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.

I had never been to this particular area before, so moving here was a bit of a leap of faith. But everything so far has been better than we could have hoped for. It’s a lovely area with incredibly friendly people and stunning nature and wildlife right on our doorstep.

Sofia has settled into her new school really well and came back with more friends after her first day than I have in total.

I’ve managed to get out a couple of times a week to explore the local area, which has a lovely mixture of soft rolling countryside and woodland, as well as the harsher landscapes on the edge of the Scottish Highlands.

I’ve been taking a camera with me on all my outings — ranging from the X100VI and OM-3 to my OM-1 Mark II and Nikon Z8.

I’m still struggling a little bit to find my feet photographically. I’m increasingly pulled towards nature photography and trying to improve my wildlife photography, which takes time, patience and practice. Not to mention that I’m having to re-learn the local species after having lived abroad for over a decade. My memory and recall of various birds is not what it used to be.

Still, I’m finding that just being amongst nature is like medicine to me. I feel calm, relaxed, and am thoroughly enjoying the time I get outside — even when, as on Tuesday, I come back with no real shots to speak of.

I’m also struggling to focus a little at the moment. The plan had been for the three of us to come here and spend five weeks setting up the new home before my wife and youngest daughter joined us next week. We usually fly with Emirates from Cebu to the UK via Dubai.

Those plans have now gone out of the window due to the conflict currently unfolding in the Middle East. I’ve been preoccupied searching for alternative routes and then dismissing them due to logistics. So it looks like I’ll be watching the situation closely and waiting to determine a safe time for them to travel.

Let’s just hope the whole situation resolves itself as quickly as possible.

In the meantime I have bought in some new lenses which I’m very excited to get out and use: the Fujifilm 16-55mm f/2.8 II as a genral purpose lens so I can still shoot high quality photos but avoid having to swap lenses out in the middle of a Scottish glen in bad weather, as well as the Nikon Z 14-30mm f/4 for landscapes, the Nikon Z 400mm f/4.5 and the 180-600mm as well as the OM System 100-400mm II for wildlife.

I was surprised how light the 400mm in particular was, but also pleasantly surprised by the 180-600mm.

I worked through a bit of a dilemma as to which way to go with my wildlife photography and in the end decided that a combination of using the OM-1 Mark II with the 100-400mm II for casual and walk-around wildlife and nature photography, combined with the Nikon lenses for more purposeful wildlife outings, made the most sense.

Over the coming weeks and months I’ll be getting out more with those lenses for wildlife trips, which I hope will help me start improving my shots slowly. The plan is that come the Autumn, I’ll be much better than I am now, just in time for the Red deer rutting season.

I’ll also be heading out on some proper landscape trips where I will not only shoot but occasionally put various cameras up against each other in the hope that those articles will give some insight into the actual differences between systems.

Sadly, among the things I had to leave behind in the Philippines was my main tripod, so I’m also considering whether to get another — and if so, what to go for.

I’ve also spent a bit of time working out the various bits of kit I need to be comfortable in the Scottish mountains and glens — from waterproof jackets, boots and gloves to rucksacks, camera bags and so on. I now literally have more outdoor gear than everyday clothes, although that probably says more about the state of my normal wardrobe than anything else.

No one needs more than two sets of underwear, right?

After a month or so, and with various trial runs out in the hills, I’ve started to narrow down the kit that actually works here.

After so long abroad — and if I’m honest, after leading a fairly sedentary lifestyle — I’m also really enjoying the process of getting my fitness back to where I want and need it to be.

I’ve found myself pushing uphill faster than I expected and having a little more endurance than I imagined. Of course, that could just be my mental stubbornness and refusal to admit my age rather than any real physical attributes showing.

In the meantime, here are a few articles that I’ve written recently that you might enjoy.

Last Updated: May 2026

I’ve continued shooting extensively with both the Nikon Z 35mm f/1.8 S and Nikon Z 50mm f/1.8 S across multiple Nikon bodies including the Zf, Z6III and Z8. Since originally publishing this article, I’ve used them for family photography, travel, everyday carry and landscape work here in Scotland as well as during earlier shooting in the Philippines.

My overall conclusion remains the same: the 50mm f/1.8 S is still the stronger first-prime purchase for most Nikon Z users coming from a zoom, while the 35mm f/1.8 S remains one of Nikon’s best lenses for immersive storytelling and documentary-style photography. Both continue to hold up extremely well, even on the high-resolution Nikon Z8 sensor.

As photographers, we love to pretend we’re being sensible. We tell ourselves we need to choose between two lenses — one or the other, that’s it. We can’t justify owning both… at least, that’s what we say out loud. But the truth is we’re already quietly picturing both in the bag — it’s just a matter of timing and justification.

And that’s where the real tension lies: when you’re not choosing between kit lenses and overpriced exotics, but between two genuinely excellent primes — proper tools that could shape the look of your images for years. That’s exactly the position many Z shooters find themselves in when deciding between the Nikon Z 35mm f/1.8 S and the 50mm f/1.8 S. I rounded up the best lens kits for the Nikon Z6III here. Both lenses pair really well with the Nikon Z6III as I saw in my review of the Z6III but they also perform incredibly on higher resolution bodies like the Z8. If you’re unsure whether to get the Nikon Z6III or Z8 then see my comparison of the two. I also recently wrote about why the Nikon ZF is so important to Nikon.

I own both along with the 85mm 1.8s. I’ve shot both in real situations — travel, family, daily carry. In this article, I’m not just going to compare specs; I’m going to help you figure out which one will actually make the bigger impact first. One of these Z primes along with a few of the best accessories for the Nikon Z6III and you will be ready to make some great photos. I also recently compared the 35mm 1.8S against the Nikon Z 24-120mm f/4S to see how close zooms get to primes these days.

For a look at another excellent Nikon Z prime lens but with a completely different character, I’ve been shooting with the Nikon Z 20mm 1.8S lately.

After shooting extensively with the Nikon Z system, I’ve pulled together a comprehensive Nikon Z lens guide based on what genuinely works in real-world use.

*As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. This comes at no extra cost to you and helps support the work that goes into creating these articles.*

Nikon Z 35mm 1.8 vs 50mm 1.8 – What the technical differences are in real life

Nikon Z 35mm f/1.8 S — Optical Performance

Wide open, the 35mm is sharp in the centre — sharp enough to define individual eyelashes if you’re close. There is a touch of vignetting at f/1.8, but it clears up quickly when stopped down and is easily corrected in post, so it’s not an issue in practice. The corners soften slightly at f/1.8, but from f/2.8 onwards they tidy up nicely.

In actual images, I’ve seen no trace of visible chromatic aberration, flare or distortion. Nikon has clearly put their premium coatings and optical recipe into these 1.8 primes — these are not cheap, compromised lenses pretending to be affordable primes. They are professional in everything but price and size.

Bokeh isn’t usually what people expect from a 35mm, but this lens surprised me. Out-of-focus areas are smooth, transitions are clean, and there’s no nervousness or distracting texture. There is a touch of cat-eye effect towards the edges, but it’s subtle and only noticeable if you go looking for it. For a 35mm f/1.8, the rendering is genuinely impressive.

Nikon Z 50mm f/1.8 S — Optical Performance

The 50mm takes everything the 35mm does well and pushes it further. It is sharper wide open — in fact, it’s one of the sharpest lenses I’ve owned at f/1.8. Like the 35mm, it shows a bit of vignetting at f/1.8, but again, it’s mild, clears up by f/2.8 and is trivial to correct. The centre is pin sharp, and the corners — if you care about corner sharpness at f/1.8, which I generally don’t — are also very strong.

Yes, it’s sharper than the 35mm wide open, but we’re talking about the difference between excellent and exceptional here. Stopping down adds a fraction more bite, but it’s already so strong at f/1.8 that it doesn’t really matter.

Like the 35mm, there are no issues with flare, chromatic aberration or visible distortion in real-world use. Nikon has opted for strong optical correction rather than relying on software profiles, and it shows. The bokeh is smooth and creamy, again with only a slight hint of cat-eye shape towards the edges. In terms of pure optical performance, this is one of the best lenses I’ve shot with — and that includes more exotic and expensive glass.

How These Lenses Change the Way You Shoot

On paper, 35mm and 50mm don’t seem far apart. In practice, they change your shooting behaviour in noticeably different ways.

The 35mm is a storytelling focal length. It encourages you to step in, to be physically present in the moment, and to place elements within your frame to create depth. It’s wide enough to give a sense of place, but not so wide that it distorts or feels forced. You can step back and take in a landscape, or lean in and document family life without feeling cramped. Movement is easier to work with thanks to the wider field of view, and for travel or everyday shooting, it feels like a very natural focal length for documenting life as it unfolds. With the right subject-to-background distance, it can absolutely deliver soft, pleasing backgrounds — but it’s not a portrait lens in the traditional sense.

The 50mm, by contrast, tells a slightly tighter story. It still has storytelling ability, but it trims away more of the surrounding context — think a weaver’s hands rather than a weaver in their environment. It naturally encourages you to look for details and gestures rather than entire scenes. It also opens up more portrait possibilities: you can isolate a subject from further away than you can with a 35mm, making half-body and full-body portraits feel more natural. This lens is bitingly sharp and its rendering has a beautiful clarity to it. It brings emotion forward in the frame, directing attention more forcefully to your subject. The perspective often feels like you are peering into a scene rather than being immersed in it.

Where the 35mm invites you into the scene, the 50mm lets you stand just back far enough to observe with intention. The 35mm can create depth, the 50mm can compress perspective.

So Which One Should You Buy First?

The title of this article is which one should you buy first, so let’s answer it clearly.

If you already know that you prefer shooting at 35mm or 50mm, then the choice is simple — choose the focal length that matches how you naturally see. Both lenses are good enough optically that you won’t make a wrong decision.

But if you’re unsure and this will be your first prime lens — and I’m assuming you already own a zoom like the 24–70mm f/4, 24–120mm f/4, or 24–200mm f/4-6.3 — then I’m not going to sit on the fence:

Buy the Nikon Z 50mm f/1.8 S first.

Here’s why:

• It delivers a bigger visible jump in image quality over your zoom.
  The difference between 50mm at f/4 and 50mm at f/1.8 is far more dramatic than 35mm at f/4 vs 35mm at f/1.8. You’ll feel the upgrade more.
• Subject separation is more pronounced at 50mm.
  Even with the same f/1.8 aperture, the compression and background blur at 50mm simply look more “prime-like” than at 35mm.
• Your zoom already covers 35mm comfortably.
  At 35mm, you’ll often be stopping down to f/5.6 or f/8 for depth of field anyway — right where your zoom is already working well. At 50mm, you’re much more likely to actually use f/1.8 wide open.
• If you’re using a variable aperture zoom (like the 24–200mm f/4–6.3), the difference is even more dramatic.
  At 50mm that zoom is probably closer to f/5 or f/5.6, — so dropping to f/1.8 on a prime feels like a real upgrade. At 35mm, the zoom is faster, so the jump doesn’t feel as significant.
• And finally — it’s the cheaper of the two.
  The Z 50mm f/1.8 S delivers a bigger perceived improvement for less money. That matters.

In short, the 50mm gives you more of that “prime lens look” straight away, and that’s exactly what people are hoping for when they step beyond a standard zoom for the first time.

When the 35mm f/1.8 S Makes More Sense as Your First Prime

The 50mm is the stronger first-prime choice for most photographers coming from a zoom — but there’s a specific type of shooter who will be better served by starting with the 35mm f/1.8 S instead.

You should buy the 35mm first if:

• You shoot in tighter spaces — family life around the home, documentary-style travel, small interiors, street work where backing up isn’t always possible.
• You prefer to feel “in” the scene rather than observing it. The 35mm keeps you physically closer to your subjects, which changes the energy of your images in a way that some photographers naturally connect with.
• You value context over compression. If you like to include environment, layers and storytelling elements rather than isolating a single subject, 35mm rewards that style better.
• You shoot movement or candid moments. The wider field of view is simply more forgiving, and it feels more responsive when documenting life as it unfolds.

The difference between the two lenses isn’t just technical — it’s philosophical.
50mm isolates; 35mm involves.

If you’re still finding your shooting style and want a prime that lets you experiment freely, the Nikon Z 50mm f/1.8 S is the best starting point. It hits the sweet spot between focal length, image quality and handling, and it’s one of the most affordable Nikon Z primes — which makes it a low-risk, high-reward upgrade.

The 50mm is also a very forgiving focal length. It flatters subjects, isolates cleanly and delivers that “prime look” with very little effort. There’s a reason photographers have recommended a 50mm as a first prime for decades — and nothing about these two Z lenses changes that advice.

Start with the 50mm, learn how it changes your images, and you’ll quickly understand what you’re missing — which makes choosing your second prime much easier. In my case, owning both has made complete sense. They do different jobs, create different types of images, and that’s exactly why both earn a place in my kit. And eventually, most Nikon Z shooters end up in the same place.

Whichever prime you decide to buy, you can find the latest pricing below:

The air on the Dumaguete Boulevard hung thick and warm, the kind that settles on your skin and forces you to slow down just enough to notice the details — the salt in the air, the rattle of tricycles, the constant movement of people along the seawall. It was my birthday, and honestly, I couldn’t think of a better way to spend it: two cameras slung over my shoulders, Sofia beside me with her own camera, and my mum walking that stretch for the first time.

On the Fuji X-T5, I had the 23mm f/1.4 WR — one of my favourite lenses because of the way it renders. On the Nikon Z6III, the 35mm f/1.8 S, a lens that feels like it was cut from a block of machinery — clean, fast, efficient. It’s a lens that featured in my guide to the best lenses for the Nikon Z6III. For a full review of the Nikon Z6III see this article.

This wasn’t a studio test or a carefully staged shoot. This was real walking, real moments, real use. One camera would come up to the eye, then the other. No charts. No stopping to analyse. Just shooting — the way most photographers actually work.

With the Fuji, I felt involved in the process. The dials, the click of the aperture ring, the way that 23mm encourages you to move and compose with intention — it feels like a camera built to tell stories. The Nikon delivered a completely different kind of satisfaction. The 35mm snapped into focus, the camera made its decisions instantly, and the files came out clean and punchy. It gets out of your way by being precise.

Later, looking over the images, I didn’t find myself saying, “Full frame is clearly on another level.” Instead, I saw two distinct shooting experiences. The Fuji felt like a Jaguar E-Type — full of character, imperfect in a way that draws you in. The Nikon like a modern Ferrari — engineered power, everything refined and controlled.

Both made me want to keep shooting. But it confirmed something I’ve long suspected: in 2025, the real difference isn’t sensor size — it’s mindset.

Why This Comparison Matters (Beyond Specs)

Most comparisons like this are written with a simple outcome in mind — declare a winner. X beats Y, therefore you should buy X. It makes for easy headlines and neat conclusions, but it completely ignores the way photographers actually form relationships with their gear.

Yes, I’ll talk about autofocus behaviour, handling, lens feel and how each camera responds when you’re moving through real life with it — but reducing this to a scoreboard of feature checkboxes would miss the point entirely. A camera isn’t just a specification sheet. It’s a tool that shapes how you see, how you move, and how you react to a moment.

What I’ve learned using both systems side-by-side, not in a studio but out in places like Dumaguete, is that Fuji and Nikon don’t compete in the way the internet wants them to. They interact with you differently. They ask different things of you. They reward different instincts.

In my X-T5 review, I wrote about Fuji being a camera you operate with intent, where the process is part of the reward. In my early Z6III field notes, I said Nikon feels like a camera that disappears the moment you lift it — it just executes. Neither approach is wrong. But they lead you to different photographs, even when the subject is the same.

That’s why this isn’t a verdict piece. It’s a perspective piece. If you came here expecting a quick “just get the full frame” conclusion, this probably isn’t the article you thought it would be — and that’s exactly why I’ve written it.

A Quick Note on Specs (For the Pragmatic Shooters)

The Full Frame Promise: Where the Nikon Z6III Shines

Let’s give the Nikon its due. If there’s a camera designed to eliminate doubt, it’s the Z6III. There’s a certain clarity of purpose to it — the kind of quiet confidence that comes from a company that has spent decades building cameras for people who simply must not miss. Their Z lens lineup is similar with lenses like the Nikon Z 85mm 1.8S that just get the job done.

The moment I wrapped my hand around the grip, it felt familiar in a way that surprised me. It took me straight back to my Nikon D600 days, when a camera felt like a solid extension of your hand rather than something you had to constantly interpret. The Z6III carries that same DNA — dense without being heavy, balanced, reassuring. And that on/off switch — no one talks about it, but every Nikon shooter knows exactly why it matters. It’s the fastest, most natural control placement in the industry. Flip and go. No hesitation. No friction.

The 35mm f/1.8 S on the front only reinforces that feeling. It’s not romantic in the way the Fuji 23mm f/1.4 WR is — it’s disciplined. Focus is silent and instant. The files have that Nikon pop and clarity, the kind that makes images feel immediately finished without needing to massage them in post. Where the Fuji leans into character, the Nikon leans into certainty.

And then there’s the moment that shut me up completely.

I was messing around from my hotel balcony at night, half as a joke — just tracking trikes, scooters and cars as they cut through the pools of light under the street lamps, fully expecting to trip it up at least once. I couldn’t. The focus snapped on every time, no hesitation, no hunting. I glanced at the file info and thought, “That looks clean enough for ISO 6400.” Then I looked again. ISO 64,000 — and the frames at 12,800 were unbelievably clean.

I’m not a night shooter, but if I were, the Z6III would genuinely let me see in the dark.

This is what Nikon does better than almost anyone: it gets out of your way by being so capable that you stop thinking about the camera entirely. If your priority is never missing focus, never worrying about ISO, and trusting the camera to execute — then yes, the Z6III makes an incredibly strong case.

But that’s just one side of the story. Because photography isn’t only about getting it done — sometimes, it’s about feeling something while you’re doing it.

The Fuji Ethos: When the Camera Becomes Part of the Story

Switching back to the X-T5 after the Nikon is like stepping out of a performance machine and into something made to be driven for the joy of it. It’s lighter, more compact — not by a lot, but just enough to notice in the hand and on the shoulder — and it hangs there in a way that makes you keep walking even when you’re technically finished shooting.

With the Fuji, I’m not thinking about burst rates or tracking performance. I’m not worried about whether I’ve squeezed every drop of technical quality out of the files. I’m in storyteller mode. I’m looking for expression, for small gestures, for moments that feel real. I know the autofocus isn’t class-leading and that full frame will always have the spec advantage, but none of that crosses my mind while I’m shooting. The X-T5 makes me pay attention, not because it demands it, but because the dials, the aperture ring, the physical engagement pull me into the process.

The 23mm f/1.4 WR isn’t perfect either. Compared to the Nikon 35mm, it’s a little less clinical, a touch less immediate in focus, the rendering more organic and less punchy. But that’s exactly why I enjoy using it. There’s a personality to how it draws a scene — not better or worse, just different. A little more human.

With the Z6III, I feel like I can trust it to get the shot no matter what. With the X-T5, I feel like I’m part of making the shot happen. And that changes the entire rhythm of how I work. I move differently with it. I pay attention differently. I’m more deliberate, even when I’m shooting quickly.

With the Fuji, I embrace the imperfections the same way you do with that classic E-Type, because you know that when the motor starts and you get in the driver’s seat, the experience is going to be special.

Final Thoughts: Two Cameras, Two Ways of Seeing

I pick up the Z6III when I want a camera that just works — all the time, every time, no matter what I throw at it. There’s no scenario in my world that it can’t handle. Some days, I just want the most dependable, ergonomically refined camera I own, and for me that’s the Nikon Z6III and Z8. If I’m shooting professionally, or working on a project that needs low light performance, fast AF tracking or shallower depth of field, this is where Nikon shines. At this moment in time, I think the Z6III is the best enthusiast/pro-level full frame camera available.

I pick up the X-T5 for different reasons. It’s the camera I take for personal work, when I still want great image quality but in a lighter, more compact form. When I go out shooting for the sake of shooting — for fun, for personal projects, for the experience — that’s when Fuji makes the most sense. The retro styling disarms people, it gets more natural reactions, and the shooting experience locks me into storyteller mode.

I don’t ask it to track moving subjects, but I know it can. I’ve got it set up exactly how I like it, and because of that I barely ever touch the menus. It’s simple, confident and familiar.

Honestly, both cameras are incredible tools. If I could only have one, I’d be happy with either. The real question is simpler than people make it: Do you see more value in the experience of shooting, or in having the technically strongest tool in your hands?

Personally, I see the argument for owning both. In fact, combining Fuji and Nikon into a single kit might just be the ideal setup. They also happen to have my two favourite lens lineups of any system — not because they cover everything, but because every lens feels like it was designed with a photographer in mind, not a spec sheet. They’re two of the most photographer-centric systems available today — they just take different routes to get there.

If you’re looking for a more technical comparison of the two cameras, I’ll have a separate write-up for that — because this one was always meant to ask a different question.

I’m not interested in brand loyalty. I’m interested in cameras that make me want to go out and shoot. And right now, that means Fuji and Nikon, side by side.

If this comparison has you leaning toward a more flexible travel setup with interchangeable lenses rather than a fixed-lens compact, I’ve also put together a separate guide to the best interchangeable-lens travel cameras in 2025 that includes the Z6 III, X-T5 and other system cameras built for real travel use.

Ah, another 50mm f/1.8 lens. Great… but wait — this one’s different.

My first 50mm was the plastic-fantastic Canon 50mm f/1.8 back on a humble 450D. I’m not knocking it — it was great value, and at that point in my photography journey, I was still learning and genuinely amazed at how much better it was than the 18–55mm kit lens.

But let’s be honest — that lens focused slower than an eight-year-old with ADHD. It felt like it was built by a work experience kid on a Friday afternoon, piecing together whatever parts were left in the bin.

Still, it nailed that perfect size-to-aperture ratio that f/1.8 lenses so often do — compact, fast enough, and affordable.

This article contains affiliate links. I may earn a small commission if you purchase through these links at no extra cost to you.

But here’s where Nikon’s f/1.8 Z lineup stands apart from almost every other brand right now: they don’t force you to choose between the best and the most practical as I found in my best lenses for the Nikon Z6III article and more recently in my Nikon Z 85mm 1.8S review. Nikon gives you everything — premium build, pro-grade optics, fast, confident autofocus — without making you pay for f/1.2 “halo” glass just to get it. I personally own the 20mm 1.8, 35mm 1.8, 50mm 1.8 and 85mm 1.8 lenses. I compared the Nikon Z 35mm 1.8S vs 50mm 1.8S here. The Nikon Z6III also follows this ethos and only needs a few high quality accessories to finish it off. Likewise for the Nikon Z8. If you are considering upgrading to an even higher end camera then I discussed whether it is worth it when I compared the Z6III against the Z8. If you want one of the most beautiful cameras, then I discussed why I bought the Nikon ZF here.

I’ve also put together a detailed guide to the best lenses for the Nikon Z system, based entirely on lenses I’ve owned and used in real-world shooting.

So how does that philosophy hold up in real-world use with the Z 50mm f/1.8?

Design & Build: Premium, and Nothing More

Let’s get the elephant in the room out of the way first — the Nikon Z 50mm f/1.8 S is larger than you might expect. At 415 grams (0.91 lb) and 8.7 cm long (3.4 inches), it’s no featherweight. But it’s also not playing the same game as your typical plastic-fantastic 1.8 lens. This belongs to Nikon’s S-line — their premium glass — and that means very little compromise anywhere.

Most brands treat their f/1.8 primes as the “good enough” tier: lighter, cheaper, and fine for hobbyists. Nikon didn’t. This one feels exactly what I expect from them — no-nonsense, well built, ergonomically spot-on with both the Z6III (my Z6III field notes) and Z8, and premium without being flashy.

It’s mostly plastic, yes, but it never feels cheap. In fact, here in the Philippines, that’s an advantage — metal lenses can get scorching hot and sticky in the humidity, while this stays comfortable to handle. The broad focus ring turns smoothly with just the right resistance, and the physical AF/MF switch is a welcome nod to practicality. You also get Nikon’s full suite of coatings to tame flare, shed water, and keep contrast high even in brutal light.

It’s not a small lens, but it feels perfectly sized for how I shoot — left hand under the lens, right hand on the controls. Think of it as roughly on par with Fuji’s red-badge primes like the 23mm 1.4WR and 33mm 1.4WR: substantial but balanced. I compared the Z6III against the Fujifilm X-T5 on a recent trip to Dumaguete.

If you’re chasing minimal weight above all else, the 40mm f/2 might tempt you — but I own that lens, and it’s not in the same league. The 50mm f/1.8 S is fully weather-sealed at both the mount and internally, and it shrugs off the tropical rain and dust we’ve been getting lately. I’ve used Nikon bodies and lenses for over a decade in every kind of weather, and I’ve yet to see them falter.

My only wish for a future version? An aperture ring. Nikon’s resistance to adding one on most Z lenses remains my single gripe in an otherwise near-flawless design.

Image Quality: Sharp Enough to Cut You

Let’s just cut straight to the chase — this lens is bitingly sharp, even wide open. I could basically leave the section right here, but there’s some nuance worth talking about.

At f/1.8 it’s as sharp as anyone could ever need. It defines eyelashes, blades of grass, and probably pins in the corner of a distant room (well, I haven’t specifically tested that — but on the Z8, I’m willing to stand by it ). I have recently tested the sharpness of the 50mm 1.8s against the 24-120mm f/4s

It’s razor sharp in the centre, and by f/2.8 the corners have fully caught up. There’s a little vignetting wide open, easily corrected in Lightroom, although I tend to like a touch of natural vignette when shooting wide open. I can’t detect any chromatic aberration at all, and distortion is non-existent — at least not to my eyes.

Optically, this lens is exceptional — among the very best 50mm lenses I’ve used (and I’ve shot a lot of them, from Sony’s 50mm f/1.2 GM and Canon’s RF 50mm f/1.2L to OM System’s 25mm f/1.8).

Despite being a “mere” f/1.8, on full-frame it can still blow backgrounds into a soft, creamy mess if you wish. Generally, the bokeh is smooth and non-distracting, though the aspherical elements introduce a touch of onion-ring and a slight cat’s-eye effect toward the edges. On one occasion I noticed a hint of nervousness in the background, but I couldn’t replicate it — probably down to a chaotic jungle backdrop rather than the lens itself.

What really impresses me is that, even though it’s bitingly sharp, it never looks clinical. The rendering still has character — great microcontrast, natural colour, and that subtle “pop” Nikon seems to get so right. It feels organic and balanced — exactly how a modern lens should render. I’ve also used it more recently to shoot landscapes in Scotland.

Autofocus: So Dependable I Barely Need to Write This Section

I’ll keep this one short for two reasons: first, it’s so good that if I can’t get in-focus shots, I probably need to seek medical attention; and second, I value your time.

This lens is fast, reliable and near-silent to focus. It never misses a beat — locks onto faces instantly, nails anything else you point it at, doesn’t hunt, doesn’t slow down in low light, and tracks moving subjects almost perfectly. I fired off a few high-speed bursts of passing cars, trikes, and scooters, and after three attempts I got bored — I couldn’t make it miss.

I’d love to tell you that’s because I’m an incredible sports photographer, but then my nose would grow.

My only minor gripe is that it doesn’t focus particularly close, so if you’re shooting detail shots — say, rings or decor at a wedding — you’ll need to crop in a bit. Beyond that, it’s basically as good as 99% of photographers will ever need.

Verdict: The Silent Assassin

While other lenses are running at the target — screaming and shouting as they charge forward — the Nikon Z 50mm f/1.8 S quietly slips, unnoticed, into the wedding reception. It fires off only what it needs to get the job done and then, just as effortlessly as it arrived, slips away under cover of darkness — like a silent assassin.

Job done. No fuss. No heroics.

A lens that performs every bit as well as its louder, flashier f/1.2 brothers-in-arms — without all the drama and at half the cost.

This lens sums up Nikon’s philosophy better than any marketing campaign ever could. They give photographers the tools they need, with the performance that matters.

Nikon Z6III Field Notes

I’ve brought the Nikon Z6III with me on a trip to Dumaguete to compare it with the Fujifilm X-T5 and I’m jotting these down the way I would if I were writing in a notebook between shots. I brought two lenses for each system, the 35mm (Nikon Z 35mm 1.8S and Fuji 23mm 1.4WR) and 50mm (Nikon Z 50mm 1.8S and Fuji 33mm 1.4WR) equivalents. I compared the 35mm against the 50mm in this article. I’ve added what I consider to be the best accessories for the Nikon Z6III to the camera and I’ve written an article on those too. You can now read the full Nikon Z6III review.

The camera is incredibly comfortable to hold; it fits my small-to-medium hands like a glove. Ergonomics are excellent — exactly what I’ve come to expect from Nikon since my first D600. The build feels solid, and every button, switch and dial has satisfying feedback. The menu system is logical and easy to navigate, though once I customised my buttons I rarely needed to dive in.

One thing I loved tonight was the top LCD screen. Being able to light it up to check settings in the dark is brilliant, but it also proved handy in the daytime — I was crossing a slightly sketchy rope bridge at a jungle resort and could check my exposure at a glance without moving my grip.

The viewfinder is excellent: large, bright and crisp. The rear screen is good but I do wish Nikon had given the Z6III the tilt design from the X-T5 or Z8.

Burst Shooting & Autofocus

Last night on my hotel balcony I tried something I rarely do — testing burst modes. The 120fps mode basically feels like you’re recording video. Tracking moving vehicles was mind-blowing: sticky, confident and fast. This is a serious upgrade for action shooters. The continuous high hit rates on scooters and cars was 100% using Nikon’s 3D tracking AF mode. I’ve been using 3D tracking a lot of the time. Note to self: Test zone focus more as thats what I usually use. The 3D tracking box is a little small which is good for accuracy but it means you have to place the box quite intentionally all the time. which isn’t always the fastest thing to do to grab quick shots.

Low Light & High ISO

High ISO performance is next level. I thought I was at ISO 6400 but a few frames turned out to be ISO 64,000 — and the files were still usable. At ISO 6400, noise is virtually invisible. This camera sees in the dark.

Lenses So Far

I’ve been using the NIKKOR Z 35mm f/1.8 S and 50mm f/1.8 S. The 50mm especially has impressed me as I found in my best Nikon Z6 III lenses guide — excellent sharpness and overall rendering. In one scenario I noticed a little bokeh nervousness, but most of the time it looks smooth and pleasing. I’ll test more as the trip continues.

Battery Life

Battery life so far is very good. I’ve intentionally not charged since arrival and after two evenings and a casual day of shooting it’s nowhere near empty. I haven’t hammered it with heavy continuous bursts yet, but for typical travel shooting it feels like one battery could last a full day.

Weight

From a purely shooting perspective without looking at specs, the Z6III + 50mm 1.8 feels comparable to my X-T5 + 33mm 1.4WR but the Fuji is definitely lighter and somehow feels more compact, more so than the specs would suggest. But they’re in the same ballpark for sure.

Shooting experience

I need more time with the camera. So far, for a pro grade – all around type camera that needs to perform its right up there with the best I’ve shot. I haven’t yet clicked with it like i do with the X-T5. Shooting time will provide the answers for me. I’m impressed but it’s a different kind of shooting experience than my Fujis.

This article is different — it’s for people who want a more capable travel camera system with interchangeable lenses, better low-light performance, full manual control and room to grow beyond a single fixed lens.

Travel moves fast — the moments you want to capture often happen once, and you don’t get do-overs. Choosing the right camera can mean the difference between a memory saved forever and a moment missed.
I’ve spent the last 15+ years shooting everywhere from quiet English villages to tropical beaches and crowded cities — using Fujifilm, Nikon, OM System, Sony and even medium format GFX cameras along the way.
In this guide, I’ll cut through the noise and share my real-world recommendations for the best travel cameras in 2026, tailored to different types of travelers and budgets. I’ve shot and owned every camera on this list so these are real recommendations based on real shooting.

What to Consider Before Buying

Choosing the right camera for travel isn’t just about specs — it’s about how the camera fits into your trip and your life. Here are the main factors I look for when deciding what to pack:

• Portability: You’ll carry it all day, often in hot, crowded, or rugged places. A lighter camera means you’ll actually bring it everywhere.
• Lens Ecosystem: The best camera is the one that can grow with you. Make sure there are lenses available for the type of photography you love most (wide landscapes, portraits, wildlife, etc.).
• Weather Sealing: Essential if you shoot outdoors — rain, dust, and humidity are part of travel.
• Battery Life: Always check real-world battery life. Some mirrorless cameras burn through batteries quickly, so bring spares. The ability to charge via USB-C and use powerbanks is increasingly useful.
• Image Quality: This includes resolution, dynamic range, and how the camera handles low light — but also whether it’s good enough for your intended output. There’s little point in hauling a 100MP medium format camera if your images will only live on Instagram.

Now that you know what to look for, here are my top picks for the best travel cameras in 2026 — covering every budget and travel style.

Some links in this article are affiliate links. If you buy through them, I may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you.

Best Overall Travel Camera— Fujifilm X-T5

In my opinion, the Fujifilm X-T5 combines the strengths of multiple cameras. When paired with Fujifilm’s compact Fujicron lenses, it’s really not much bigger than the X100VI — but you still get all the handling benefits of Fuji’s physical shutter speed and ISO dials, plus an aperture ring on most lenses. I put the X-T5 up against the Nikon Zf in a separate article to see how they compared.

The image quality is virtually identical to the X100VI, but there are some important benefits: the bigger NP-W235 battery means it lasts all day for casual shooting, it has dual card slots for peace of mind, and with many of Fuji’s f/2 lenses it’s actually faster to focus than the X100VI.

The big difference, of course, is flexibility. Being able to change lenses means you can create a system that suits you perfectly — from small, lightweight travel setups to pro-grade images with some of the most beautifully rendering primes on the market, like the 23mm f/1.4 WR , 33mm f/1.4 WR and 56mm 1.2WR. If you want to delve deeper, then these are the best Fuji lenses for travel photography or for a broader view, the best Fuji lenses in 2026 .

For me, the X-T5 strikes the best balance of any camera available right now in terms of size, flexibility, image quality, and enjoyment. It’s my most-used camera and, when I sold off all my gear in 2024 to do a complete reset, this was the system I chose to base my personal shooting around. You can see why in my Fuji X-T5 full review. Its now, unbelievably, half way through 2026 and I’m using the X-T5 just as much now that I’m living in Scotland as I did in the Philippines.

It’s particularly good for photographing people thanks to Fuji’s film simulations, and with seven custom shooting modes available, I can set up multiple configurations and access them quickly from the Q menu. Honestly, if I could only have one camera for travel photography, this would be the one — it just does everything I need.

Check the latest prices for the Fuji X-T5 here.

Are there downsides? Sure. The AF — which gets a lot of criticism online — still isn’t up to Sony’s level for fast action tracking, but it’s good enough for everything I shoot. Build quality is very good, though not quite as bulletproof as the next camera on this list but it’s stood up to everything I’ve thrown at it in South-East Asia and the Scottish Highlands.

Best Complete Travel System — OM System OM-3

If you want a complete, travel-ready camera that offers everything you could possibly need without hauling a bunch of accessories, the OM System OM-3 should be very high on your list. I discuss why I bought the OM System OM-3 here and you can find my full OM System OM-3 review here.

The OM-3 has the latest stacked Micro Four Thirds sensor, which allows it to focus and shoot extremely quickly. On a trip to Moalboal, Philippines, it easily tracked Sofia running down the beach. It’s small and light, so it doesn’t take up much room in your bag, and when paired with tiny, weather-sealed lenses like the OM System 17mm f/1.8 II, it offers excellent image quality in an unbeatably compact package.

Not only does the OM-3 produce fantastic color images, it has a dedicated dial on the front of the camera that allows you to customise in-camera color and a dedicated black and white mode on the dial. It produces some of the nicest straight out of camera black and white images of any camera I’ve used.

Not only is this a beautiful-looking camera, it’s quick to use with enough custom buttons to adjust everything important without menu-diving. It looks retro but uses the faster PASM dial, combining classic aesthetics with modern usability. Yes, the sensor is smaller than the others on this list and has the lowest resolution at 20MP, but it’s still more than capable of producing images that will make you never want to rely on your phone again. Just in case you are wondering, 20mp is comfortably enough to print 30×20″ at a very high quality.

Where the OM-3 really shines is freedom — freedom to leave the tripod at home, freedom to forget physical filters, and freedom to shoot any subject you want thanks to its incredible computational modes: I talk about the things I already love about my OM-3 here along with the best lenses for travel photography with the OM-3 here.

Here are the feature highlights available on the OM-3.

• Handheld High-Res: Get 50MP files with improved color and noise performance (as long as your subjects are still).
• Live ND & ND Grad: Simulate long exposures without carrying filters.
• Live Bulb / Live View: See your long exposure building in real time so you know exactly when you’ve nailed it.
• Starry Sky AF: Perfectly focuses for astrophotography.
• In-Camera Focus Stacking: Create tack-sharp macro images without special software.
• Best-in-Class IBIS: Shoot at night with shutter speeds as low as 1–4 seconds — handheld.
• IP53 Weather Sealing: This is the only brand that gives IPX ratings. I’ve shot OM cameras through Scottish winters and Southeast Asian monsoons without issue.
• Pro Capture Mode: Pre-record frames before you fully press the shutter so you never miss the decisive moment.

The ability of the OM-3 to handle virtually any subject, in almost any condition, is something few cameras can match. Combined with the generally smaller lenses for Micro Four Thirds — everything from tiny kit zooms to professional lenses — it’s a camera that can go with you anywhere and shoot anything, from an Arctic expedition to street photography in Paris.

See the latest price for the OM System OM-3 here.

Downsides? Like all cameras, there are compromises. Low-light performance is about ½–⅔ stop behind Fuji APS-C and about 2 stops behind full-frame. It only has a single card slot, so use reliable cards. With heavier lenses, the grip can feel a little small, though that’s easily fixed with a small add-on grip. The viewfinder is an older 2.36M-dot panel, which is a compromise I’m personally willing to make in exchange for everything else this camera offers. It’s also a little expensive compared to some competitors — but there’s simply nothing else on this list that delivers this level of versatility, portability, and capability in one package.

Looking for a gift idea a photographer will actually use? My Best Gifts for Photographers guide is full of genuinely useful gear — not novelty junk.

Best Full-Frame Travel Camera — Nikon Z6 III

Remember back in the “What to Consider” section when I said image quality, handling, and lens choice were among the most important things to me? Those priorities are exactly why I picked the Nikon Z6 III — and why I’d argue it’s the best full-frame travel camera available right now. It is one of the few cameras that is great straight out of the box although adding a few key accessories takes it from great to nearly perfect. You can see the full Nikon Z6III review here. There is of course the Nikon Z8 which I compared to the Z6III but for travel the Z6III makes more sense.

In terms of size, it’s barely bigger than my OM System OM-1 Mark II, yet it packs a full-frame 24MP sensor that delivers some of the best image quality currently available. Not only is the image quality fantastic, it is fast to operate and shoots bursts up to 20FPS. The IBIS is excellent which gives you more flexibility when it comes to low light shooting and it offers a high quality EVF which is incredibly useful when shooting in sunny destinations.

What makes the Z6 III special is really the lens selection. While Nikon might not match Sony’s sheer number of lenses, the ones they do offer are absolutely ideal for travel photographers: small, light, and optically excellent. The 24-70mm f/4 and 14-30mm f/4 zooms are incredibly capable, and the 1.8 primes — like the Z 35mm f/1.8 — are among the sharpest, best-rendering lenses I’ve ever used, as I saw in my Nikon Z 50mm 1.8 review. I compared the Nikon Z 35mm 1.8 against the Nikon Z 50mm 1.8 to see which prime you should buy first.

They focus fast, are weather-sealed, and are built to last. Crucially, Nikon doesn’t force you to choose between cheap, compromised primes and huge, expensive pro glass — the Z-mount lineup gives you both portability and quality. I’ve personally bought into the 1.8 prime lineup with the 20mm, 35mm, 50mm, and 85mm f/1.8 lenses, and they cover everything I shoot. The Z6 III with those lenses fits comfortably into my Peak Design Everyday Sling bag, and on bigger trips or more demanding shoots, I still have room to add the Z8 without feeling overloaded. Since I moved to Scotland at the start of the year, I have also found that I am shooting with zooms more often and some of them are proving to be amongst the best Nikon Z lenses available.

Another big factor for me is ergonomics. The Z6 III (and Z8) have the best handling of any full-frame cameras I’ve used. Every button is exactly where you expect it, the grip is extremely comfortable, and you get dual card slots — one of which is CFexpress Type B for fast bursts and robust video specs.

Speaking of video, not only is the Nikon Z6III one of the best cameras that you can buy today, it also includes truly excellent video specs. If you shoot hybrid, the Z6 III is a monster: 6K and 4k120 internal recording, high frame rates, and professional codecs. But even if you only shoot stills, you’ll appreciate its low-light performance (among the best on any full-frame camera), excellent IBIS (right up there with Panasonic), and its gorgeous 5.76M-dot EVF and top LCD panel. Nikon’s color profiles give you natural but punchy files straight out of camera.

Downsides? Some people argue its dynamic range isn’t as good as certain competitors, but unless you’re regularly pushing landscapes by three or more stops, you’ll never notice. Autofocus is excellent but not quite as sticky as Sony’s latest A7 IV/A7C II models, and I personally prefer a 3-way tilt screen for photography rather than the fully articulating one Nikon uses here.

Still, when you combine everything — the ergonomics, IBIS, low-light performance, and an almost-perfect travel lens lineup — the Z6 III is, in my opinion, the best full-frame camera for travel photography right now.

Check the latest price for the Nikon Z6III here.

Best Alternatives – Nikon ZF

If you want a smaller, more discreet camera than the Nikon Z6 III that retains most of its strengths while offering a more stylish, tactile shooting experience, the Nikon Zf is it. It uses an older-generation 24MP full-frame sensor, but image quality is every bit as good as the Z6 III. It also shares Nikon’s latest EXPEED 7 processor, which means autofocus performance is very similar in real-world use. I compared the Nikon Zf against the Z6III in more detail.

I’ve been using the Zf a lot recently, and performance-wise it’s closer to the Z6 III than many people expect. The real difference is design philosophy. The Zf is a retro-styled camera with physical dials for shutter speed, ISO, and exposure compensation, while still allowing you to shoot in aperture priority, shutter priority, or full auto when needed.

It’s not as comfortable to hold as the Z6 III due to the lack of a pronounced grip, and the second card slot is limited to microSD, which won’t suit everyone. If efficiency and ergonomics matter most, the Z6 III is still the better choice as a primary camera. But if you value the experience of shooting as much as the results, the Zf is an excellent alternative — and a brilliant backup body that offers a different, and often more enjoyable, way of working. Whichever camera you end up choosing, I’ve published my settings to help you get started with setting the camera up. Z6III settings guide and the Nikon Zf settings guide.

— Sony A7C II
If you want something smaller and lighter with even better autofocus and a huge lens ecosystem, the Sony A7C II is an excellent option. I previously owned the A7 IV (which shares the same internals), and it’s a fantastic camera with the best AF I’ve ever used. The trade-offs? The ergonomics are more cramped, the viewfinder isn’t as nice, and I don’t trust its weather sealing as much as Nikon’s. Sony’s 1.8 primes are cheaper and lighter but don’t quite match the image quality or build of Nikon’s Z-mount primes.

Best Value Full-Frame Travel Camera — Panasonic Lumix S5II

It would be hard to write this article without including one of the best-value full-frame cameras available: the Panasonic S5II (I personally own the S5IIX, which for stills is basically identical). I originally bought the S5IIX for video work, back before I switched my focus fully to this website — and yes, it has excellent video specs — but I think it’s hugely underrated as a stills camera.

The ergonomics are honestly among the best of any camera I own. Every button seems to be exactly where I expect it to be. The body feels solid yet remains relatively compact for a full-frame camera. What stands out most to me, though, is the image quality, which is excellent. High ISO performance is very strong (possibly a touch better than the Z6 III), and Panasonic’s color profiles are beautiful. The Natural profile produces realistic yet vibrant colors, and the black-and-white options — L Monochrome and Leica Monochrome — are stunning.

Autofocus, while not class-leading, is absolutely good enough for people and general photography. In my experience it’s about on par with the Z6 III, though I do wish Panasonic would show a box around the eye in focus rather than crosshairs. IBIS is arguably the best in any full-frame camera right now, and the dual card slots plus the ability to load your own creative LUTs (color porifles) into the camera make it a very flexible tool.

While Panasonic doesn’t offer the same breadth of lenses as Nikon or Sony, they’re part of the L-Mount Alliance (with Sigma), so there’s still plenty of choice. I really appreciate Panasonic’s thoughtful design: the three lenses I own — the 20–60mm, 50mm f/1.8, and 85mm f/1.8 — are all similar in size and share the same filter thread size. This means I don’t have to buy duplicate filters, and for video shooters, you wont have to re-balance your gimbal every time you swap lenses. The lenses are good performers, weather-sealed, and in my experience Panasonic’s sealing is trustworthy — I’ve used their Micro Four Thirds cameras in monsoons without issue. the build quality of the lenses is not quite up to the Nikon Z 1.8 primes i mentioned above but the benefit is that saves you a bit of weight while still getting good optical performance.

When you factor in the often ridiculously good deals available on the S5II and S5IIX (I got my S5IIX + lenses for around $2500) , you get a well-specced, well-designed, and very enjoyable full-frame camera at a significantly lower price than most competitors. For anyone wanting full-frame quality without breaking the bank, it’s a compelling choice.

See the latest pricing for the Panasonic S5II here.

Downsides? Honestly, there aren’t many at this price point, but I do find the camera a bit slow to operate. Startup time takes a moment, and even pressing the playback button introduces a slight delay before images appear. And outside of the often-discounted 20–60mm kit lens and the excellent 50mm and 85mm f/1.8 lenses, some of Panasonic’s other lenses are fairly expensive.

Best of the Best (Money No Object) — Fujifilm GFX100S

This next option isn’t specifically a “travel camera” — but if we even travel back just a few years, it would have been unthinkable to use a medium format camera for travel photography. And yet, with the GFX100S (which I own) — and now the Mark II version — we do, unbelievably, have the option to go all out and use medium format for travel.

Yes, it’s significantly heavier than the other cameras on this list, but I still use my GFX100S for travel when image quality is the absolute priority or I’m shooting a specific project and want the very best I can get. The body is about the same size as my Nikon Z8, very comfortable to hold with a solid grip, plenty of custom buttons, dual card slots (SD only), a top LCD for quickly checking settings, and a good viewfinder.

Personally, I wouldn’t pair this camera with zooms — they’re just too big — but there are primes that work well as a travel kit and keep things manageable. Lenses like the 45mm f/2.8, 50mm f/3.5, 55mm f/1.7, and 80mm f/1.7 are not that large and are certainly smaller and lighter than the pro f/2.8 zooms many people travel with on full frame.

The GFX100S offers a 102MP medium format (some argue not “true” medium format) sensor that’s 1.7× larger than full frame. It’s excellent in low light, gives you Fuji’s wonderful color profiles, and outputs 16-bit RAW files. For medium format, its autofocus is actually quite reasonable — no, it won’t follow your kids as they sprint down the beach, but for anything that isn’t moving at breakneck speed, it can keep up. (I presume the Mark II is even better, though I still need to test it.)

If you want the absolute best for a once-in-a-lifetime trip — perhaps Yellowstone National Park — traveling with the GFX100S is totally doable. The resulting image files will blow you away: you can print them as large as you want, crop aggressively, and know you made the photos the best they could possibly be.

People often talk about the “medium format look,” and without diving too far into technicalities, it’s real. The combination of better tonality and how focal lengths behave on a larger sensor gives images a unique look. If you want the best without paying $50,000 for a Phase One, Fuji offers it in a reasonably sized package without having to remortgage the house — maybe just sell a kidney.

See the latest GFX100 pricing here.

Are there any downsides to the GFX100S? Well, there’s no getting around the fact that this setup is bigger and heavier than all the others here. You also need to consider where you’re traveling. You might not want to carry such expensive equipment — whether because of the risk of damage or loss, or simply not wanting to attract attention in countries where your gear might represent more than the average annual salary. Autofocus will mean you miss some shots, so if your style leans toward candid moments and capturing life as it happens, this won’t be a good choice. If you mainly post to social media, this is definitely overkill. And if you just want medium format without the bulk, there’s the recently released GFX100RF, which is essentially a medium format X100VI.

Final Thoughts

Choosing the best travel camera isn’t about buying the most expensive one — it’s about picking the one that matches how you actually shoot and travel. If you want a pocketable camera, I’ve covered that separately in my Best Compact Cameras for Travel Photography 2026 guide. This page focuses on mirrorless/system cameras that give you room to grow — from the flexible Fujifilm X-T5 to full-frame bodies like the Nikon Z6 III and Panasonic S5II. And if image quality is the absolute priority, the GFX100S even makes medium format travel-viable.

Whatever you choose, the most important thing is to get out there and use it — the best camera for travel is the one you have with you when the moment happens. If you found this guide helpful and you’re planning to buy one of these cameras, using the links on this page helps support the site at no extra cost to you — and lets me keep creating in-depth, honest guides like this one.

Safe travels, and happy shooting.

FAQ — Travel Camera Systems Explained

It’s so good that I seriously considered buying one again last year—but ultimately went with the Nikon Z system instead, now shooting the Z6III and Z8 here in the Philippines. You can read more about those cameras and my latest Nikon setup here as I build out my Nikon Z content on the website. Now back to the review:

These days I shoot almost exclusively with mirrorless cameras, so I asked Russ as a dedicated and highly respected landscape photographer to write up a Nikon D850 review based on his experience shooting it professionally in the beautiful Peak District.

Here is his Nikon D850 review which will tell you everything that you need to know about the D850 in the real world. If you appreciate this review and the work we put in to it then please buy your Nikon D850 or anything at all using the links on the wesbite. I will earn a small commission from anything that you buy using the links an it wont cost you a penny more.

 
On paper, the Nikon D850 promises much, it’s certainly a camera that I think Nikon have aimed to disrupt the whole market with by seemingly packing in as much as it possibly can. There are one or two other manufacturers out there lately who have fallen into the rather questionable habit of trying to pass off ageing tech in a ‘new’ body but with the D850 Nikon feels like they are going all out to deliver a dynamite combination of speed, resolution and flexibility. Amongst the questions I will attempt to answer here is does that spec sheet deliver real world improved outcomes over what has come before, and how?

You should know I mainly shoot landscapes, so that will be the main subject focus here. In particular, the 45MP resolution on offer from the D850 lends itself perfectly to this remit, delivering highly detailed files. My experience with Nikon goes back many, many years now and I’ve owned a whole series of their DSLRs and a huge number of lenses. More recently these bodies have included the D800, D800E, D810, Df, D500 and now of course the D850 so I’m fairly well placed to make comparisons of feature sets and image quality. I currently retain three of these – the D850, a D500 and a 720nm converted infrared D800 for my day to day shooting. I should also say in passing that I’ve plenty of experience with the Fuji X Mirrorless system too, though I no longer retain any of it.

Before recently picking up the D850, my ‘main’ landscape camera was the Nikon D810. It was in many ways the camera that everyone really wanted the D800 to be when it was originally released back in 2012. The D810 is a highly refined shooting experience compared to the D800, has a nicely dampened shutter release, delivers that wonderful ISO64 setting for ultra clean files, has an improved rear LCD display and is generally a lovely DSLR to use. I suppose until someone puts a pile of improvements in front of you in a new package it is the sort of camera that many people would continue to be highly satisfied with.

But then things inevitably evolve. Nikon definitely disrupted the marketplace with the rather unexpected release of the D500 right at the start of 2016 in which it grabbed some of the top of the line pro level features from the Nikon D5 and created a DX (crop) sensor high-performance 20.9MP 10 FPS beast at an altogether accessible price point, intended for the mass market. As a landscape photographer I always want a secondary body because frankly the risk of damage to gear is elevated given the occasional dangerous environments and outdoor shooting scenarios that you can encounter. Until the D500 was released I had been using the Df in that role but while the Df produced gorgeous files it was also a deeply flawed and frustrating user experience on many levels all at the same time. The D500 looked to have resolved many of those flaws to me (autofocus and handling being particularly significant improvements) and so I traded my Df and I really haven’t looked back.

In fact, the D500 was so good, something unexpected started to happen – the D500 was becoming my DSLR of choice over the D810 because it just did things so much better, despite having a significant resolution disadvantage. The sheer speed capability and zip about the camera with XQD was a huge revelation, the touchscreen provided a much improved shooting experience while big autofocus, white balance and punchy colour output improvements made me genuinely start to wish I could just somehow have those features combined with the greater 36MP resolution of the D810 along with its ISO advantage. If only….

Boom!

Does the D850 prove dreams come true? I would have loved to have been in that Nikon design meeting when someone said “Why don’t we try and make a camera that brings the D500 and D810 together in a single package?”. And then someone agreed. When the spec list was initially leaked to the world I don’t think many camera lovers could believe that Nikon were about to do just that – take the power and sheer performance of features drawn from the D5/D500 and combine those with a higher resolution body built on the pedigree of the D810. Could it be we finally had it all, the goldilocks camera; speed, precision, high resolution, handling. Let’s see…

So let’s get down to brass tacks with the D850 and start with the outside and work our way in:

Presence, Handling & Basic Usability

Out of the box, it probably won’t surprise you to hear that first impressions are that the D850 honestly doesn’t look too different to anything Nikon has made before in this series. When sitting alongside my D500 in particular I can barely tell the two apart by sight and it’s definitely more D500 than D810 in its shape and physical presence. There is only a small height and shape difference when you get to the top of the camera where changes are just about apparent. The D850 is more angular with a pinch of extra height (in order to facilitate the new pentaprism viewfinder) but I expect to keep picking up the wrong camera for a long time while the two are in the same bag!

As I reported at the start of this piece I’ve used a plethora of Nikon bodies but I also mentioned the Fuji X System. One of the reasons why I didn’t get on with Fuji at all was that I couldn’t get my hand comfortably around them (I used an X-E2 and X-T1); they were just too small and if I added a more substantial lens up front the X System was a very poorly balanced experience in my view. To a degree, the Nikon Df suffers from a similar narrow grip problem too which is where the D500 totally delivers, and yes, the ‘D500 grip experience’ is carried into the D850, and marginally improved upon. It’s a fantastic substantial feel which you can comfortably hold with larger lenses whilst giving the confidence of being very well balanced, a joy in truth.

There are weight differences which are more apparent however. There is a bit of additional heft about the D850 and for comparison I’ve listed the respective weights together below (all include a loaded EN-EL15 battery):

Nikon D500       860g
Nikon D810       980g
Nikon D850       1015g

Now, to anyone other than the most sensitive of people, the D850 won’t feel any different to the D810 weight wise but holding a D500 in one hand and the D850 in the other with my eyes closed, I know which one is which. I put the 155g difference down to the body make up – the D850 comes with a magnesium alloy shell with advanced weather sealing (similar in construction to the D810) while the D500 definitely has more lighter weight plastics used in its bones.

One particular component which is all new in the D850 is its optical viewfinder. It’s technical specification here is that the pentaprism delivers a 0.75x magnification which won’t mean much to most people without a frame of reference. Nikon say that this is the biggest and brightest viewfinder in a Nikon camera yet and from my point of view it is indeed rather gorgeous. I don’t really have anything else to say about this other than from my point of view it remains a key advantage over mirrorless cameras. If you want the ‘mirrorless experience’ you can switch to Live View and Bob’s your Auntie, the best of both worlds.

I’m going to cover the LCD Touchscreen in its own section further below but I should mention the basic accessibility of controls right here. Once again Nikon doesn’t try to do anything too ambitious with its control layout on the D850 and sticks to a very tried and tested button formula which works fantastically well for me. In designing the D850 they pretty much took an identical button layout from the D500 and applied it, including the splendid autofocus point selection joystick which the D810 lacked on the back and the dedicated ISO button on the top near the shutter button which I love. (By the way, you can program the D800 and D810 to change the function of the Movie Record button to do exactly the same). The only thing I continue to take issue with here is the rather confusing application of an ‘i’ button which resides directly next to the ‘info’ button. Even as I write this now I can’t tell you which button does what until you press one. That single nuance aside, all of the main functionality is easily accessible as always and Nikon have a very nicely tuned layout for me.

Another physical feature the D850 inherited from the D500 are buttons which light up on the top and down the back left of the camera (though notably not the buttons to the right of the LCD on the back). Pre-dawn shoots are positively improved here for me – less guesswork and more certainty in very low light improves the shooting experience. Once again, it’s a very useful feature that the D810 didn’t enjoy and another tick for the D850.

The pop-up flash may be gone, but I bought the rather splendid alloy Nikon ASC-01 hotshoe cover to crown my D850

One of the key physical differences I should mention between the D810 and the D850 is the loss of the pop-up flash. It’s true that one or two people will lament this change by Nikon maybe but from most landscape photographer’s point of view I expect it represented a weak point in the D810. It’s sheer presence on the camera compromised weather sealing in my view (I used to regularly mop moisture from under the flash unit after rain or seascape shoots) and so I am very pleased to see it gone. Other opinions will apply here of course(!) but the D500’s design had already done away with it so in my view it also made perfect sense that this particular trend would continue. One or two may find it hard to agree but I genuinely see the removal of the pop-up flash as progress, not a retro-step which downgrades the spec of the D850 in any way.

My verdict on Presence, Handling, & Basic Usability: The D850 definitely has a fantastic grip and all over solid quality feel to it. The design is robust and I see the non-inclusion of the pop-up flash of the D800/D810 as an advantage adding to that strength, but others might see that differently. One or two might find the overall weight unappealing but if so looking at a DSLR in the first place probably isn’t the right choice for you. For those that want the best quality this segment of the camera market has to offer, I challenge you not to be happy with the D850 – it delivers a superb viewfinder experience and all of the right controls are in all of the right places, indeed it improves on everything that has gone before it for me. A big win in this section of the review overall, especially when compared to the D810.

The Touchscreen Experience

More improvements here for the D850. Nikon took the excellent D500 application of the tilting LCD and built on it. This is where some product differentiation starts to show again between models;

• The D810 has a fixed LCD screen with no touch controls at all. In itself it was very much a big improvement over the original D800/E in Live View and enjoyed a 3.2” 1,229,000 dot resolution.
• The D500 by comparison to the D810 has a nicely robust tilting 3.2” LCD but enjoyed a resolution boost to 2,359,000 dots, almost doubling the look of image sharpness on the back of the camera. Another big introduction here was touch controls but significantly these do not work in menus, something which I think Nikon could potentially address with Firmware (I won’t hold my breath though!). It is only really useful in landscape orientation though, it doesn’t tilt and flip for use in portrait orientation.
• Finally, the D850 also enjoys the same predictably strong tilting 3.2” LCD and 2,359,000 super-sharp resolution but now has additional touch controls not only for Live View use but for the camera menus too. Just like the D500 you can touch to focus, touch to release the shutter, pinch and swipe controls (just like your smartphone) in image review etc. It’s still only really best used in landscape orientation but it all adds up to a very predictable and tidy experience – I love it and it was one of my key reasons to buy the camera.

The D850 solution is inevitably the most rounded and usable of all three, so much so I’m now somewhat irritated my D500 doesn’t have quite the same functionality because it’s definitely the right experience on the D850 and I’ve now been spoiled by the improvement. It has been said down the years that tilt screens are a point of weakness and could easily break. In my experience Nikon’s implementation couldn’t make this further from the truth – it’s definitely NOT a flimsy execution and I have no concerns whatsoever. There are plenty of videos on YouTube of photographers swinging their Nikon by the flip-out screen (not something I would generally recommend!) but these just go to support what I’m talking about. I should say that I also frequent one or two photography forums and I haven’t seen a single complaint of LCD screen failure or damage at all in the D500 or D850.

Just as a side point, I put a GGS Larmor LCD protector on my touchscreen to add to its general defence (I did this with my D500 too) – I’ve had a situation on a previous camera where I was pleased it had been there. There is no change in touchscreen responsiveness with this additional protection though obviously you add anything like this at your own ‘risk’.

Pinch to zoom, swipe, double tap, the touchscreen is not only beautifully sharp but fully functional

Some might cry foul here based on my scathing assessment of the pop-up flash on the D810 being a weakness but the truth is that the flip out screen closes very securely to the camera back – you wouldn’t necessarily know it was a tilt screen unless someone showed you how to pull it out. The D850 and D500 share the same robustness here and for landscape photographers like me means I can get really low without having to lie in the undergrowth or puddles. It’s a very welcome addition indeed and a massive improvement over the D810 which lacks all of these features.

My verdict on the Touchscreen Experience: Nikon have implemented an excellent solution with its D850 touchscreen. There is little to complain about – resolution is sharp, responsiveness is predictable and accurate and the tilting capability makes for much easier usage (in landscape orientation at least). You can now access menus as well as Live View controls and its touchscreen is as good an implementation as I have in my iPhone which can only be the best possible reference for Nikon here.

A few minutes on Memory Cards

This might seem like a bit of an odd thing to focus in on but all will become clear in a moment. When Nikon decided the spec for the D850, they once again took the D500 model and replicated the memory card choices – two slots for resiliency or overflow (my preference is for resiliency), one being dedicated to the XQD format and one to the latest UHS-II SD card format. The problem here is that at present both slots operate at different maximum speeds and there’s a bit of debate across the internet about Nikon’s continued preference in respect of the use of XQD.

So far, Nikon have very successfully used the XQD card format in the D4s, D5, D500 and now the D850. I see XQD as a super-fast data card format delivering (at the time of writing) a maximum of around 440MBs per second. That’s a whopping 4Gbits/s of data transfer potential and make no mistake that’s HUGE speed and power. All of this muscle is of course needed to facilitate the native 7 frames per second (FPS) bursts of 45MP images, up to 9 FPS with the additional MB-D18 grip and EN-EL18 battery combo.

So what’s the issue? The issue is one of potential supply issues right now. The story goes that Nikon got together with Sony and Sandisk to develop the XQD format, yet Sandisk still don’t make an XQD card for reasons I can’t explain. Lexar did however enter the market and manufacture these cards right up until they closed their retail division recently, leaving Sony, as the sole supplier. Curiously Lexar have re-emerged claiming they will now continue to produce XQD after all, but for how long who knows. Some see the whole situation as problematic and I can understand why, a narrow market is rarely good news for consumers where specialist items are concerned. The rather quizzical situation is confused further by the fact that Sony (despite being one of the key partners in designing this fantastic card) have not implemented XQD in even the recent release of the A7R MkIII, reserving the cards for only a handful of their high-end video cameras. Bottom line – do I really care about all of this? In a word, no, but it’s context worth pointing out I think. Cards look like they are available at reasonably fair prices and are not in short supply. I personally use Lexar cards in my D500 and D850 for both the XQD and UHS-II SD slot and I can highly recommend them while they are still available. A 64GB card has capacity for around 640 lossless compressed RAW files on the D850.

My choice of memory cards was easy – independent tests has Lexar as the top performer

Here’s the rub though: whether you use XQD or UHS-II SD (or both together), the best cards with highest write speeds unlock the full performance of the D850 and turn it into a lightning fast proposition. It’s spectacular. Don’t put slow cards into this camera because you will positively kill its potential – I shoot with a Lexar 2933x (440MB/s) XQD card in slot 1 and the Lexar 2000x (300MB/s) UHS-II SD card in slot 2. Fast cards ensure that the buffer empties quickly so for those who are trigger happy they will get the most out of it by buying the fastest cards possible. Frankly the 7fps (9 with grip) performance of the D850 absolutely trounces the D810, the D810 is not in the same league at all and these card choices enhance the speed of operation in the camera significantly including image review, download, in-camera re-touching and so on.

My verdict on Memory Cards: Yes, I would much rather actually have both slots utilise the same card format but in real world shooting it’s still a very high performance experience regardless, vastly improved over the D810 and nothing at all to complain about. Just perhaps buy enough XQD card capacity to keep you good for a while…

Let’s get into image quality and the shooting experience now, which is absolutely critical.

Sensor Resolution and ISO Performance

Nikon created a brand new 45MP Back-Side Illuminated (BSI) sensor for the D850 and suggested there would be visible improvement that came with that package. Pinning sensor resolution and ISO performance together for this part of the review is therefore important because these aspects of the camera usually trade off fairly heavily against each other.

Anyone investigating this end of the DSLR market should already understand the reason why lower resolution cameras perform better at higher ISO (and if you don’t you had better look it up elsewhere first!) which is why the 16MP Nikon Df, with its hand-me-down D4 sensor performs so beautifully at higher ISO and why the D810 struggles to deliver usable quality images over ISO6400 (my opinion of course). Resolution and High ISO continue to be in contention no matter how good the implementation is, though clearly as time moves on and technology improves every camera company is seeking the holy grail of good quality High ISO with the benefits of higher resolution. The question is, did Nikon really manage to pull this feat off and improve the performance over the D810?

Well, my answer is yes, and no. I’m really not sitting on the fence here, it just depends what your definition of ‘improvement’ is. Some people are looking for the unicorn ‘one stop improvement’ with every camera release which frankly was never likely here and has definitely not been delivered. However, the way I see things is that Nikon took the D810’s excellent class leading 36MP sensor (which Canon shooters would still probably trade a kidney for!) and re-engineered it to deliver a 9MP resolution bump to 45MP. That’s a 25% pixel level boost which I think is pretty significant in its own right. Nikon not only delivered this boost while protecting the lower ISO performance (which would have been a REAL concern to me if they hadn’t) but in addition, from what I can see, also managed a marginal higher ISO improvement (which is subtle, but present). Probably the more significant improvement is Nikon managed to deal with the removal of the magenta cast that is usually present in blacks and is experienced at high ISO settings in the vast majority of digital cameras. I’m not clear whether they managed to deal with this at a circuitry level (benefits of the BSI sensor perhaps) or whether it’s dealt with via software as the RAW file is recorded but whichever way you look at it, that is also an improvement.

The sensor delivers exceptional detail and colour, the combination of ISO64 and 45MP is staggering

For landscape purposes the camera operates at its optimum level at ISO 64 where it continues to produce super clean files with huge available dynamic range (a whopping 14.8 EV). I can certainly see the resolution advantage over the D810 on my 5k iMac screen but whether that translates to even the largest of prints is debateable. What I do know is that this performance is definitely real competition for certain Medium Format cameras making the D850 look like a bargain in real terms.

My verdict on Sensor Resolution & ISO Performance: Nikon may not have delivered immediately noticeable vast improvements in image quality but that does not mean significant improvements have not been delivered over a camera like the Nikon D810, a DSLR which already provided outstanding image quality, particularly at low ISO. For me, a resolution boost to 45MP whilst retaining its world class low ISO performance was already an achievement but there are high ISO enhancements too which makes the D850 sensor the benchmark against which all other camera manufacturers will want to compete.

Focus Modes & Tuning

As part of the hybrid D810/D500 collision approach to building the D850, it inherited the same Autofocus (AF) module used in the D500 (and D5). It has 153 AF points (99 of those being highly responsive cross-type) and the camera also has its own dedicated AF processor which in theory speeds everything up (which it definitely does).

My experience with all of the D800 series is that autofocus never felt that ‘secure’. Low light performance could be hit and miss, and tracking was always good without being amazing. The performance of outer AF points could sometimes be unreliable too, depending on which lens was used. All of this experience changed when I got my hands on the D500 and so I was pretty excited to hear that the D850 would get the same module.

I’m not going to lie, it’s not something I’ve extensively tested in anger so far and a lot of the time my subject matter doesn’t really push the camera in this respect, however I do see a reliability improvement for sure over the D810 so far. If you’re really interested in the finer detail of AF performance it may be best to seek out a D850 review from say a wildlife photographer who can go to town on this particular element but suffice to say I’m very satisfied regardless.

However, I’m not throwing in the towel just here on this section because there are indeed other exciting changes to the focus system that are genuinely big reasons why the D850 was an easy choice for me:

• Manual Focus:A really big deal this for me – as a landscaper I have four all manual lenses; three Zeiss offerings and a Nikon Tilt Shift PC-e. The news is Nikon finally implemented focus peaking in the D850, a feature which is usually synonymous with mirrorless cameras and finally means that accurate manual focussing can be easily achieved (Live View only). Often new features need a couple of generations before they are great, but I have to say that from where I’m sitting they executed it perfectly first time…

Basically, instead of just using the rangefinder style ‘green dot’ focussing method for manual focus through the viewfinder, you can now switch to Live View, activate Focus Peaking and select a red, blue, yellow or white highlight to demonstrate exactly where in the scene you are focussing and how much depth of field you have. These different colour highlight options make it a breeze to use, particularly fantastic for Tilt Shift and narrow depth of field lenses like my all manual Zeiss 100mm f/2 and 85mm f/1.4. This is genuinely a significant game changing feature on its own for anyone who loves to shoot manual primes, and critical to get spot on with so much resolution at your disposal.

Red highlights in Live View Focus Peaking help to deliver an easy to see view of your available depth of field

And here’s the output – absolutely pin-point focus where it needs to be for all manual lenses

• Focus Shift:I finally have a real complaint here because I take umbrage with the name of this feature. This option broadly allows you to set a focus point in a scene and will then automatically ‘shift’ an autofocus lens (it must be a G or latest E AF-S series lens, not an older AF-D series with a screw drive by the way) by a number of steps which you determine or until it reaches infinity. The end objective is a focus stack which delivers extended depth of field. It doesn’t combine the frames in camera, you have to do all of this yourself afterwards in a program like Photoshop.

Focus Shift shooting is accessible from a single menu page, remember AF-S lenses only however

Nikon should have just called it ‘focus stacking’ to avoid confusion (I suspect there was probably a copyright issue here somewhere however, hence the mediocre alternative name), it’s a poor use of confused terminology but otherwise this is an absolute boon for landscape (and macro). Critically this is a fully intuitive feature – as soon as you need instructions, improvements like this are lost and thankfully Nikon implemented this well in my view. You may also wish to take a look at a software product called Helicon Focus, it’s probably the focus stacking tool of choice for those who spend a lot of time doing these.

• New Multiple Exposure Enhancements: Nikon fully developed this and didn’t really say anything about it. It’s finally on par with the Canon experience with a whole pile of new options and that’s great news for trying more creative approaches. This is a genuinely unique implementation in the whole Nikon lineup, the D500 and D5 didn’t get this improvement. If you’re interested in a more artistic use of your camera then this is a great feature to investigate, I’ll be making much more use of this going forward.
• Automatic AF Fine tuning: This is another useful option that was implemented in the D500 but in truth it’s not all that automatic. Judgement is still required but what matters is that with resolution pushing upwards from the D810, fine tuning your lenses remains very important. Of nine lenses I own, seven of them required a +/- adjustment in AF fine tune so it’s a critical part of the arsenal in ensuring the best possible outcomes for your images.

My verdict on Focus Modes & Tuning: Autofocus has become a lot more predictable with the D850, performance is on par with my D500 experience and well ahead of my former D810. What makes as much impact here for my landscape discipline though is the simple yet highly effective implementation of focus peaking which is a really big deal and something I’ve waited to see for years from Nikon. In effect this gives you the ‘mirrorless advantage’ in a DSLR. The new ‘Focus Shift’ mode makes focus stacking a less cumbersome process while brand new enhancements to Multiple Exposure is more of a catch-up with Canon than anything unique. Automatic AF Fine Tuning rounds off a fabulous package of measures in the D850 which all add to its usability and contribute to assisting in getting at the best quality outcomes for photographs.

Almost as a post-script here I’m just going to write a couple of words on Lens Performance because there is a lot of questionable information on the internet about this. Some people are worried that their lenses are ‘not good enough’ or are ‘out-resolved’ by a higher resolution sensor such as that belonging to the D850. This is simply untrue. I’ve used 35 year old Nikon AI-s primes on the D810 with no Image Quality issues whatsoever. The real world way of looking at this is actually very simple; with increased resolution, ALL lenses will actually look better but there are undoubtedly some lenses that absolutely shine.

In my case, and I put this list here purely for information only without recommendation, the top performers so far have been as below:

Zeiss 25mm f/2 ZF.2 (manual)
Nikon 45mm f/2.8 PC-e (manual)
Zeiss 100mm f/2 ZF.2 (manual)
Nikon 24-70mm f/2.8E VR
Nikon 70-200mm f/4G VR

Final Words

Congratulations for getting to the end of this piece, I hope the information here is helpful. I haven’t reviewed every single aspect of the camera because some of this stuff has been done to death elsewhere already, I’ve only included things which I think are of genuine consequence and anything else not mentioned is either untested, of no interest to me or I simply don’t see my opinion as adding any value to what is already known.

Honestly, I can only provide a very high recommendation for the D850. It’s an overall package that offers a very significant list of improvements over my D810, which I’ve now sold. It certainly is a D500 on resolution steroids to me, though for mainly purposes associated with needing a second camera, I will be retaining my D500 alongside my D850 (and specialist infrared converted D800). The D810 was a great ride while it lasted – the sensor set the bar high for what was to follow but I’m pleased to say that Nikon delivered plenty of all-round improvements which are justified by the pomp that has greeted the camera. If you’d like to see more of my photography, visit www.russbarnes.co.uk

I’ll leave you with a bit of Peak District imagery.

If you’d like to see what I’m shooting and reviewing now, you can find all my latest Fuji, OM System and Nikon articles via the brand gear hub pages.

Anyway, back to the original article:

Recently I’ve been lucky enough to have several cameras to work with including the Olympus Pen F which I reviewed here, the Fuji XT2 Reviewed here and the Nikon D7200 reviewed here 

I’ve been testing them out for a while now shooting portraits, street photography and a few landscapes too.

This weekend I was asked to photograph a wedding here in the Philippines and I thought it would be a great chance to test these three cameras against each other in a fast paced, unforgiving environment.

Now, I’m not a professional wedding shooter. I’ve shot landscapes, portraits and commercial work professionally but wedding photography is a whole different ball game. I made it clear what the couple could expect from me and that they really should hire a pro wedding photographer. However budget was a concern and so I offered to help out as they are friends of my Fiancée.

I also wouldn’t recommend shooting a wedding with a bunch of different cameras as it was really hard work switching between three systems and still trying to get shots of the couple’s big day.

I shot all cameras with prime lenses.

For the Fuji I used the 23mm f/1.4 and 90mm f/2. On the Pen F I had the 17mm f/1.8 and 45mm f/1.8. On the Nikon I mainly used the Nikon 50mm f/1.4 and the 20mm f/1.8.

Handling

In terms of handling I found all three to be well suited to fast paced shooting where you don’t get a second chance to capture the shot. The Nikon feels solid and well-built but you do start to feel the weight after a full day. I’m writing this article up 2 days later and my arm still feels a little sore so less weight is always better in my eyes as long as I don’t feel I’m compromising on image quality too much.

The Pen F is fantastic for blending in to the crowd and not intimidating subjects thanks to its small size and beautiful looks. Although as the only foreigner at a Filipino wedding it’s pretty much impossible to blend in despite the Pen F’s best efforts.

The Olympus Pen F also offers a fully articulating touch screen and touch to focus which is great for getting shots at interesting angles.

The Fuji XT2 was and is my favourite camera to handle of the 3 because it offers quick access to ISO, shutter speed and aperture via external dials. When you’re trying to photograph constantly changing and moving subjects it’s great to be able to see and change your settings as you bring the camera up to your eye. I can’t tell you how great the Fuji is for that reason alone.

The Nikon feels the most like a workhorse and it certainly is fast to use and solidly built. However during the ceremony I was aware of its louder shutter going off and I opted to use the more discreet Pen F and Fuji XT2 a lot of the time. That’s one of the major benefits of shooting mirrorless. The mechanical shutters are quieter and they have the option to use a totally silent electronic shutter. The Nikon D7200 does have a quiet mode but it’s not that quiet and it slows the camera down.

Some people deride Micro 4/3 because of the smaller sensor but I really don’t think these people use the cameras in the real World. I’ve shot loads of photos with all three of these cameras and as you can see in this article the difference in image quality between M4/3 and APS-C is very small now.

The only real benefit I see to larger sensors is the ability to create more shallow depth of field and the better high ISO noise performance but you only really see a big difference when you jump up to full frame.

Image quality from all three cameras is superb and certainly good enough for professional work. Of the three I prefer people images from the Fuji XT2 because at high ISO’s it does have slightly less noise than the other two. Just be sure to turn down in camera noise reduction to -4 otherwise any Jpegs you shoot will make your images look like mush. I shot raw at the wedding to give a little more leeway to edit the photos later on so it wasn’t a problem.

I also appreciate the ability to throw the background out of focus a little more than you can with the Pen F. This was especially useful as the locations I was shooting at didn’t always have pleasing backgrounds, in fact some would have quite easily ruined shots had the background been in focus.  Obviously the new Olympus 25mm f/1.2 Pro gives us micro 4/3 users a great choice for shallow depth of field shots but I don’t have that lens yet despite it being on my Christmas list.

I had planned on shooting a Nikon D750 at the wedding too but thanks to the postal system here it didn’t arrive in time. I’ll be comparing it with the others once I get my hands on it.

For me the most important aspect of the cameras on the day was auto focus performance. This is where the mirrorless cameras actually kicked the DSLR’s butt. Yes, I know this is where DSLR’s still reign supreme according to most but in reality both the Pen F and Fuji XT2 focus really quickly and only slow down a touch in bad light. They lock on fast and when they give focus confirmation you can be sure you got the shot.

What I found frustrating with the Nikon D7200 when reviewing the photos after was the amount that were out of focus. It just isn’t as accurate to focus as the mirrorless bodies. It may be a millisecond faster but what’s the point if focus isn’t spot on.

The Nikon 50mm f/1.4 is not sharp until you stop it down so the benefit of a larger aperture is lost. Whereas the Fuji 23mm f/1.4 and 90mm f/2 are sharp wide open and combined with the more accurate focus of the XT2 gave a far higher hit rate. The 17mm and 45mm on the Pen F are both perfectly sharp too.

The Pen F in my opinion has the best S-AF of the three cameras as it is quick, silent and deadly accurate. The only down side to the Pen F is that you don’t have direct access to change AF points. Instead you need to press the left D-pad button and then press one of the direction buttons to move the focus point around. It’s only when you are shooting something like a wedding that you notice this tiny delay but it does make a difference occasionally.

I also can’t overstate how useful I find an electronic viewfinder in my photography. I love the WYSIWYG nature of EVFs. It is so much better to use as you don’t need to take a shot then chimp on the LCD screen after to check it. For me the constant chimping needed on DSLR’s does ruin your flow and gets irritating after a while. With the large EVFs on the Pen F and particularly the Fuji XT2 I could quickly change to Acros or the Pen F’s black and white modes and see what my shot would look like in black and white. It also showed me whether the exposure was correct and if focus was spot on.

So which one would I choose if I had to do it all again?

Before I shot this wedding I have to be honest and say that I had a preconception that although I prefer mirrorless cameras for personal use, I would in fact find that the DSLR was still better when it comes to Professional use in a fast paced environment like a wedding.

Well, I was wrong. For me mirrorless cameras have caught up and in fact overtaken DSLR’s in every area that matters and if I was buying just one camera now it would be mirrorless and it would be from Olympus or Fuji.

If I could only have one of these cameras and I thought I may be shooting further weddings then it would be the Fuji XT2 because of the external control dials, slightly better high ISO performance, ability to deliver more shallow depth of field and fast accurate AF performance. I also happen to think the Fuji lens line-up is fantastic. Mind you, so are the micro 4/3 lenses.

If I was buying one camera just for personal use it would be the Olympus Pen F all day long. It is simply beautiful and a joy to use. Lightweight, great AF, excellent image quality and I haven’t even mentioned how much fun the colour dial is for black and white photography. That’s the camera I take with me when I go out with family and friends.

If you are going to shoot a Nikon I’d opt to jump up to full frame because the DX lens line-up is pathetic. The Nikon bodies are very good but I just prefer using mirrorless cameras these days and with the Fuji XT2 the AF is now quick enough to do its job.

If I was shooting another wedding with a Fuji XT2 I’d be buying a lot of spare batteries though as I fully drained 2 before the reception had finished. In fact I would buy the VPB-XT2 grip so you don’t have to worry about battery changes.

The Nikon D7200 after a full day was still showing 80% remaining and the Pen F about 40%. I took roughly the same number of shots with each Camera. That’s the only benefit the Nikon had over the others.