What is the pixel pitch of the Nikon Z8?

The Nikon Z8 provides 45.4 megapixels from a full frame sensor. This pixel density gives rise to a size of the individual pixel of 4.35µm.

The pixel size or pixel pitch can be calculated by dividing the sensor area by the pixel count and then taking the square root. In particular, the sensor in the Nikon Z8 measures 35.9mm in width and 23.9mm in height, so that the total imaging area of the sensor amounts to 858 mm². Moreover, the Z8 has 8 256 horizontal pixels and 5 504 vertical pixels, for a total of 45.4 megapixels. Then, the size (height or width) of each individual pixel can be calculated as the square root of the ratio of the sensor area (858 mm²) to the MP count (45 441 024).

Larger pixels provide advantages with respect to gathering light, particularly in low-light situations. Large pixels notably have a better signal to noise ratio, meaning that they can better differentiate between incoming photons and the noisy signals that the internal processes of the camera create. As a result, big pixels are particularly helpful to the photographer when shooting with high ISO settings.

Sensor specs and performance

The table below compares the sensor specs of the Nikon Z8 to those of several similar cameras. The reported DXO values are indicators of the sensor's imaging quality (higher is better), covering color depth (DXO Portrait), dynamic range (DXO Landscape), and high-ISO noise (DXO Sports). Larger sensor cameras tend to outperform cameras of the same generation that are equipped with a smaller imager. On the other hand, larger sensors are more expensive and require bigger and heavier lenses than smaller light receptors.

Sensor Characteristics

		Camera Model	Sensor Class	Resolution (MP)	Horiz. Pixels	Vert. Pixels	Video Format	DXO Portrait	DXO Landscape	DXO Sports	DXO Overall
1.		Nikon Z8	Full Frame	45.4	8256	5504	8K/30p	26.3	14.2	2548	98
2.		Canon R5	Full Frame	44.8	8192	5464	8K/30p	25.3	14.6	3042	95
3.		Canon R5 C	Full Frame	44.8	8192	5464	8k/60p	25.4	14.5	3082	96
4.		Fujifilm GFX 50S II	Medium Format	51.1	8256	6192	1080/30p	25.9	14.8	3456	100
5.		Nikon D850	Full Frame	45.4	8256	5504	4K/30p	26.4	14.8	2660	100
6.		Nikon Z6	Full Frame	24.3	6048	4024	4K/30p	25.3	14.3	3299	95
7.		Nikon Z7	Full Frame	45.4	8256	5504	4K/30p	26.3	14.6	2668	99
8.		Nikon Z7 II	Full Frame	45.4	8256	5504	4K/60p	26.3	14.7	2841	100
9.		Nikon Z9	Full Frame	45.4	8256	5504	8K/30p	26.3	14.4	2451	98
10.		Panasonic S1R	Full Frame	46.7	8368	5584	4K/60p	26.4	14.1	3525	100
11.		Sony A7R V	Full Frame	60.2	9504	6336	8k/24p	26.5	14.8	3187	100
Note: DXO values in italics represent estimates based on sensor size and age.

Further information on the sensor in the Nikon Z8 and the camera's operation can be found in the camera manual.

In the United States, the Z8 was initially launched in May 2023 at a price of $3,999.

Check Z8 price at
amazon.com

Camera to camera comparisons

In case you are interested in seeing how this camera compares to another one, just make a corresponding selection in the search boxes below. There is also a set of direct links to comparison reviews that other users of the CAM-parator app explored.

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