Nikon’s New Z8 Already Gets a Product Recall Due to Lens Problems

Nikon’s recently released Z8 mirrorless camera has become very popular with some photographers, but now some models have a recall problem.

On June 23, Nikon issues a service advisory to its Japan, Europe and U.S. markets in which the company explained that a certain batch of its Z8 cameras already in stores or customer’s hands are defective.

Specifically, the cameras in question have lens mounting problems and won’t attach properly to normally compatible lenses.

In Nikon’s statement on the problem the company explained,

“Users of the Z8 camera have informed us that in some rare cases, a lens cannot be mounted on the camera because the lens cannot be rotated to the locked position. Based on our investigation into the matter, it has become clear that this issue may occur with Z8 cameras.”

However, Nikon also reassures buyers of the fairly pricey new cameras that,

We have identified a range of Z8 camera serial numbers with which the issue may occur and will address the issue as follows. Nikon will repair affected Z8 cameras at no cost to the customer, including the cost of shipping affected Z8 cameras to Nikon, as well as their return to customers, even if the warranty has expired,”

If you’ve recently bought a Z8 and noticed that it won’t let you attach even lenses that you know are supposed to work, you should contact your nearest Nikon warranty and service center or Nikon’s consumer services for your region.

By doing so, you’ll be able to ship the camera to them for repair at no cost.

Nikon already has a reasonably clear idea about which of its recently-released Z8 cameras are defective and is recalling still-unsold models from retailers.

Because of this, the company has even set up a service advisory website where owners of the new camera can enter their model’s serial number to see if it was part of the bad batch.

On this website, any user who inputs their camera’s serial number will quickly see a notice that tells them if their camera is defective.

If your camera comes up as a suspect, the site will load instructions for getting service and receiving a free return shipping label.

For cameras that aren’t defective, Nikon claims, “If your Z8 camera is not one of those affected, then this will be displayed onscreen and you may continue using your camera without concern for this issue,”

Now if you’re wondering where to find your Z8 mirrorless camera’s serial number, it’s imprinted on a label of the device on the body right behind the rear LCD display when you fold it out.

According to Nikon Rumors, a Japanese Twitter user did some research and estimated that as many as 6,600+ units had a lens mounting problem. These cameras have serial numbers that range from 2002516 to 2009146.

Nikon Rumors also mentioned that a reader who emailed their site explained that most affected cameras seem to predominate among units sent to Europe for sale.

This freak manufacturing problem aside, the Nikon Z8 is one hell of a camera according to many reviewers and users.

This model shares almost all of the features it has with its pricier, more robust cousin the Z9, but is much cheaper. Essentially, its only downgrades from the Z9 are a slightly smaller body and less vigorous weather sealing.

Curiously, the Z9 also had a related lens mounting problem in December of 2022. Nikon announced that some Z9 models on sale at the time had lens release button problems.

Nikon’s manufacturing center for its cameras is located in Thailand after being completely moved from Japan in 2021.

Despite this complex transition and the above design problems, the vast majority of Z8 and Z9 cameras being sold now are not only defect-free, but they’re also extremely popular for their specs and versatility.

Image credits: Nikon

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