Ultimate Nikon Z8 Video rig : 3 different rigs.

Three Nikon Z8 video rigs with text saying my Nikon Z8 3 x video rigs

 3 Nikon Z8 video rigs

Hello and welcome to my Ultimate Nikon Z8 video rig where I will be showing you not one but three different Nikon Z8 video rigs. We start with the sub $200.- beginner rig or the rig I still use as my super light run and gun rig which can be built into the second video rig which is the sub $450.- awesome all-rounder video rig.

Then we step up to the sub $1,000.- full-on Nikon Z8 video rig that’s just a pure beast and can do almost anything you would want a rig to do for you.

I guide you through the process of building each rig with step-by-step instructions on how to build them and I also highlight each one’s strong points.

So please feel free to skip through to the Nikon Z8 video rig you are looking for, or sit back and read it all or even better watch my video below showing how to build them and how versatile they are.

My full video on how to build the ultimate Nikon Z8 video rigs

The Nikon Z8 Video rig backbone.

The backbone of any video rig has to be the camera cage as that’s what holds it all together and getting the right one is vital.

My preference here is the Neewer CA041 camera cage, I also own a Smallrig camera cage for the Z8 but I prefer the Neewer cage for a few different reasons, firstly it’s cheaper it never hurts right? Secondly, it has a side clamp for the HDMI and USB cables and Thirdly it has two Nato rails not just one like the SmallRig version.

I will explain what NATO rails are later on if you haven’t come across them before, trust me you will love them.

Nikon Z8 camera cage by Neewer on a white background with text describing it.

Considering those differences and the fact that there is no difference in build quality between the two that completely seals it for me then and it has to be the Neewer cage.

Every rig I will be building below will be based on the Neewer CA041 cage but if you already have a rig that will work also for these builds.

I should also mention that Neewer has given me a 21% off Neewer Discount code HAYES21 which you are free to use to save yourself even more money, anyway enough talking let’s start building those rigs.

I have a full video review on the Neewer Z8 camera cage where I show you the complete unit, how to mount it on the camera and how the extra strain relief brackets work.

I also show you the extra Nato rail and how handy those rails are.

Nikon Z8 Video Rig Number One : Sub $200.-

This video rig is perfect as a beginner video rig or as a super simple run and gun rig, it also works beautifully for hybrid shooters and people looking to travel light and still get amazing footage.

The real beauty of this rig is how quick it is to put it all together, when disassembled it all packs down very neatly so it’s ultra-portable.

This is the rig I use a lot on shoots where the client might want a small bit of BTS footage from the day.

This complete kit costs less than $200.- in total and considering you get a great cage, a VND filter, a side handle and a top handle for that price it’s a pure bargain.

Nikon Z8 video rig with text saying Nikon Z8 Video Rig and arrows pointing at the side and top handle and VND filter

Video rig number 1 parts

Now don’t be fooled by its no-frills looks this video rig means business from the get-go and it can be put together and taken apart in less than a minute. As I said already you have everything you need here to seriously step up your video game and for less than $200.- that’s a complete bargain.

I am going to start this build in order of importance. So if you are buying one piece at a time this is the way I would do it.

Firstly let’s get the CA041 camera cage.
I leave the camera cage on my Z8 the vast majority of the time, so I don’t need to take it on and off. Thankfully the cage also has an Arca Swiss mount on the base so it pops on and off a tripod really easily, it’s also compatible with the DJI RS2 and RS3.

The next item to purchase is the VND filter, let me tell you why you need a VND filter and why this particular VND filter model is great.

Firstly, it has 1 to 5 stops of light reduction making it ideal for most shoots to help you bring your shutter speed back down so you can obey the 180-degree shutter rule which basically states your shutter speed should be twice your frame rate so you get that silky smooth fluid feel in your videos.

If you want to learn more about that I have a video below on the best video setting for Nikon cameras so do check that out at the end.

Secondly, this Neewer VND filter is brilliant as it gives you no colour cast, thirdly it also avoids the dreaded X pattern some VND filters give and finally it’s amazing value for money, the price of $108.99 for an 82mm filter which is the standard sized filter I use but you can also buy the 77mm or a smaller VND filter (depending on your lens thread size of course) which are cheaper yet again.

I have a full video review here where I show you the VND filter in action.

You can see how colour neutral it is and also that there is no X pattern displayed when using it.

This is incredible value for money, yes there are cheaper models out there but they are not this good.

NATO Handles and NATO rails what are they?

NATO handles are without A doubt my favourite camera accessory and they consist of a NATO rail clamp that’s built onto the handle, this allows you to simply slide the handle over a NATO rail as you can see in the photo below and with the twist of a lever you can lock it in place but not only that you can also slide it into a slightly different position easily too.

A Neewer NATO Handle and NATO Rail on a white background.

The Neewer CA041 Cage I am using has a NATO rail on the side and on the top so you can very quickly slide on and off a NATO handle.

If you don’t have a NATO rail on your cage don’t worry as this Neewer Handle comes with a NATO rail you can screw onto your camera cage.

These NATO handles are amazing if you want to set up a rig in sheer seconds, it’s an awful lot easier than screwing in bolts with an allen key all the time.

Fitting the Handles for Build 1

The next step is to get yourself a NATO side handle. This is the Neewer CA048 side handle and it’s super fast to pop on and off the camera cage you simply slide it on and then lock it in place… how fast was that?

The speed at which you can attach it is all down to the NATO system, it’s a very simple but very strong catch system that simply slides into place and locks with a twist of this lever.

A side handle is fantastic to help you stabilise your camera as you have a far wider and stronger grip on the camera and this extra width helps give you a bit more leverage so minor movements don’t seem as pronounced then.

Next, we have our top handle and this one is the Neewer CA008 Nato top handle which again fits to the top nato rail on the cage, now if you already have a cage without a top NATO rail like the Smallrig Z8 cage I have here then don’t worry as you get a screw on NATO rail which means you can now slip on and off the Nato handle in seconds.

A top handle is great for those low-angle shots or if you are walking with the camera and want to have a slightly lower camera angle.

To take it all apart again you simply unscrew the VND, pop off the two nato handles and you’re back to normal mode again. This is why this kit is perfect for hybrid shooters, it’s so fast to transition from photography to videography and back again.

You can of course build onto this rig as you develop and personally, the only other item I use here that isn’t included in the kit I mentioned so far is the F500 field monitor which I pop on here on the cold shoe of the top handle or on the cold shoe on the side handle

The Neewer F500 is my default field monitor now, it has an oscilloscope, vectorscope, false colour, focus peaking and it also has sound FL bars so you can easily confirm your audio is not only working but at the right level.

Nikon Z8 video rig with text saying Nikon Z8 Video Rig and arrows pointing at the side and top handle and Matte Box and Monitor.

Nikon Z8 video Rig Number Two : Sub $450.-

Video rig 2 and this is the slightly more advanced model

This is my second Nikon Z8 video rig and again we start with the Neewer CA041 Camera Cage. Next, we pop on the top and side Nato handles as we did with Rig number one above.

Then we have the Neewer PG002 Mini Matte Box which not only helps to add a whole new level of professionalism to your rig but it also gives us the option to use ND, diffusion and special effects filters so for me this is a huge step up.

I have a full video Review of the Matte box here where I talk you through its advantages and uses if you want to watch it.

The large French flag / Top flag (the door on the front) is great for reducing flare and controlling contrast in your scenes if your lens suffers from light flare. So that’s another huge bonus.

Next, we pop on the Neewer F500 field monitor and this is again an incredibly useful monitor as it has an oscilloscope, vectorscope, false colour and FL meters for a visible audio level confirmation as well as the ability to use LUTS to see how your footage really looks as your filming.

Of course, it’s also a bigger screen so it’s a lot easier to compose your shot and make sure your focus is perfect also.

You have a range of filters to choose from here you can use the Neewer ND filters and diffusion filters or the Formatt Hitech Firecrest Ultra cine filters (review here) and their awesome range of diffusion filters too of course.

Now if you are not using diffusion filters (I explain diffusion filters here) then this could be the one thing you are seriously missing in your work, Diffusion filters take all that raw digital pixel-popping detail and slightly soften it, they add halation or bloom to your lighting and they are also available in several different variations that will add a slight sun kissed or cool effect to your footage.

For under $400.- you are getting a serious-looking rig here now with a great monitor matte box and the extra handles too of course.

Nikon Z8 video rig with text saying Nikon Z8 Cinema Rig and arrows pointing at the V-Mount battery, shoulder rig, Matte box and Monitor.

Nikon Z8 Video rig number Three : Sub $900.-

This is my mother of all video rigs and honestly, you can do nearly anything you would ever want to do with this video rig.

Again we are using the Neewer CA041 camera cage and adding the top NATO handle and this time two side Nato handles.

Then we add the Neewer SR004 shoulder rig kit and a tip here is I would add the optional Arca Swiss quick release plate as it makes it so fast to assemble the rig then. 

If you haven’t used a shoulder rig before they are fantastic from the point of view of stability and ease of use on longer shoots where you need to move around a bit so you can’t use a tripod.

A little tip for you here is to mount a tripod quick-release plate under your rig so you can pop it on a tripod when you need to very quickly. The quick-release plate on the camera then means you can just let the shoulder rig on the tripod if you need something very light for a very short behind-the-scenes clip or something.

Next, we add our Monitor which again is the Neewer F500 field monitor the video is here if you want to delve a bit deeper into the specs.

I already mentioned above it has an oscilloscope, vectorscope, false colour and FL meters for visible audio level confirmation and you can also use LUTS to see how your footage really looks.

Pop on our Neewer PG002 Mini Matte Box so we can use diffusion filters, ND filters or special effects filters.

Next, we add our Neewer PG001 follow focus unit so we can preciously control our focus which is ideal if you are focusing between two specific points in a scene as it has a dedicated stop you can set or if you just love shooting in manual focus and want more control over your focus and focus speed.

Next, we come to the power source for our rig and in this rig, I use a v-mount battery to power the camera and monitor. So I am adding a V mount plate for our battery to mount onto, this plate is great for connectivity as it means you can also quickly swap out batteries and not have to change cables and all that mess.

We add our V mount battery next and I am using the Neewer PS099E battery which has D-tap USB and USB C connections as well as 8v and 12-volt outputs of course.

Neewer V mount battery on a white background

V-mount batteries are great for a few different reasons, the first being they last for hours and give you very long uninterrupted recording times.

This means you are no longer stressing about battery percentages on your Nikon Z8.

You can of course power your monitor and other accessories from a V-mount battery so it’s an incredibly handy device to have on your rig.

The Neewer PS099E is great as it gives you all the connections that you have on a V mount plate but you can also charge it via the USB C port.

The finished kit looks like the picture below and with the quick-release plate you are ready to go from a full-on rig to a compact rig in seconds, it’s one of the reasons I like to use USB-PD to power my camera. I simply unplug two cables and pop a monitor battery on and away we go.

If I know I will be leaving it on the rig all day I will use the Neewer dummy battery to D-tap unit to power the camera all day.

I also use my Atomos Ninja for external recording sometimes depending on the specs the client is looking for of course. With 1TB SSD drives in the caddies you can swap out recording drives in seconds. You can of course again go for higher capacity drives but 1TB works fine for me.

So that’s my main video rig for the Nikon Z8, I hope that helped you and please do remember you can build these rigs slowly and piece them all together then and as always if you have any questions do please feel free to ask them.

I have to add here I am no cinematographer but this is the kit I personally use when shooting video on my Nikon Z8, I would love to hear your thoughts on Z8 rigs and what you have found to be not only useful but vital to your Z8 rig.

Thanks again for reading and if you want to read my full Nikon Z8 review you can find it here.

See you out there,
Kieran

My Nikon Z8 video rig on a blue background with text describing the rig.