Robert G Allen Photography takes delivery of the Nikon Z8 mirrorless full frame camera

Utilizing overnight shipping provided by Nikon’s Professional Services Priority Purchase Delivery benefit, Robert G Allen Photography took delivery of the Nikon Z8 camera body on May 26, 2023. I made my purchase direct from Nikon USA.

After unboxing the camera, I hurried off to our local airport and proceeded to take some of the first test shots utilizing Airplane Subject Detection mode. As the photo below shows, for the most part, the plane was tracked on its final approach with the focus point sticking to the cockpit windows. The focus point occasionally jumped to the clouds around the aircraft earlier in its approach but jumped back to the plane within a few milliseconds. As you can see, the clouds that day were very dramatic and stormy looking, providing much distraction to the autofocus system. Also, I wasn’t using one of the wide area focus modes that draws a red box around the area that you want the auto focus to concentrate on, which could have contributed to the autofocus not sticking on the plane or cockpit area as the plane approached as well as it should have. Hopefully, this was a worst case situation, contrasty clouds and not using a red box around the airplane to limit the focus point monitoring area. Honestly, I was hoping for better performance but it was my first time with the camera and hopefully, as I become more familiar with the autofocus system, things will improve.

Spirit Airlines on final approach into BOI RWY 28 left, using Airplane subject detection mode as shown in Nikon Studio NX. Nikon Z8, Nikkor F mount AF-S NIKKOR 200-500mm f/5.6E ED VR

I will have more to say in my full review of the Nikon Z8. Let me know in the comments below if you have purchase the Z8 and if so, what your initial impressions are.