The Nikon D800 is a professional full frame camera from Nikon that features a whopping 36,3 megapixels, the autofocus system from the D4, and dual card slots. But is Nikon’s lightest full-frame DSLR capable of delivering the image quality and dynamic range that Nikon promises? Let’s find out… Here’s a quick rundown of the important specs and features: 36,3 MP Continue Reading
The post Nikon D800 Review- The King Of Full Frame? appeared first on Photodoto.
If you’ve been following my blog for any length of time, you know by now that I am a devoted Nikon user. Often asked WHY am I so devoted to Nikon over Canon, it’s really a matter of the way the camera has always felt in my hands when I’m shooting. It’s felt more solid, I guess. Even when I’ve played around with Canon’s in the past, Canon has just felt more lightweight, a little flimsier. They’re equally great cameras, I can’t say that one is better than the other. It’s just a feeling thing, baby. Nothing else. Last February when Nikon announced their newest Pro DSLR, the Nikon D800, I was excited to get my hands on it. I pre-ordered the camera from B + H and then waited. And waited. shoots came and went and I even traveled to Europe to shoot and still, no D800. Finally I wrote B + H and told them that I had waited over 6 months for my camera. 2 days later, my new camera arrived!
The D800 features a brand new 36 Megapixel full-frame FX-format sensor, which makes it the highest resolution camera outside of the medium format world. Offering 36 megapixels, critics argue that too many pixels on a small sensor can introduce grain when shooting in low light or at higher ISO speeds. Wait, is that a problem? My main disappointment with the digital format has always been the loss of grain and grittiness that I used to love about film. So that was not a negative aspect of getting the Nikon D800. Depending on the quality of lenses, this “grain” can be quite lovely, actually. At least to someone like myself that likes to shoot in low light situations. And the D800 has a full frame sensor so that means it’s a match for a 35mm film camera. With shortcut buttons on top of the camera, I can get to my ISO controls and WB modes instantly without having to go into the menu. There’s even a LV button which pops the camera’s mirror back to preview what I’m shooting when I’m shooting video. Fantastic!
Even though it’s lighter than other NIkon’s I’ve owned, it’s still retains the same durable, workhorse build that I’ve relied on with Nikon for over 25 years of shooting professionally. The last Nikon I shot with had over 1/2 million actualizations before I burned the shutter motor out. My Nikons take a beating, I’ve shot in freezing cold climates and in the rain and I’ve never had one fail on me. It’s usually me just shooting the hell out of them before they finally say, okay that’s enough. Time for a new one!
Nikon AF-S Nikkor 50mm f/1.4G – Good normal lens for capturing straight shots
Nikon Telephoto AF Nikkor 85mm f/1.4D IF Autofocus – Best Lens in the World
If you’re using DX lenses, it does cut your pixels down to 15.4, which to me, is still high in pixels. This whole craze with photographers thinking that “more pixels, better camera” is kind of lost on me. I shot many a shoot on lower pixels and unless I had a job where I was going to shoot for a billboard, the pixels did just fine. Most of my work is editorial and print advertising. I don’t need 64 pixels for this type of work. But if you have the money and think that adding pixels to your images will make them better images, go right ahead and buy that expensive gear. For me, I would rather see you invest in better quality glass for your DSLR’s. I can’t tell you how many times I hear about someone scrimping on the glass but buying a very expensive camera. Just my two cents, feel free to argue away!
One of the biggest pluses on my new camera is the video feature. The Nikon D800 offers 1920 X 1080 pixels full HD video with an eloquent 30fps. I just came off a 2 day video shoot and I used my Nikon for the whole shoot while my collaborator, video director Dimitrios Papagiannis shot with a Lumix. After looking at my footage, Dimitrios was impressed with the quality of the footage I shot. I was too, although I’m not a pro yet at video. I was just impressed I could capture motion because I have been thinking in “still” mode my whole life. If I could be so humble to say that I think my strong suit as a photographer is my ability to capture a moment, or at least, that is what I strive for, in video you need to capture the MOMENTS! It’s a whole way of seeing/visualizing. Thank God I’ve had a camera plastered to my face for over 33 years. That kinda’ helps with the whole “seeing” part. : )
If you got the cash, I highly recommend this camera. Will it make you a better photographer. Quite plainly, no. You shooting all. the. time. will make you a better photographer. But the Nikon D800 will capture a beautiful image as you trudge the road to shooting all. the time.
So-called ‘blimp’ cases are designed to greatly reduce the sound of a camera’s shutter, making it safe to take record shots during filming for TV and movies. Typically, commercial blimp cases cost upwards of $ 1000, but pro photographer Dan Tabár made his own using a Pelican case, some ABS pipe fittings, a wireless shutter release, and other simple parts sourced at a hardware store, for around $ 80. Click through to see how well it works for both sound suppression and underwater shooting.
News: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)
Nikon has posted firmware updates for a number of its DSLRs. Updates for the D600, D800, D4, D3s, D3x, D3, D7000 and D3200 include support for the AF-S Nikkor 800mm f/5.6E FL ED VR lens. The D600 and D800 see an improvement to the subject tracking performance in continuous autofocus mode when shooting using the optical viewfinder. And the D600 can now deliver 100% scene coverage via HDMI output. The updates are available for immediate download from Nikon’s website. Click through for a full list of feature updates, bug fixes and download links.
News: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)
DxOMark has tested 61 lenses on the Nikon D800, and drawn some conclusions about the results. So far it has published two sections of an eventual four-part article: the first discusses how much benefit the D800’s 36MP sensor really offers over the 24MP chips in cameras such as the D3X and D600, while the second looks at which lenses in the 50-100mm range come out with the best DxOMark scores. Further parts later this month will look at telephoto and wideangle lenses. Click through for the link.
News: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)
Camera and Editing by Peter Lombar in March 2012. This is a short film made with the new Nikon D800 DSLR at various locations in New York as a part of press trip named NY Challenge in 48 hours. Almost rough cut, no color grading. Used lens: Nikkor 14-24 f/2.8G ED, 24-70 f/2.8G ED, 70-200 f2.8G ED VR II. Music: New York (Liza Minnelli), Blue Man Group, Empire State Of Mind (Alicia Keys).
If you’ve been following my blog for any length of time, you know by now that I am a devoted Nikon user. Often asked WHY am I so devoted to Nikon over Canon, it’s really a matter of the way the camera has always felt in my hands when I’m shooting. It’s felt more solid, I guess. Even when I’ve played around with Canon’s in the past, Canon has just felt more lightweight, a little flimsier. They’re equally great cameras, I can’t say that one is better than the other. It’s just a feeling thing, baby. Nothing else. Last February when Nikon announced their newest Pro DSLR, the Nikon D800, I was excited to get my hands on it. I pre-ordered the camera from B + H and then waited. And waited. shoots came and went and I even traveled to Europe to shoot and still, no D800. Finally I wrote B + H and told them that I had waited over 6 months for my camera. 2 days later, my new camera arrived!
The D800 features a brand new 36 Megapixel full-frame FX-format sensor, which makes it the highest resolution camera outside of the medium format world. Offering 36 megapixels, critics argue that too many pixels on a small sensor can introduce grain when shooting in low light or at higher ISO speeds. Wait, is that a problem? My main disappointment with the digital format has always been the loss of grain and grittiness that I used to love about film. So that was not a negative aspect of getting the Nikon D800. Depending on the quality of lenses, this “grain” can be quite lovely, actually. At least to someone like myself that likes to shoot in low light situations. And the D800 has a full frame sensor so that means it’s a match for for a 35mm film camera. With shortcut buttons on top of the camera, I can get to my ISO controls and WB modes instantly without having to go into the menu. There’s even a LV button which pops the camera’s mirror back to preview what I’m shooting when I’m shooting video. Fantastic!
Even though it’s lighter than other NIkon’s I’ve owned, it’s still retains the same durable, workhorse build that I’ve relied on with Nikon for over 25 years of shooting professionally. The last Nikon I shot with had over 1/2 million actualizations before I burned the shutter motor out. My Nikons take a beating, I’ve shot in freezing cold climates and in the rain and I’ve never had one fail on me. It’s usually me just shooting the hell out of them before they finally say, okay that’s enough. Time for a new one!
Nikon AF-S Nikkor 50mm f/1.4G – Good normal lens for capturing straight shots
Nikon Telephoto AF Nikkor 85mm f/1.4D IF Autofocus – Best Lens in the World
If you’re using DX lenses, it does cut your pixels down to 15.4, which to me, is still high in pixels. This whole craze with photographers thinking that “more pixels, better camera” is kind of lost on me. I shot many a shoot on lower pixels and unless I had a job where I was going to shoot for a billboard, the pixels did just fine. Most of my work is editorial and print advertising. I don’t need 64 pixels for this type of work. But if you have the money and think that adding pixels to your images will make them better images, go right ahead and buy that expensive gear. For me, I would rather see you invest in better quality glass for your DSLR’s. I can’t tell you how many times I hear about someone scrimping on the glass but buying a very expensive camera. Just my two cents, feel free to argue away!
One of the biggest pluses on my new camera is the video feature. The Nikon D800 offers 1920 X 1080 pixels full HD video with an eloquent 30fps. I just came off a 2 day video shoot and I used my Nikon for the whole shoot while my collaborator, video director Dimitrios Papagiannis shot with a Lumix. After looking at my footage, Dimitrios was impressed with the quality of the footage I shot. I was too, although I’m not a pro yet at video. I was just impressed I could capture motion because I have been thinking in “still” mode my whole life. If I could be so humble to say that I think my strong suit as a photographer is my ability to capture a moment, or at least, that is what I strive for, in video you need to capture the MOMENTS! It’s a whole way of seeing/visualizing. Thank God I’ve had a camera plastered to my face for over 33 years. That kinda’ helps with the whole “seeing” part. : )
If you got the cash, I highly recommend this camera. Will it make you a better photographer. Quite plainly, no. You shooting all. the. time. will make you a better photographer. But the Nikon D800 will capture a beautiful image as you trudge the road to shooting all. the time.
During the Euro 2012 championship in football, the biggest, private TV network in Sweden, TV4, launched a new TV show called Late Night EM. A magazine that discussed the matches that been played in Poland and Ukraine during the day. A unique show, as it to our knowledge, is the first live broadcasted show ever, to done with the help of D-SLR cameras, namely 4 pcs of the Nikon D800. Due to the clean HDMI signal, both the Nikon D800 and the Nikon D4 can be used for broadcast and to record the signal into any chosen format externally.
Video Rating: 4 / 5
Sigma 28-300mm Macro Lens (For Nikon)
Video Rating: 4 / 5
Nikon D800 sample time lapse photography in Dallas, Texas.
Video Rating: 0 / 5
This is a film Nikon asked me to shoot to show the capabilities of the D800 in different shooting scenarios as a professional DP. The film was shot almost entirely on the D800, with just a few shots on the D4. Mainly using the Nikkor 24-70mm F2.8, but also a few shots on the 105mm Macro (for the close ups of the eyes). The film was lit and professionally graded and edited in Los Angeles. Didn’t have very much light with me, so it was challenging at times, but a good representation of what the average amateur or semi-professional shooter might have with him in terms of equipment etc. I mainly used 1/100th degree shutter, as it improves almost all video without becoming visibly narrow and “shuttery”. All in all, the camera is very good in video mode and easy to use. Access to the only three things that are important when shooting video; shutter, ISO and F-stop was easily reached through dedicated buttons, rather than being hidden in some deep crap menu like on most other cameras. Very little rolling shutter, no visible artifacts and a decent exposure latitude. Not as good as a Red or an Arri Alexa, but for a DSLR it’s pretty impressive. As with all digital cinematography, you need to protect your highlights at all costs. Do not fall into the trap of “ISO-ing” up to compensate for not having any lighting like 99% of the clips on YouTube do. That will burn backgrounds/highlights into unrecoverable oblivion and look shit. Sometimes this means having no information in the …
Video Rating: 5 / 5
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