The Nikon Z8 is smashing across Japan like Godzilla right now

James Artaius
·2 min read
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An illustration of a rampaging Godzilla with a Nikon Z8
An illustration of a rampaging Godzilla with a Nikon Z8

The Nikon Z8 is taking over Japan with the kind of aggression not seen since the last Godzilla movie.

It has only been on sale for a few weeks, but the Nikon Z8 is already the top-selling camera at all five of Japan's major camera retailers. Its sales have outpaced everything from the Sony A7 IV to perennial top sellers like the Canon EOS R6 Mark II and Sony ZV-E10, and even the mighty Nikon Z9 – which has been on back-order virtually since its launch.

The last point is perhaps the most impressive. Not only has the Z9 been pretty much sold out for almost a year (being Nikon's best-selling flagship camera in 15 years), but it's about to receive a price increase in Japan – so there was a last-minute surge of orders, as customers jumped to get one before it went up in cost.

(And, given that Nikon told us it made a big investment in production to make sure that there are plenty of Z8s on the market at launch, this all adds up to what could already be the biggest camera launch of the year.)

That's according to a report published by Phile Web, detailing the camera sales rankings for May 2023. In addition to holding the top slot at all five major retailers, Digital Camera Info points out another remarkable fact: this premium-priced pro camera isn't just the best-selling body at the high-end retailers, it is the most in-demand product at budget retailers as well.

"The Nikon Z8 is off to a great start, ranking first at all five major camera stores. It's amazing that the Z8 is ranked first not only at camera stores with high-end models such as Yodobashi, Map Camera, and Fujiya Camera, but also at Bic and Kitamura, which have relatively low-priced models."

Nikon may have been late to the party with the Z mount, but it has absolutely smashed it out of the park with its flagship tag team.

You might also be interested in the best professional cameras, along with the best cameras for sports photography. And if you're keen to know more about Nikon's mirrorless system, check out the best Nikon Z lenses.