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Home → Comparison

Nikon Z8 vs Sony a1

By Jason Polak 17 Comments
Last Updated On September 27, 2024

The Sony a1 is one of the best cameras ever made, regardless of genre – it does everything from wildlife to landscape photography well. But so does the Nikon Z8! Despite the price differences, these two cameras have a lot of similarities, and the “better” one isn’t immediately clear. So how do the Nikon Z8 and Sony a1 compare? Read on to find out.
NikonZ8_vs_Sonya1_comparison_front

Nikon Z8 vs Sony a1 Specifications Comparison

Camera FeatureNikon Z8Sony a1
AnnouncedMay 2023January 2021
Camera TypeMirrorlessMirrorless
Sensor TypeStacked CMOSStacked CMOS
Image ProcessorEXPEED 7BIONZ XR
Resolution45.7 MP50.1 MP
Pixel Dimensions8256×55048640×5760
Sensor Dimensions35.9 x 23.9 mm (Full Frame)35.9 x 24.0 mm (Full Frame)
Sensor Pixel Size4.35µ4.16µ
Low Pass FilterNoNo
IBIS (In-Body Image Stabilization)YesYes
Base ISOISO 64ISO 100
Max Native ISOISO 25,600ISO 32,000
Extended ISOsISO 32-102,400ISO 50-102,400
High-Resolution Sensor ShiftYesYes
Focus Stack BracketingYesNo
Pre-Shoot Burst ModeYes (JPEG only)No
Fastest Shutter Speed1/320001/32000
Longest Shutter Speed900 seconds30 seconds
Continuous Shooting (Mechanical Shutter)No mechanical shutter10 FPS
Continuous Shooting (Electronic Shutter)20 FPS30 FPS
Notes for High FPS Shooting20 FPS figure is for .NEF files (full-res JPEG at 30 FPS; DX JPEG at 60 FPS; 11 megapixel JPEG at 120 FPS)Compressed raw at 30 FPS (uncompressed and lossless compressed raw at 20 FPS)
Buffer Size (Raw)Over 1000 frames (20 FPS)155 frames (30 FPS), 238 frames (20 FPS)
Autofocus SystemHybrid PDAFHybrid PDAF
Autofocus Points493759
Low-Light AF Sensitivity (f/2 Lens, ISO 100)-7.5 EV-4 EV
Standard Flash Sync Speed1/2001/400
Video Features
Maximum Video Bit Depth (Internal)12 bits10 bits
Maximum Video Bit Depth (External)12 bits12 bits
Raw VideoYesYes, externally
8K Maximum Framerate60 FPS30 FPS
4K Maximum Framerate120 FPS120 FPS
1080P Maximum Framerate120 FPS240 FPS
Additional Video Crop FactorNoNo
Chroma Subsampling4:2:24:2:2
Video Recording Limit90 min780 min
Physical and Other Features
Card Slots22
Slot 1 TypeCFExpress Type BCFExpress Type A, or SD (UHS-II)
Slot 2 TypeSD (UHS-II)CFExpress Type A, or SD (UHS-II)
Rear LCD Size (Diagonal)3.2 in3.0 in
Rear LCD Resolution2.1 million dots1.44 million dots
Articulating LCDDual AxisSingle Axis
TouchscreenYesYes
ViewfinderEVFEVF
Viewfinder Magnification0.80x0.90x
Viewfinder Resolution3.69 million dots9.44 million dots
Viewfinder Coverage100%100%
Voice MemoYesYes
Built-in FlashNoNo
GPSNoNo
BluetoothYesYes
WiFiYesYes
USB TypeType C 3.2 Gen 2Type C 3.2 Gen 1
Battery TypeEN-EL15cNP-FZ100
Battery Life (Viewfinder)330 frames430 frames
Battery Life (Rear LCD)340 frames530 frames
Battery Life (Eco Mode)370 framesN/A
Weather SealedYesYes
Weight (Body Only w/ Battery + Card)910 g (2.01 lbs.)737 g (1.62 lbs.)
Dimensions (LxHxD)144 x 119 x 88 mm (5.7 x 4.7 x 3.5″)1129 x 97 x 81 mm (5.1 x 3.9 x 3.3″)
Price Comparison
MSRP, Body Only$4000 (Check Current Price)$6500 (Check Current Price)
Used PricesNikon Z8 Used PricesSony a1 Used Prices
1The Nikon Z8’s official dimensions do not include the depth of the protruding viewfinder. To match the typical standards today, 5mm were added to the Z8’s depth measurements in this table.
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Summary and Recommendations

Both the Nikon Z8 and the Sony a1 are stacked sensor mirrorless cameras designed for fast action. The specs above go back and forth, but one thing you might notice is that the Sony a1 costs a whopping $2500 more. What do you get over the Nikon Z8 for that extra cash?

NikonZ8_vs_Sonya1_comparison_back

The Sony a1 is faster when shooting raw photos, at 30 FPS compared to 20 FPS. It has a slightly higher resolution sensor, but the difference is only about 5MP so you won’t get too much more detail over the Nikon Z8. The Sony also has a slightly higher magnification viewfinder as well (0.9x over 0.8x), and an unusually high flash sync speed of 1/400 second.

Color version of sand dune shadow photo
ILCE-1 + FE 70-200mm F4 G OSS @ 70mm, ISO 100, 1/60, f/16.0

On the other hand, the Nikon Z8 has a lower base ISO, a pre-release burst mode, internal raw video recording, and a dual-axis tilting LCD. Broadly speaking, it competes at the same level as the Sony a1 despite the lower price – it just depends which features matter to you more. If you’re completely on the fence, the $2500 lower price of the Nikon Z8 makes it a really compelling choice.

But frankly, you can’t go wrong either way. Both of these cameras are amazing machines for almost any genre of photography, so pick one and don’t look back!

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Tagged With: Nikon, Nikon Mirrorless, Nikon Z, Nikon Z8, Sony, Sony A1, Sony Mirrorless

About Jason Polak

Jason Polak is a bird and wildlife photographer from Ottawa, Canada. He has been interested in photography ever since he received a disposable film camera as a small child. His career as a mathematician led him to move to Australia in 2016, where he started seeing colorful parrots. A few casual shots with a lens completely unsuitable for birds got him hooked, and now wildlife photography is his biggest passion. Jason loves to show the beauty of animals to the world through photography, and one of his lifelong goals is to photograph five thousand species of birds. You can see more of Jason's work on his website or on his YouTube channel.

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17 Comments
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George
George
December 23, 2024 3:30 pm

Regardless, there are Sony people and Nikon people—and nobody’s switching because they’ve invested a lot of money in lenses and other gear. Both brands make great cameras, even though the Sony A1 scores higher in every category. 😊

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Bill W
Bill W
August 1, 2024 4:50 pm

The Z8 has a high resolution pixel shift mode. It was added in firmware 2.0. You might want to correct the summary above, which says the Z8 does not have a high resolution pixel shift mode.

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venkat
venkat
July 20, 2023 9:15 pm

I heard the Sony A 1 has a perceptibly longer start uptime – if that’s so its a negative. The Z8 is instant, which in many situations nails the shot. However i understand that Sony A1 focus tracking is still much better than Z8 is that correct . Could somebody clarify this please.

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Vic
Vic
May 12, 2023 3:54 pm

I find it odd that no-one is talking about the fact that the z8 does not allow for shooting in uncompressed raw format. This is a big deal for someone who photographs birds of prey and therefore routinely works with 1:1 cropping to obtain desired results. The “lossless” applies until cropping enters the equation. The file sizes of the z9/z8 are just a bit larger than my old 24mp DSLR unit. Data is Detail. I was hoping Nikon would correct this option with the z8. I will wait to see if this is addressed in a firmware update.

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Jason Polak
Jason Polak
Author
Reply to  Vic
May 12, 2023 7:04 pm

I am not sure what you mean since lossless means no data is lost.

2
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Pete A
Pete A
Reply to  Jason Polak
May 15, 2023 12:12 am

Indeed.

“2. Lossless Compressed – as the name implies, lossless compression means that a RAW file is compressed like an archive file without any loss of data. Once a losslessly compressed image is processed by post-processing software, the data is first decompressed, similar to what happens to archived data contained in a ZIP file. Lossless compression is the ideal choice, because all the data is fully preserved and yet the image takes up much less space.
…
On every camera I shoot with, I always default to Lossless Compression, because it is the most efficient way to store RAW images. There is no benefit of shooting Uncompressed RAW …”

— Compressed vs Uncompressed vs Lossless Compressed RAW Options by Nasim Mansurov
photographylife.com/compr…ressed-raw

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Jeff
Jeff
May 11, 2023 8:08 am

Don’t overlook the fact that the Sony only shoots 30fps in lossy compressed raw. Or that with High Efficiency Raw which has a barely perceptible decline in IQ (and if you are shooting this way you are not trying to get the last little bit of IQ out of your images), the Nikon has an unlimited buffer. Or that Sony hasn’t provided any firmware updates while Nikon has provided numerous firmware updates.

Now just in case you think that I am a Nikon fanboy, I am sure that Sony will sort this out and leapfrog Nikon and then we are back to the old normal leapfrogging pattern. That will be a relief, as we can now focus on our respective systems knowing that a little patience will give us whatever the competition comes up with.

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Nasim Mansurov
Nasim Mansurov
Admin
Reply to  Jeff
May 11, 2023 10:53 am

Good points! Sony will probably respond with another offering that solves current problems. Competition is certainly good!

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fiatlux
fiatlux
May 10, 2023 11:09 pm

As a long time Nikon (D)SLR shooter, I am glad to see Nikon fully back in the game. Sometimes I regret jumping ships to Sony mirrorless a few years ago but when I did, Sony’s AF and lens lineup were way better than Nikon’s. And I appreciate how most Sony GM lenses are smaller and lighter than the competition, or feature a dedicated aperture ring, but I still miss Nikon cameras ergonomics.
I hope the increased competition will put a bit of pressure on Sony’s prices, the A1 (and A9 II) looking distinctively overpriced in my opinion.

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Nasim Mansurov
Nasim Mansurov
Admin
Reply to  fiatlux
May 11, 2023 10:56 am

We’ve all been there… time to jump ship back to home base :)

Kidding of course! All mirrorless systems are very good now, and competition is fierce, which is great for us end users – we have the luxury to pick.

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Robert John
Robert John
Reply to  Nasim Mansurov
May 12, 2023 6:23 am

Not quite fierce enough to get Nikon to produce anything in the same league as the Canon R7. I’d also go for their 100-500 ahead of Nikon’s 100-400 (plus TC – Canon’s 1.6x gives you 800mm while Nikon’s only gets to 840mm with the TC).
While cameras might leap-frog, lenses don’t tend to, so I’d say that Nikon is still behind the curve – and not looking that it’ll get ahead any time soon.
There are more of us who can afford £1,500 for a camera than £4,000. I’m close to an R7 plus 100-500 for the price of a Z8 body.

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Jason Polak
Jason Polak
Reply to  Robert John
May 12, 2023 6:32 am

That is very true. I still wish Nikon would release a true D500 replacement…if they don’t the Z8 it is when I actually do replace by D500!

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Jeff
Jeff
Reply to  Robert John
May 12, 2023 2:12 pm

Canon ruined its super tele reputation by repurposing EF to RF and passing off shorter lenses with added TCs as longer lenses.

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3Percent
3Percent
May 10, 2023 9:32 pm

I think the better one is clear Jason :) the Z8 has a far superior handling and menu system that much I can tell you. And with tech being so close among competitors these days, to me it comes down to handling/interface/lens lineup. Nikon has a more attractive game in all three segments to me, including pro support as well.

1
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Jason Polak
Jason Polak
Author
Reply to  3Percent
May 11, 2023 8:07 am

Personally, I would choose between them entirely on lenses! The Z8 has lenses like the 400 f/4.5, 800PF, and 400mm/600mm with TCs. I am eyeing that Z8 now in fact…

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Dan
Dan
May 10, 2023 8:58 pm

I have a Z9 and an a1. I have used them both extensively all over the world for my work. I don’t choose sides, I just reach for the best tool for the job on the day. Sometimes it’s Nikon, sometimes Canon and sometimes Sony. The a1 autofocus is better than the Z9 for fast-moving objects, so the same will be true of the Z8. I have ordered a Z8, so I’m not here to knock it at all. It’s going to be great, and for a fantastic price. Probably the best all-rounder on the market. But I do think it’s worth acknowledging this AF difference. Your current recommendations makes no mention of AF differences, yet I count the a1’s autofocus as its number one flagship feature. The Z8/Z9 focus is close. No doubt about it. But if I want to give myself the best chance of nailing a difficult shot, I reach for the a1 every time. Is that worth the $2500 difference most people? Probably not. But it’s at least worth mentioning that the a1’s absolutely killer feature is the lighting fast and absurdly sticky AF.

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Jeff
Jeff
Reply to  Dan
May 11, 2023 8:03 am

I will trust Thom on this. He has used, tested and written about both the A1 and Z9. He basically says they are both the same with minor advantages to both in specific situations.

Besides these nitpicks, people that think the Sony is better have probably not tested the Sony against a Z9 with the latest firmware update. People that think either are better have probably not learned the system.

I have two Z9 bodies, two Z7ii bodies and one D850 bodies. For each body I have read everything that Thom and Steve Perry have published and practiced – over a hundred hours with with each and then carefully dialed in what I need with the settings.

Unless you have done all this, I don’t believe that you can really say. I haven’t because I don’t use Sony. But who am I going to trust for advice. It is going to be the guy that has done all of this and carefully protects his reputation by being objective as possible.

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