Product Information

Nikon D800 Camera Review

Camera enthusiasts have been waiting to usher in the Nikon D800. One of the first things the company made very clear is that they do not intend for this to replace the Nikon D700 but rather, they want it to be perceived as complementary. This is the second release from Nikon this year and it is close on the heels of the Nikon D4. It makes use of several of the D4 features but the D800 Nikon has a smaller body and a much more wallet-friendly price.

Some of the common features with the D4 are that of the EXPEED 3 processor as well as the Multi-Cam 3500 FX system of autofocus. This system allows the Nikon D800 51 points of autofocus as well as 91k pixel metering. This will technically give the camera the ability to focus as much as -2 EV, which is great for moonlight settings. With this feature and its ability to go as high as ISO 25,600 with an Hi 2 setting, low light photography is poised to be a much simpler task.

One of its advantages over the D700 is the fact that the D800 Nikon brings to the table complete HD functionality video recording and can record 1080p video with varying frame rates of 30, 25 and 24fps. You can also shoot slow motion movies with 60 and 50fps rates with a setting of 720p. The camera gives you FX as well as DX crops when in the video option. An additional advantage over the D700 is the presence of dual memory slots. Though useful, professional users of the camera may not really take to the idea of having to carry two kinds of cards for the varying slots of Compact Flash and SD.

Nikon D800 make and body

The Nikon D800 comes in two versions. The first has a regular body and the second is a special edition titled the D800E. The difference is the removal of the anti-aliasing filter, which also means it is a more expensive model. As far as a comparison of weight goes, the D800 Nikon is around 10% lighter than the D700 and gives you a much more contoured feel when you handle it. You will find the shutter slightly realigned for better management and most of the controls on it have been altered slightly.

Some of the additions are buttons for video recording and this is right behind the shutter release. You will also find a new switch that is placed on the right side of the rear screen and you will be able to shuttle between live view in both still as well as video mode. The controls are actually a mirror image of the D4 and if you happen to be carrying both, you will easily be able to shift the bodies.

The D800 Nikon does not come with an articulating screen, however its fixed 921k dot 3.2-inch LCD panel is quite interesting to have. It has an automatic control for brightness on the monitor. The reflections are rather limited and you have a good view no matter which angle you are looking at it from. With the viewfinder in this Nikon D800, you now have a frame that covers the image 100%; this is especially useful for landscape photographers. Those who handle cameras outdoors will welcome the dual-axis electronic virtual horizon.

Nikon D800 performance overview

The Nikon D800 comes with 36.3 million pixels, which is 3 times higher than that of the D700. The company announced that its noise level is around the same as the previous version. Standard test have been run on the shutter at approximately 200,000 cycles and the life of the battery is a little less in comparison to the D700 and will give you around 850 shots when tested at CIPA standards. This is a little less than the 1000 shots that the D700 will give you. The good thing about the D800 Nikon is that these 850 shots are still doable if you use the flash on all of them. The flash generally runs down the power of the battery.

The major difference that you will see is in resolution; it has gone up from 12 to 36MP. This higher resolution provides a major jump for the camera’s processing abilities as well as its use in video mode. The camera’s video is the same as that of the D4 and gives you a resolution of 1080p30 resolution. You also have the ability to use HDMI to output uncompressed footage.

Because of the changes to the body to accommodate the inclusion of video, you have its related buttons on the rear of the screen. Besides this, you also have the D4 version of an integrated form of AF mode/function control. This is placed in front and the door that covers all the ports of the D800 is now placed on hinges. This allows it to stay open without shutting of its own accord every time you move. The screen of the D800 is a bit bigger and stands at 3.2 inches but the display resolution remains the same. It comes with a Picture Style button at the back, which again is great for those using the video option.

The removal of a filter
When compared to the D800E, this model’s main difference is the exclusion of the filter. In most digital cameras, you have the optical low-pass filter that is placed on the sensors in order to provide a small blur to the image to prevent the moiré effect from taking place. This gives you several more images that you can use. Removing this filter means you have images of much higher resolution on hand. For the average person who would use this camera, this may not make a world of difference but to the professional landscape photographer or to one using it in the studio, this can make quite a difference.

This is the detailed review of the camera that many people have been waiting for. Of course, it will create quite a storm when it is actually used extensively and more details will be available on it.

Nikon D800 36.3 MP CMOS FX-Format Digital SLR Camera (Body Only)