Using Nikon Gear for the First Time, Is it better than Canon? Z8 + 85mm 1.2 

Yes Nikon!!! Love to see it and love the results🤩

I'm a former Sony DSLR user.. When I was starting out, I started with Sony (they didn't have that hype back then). Everyone told me that I should switch to Canon, but I switched to Nikon :D I specify that I had tried Canon from my friends. Like you, I wondered how I would get used to it, and just like you, after 20-30 minutes I had no problems at all. Before I sold the Sony which had been sitting for about a year I tried to do one last session with it because why not, it was a nightmare... Digging through the menu was a pain in the ass, the feeling in my hand was like holding a toy, the "programmables "buttons" didn't exist in Sony at that time. Nowadays, I sometimes touch my friends Canon and Sony again and realize that there is no chance of leaving the Nikon. Just the fact that it is big and the way the menu is structured makes it very convenient for me. Canon comes pretty close ergonomically, but Sony in my hands is still a total disaster :) I'm not mentioning specific models because it doesn't make sense. As for image quality, I can't see any bad either. Nowadays, things seem to come down to personal preference and feeling. They all shoot great now.

As a Nikon shooter (Z6II) I love seeing people shooting with Nikon, so yes, more! The Z8 is an amazing machine.

Nikon is amazing, just brutally underrated.

Go Nikon Z8! I love mine! Nikon recently had a huge firmware update to v2.0 for the Z8. LOL, the firmware update was...get ready...FREE! Awesome video and glad you gave this a try.

The eye focus issues were mainly a thing in the older bodies. The Z9 and Z8 (which is basically a scaled down Z9) excel at pretty much everything.

We appreciate your videos whenever you post! Don't feel pressured to post, we will always be here for you.

Irene Rudnyk on a Saturday Night? This is relaxing!

Stunning images, every one of them. You and Orysia are more beautiful than ever, my favorite photo is the last one in your video. Great styling for both shoots, the colors went well with Sonia's hair and the wintery backdrop, and that vase in Orysia's shoot is gorgeous! :D We just bought a new house and I'm styling it from scratch, been on the hunt for a vase for the kitchen island, so when I saw yours I just went, 'ooooooooh' LOL! Even though I'm a Canon shooter, I've always loved the dynamic color range that Nikon has always achieved, it looks like these days it is more even between the two brands. Great video, Irene!

Wow! Honestly I can't tell the difference between the brands they all look amazing and i love how simple you edit your images and look so majestic and the images just pops out of my monitor!

Please, do more Nikon Z system testing. I would like to see you try pixel shift with a portrait and also skin smoothing with a portrait and finally can you adjust picture controls sufficient to get a good jpeg image without having to process the raw image. RAW processing is great for all the options it gives you but a quick out of the camera jpeg cannot be beat for fast turn around time after a wedding or event. Not all images from such events need to be extensively post processed. Some are not "art" but are just for "remembrance."

It’s not at all about the camera gear, it’s about how good the person is using it. When are people going to realize that. Some people just do not have an eye to create great images. The camera companies love it when people just buy more and more gear. I lead tours and see people with the best camera possible and still see them taking horrible pictures.

Very impressive results, lovely actually. Its easy to see the Nikon files SOOC, but after editing there’s nothing in it. Both brands deliver the goods in the hands of a competent photographer.

It's great to see you test out the Z8, Irene. I'd love to see you do a video on the Z8 and the 135mm Plena and even the 85/1.8mm. BTW, as you are a fellow Canadian, you are permitted to say "Zed 8". 🙂

The next Nikon to try is the ZF (with the flippy screen like the R5's.) On the images themselves: lovely images as always, but (this is sacrilege for an Irene fan) I preferred the less saturated, more natural looking versions SOOC. 😍 Tim U.K. fan.

I’ve always loved your work. It’s good to see you pick up a Nikon. I shoot with many brands, and I do own the Z8 and 85mm 1.2. I’m glad you said what you did, pertaining to the silly color science debate for anyone that plans to retouch. I have always said that exact same thing. As long as you understand light and composition, you can create amazing images with any brand.

Nikon Z8 with the 85mm/50mm 1.2 has been my go to as well. Gorgeous shots!

You again! You have such a way with posing your subjects and interacting with them, its incredible to watch.

Welcome back. I have missed your wonderful content.

Wonderful captures! Love my Z8. Glad you experienced the same! Yes, more Z8 videos please!

so awesome to see you back Irene. Hope to catch up sometime soon. Keep up the great work! Amazing images

Loved watching this! Irene is a great photographer and she could do a great job with any camera. Glad to see Nikon competing well after a slower start with mirrorless, than the bigger companies. They have always made great cameras and lenses. I bought the Z8 at launch and I am really enjoying it.

Welcome back! I have the Z9 (If you felt that the Z8 is big...) But the Z8 is a powerhouse for sure , all the complains about Nikon are Pre-firmware .. they've come along way. In the case of 1.2 lenses the depth of field is so shalow , that one small motion can get a miss focus on all systems. The Z6 III is around the corner , most likly will be 24 MP as well , but we'll know soon , the question is what will happen with the Z7 III , rumers suggest 60 MP with good AF. That could answer you to a high MP , and lower weight more comparable to the R5 , but it's not certain yet (then again I don't think you'd switch given how far you're invested lol) I have the 50 1.2 as well , love it and use it maybe 70% of the time ever since I got it , maybe on Gen 2 they can make it smaller ? that's my only wish :) As an 85 , I have the 1.8 because this focal length is not my cup of tea (still like it and use it , but not enough to justify 2600 USD for 1.2) BTW if you loved the 50 and 85 , you should also check the 135 Plena , it's my next lesnse , according to reviews it's mind blowingly awesome!

Glad to see you posting!! 😊

nice to see you back, and welcome to the Nikon Club.......

Beautiful work! It's inspirational, and I love how you achieve so much, with minimal gear. Subscribed; can't wait to catch up on your other videos!

Welcome back, great video, lovely photos

Yes, more Nikon. Beautiful images you captured, and I love my Z8 and ZF cameras too.

I am sure somebody mentioned it already but there is a more convenient way to change your focusing modes. By pressing a button you can toggle between two or more modes you choice.

Yes, please! I have been shooting with Nikon for over 15 years now and love them.

As a Nikon Shooter, I am glad to finally see you try Nikon. I thought about buying the 85mm 1.2S, but decided against it and bought the 135mm 1.8S. Since I don't shot wide open at 1.2, I thought it would be a waste of money for me. Try the 135mm Plena on the Z8

Delighted to see you back!

I'm so glad that you are back! Your photos are amazing, as always! For me, weight is definitely an issue. Heavy cameras just give me backaches after a while, so I try to choose the lightest setup that will give me the results that I want for a shoot. Nikon makes some amazing cameras. I just wish that they were lighter.

Irene always finds the loveliest models.

I appreciate you Irene! Thank you for your honest review.

Love your videos, Irene! It's so great you have sampled the Nikon Z8, I love this camera for my wedding photography, the focusing is insanely quick and accurate. Yes please I'd love to see you use more Nikon equipment. Maybe the 135mm Plena next, I'm sure it will blow your mind! or the 35mm 1.8. Nikon have so many amazing lenses.

Woow!. Irene shooting with Nikon. Who would have bet that this day would come? As a Nikon fan user it is nice to see. Beautiful photographs Irene.

Great job and lovely portraits, Irene!!! Finally one of my favorite portrait photographers using one of my favorite brands. I use both brands, lately I’ve been preferring Nikon… however in this video I really liked canons warmer tones that made the red hair pop. Then I looked at the green sweater and shirt and liked Nikons cooler tones better 😂 that’s why at the end of the day processing is so important and less so color science. You can have the best of both worlds if you want by adjusting a slider or using a brush. I’d love to see you test out Leica and Hasselblad.

This is a superb video and I'm so pleased you like the Z8. I bought mine last year and I'm only beginning to scratch the surface of what it's capable of. I love the addition of the Godox flash in the background. What a beautiful addition that made... I'm tempted to add this to my kit. Thank you, and you've earned a new subscriber.

Always love the way you edit the colors- I might be imagining it but the Nikon images look a tad sharper- could it be the low-pass filter in the Canon R5? Or, the Nikon lenses are super crisp

Irene, I have watched your videos develop from a far since 2018. Keep up the good work, treakle.

Your post-processing is amazing. Those colors are insane! That "sunset flash" was gorgeous

Having seen a lot of your work, I must say that I admire your skills. Both behind the camera but also your editing is awesome. The camera is no better than the person using it, but to be honest there are things that make one easier to use than another. The handling is important just as the picture quality. Most camera brands are very costumizable and the Z8 is no exception. Besure to use the latest firmware 2.0. It made it even more versatile. As other have mentioned, the Nikon Z f1.8 variants like the 35mm, 50mm and 85mm are very good lenses for a lot less money. The Z 135mm f1.8 Plena is in 85mm 1.2 league. I suggest you give that one a try also. Thank you for all the content you bring. Stay safe and sound...

As you try the Z 1.2S lenses and note they are heavy, you should really also try the Z 1.8S variants. The bokeh may be a bit nicer from the 1.2S but in the sharp image plane the 1.8S may be a tad sharper even. At a fraction of the price and a fraction of weight and size. In the past with (D)SLR cameras, we wanted faster lenses because the lens is also the viewfinder. With mirrorless, you have en electronically amplified viewfinder. The practical difference in light transmission between 1.2 and 1.8 depends on the actual T-value, not the f/number of these lenses and Depth of Field (DoF) depends to large extent on sharpness and a few other factors that are combined in the Circle of Confusion (CoC) parameter in the DoF formula - but almost nobody generally bothers about the CoC and consequently DoF numbers become arbitrary to such people.

Good to see you again, Irene! Great joke in the beginning! LOL! Sonya and your sister did very well posing. I loved the images! Very well done and they look amazing!

Wow! Such perfect images! They're great!

You did very well with your editting. On the surface the two look almost identical, but if you examine the out of focus areas around bright areas, you' d notice that Canon has outlining around the area ad Nikon is just a smooth out of focus blur. Othrtwise the two are quite similar. Be warned Nikon is highly addictive.

Wow nikon looks very good and your pics are very beautiful Irene

Beautiful images, great work as usual :)

For me, Nikon all the way. However, most importantly, I must say your editing skills are absolutely off the charts! 👍👍. Excellent! 😊

This is a super video and as a Nikon user, I'm glad to see you use a Z8. I love the images you made and showed here. Great enjoyable video.

Those pictures are so beautiful ❤

WOW! The results were spectacular. Both lenses were superb. Really, really excellent job.

This is a wonderful review with some exceptional, stunning results. Thanks for sharing this work and review. I own the Z9 and have been very pleased with it and my D850.

Nikon is the king. Gongrats on the amazing photos.

I love that 85mm 1.2 from Nikon. thanks for your take.

You're the best Irene ❤

The first video I see of yours is this one. Great video! Something tells me you do well with whatever camera you have. I am a Nikonian (Z9) and love it... By all accounts the Z8 is every bit as good. I say shoot whatever makes you happy and if it involves more Nikon for your viewers, I bet they will love it!

That method of setting out the modes in the camera allows for versatility. You can change the modes easily without missing action because you’re diving into the menu to do it.

Good job, Irina. Like always!

I know you love the higher megapixels for editing but I wonder how you'd feel with the Nikon Zf. More manual control dials/switches (including the PASM) and at 24mp its still plenty with a modern sensor.

the setting of the exposure mode Might be in the "custom settings menu/f1\" i -menu" " as there is a button only, not a dial, so this could be assignable to the i menu, then it's just a tap away, on the touch screen; or can be assigned in the custom settings menu/f1 custom controls menus (the buttons all over the camera, some can be assigned differently, and then you can use the "press button to use dial" feature to quicken the workflow).

Both brand canon and nikon work really well. You are so amazing irene!...

Gorgeous images! Thanks for sharing!

I already am a Nikon shooter , and have been thinking about picking up a Z8 . Beautiful work Irene .

Beautiful work as always! The Nikon and Canon 85/1.2 are pretty close, the Canon might have a bit better bokeh to my eyes. From my experience, the image files from Nikon are usually much better to edit than the Canon's. Not sure if it applies to the R5 and Z8 but I had the R6 and didn't like the files very much. I'd love to see you test out the Zf and 58/1.4G from Nikon.

Can u uss the nikon setup and compare their 85mm 1.2 against their 1.8 shooting back-lit natural light portraits?

The white balance on the z8 also offers a warm look.

wow, I love your style of photography. The photos of your sister ended up looking like 1800 century paintings... loved it. Keep it up :)

Great photos and a big shout out to your frozen model!

The green and red contrasting to the snow and dark woods really was attractive. With your sister, and the background edit the images had a very painterly look as if ages fine art painting. Both cameras perform very well but I am a loyal Nikon shooter since moving from Canon film years ago.I licensed many photos taken during recording sessions, candid moments in breaks between takes, all black&white with the Canon A1. Those photos were back in the day when albums had liner notes and licensing those candid moments ended up earning more personal income on gold or platinum albums than the work of actually creating the album. Loved that little A1, which was very advanced for the day. After retiring from 26 years as recording engineer and studio complex owner with 197 gold and platinum selling albums, I gave everything away in at the end of 1999, and moved with just 2 suit cases to Eastern Europe I finally replaced the A1 with my first digital, the APC Nikon Z90. I tried the Canon first but it felt like a cheap tour. But the Z90 felt better. My main cameras no for an active photo service for the stage actor portfolios, ballet and opera I use the Z6 and D850 and D800 backup. I can't get a Z8 here since the US does not permit Nikon to ship here in St Petersburg so my current set up works great. I am used to Nikon handling and menus but could adapt to any brand pretty easily except Sony. I boycott Sony for them ripping off for $159,000. They are not an ethical company. Canon and Nikon are much more rugged and they supply parts long after a model is dropped while Sony drops parts availability when a model is replaced so users invested in it have to update to new models. The Z8 will be the first camera I look for when going to Tallinn next month. I am also interested in the 135 1.8. I never really have any issued with the Z6, AF is more than effective for my subjects, no birds in flight, shooting people and environmental. Typically on a long session I expect 2 missed focus per 500 frames, a little better than my D850 and a lot better then the D800. There is no camera made today that can't perform better than 99% of photographers. Staying with a camera to master it surely produced better output than learning a new camera every year. I see more dramatic changes in software and portable lighting than differences in files from cameras. Love your style and attitude.

I love the pictures! Sonia is a very pretty, sweet Model an you make wonderful portraits of her, dear Irene! It was very interessting to see how close Nikon is to Canon! Thanks!

Thanks for your tips!

Lovely images Irene, considering Nikon were late to the party with mirrorless they have now caught up in bucket loads. I just put an order in for the new Nikon Zf & 24-70mm 2.8s to replace some of my aging Canon gear. I will soon find out if its only hype.

I just bought my Nikon Z8 😜

I really like your photo work. I have been following your RU-vid for 7 years

More nikon episode please!! Perhaps try comparing their budget side? Something like canon rp and nikon z5?

I allways really love your zoom in images.

I started with a Canon AE-1 Program film camera in the early 90s and moved to Nikon in the mid 90s when I wanted an auto focus camera. I was a kid and saw in all the magazines people were using Nikon F4s and was thinking maybe Nikon was the way to go. I sort of like the way Nikon bodies looked and ended up buying a Nikon N90. I had it for many years and ended up staying with Nikon moving to the D80, D800 and was hoping to go with a Z8 but couldn’t wait and bought a Z9 instead. I love all of them. But any camera is great as long as you are comfortable with it.

Would love to see more Nikon stuff! I recently switched from Sony to Nikon. I appreciate the larger camera body size of the Z8. Bought the ZF as well. Its good, but the ergos are not great on it even with the smallrig grip for me. But it has a flippy screen. Whats your opinon of the 1.2 lenses?

Irene is more than a photographer; you are a photography director.

These images are stunning, i have been watching most of your videos and i like the way you colour grade your images... To be frank, I couldn't spot much difference in the colors of models face on both files. But on her dress i could spot the difference. Especially the greens on the jacket and colour of the skirt looks different to me.. i personally love the greens from nikon files.. but i am pretty sure we can achieve same greens on canon as well with littile tweaking.. I would like to know did you find any differences while color grading? Which file is easy to bring to your liking while color grading???

And no, the eye af on Nikon Z 6/7/8/9 is spot on, even gen 1 with 3.4 fw. Never a problem.

Not only is the Z8 a stellar stills body, but it's also got some of the best video in the game. The sensor is incredible and 8K is actually more useful than I first thought

Thats my dream camera. I hope to get one this year.

I have been looking into a new system, and the z8 has the best video specs I have ever seen on a hybrid camera.

Great Session

love your edits! more videos about capture one would be nice too

Hello irene ...if you have to choose from both ,what is your preferred setup ???

Hi Irene - interesting video - glad you had a chance to finally use and experience Nikon. The more you use Nikon the more you will prefer it for so many reasons. For those of us that have been shooting since the 80's, we know that Nikon was the premier Japanese camera/optics company. Nikon's decision to stand by its base of users and not update the F mount (first introduced in 1959) until 2018 was a testament to its loyalty to its user base, but turned out to not be the best business decision. Canon's move to the EOS EF mount in 1987 abandoned its then current user base, but created a faster AF system that allowed sports shooters to move to Canon from Nikon and set the stage for Canon's subsequent dominance in spite of its inferior optical formulas and lack luster RAW files and generally poorer build quality. Then enter Sony: first to market with FF mirrorless in spite of their first 2 generations of camera being garbage and the use of the Sony E mount which is an APS-C mount being jury rigged through software to accommodate full frame parameters - can any one say focus breathing?. Sony temporarily jumped ahead due to its "open" mount (to third parties - which saved the brand) and its novelty/AF, and of course Social Media marketing schemes. Today, in 2024, Nikon has returned to the forefront. At this time, they have the best all around system for hybrid 35mm digital mirrorless cameras in the Z mount boasting: the best build quality, cutting edge AF now on par with Sony, and Canon, best ergonomics, best optics (as a body of lenses when price and quality are considered ), class leading RAW files - anyone that has worked with NEF files versus Canon and Sony RAW files knows what this means, and most importantly the best mount - the Z mount, which is the 'universal mount'. Due to its 16mm flange distance (distance from rear element to sensor) and 55mm throat diameter (the biggest in the industry) Nikon can now develop the best image quality from corner to corner and has the latitude to develop the most innovative optical designs - if one doesn't know why, look up "angle of incidence" with respect to optical design. Finally, the Z mount is the universal mount because it is theoretically possible to adapt any lens from any competitor to the Z mount but not vice versa: today we can already adapt all Sony E mount lenses, Canon EF lenses, Fuji X mount lenses and Leica M mount lenses - all at near native to native functionality. It won't be long until there is an RF to Z adaptor - have no doubt. Nikon builds photographic eco systems not just cameras and lenses like the competition. Glad you finally had a chance to experience the best. Welcome to Nikon :) -PD

IRENE, one IMPORTANT setting you MUST use, that is the "press button to use dial", it sounds silly at first glance (esp. being Autistic myself, reading things literally), but it is great, in custom settings, this allows you to hit mode, iso, flash, etc. and turn a dial (front or back), to change the setting, heaps quicker, and less fatiguing on fingers.

Great Video!!!

Been shooting Nikon and Canon for 8+ years (Product Photography) and I still can't tell the difference between processed images. Then I started doing weddings and events and bought Sony because of their video capability when the A7S line came out and because of how they revolutionized mirrorless! Then now back to Z8. It's a never ending cycle of innovation and competition. At then end of the day, they all work and you should pick up the one that you're comfortable with in many aspects: handling, size, weight, menus, controls, optics, etc...

Nikon z8 omg ❤❤❤❤❤

Wow, love that 85 1.2. I’m going to get it for my Z8

Perhaps when the Z6iii is released it will be a little lighter for you while maintaining that Nikon Colour. Nikkor Glass is some of the best as very little lens corrections are needed unlike Sony.

one important tip, the Nikon mirrorless cameras don't use the normal flash(speedlights), they ONLY use the sb-5000 at full capacity (menus, other than the 'basic' ones, like on a fuji xt1,etc.{the red eye, fill-in, modes}); they do have radio triggering, but you must turn it on in menu, and 'pair' with the separately sold transmitter, it works great, just have to take time to acquaint yourself with how it works.

Stunning! Can you share how you edited this set of photos? In love with them!

strobe just poured magic! One thing though? The image on 08:36 did you bounce some light to her face? or is that just the snow reflecting + Dodging in post?

I have a Z7 which I mostly use for street photography with an adaptor for my Contax lenses. Plus a Z9 for everything which moves faster. The Z9 auto-focus is great, even for beach tennis which is fast with plenty of movement. As for colour and RAW quality, using CaptureOne can fix everything, however I tend to under-expose by up to a stop as it's easier to bring back the shadow details. I think the greatest advantage the Z8 or Z9 has is the faster shutter speed, so you can use with the f/1.2's without having to use a ND filter in brighter lighting. Keep up the good work, when you are not feeling inspired just pick a mundane subject and play, after all we are not using film :)