Nikon Z8 Shutter Sound: How to Customize the “Fake” Click

As a technical matter, the Nikon Z8 is practically silent when it shoots. It doesn’t have a mechanical shutter to make a clacking sound. Nor is there, obviously, any mirror slap.

By default, Nikon has added a shutter sound as audible feedback when the shutter is pressed. But it’s entirely artificially generated. It’s there only to provide audible feedback when the shutter is pressed. And you can now change what it sounds like.

Does it help you take better photos? Nope, of course not. But it’s still a nice little tweak to help get your camera set up just how you like it.

If you’re surprised to know that the Nikon Z8 has this feature, that would be entirely understandable. That’s because this feature wasn’t available when the camera was originally released.¹

The v2.00 update (Feb 2024) was a monster overhaul, and subsequent updates like the recent Firmware 3.00/3.10 have continued to refine the camera with features like “High-Res Zoom Subject Detection” and “Flexible Color.” (You can find the changelog for the latest version here.)

This particular feature was a long way down the list, and there are more impressive parts of the v3 era firmware. But it’s there.

I came across it by accident. I suddenly found that the volume of my shutter had reset to a louder default than the quieter mode I usually had it in. It took me a moment to realize that it was because the firmware update must have changed something. And digging a little further, I discovered that there was more to it than just the volume level.

Nikon Z8 shutter sound options

There are 5 different shutter sounds to choose from. Most of them mimic some kind of traditional mechanical shutter sound. One of them is an instantly recognizable (and, to me, pretty hideous) electronic beep.

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To find them, go to:

SETUP MENU > Camera sounds 

The newly expanded section is at the top.

The first option lets you turn the shutter sound on or off entirely. You can also adjust the volume.

The Type setting lets you choose which sound you’d like to use.

The sounds don’t have descriptive names, and there’s not really a useful way to describe them with words beyond saying that they’re mostly variations mimicking the sounds of various mechanical shutters. The best bet is to try them for yourself to see which you prefer.

There’s no right answer on which to use — it’s entirely a matter of personal preference.

And it’s not needed in any sense to actually take the photo. You can even turn the sound off completely, if you prefer. But I find it useful to have some feedback on a shutter press, since there’s no meaningful tactile feedback — you can’t feel it with either a subtle mechanical click or generated haptic. I’d love to have a slight generated haptic like smartphones have, but that’s probably counterproductive on a device where you want the least possible movement when you take the photo.

Notes & References:

1. This same feature had previously been added to the Nikon Z9 back in 2023 through that camera’s firmware 4.00. [↩︎]