I’m former Deputy Editor of N-Photo: The Nikon Magazine and my #1 camera is my Nikon Z8. In my humble opinion, it’s hands down the best mirrorless camera Nikon has ever produced, and with up to 16% off the already competitive RRP, there’s never been a better time to pick one up. In fact, I reckon it's the best Nikon Black Friday deal this year.
US photographers can currently pick up the Nikon Z8 (body only) from Walmart for a tasty $3,279.95, while the best UK price I can find right now is by way of Clifton Cameras for £2,999. However, if you're looking to pick up a lens in the process you can get the Nikon Z8 and Z 24-120mm f/4 at Amazon US for $4,396.95. The Nikon Z 24-120mm f/4 S is an absolutely fantastic lens. It's basically made the Nikon Z 24-70mm f/4 S redundant, since there's no perceivable downgrade in sharpness.
I’m not going to sit here and trivialize a $3.3K purchase as being affordable. But whether you’re a professional photographer or a serious enthusiast, the Nikon Z8 is a whole lot of camera for the price. And as the spiritual successor to one of the best Nikon cameras ever – the Nikon D850 – it comes with a bucketload of legendary heritage to boot.
Here’s why I think the Nikon Z8 is the best Nikon camera deal this Black Friday…
US Nikon Z8 Black Friday deals
UK Nikon Z8 Black Friday deals
The Nikon Z8 is often referred to as a 'Baby Z9' and that's part of what makes it such a good buy. Ethernet port, battery grip, and dual CFExpress slot aside, it's virtually indistinguishable from Nikon's flagship mirrorless camera. Apart from the price... The best US Nikon Z9 deal I can find right now is from Adorama for $4,996.95 (with a spare battery) and in the UK you're looking at paying £4,999 from London Camera Exchange.
That's a significant difference from current Nikon Z8 Black Friday camera deals, I'm talking a massive $1,700 and £2,000 difference for US and UK buyers respectively. So what makes the Nikon Z8 the best Nikon mirrorless ever produced?
As I’ve already mentioned, it’s essentially Nikon’s flagship mirrorless camera in a smaller body. That means the same high-resolution 45.7-MP stacked CMOS sensor that’s capable of delivering gorgeous jaw-dropping imagery. The same autofocus system, complete with Nikon’s incredible subject detection, a black-out-free EVF, frankly insane burst speeds of up to 120fps (via 11MP stills), up to 8.3K 60p 12-bit RAW video, in-camera.
In fact, just listing out the specs I’m realizing just how much of this camera’s top-tier specialist I never use. It’s an absolute beast. And of course, all that juicy tech is encased within a body with what Nikon calls “high-performance weather sealing”, while being able to withstand the same extreme temperatures as the Nikon D6 and Nikon Z9 flagships.
Yes, it's roughly $1,000 / £1,000 more than the new Nikon Z6 III and the aging Nikon Z7 II, but it's a huge step up. The only question you have to ask yourself is do you really need that much camera? If the answer's yes, it's one heck of a deal.
Make sure you keep tabs on the best Black Friday camera deals! And if you want to make sure you're getting the very best deals possible, I scoured the best camera retailers' price-match policies this Black Friday.
