the files towards the exact look you want without them falling apart.

Compared to APS-C & Wildlife Detail

I’ve shot with some exceptional Fujifilm APS-C cameras and lenses over the years, but when viewed side by side, the difference in detail and realism from the Z8 is noticeable.

Skin tones look more lifelike, tonal transitions feel smoother, and higher ISO files hold together better during editing.

For wildlife photography in particular, the Z8 produces the kind of feather detail that I used to dream about capturing years ago when I imagined getting properly into wildlife photography.

Even paired with lenses like the excellent value Nikon Z 180-600mm, feather detail remains well defined, while noise at higher ISO levels doesn’t immediately turn fine detail into mush.

Once you pair the Z8 with Nikon’s telephoto prime lenses, the level of detail becomes genuinely impressive.

Z8 vs GFX100S

Is the image quality from the Nikon Z8 as good as my Fuji GFX100S?

No.

Medium format still retains advantages in:

• tonal depth
• rendering
• overall file richness

particularly when viewed critically side by side.

But is the Z8 close enough that its other advantages — such as autofocus speed, ergonomics, versatility, lens selection, and price — can outweigh the differences?

Absolutely.

And for many photographers, that balance may make far more sense overall.

Over the coming months, I’ll also be directly comparing the Nikon Z8 against the Fuji GFX100S to explore exactly where those image quality differences still remain.

Overall Image Quality Verdict

Overall, the Nikon Z8 offers one of the best combinations of image quality, resolution, speed, and flexibility that I’ve ever used in a camera system.

It delivers enough image quality for serious professional landscape work while simultaneously offering the speed and responsiveness needed for wildlife photography — and very few cameras manage to balance both worlds this successfully.

Video Performance

I’m by no means a professional videographer beyond occasionally shooting and editing YouTube videos, but even so, the video specifications and capabilities of the Nikon Z8 are seriously impressive.

I have shot some wildlife footage on the Z8 and, despite previously going fairly deep into codecs, bit depth, and colour grading on other systems, I’ve deliberately kept things fairly simple so far with the Z8.

Most of my footage has been shot in:

• 10-bit 4K 30p
• 4K 60p

and the quality has genuinely impressed me. There is some footage straight out of the Nikon Z8 in the video below. Again, it was shot in 4k 10bit using the standard color profile, so this is the minimum quality you can expect.

Before getting into my own experience though, let’s get the headline specifications out of the way because for dedicated video shooters, the Z8 is an extremely capable camera.

The Nikon Z8 offers:

• up to 4K 120p recording
• up to 8K 60p recording
• internal RAW video options
• a wide range of professional codecs

which firmly places it amongst the most capable hybrid cameras currently available.

IBIS & Handheld Video

One thing that particularly impressed me was the stabilisation performance while shooting handheld wildlife footage.

I shot video of deer handheld using the Nikon Z 180-600mm lens fully zoomed to 600mm, and the Z8’s IBIS handled it remarkably well considering the focal length involved.

That level of stabilisation performance from a high-resolution full-frame camera is genuinely impressive.

Video Quality

Rather than complicating things by immediately jumping into N-Log or RAW workflows, I actually shot most of my footage using Nikon’s standard in-camera colour profile.

Honestly, the footage looked superb.

Colours were vivid without looking over-processed, detail levels were excellent, and the footage retained a very natural look overall.

Even at standard 4K resolutions, the footage looks extremely detailed.

I haven’t yet personally tested 8K recording properly though, largely because my fastest CFexpress Type B card currently isn’t fast enough to reliably sustain it. As soon as I attempt recording 8K footage, the camera throws up an error message.

Realistically though, for my own workflow and storage setup, 8K simply isn’t something I currently need.

I can absolutely imagine the level of detail and cropping flexibility it offers, but between the storage demands and the cost of the CFexpress cards required to comfortably shoot large amounts of 8K footage, I don’t see myself heavily using it any time soon.

Video Autofocus

Autofocus performance during video recording was also excellent in my experience.

The camera acquired focus confidently and tracked subjects smoothly without obvious pulsing or distracting focus jumps that can easily ruin footage.

Again, I’m not approaching this review from the perspective of a dedicated filmmaker, but from the standpoint of someone who occasionally shoots serious video alongside photography, the Z8 feels exceptionally capable.

Overall Video Verdict

The Nikon Z8 is clearly one of the best hybrid cameras currently available.

Even though I personally use it primarily as a stills camera, it’s obvious that Nikon has created a camera capable of handling extremely demanding professional video workflows while still remaining an outstanding photography tool at the same time.

Who Should Buy the Nikon Z8?

As I said in the title of this review, the Nikon Z8 is the best camera I’ve ever used and, as you’ve probably gathered throughout this article, I’m incredibly impressed with it.

In fact, I genuinely believe it’s one of the best cameras for photography currently available.

Does that mean everyone should rush out and buy one?

Not necessarily.

Although if you do, I genuinely struggle to imagine you being disappointed with it.

Outdoors Photographers

There’s another type of photographer that I think the Nikon Z8 suits perfectly — and it’s the category I’d personally place myself in.

Outdoors photographers.

By that, I mean photographers who don’t exclusively shoot one subject.

We might photograph:

• landscapes
• wildlife
• family adventures
• travel
• documentary-style moments outdoors

sometimes all within the same week, or even the same day.

For me personally, the Z8 absolutely excels here.

I want to shoot landscapes to a very high level, but I also want to photograph wildlife to an equally high standard. Then I want to go for walks with my daughters in nature and still have a camera capable of capturing and preserving those moments properly.

I may not always carry a tripod anymore.

I may not spend every evening waiting for perfect golden-hour light like I once did during my landscape photography years.

But when I do press the shutter button, I still want to create photographs that stand up to my own personal standards and scrutiny.

That’s where the Nikon Z8 really shines.

It gives you:

• outstanding image quality
• professional-level autofocus
• superb ergonomics
• speed
• reliability
• flexibility

all in one body.

In many ways, the Z8 feels like a camera for photographers who want their cake and to eat it too.

And remarkably, Nikon has somehow managed to make that work without the camera feeling heavily compromised in any one area.

Landscape Photographers

I think the Z8 makes enormous sense for landscape photographers who want:

• full-frame image quality
• a high-resolution sensor
• excellent ergonomics
• professional reliability

The combination of the 45MP sensor, ISO 64, excellent dynamic range, weather sealing, and Nikon’s superb Z lens lineup makes it an incredibly capable landscape photography tool.

What really elevates the Z8 though is that it combines all of that image quality with speed and versatility.

Unlike many traditional high-resolution landscape cameras, the Z8 never feels limited to just one genre of photography.

Will it produce better landscape images than the Nikon Z7II?

Honestly, no — not purely in terms of landscape image quality.

But the overall shooting experience is on a completely different level.

The Z8:

• feels better built
• handles better outdoors
• inspires more confidence in difficult weather
• operates faster
• focuses more confidently

It’s slightly heavier than the Z7II, but in real-world use, I think the trade-off is absolutely worth it.

Wildlife Photographers

Wildlife photographers — particularly those coming from Nikon DSLR cameras such as the D850 or D500 — will almost certainly love the Z8.

The body retains enough familiarity with Nikon’s DSLR ergonomics that it immediately feels comfortable to use, while the autofocus performance, speed, subject detection, and overall feature set are now operating at a completely different level compared to those older DSLR systems.

The Nikon Z lens ecosystem is also now mature enough that there’s almost certainly an excellent lens option available regardless of what wildlife you photograph.

Combined with:

• the usable DX crop mode
• excellent autofocus
• strong burst performance
• reliable weather sealing

the Z8 feels purpose-built for serious wildlife photography.

Documentary & Professional Use

For documentary photographers or professionals who need a fast, rugged, highly reactive camera body capable of covering almost any subject, the Z8 makes a huge amount of sense.

Its greatest strength is versatility.

This is a camera that feels capable of handling:

• landscapes
• wildlife
• documentary work
• travel photography
• portraiture
• video

without feeling like it’s significantly compromised in any one area.

It’s the kind of camera that gives you confidence that you’ll get the shot regardless of the environment or subject.

Who Should Avoid the Nikon Z8?

In my opinion, the Z8 is one of those rare cameras that very few people would genuinely regret buying.

That said, there are definitely photographers who would be better served elsewhere.

For photographers who:

• want full-frame image quality
• love Nikon ergonomics
• want access to the Nikon Z lens system
• but don’t need a 45MP sensor

the Nikon Z6III makes a huge amount of sense.

The Z6III captures a lot of what makes the Z8 so good:

• excellent autofocus
• fantastic ergonomics
• strong video capabilities
• excellent handling

while being:

• smaller
• lighter
• cheaper

And importantly, if you’ve never used the Z8, the Z6III still feels like an outstanding camera in its own right. I compared the Z8 vs Z6III in this article, if you want to see more details.

However, as someone who owns and regularly uses both cameras, if I personally had to choose only one body for my photography here in Scotland, I would choose the Z8 every single time.

Especially now that, in 2026, I genuinely think the Z8 represents incredible value for what it offers.

Z8 vs GFX

For photographers considering whether to stay with full frame or move into Fujifilm’s GFX medium format system, I’ll be producing much more in-depth comparisons between the Nikon Z8 and the Fuji GFX100S in future articles.

But honestly, neither system is likely to leave you disappointed.

They simply prioritise different strengths.

Verdict

Over the last few years, I’ve generally gravitated towards cameras that made me feel something when I used them.

Whether that was:

• retro-inspired designs
• film-like rendering
• smaller bodies
• or cameras that suited my prime-lens-focused way of shooting travel photography and everyday life

I’d slowly moved away from the larger, more utilitarian “just get the job done” cameras that traditionally dominated the higher-end professional market.

I’d also increasingly come to believe that once a camera reaches a certain level, it’s already good enough and that almost any modern camera can produce excellent images in the right hands.

Then I bought the Nikon Z8.

And honestly, it changed my perspective a little.

The Z8 reminded me that the result is just as important as the shooting experience, and that there’s a certain appeal in using a tool that simply gets out of your way and works.

There’s a confidence that comes from knowing that with this camera in your hands, you can photograph virtually anything you encounter.

You can spend the morning photographing wildlife, shoot landscapes in beautiful evening light later that day, and then come home and photograph your family — and throughout all of it, the Z8 simply delivers.

If you do your part as the photographer, the camera is almost never the limiting factor.

There’s a real appeal in not having to compromise.

In knowing that regardless of the conditions, subject, or environment, you brought the right camera with you.

That’s exactly how I remember cameras like the Nikon D850 feeling during the DSLR era.

They simply got the job done:

• no fuss
• no nonsense
• everything exactly where it should be

The Nikon Z8 recaptures that feeling better than any mirrorless camera I’ve personally used.

And ultimately, that’s why the Nikon Z8 is the best camera I’ve ever used.

If someone told me tomorrow that the Nikon Z8 was the only camera I could use for the rest of my life, I’d be a happy photographer. Any improvements from here on out are just the cherry on top of an already delicious cake.

That’s how good it is.

It’s not a small lens, but it balances well on bodies like the Z8 and Z6III. The optics, while not quite at the level of the 24–70mm f/2.8, are still excellent across the range — and that 24–120mm focal length is incredibly flexible when you’re out walking in places like the Scottish Highlands- Which is why it’s one of the best lenses for the Nikon Z system.

This article contains affiliate links. If you choose to buy through them, I may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you. I only recommend gear I’ve personally used and trust.

Image Quality

Every time I use the 24–120mm f/4, I’m pleasantly surprised by just how good it is. Whether I’m shooting landscapes, general scenes, or capturing people and animals at the long end, it consistently delivers sharp, detailed images.

What stands out just as much is how clean the images look. Out-of-focus areas are smooth and well-behaved, while chromatic aberrations, flare, and distortion are all well controlled.

It’s also more than capable of resolving the 45MP sensor in my Z8, which means you can crop into images without them falling apart — something that adds even more flexibility to an already very versatile focal range. See my full Nikon Z8 review for more details.

If I’m heading out into the Scottish Highlands or the woodlands near where I live and I’m not sure what I’ll encounter, the 24–120mm f/4 has become my default choice.

A 24–70mm can feel a little limiting on the long end, while a pro-level f/2.8 zoom often feels heavier than I need for the kind of photography I actually do. On the other hand, the 24–200mm, while more flexible, feels a bit too compromised optically to pair with a camera like the Z8.

The 24–120mm f/4 sits right in the middle of those options, and for me, it strikes the balance almost perfectly. It gives you the flexibility to shoot everything from wide landscapes to tighter detail shots — even close-up work thanks to its short minimum focus distance — without the usual trade-offs in image quality you might expect from a lens with this kind of range.

At f/4 on a full-frame sensor, it also hits a sweet spot in terms of usability. It’s bright enough to handle moving subjects like people, while still giving you enough subject separation when you need it — but without the size and weight that comes with faster lenses.

And for landscapes, where you’re often stopping down anyway, f/4 isn’t a limitation at all.

What you’re left with is a lens that’s sharp across the range, versatile enough for a wide range of subjects, and easy to carry — which, in real-world use, matters just as much as anything else.

Autofocus & Handling

Autofocus is fast and reliable, whether you’re focusing on a specific point for landscapes or using subject detection on cameras like the Z8 or Z6III. It locks on quickly and has no trouble keeping up with moving subjects. I’ve used it on my Nikon Z6III photographing Sofia at the local park, and it kept up perfectly as she flew down the zip line. It also works perfectly well on my Nikon Zf but the balance feels a little off as I noted in my Nikon Zf review

What I enjoy just as much is how the lens feels in use — particularly on the Z8. The balance is spot on. It’s not a small lens, but the size and weight feel well judged, giving you something solid to hold without ever feeling bulky or front-heavy. It feels perfectly suited to Nikon’s DSLR-style Z bodies.

If you’re building out a Z8 kit and want something that covers almost everything, this lens is an easy recommendation — and it’s one of the first lenses I suggest in my best lenses for the Nikon Z8 guide.

The construction is mostly plastic, but it still feels solid in the hand — and as a bonus, it doesn’t freeze your hands in winter the way some metal lenses can. Compared to the older F-mount 24–120mm f/4 I used on the D850, this version feels noticeably more refined and better balanced, despite only being around 80g lighter on paper.

The lens doesn’t include optical stabilisation, so if you’re using a Z body without in-body stabilisation, that’s something to keep in mind. On cameras like the Z8 and Z6III though, it’s not an issue — getting sharp handheld shots at slower shutter speeds is straightforward. For more details see my Nikon Z6III review.

It uses a telescoping zoom design, extending as you move through the focal range. Personally, I prefer internal zooms, but that would make a lens like this significantly larger. In this case, it’s a compromise that makes sense given the size and range.

The lens is weather sealed, with a gasket at the mount, and I’ve used it in some pretty rough Scottish conditions without any issues. That said, with a telescoping design, I do try to wipe down the barrel before retracting it in heavy rain, just to be on the safe side.

In terms of controls, you get the usual L-Fn button, along with separate zoom, focus, and control rings. I do wish Nikon would standardise their layouts a bit more across lenses, as switching between them can take a moment to adjust. That aside, the overall handling experience is excellent — it’s a lens I’m always happy to have on the camera, whatever the conditions.

So what’s not to like?

For some photographers, the biggest limitation will be the f/4 aperture. In lower light, or when you want stronger subject separation, it can start to feel restrictive. Cameras like the Z6III handle high ISO well, but lenses like the 24–70mm f/2.8 S or Nikon’s f/1.8 primes are still better choices if low light is a priority.

It’s also not a lens that gives your images a particularly distinctive look. If you’re chasing that last bit of sharpness, rendering, or subject isolation, you’ll get more from faster zooms or primes. That’s why I still shoot a lot with primes like the Nikon Z 20mm 1.8S when I want to create rather than cover subjects.

But for anyone who just wants a highly flexible, consistently good-performing lens that works across a wide range of situations, those trade-offs make sense.

Who is the 24-120mm f/4 S lens for?

For me, the 24–120mm f/4 makes the most sense for photographers who shoot landscapes, want a high-quality walkaround lens, or need something versatile for travel.

It’s particularly well suited to people who don’t want to carry multiple lenses or deal with the weight of faster f/2.8 zooms, but still want excellent image quality across a wide range of situations.

If you’re the kind of photographer who heads out without a fixed plan — shooting landscapes one moment, details or people the next — this lens fits that way of working perfectly.

It strikes an excellent balance between performance, size, weight, and price, which is exactly why it’s become such an easy default choice in my own kit.

Who Should Avoid It

This isn’t the lens for photographers who regularly shoot in low light or need a faster aperture. If you rely on subject separation or shoot events, portraits, or indoor work, you’ll be better served by f/2.8 zooms or prime lenses.

It’s also not ideal if you’re chasing the absolute best image quality or a more distinctive rendering style. In those cases, Nikon’s S-line primes or pro zooms will give you that extra level of performance.

This lens is about balance and versatility — if that’s not your priority, there are better options.

Verdict

The Nikon Z 24–120mm f/4 S might not be the kind of lens you dream about adding to your kit, but in my experience, it’s one of the most useful lenses in the entire Z system.

I’ll admit, I’ve often been drawn to more exotic lenses, but here in Scotland — where reliability, performance, and practicality matter — this is the lens I keep coming back to.

If I could only take one lens out with my Z8, this would be it.

If you want to consider other lens options then see my best lenses for the Nikon Z system guide which talks about the absolute best and best value lenses available for Nikon Z cameras.

You hear people talking about ND filters, graduated filters, polarising filters… and before long, it feels like you need a whole bag of them just to take a decent photo.

I went through that phase myself.

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Why I Don’t Use Graduated ND Filters Anymore

Back when I was working as a professional landscape photographer, I carried a full Lee Filters system — graduated ND filters (both soft and hard edge), ND filters of different strengths, and a polariser that rarely left my lens.

But things have changed.

Dynamic range has improved, and bracketing is now faster and far easier to use in the field. The way I shoot has become much simpler as a result. Most cameras that I now use – from my Nikon Z6III to the Fuji X-T5 have pretty well-implemented bracketing options.

These days, there’s only one filter I consider essential — and even that depends on the situation. There’s another I still use occasionally. Everything else? Either replaceable, or unnecessary.

When I was shooting with the Canon 5D Mark II, bracketing was far more limited than it is today — just three exposures. If I wanted more flexibility, I had to do it manually, which slowed everything down.

Because of that, I relied heavily on my Lee Filters system.

That meant attaching the filter holder, choosing the right strength, and deciding between hard or soft graduated ND filters depending on the scene — hard edge for flat horizons, soft edge for a more gradual transition. More often than not, it involved trial and error. I’d take a shot, adjust, swap filters, and try again.

It worked, but it wasn’t quick.

At the time, the limited dynamic range of cameras and the more awkward HDR workflows pushed me toward using physical filters in the field. It was the most reliable way to get a balanced exposure.

Now, that’s changed.

Bracketing on modern cameras — whether it’s the Nikon Z system or Fuji X-series — is faster, more flexible, and something I actually use without thinking. Combined with how much quicker and cleaner editing has become, the whole process is far simpler than it used to be.

The One Essential Filter for Photography

There’s only one filter I consider essential today — and even then, it’s not something I use on every shot. The reason it stands apart is simple: its effect can’t be properly replicated in post. That filter is a circular polariser.

Why a Circular Polariser?

It does two things exceptionally well.

First, when the sun is off to your side, it boosts saturation and gives your images more punch — deeper blue skies, richer greens, and better overall contrast in your landscape shots.

But the more important reason is this: it cuts reflections.

When you shoot water without a polariser, reflections dominate. You lose detail and colour beneath the surface, and highlights can become harsh and distracting. Add a polariser, and you can rotate it to control those reflections — reducing glare, revealing what’s underneath, and bringing back colour and detail in submerged rocks and textures.

Below are two examples taken moments apart — one with a polariser, one without. Both were processed in exactly the same way.

The difference between them says far more than I can.

And that’s the key point: you can’t recover that information later. If it’s hidden by reflections at the time of shooting, it’s gone.

This isn’t just about water.

A polariser cuts reflections anywhere — windows, shiny surfaces, wet objects — and that makes it useful in far more situations than most people realise.

I use it a lot when photographing plants and flowers after heavy rainfall. That’s when they look their best, but it’s also when reflections can wash out colour and detail. A polariser lets you control that, bringing back richer tones and reducing glare on the surface.

Extra Benefit: Slower Shutter Speeds

Polarising filters typically reduce light by around a stop compared to shooting without one. That might not sound like much, but it can be useful when you want to slow your shutter speed slightly — for example, softening moving water without needing a full ND filter.

In some situations, that small reduction is enough to get the look you want without adding extra filters.

A Small Drawback to Be Aware Of

One thing to watch out for is using a polariser with ultra-wide lenses, like the Nikon Z 14–30mm f/4 S.

Because of the wide field of view, the polarising effect isn’t even across the frame. You can end up with one part of the sky looking much darker than the rest, which can feel unnatural if you’re not careful.

It’s not a deal-breaker — just something to be aware of when composing your shot.

Choosing the Right Polariser

This is one area where quality matters.

I’ve used cheap filters in the past, and they tend to introduce colour casts, uneven results, and — most frustratingly — they’re incredibly difficult to clean properly once they get dirty.

For years, I’ve used Hoya HD filters, after much trial and error with other brands and even different models from Hoya. They strike a good balance between quality and price — no colour issues, easy to clean, and solid build quality thanks to hardened glass. I specifically avoided their Pro1 range, as I found them harder to keep clean in real-world use.

They’re also slim enough to avoid vignetting, where the filter frame starts to creep into the edges of the image.

My Setup (Keep It Simple)

I used to carry multiple filters in different sizes. Now, I keep it simple:

• 82mm for my wide-angle setup
• 77mm for everything else

If I need to use them on smaller lenses, I just use a set of step-down rings. It’s a cheap, simple solution and avoids buying the same filter multiple times.

ND Filters — Useful, But Not Essential

So what about ND filters?

I’ll be straight — for video, they’re essential. For photography, it depends on how you shoot.

If you enjoy long exposures — waterfalls, rivers, the sea — then ND filters make life easier. They let you achieve that smooth, silky look regardless of how bright it is. For that reason alone, I’d say they’re worth having if those kinds of subjects appeal to you.

But I don’t consider them essential.

In my experience, these scenes often look best on overcast days anyway. Light levels are lower, reflections are reduced, and conditions are naturally better suited to longer exposures. In those situations, simply stopping your lens down to something like f/11–f/16 (or further if needed) is often enough to get a slower shutter speed and introduce motion into the water — no ND filter required.

Would the result be cleaner with an ND filter? Probably.
But it’s entirely possible to achieve the look without one.

Modern stabilisation has also changed things. With effective IBIS in today’s cameras, handheld shots at 1/4 to 1 second are realistic, which means you don’t always need a tripod either.

When ND Filters Become Necessary

Where ND filters do become essential is at the extreme end.

If you regularly shoot long exposures — several seconds or even minutes — then you’ll need something like the Lee Big Stopper or an equivalent 6–10 stop filter.

That kind of effect simply isn’t possible without one.

My Experience Using ND Filters

ND filters come in a variety of styles from fixed filtration rectangular filters that need adapters to circular screw on variable strength designs.

I do own a Big Stopper, but I rarely use it.

Partly because of the extra setup — filter holders, adapters, and the whole system — but also because I’ve often found stronger ND filters introduce colour casts that aren’t always easy to correct in post.

These days, if I use ND filters, I tend to stick with lighter-strength, variable ND filters and adjust my shutter speed and aperture to get the result I want. You have to choose your variable ND filter wisely as some designs introduce an un-sightly X shaped pattern in to your images as you increase the strength of the filtration. I now use Freewell variable ND filters which don’t have this issue and are reasonably priced.

It’s a simpler way of working — and for me, it fits better with how I shoot now. However with cameras such as the OM System OM-3, they now have built in computational modes that replicate the effect of an ND filter and even graduated ND filters.

Black Mist Filters — Fun, Not Essential

More recently, I’ve been experimenting with black mist filters on my Fujifilm X100VI.

These have become incredibly popular with photographers chasing a less clinical, more “film-like” look. What they do is fairly simple — they diffuse light slightly, lower contrast, and add a subtle glow (or halation) around bright light sources.

It’s a very distinctive look, and right now, it’s everywhere.

And to be fair — it can be fun.

On a camera like the X100VI with its small 49mm filter size, they’re relatively inexpensive, so it’s easy to pick one up and experiment. I’ve used both 1/4 and 1/8 strength filters, depending on how subtle I want the effect to be.

But I’m going to be straight here.

If you’re new to photography and wondering whether a black mist filter is going to take your images from good to great — it won’t.

This is a creative tool for achieving a specific look, not something that improves your photography in a fundamental way.

The effect itself is also quite subtle. You’ll notice it most in scenes with strong light sources — street lights, headlights, or backlit subjects — and occasionally in how it softens skin tones. In many situations, you may barely notice it at all.

Would I recommend buying one?

Generally, no.

But if you shoot a lot at night, particularly in cities, or you’re drawn to that retro, cinematic look, then at the price, it can be worth trying.

Just don’t feel like you need one.

I’ve seen trends come and go over the years, and while black mist filters are very popular right now, I’d expect that to shift over time.

Do You Need UV or Protection Filters?

I used to buy UV or protection filters for every lens I owned.

These days, I don’t.

I came to the conclusion that putting a £100–£200 piece of glass in front of lenses worth thousands probably isn’t doing image quality any favours. Instead, I leave the lens hood attached and take care of my gear.

That’s been more than enough.

As for UV filters specifically, they’re really a holdover from the film days. Back then, they served a purpose — cutting ultraviolet light hitting the film stock.

With digital cameras, that simply isn’t needed.

The only time I would actively advise putting protection filters on your lenses is in particularly harsh environments — for example, if you’re shooting seascapes and want to protect your lens from salt spray. A good protection filter is also easier to clean than a front element, and far less worrying to scratch.

Conclusion

If I was starting again today, I’d buy one filter — a circular polariser — and spend the rest of my time learning how light behaves.

If I was regularly shooting seascapes or long exposures, I’d add a variable ND filter for that extra control over shutter speed. Beyond that, I wouldn’t feel like I was missing anything.

That’s really the takeaway.

You don’t need a bag full of filters to take great photos — just a couple of high-quality options for specific situations. Beyond that, learning to see and work with light will do the rest.

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I bought the Z8 when I was still living in the Philippines, mainly shooting travel photography along with some street and candid work. I used it mostly with the 1.8 S series of primes, and at that point, the true benefits of the Z8 were somewhat wasted on me as I wasn’t really testing it to its limits. For more details see my full Nikon Z8 review.

Since moving to the Scottish Highlands in January, that’s changed completely.

The Z8 has taken over as my primary camera for a lot of my shooting, particularly landscapes and wildlife. It’s incredibly versatile and capable — offering great image quality for landscapes, autofocus that handles everything including wildlife, my favourite ergonomics of any camera when I want to get the shot with as little friction as possible, and build quality that inspires confidence in Scottish weather. With a few key accessories it’s just an incredible tool. Also see my guide to which filters you actually need for photography.

After taking it out into Scottish glens in the middle of winter and scouting wildlife locations locally, it dawned on me that this is the right camera for the job when things are demanding. When I have the Z8 with me, I’m not left wishing for another option.

Some people who own the Z8 will simply want — and be able to afford — the most expensive and absolute best lens for every situation, and there’s nothing wrong with that. The Z8 is a serious tool for serious photographers, and it can justify top-end glass.

But there’s also a point where a lens is more than good enough to produce professional-level results while saving a bit of money.

That’s the route I’ve personally taken with my Nikon Z8 lenses. Having moved countries and with a focus on settling my two children, I can’t always justify the most expensive glass. Childcare and other commitments come first, so I’ve spent a lot of time working out where I can get excellent performance while saving some money.

Where a subject is one of my core shooting scenarios, I’ll invest in the best I can afford. In other areas, I look for the best balance — lenses that do the job extremely well without paying for diminishing returns at the very top end.

These days in Scotland, I’m shooting far more landscapes and wildlife and much less travel. For those subjects, given the choice, I’d pick the Z8 nearly every time. I don’t use it as much for family or casual photography — for that, the size, weight, and feel of the Nikon Zf or my Fuji cameras make more sense.

By the end of this guide, I’ll show you the absolute best lenses for each type of shooting, but also where I’ve chosen to save money — and why — on lenses that still perform extremely well for the price.

Wide Angle Lenses for the Nikon Z8

I used to shoot wide angle lenses almost exclusively when I was working as a professional landscape photographer in the Outer Hebrides. I then moved away from them for a number of years, but since returning to Scotland, I’ve found myself using them more and more again.

The Scottish Highlands just suit wide angle photography. The ability to capture grand vistas with depth and drama is hard to ignore.

These days, my approach is a bit different. I’m more of a wander-and-discover photographer than someone who locks everything down on a tripod and waits for the light. But once I’ve found a location worth returning to, I’ll absolutely go back with a tripod, filters, and a more deliberate approach.

Best Wide-Angle Lens: NIKKOR Z 14-24mm f/2.8 S

If you want the absolute best wide angle lens for the Nikon Z system, this is it.

I used this lens extensively on the Z7 II, and the results were outstanding. It’s optically superb, very well corrected, and produces stunning files on high-resolution Z bodies — especially at ISO 64. Sharpness across the frame is excellent, and the overall rendering is about as good as it gets for a zoom of this type.

It’s also surprisingly light for an f/2.8 ultra-wide, and the build quality is exactly what you’d expect at this level — solid and confidence-inspiring.

If your priority is maximum image quality with no compromises, this is the lens to get.

That said, there are trade-offs.

It isn’t cheap, and for the way I shoot now, it’s a more specialist lens than it used to be for me. Even though it’s relatively light for what it is, it’s still noticeably larger than the alternative, which means it takes up more space in the bag for something I won’t use all the time.

For landscape work, f/2.8 also isn’t a major advantage in most situations, as I’m stopped down 99% of the time anyway (outside of astro work).

Then there’s the filter setup. You’re looking at 112mm filters or a dedicated system, which adds both cost and complexity. I’ve used the NiSi system before, and while it works well, it’s not something I particularly wanted to go back to.

Best Value Wide-Angle Lens: NIKKOR Z 14-30mm f/4 S

After considering the options, I ended up buying the Nikon Z 14–30mm f/4.

It’s still a very sharp lens, especially when stopped down for landscapes. The corners aren’t quite as good as the 14–24mm f/2.8, but across most of the frame it delivers excellent, professional-level results.

It also costs significantly less and is noticeably more compact and lighter, which makes a real difference. It takes up less room in my bag, and that means I’m far more likely to actually bring it with me.

For landscape work, f/4 is more than enough. I’m stopped down most of the time anyway, and importantly, this lens is still properly built for real-world use. It’s weather sealed, has a gasket at the mount, and includes a fluorine coating that helps shed water — all things that matter when you’re shooting in Scottish conditions.

One of the biggest advantages for me is filters. It takes standard 82mm filters, which are far more affordable and practical. I already owned a full set and was able to keep using them, rather than investing in a larger, more specialised system.

In real use, this lens is more than capable of producing beautiful landscape images at a professional level — and it does so while saving a significant amount in cost, weight, and size.

It’s not the absolute pinnacle of performance, but it doesn’t need to be. There are no major weaknesses here, and that’s what makes it such a strong choice.

The only real downside — and it’s minor — is the retractable design. When the lens is collapsed, you have to twist it into position before shooting. Nikon did this to keep the size down, and it works, but I do find it slightly irritating to have to “unlock” the lens each time.

That said, given the overall performance and value, it’s an easy compromise to live with.

Standard Zoom Lenses for the Nikon Z8

In Scotland, a standard zoom is my most used lens for general photography and landscapes. For most people, this is likely to be the lens that lives on their camera the majority of the time.

It needs to be optically excellent, cover a useful focal range, and ideally be weather sealed if you’re shooting outdoors. You’re also going to be carrying it a lot, so size and weight matter more than you might expect.

Best Overall Standard Zoom: NIKKOR Z 24-70mm f/2.8 S (and Mark II)

The best standard zoom for the Nikon Z system — and one used by a lot of professionals — is the 24–70mm f/2.8.

I owned the original version with my Z7 II, and it’s one of the best professional standard zooms I’ve ever used. It’s extremely sharp across the frame from 24–70mm, optically close to flawless, and delivers consistently excellent results.

The f/2.8 aperture makes it very flexible. You can shoot landscapes stopped down, then switch to portraits at the long end with strong subject separation. It also performs much better in low light than an f/4 zoom, which means you’re less likely to need to swap to a prime mid-shoot.

The focal range is practical, covering wide-angle shots at 24mm through to a useful short telephoto at 70mm. Build quality is excellent — solid, well balanced, and fully weather sealed — yet still relatively light compared to older DSLR equivalents.

The Mark II version improves things further with a new optical design, internal zoom (which helps with balance and weather resistance), and faster autofocus. I haven’t personally used the Mark II yet, but based on how good the original is, it’s safe to assume it’s an outstanding lens.

These aren’t cheap lenses, but if you want the best possible standard zoom for the Z8, this is it.

For photographers who rely on their gear professionally — wedding shooters, event photographers, or anyone needing reliability and performance in all conditions — this lens makes a lot of sense.

But for more general use, there’s a more balanced option.

Best Value Standard Zoom: NIKKOR Z 24-120mm f/4 S

My requirements for a general zoom here in the Scottish Highlands are fairly simple: it needs to be optically excellent, weather sealed, not too large or heavy, and justifiable in terms of price given my current situation.

That’s why I chose the 24–120mm f/4. For more details see my full Nikon Z 24-120mm f/4 S review.

In terms of size and weight, it’s about a perfect fit for the Nikon Z8. It feels substantial enough to match the ergonomics of the camera, but not so heavy that it becomes a burden. It balances extremely well when I’m out walking and exploring, and when mounted on my Peak Design Capture Clip, it still feels within what’s reasonable to carry without putting undue stress on the mount.

It’s a very well-balanced combination that just feels right in real use.

Optically, it’s very good. You get sharp images throughout most of the range, with the usual minor trade-offs you’d expect from a zoom that covers 24–120mm. It’s slightly softer at the long end, but still performs more than well enough in practice.

What makes it so useful is the range. It works as a genuine one-lens solution — from 24mm for wide landscapes through to 80–120mm where you can start isolating details. That flexibility matters when you’re out exploring and don’t want to keep changing lenses.

One thing that often gets overlooked is the minimum focusing distance of just 35cm. It’s genuinely useful for picking out details — flowers, textures, small elements in the landscape — and for general close-up work, it almost removes the need for a dedicated macro lens unless you’re specialising in it.

The f/4 aperture is also more usable than people sometimes assume. On a full-frame camera like the Z8, you still get a reasonable amount of subject separation at the longer focal lengths for portraits or family shots.

Build quality is solid, and like the rest of Nikon’s S-line lenses, it’s properly weather sealed. I’ve used it in wind-driven rain on the Z8 without concern.

This is the lens I use when I just want to head out, explore, and come back with strong images — and it hasn’t disappointed me.

If I could only keep one lens for the Z8, this would probably be it.

No, it’s not quite as sharp wide open as the 24–70mm f/2.8, but for the way I shoot — especially landscapes — I’m usually at f/5.6 or beyond anyway, where performance is genuinely excellent. It’s sharp where it matters, including in the corners at typical landscape apertures, and it easily resolves the full 45MP sensor.

And this is something I don’t often say about gear — but paired with the Z8, I realised on a walk last week that I simply love this combination.

It might not be the absolute best on paper, but it’s my favourite for its balance of image quality, focal range, size, weight, and build quality.

Best Telephoto Lens for Wildlife: NIKKOR Z 180-600mm f/5.6-6.3 VR

I’ve wanted to get into wildlife photography for a long time, but time and location have never quite lined up until this year.

Part of the reason I bought the Nikon Z8 was because I knew it was capable of supporting that shift — but pairing it with the right lens wasn’t a straightforward decision.

In an ideal world, I’d own every top-tier wildlife lens. But in reality, the decision came down to what I could afford that would still do the job properly.

Would the 100–400mm give me enough reach?
Is the 180–600mm actually good enough?
Would one of the PF primes be worth the extra cost?

Like a lot of people, I kept coming back to the 180–600mm as the lens that could potentially do everything — if it performed well enough.

Having now used it extensively on both the Z8 and Z6 III here in Scotland, I can say it absolutely does and it’s a core part of my wildlife photography kit.

Optically, it’s excellent throughout most of the range, with a slight drop-off beyond 550mm — but even there, it still performs well in real-world use. What stands out is that I never feel like I’m compromising on image quality by using it, which is exactly what you want from a lens in this category.

The focal range is what really makes it. Going all the way to 600mm puts you firmly into proper wildlife territory, and combined with the Z8’s DX crop mode, you can effectively reach a 900mm field of view while still getting usable 20MP files.

That kind of reach changes what’s possible.

Compared to my NIKKOR Z 400mm f/4.5 VR S, the prime is a little sharper and significantly lighter — but for a zoom covering this range, the 180–600mm is still very manageable. I can carry it comfortably on a strap or by the tripod collar, and it fits easily into my Think Tank MindShift BackLight 36L alongside a second body and additional lenses.

In terms of handling, it’s a very well thought-out lens. The build quality feels solid and premium, even without the S-Line badge. You get all the controls you need — custom buttons, focus limiter, AF/MF switch — and crucially, it’s an internal zoom design, so the lens doesn’t extend or shift balance when zooming.

Autofocus is also strong. Paired with the Z8, it’s fast enough to track demanding subjects, including birds in flight.

And importantly, it’s one of the most accessible serious wildlife lenses available. It’s cheaper than the 100–400mm and significantly more affordable than the prime options, while still delivering the kind of performance most people actually need.

There are some downsides.

At f/6.3, it’s not a low-light lens, but the Z8’s sensor handles higher ISO well enough that it’s still usable at dawn and dusk. It’s also not an ideal match for the 1.4x teleconverter, where you start to see a noticeable drop in image quality, along with the expected loss of light.

But taken as a whole, for the price, performance, and flexibility it offers, I think the 180–600mm is hard to beat.

If you own a Z8 and want to get into wildlife photography, this is the first lens I’d seriously consider — and ultimately, the one I’d recommend buying.

Building a Wildlife Kit for the Nikon Z8

One of the strengths of the Nikon Z system is that it offers some of the best wildlife lens options available right now.

The NIKKOR Z 180-600mm f/5.6-6.3 VR is a great-performing zoom and the lens I would recommend either as a one-lens solution or as the starting point for a wildlife kit. It gives you enough reach to take wildlife photography seriously without locking you into a fixed focal length.

From there, you can build a system around it.

A natural pairing is the NIKKOR Z 400mm f/4.5 VR S. This gives you better low-light performance, improved subject separation, and a much lighter option when you don’t need the full reach of the zoom.

Then, if you eventually want more reach — or plan to focus more heavily on bird photography — the NIKKOR Z 800mm f/6.3 VR S is the obvious addition, and one I’m personally planning to add in the future when funds allow.

There is another way to build a wildlife setup.

You could start with the NIKKOR Z 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6 VR S as a more general-purpose telephoto, then add a longer prime like the NIKKOR Z 600mm f/6.3 VR S or 800mm f/6.3 for extra reach.

That approach makes sense if you prioritise a lighter, more versatile starting point.

The reason I went with the first option is that it gives me a better balance for how I actually shoot.

• The 400mm f/4.5 gives me a lightweight, high-quality option with better low-light performance
• The 180–600mm gives me flexibility and enough reach for serious wildlife work
• And I still have a clear upgrade path to something like the 800mm f/6.3 later on

Importantly, I’m not left feeling short of reach while I work towards that next step.

Of course, the right setup depends on what you’re shooting.

But one thing is clear — with the Nikon Z8 and the Nikon Z system in general, you’re almost spoiled for choice when it comes to wildlife lenses.

And that’s before you even consider the more exotic options like the NIKKOR Z 400mm f/2.8 TC VR S or NIKKOR Z 600mm f/4 TC VR S, which represent the absolute pinnacle if money is no object.

Portrait / Prime Lenses for the Nikon Z8

If you make your living from shooting portraits, then you probably already know which lenses you want — and you may be considering the higher-end options like the NIKKOR Z 50mm f/1.2 S or NIKKOR Z 85mm f/1.2 S.

But for most people using the Z8 — shooting family, friends, or general portraits — those lenses are hard to justify for the advantages they bring if you’re not making money from them.

Best Portrait Lens: NIKKOR Z 85mm f/1.8 S

The best portrait lens for the Nikon Z8 is the 85mm f/1.8 S. For more details see my full Nikon Z 85mm 1.8S review.

It’s not cheap, but if you want to create portraits with strong subject separation that your standard zoom simply can’t match, it’s absolutely worth it.

The lens is incredibly sharp, focuses quickly and accurately, and at f/1.8 on a full-frame sensor, gives you a really nice level of background blur. The bokeh is smooth, the rendering is pleasing, and overall it produces images that look more “professional” straight out of the camera.

It’s not the smallest prime — it’s a little long and narrow in design — but on the Z8 it balances well and feels comfortable to use.

For most people, this is the portrait lens to buy if you want to take your photos of people to the next level.

Best All-Round Prime: NIKKOR Z 50mm f/1.8 S

A more flexible and slightly cheaper alternative is the 50mm f/1.8 S. For more details see my full Nikon Z 50mm 1.8S review.

This is actually my favourite prime in the Nikon Z system. The focal length is more versatile than 85mm, the image quality is excellent, autofocus is quick and reliable, and it’s also smaller and lighter.

If you prefer your portraits to include a bit more context — showing more of the environment around your subject — then 50mm can be a better choice.

However, for tighter portraits, headshots, and anything where you want the most flattering look, it doesn’t quite match what the 85mm delivers. The 85mm just has that slightly more compressed, flattering perspective that tends to make people look their best.

Final Thoughts

The Nikon Z8 is one of the best cameras currently available, and it deserves great lenses. It also deserves to be set up properly which is why I have written an article on the best wildlife settings for the Nikon Z8.

But it’s very easy to fall into the trap of buying the most expensive option in every category and spending an absolute fortune.

I’ve taken a different approach.

I’m happy to spend more on the lenses I use the most — where the benefits are clear and actually make a difference to my photography. But if there’s a lens that gives me everything I need while saving a bit of money, I’ll choose that instead, even if it’s not the absolute best on paper.

And I think that’s the balance that makes the most sense for most people.

Allocate your budget based on how you actually shoot.

If you’re constantly shooting wide-angle landscapes, then by all means go for the NIKKOR Z 14-24mm f/2.8 S. If you want to take better portraits but only do it occasionally, then it probably doesn’t make sense to spend on something like the NIKKOR Z 85mm f/1.2 S when the NIKKOR Z 85mm f/1.8 S will give you most of the performance for much less money.

Like a lot of photographers, I’m not in a position to own every lens in the system — even if I’d like to.

So for me, building a Nikon Z kit is about choosing lenses that deliver the performance I need, at a price I can realistically justify.

And if you take the same approach, you’ll end up with a kit that not only performs well — but actually makes sense for the way you shoot.