Nikon’s Z8 Camera May Be Delayed By Parts Shortages Until 2023

These are only rumors but it seems that the impending release of the Nikon Z8 camera may be delayed until Spring of next year due to missing parts, of all things; this despite the camera supposedly being already “production ready”.

The Z8 has been surrounded by rumors in the photographic media world since as far back as 2020 when it was speculated that it would share a sensor with Nikon’s D880, a replacement to the D850.

That particular supposition didn’t pan out at all and even now, little is known about the Z8 or many of its specs. This however hasn’t stopped people from creating wishlists for what they’d like the camera to include when it finally does emerge.

According to the website Nikon Rumors, the Nikon Z8 isn’t just a speculative piece of hardware. Indeed, the often prescient website is claiming that the camera is instead already “production-ready” and that it’s only being delayed until next year because of persistent parts shortages.

Why a company as well-established and capable as Nikon would have problems procuring parts for what is sure to be a popular new camera among serious fans of the brand is a mystery.

image credit: Nikon Rumors

However, numerous electronics industries have indeed been plagued by a number of chip and semiconductor shortages throughout 2022, so it is possible. On the other hand, this same problem hasn’t stopped Nikon competitors like Sony and Fujifilm from releasing new cameras this year.

It is worth noting though that Canon’s own rumored new release, the  Canon EOS R50 is also claimed for early 2023, which (completely speculatively) might be due to a similar delay. Canon has stated that its Canon EOS R6 Mark II release is being partially delayed by parts shortages though.

Also worth mentioning is the very real case of Apple, which has announced that the release of its recently-unveiled iPhone 14 Pro might also be delayed by delays in parts procurement from its assembly facilities due to Covid restrictions.

One thing to keep in mind here is that many of the parts for these cameras and phone cameras are produced in China, whose government is currently maintaining an extremely strict Zero COVID policy that can easily hamper production schedules in the major electronics and other factories located inside the country.

Whatever the case may be the Nikon Z8 will supposedly come with a massive 61MP sensor that’s on par with that of the new Sony A7R V. The camera is in fact supposed to be a direct competitor to the flagship camera from its rival brand.

Other possible specs in the rumored Z8 edition include the following:

• AI-Based Real-Time Tracking AF System
• 8K 24p, 4K 60p, FHD 120p 10-Bit Video
• BIONZ XR & AI Processing Unit
• 4K 16-Bit Raw Output with S-Log3/S-Cinetone
• 44m-Dot EVF with 120 fps Refresh Rate
• 2″ 4-Axis Multi-Angle Touchscreen LCD
• 10 fps Shooting with AF/AE Tracking
• 8-Stop 5-Axis Image Stabilization
• CFexpress Type A/SD Card Slots

We’ll likely know much more before the year ends about what’s what with the production and release of the Nikon Z8. For the time being, Nikon has also stated that it will be implementing more Z9 features into its lower-end cameras, which is definitely a good thing for users of these more affordable camera models.

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