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Nikon D800 preview

Nikon has dropped yet another powerful dSLR on us for 2012, with the introduction of the Nikon D800. The long awaited successor to the D700, the Nikon D800 is now the most resolute camera Nikon has to offer (as of 2/2012), with an astounding 36.3-megapixels of resolution coming from a FX-format (full frame) CMOS image sensor.

The D800 is aimed at professionals in the photography and videography industries, with Nikon claiming the D800 has been optimized for multimedia needs, with “unmatched balance of accuracy, functionality and image quality”. Alongside the ability to capture massive 7360 x 4912 pixel images, the D800 offers high-quality 1080p HD video at 30, 25, and 24fps frame rates. These videos are saved using the MPEG-4 (H.264) video codec, with monaural sound thanks to a built-in microphone; an external mic port allows for optional stereo microphone units to be used.

Other important features include an enhanced version of their 51-point Phase detection AF system, a 91,000-pixel RGB sensor with Advanced Scene Recognition technology, a 3.2-inch wide LCD screen with 921k pixels, EXPEED 3 processing engine, a strong yet lightweight magnesium alloy chassis, RAW and JPEG image formats, and Dual card slots that accept CF (UDMA-7 complaint) and SD/SDHC/SDXC  (UHS-1 compliant) type memory cards.

They also announced a D800E variant of this camera, which they claim offers even higher resolution from the same 36-megapixel image sensor by, “cancelling the anti-aliasing properties of the OLPF inside the camera”. This allows light to travel directly to the photodiodes, which helps the camera yield more detail from the raw light coming through.

Visit the MM Shop to find the best price on the Nikon D800.

Steves Digicams

Steves Digicams

Founded in 1997, Steve's Digicams was created by Steve Sanders to share his love and 35 years of experience in photography with the rest of the web. Our reviews are meant for everyone, ranging from first time digital camera users to seasoned photographers. Steves-Digicams.com

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  • Murray

    The question you have to ask is why 36.3 when the new D4 has half that number. My concern would be noise / interference between pixels. It seems to me this is a technical exercise in sensor development. Having said that it will be interesting to see some “real world” images.

    • http://pulse.yahoo.com/_2DO7JOU3HZWERFZKY4L2BYV3AI rico

       From marketing standpoint, that makes a lot of sense.  D4 and D800 have different purposes.  Your question would make more sense with Canon’s 1DX and 5DIII.  Nothing against Canon but the 5DIII and 1DX have somewhat identical specs which could definitely affect the sales of the 1DX.

      • Allison Carenza

        For sure!  The D4 is an awesome sports camera!

    • http://antikaiser.com Aaron Matthew Kaiser

      I was thinking the exact same thing the other day when I was comparing specs! If the D4 wasn’t $8K, I’d say to just go with that. It’s the exact same sensor size almost, but fewer MP, which means better light sensitivity… at $8K.

  • Allison Carenza

    I have mine ordered and I can’t wait!

  • http://www.facebook.com/wordizbon Deshawn Findley

    Why would you choose a D800E over a D800?

    • Kristian

       It is sharper. The downside is it will have more moire, but there is supposed to be specific software from Nikon to deal with it. For Landscape shooters the D800E would be the obvious choice. For studio and fashion, well, I am waiting to see some real world examples of how well the software performs. Honestly I am hoping for the rumored D400 FX high ISO body. If that doesn’t happen, it will be one of the D800 versions. Probably the D800E.

  • Philippe

    careful not to dump your D700 too quickly if you need a high ISO camera, Nikon tell me the low light / high ISO capabilities are compromised due to the new resolution capabilities.

  • CAT Productions

    What a beaut!

  • Adam Sternberg

    Kind of hard to review something you don’t have yet. Furthermore, this is more of a list of features rather than an actual review. 

    • MM Edu

      Yup… totally agree, that’s why we named it a “preview”. We’ll follow-up with a full review in due course.

  • Michael

    i love my d700 and this powerful gear just everything in myjob. d800 is my next target but not for the moment.

  • juan arroyo

    i own a canon 5d mark ii and its a awesome camera,, but im not upgrading to the mark iii   for the simple fact that it does not benefit me since its got almost the same pixels and so what it shoots 6 frames per second n less noise ,, i dont shoot above 400 iso ,, and so i pre-ordered the nikon d 800 E for the resolution ,, i was expecting a mark iii with a higher pixel count ,, im still going to use my canon 5d mark ii ,like i said its an awesome camera but i cant wait to get my hands on that nikon monster !!!!!!!!!!!

    • Shot4ustudios

      So the reason the d4 and 5diii ,1dx have less Megs is because they have made advances in the pixel. Bigger microns. The new 800 is old school pixels thats why in ever stat its behind the canon. If all you care about is Megs go medium format 50 60 80 120megs.   5Diii has every feature upgraded from the 5dii so to go to nikon (forget about brand) is a massive sideways step. Most people go forward.

  • Tttallman

    After I read this I had a sudden urge to cancel the anti-aliasing properties of OLPF.

  • Ray Liversidge

    Nice spec… but Im a Canon man…! :-)

  • http://www.starlite-studios.com/ StarliteStudios

    The D800 will be my next camera for sure. I would like to wait untill close to the end of the year before buying it but knowing me I will be shooting with it well before June. I need to move my much loved D700 back a notch keeping the D800 in the studio will let me use the D700 more on location. Having written all that I think I will just check out B&H after all I have credit cards all paid off…..

  • Arabbit

    More important to me is the flash sync speed. The 200th sec. is really lame. Hopefully it’s been improved.

  • http://www.facebook.com/frontrowpics Orest Dorosh

    The D800 is NOT a D700 replacement if you read all the relevant Nikon info.
    Pre-ordered and #8 on Vistek’s list. This is going to be awesome!

  • Mayhem1986

    Amazon just opened the preorder for d800…. last time they had it only for a few hours
    http://amzn.to/NIKON-D800

  • Paul Archibald

    Definitely not a D700 replacement and no need to be concerned about flash sync speed if you have checked out Pocketwizards new MiniTT1 & FlexTT5 units. These make high shutter speeds with flash a breeze — tested with D700.

  • del Munroe

    You know I’ve talked Candidly to a close personal friend who is in fact a Nikon Rep.
    Knowing what I’ve learned about digital I understand all too well there are only room for so many mega pixels on a full size sensor, but the need to market new cameras is as it always has been vital to and industry that over saturates consumers and professional alike with way too many cameras.  I think the mega pixel wars are nothing more than that.  Wether Nikon Canon or what have you, There in more interpalative BS than factual technology.  Through editing I’ve seen and compared properly exposed images from 12 to 20 mega pixel DSLR  from all types and I can’t honestly say when blown up at maximum screen size to do clipping paths there is not a whole lot of difference in edge resolution.  I think new cameras with new bells and whistles are being offered in order to maximize profit.  

  • http://www.FastDates.com/ JGDesign

    Fuck! Almost the same resolution as my medium format $30,000 Haselbad HD39!!!!
    Now I don’t have to buy a 2nd backup Hasselblad after all. Cannons suck, the imaging software adds an artificial white/black edge around all the details in a picture to make it appear crisper. I do a lot of photoshop retouching and composition and when you zoom in on a Cannon digital file at 20% plus, all those artificial edges are there and it takes so much more time to modify and retouch an  image.

  • ethnicdomain

    do anyone know how many fps this nikon suppose to get?

  • Frommart

    will be interesting to see, if there will be a D4x (the professional version with 36MP) as well as a D800s (the semi pro version of the d4)…..
    ;-)

  • Greg

    D800 is 36 megapixels ? Right ?  So why is the D4 only 16 megapixels ?
    Either way…I want I want I want…

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