The following discussion is based on firmware version 3.0.1. Firmware updates have made numerous changes and additions to the original functionality of the Z8, and this is likely to continue for at least another year or two.
Most of the controls discussed in this section can be assigned a custom function. Here, I only discuss their default function.
Conflicting settings and side effects
The menu of the Z8 is the most complex of any camera I have used. Some settings affect other settings and/or disable other Menu items. Some of these side effects were totally unexpected (at least for me), while others make perfect sense. In the following discussion, I describe some of the unexpected side effects, as I experienced them. I am sure there are many more that I have not yet discovered, or that are not apparent in the way I use the Z8. I will keep this page updated when I do discover other significant side effects, in part also to remind myself of the way they work.
I am not alone in finding some of the side effects of the Z8 menu settings puzzling. For example, when I discovered that the electronic flash menu entries were disabled in my Z8, and I did not find a way to enable them with a Z8-compatible flash controller mounted on the camera and turned on, I googled for a solution of the problem. I quickly found a dozen post by hapless Z8 owners with the same problem, and dozens of replies, each with a different wild guess as to the solution, virtually all sounding illogical. One of them did cause me to start thinking, and this led me to finding the solution that worked for me (see Silent Mode).
I do not claim that this is the only solution. There may be different causes of this problem, each requiring a different solution.
Another notable side effect is that leaving the Wi-Fi (and, in my case, the connection to an FTP server) active prevents the Z8 from switching itself off when the Standby Timer expires. It also prevents the Energy Savings setting from putting the Z8 to sleep in order to save battery power. If you leave the Z8 on a work table in the evening without switching off the Wi-Fi, thinking that the Standby Timer will switch off the camera after the configured length of inactivity, it won't happen. At your return the following morning, you will be greeted by a Z8 with a completely exhausted battery.
Even if you do manually switch off the camera, it is never completely off. If you switch off the camera while connected to its FTP server via Wi-Fi, it finishes to upload pictures to the server, then goes on pinging the access point and the server at frequent intervals, using battery charge all along. You will notice that the green LED on the back of the camera blinks quite frequently even when the camera is off. To make it stop, I manually turn Airplane Mode on. The fastest way to reach the Airplane Mode setting is by displaying the Information display screen with the i button, or the similar but not identical display screen reached by clicking the DISP button a few times.
Even when in airplane mode, if the Z8 Bluetooth functionality is ON, the camera will still waste battery power when switched off, by trying to contact nearby Bluetooth devices. To prevent this, Network menu > Connect to smart device > Pairing (Bluetooth) > Bluetooth connection > OFF.
When the Z8 is new, it will use battery power even when switched off, to charge the internal battery of the calendar clock. It may take up to one day to fully charge this battery.
To be fair, a careful reading of the Z8 Reference guide shows that most, perhaps all, of the side effects and mutually interacting settings are documented by Nikon. There is a good reason why the Reference guide is so thick (1,013 pages, and don't forget the seven additional technical guides and updates in separate PDF files). This documentation should always be your (and my) first recourse to solve a problem or learn how a given feature works. Always RTFMRead The F(ine) Manual. Also, the Z8 is not intended for beginner photographers. With few exceptions, it does not display warnings before you do something dumb. Instead, it just assumes that you know what you are doing.
Many photographers (including myself) often begin to familiarize themselves with a new camera by turning it on, browsing through the Menu, and changing a few simple settings that the photographer believes he understands, in order to make the camera behave more like a camera he is already familiar with, and/or to make the camera better conform to his workflow. The next step is usually to explore often-used operating modes and controls by trial and error.
This is risky with the Z8, because apparently simple and self-evident settings may break something somewhere else and have unintended, sometimes illogical, side effects that you will only discover much later. Of course you can always factory-reset the camera, but this will not teach you which configuration mistakes painted you into a corner.
I think that a safer way to initially configure this camera is to work with the camera in one's lap in front of a computer or tablet displaying the Z8 Reference guide. Before changing a setting (any setting, even apparently innocent ones), read the entry for this setting in the Reference guide. Confirm in the guide whether the setting has the effect you are guessing. Some settings do not quite do what one would guess from their name. Then read on whether the setting has side effects, or other settings affect the way this setting works. If there are any such side effects and interdependencies, almost always the explanation of the menu entry describes them.
Likewise, when a menu entry that you would like to change is disabled, read the explanation of this entry in the Reference guide. Usually it explains what other settings, or camera accessories present or missing, may have disabled it.
To limit the amount of time wasted on undoing configuration mistakes, learn how to backup the current camera settings to the memory card, and do it at frequent intervals.
This way, you can restore the latest known-good configuration instead of starting again from memory.
Shutter (lack of)
Legacy SLRs were equipped with a two-curtain, mechanical shutter in the focal plane. Initially made of rubberized cloth, it was replaced in more modern SLRs by a set of partly overlapping steel or titanium blades. Purely mechanical shutters were subsequently replaced by electromechanical ones, and the latter by electronically controlled electromechanical shutters. DSLRs inherited the shutter of the latest SLRs, virtually unchanged. Mirrorless cameras, in turn, inherited the DSLR shutter. At its core, the typical shutter of mirrorless cameras remains a rather complex electromechanical device subjected to wear during normal operation, and vulnerable to physical damage and to temperature and humidity extremes.
In "normal" mirrorless cameras and in DSLRs capable of live view, the shutter remains open between exposures. This allows the sensor to be read electronically several times a second, to display a sequence of almost real-time images on the LCD screen or in an electronic viewfinder. The shutter closes immediately before the exposure, the electrical charge is emptied from the capacitor of each pixel, and finally the front curtain re-opens to start the exposure. At the end of the exposure, the rear curtain covers the sensor, traveling in the same direction as the front curtain, the electrical charges are read from the pixel capacitors, and only afterwards the shutter re-opens to allow live view to resume.
Modern DSLRs and mirrorless cameras typically can optionally replace the function of the electromechanical shutter with an "electronic" or "silent" shutter without mechanical moving parts. No mechanical wear of the shutter is therefore involved. This electronic action is not simultaneous across all sensels but travels like a wave across the sensor, just like the action of a mechanical shutter. Sometimes, the mechanical and electronic shutters can be combined, with the electronic shutter acting like the front curtain and the mechanical one as the rear curtain. Movies are also recorded with the electronic shutter.
A few recent cameras are equipped with a "global shutter" that simultaneously "locks" the capacitor charges of all pixels so that they are no longer affected by light hitting the sensor. A global shutter is expensive to implement in a sensor, but is desirable because it eliminates the distortion of fast-moving subjects caused by curtain shutters (and their electronic analogues). The Z8 is not equipped with a global shutter. The sensels are not simultaneously controlled across the whole sensor, but line by line, in a way comparable to the sweeping motion of physical shutter curtains. The reading process is fast, allowing up to 120 fps at 11 Mpixel.
The Z8 is unusual (but not unique) among modern cameras for totally lacking an electromechanical shutter. It only has an electronic shutter, albeit not a global shutter. Instead of the "click" of the electromechanical shutter, the Z8 produces by default an electronically generated sound. This sound can be changed, lowered or silenced by changing a menu setting. However, very low sounds are still produced by the lens diaphragm opening and closing, and by image stabilization. Both use electromechanical actuators and mechanical parts.
The Z8 electronic shutter allows exposure times between 15 minutes and 1/32,000 s. The flash sync speed is 1/200 s.
Shutter actuations counter
The Z8 has no mechanical shutter, but paradoxically it does have a shutter actuations counter. Considering that the Z8 has no mechanical transmissions to the lens and no internal electromechanical actuators except those for sensor-based image stabilization, the usefulness of a counter of electronic shutter actuations seems questionable.
In practice, I think that the useful life of this camera will be dictated by mechanical wear of the few remaining electromechanical actuators, and by the lifetime of the electronics, which are potentially susceptible to heat, humidity, and decay of certain components like electrolytic capacitors. The Z8 has built-in protection to prevent overheating, so it should nor risk "cooking" its electronics. The writing speed of its memory cards is high, especially the Cf Express card, and this is an additional source of heating.
Mechanical wear of the physical controls, fraying of their weatherproofing gaskets, oxidation of their electrical contacts, and degradation of flash memory may be more important factors, in the long run, than the number of actuations. Electromechanical actuators are used in sensor-based image stabilization, and are potentially subjected to wear even though there is no friction involved. Nonetheless, the shutter actuations counter is available for inspection and gives an idea of how heavily a Z8 has been used. It is reasonable to expect (although not necessarily justified from a technical point of view) that the second-hand value of a Z8 may differ if the actuations count is 50 or 500,000, respectively.
The aperture, focus and VR electromechanical actuators of a lens, and ultimately also the internal sliders that allow the optical sub-assemblies to move within the lens barrel, are also subjected to mechanical wear, but I don't think there is a practical way to infer the degree of wear of these internal mechanisms. Barring assembly errors, substandard parts, strong impacts, fouling by sand, salt, dust and color powders, and chemical spills, a lens treated with reasonable care and kept for most of the time in reasonable environmental conditions should easily last at least two or three decades of frequent use. The number of pictures taken with a given lens could give an idea of its remaining life expectancy, but as far as I know lenses do not contain diaphragm actuation counters, and a camera and its lenses are usually sold separately on the second-hand market.
For what is worth, I have never had a modern lens in my possession fail (including my several second-hand lenses). I have heard of rare cases of manual-focus lenses suffering fracture of metal parts of the focusing mechanism caused by lubrication seizures and metal fatigue. I must also say, however, that I do tend to avoid lenses that are obviously built with low-grade materials or that have evident weak features by design, like plastic lens mounts bayonets. On the other hand, if you drop a camera attached to one of these lenses, it may be a good thing that the lens bayonet breaks off, rather than the camera's lens mount.
Protective curtain
The Z8 is equipped with a protective curtain that can be configured to close when the camera is powered off. Although this curtain does look like the front curtain of an electromechanical shutter, its function is different, and there is no rear curtain. This curtain does sound when moving, and looks like the front curtain of an electromechanical shutter, but there is no rear curtain.
In general, I would recommend the protective curtain to be configured to close when the camera is switched off. When this is done, it also closes while displaying the menu. If you develop the good habit of switching the camera off before swapping lenses, the curtain will help to prevent dust from settling on the sensor.
In typical mirrorless cameras that lack a protective curtain, the shutter is typically open at all times, except temporarily before and after an exposure. Leaving the lens pointed toward the sun for as little as a few minutes may burn a blind hole in the sensor. The protective curtain of the Z8 may help to avoid this, at least for a few minutes.
In spite of the protection provided by this curtain, you should always pay attention not to leave the camera pointed toward the sun without a front lens cap. There is no real substitute for a completely opaque front lens cap.
Film SLRs and DSLRs usually leave the lens aperture fully open between shots. This is to provide as much light as possible in the optical viewfinder. It also leaves the sensor highly vulnerable to permanent damage if the camera is left pointed toward the sun, particularly with fast lenses. The Z8, in live view mode, stops down the lens aperture to its set value (albeit no higher than f/5.6), instead of leaving it fully open. The camera sensor is far more sensitive to light than the human eye, and can still provide a flawless image when the lens is stopped down to f/5.6 in reasonably good illumination. Since a photographer tends to stop down to at least f/5.6 when shooting in full sun, the lens in practice is always stopped down a couple of stops in sunlight, which somewhat reduces (but does not eliminate) the risk of sensor damage from exposure to the sun. This does not absolve you, however, from taking care not to leave the camera pointed to the sun.
When I wear a camera on a strap, I usually configure the strap so that the camera is front-heavy when hanging from the strap, and the lens naturally points downward. In this way, it is unlikely that the lens will point directly toward the sun while I am carrying the camera.
The protective curtain closes when one enters the Menu (unless the camera is in Silent Mode), and reopens when you return to shooting mode. It does not close, however, when you display the Shooting Information screen with the DISP button.
Memory card slots
Figure 10. CF Express card (left) and SD UHS II card (right).
The Z8 takes one CF Express card type B (not type A) and one SD card. When using an SD card, it is typically better to use an SD UHS II or UHS III card like the one shown at the right in the above picture. Note the second row of contacts that distinguish it externally from cheaper and slower types of SD cards. Even ordinary (slow) SD cards still work in the Z8, but become a performance bottleneck once the fast RAM cache of the Z8 (with space for roughly 20-25 images) fills up.
CF Express cards are up to six times faster than even the fastest SD cards, and it makes sense to use a CF Express card as the primary Z8 card. You should probably purchase the largest CF Express type B card that you can comfortably afford (within reason and without giving up other important things), configure it as the primary card, and always keep it in the camera. It does not hurt to keep also an SD card in its slot. However, if you configure this SD card as an automatic backup for the CF Express card, it will slow down the camera once its cache is full.
QXD cards should work in the Z8, but are slower than CF Express and regarded as largely obsolete.
The fact that the Z8 has one CF Express type B slot and one SD card slot has been regarded as a drawback by some photographers. The decision by Nikon to use two different card types is simply due to the fact that here is no space for two CF Express slots in the grip of a Z8, which is less bulky than in the Z9. The Z6 II, Z6 III and Z7 II likewise have two card slots of different types. The ZF has one SD and one micro SD slot.
The alternative would have been providing two SD card slots in the Z8, which Nikon did not regard as sufficient for an "almost flagship" model.
On the Z8, it is possible to use the dual card slots in different ways:
Backup: save images simultaneously on both cards
Overflow: switch to saving on the secondary card when the primary card is full
RAW primary, JPEG secondary (only in SDR tone mode)
JPEG primary, JPEG secondary (only in SDR tone mode, JPEG saved on secondary is in basic quality only)
RAW primary, HEIF secondary (only in HLG tone mode)
HEIF primary, HEIF secondary (only in HLG tone mode, HEIF saved on secondary is in basic quality only)
It is also possible to initially save the images only on the CF Express card and, when taking a break for a snack or rest, copy the images to one or more SD cards as a backup, since these cards are significantly cheaper: Playback menu > Copy images > Select pictures, then follow the prompts.
Memory cards do heat up when in use in the Z8, especially SD cards. A sticker in the card compartment of the Z8 warns of the risk of burns when handling hot cards. Some brands, like Sandisk, are said to run hotter than others.
Articulated LCD screen
The width of the active area of the rear LCD screen is 68 mm. This is a little wider than, for example, the OM System OM-1 (62 mm) and Sony A7R II (59 mm). Most current cameras have a fully articulated screen that swings out 180° toward the left and subsequently tilts up and down about 90°. The Sony A7R II is an example of a minority of high-end cameras with a screen that tilts up and down, but does not swing sideways.
Figure 11. Z8 articulated LCD screen, maximum swing (left) and maximum tilt (right).
The Z8 is different. The screen is mounted in a two-stage frame of thin pressed metal sheet that looks superficially similar to the one of the Sony camera mentioned above. However, in addition to tilting up 115° and down 43°, the screen alternatively swings right by 95° and left by 25°. This is more than enough to view the screen with the camera held at one's waist or at ground level, either in landscape or portrait orientation. Shooting with the camera held straight up above one's head without turning it sideways or upside down, however, is not possible. It becomes possible if one holds the camera up and forward with the arms at an angle of 45°.
One can simultaneously swing the screen horizontally and tilt it vertically, but this does not seem to achieve anything particularly useful, except possibly when working in very cramped conditions. The spindly metal frame holding the screen, once fully extended out of the rear of the camera, looks awkward and worryingly fragile.
The Z8 LCD screen cannot be folded flat facing toward the rear of the camera. An ordinary fully articulated screen usually can, and some photographers find this useful to protect the screen from scratches and friction against their clothes when the camera is worn on a neck or shoulder strap. I have a habit of carrying my camera hanging with the lens pointing downward and the screen upward, so this is not a real concern for me.
The probable reason why Nikon chose this solution for a pro camera, instead of a typical "fully articulated" screen that pivots along its left side, is that neither the movement nor the view of the Z8 screen is blocked by cables connected to the sockets on the left side of the camera. The screen movement is not restricted by an L-shaped bracket that covers the left side of the camera, either, not even when the vertical arm of this bracket is clamped in a tripod head or gimbal.
Command dials
The Main Command Dial is placed at top right on the back of the camera, within easy reach of the right thumb. By default, used alone, it changes the exposure time. In A mode it does nothing.
The custom setting d12: Easy exposure compensation (see below) changes the function of the Main Command Dial when the latter is used alone, and you must learn or configure another way to change the lens aperture.
The Secondary Command Dial is located on the front of the camera, near the top of the grip, within reach of the right index finger. By default, used alone, it changes the lens aperture. In S mode it does nothing.
In combination with buttons, the two dials have numerous other functions. Both dials are a bit hard to operate, probably to avoid being accidentally turned while handling the heavy camera.
Mode dial
In the Z8, the Mode dial at the top left of the camera does not rotate to select the exposure mode. Instead, it carries four buttons, which operate in combination with the command dials and/or the Main selector:
BKT: with the Main Command dial, it controls the number of bracketing exposures. 1F means no bracketing (i.e. 1 Frame), other possible values are 3F, 5F, 7F and 9F. With the Secondary Command Dial, it controls the EV difference between exposures from 0.5 to 3.0 (it has no effect when 1F is selected with the Main dial). For example 3F and 1.0 mean a bracketing sequence of 3 shots exposed at -1, 0 and +1 EV.
WB: with the Main Command dial, cycles through the predefined types of white balance. With the Main selector (around the OK button) fine-adjusts the currently selected predefined color balance.
MODE: with the Main Command dial, switches among A, S, P and M modes.
multi-exposure: with the Main Command dial, cycles the Release mode among self-timer, S(ingle), L(ow speed sequence), H(igh speed sequence), 15, 30, 60, 120 fps. With the Secondary Command Dial, adjusts the actual sequence speed or timing interval.
Fn1 button
On the front of the camera, operated by the right hand. This is the topmost of two function buttons, with a convex top.
Operated together with either the Main Command dial or Secondary Command Dial, switches among settings bank. It only displays the letter (A to D) of the bank, not its user-assigned name (which is visible in the Custom menu).
Fn2 button
On the front of the camera, operated by the right hand. This is the lowermost of two function buttons, with a concave top.
Operated together with either the Main Command dial or Secondary Command Dial, switches between FX and DX. It also displays the other image aspect ratios, but disabled.
Fn3/Key button
In image review mode, this button is used to protect an image. In live view mode, this button doubles as the Fn3 button, and by default is used for Set Picture Control (Normal, Vivid etc.).
Trashcan button
In image review mode, it deletes the currently selected image. In live view mode, it has no function. However, pressed simultaneously with the ISO button, it gives the option of formatting a memory card (quick format only).
AF-ON button
As its name implies, it performs AF. By default, half-pressing the shutter button also perform this function, but some photographers prefer to switch off the latter function.
Record (red-dot) button
It starts movie recording.
ISO button
Together with the Main Command dial, it sets the ISO value.
Together with the Secondary Command Dial, it switches ISO Auto on or off.
Together with the Trashcan button, it gives the option of formatting a memory card (quick format only).
Exposure compensation button
Together with either the Main Command dial or the Secondary Command Dial, it sets the exposure compensation.
Focus mode button
This button is located on the front of the camera, near its bottom-left edge. As far as I know, this is a unique position to place a camera control. It looks like the Nikon designers were running out of places to put new controls.
While trying to puzzle out the Focus mode Button, I initially believed it was meant to be operated like a joystick. In fact, this control easily wiggles in all directions. However, wiggling it has no effect, and this control only works by pressing it straight into the camera body - just like a button is supposed to work. It feels rather mushy, with little tactile feedback.
On the Z8, this control can be operated with the left thumb, or alternatively by placing the left hand under the camera body and pressing the button with the left index. Both ways of operating the button feel clumsy to me, but I don't know a better way. I guess many Z8 users, especially those using long telephoto lenses, will end up using one of the programmable function buttons instead. This is what I did.
This control is used in two ways:
Keep the button pressed and turn the Main (rear) Command Dial. This cycles among AF modes:
In photo mode, this cycles among three AF modes:
AF-S (single AF)
AF-C (continuous AF)
MF (manual focus)
In video mode, it cycles among four AF modes:
AF-S
AF-C
MF
AF-F (full-time AF): The camera autofocuses continuously while recording video. When the shutter button is kept half-pressed, AF locks. The AF point in live view turns from red to green.
Keep the button pressed and turn the Secondary (front) Command Dial. This cycles among 12 AF area sizes and types:
six stationary AF-area modes:
Pinpoint AF
Single Point AF (wider than Pinpoint AF)
Wide Area AF S (wider than Single Point AF)
Wide Area AF L (wider than Wide Area AF S)
Wide Area AF C1 (configurable from 1x1 to 29x17 focus points, in total 135 choices)
Wide Area AF C2 (configurable from 1x1 to 29x15 focus points, in total 120 choices)
three dynamic AF-area modes:
Dynamic Area AF S (small)
Dynamic Area AF M (medium)
Dynamic Area AF L (large)
two AF tracking modes:
3D Tracking
Subject Tracking AF
Auto-Area AF (the camera automatically recognizes the subject and tracks it)
When Wide-Area AF C1 or Wide-Area AF C2 is selected, the size of the AF area can be changed by keeping the Focus mode button pressed and using the 4-way Sub-selector (the joystick directly above the i button).
In addition to the Focus mode button, the focus mode can also be set in the Photo Shooting menu. Nonetheless, it is good to have a dedicated physical control for this frequently needed operation.
The Sub-selector, when used alone, moves the AF area on the sensor, and is often used in AF photography. Tapping the LCD screen is another way to place the AF area in the desired position.
Basics of Z8 autofocus
Nikon Z mirrorless cameras perform autofocus with their sensors, using a combination of phase-sensitive sensor pixels and contrast-based AF (hence the "hybrid sensor type" listed in the camera specifications). Under good illumination, phase AF is less likely than contrast AF to "hunt", except when AF is forced to start from a highly unfocused image. One reason is that, starting from a moderately out-of-focus position, phase sensors can tell not only the approximate amount of defocus but also the direction of defocus, so the camera knows in which direction it needs to focus instead of randomly trying one direction, then reversing to the opposite direction if the initial attempt makes focus worse (which is what contrast AF does). Phase sensors are also better at telling when the amount of unfocus is about to become zero, which makes it less likely that the camera will overshoot the position of maximum focus and then hunt once more for it by moving backwards. So why not give up on contrast AF and perform only phase AF? The reason is that phase AF works poorly in low light, or with slow lenses. Contrast AF is a better choice in these cases. The Z8 decides which type of AF to use in each instance, and the photographer cannot override the camera's decision.
One thing that Z cameras do differently from Nikon SLRs and DSLRs is that the latter perform AF with the lens aperture fully open, because their AF sensors (not integrated with the image sensor) work best with plenty of light and with the lens aperture fully open. Z cameras, instead, perform AF by stopping down to the value selected for the actual exposure – albeit only up to f/5.6. If the exposure requires a higher aperture, the camera only stops down to f/5.6 to autofocus, because at this aperture the phase sensels work best. This behavior is generally explained with many lenses exhibiting a "focus shift" when stopped down, i.e. their exact focus distance drifts slightly at different apertures. For this reason, performing AF at the actual aperture that will be used during the exposure, or at f/5.6 (whichever is lower) gives a more precise focus, which is particularly important with high-pixel-count sensors.
Beyond f/5.6, the increased depth of field may make it more difficult for AF to focus with precision, while the amount of focus shift of modern lenses does not appreciably increase.
It is possible to override the Z8 setting that tells the camera to stop down the lens when performing autofocus. However, Nikon warns that changing this setting is likely to cause a variety of problems that worsen the AF performance and/or image quality. To make a complex subject simple, this is one of the settings you should leave alone unless you have a serious problem with the default settings, and have the time and inclination to experiment and find out for yourself whether changing the AF behavior solves this problem. However, Nikon has already made for you the choice most likely to give you the best results.
In early sensors with phase sensels, the latter were dedicated to AF and behaved essentially as blind spots when the image was recorded. These blind spots were filled in the recorded image in the same way as accidental dead pixels – by interpolation from adjacent pixels. Subsequent sensor generations were built with dual-purpose sensels mixed with normal (imaging-only) sensels, and in some modern sensors all sensels are of this dual-purpose type (e.g. in the OM System OM-1 and OM-1 II).
There are two basic types of phase-detecting sensels. The simplest type consists of two sub-sensels placed either side-by-side or one above the other. They are best at detecting vertical and horizontail details, respectively. The second type consists of four sub-sensels, arranged in a pattern that resembles a + or an X. The latter is the case of the OM System OM-1 and OM-1 II. This type of phase detector is sensitive to horizontal as well as vertical detail. The 20 Mpixel sensor of these cameras has in total 80 million sub-sensels, but they do not have individual Bayer filters, microlenses and read circuits, so one cannot call this an 80 Mpixel sensor.
I found no published information on which type of phase-detecting sensels are used on the Z8. Under a 40x stereomicroscope, I can see a faint but unmistakable pattern of thin horizontal lines on the Z8 sensor surface. I can see no trace of microlenses and Bayer color filters – the available magnification and illumination are not enough. The thin horizontal lines could be rows of phase sensels, separated from each other by multiple rows of normal sensels.
Tracking
The Z8, Z9, Z6 III and Z50 II lack the AF tracking mode of earlier cameras. Instead, they have what Nikon calls 3D Tracking. Place the AF point where you want AF to be performed, and the camera will move the AF point to keep it on the same part of the subject while the subject and/or camera moves, and at the same time performs AF to keep the AF point in focus (hence the 3D in the feature name). This behavior is similar to Auto Area AF, but in Auto Area AF the camera decides where to put the AF point, while in 3D AF Area you decide it.
3D Tracking is not the same as Subject recognition. In 3D Tracking mode, the Z8 may stop tracking a subject if the subject turns around and the part of the subject you chose is no longer visible, or if the chosen part of the subject becomes hidden behind something else.
Subject recognition
Subject recognition in the Z8 uses the current AF area. Therefore, in general you should select a medium to large AF area when using subject recognition, unless you want to use subject recognition in a specific, limited area of the frame.
Subject recognition is typically used in AF mode, but can also be used in MF mode. In this case, it surrounds the area where it recognizes a given subject type with a white outline, but leaves it to you to manually adjust focus.
Photo shooting menu > AF/MF subject detection options gives the following choices:
Auto
People
Animal
Birds
Vehicle
Airplanes
Subject detection off
The list is a rather inconsistent combination of singular and plural terms. Nonetheless, this is what Nikon chose, and I can only follow their choice.
Whenever a subject type on this list is selected, subject recognition overrides the normal behavior of the current AF area. Auto leaves it to the Z8 to identify the subject. All other subject types tell the Z8 to identify a subject that falls into the chosen category. Auto is the subject type most likely to confuse the Z8, especially when different potential types of subject are present in the scene, or can be conceivably mistaken for one of the subject categories the Z8 has been trained to recognize.
People means just what the name tells. The Z8 and Z9 are said to be the capable of identifying the smallest human face (i.e. most distant in the frame) of all the current cameras. The Z8 focuses on the body first, then looks for a face and, if found, focuses on that. It finally looks for and focuses on an eye. The switch from one to another of these features is typically so fast that the Z8 seems to go directly after the eye, but in the case of a relatively distant human subject walking towards the camera it may be possible to see the three successive phases.
Animal includes the specific categories of dogs, cats and birds (used to train the Z8 neural network). Other quadrupeds are, in principle, similar enough to dogs and cats to still be identified as animals, but Birds can be quite different, and deserve their own category. Birds are said to be first tentatively identified by their bodies, then the Z8 looks for a face, and if found restricts AF to the face. It finally looks for an eye, and if it finds it restricts AF to the eye. By selecting Birds instead of Animal, when the subject is actually a bird it is identified more quickly, and the camera is less likely to be distracted by other things.
As I noticed with other cameras (especially the OM System OM-1), also the Z8, in spite of being set to Birds subject recognition, often correctly recognizes the eyes of mammals, especially if sufficiently large in the frame.
Vehicles are a mix of very different shapes. The Z8 typically sets AF on the closest part of a vehicle. The neural network of the Z8 is said to recognize the front of a train, but not the sides of its cars. Accordingly, the Z8 focuses on the locomotive, or its front.
Airplanes look quite different from surface vehicles, and are photographed often enough, and in such a broad variety of orientations, to deserve their own category. The Z8 focuses on the whole plane first, then looks for the front of the plane and sets focus there. It finally looks for a cockpit, and if found sets focus there.
Subject detection off switches the subject detection off and restores the normal AF behavior.
DISP button
This section discusses the DISP button on the rear of the camera. There is a DISP button also on some lenses, but the latter is not the subject of the discussion here.
When the camera is in photo mode, by default the DISP button cycles among three LCD photo overlays displaying different combinations of icons, and the Shooting Information display, which displays a selection of interactive controls (but no live view of the subject). When the Shooting Information display is initially displayed, its controls cannot be operated. First you must unlock them by tapping i Set at the bottom of the LCD screen. Afterwards, tap the control you wish to operate. This displays a number of choices for the control. Tap your choice. Finally, tap the OK control at the bottom right of the screen.
To exit the Shooting Information display, click DISP twice.
Among other things, the Shooting Information display is a quick way to turn Airplane Mode on or off. If Airplane Mode is OFF and Wi-Fi is ON, the Standby Timer is disabled and the camera does not go to sleep. This may result in exhausting the battery in 2-3 hours if the photographer forgets to manually power off the camera.
Picture/movie selector
Located around the DISP button. It switches between still image and movie mode.
i button
The i button displays a screen of controls comparable, but not identical, to the Shooting Information display activated by multiple presses of the DISP button.
Magnify live view during MF
Figure 12. Magnifier + and magnifier − buttons.
To perform MF with precision, you must enable the live view magnification. The Magnifier + and Magnifier − buttons are used to enlarge and reduce, respectively, the part of the live view image where the current AF area is centered. Magnification changes in four steps, with the highest magnification being a 1:1 pixel view. Pressing and holding either button for a couple of seconds brings you to the maximum or minimum magnification without pressing the buttons multiple times.
By default, half-pressing the shutter button does not cancel the live view magnification. To enable this setting when in MF, go to Custom settings menu > d Shooting Display > d18: Half-press to cancel zoom (MF) > ON.
This setting has no effect when manually overriding the focus while in AF. In this case, the magnification mode is canceled only when the shutter button is fully pressed.
Nikon software
Nikon freely distributes software for transferring images from Nikon cameras to Windows PCs (and Macs, of which I intentionally know nothing) and processing them on the computer. While other camera brands artificially tie their software to their brand, and often restrict access to their software altogether, Nikon only requires a free subscription, and you do not even need to register a Nikon product to become a member. The Nikon Transfer 2 app, for example, is perfectly happy to automatically locate and offer to copy to the PC the JPG files from an SD card formatted and recorded in an OM System OM-1 camera.
Selected menu entries
Custom settings menu
By default, the Custom settings menu is not displayed. To display it: Photo Shooting Menu > Extended Menu Banks > ON.
These menu entries are then found in the top-level Custom settings menu (pencil icon).
Do not confuse the Custom settings menu (pencil icon) with My menu (at the bottom of the left column of icons), which is often referred to in online discussions as the Custom menu.
The Custom settings menu contains a large number of settings and is not customizable. Through the Custom settings bank menu item you can save all the current values in the Custom settings menu in one of four banks of settings (by default named A to D, by default the active bank is A). Here you can Recall a bank (i.e. read all the settings you saved in a bank and make them current), Rename a bank, or Reset (return to default values) all the settings in a bank.
Standby timer
Found under Custom settings menu > c Timers/AE lock > c3: Power off delay > Standby timer, with numerous choices between 10s and 30 min, and No limit.
The custom setting c3: Power off delay sets the standby timer delay in each of the following modes:
shooting mode (if set to 10 s, it is extended to 20 s if in i mode)
playing back
displaying a menu
reviewing pictures
Standby timer is not triggered, for example, when the Wi-Fi is active.
Energy saving
To activate in photo mode, set Setup menu > Energy saving (photo mode) > ON.
When the Z8 automatically switches to energy saving after a time of inactivity, the protective curtain closes (if enabled) and the rear LCD dims for a few seconds before turning off. The top LCD screen remains active when in Energy saving mode, but some of the settings are not displayed..
Half-pressing the shutter button exits the energy saving mode.
As far as I understand, Energy saving is a "shallower" sleep than Standby timer, and requires a shorter time to wake up the camera.
Energy saving does not activate when:
The Standby timer is set to ∞ or less than 30 s
the camera is power zooming
the camera is connected to an external monitor
the camera is transferring data through the network
the camera is powered by a USB supply
Silent mode and Camera sounds
Silent mode, in Setup menu, does what is says - it mutes the camera sounds. However, it does a lot more than this, and it was totally unexpected for me. Setting Silent mode to ON, for example, has the side effect of disabling Flash mode and Flash compensation in the Photo shooting menu. If you want to use an electronic flash, do not turn Silent mode on.
Camera sounds is also found in the Setup menu. It turns the electronic Shutter sound on and off, sets its volume, and the type of sound (Type A to Type E, you will have to try these sounds and decide which one you prefer, if any). I set the shutter sound on, sound type A, and minimum volume in order to have an audible feedback, especially useful when shooting sequences and multi-shot techniques like focus bracketing and pixel shifting (otherwise I don't really know when the sequence of exposure starts and ends). When you are shooting in a public event or on a street, or in the presence of wild animals, you might want to turn off the sound entirely (but I do suggest you do not use this to stealthily take pictures of people without their knowledge).
Camera sounds also separately turns the Beep sound on and off, changes its volume, and adjust its pitch. I leave it off.
I am not sure what is the logic of Silent mode disabling the electronic flash. Perhaps the name of this setting is misleading, and it should be called Stealth mode instead. Disabling the electronic flash does make sense if the goal is to photograph stealthily. Also, a Silent mode setting that only eliminates camera sounds is superfluous, when one can already turn the volume of electronic camera sounds off in Camera Sounds.
FX mode, image sizes and aspect ratios
To set FX mode, Shooting menu > Image area > Choose image area > FX.
The Z8 offers multiple image sizes in FX mode (Shooting menu > Image size settings > Image size), as well as different image aspect ratios (Shooting menu > Image area). Additional modes are DX (see below), 1:1 (24 x 24 mm) and 16:9 (36 x 20 mm).
The Z8 offers three image sizes in FX mode (Shooting menu > Image size settings > Image size:
Large (8,256 x 5,504 pixels, 45.4 Mpixel) This is the size that records all pixels of the FX area of the sensor.
Medium (6192 x 4128 pixels, 26.5 Mpixel)
Small (4128 x 2752 pixels, 11.4 Mpixel) This is exactly half the height and half the width in pixels of the Large mode.
DX mode, image sizes and aspect ratio
To set DX mode, Shooting menu > Image area > Choose image area > DX.
In Image area, you can also set DX crop alert > ON. It displays a flashing DX icon in live view whenever you are shooting in DX mode, so that you will notice if e.g. leave the camera in DX mode at the end of the day. You can leave this warning permanently on, since it is only displayed in DX mode.
The Z8 offers three image sizes in DX mode (Shooting menu > Image size settings > Image size (DX):
Large (5,392 x 3,592 pixels, 19.4 Mpixel) This is the size that records all pixels of the DX area of the sensor.
Medium (4,032 x 2,688 pixels, 10.8 Mpixel)
Small (2,688 x 1,792 pixels, 4.8 Mpixel) This is slightly less than half the height and half the width in pixels of the Large mode.
In DX mode, only the central area of the sensor is used. The image aspect ratio is always 3:2. This is also the default FX image aspect ratio. In DX mode, live view magnifies the image read from the DX part of the sensor and displays it on the whole LCD screen or viewfinder. In practice, the field of view is roughly equivalent to what one would see in FX mode while using a 1.4x teleconverter (but the pixel count differs).
Diffraction compensation
Convolution sharpening is a general name for a complex mathematical procedure that, given a detailed knowledge of the properties of the imaging system that produced an image, can reverse some of the loss of image sharpness caused by diffraction. In principle, the better this knowledge, the better the result. However, there are practical limits to the sharpening performed by this method, among other reasons because of limitations in the knowledge of the system properties, and because processing the images in-camera cannot take too much time and computing resources.
Nikon is in the best position for possessing the information on the data necessary to apply convolution sharpening on an image produced by a specific combination of Nikon optics and Nikon camera. Most likely, the algorithm is tailored to each camera model. In principle, on each camera model the algorithm could additionally be tailored to each of a number of native Nikon lens models, which the camera can recognize via the lens firmware. I don't know whether, and to which extent, Nikon is doing the latter type of algorithm optimization.
As implemented on the Z8 and other Z cameras that have the same setting, Shooting menu > Diffraction compensation can only be switched ON or OFF and has no user-selected parameters. This setting only affects images saved in JPG format. In particular, it is not applied to RAW images. The effects of this setting are subtle and difficult to quantify, and most users can leave this setting permanently ON.
Auto distortion control
Corrects for geometric distortion, based on the parameters stored in each native lens firmware: Shooting menu > Auto distortion control > ON. Default is OFF.
A few custom settings
Settings in the Custom settings menu are reached in two steps, first by selecting the menu category identified by a letter, then the specific setting identified by a letter and number, for example Custom settings Menu > b Metering/exposure > b2: EV steps for exposure control. This is the same for all custom settings, so in the following discussion I simply identify a custom setting by its letter-and-number prefix, e.g. b2: EV steps for exposure control. This indicates that you must enter the Custom settings menu first, then the b Metering/exposure menu, and finally the b2: EV steps for exposure control setting.
When you change a custom setting from its default value, the menu item displays an asterisk (*) above the lowercase letter at the beginning of the menu item.
EV steps
The lens aperture in A and M mode can be set with the secondary (front) dial. By default, the aperture changes by 1/3 of a stop per dial click. I prefer to change this to 1/2 stop per click: b2: EV steps for exposure control > 1/2 EV steps (comp. 1/1 EV). As indicated by the setting name, it also changes the exposure compensation step size.
ISO steps
I prefer to change the ISO sensitivity in increments of 1 EV, as opposed to the default of 1/3 EV: b1: ISO sensitivity step value > 1 step.
Display focus confirmation in AF-C and AF-S
Nikon cameras display the active AF-C and AF-S focus points in live view as small red squares, or (depending on the AF area selection mode) as other markers, e.g. a large red square surrounded by a few red dots. By default, these markers remain red when focus is achieved.
It would be better for the camera to signal when AF has achieved focus by turning these AF markers green.
To do this: a11: Focus point display > AF-C in-focus display > ON.
All AF markers turn green when one of these points has achieved focus, not just the one(s) where AF has achieved focus.
In AF-S mode, the marker(s) turn green once you half-press the shutter button (or press the AF-ON button), and AF has been achieved. They return red as soon as you release either button. In AF-C mode, they stay green until AF is reactivated.
Easy exposure compensation
I find d12: Easy exposure compensation useful. When set to ON, turning the main dial sets the exposure compensation factor, displays a small exposure compensation icon in the "richest" live view screen, along the bottom of the screen, and a compensation scale along the right edge of the screen. The exposure compensation icon is only displayed when the compensation factor is not zero.
The selected compensation factor is remembered after the camera is switched off and back on. If you are like me, you may forget you set a non-zero exposure compensation the last time you used the camera, and the following morning turn on the camera and happily go on to spoil your pictures by under- or overexposing them. There is a third choice in the menu, ON (Reset), which zeroes the compensation factor when you turn off the camera. This setting does not turn off the use of the main dial for exposure compensation, so the next time you use the camera, the main dial will still perform exposure compensation.
This is a really smart setting to use. I cannot count the number of times I started shooting with my OM-1, only to wonder why all exposures were off by one or two EVs, and only then I finally thought of checking if exposure compensation was still on since days earlier.
Of course, using this setting means that the main dial can no longer be used to set the lens aperture. This is not a big problem for me, because my only native lens (24-120 f/4 S) has an electronic ring that I use to set the lens aperture. Any native lenses I might buy in the future likely will have a similar ring, and when using non-native lenses I must use their manual aperture rings anyway, which is located in the same place.
Override AF with the focus ring
To enable overriding AF by turning the focus ring of the lens: a15: Manual Focus Ring in AF Mode > ON.
Focus ring rotation range
This setting is available with some native Z lenses, specifically those equipped with a focus-by-wire dedicated focus ring (mostly the S lenses), or a control ring that can be customized to work as a focus-by-wire focus ring. With all other lenses, including Z lenses equipped with a mechanical focus ring, manual-focus lenses, and all Nikkor F-mount AF and AF-S lenses on FTZ/FTZ II adapters, this setting is unavailable. I am not certain how F-mount AF-P lenses behave in this respect.
At present I only own two native Z lenses with focus-by-wire, i.e. 180-600 (by customizing the control ring to work as a manual focus ring) and 24-120 S. Both lenses allow choosing a value within the range for this setting described below.
The focus-by-wire Z lenses that do not not support this setting display the default "Non-linear" value for this setting, and this value cannot be changed.
This setting is accessible at f9: Focus ring rotation range. The available values are:
Non-linear: the focus changes faster when the focus/control ring is rotated faster. Turn the ring slowly for a finer focus control.
90°-720°: choose the rotation range of the focus ring that changes focus between infinity and the closest focus distance, at intervals of 30° between 90° and 360°, and additionally 540° and 720°. In practice, the choice is from a quarter of a turn to two full turns of the ring. A higher value allows a finer (but slower) manual adjustment of focus. The amount of focus change is not affected by the rotation speed of the ring.
Max.: The rotation range is the maximum allowed by the lens and current settings. This can be a convenient shortcut when you desire the maximum manual-focus precision.
Focus peaking
Focus peaking highlights in the live view the areas of maximum sharpness, i.e. the areas that contain fine detail and are perfectly in focus. This allows manual focusing with precision even without using a magnified live view.
If enabled, focus peaking is active in MF, or with a manual focus lens. It is inactive in AF-S and AF-C, but it turns on automatically when overriding AF by turning the focus ring (see the preceding custom setting).
If active, focus peaking remains active also when magnifying the live view with the Magnifier + button. However, with increasing live view magnification, focus peaking may fail to find sufficiently sharp detail. Especially at maximum magnification, focus peaking may fail to display anywhere in the frame.
High-ISO noise and low-light noise
in live view can fool the Z8 into displaying focus peaking wherever random noise happens to appear in the frame. The only practical way to avoid this problem is by using settings that lower this type of noise, or by adding light to the scene. Lowering the sensitivity of focus peaking (see below) makes things slightly better, but not as much as getting rid of the noise in the first place.
The settings that control focus peaking are found under a13: Focus peaking:
Focus peaking display > ON enables focus peaking.
Focus peaking sensitivity can be set on a scale of 1 to 3. 1 is selective and highlights focus in a narrow volume of focus, 3 is more tolerant of defocus and highlights in a thicker volume. It can sound counterintuitive, but the 1 setting is the most precise. However it can also be the most difficult to see in live view. The default is 2.
Focus peaking highlightcolor selects the color of the focus highlight. Red or yellow work most often well for me, but subjects of unusual colors may require a different choice. White and blue are also possible, but not green.
Illuminated buttons
d12: LCD illumination > ON turns on the LEDs illuminating most of the buttons on the rear of the Z8 and the four buttons at the left of the viewfinder hump. This is an understated illumination, only visible when the Z8 is in very low ambient light. This setting also turns on the illumination of the Control Panel.
You can achieve the same result by turning the Power ON/OFF dial clockwise past the ON position. Do it once more to turn off the illumination. You cannot assign a custom function to the Power ON/OFF dial, so I am not sure why Nikon decided to provide also a Custom menu item for the same purpose. Perhaps it has to do with being able to turn on/off the illumination when the camera is remotely controlled.
Custom controls
To reassign a function to a physical camera control, go to f2: Custom controls (shooting) or f3: Custom controls (playback). The f2: Custom controls (shooting) menu allows the customization of 25 physical controls. Multiple custom functions can be assigned to the same physical control, e.g. when the control is used alone, or in combination with other controls.
The Reference guide, available among the Z8 documentation, dedicates 22 pages to f2: Custom controls (shooting). The document Available Roles for Custom Controls, at the same link, complements this information and is indispensable for planning any customization. Virtually all third-party Z8 books and dozens of independent web pages also dedicate lengthy discussions on this topic, and provide Excel sheets and text templates to plan your customization work and keep a written record of the customized controls.
Many authors of third-party documentation provide suggestions on how to customize their favorite controls. I do not provide any suggestions on this matter, because I am aware that no two photographers have the exactly same needs and work habits. I suggest that you do not worry about custom controls right after getting your Z8 (unless you are already familiar with the Z8 or Z9). Get used to the camera and its default controls first. Begin to customize the Z8 controls only when you feel confident that you know what you intend to achieve with custom controls. Backup your settings before doing any customization, and at regular intervals during your configuration work (see the next section).
Backup/restore/reset the camera settings
To backup the current camera settings to the primary memory card: Setup menu (wrench icon) > Save menu settings. The settings are saved to a .bin file in the root folder of the card. The Z8 Reference guide has a long list of all settings that can be saved in this way. This seems to imply that some settings cannot be saved, but Nikon does not say which.
To restore the settings from a backup file on the memory card: Setup menu (wrench icon) > Load menu settings. If this setting is disabled, it means the camera cannot find the settings backup file where it expects to find it.
I strongly recommend you make a backup of the current settings before you reset them (even in the case there seems to be something wrong with the camera and you have no idea what/why).
To reset the camera settings (except language, time zone and time): Setup menu (wrench icon) > Reset all settings.
VR with VR lenses versus non-VR lenses
At present, my understanding of how VR works in the Z8 is based on the Nikon documentation and a reading of posts on bulletin boards, including this on Nikonians.org. I have not personally verified all the following information because I don't have suitable equipment at the time of writing.
I believe that the phenomenon generally called "VR re-centering" by users is what Nikon describes as "the image may jiggle before the shutter is released" when using the Normal VR setting (Z8 Reference Guide, p. 480). Nikon suggests using the Sport or OFF VR settings if the user finds this behavior distracting.
First of all, when a lens with built-in VR and physical slider to control VR is mounted on the Z8, the VR settings in the Z8 Shooting menu > Vibration reduction are disabled. This does not mean that VR itself is disabled. It only means that the VR physical controls on the lens are overriding the VR menu settings.
When Shooting menu > Vibration reduction is enabled, the choices are:
ON Normal
SPT Sport
Off
ON Normal seems to work best with static subjects and/or long exposure times, both hand-held and tripod/monopod mounted. However, this setting is not suitable when panning with the lens/camera, because with this setting VR tries to fight against panning.
SPT Sport works better whenever panning with the camera.
In most cases, the same three choices shown above are available on the physical VR control of a VR-capable lens.
The Z8 is capable of combining in-camera and in-lens VR. When a lens capable of combined VR is mounted on the Z8, the user cannot control whether to use only in-camera, or only in-lens, or combined in-camera and in-lens VR. Whenever combined VR is allowed by the hardware, the Z8 uses it. This is exactly how image stabilization works also on Olympus/OM System cameras and lenses, and it is not a unique feature of Nikon.
It appears that VR on the Z8 controls three types of movement: pitch, yaw, and
roll. When the lens has no VR capabilities, all three movements are compensated for by the sensor. When the lens has pitch and yaw compensation built-in, the Z8 delegates these two types of compensation to the lens, and performs only roll compensation on the sensor because this cannot be compensated for by reasonably simple optical means.
In general, sensor-based image stabilization can perform a more limited amplitude of movement than in-lens stabilization. Additionally, in-lens stabilization can be performed at or near the center of mass of the lens + camera system, while sensor-based stabilization is constrained by the sensor position far at the rear of the center of mass. For this reason, in-lens image stabilization is particularly effective in long telephoto lenses, while sensor-based stabilization remains the simplest and most cost-effective solution for physically short and medium-length lenses (roughly up to 150 mm of lens physical length).
Some camera systems, like OM System, appear to implement a more sophisticated image stabilization than Nikon. The OM-1 and OM-1 II cameras, for example, have sensors to measure six types of camera movement
(linear shift along each of the three axes, and rotation about each of the three axes), and, with the 90 mm f/3.5 macro lens, an additional high-sensitivity inertial sensor and optical compensation in the lens to allow image stabilization during hand-held macro shooting. This is part of the Olympus/OM system strategy of prioritizing photomacrography. OM System is one of very few camera brands still offering three macro lens models in their system. Gone are the times when Olympus OM simultaneously offered at least five macro and bellows lens models, and Nikon seven or more (if one counts also the four Multiphot lenses).
By and large, the only manual configuration needed on the Z8 when using non-CPU lenses and lens adapters is that you need to configure the lens focal length in the camera menu, if you want to use in-camera image stabilization with these lenses. The Z8 can store the focal length and a custom name of 20 such lenses.
These settings are accessible at Setup Menu > Non-CPU lens data. When mounting one of these lenses on the Z8, you need to go to this menu entry and select the appropriate lens profile. The chosen profile is remembered when you turn off the camera. Attempting to use image stabilization with the wrong lens focal length often makes things worse that not using image stabilization.
Of course you cannot use image stabilization with a non-CPU zoom lens, except at a single focal length.
With non-CPU lenses, I am generally satisfied with how Normal VR works. I very rarely need to pan with a non-CPU lens.
HDR imaging
HDR (High Dynamic Range) imaging in the Z8 combines two shotstaken at different exposures into a single image. Unlike focus bracketing and AE bracketing, the images are combined in-camera. The final image is stored in the current format, resolution and quality.
A relatively narrow margin around the edges of the frames is lost with this technique. Nikon recommends shooting a slightly wider area than the desired image framing. Nikon also recommends mounting the camera on a tripod.
Photo shooting menu > HDR overlay. The available settings are:
HDR mode
On (series): in this mode, the camera continues to take HDR images until HDR mode is manually switched Off.
On (single shot): in this mode, the camera takes a single HDR shot, then returns to normal photo mode.
Off
HDR strength: in practice, this controls the difference in exposure between the two shots.
Auto: the camera will try to guess which HDR strength to use.
Extra high
High
Normal
Low
Save individual pictures (RAW)
OFF
ON: this saves the two individual raw images in adition to the final HDR shot.
Once ready, press the shutter release to record and process the two images.
Focus bracketing
This technique, called Focus shift shooting by Nikon, records multiple exposures while shifting the lens focus by a configured distance between successive shots. Subsequently, the sequence of images is moved to a computer and processed by focus stacking software to combine the in-focus portions of each image. Focus stacking software includes Zerene Stacker, Helicon Stacker and CombineZM. Adobe Photoshop also provides some simple stacking capabilities, but far too limited for my uses. The free software Nikon NX Studio simplifies the import to a PC of sets of images saved by focus bracketing on a Nikon camera. NX Studio does not perform focus stacking.
None of the algorithms used in the available focus stacking software are completely free from artifacts in the final image, and objective reasons explain why deterministic algorithms cannot completely avoid artifacts while processing image sequences produced by conventional optics and cameras. Different algorithms vary in the amount and type of artifacts they produce. This might change with AI algorithms, but as far as I know it has not been done yet.
Focus stacking results in an extended-focus final image with a depth of field that far exceeds what is possible to obtain with a single exposure. The lens aperture used to shoot a focus bracketing sequence should be set to a compromise value that maximizes DOF of a single image and at the same time minimizes diffraction to an invisible or unobtrusive level. The final image is negatively affected by diffraction to a far lesser extent than a single exposure with the same total depth of field.
After performing focus bracketing, some cameras can additionally perform the focus stacking process in-camera. Not so the Z8, at least with present firmware (nor any other Nikon system camera, as far as I know). This choice by Nikon may be justified, among other reasons, by the large amount of computing necessary to process high resolution focus bracketing sequences in-camera. Olympus/OM System cameras are helped by their sensors currently not exceeding 20 Mpixel. Additionally, when focus stacking is performed in-camera, it is usually limited to a relatively short stack (15 images on the OM System OM-1, compared to a limit of 999 images when focus bracketing).
The Z8 is limited to a maximum of 300 images when focus bracketing (but see below for a way to exceed this limit).
The Z8 may have a "hard" practical limit dictated by camera and memory card overheating when focus bracketing at high speed and high resolution.
I frequently use a motorized precision rail under control of a microcontroller (usually a Cognisys Stackshot) to generate comparable focus-shift sequences by moving either the camera or the subject with respect to each other, frequently at magnifications exceeding 5x. A typical workflow involves configuring in the microcontroller the start and end positions of the rail, and the amount of travel along the rail after each shot. This amount of travel must be a little less than the depth of field at the chosen effective aperture and magnification (which is usually found on a table of pre-computed values, or by using an interactive DOF calculator). This is a well-known and commonly used workflow that leaves minimal space to guesswork and errors.
Unfortunately, no camera that I know of uses a comparable workflow to configure in-camera focus bracketing. Instead, the workflow used by the Z8, as well as my OM System and Olympus cameras, is:
Focus the lens on the closest portion of the subject that you desire to render as focused in the final image. In practice, one should set focus slightly in front of this point, so that the first couple of images is still out of focus. They will be entirely discarded by the focus stacking software, and are only an insurance in case some unnoticed and small part of the subject slightly protrudes forward through the initial focus plane.
Set the lens aperture. You should use the highest f/ value that still avoids a visible loss of resolution by diffraction. In the close-up range, this is around f/4 to f/5.6 for Micro 4/3, and f/.5.6 to f/8 for full frame (or less if you are after pixel-peeping levels of detail, or more if you will reduce the final image for web publishing and will not use magnified portions of the image).
Set the number of images in the sequence. This is a wild guess, but with some experience and trial-and-error, you can get a feel for this number. It helps to be systematic and take notes during your experiments. Taking too few images produces an unusable sequence. Taking too many images wastes a little memory space on the card and some time while focus stacking. It is always possible to examine the sequence and discard the excess images on a computer, before processing them with focus stacking software.
Set the distance between the focus planes of two adjacent shots of the sequence. This distance is not set in mm or any other length unit. Instead, it is a dimensionless parameter with an integer value between 1 and 10. The actual focus distance corresponding to the value of this parameter is undocumented, and co-varies with a number of other camera settings like the lens focal length, the focus distance of the first image, and the lens aperture. Using too short a distance results in a sequence of more images, but the sequence is still usable. Using too long a distances causes focus banding in the final image, i.e. planes of sharp focus alternate with slightly fuzzy planes. This makes a sequence unusable. The general recommendation is using a distance slightly lower than the depth of field, so that there is a slight (10-20%) overlap of in-focus volumes between adjacent shots. This overlap may also help the focus stacking algorithms to correctly align and scale adjacent images to each other.
Set other bracketing parameters (see below).
Start shooting the sequence, and let it run to its end.
Move the sequence images to a computer for examination and processing. In particular, visually check that the sequence did not start too late and/or end too early, with the first and/or last planes of focus not encompassing all visible (or desired) portions of the subject.
The following discussion of the Z8 settings for focus bracketing contains more pointers.
Focus bracketing in the Z8 is configured and started in Photo shooting menu > Focus shift shooting. The relevant menu items are:
Start. This is the last menu item to use, after configuring the following settings. Once you tap this menu item, the camera pauses for a few seconds to "prepare" for the sequence. This should be more than enough for any vibration caused by the screen tapping to subside.
No. of shots (1-300) This is a wild guess. It is of course better to take too many shots than too few. If you look at the camera screen while shooting a test sequence with the chosen combination of menu settings, lens aperture, initial focus distance, focus steps width etc., you can get a fairly good idea of how many shots are needed for every feature of the subject to successively come into focus. A few unnecessary extra shots at the end of the sequence are ordinarily not a problem, and trimming away these superfluous steps before processing the stack with external software can be performed on a computer.
Focus step width (1-10). The value of 5 is a good starting point. If it causes focus banding (i.e. there are thin "slices" of the subject that are fuzzy, alternated with in-focus slices), you need to decrease this parameter. Too narrow a step width increases the number of steps, but does not ruin the stack like too large steps do.
Interval until next shot (0-30 s). This can be used to let an electronic flash recycle fully between shots. 1-2 s are usually enough for a good and reasonably powerful studio strobe. Strictly speaking, continuous illumination require no pauses between shots. A pause to let camera vibration die out after each shot should not be necessary since the lens aperture closing during each exposure is the only mechanical action.
First-frame exposure lock.
ON: the exposure is computed at the first shot and subsequently locked for the rest of the sequence.
OFF: the exposure is individually computed at each shot (if allowed by the shooting mode).
Focus position auto reset.
ON: focus returns to the beginning of the stack after the sequence ends. This is useful to quickly repeat the sequence, starting once more from the same plane of focus.
OFF: focus does not change after the end of the sequence. This can be used to shoot multiple sequences by starting the next sequence where the last one ended. This allows shooting a combined sequence with more than the 300 shots limit for a single sequence. It can also be useful to make sure that the sequence has swept the plane of focus completely through all the visible portions of the object, leaving no part of it still in focus. If the sequence stops too early, anything located beyond the last plane of focus will be rendered as (strongly) unfocused.
Options
The setting Photo shooting menu > Focus shift shooting > Options > Pixel shift shooting simultaneously uses pixel shift to increase image resolution and pixel count, and focus shift to record a focus stack to process outside the camera. The settings under Pixel shift shootings are:
Number of shots, this is the number of shots performed at the same focus setting while shifting the sensor. One of :
4
8
16 (default)
32
Interval until next shot, from 0 s to 30 s. This configures a pause between successive shots in the pixel shift sequence, e.g. to allow a strobe to recycle.
Starting storage folder
New folder. If selected, a new folder is created on the memory card for each sequence.
Reset file numbering. If selected, file number restarts for each sequence. You may wish to deactivate this setting when shooting large sequences (exceeding 300 shots) that will be processed into a single final image.
Once all settings have been configured as desired, tapping the Start menu item begins the shooting sequence. Alternatively, select the Start menu item and press the physical OK button. The sequence cannot be started by pressing the shutter release button, and therefore you cannot use a wired remote for this. It would seem logical to use the shutter button to start the sequence, like in other cameras like Olympus/OM System, but this is not how Nikon implemented Focus shift shooting.
Once the sequence has started, it can be interrupted by tapping the Interrupt → OK menu item at the bottom of the screen, or the physical OK button.
The rest of this section discusses an example of Focus shift shooting processed by Zerene Stacker. The sequence consists of 20 shots at 120 mm focal length, f/8, ISO 5,600, with Focus step width = 5 and Interval until next shot = 2, "Vivid" in-camera color profile, and starting at the closest focus allowed by the Nikkor Z 24-120 mm f/4 S. Illumination was by a Godox AD 600 Pro TTL studio strobe with beauty dish and abundant diffusion, with exposure locked after the first shot.
The subject was chosen in part because of its high contrast, likely to make halos and other artifacts produced by the stacking software more visible. The original image shown below is as stored in JPG Fine format by the camera, the two stacked images as produced by Zerene Stacker with no pre- or post processing. All images were reduced in JPG quality for web publishing.
The two images produced by Zerene Stacker could be improved by careful adjustments of some of the processing parameters, as well as retouching. Also, ISO noise is very well contained if one looks at single images, but the PMax method selectively amplified and accumulated the noise across the whole sequence, making it visible. The use of a lower ISO could have reduced the "noisy halos". Another way to make noise less obtrusive in the final image is shooting at the maximum practical resolution, if necessary by combining focus shift and pixel shift, and averaging out some of the noise by strongly reducing the image resolution of the final stacked image. Reducing the contrast by using a large amount of diffusion of the light source can also help.
Figure 13. Initial shot of sequence, manually cropped by about 50% and reduced for publication. Figure 14. Initial shot of sequence, 1:1 pixel crop. Figure 15. Sequence processed by Zerene Stacker, PMax method, manually cropped and reduced. Figure 16. Sequence processed by Zerene Stacker, PMax method, 1:1 pixel crop. Figure 17. Sequence processed by Zerene Stacker, DMap method, manually cropped and reduced. Figure 18. Sequence processed by Zerene Stacker, DMap method, 1:1 pixel crop.
Although this is only a first attempt, with the subject and camera simply resting on a table-top and the sequence started by manually tapping the camera LCD screen, the Nikkor Z 24-120 mm f/4 appears fully up to the task of producing focus-bracketing sets of images of large pixel count and high resolution. This is a respectable result for a lens with a 5x zoom ratio that is not truly cheap, but reasonably priced for it quality, used at its minimum focusing distance.
