Here at India Today Tech in December, we take a look back at the year that was. We reminisce about our experience with technologies and trends, mostly the latest but sometimes old ones too. The idea is to understand what technology did to us, to the world, and what we did to it. As I look back at this year, I clearly remember many experiences I had with personal technology. I finally found a robot vacuum cleaner – Haier Civic X11. I tried out the latest iPhone 17 Pro and I loved its saffron color and cool running nature. I used some exceptionally good headphones – for example, the JBL Tour One M3 and Sennheiser HDB 630. Like millions of others, I too loved Google’s Nano Banana. But what I want to write about today is something old. This is the Nikon Z8.

The Nikon Z8 was not launched until 2025. It was launched in late 2023 and it is likely that Nikon will bring an update to it in a year or two. But for me it is the tech highlight of 2025 because I bought it this year. I was keeping an eye on this for a long time. But it is an expensive gadget, and is needed only in specific use cases, which for me is hobby related and not professional. As a result, I never got around to buying it. By this February I finally spent a few lakhs on the Z8 and the Nikon Z 180-600 lens, which has become the lens of choice for all wildlife enthusiasts in the Nikon camp.

Technology exists for two reasons: one, to make our lives easier. It will be somewhat like an air fryer. It is written in capital letters for convenience C. Or a smartphone that has something like Google Maps on it. Again, very convenient. But unless you’re a hardcore nerd, these technologies won’t bring you any “happiness”. You will simply use them because of their convenience. But still there are technologies that bring us happiness. This is their primary function, and I believe that good cameras – for all people who are not professional photographers – fall into this category. High-end headphones and speakers are also in the same category of gadgets that give us pleasure, and so is television.

I believe the best kind of gadgets are the ones that bring you joy every time you use them. On that note I think the Nikon Z8 is one of the best tech purchases I’ve made in 2025.

It is not complete. Of course not, this is perfect. However, given how Nikon has positioned it with the associated lenses, it is one of the most value-for-money kits available for hobbyist wildlife shooters. Relative to what it offers in terms of technology, the Nikon Z8 sells for an extraordinary price these days. But what really swings the deal in its favor is the price of Nikon’s wildlife-oriented super telephoto lens. For enthusiasts, there are two that stand out: the Nikon Z 180-600mm and the Nikon Z 600mm prime. These are expensive lenses, but still much cheaper than what Canon charges for their similar lenses. Sony has a similarly priced 200-600mm that compares favorably with Nikon telephotos. But still Sony doesn’t have anything compared to the Nikon Z8 in its price segment. Meanwhile, the Nikon Z 600mm prime is unique. It is extremely light for its class and costs about 2 times the price of similar lenses from about 10 years ago. It’s amazing, although I haven’t bought it yet.

In short, after evaluating different kits and possibilities, the Z8 is what I got in February. And since then it has brought me a lot of fun and a lot of happiness. What really cool gadgets are supposed to do.

good cameras are magic

Modern cameras are marvels of technology. Similar to the silicon chips in your latest iPhone, like the A19 Pro, the technologies inside modern cameras can seem magical. These are technologies capable of unimaginable precision and in some ways the pinnacle of what humanity has achieved. If you think this is an exaggeration, consider this: only a few companies currently make large cameras and camera lenses. And almost all of these companies are also leaders in essential and strategic technologies. The same technology that is in cameras also powers radar, precision munitions and missiles, air defense and silicon chip manufacturing. For example, Zeiss is a company that makes camera lenses. But it is also the only company in the world that produces mirrors and lenses for the world’s most advanced silicon chip machine built by ASML. This is a machine over which one day China and America can fight a war. If Zeiss were to disappear today, the world of technology and computers would, metaphorically speaking, disappear entirely.

Similarly, companies like Nikon and Canon are also considered strategic due to their expertise in lighting, mirrors, auto focus and silicon chip manufacturing. Camera technology is so tightly linked with strategic technologies that over the past few years China has encouraged several companies, such as Venus Optics and Wiltrox, to build expertise in silicon chip manufacturing as a harbinger of the country’s dream of self-reliance.

The Z8 is a speed demon

but I digress. I was talking about the Nikon Z8. The Z8 is a reason for joy for me because I know how excellent it is in terms of technology. Of course, other cameras in its range are similar. But I am not talking about them. I’m talking about the one I’ve used. Z8. The Z8 has a 45-megapixel sensor using a stacked design, meaning it transfers tens of GB of photographic data in milliseconds. In fact, in case of high-speed shooting, it transfers hundreds of GB of data within a second. The larger image sensor also means I can crop photos to my heart’s content and need, as anyone shooting wildlife should do.

The Z8 is a speed demon in every sense. Its electronic sound, moving at a speed of 20 photos per second, is music to the ears. And the best part is that its buffer is almost endless, something I have never experienced in any other camera before. It has an electronic viewfinder, but the entire system inside the camera is so fast that it’s blackout free, unlike most mirrorless cameras that struggle with this aspect.

There are areas where it lags behind Canon and Sony at the higher end of the spectrum. Its AI-powered AF isn’t as sticky as what some recent Sony and Canon cameras offer. Sure, that’s fast enough for a Hummingbird, but compared to a similarly priced Canon or Sony, which incidentally cost more, it makes the shooter’s job a little harder. It is large and heavy, although this will be harmful to some people and beneficial to others. Apart from these two aspects, the Nikon Z8 is one of the best. In some instances, like ergonomics, the colors it produces, the way it transfers data inside its weather-sealed body, it’s superior to competitors.

But it’s not just the cutting-edge technology inside the Z8 that delights me. Using this technique is a pleasure. This year I have often trekked to Bharatpur with the Z8 and the Nikon Z 180-600 – actually taking train trips. From morning till evening I have taken photographs with it in the park and it is the process of taking photographs, these are the photographs I have taken, which has given me happiness. Some of it is just nature and its soothing effect. Bharatpur Bird Sanctuary is a wonderful place, barely a few hours away from the dirt and chaos of Delhi. Walking in this huge park and seeing all the greenery, all the birds, the shallow and deep marshes, is enough in itself to provide a respite from the hectic days of Delhi.

But I also know that the Z8 has given me the opportunity to lose myself during my days in Bharatpur in a way I wouldn’t have been able to do had I not had it. In this respect, the Z8 and its accompanying kit have proven to be worth every penny I spent on it.

Often when we review devices, we ask a rhetorical question: Is it worth it? The answer is always conditional. It is always based on many factors. But in my opinion it’s also because we’re trying to be very nuanced, very clinical, very factual about our recommendations. After all this is the job. But sometimes I go in a different direction. Most often this is the case with gadgets and technologies, which, as I call them, are much more than the sum of their parts. They aren’t “worth” because they’re good, or great, or functional. They are valuable because they are pleasing, even when they are not perfect, even when it seems like there is such a big price tag attached to them. The Nikon Z8 is one such gadget. For me this is not an essential part of technology. That will be my phone. And laptop. But it’s still the gadget I loved using most in 2025.