Nikon Z8vs A7R VI
Nikon
Nikon Z8 (2023)
Starting from £3999 new
Best for Sports, wildlife & hybrid professionals
View Nikon Z8
Sony
A7R VI (2025)
Starting from £4399 new
Best for Studio, landscape and commercial photographers needing maximum resolution
View A7R VI
GearScore™ Verdict — Which should you buy?
Sports, Wildlife & Hybrid Professionals — Nikon Z8 (2023): Z9 performance in a compact body — 45MP, 8K/60p RAW, and 20fps burst without the bulk or price of the flagship.
Studio, Landscape And Commercial Photographers Needing Maximum Resolution — A7R VI (2025): The A7R VI cements its place as the resolution flagship of the Sony full-frame range — 61MP, AI-driven autofocus, and 8K video make it as capable for video and action work as it is for studio and landscape photography. The price reflects its position at the top of the lineup, but the capability is hard to match.
Who should buy what
Nikon Z8 (2023)
- Professional photographers who want Z9 capability in a smaller body
- Wildlife and sports shooters who want 8K RAW and 120fps burst
- Z6 III or Z7 II owners upgrading to pro-grade performance
- Hybrid professionals who need the best Nikon video and stills in one body
A7R VI (2025)
- Studio and commercial photographers who need maximum resolution for large prints and heavy cropping
- Landscape photographers who want best-in-class dynamic range and detail
- Hybrid shooters who need 8K video alongside a 61MP stills sensor
- Professionals upgrading from the A7R V who want faster AI-driven autofocus
Quick take: The a7r vi has the highest resolution at 61mp; the nikon z8 is the most affordable. Scroll down for the full spec breakdown.
Full specifications
| Specification | Nikon Z8 (2023) | A7R VI (2025) |
|---|---|---|
| Price | £3,999 | £4,399 |
| Sensor | 45.7MP full-frame BSI stacked CMOS | 61MP full-frame stacked back-illuminated CMOS |
| Resolution | 45.7MP | 61.0MP |
| Video | 8K/60p RAW, 4K/120p, ProRes RAW | 8K 30fps, 4K 120fps oversampled |
| Autofocus | Subject detection AF, 493-point phase-detect | AI processing unit — subject recognition for people, animals, birds and vehicles across the frame |
| Stabilisation | 6-stop IBIS | In-body 5-axis IS, up to 8.5 stops |
| Burst Rate | 20fps RAW / 120fps JPEG | 8fps mechanical / 7fps electronic with full AF/AE tracking |
| Battery Life | 330 shots (CIPA) | ~530 shots (CIPA, NP-FZ100) |
| Weight | 910g body only | 723g (body with battery and card) |
| Dimensions | 144.0 × 118.5 × 83.0mm | 131.3 × 96.9 × 82.8mm |
| Weather Sealed | Yes | Yes |
| Viewfinder | 0.5" Quad-VGA OLED EVF, 3.69M dots, 120fps | EVF, 9.44M-dot, up to 120fps |
| Screen | 3.2" tilting touchscreen | 3.2-inch 4-axis multi-angle touchscreen, 3.69M-dot |
| Mount | Nikon Z-mount | Sony FE (full-frame E-mount) |
| Memory Cards | Dual CFexpress Type B / XQD | Dual slots — CFexpress Type A / SD (UHS-II) |
| Connectivity | USB-C 3.2, HDMI full-size, Wi-Fi 6, Bluetooth | USB-C (10Gbps), Wi-Fi 6E, Bluetooth 5.0, 2.5GbE |
Suitability by genre
| Genre | Nikon Z8 | A7R VI |
|---|---|---|
| Sports & Action | ||
| Wildlife | ||
| Vlogging & Video | ||
| Landscape | ||
| Portrait | ||
| Travel | ||
| Street | — | |
| Casual | — |
GearScore™ suitability scores are based on aggregated purchaser reviews weighted by photography genre. See how scores are calculated →
More comparisons with Nikon Z8
Camera family history