Schedule for Nikon Z8 support

When will Nikon Z8 raw and HEIF format be supported in PL6? As the Z9 LC and HE raw formats currently are supported, and the Z8 uses the same sensor and internal processor as the Z9, I assume that the only major addition will be Z8 HEIF (presumably there will be a Nikon firmware update that adds HEIF to the Z9 as well).

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HEIF format support has been discussed for years. DxO has repeatedly failed to deliver it on schedule and has stopped promising it:

Feel free to add your vote and comments to that topic, though. That will give it fresh attention.

To request Z8 support or check on its status, go here:

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Z8 is the same as Z9 + heif (- if nikon did not make slight differences; I remember D850 presented as having the same AF as D5 at its release by some testers, when it was not really truth - hardware seems the same, yes -).
But if the same, will RAW be usable as is, or do dxo has anyway to create a profile, the same as Z9 - so main work is already done - , but with some differences in some kind of ID anyway ?

So maybe some reverse engeenering is needed anyway ?

My understanding from “numerous” pre-production and first production run testers is that except for the eliminated functionality (internal GPS, for example) and difference in memory card, battery, etc, the sensor, processor, and imaging firmware “code base” is the SAME between a Z8 and a Z9. This was not the case between the D5 and D850; in fact, much of the community expected the Z9/Z8 to have a similar relationship with the Z8 having a higher Mpix count than the Z9. This is not what Nikon marketing and management (not engineering) chose to do and thus the Z8 and Z9 have the SAME sensor. Thus, other than rebadging the Z9 DxO JPEG and raw NEF LC modules as Z8 modules (different “ID”), DxO should be able to do the same as some competitors (eg, the Adobe suite) and provide Z8 lossless compressed and probably NEF TICO HE/HE* support “now” (assuming that Nikon EU will provide DxO a Z8 to verify this, just as Adobe was so provided). HEIF support appears to be lacking from DxO based upon other postings to this list (Marie et al, are you reading this? HEIF?).

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Z8 : NEF+HIF files ( HLG ) and NEF files ; NEF+JPG files

In addition there should be support for NEF compression
Z8 sample HLG files.zip (37.9 MB)

DSC_0293.NEF (32.0 MB)
DSC_0293.zip (22.9 MB)

I found your reply, but there were no attached/embedded image files. Were there supposed to be such files? My Z8 is arriving to me (after arrival at a Nikon USA NPD after I placed a USA NPS priority pre-order) next week. I will test some of the various formats then, albeit other than JPEG, not in PL.

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I added the files to the post

Just got my Z8 and shot Raw files but DXO will not open them. Say they are possibly corupt.

I have just checked the DxO website and it shows Photolab 6 will support Nikon Z8 files from July 2023.

Don’t know why it should take so long.

Maybe HLG support ?

This would drive lot of people to photolab right now.
All Z9 (soon) and Z8 people are waiting for an other solution than nikon software.

The Z8 is supported with the V6.7 released today (NEF, NEF HE and HE are supported but not HIF).