Nikon Z8 : Low Light / High ISO Capability ?

High ISO photos ie 6400, produced by the Z6 is the only thing I miss since getting the Z8

Petrolhead said:

High ISO photos ie 6400, produced by the Z6 is the only thing I miss since getting the Z8

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Nonsense. The Z8 has about 0.25 stops lower DR than the Z6 from ISO 800 upward.


That's not affecting your high ISO photography.

Here's some proof.

The scene is the standard DPR dark light ISO 6400 scene. Both were taken with very good lenses (Z 50 1.8 and Z 85 1.8).

The Z8 scene was shot with 1/3 stop less light so it is actually disadvantaged against the Z6.

All processing was done from the raw files in Lightroom.

Both scenes were processed the same except for a little more noise reduction on the Z8 scene to make the noise levels match and 1/3 stop EC on the Z8 scene to make the brightness match. Both were exported from Lightroom at the Z6's native resolution.


Z6 on the left. The Z8 has significantly more detail in the text.


Z6 on the left. The Z8 has more and finer detail in the hair and less moire in the circles.


Z6 is on the left. The false color in the Jack's hair in the Z6 image is missing in the Z8 image.


Top image is the Z6. The Z6 quickly becomes a blurry false-colored mess compared to the Z8.

Here are the full-res processed images if you want to compare them yourself. There are some minor differences, but nothing to significantly prefer one over the other.


Z6 full image


Z8 full image

If you were happy with your Z6 at ISO 6400, go ahead and use your Z8 at ISO 6400. Your images will be as good or better than what you would have gotten from your Z6.

One more thing that I meant to mention about the processing that I did: no AI was used. The noise reduction was done via the old-fashioned luminance noise reduction slider.

tajohnson said:

One more thing that I meant to mention about the processing that I did: no AI was used. The noise reduction was done via the old-fashioned luminance noise reduction slider.

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So, to compare high ISO image quality and noise between two different camera bodies, you took photos in different light levels with different lenses, imported into Adobe software instead of Nikon's own software, then not only applied noise reduction but also different amounts of noise reduction? How scientific of you.

NeedMorePractice said:

tajohnson said:

One more thing that I meant to mention about the processing that I did: no AI was used. The noise reduction was done via the old-fashioned luminance noise reduction slider.

Click to expand...

So, to compare high ISO image quality and noise between two different camera bodies, you took photos in different light levels with different lenses, imported into Adobe software instead of Nikon's own software, then not only applied noise reduction but also different amounts of noise reduction? How scientific of you.

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He didn't take any pictures. He used the DPreview comparison material and put a lot of effort in to help others. His findings are consistent with what everyone else has found.

Thank you.

NeedMorePractice said:

tajohnson said:

One more thing that I meant to mention about the processing that I did: no AI was used. The noise reduction was done via the old-fashioned luminance noise reduction slider.

Click to expand...

So, to compare high ISO image quality and noise between two different camera bodies, you took photos in different light levels with different lenses, imported into Adobe software instead of Nikon's own software, then not only applied noise reduction but also different amounts of noise reduction? How scientific of you.

Click to expand...

Have a nice day.

Vince P said:

NeedMorePractice said:

tajohnson said:

One more thing that I meant to mention about the processing that I did: no AI was used. The noise reduction was done via the old-fashioned luminance noise reduction slider.

Click to expand...

So, to compare high ISO image quality and noise between two different camera bodies, you took photos in different light levels with different lenses, imported into Adobe software instead of Nikon's own software, then not only applied noise reduction but also different amounts of noise reduction? How scientific of you.

Click to expand...

He didn't take any pictures. He used the DPreview comparison material and put a lot of effort in to help others. His findings are consistent with what everyone else has found.

Click to expand...

“Everyone else?” How presumptuous of you.

tajohnson said:

NeedMorePractice said:

tajohnson said:

One more thing that I meant to mention about the processing that I did: no AI was used. The noise reduction was done via the old-fashioned luminance noise reduction slider.

Click to expand...

So, to compare high ISO image quality and noise between two different camera bodies, you took photos in different light levels with different lenses, imported into Adobe software instead of Nikon's own software, then not only applied noise reduction but also different amounts of noise reduction? How scientific of you.

Click to expand...

Have a nice day.

Click to expand...

And you, as well.