New z8 firmware update 3.0 has been released.

[Berend Botje]

https://www.nikonusa.com/content/z-8-firmware-3-point-0

Ricci Chera Nikon UK

https://nij.nikon.com/products/info/2025/0611.html

Nikon USA has just sent out e-mail about the new firmware, and I confirmed with them that the new firmware is actually not yet available for download. That is kind of strange. These are the additional YouTube videos on Z8 FW 3.0 I have seen, and there are more:

• Matt Irwin, Australia:
• Philip Fung, Hong Kong (in the Cantonese dislect of Chinese)

The last firmware (among all cameras) Nikon introduced was 1.50 for the Z5, introduced on June 10, 2025 i.e. yesterday:

https://downloadcenter.nikonimglib.com/en/download/fw/562.html

Therefore, the next firmware should be 563

i.e. https://downloadcenter.nikonimglib.com/en/download/fw/563.html

But that 563 is current a dead link.

Thom speculates that Nikon is trying to get ahead of swirling rumors about the upcoming FW. A few days ago Hudson Henry mentioned a future FW update in a Z8/9 video. No hint of an upcoming release, but I could not help wondering whether he knew something more.

I am confident Nikon will get it out soon and am OK waiting a bit. Some of the features sound really great. I am glad Nikon doesn't put the FW out prematurely.

I will certainly wait a bit before installing the new FW - as a general practice.

 

[Henderson123]

Well, it seems like the post title upset a few people. When I shared it, it was actually ahead of any official announcement from Nikon USA or Nikon Rumors. Nikon Korea briefly had the firmware file available, but they took it down quickly. Apparently, someone managed to download the file before it was removed, but they haven’t responded to my request to share it.

FYI, Nikon Korea, Japan, and other Asia pages tend to announce news a bit earlier(30min-hour) than Nikon USA or other Western markets for some reason. That’s why I was able to share the Nikon Z9’s latest firmware update info quicker than Nikon Rumors last time as well.

 

[James Grove]

Announced but not released; no idea what Nikon were thinking with some of its wording and marketing. I get the feeling the word was going to get out and they decided to get ahead of the game, or steal so PR for a week or so?

 

[Henderson123]

Now that we have the official announcement from Nikon USA, it’s clear that this is just an announcement rather than a full release. However, as shown in the image I shared from Nikon Korea’s Instagram post (with Google Translate), the wording clearly says 'Ver 3.00 Released' or 'Release' on their image. Plus, since someone already managed to download the firmware file, I had no reason to doubt it was intended for release.

 

[shuncheung]

Well, it seems like the post title upset a few people. When I shared it, it was actually ahead of any official announcement from Nikon USA or Nikon Rumors. Nikon Korea briefly had the firmware file available, but they took it down quickly. Apparently, someone managed to download the file before it was removed, but they haven’t responded to my request to share it.

"Upset" is probably not the right description, but the subject says the new FW has been released, and that is essentially what Ricci says in his YouTube video also, but in fact it hasn't been, or it was briefly released by some Nikon subsidiary and then retracted. It generates the wrong expectations. I actually searched around for the new firmware before finally confirming with Nikon USA that the new FW 3.0 is not yet available.

FYI, Nikon Korea, Japan, and other Asia pages tend to announce news a bit earlier(30min-hour) than Nikon USA or other Western markets for some reason. That’s why I was able to share the Nikon Z9’s latest firmware update info quicker than Nikon Rumors last time as well.

I sure hope that Nikon is not running into some issues and promptly retracted the new FW. In any case, I'll wait a day or two before I upgrade my Z8, and I'll have Z8 FW 2.10 handy in case I need to revert back to the old version. (Previously I have reverted my Z9 back to earlier FW, just to demonstrate the revert process works.)

 

[madecov]

I can think of 3 reasons to do an announcement

1, somone leaked the update

2, a competitor is going to release something that is comparable

3, the Northrups have another " why Sony is better" video

 

[James Grove]

I can think of 3 reasons to do an announcement

1, somone leaked the update

most likely

2, a competitor is going to release something that is comparable

Does any other camera maker release meaningful firmware updates other than Nikon

3, the Northrups have another " why Sony is better" video

--
Police Officer (Retired)
No plan survives first contact with the enemy.

 

[Hooligans Imagery]

The focus range limiter is the same as setting distance in Auto Capture, so if you want to mess around with it you can do it now. This is a great feature for sports, wildlife and other uses.

 

[JMD-70]

Allowing the LED on a speedlight to be used to help acquire focus in a very dark space like an event is a great feature that I am sure a lot of people will find useful. It is a shame that it's locked behind a $1200 speedlight. I wonder if it will be possible for for manufacturers of flashes that are accessible to mere mortals to get the camera to recognize their products as compatible with this sort of how when you use for instance a Godox flash the camera seems to identify it as one of the Nikon SB speedlights.

The biggest failure of mirrorless cameras is their inability to detect the IR light from legacy speedlights! Nikon could have at least released an SB-900,...SB-700 with built-in Green Focus Assist Light! This makes the D850/SB-800,..SB-900, SB-910 best for absolute low light event capture! As my Z9 and Z8 struggles to lock focus in lowlight settings!

 

[LTheWafflePWN]

Holy crap! Now that's an update!

All of what's mentioned is cool and all, but subject detection in manual focus (like Zf?) is huge to me, and should theoretically make shooting with my vintage Nikkors and possibly some of the crazy 3rd party Z manual lenses even more of a breeze, without needing focus peeking on.

The biggest to me by far is the ability to focus at maximum aperture, just like DSLR's used to. This is absolutely massive to studio and reception/event people. This has been my biggest gripe for years, and I'm extraordinarily happy Nikon is adding this feature back from DSLR days.

I'm assuming that these features will come to the Z9 (and maybe to the Z6iii?) at some point? In any case, it's good to be a Z8 owner! :-D

 

[Leonard Shepherd]

The biggest to me by far is the ability to focus at maximum aperture, just like DSLR's used to. This is absolutely massive to studio and reception/event people. This has been my biggest gripe for years, and I'm extraordinarily happy Nikon is adding this feature back from DSLR days.

I will wait for hands on testing by the likes of Tom Hogan before reaching a conclusion.

There are suggestions some Nikon lenses have significant focus shift when changing aperture between wide open and f5.6 - that would need to be handled when focussing wide open and shooting stopped down.

 

[jthomas39]

Holy crap! Now that's an update!

All of what's mentioned is cool and all, but subject detection in manual focus (like Zf?) is huge to me, and should theoretically make shooting with my vintage Nikkors and possibly some of the crazy 3rd party Z manual lenses even more of a breeze, without needing focus peeking on.

The biggest to me by far is the ability to focus at maximum aperture, just like DSLR's used to. This is absolutely massive to studio and reception/event people. This has been my biggest gripe for years, and I'm extraordinarily happy Nikon is adding this feature back from DSLR days.

I'm assuming that these features will come to the Z9 (and maybe to the Z6iii?) at some point? In any case, it's good to be a Z8 owner! :-D

I was wondering how you could use small apertures in scenes where it's too dark to focus easily -- wouldn't the shutter speeds be way too slow?

Oh, of course, it's very useful to focus wide open for flash photography or for studio tripod photography.

~~~~

I liked the focus range method -- use the two command dials to set the near and far limits, either directly by feet/meters or by focusing on a near target and on a far target.

 

[LTheWafflePWN]

The biggest to me by far is the ability to focus at maximum aperture, just like DSLR's used to. This is absolutely massive to studio and reception/event people. This has been my biggest gripe for years, and I'm extraordinarily happy Nikon is adding this feature back from DSLR days.

I will wait for hands on testing by the likes of Tom Hogan before reaching a conclusion.

There are suggestions some Nikon lenses have significant focus shift when changing aperture between wide open and f5.6 - that would need to be handled when focussing wide open and shooting stopped down.

I have yet to see any of those suggestions actually bear fruit. Do you have any names of lenses in particular that you've seen someone assert they have some extreme level of focus shift?

I own most of the Z lenses, so I'd be happy to try and test one or two assuming its one that I own.

 

[Horshack]

Holy crap! Now that's an update!

All of what's mentioned is cool and all, but subject detection in manual focus (like Zf?) is huge to me, and should theoretically make shooting with my vintage Nikkors and possibly some of the crazy 3rd party Z manual lenses even more of a breeze, without needing focus peeking on.

The biggest to me by far is the ability to focus at maximum aperture, just like DSLR's used to. This is absolutely massive to studio and reception/event people. This has been my biggest gripe for years, and I'm extraordinarily happy Nikon is adding this feature back from DSLR days.

I'm assuming that these features will come to the Z9 (and maybe to the Z6iii?) at some point? In any case, it's good to be a Z8 owner! :-D

I was wondering how you could use small apertures in scenes where it's too dark to focus easily -- wouldn't the shutter speeds be way too slow?

Oh, of course, it's very useful to focus wide open for flash photography or for studio tripod photography.

The shutter speed the camera runs the sensor at during LV and focusing is not the shooting shutter the photographer has set the camera to.

 

[Barleyman]

And still no Cloud Support. Interesting.

 

[rumple]

It is a shame that it's locked behind a $1200 speedlight.

That uses white light which will at least annoy the subject.

As my Z9 and Z8 struggles to lock focus in lowlight settings!

I'm holding out for an SB-5000 II with a green pattern.

 

[rumple]

This video by Ricci briefly discusses the new "In-body focus limiter" and how it works.

Wouldn't it be interesting if you could choose your near and far and then focus stacking would work within those ranges.

It would mean little to landscape, but a lot for macro / product.

 

[Andre Yew]

I have yet to see any of those suggestions actually bear fruit. Do you have any names of lenses in particular that you've seen someone assert they have some extreme level of focus shift?

Any lens with spherical aberration will have focus shift (not the kind that Nikon calls their focus stacking). Lenstip tests for this, and you can see it in the spherical aberration section.

I own most of the Z lenses, so I'd be happy to try and test one or two assuming its one that I own.

The Z lenses have little focus shift for the most part: every lens made has some, but whether you see it or not depends on any number of factors. According to Lenstip, the 50/1.4 seems to have the most. The 24/1.8 and 50/1.2 have more than normal as well, with their reviewer noting that perhaps the 50/1.2's is done deliberately in order to have nicer bokeh (which is a real tradeoff for SA).

 

[PLShutterbug]

The release date hasn't been made public yet, but it should be soon.

Part agreed!

So the thread title is a bit misleading, currently it is an announcement but not yet a release.

Ricci at Nikon Europe in his video summary says download the firmware update now!

Perhaps a false start

I just watched the video and did not hear that. At the end he says, “So be sure to upgrade your Nikkon Zed 8 to firmware version 3, and I hope you enjoy …”

When in the video did you hear him say “now?”

 

[PLShutterbug]

The focus range limiter is the same as setting distance in Auto Capture, so if you want to mess around with it you can do it now. This is a great feature for sports, wildlife and other uses.

The effect is the same but as only available in AC the ability to use it for every shot is not. I hope it can be used in conjunction with focus shift shooting to limit the far-focus point.