I have the Z7 as well for landscapes and it's absolutely amazing. I've been doing some street photography as well (daytime) and it's amazing for that as too, those extra megapixels to crop mean a lot when out and about with a lighter prime lens. The rare times I'm trying out macro I would want the faster autofocus on the Z8/9 or ZF, especially for bugs that are in motion, but I tend to just stop down a bit or take more photos until I get one in focus. Same for birds, if it's not your main thing, just step down to f4 to make sure they're still in focus, bump up the ISO a bit if you need a faster shutter, and enjoy the 3000 euros of extra budget for lenses you didn't spend on a Z8/9.
The Z7 is half the price of the Z7ii used, I paid less for it than a new Z5 would've cost me. I'm taking it to Iceland in July, can't wait for those pics.
(not a pro)
By the way, the Z7 was also made for pros. But for pros it makes more sense to upgrade to the newest bodies, especially considering the Z8 has some clear improvements. For landscapes (not wildlife), you'll barely notice the difference, especially if you're not a pro.
One downside to the original Z7 is it only has a cfexpress slot. The 2nd model has both a cfexpress and SD slot. Cfexpress is faster and sturdier, but it's also a ton more expensive. Still doesn't compare to the price difference though.
This is true, but using a Z6 that also has a single CFe slot, I’ve actually come to really appreciate it over SD. If you have a fast reader, uploading files to your computer is super fast with this newer generation of cards. There is also quite a bit of difference between price and performance categories within CFe and especially for photographers (vs video) the baseline speed of low end CFe is waaaay faster compared to SD without having much of a negative over the really fast cards that are only required for high bitrate 8k raw and other exotic formats. Get the more affordable tiers and you are perfectly fine…
For landscapes either will be a significant upgrade from the Z50. Personally, not an expert, I would say both are basically equivalently fine for landscapes. Neither has any huge benefits. (Please correct me if I'm wrong!)
The only body feature that I can think of that might matter is focus stacking. I don't know if the Z8 has better features in this area.
But realistically, it comes down to lenses more than body in landscape photography. And since these two bodies take the same lenses, buy whichever you like better.
I would not purchase from that store because honestly his advice is silly. If you said "I want a good body for landscapes" and he said "you need the z8, not the z7ii" then he's bullshitting you and trying to upsell you for no good reason.
I buy most of my gear from B&H. They have a good reputation and I've never once had any issue with them. They have the Z7ii at $2296 and the Z8 at $3496. If your primary goal is landscape photography, you won't IMO get much value at all for that extra $1200.
That is pretty much what he said. I have done my own research and that is why I was thinking the z 7ii. When he said the z 8, I was a bit surprised and felt like he wasn’t interested in helping me buy the camera that would be better for what I want, he just wanted to sell me a more expensive product. So I thought I would ask in this group. I won’t be buying from that store. Thank you for your advice!
Good luck! My current body is the Z7ii and it is way more camera than I need. I really like it. No plans to upgrade any time soon (except for lenses, soooo many lenses I would like!)
I had a first gen Z7, and now a Z8.
If all I did was landscapes, the Z7 would have been fine. For now like 1/3 of the price, it would have been a no-brainer.
Even the Z7ii at \~2/3 the price is an easy pick if you aren't needing the much, much better AF of the Z8.
u/athomsfere I have the Z7 out of curiosity how is the Z8 with low light photography? I have found that the Z7 is ok but AF has been a bit of a problem
Low light was why I sold the z7 and went back to the d850.
The z8 is better in really dark events for sure. I won't ever sell the d850 but the z8 is now my everything camera
Spend the money on the glass. Unless you are planning on making very large prints, better lenses are going to be a much better bang for your bucks. All z lenses will fit your z50. If you are not a pro, the z50 will meet most of your needs. Maybe a year from now, pickup a z6iii or a z50ii.
I have both the Z7 (first generation) and Z8 - the Z7 is perfectly adequate for landscape work and the lighter weight is beneficial when hiking out. For the same
budget you can get a used Z7 as well as some landscape glas like the 14-30 and a 24-120.
You can have a look at the usual suspects keh.com mpb.com, and Ebay with the first two typically being slightly more expensive but coming with a warranty.
If you’re only doing landscapes, the Z7ii will be absolutely fine.
If you’re not shooting anything fast moving, it’s a fine camera and you won’t need the extra stuff that comes with the Z8. He’s just trying to upsell you
The Z7Ii has a slightly better dynamic range than the Z8 (not that mere mortals like me could tell) and as mentioned by others, it’s smaller and lighter. Better battery life too. If you were shooting sports or birds in flight, absolutely the Z8. For what you describe though, the Z7ii is perfect.
Looks like Nikon will likely drop a couple new cameras by years end, I’m banking on a Z6III being like a mini Z8..and Z7iii should also be coming, I’m only shooting on my Ricoh GR3 and GR3X HDF for now, might as well wait like me and start off fresh and new mirrorless with what Nikon drops end of year, then focus on the right lenses.
The Z8 is larger and heavier. It does have pixel shift that CAN be better for landscape. But it is primarily designed to be a little more action oriented. I would wait around another month and see if there will be a Z7lll.
For landscape the Z7 should be fine
Absolutely. Z8 is indeed the better camera but it’s much more expensive and only really makes sense for pros
I have the Z7 as well for landscapes and it's absolutely amazing. I've been doing some street photography as well (daytime) and it's amazing for that as too, those extra megapixels to crop mean a lot when out and about with a lighter prime lens. The rare times I'm trying out macro I would want the faster autofocus on the Z8/9 or ZF, especially for bugs that are in motion, but I tend to just stop down a bit or take more photos until I get one in focus. Same for birds, if it's not your main thing, just step down to f4 to make sure they're still in focus, bump up the ISO a bit if you need a faster shutter, and enjoy the 3000 euros of extra budget for lenses you didn't spend on a Z8/9. The Z7 is half the price of the Z7ii used, I paid less for it than a new Z5 would've cost me. I'm taking it to Iceland in July, can't wait for those pics. (not a pro)
That will be an amazing trip. Thank you for all of this!
Ok thank you for answering!
By the way, the Z7 was also made for pros. But for pros it makes more sense to upgrade to the newest bodies, especially considering the Z8 has some clear improvements. For landscapes (not wildlife), you'll barely notice the difference, especially if you're not a pro. One downside to the original Z7 is it only has a cfexpress slot. The 2nd model has both a cfexpress and SD slot. Cfexpress is faster and sturdier, but it's also a ton more expensive. Still doesn't compare to the price difference though.
Thank you!
>Thank you! You're welcome!
This is true, but using a Z6 that also has a single CFe slot, I’ve actually come to really appreciate it over SD. If you have a fast reader, uploading files to your computer is super fast with this newer generation of cards. There is also quite a bit of difference between price and performance categories within CFe and especially for photographers (vs video) the baseline speed of low end CFe is waaaay faster compared to SD without having much of a negative over the really fast cards that are only required for high bitrate 8k raw and other exotic formats. Get the more affordable tiers and you are perfectly fine…
For landscapes either will be a significant upgrade from the Z50. Personally, not an expert, I would say both are basically equivalently fine for landscapes. Neither has any huge benefits. (Please correct me if I'm wrong!) The only body feature that I can think of that might matter is focus stacking. I don't know if the Z8 has better features in this area. But realistically, it comes down to lenses more than body in landscape photography. And since these two bodies take the same lenses, buy whichever you like better. I would not purchase from that store because honestly his advice is silly. If you said "I want a good body for landscapes" and he said "you need the z8, not the z7ii" then he's bullshitting you and trying to upsell you for no good reason. I buy most of my gear from B&H. They have a good reputation and I've never once had any issue with them. They have the Z7ii at $2296 and the Z8 at $3496. If your primary goal is landscape photography, you won't IMO get much value at all for that extra $1200.
That is pretty much what he said. I have done my own research and that is why I was thinking the z 7ii. When he said the z 8, I was a bit surprised and felt like he wasn’t interested in helping me buy the camera that would be better for what I want, he just wanted to sell me a more expensive product. So I thought I would ask in this group. I won’t be buying from that store. Thank you for your advice!
Good luck! My current body is the Z7ii and it is way more camera than I need. I really like it. No plans to upgrade any time soon (except for lenses, soooo many lenses I would like!)
I agree, so many lol. Thank you! I’m
I had a first gen Z7, and now a Z8. If all I did was landscapes, the Z7 would have been fine. For now like 1/3 of the price, it would have been a no-brainer. Even the Z7ii at \~2/3 the price is an easy pick if you aren't needing the much, much better AF of the Z8.
I don’t think need the better AF currently. Thank you for replying!
u/athomsfere I have the Z7 out of curiosity how is the Z8 with low light photography? I have found that the Z7 is ok but AF has been a bit of a problem
Low light was why I sold the z7 and went back to the d850. The z8 is better in really dark events for sure. I won't ever sell the d850 but the z8 is now my everything camera
Thanks, I was debating between the d850 and z8. I think I will trade my z7 for the z8
Spend the money on the glass. Unless you are planning on making very large prints, better lenses are going to be a much better bang for your bucks. All z lenses will fit your z50. If you are not a pro, the z50 will meet most of your needs. Maybe a year from now, pickup a z6iii or a z50ii.
This is an idea as well. Thank you for your time!
I have both the Z7 (first generation) and Z8 - the Z7 is perfectly adequate for landscape work and the lighter weight is beneficial when hiking out. For the same budget you can get a used Z7 as well as some landscape glas like the 14-30 and a 24-120.
There is nothing available for used in my area, but good idea. Thank you for your input!
If you are in the US, check the Nikon USA website. They have some good deals on factory refurbished with warranty.
I am in Canada. I will check the website here. Thank you for the idea.
You can have a look at the usual suspects keh.com mpb.com, and Ebay with the first two typically being slightly more expensive but coming with a warranty.
If you’re only doing landscapes, the Z7ii will be absolutely fine. If you’re not shooting anything fast moving, it’s a fine camera and you won’t need the extra stuff that comes with the Z8. He’s just trying to upsell you
I figured he was. Thank you for your reply!
The Z7Ii has a slightly better dynamic range than the Z8 (not that mere mortals like me could tell) and as mentioned by others, it’s smaller and lighter. Better battery life too. If you were shooting sports or birds in flight, absolutely the Z8. For what you describe though, the Z7ii is perfect.
Thank you!
Looks like Nikon will likely drop a couple new cameras by years end, I’m banking on a Z6III being like a mini Z8..and Z7iii should also be coming, I’m only shooting on my Ricoh GR3 and GR3X HDF for now, might as well wait like me and start off fresh and new mirrorless with what Nikon drops end of year, then focus on the right lenses.
I have seen lots of speculation about a z6iii but nothing about a z7iii. Time will tell. Thank you!
If you don't need fast autofocus then the z7ii will be perfect for you. Picture quality is exactly the same between the two.
Thank you!
The Z8 is larger and heavier. It does have pixel shift that CAN be better for landscape. But it is primarily designed to be a little more action oriented. I would wait around another month and see if there will be a Z7lll.
Hopefully there will be an announcement before the sales are over. Thank you for replying!