Nikon D800 released

[gregbradley]

Here finally is the release:

http://nikonrumors.com/2012/02/06/nikon-d800-press-release.aspx/comment-page-2/#comment-232154

Only question I have is whether video has autofocus or not.

It would seem on paper this camera will be hard to beat.

There is a D800e without the low pass antialiasing filter. That'd be the model I would want.

Greg.

[Paul Haese]

Being a Nikon man from way back I would hold off Greg. This camera looks more like a studio unit rather than anything else. While it can go to 25600 in ISO its working range is similar to my D3 yet it is supposed to be an advanced camera.

Yes it has FX and lots of pixels I wonder what the frames per second ability is in real life. It says 4fps and that says a lot about the buffer to me.

Not being a pro body also says a lot to me. Hold off for the pro body mate in a year or less. It will make this look like a toy.

[Marke]

Cant wait to see what the noise performance is like because image resolution will be a step up from D700

[Marke]

Paul D4 already been anounced thats as pro as it gets

[Paul Haese]

Yes that would be my choice of the two. I am going to wait for D5 or further edition before I upgrade from the D3.

[Octane]

This D800 has the same pixel density as the D7000: 16.2*1.5^2=~36.

H

[Adelastro1]

I'll be putting an order in for the 800E tomorrow at my local camera shop! Max. ISO is a little disappointing but I'm used to that level on my current D7000. Can't wait to get back to a wide angle FX camera!

[gregbradley]

There's some awesome choices coming up.

The Nikon D4, the D800 or D800E (you can disable the low pass filter) or the upcoming 5D Mark iii or whatever they will call it or the new Canon 1Dx.

This D800 will be a lot for Canon to match. There are no rumours about Canon having a sensor with that many pixels. Where Canon may go better is the video ability. No autofocus for the D800's video.

Depends on what you want to use it for. The D800E may not be the ideal astro camera or time lapse camera, the D3 series or D700 may be the go for that.

But for landscape, portraits, weddings, on paper it sounds very good.

For me the main thing is full frame and also video ability.

I wonder also this E version with no low pass filter or the ability to disable it as described in the Nikon press release. I wonder if that means its like a modified astro camera and will have fabulous Ha response. If so it will be the 20Da Nikon never made!

Would these things make good planetary cameras with 30 FPS? You can also shoot DX mode. I read there was some possible time lapse ability built in as well.

I'm thinking DSLRs may be nudging astro CCDs a bit here. 36mp? There is no 36mp astro CCD that is any good. The Kodak KAF39000 is a joke so is the KAF50100 for astrowork.

With Kodak bankrupt even if they sold the CCD arm I would not expect too many advancements from them until the financial dust settles. The CCD arm may reevaluate their business model and markets.

Greg.

[gregbradley]

Go for it Wayne.

Sensors are like real estate. Its often some fabulous features at the compromise of others.

Small pixels means lower light sensitivity but potentially higher resolution.
There's always the D4 for low light sensitivity or a D700 or D3s or x.

D700's should be cheaper on Ebay for a while.

I reckon the 800E sounds hot.

I wonder how Canon will respond. I personally will wait to see what the 5D Mark iii will be before I buy but I am in no rush.
At this stage I am thinking the D800 will be very very hard for Canon to top but who knows. I'd say Nikon is playing catchup with Canon
with regards to the video side of things though.D800 video sounds a bit more flexible than the 5DMkii but the 5D Mkii has been around for a few years now.

Rumours are a 5D Mark iii or 5Dx announcement Feb 28 so it may not be a long wait.

Greg.

[DavidTrap]

I recall seeing a comment on the Nikon website that the D800E retains the normal IR filtering, etc, so I presume it will not give a better Ha response.

I'm opting for the D800 standard model at this stage - have paid my deposit already! I think the extra resolution provided by the D800E model is aimed at those aiming to achieve what would usually require a digital medium format camera (apparently the anti-aliasing filters is absent in most medium format digital backs) - I recall seeing something about it only being available in specialist shops, so they don't see it as a camera for everyone. My interpretation is that the D800E will give extra resolution, but only noticeable if you are going for mega-huge enlargements/magazine work.

Just my 2 cents worth.

DT

[DavidTrap]

Just watched the promo video - certainly nothing wrong with it's low light performance.

DT

[gregbradley]

The motorbike video? Cool isn't it? Same bike as mine!

Not sure if this is genuine but here is an "ad" for Canon 5d Mark iii;

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-7_7W8E-bi8&feature=related

Greg.

[Octane]

It's a fake.

July, 2011, also.

H

[DavidTrap]

Not sure about the symbolism of the "birth" though???

DT

[DavidTrap]

Have a look at the comparison shots between the D800 & D800E to see the effect of removing the anti-aliasing filter.

I personally can't see much difference between the two shots of the rocks, but I can see the obvious difference between the fabric shots. They talk about the not having the anti-aliasing filter being useful when you have control of your subject, lighting and focus point. It sounds to me like a more useful feature if you are a studio photographer or have lots of time to compose and take your shots. As most of my photography is opportunistic (i.e. family snaps or travel photography), I don't think this applies to me. I may be trying to convince myself that I don't need the "E" model, but I wonder if people are being lured to it by the promise of finer resolution, from an already high resolution camera.

Link (http://imaging.nikon.com/lineup/dslr/d800/features01.htm)

Here is a quote from Ken Rockwell (obviously he hasn't seen one yet), nonetheless I think it agrees with my sentiments above:

The D800E is for tweaks. I wouldn't spend my extra money on it unless I either was a tweak, or really had my technique down and printed at 30 x 45" all day. If you're shooting at f/22 or smaller than several feet or meters wide, you'll never see the extra sharpness of the D800E, but everyone will see the D800E's moiré at any print size on fabrics or screens. If you're a tweak, you'll love the D800E, but for photography, stick with the D800.

Here is the quote I referred to earlier about the filters on the camera, and why I don't think the D800E will have better Ha response:

IR cut and antireflective coating properties of the optical filter remain the same with both versions

DT

[Marke]

The 800e would be a great choice for macro , I could see it replacing my D2X at some point as I prefer it over the D700 for macro.

[Adelastro1]

I'm not sure about the 800E now, might just go for the 800. I think I will also keep my D7000 - the 800 for high res wide angle shots using the FX capabilities with wide angle lenses and the 7000 for long zoom lenses for wildlife etc to take advantage of the 1.5x crop factor (also keeps the weight down).

As for the removal of the anti-aliasing filter on 800E, I'm not sure whether this means that moiré will be seen in ordinary outdoor shots where you don't have much control:

"This is an ideal tool for photographers who can control light, distance and their subjects to the degree where they can mitigate the occurrence of moiré. Aside from the optical filter, all functions and features are the same as on the D800."


I like the sound of the noise reduction system, but time will tell what it's really like. It could be just marketing, although the noise reduction on the D7000 that I have is very very good.

"The D800/D800E set a new benchmark for high-resolution D-SLR cThe D800/D800E set a new benchmark for high-resolution D-SLR cameras, with crisp clean images across a wide ISO range........
....Even at high ISO settings, the camera's intelligent noise reduction systems manage noise without sacrificing fine details, giving the D800/D800E the edge."

[Paul Haese]

Greg, I would not bother with planetary work with these cameras. You can buy dedicated cheaper cameras that will do 60fps and produce much better results.

DX mode is not new either, my D3 has this capacity but I fail to see why I would bother. It is a crop mode and you can always do this in post.

With the filters for control of IR bleed in place I doubt these cameras could even come near the capabilities of a dedicated CCD. Yes lots of pixels would be great but in reality it means less for astro work. Stars would bloat like nothing we have ever seen in minutes. While good for wide field and doing animations I cannot see its use in the narrower fields most employ.

[gregbradley]

It depends on the UV/IR cut filter used. Don't forget a standard modded DSLR usually has a Baader UV/IR cut filter placed in front of the sensor in place of the antialiasing filter/low pass filter.

But you are probably right it is unlikely to be tweaked for astro use.

I read the same and am thinking the D800 would be the way to go.

Also the 28-300mm lens sounds good plus the 16-35mm.

Then maybe a prime later on.

Where are you ordering yours from?

Greg.

[gregbradley]

DX mode is not new either, my D3 has this capacity but I fail to see why I would bother. It is a crop mode and you can always do this in post.

With the filters for control of IR bleed in place I doubt these cameras could even come near the capabilities of a dedicated CCD. Yes lots of pixels would be great but in reality it means less for astro work. Stars would bloat like nothing we have ever seen in minutes. While good for wide field and doing animations I cannot see its use in the narrower fields most employ.[/QUOTE]


It may be worth trying it at some time. 1080 x 1920 at 30fps could be handy.

Also it has a time lapse mode.

Plus an in-camera HDR mode.

A shame no autofocus for video.

I suppose for astro style imaging it would be handy for time lapse, for milky way shots and for things like comets or landscapes with stars in the background.

Greg.

[Adelastro1]

Well I just placed my order for a D800E at a camera shop here in Adelaide. Can't wait until mid April now! They are ordering 25x D800s and (now) 3 800Es. The other 800E (besides a display model) is going to a wildlife photographer they said.

I went for the 800E because I will be shooting a lot of landscapes as well as wildlife, so I'll either be blowing images up large for printing or cropping heavily around a subject in the distance so any extra sharpness and contrast will be useful. I want tack sharp images (yes I'll be upgrading my glass too!).

I'm also wondering if the lack of an anti-aliasing filter will make images look sharper at very high ISOs (ie. currently the graininess around hard edges makes them look a bit fuzzy). Time will tell. Maybe I could test drive one for Nikon! :thumbsup:

[Steffen]

From the samples at the Nikon site it would seem that getting the D800E for general photography is quite risky. The difference in resolution is hardly noticeable yet the aliasing and moiré effects can be image-destroying if not controlled somehow. Remember, the AA filter is gone, it cannot be turned back on.

Cheers
Steffen.

[Adelastro1]

I'm not sure how well it will work yet but Nikon states that the new version of the Capture NX has a moire reduction tool so if it is a problem hopefully that will mitigate it.

The landscape image they have as an exemple looks fine whereas the fabric image has moire. I don't do portraits anyway!

[gregbradley]

This camera is sooo awesome.

Here is the link to the Nikon website:

http://imaging.nikon.com/lineup/dslr/d800/features01.htm#a1

I think I'll go the 800 instead of 800E. It would depend on what you mainly intend to shoot.

High ISO seems quite good. That Empire State building shot at ISO6400 does not have an intrusive noise. Impressive.

Greg.

[DavidTrap]

Greg - I was very impressed by the noise at ISO6400.

Steffen - I'm with you. There is an example on the web of some snow covered trees shot with both versions. I can see a technical benefit to the E, but not a relevant benefit. I need a camera that I can shoot my kids with, as well as landscapes. If moire appeared on fabric, it just means more post-processing (and nagging from the wife). I've blown up shots to 30x20 from a D7000 (16MP - similar pixel density) and they are pin-sharp. I don't have enough wall space to go bigger. The advertising releases and video from Nikon suggest the D800E is aimed at a specific market and I don't believe that includes me!

DT

[skysurfer]

Looks a nice camera. But why the hell 36MP ?? No lens is able to display such a resolution of about 4800x7200 at full quality. I thought the megapixel race was over in the professional segment. This is at a cost of high ISO and low noise.
The plus is however that it supports DX (crop sensor supporting) lenses which is not possible with Canon FF bodies.
And the video: looks OK but why no option for low framerate filming (i.e. 15, 12, 10, 6, 4 or even 2 fps) which allows low light filming. No video or video enabled photo camera does support this.
I am curious what Canon will release as successor of the 5dmk2.

[Octane]

skysurfer,

Why 36 megapixels? One reason: big prints. I'm getting 66.7 megapixels out of my medium format system, at the moment.

With the insanity of the 24-70mm f/2.8L II USM release in the last few days, I have a feeling that Canon is going to release something almighty in the guise of the 5D Mark II's successor, in the coming few weeks.

It's undeniable, even as a Canon shooter, that the D800 is a phenomenal, feature-packed camera. Particularly given its price point. I can never see myself making the switch, though, for reasons I've elaborated on in the past.

Nikon users in the prosumer price segment are now feeling the joy we, as Canon shooters, felt in October, 2008, with the announcement of the 5D Mark II. It changed the game. :)

H

[gregbradley]

Also 36mp was the realm of medium format digital cameras. Now you can get that for the price of a prosumer camera. The chip is slightly larger than 35mm.

My Proline 16803 is twice the size nearly yet 16.8mp. I must admit that is a hell of a lot of pixels jammed in there. It'd be like an STL11 that is 36mp.

More megapixels = potentially sharper images given good lenses??

The next step up for these cameras will be medium format size chips.

5D Mark iii will be very interesting. Canon has the lead on video so I would expect upgrades to the video to keep that lead.

Some sort of high quality autofocus would be good. I know pros don't necessarily want that with the narrow depth of field but hey, my little Sony camcorder has autofocus.

Greg.

[gregbradley]

A sample of incamera time lapse with a D800.

http://www.kuaddro.com/videos/nikon-d800-first-time-lapse-procesed-in-camera/

Greg.

[Marke]

Me personally if I wanted to shoot video I would buy a video camera
Just give me a camera that takes pictures . I am waiting to see what the
higher iso looks like as I tend to shoot at iso800-1000 a lot which the
D700 does beutifully but I would love more resolution.

[gregbradley]

There are some sample images of the Empire State Building from ISO 100 up to ISO6400. Admittedly small images but no evidence of noise in these twilight shots.

This article says it all about much of a game changer this camera is:

http://www.channelnews.com.au/Digital_Cameras/Industry/U3W6G4U9

But then again is this Canon's comeback?:

http://www.canonrumors.com/category/photography/canon-5d-mark-iii/

A 5DX if that turned out to be true would be wonderful thing.

Greg.

[Octane]

Once again, please do not put any any stock or faith in CR. Canon does a remarkable job of keeping things under wrap.

Everytime you view that site and link it, a baby kitten dies. Please, think of the kittens.

H

[DavidTrap]

Interesting comments in this link (http://www.richardpeters.co.uk/blog/2012/03/09/nikon-d800-my-hands-on-pre-production-review/) about the D800E.

Will only be sold by certain dealers and then only by salespeople who have had appropriate training about managing moire. Appears Nikon really see it as a niche camera - reinforces my decision to buy the non-E model.

Amazon UK have listed 26th March as shipping date - fingers crossed!!!

DT

[gregbradley]

This camera is without doubt the most exciting camera on the market bar none. I have seen comparison photos of its real competition which is the Pentax 645 $12,000 medium format camera. The D800 is very close to it. The Pentax is a tad better hardly noticeable and the D800E probably is much closer.

High ISO performance in RAW is much the same as the 5D mark iii. Jpeg performance high ISO performance goes to Canon by a stop or so thanks to aggressive noise reduction in the Canon which also reduces red clarity and increase smear and loss of detail although still very good. The real competition to this camera is not really the 5D mark iii but the medium format cameras.

Its a bit early to tell if the video capabilities will match the 5D mark iii though which no doubt will be excellent.

So overall its a medium format camera with top notch autofocus and top of the line metering for $3000 in a market of Medium Format that was just a few years ago selling cameras for $25,000 to $50,000.

Seeing as a high number of medium format camera makers fail in the market I would not buy shares in Phase One etc.

Greg.

[gregbradley]

The Nikon D4 looks awesome as well.

Check out this incredible aurora image-

1 sec exposure!

http://forums.dpreview.com/forums/read.asp?forum=1021&message=40962422

Is it just me or is that way way better than the official Canon aurora sample image 5D mark iii? And taken by an amateur. Love it.

D4 would be an excellent night time lapse camera.

Greg.

[DavidTrap]

I don't really think the Aurora Borealis is the best subject matter for comparing cameras Greg. Not really a "standard candle".

DT

[RickS]

The brightness of the Aurora Borealis varies a lot... based on my whole 4 nights experience :)

I wasn't that interested in trading up from my D700 but I have to admit that I'm starting to feel tempted.

[Octane]

It's also been well established that Canon posts sub-par SOOC JPGs in their marketing.

Give me the 5D Mark III and I'll show you what's capable. :P

I'm also starting to question the validity in comparing the D800 to the 5D Mark III. They are nothing alike; both fill a niche that the other doesn't.

The 1D X to the D4 is a fair comparison, however.

H

[Adelastro1]

Well I've been reading more and more about the D800 and 5D iii and i seriously cannot wait to get my D800E now! It SEEMS the 800, although perhaps better in some areas and not as good in others when compared to the 5D iii, is better overall for what I want to use it for. And I stress what "I" want to use it for there... There are a lot of people arguing about both and how much better each will be but it really comes down to each individual's use of the camera they buy. Both are great cameras (only from what's on the net some of which I take with a grain of salt) but until I have the camera in my hand for a month or two I won't know how good. I'll be doing astro, landscapes and wildlife with some sport (probably in low light too). My camera has to fit a range of situations I'll be shooting in and I believe the D800 will do the best job, for the price!!

On paper I do like the features and supposed performance of the 800 much better, and the higher res "E". I think having those extra megapixels and resolution will be great for cropping photos down of wildlife where they would normally be out of the range of the zoom that I use and cropping a 16 Mp image makes it too pixelated to be of any use. A 36Mp image can be cropped by an amazing amount and still be great for blowing up. Can't wait to try that out....
People are going on about frame rates being low for the D800 but seriously besides pros who needs to shoot frames at faster than 1/4 sec between each? The sports photography I've done I've never had to worry too much about speed - it's more about timing and skill I find - if you know something is about to happen on a field start aiming with finger on the button ready to fire and predict when the event will occur. As for noise, if it's about the same as the D3 then that'll do me! Is the 5D iii noise reduction with the NR turned on where it doubles the exposure time by subtracting a sort of a dark frame or the instant processing when images are taken? If it's the former then it's no good for me when doing long exposures as it takes far too long. Maybe I'm wrong...

As for astro work time will tell, but the low noise should be fantastic regardless of anything else. I'm also upgrading my lenses so I think the improvement in my images will be phenomenal. I'm off to Alice and Uluru the week after I get the camera so that'll be perfect to test it out in all situations. I can't wait!

[gregbradley]

Both will be great cameras no doubt.

D800 really is what Canon users expected from 5D mark iii - the highest resolution DSLR which is what 5D mark ii was until D3X came along.

Both have great low light.

I think it comes down to use. H doesn't like Nikon skin tones out of the camera for weddings. It would be silly to get the 800 then.

I want more resoution and the sharpest possible image short of getting moire issues. I also want a fully functional video capability without moire. The D800 is what I chose.

You want the extra bit of resolution for landscapes. Thats the 800E.

Comparing brands is contentious as there is amazing brand loyalty out there and perhaps a lot of irrational identification - I am a Canon person or I am a Nikon person. But it is true most who use this type of camera already have a considerable amount invested in lenses that makes switching difficult and perhaps not very smart long term.

The advantage one maker has over the other may be very temporary.

Greg.

[Adelastro1]

I just received this email from My Nikon Life (Aus) stating the D4 and D800 are released. When I looked at the website though it doesn't look good for actually getting hold of one for a while unless you put in a very early pre-order! My local shop said that Australia was only allocated about 20 D4's in the initial batch (not that I'm buying one!) so that's not many (they'd just been to a Nikon event for retailers in Adelaide apparently). I'm glad I oredered the D800E even more now as there will be less demand (hopefully!) so the chances of getting one when that's released in a couple of weeks is good.

From my email:

Check out your local store for the Nikon D800 & D4

The incredible new Nikon D4 and D800 are here and you can buy them from your favourite Nikon Authorised Retailers now. Just click one of the links below and you'll be taken to a complete list of stores for you to choose from.

http://mynikonlife.com.au/gear/digital-slr-cameras/d800?utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=March+Monthly+eDM&utm_content=March+Monthly+eDM+Versi on+A+CID_073b1c1797d900577ca461f238 df1a69&utm_source=Monthly+EDM#tab-2

[gregbradley]

I did a phone around today. My dealer got 2 which he gave to people who preordered before the D800 was even announced. Another told me they got 2 today and are getting another 2 tomorrow and then more next week.

I was told the shipping from Nikon is usually twice a month.

He said realistically it would be the end of April. I'll push harder than that as the other guy I dealt with promised better than that.

Still, its not the end of the world.

Apparently there are plenty of 5D mark iiis in stock though. One dealer said he was receiving 40 x 5D mark iiis today. DigitalRev shows them as being in stock.

Canon is handling the production demands better.

Also the D800 is proving to be enormously popular for Nikon, perhaps better than they expected.

Greg.

[Steffen]

ECS apparently count on end of March, have you called them?

Cheers
Steffen.

[gregbradley]

Hi Steffen,

I am on their preorder list and that is who told me realisitically end of April - Bruce.

Cheers,

Greg.

[Steffen]

I see. Bugger.

Cheers
Steffen.

[gregbradley]

In case you were sitting on the fence wondering what to get, it doesn't get any better than this:

The Nikon D800 is the best camera sensor ever tested by DXO, 2nd best is D4:

http://www.dxomark.com/index.php/Publications/DxOMark-Reviews/Nikon-D800-Review/Sensor-performance

This is THE camera to get.

Greg.

[DavidTrap]

Post on another forum with real world examples from the D800 by a consumer.

Link (http://www.fredmiranda.com/forum/topic/1097553)

Amazing!!

DT

[gregbradley]

Love it. This is the sort of wow factor I saw in the original promotional images.

I love the post the guy says he can't tell the difference between it and a D90. LOL.

Perhaps vegemite and wheatbix tastes the same to him also!

Greg.

[DavidTrap]

Of course there is a massive amount of downsampling of images posted on the web, but the Einstein in the above thread couldn't even acknowledge the detail of 100% crops...

I read an interesting comment on Cloudy Nights a while ago. It added up all the data involved in producing an LRGB image including dark and flat frames. It often exceeds a gigabyte of data, which we then reduce to 200kb to post on a forum!

DT

[Adelastro1]

Wow! *licks chops* That's what I wanted to see - some 100% or more crops on that 36Mb sensor from the real world. The images look amazingly sharp and detailed on those heavy crops. I can't wait to get stuck into wildlife photography with it! And thank god I'm upgrading my lenses too as I don't think the cheaper ones I have at the moment would do t much justice!

And very interesting reading on the sensor review too Greg. Can't wait to see how it stacks up against the 5Diii. It's amazing they are comparing it to the D4 is some areas.

[Octane]

Two completely different cameras. Apples to oranges.

Comparing a 1D X to a D4 is a fair proposition.

DXO also says that a Sony NEX system is better than a $50,000 Phase One system.

Awesome resolution in the linked photos. The most telling being the kid on the bike.

H

[Adelastro1]

I know, but it's what everyone is going on about so there will always be comparisons, plus that article is just about a sensor comparison. The 5Diii sensor comparison will be interesting to see, especially in regard to high ISO which is what most of us on here are interested in! The cameras used for astrophotography can be completely different but the sensors all need reasonable ISO performance (for what I want to do at least!). Regardless, both cameras will be excellent for astro I know.

[gregbradley]

Hi Wayne,

There are numerous threads on DPreviews where high ISO comparison ad nauseum are done between D800 and 5D mark iii. The bottomline is RAW image high ISO performance is much the same between the 2. JPEGs though Canon has a stronger noise reduction system and seems cleaner although the D800 does very well too. It depends on the poster but it is often mentioned the greater resolution also makes the noise finer and easier to remove and the extra dynamic range means the noise is more separate from the main image so easier to remove. Also you can downsample the D800 image to 5D sizes and that also cleans it up.

Bottom line is both cameras have superb high ISO performance but the 5D mark iii probably the edge on jpeg low light. 5D mark ii and 5D mark iii are not too different in RAW high ISO as Phil predicted but in jpeg and video it is.

So with that in mind both should perform well in astro images.

D4 and 1DX would be ahead again. I saw a fantastic video showing off D4 low light images and it was truly impressive. Sharp clean images that look almost like daylight in almost darkness.

Greg.

[gregbradley]

I thought this was a very informative post on another forum

It shows the D800 and 5D mark iii are much the same in night time type images despite the expectation that the 5D mark iii would be better.

If anything the D800 shows a slight advantage in that vertical banding shows up in the 5D mark iii when pushed hard and the D800 shows more detail when pushed hard.

You wouldn't call it in this example much of an edge though. But it is surprising that the Nikon does so well with 63% more pixels.

It would appear Sony is several years ahead of Canon in sensor technology. High megapixel/low noise high ISO performance seems unobtainable from Canon with their current technology.

http://forums.dpreview.com/forums/read.asp?forum=1021&message=41012886

Greg

[Octane]

And, once again, the Canon files are done no justice by using a RAW converter that has no business touching the CR2 format.

I also suspect the D800 would perform better using native software.

H

[gregbradley]

H - I saw a post of 2 different 5D mark iii images from different RAW converters and it did make quite a difference. In the example I saw it was mostly a difference in sharpness rather than noise or banding but certainly a good converter is a must.

Here is a DigitalRev review of the D800 which is informative:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MT6ilCd7CS4&feature=plcp&context=C4f47c24VDvjVQa1PpcFMMrybQF ZiCkabH4ffYivCFalIrPkkN0gA%3D

The main problem with the D800 seems to be simply getting one. They are in super high demand and Nikon is struggling to meet the demand.

Hopefully it settles within a month or two.

Greg.

[gregbradley]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MT6ilCd7CS4&feature=plcp&context=C4f47c24VDvjVQa1PpcFMMrybQF ZiCkabH4ffYivCFalIrPkkN0gA%3D

A good hands on review of the D800.

Greg.

[gregbradley]

Long exposure darks - 5 minutes Nikon D800.

These darks seem cleaner than my Proline at -35C.

Is that possible or are they not pushed enough to show?

Either way the low light sensitivity and low noise are shaping up to make this a great astro camera. I plan on using one for time lapse and some Milky Way panorama/mosaics.

http://forums.dpreview.com/forums/read.asp?forum=1021&message=41036863

Greg.

[DavidTrap]

Picked up mine this evening.

The details is staggering! Can't wait to get out on the weekend

DT

[Mighty_oz]

Go David go, get as much astro images ( and i guess terrestrial ) as u can :)

[RickS]

Lucky it's a long weekend, David! At least, I hope it is for you...

Cheers,
Rick.

[gregbradley]

I'm soo soo jealous!

Greg.

[DavidTrap]

Thanks Gents,

I'm on call Fri & Sat - currently in a run of 8 out of 9 days on call. Haven't been called in as yet, but having a new toy is bound to ensure I'll be called in at least once and kill any free time I thought I might have.

Also, my father in law just skipped town with my 70-200 for the long weekend, so I'll have to wait a few days to try out that combination.

Will endeavour to post some pics.

DT

[DavidTrap]

Just updated my signature!

DT

[DavidTrap]

Well, as predicted, I've had two call-ins over the weekend so any outings to try out my camera have been kiboshed!

I did find the energy to set it up this afternoon on the deck and fiddle with the time-lapse feature.

Rather impressed with the lack of flicker and its ability to smoothly adjust the exposure as the sun set. The camera was set to auto exposure and auto ISO adjustment for the first video. Unfortunately the focus went off during the first video - either I bumped it, or the repeated vibration of the shutter caused the focus ring to shift (I had set it to manual exposure)

The second video is taken under moonlight, hence the illumination of the foreground. These are 5 second exposures at F2.8, 14mm, ISO 1600.

I have taken another video where I changed settings during the video, so it would be possible to let the camera control the transition through the sunset and then change to manual exposure after twilight ends, all on the one video file.

I don't know if it will be the ultimate lazy way to do a time-lapse. I wonder if shooting in RAW and running the files through LR Timelapse might give a better result with more chance to stretch the images.

Video 1 (http://vimeo.com/39926487)

Video 2 (http://vimeo.com/39926759)

Cheers
DT

[gregbradley]

If it can handle those transitions that would put it ahead of a 5D mark iii as that requires a special device to do that.

Is there any time limit to how long the time lapse can be?

This is great as this is one of the features of the camera that made me want to get one. I thought it would be very good for time lapse.

Greg.

[RickS]

David,

After seeing your D800 in the flesh today, I want one! ;)

Cheers,
Rick.

[alocky]

Oh well- I was waiting to see some results from a D800 on the night sky before buying one, but I've gone and ordered one now. Looking forward to seeing what you get from yours anyway!
Cheers,
Andrew

[DavidTrap]

Hope the wait isn't too long Andrew.

I hope to get away this weekend and give it a try under dark skies - hopefully the weather clears up again by then.

DT

[alocky]

Thanks for the thought - I figured it's going to be at least 4 times better than my D200! The wait for one of these is 2-3 weeks in Perth, according to the dealer. Maybe next first quarter moon...

[DavidTrap]

I'll be impressed if you can get your hands on one that quickly. Nikon's supply chain leaves a lot to be desired. Nikon sent 2 D800s to each store in their first shipment. My dealer received 20 5D Mk3s in their first shipment.

DT

[Adelastro1]

I'm envious! I'm going to Woomera on Sunday for 3 nights then Alice and Uluru the week after for 7 nights and I'm hoping my 800E will arrive by the second trip at least! Will be a shame to 'waste' those dark skies. :sadeyes: Nothing too wrong with the D7000 though! Work wants me to do a timelapse of a demolition at Woomera too - double damn the D800 isn't here with its timelapse function!

I'm first in line for an 800E at my camera shop so that's a plus, considering that they only got 3 D800's in then 2 more after 'abusing' the supplier. Haha. They sold the same day apparently. There are 5D mark III's sitting on the shelf even after selling a few each week. Looks like the demand for the D800 everywhere has restricted supply dramatically, or they just aren't making enough yet (compared to the 5D). My shop also said the D800 is absolutely amazing and predict it will become the best selling camera of all time! They said the detail and sharpness in heavily cropped images is stunning. Can't wait to test that out on wildlife!

I've also ordered/about to order some new pro quality glass - Nikon 500mm AiS f4, Nikon 80-200 AFS f2.8, Nikon 14-24 f2.8, Nikon 105mm AiS macro and probably get a Nikon 50 1.2 or 35 f1.4. Should keep me going for a while! All second hand but appear near perfect condition, and apart from the 14-24, so much cheaper than the new release lenses, and not that old really! Most of these were made in the early 2000's. These have no VR but I've found it of little use in the lenses I've used, plus back in the old days they still took great images without it! Guess I'll need sme new filters too though...

Also looking at an Astrotrac, or something a bit beefier to put most of these on.

Hopefully this will be a good setup! Can't wait to update my signature too! ;)

[DavidTrap]

Will be very interesting to see how your 500mm lens performs. Any chance it will be sitting idle around 14th November 2012??

DT

[Adelastro1]

A snowflake's chance in hell basically! Haha.

[DavidTrap]

If you don't ask....

DT

[RickS]

I just bit the bullet and placed an order for a D800 body :thumbsup:

[alocky]

Three weeks to the day. Mine is in the store, and of course it's raining and there's a full moon!
Still, looks like plenty of entertainment fiddling with it.
Cheers,
Andrew.

[RickS]

Have fun! Mine's not due in until end of May.

Cheers,
Rick.

[gregbradley]

I received my D800E today and the new 85mm F1.8 that gets top marks.

I'm ready the rather long manual and will be out tomorrow putting it through its paces.

I think my camera dealer did well to get one as the E version seems pretty scarce around the world.

I was concerned at one stage about moire etc etc as the original release whilst it gave some data was a bit unclear about the issue. Lots of posts now of the 800E in action show moire is rather uncommon. Plus it gets corrected automatically when you use NX 2 view on your RAW files as well as lens corrections similar to the Canon DPP software.

Greg.

[RickS]

Did they supply a copy of Capture NX with the camera, Greg? I believe they bundle it with the D800E in some parts of the world but not others.

I just heard that my wait might be a week or two shorter if I take a D800E instead of a D800. Tempting...

Cheers,
Rick.

[gregbradley]

No just view NX2. I think this is the program that does RAW conversion, handles moire and lens corrections unless I have that wrong.

What do you use Capture NX for? Is that more advanced image processing on RAW files?

A lot in the DPreview forum are no leaning towards the E version now there are quite a few posts showing the concern over moire was not justified.

But D800 and 800E differences are small. My rationale was I want 100% maximum sharpness just like I want with my APOs and CDK. I also primarily want to do landscapes and panoramas as well as family type happy snaps.

The differences I see are slightly better shadows, colour depth, contrast and sharpness right out of the camera. Some of the disadvantages are some moire in certain circumstances and other similar type artifacts.

There was a link to a Polish photographers 800E images early on. They put me off. But I realised later that a lot of what I was objecting to was veyr bad chromatic aberration from the 85mm F1.4G lens - shocking. Also he posted only images out of a lot that did show some moire. Moire seems to be somewhat predictable in that it usually will be from a fairly distant buildings' railings, blinds, or repeating patterns. But because they have to be very distant to occur you can't notice it without a huge zoom in.

Also NX2 automatically corrects for chromatic lens aberrations and moire I believe.

I compiled a list of links to a large % of the 800/800E posts in DPreview as this question comes up a lot and only enough information allows you to make a decision:

1. http://www.luminous-landscape.com/reviews/cameras/nikon_d800_d800e_first_comparison.s html
2. http://www.flickr.com/photos/9476880@N02/7006131655/in/photostream/
3. http://translate.google.com/translate?sl=auto&tl=en&js=n&prev=_t&hl=en&ie=UTF-8&layout=2&eotf=1&u=http%3A%2F%2Fpcfoto.biz%2Fna-prvi-pogled-nikon-d800e
4. http://forums.dpreview.com/forums/read.asp?forum=1021&message=41215809
5. http://www.flickr.com/photos/kuwahara/
6. http://forums.dpreview.com/forums/read.asp?forum=1021&message=41234447
7. http://imaging.nikon.com/lineup/dslr/d800/sample02.htm
8. https://plus.google.com/s/D800e/posts?hl=en-US
9. http://forums.dpreview.com/forums/read.asp?forum=1021&message=41279352
10. http://www.flickr.com/photos/androll/sets/72157629502264164/
11. http://www.fredmiranda.com/forum/topic/1107012/0
12. http://forums.dpreview.com/forums/read.asp?forum=1021&message=41303227
13. http://www.robgalbraith.com/bins/content_page.asp?cid=7-11676-12555



Greg.

[Octane]

CaptureNX 2 is a complete editing package, that you have to fork over some cash for.

H

[RickS]

Cheapskates! In Europe they bundle a free copy with the D800E. As H said, it's Nikon's editing package. I probably wouldn't use it anyway...

Thanks for the pointers to the D800E posts, Greg. I've found some of them already but there were a few new ones.

Cheers,
Rick.

[gregbradley]

I used to have the original Capture program when I bought a Nikon D70.

Its been upgraded since but yes it did things like exposure control, white balance etc. Plus some colour processing but apart from the RAW file manipulation Photoshop would be better.

Greg.

[Octane]

No, Greg.

You've just spent over $3,000 on a camera. Please, don't let non-proprietary software be the weak link in your chain.

Process what your camera captured, not what Adobe thinks it captured.

Native software trumps third party reverse-engineered solutions, every single time.

Finally, people are starting to wake up at DPR and realising that in Canon's case, DPP is the bomb, and, that Lightroom/ACR has been the cause of ghastly shadow banding.

You will get the most out of your native software, too.

There is always the export to TIFF/Photoshop option after the base conversion.

H

[gregbradley]

Hi H,

I wasn't planning to use Photoshop to do RAW conversion, only post processing once it was adjusted in RAW and converted to I guess a TIFF and then exported to Photoshop. I get your point about the native software. I have seen examples on DPR comparing conversions between various software and you are right there is a considerable difference.

I have seen some threads on DPR about NX View 2 ( supplied with the camera) versus Lightroom and I think ACR. NX view 2 seemed to do lens aberration corrections as well and did a good job of cleaning up chromatic aberrations.

I did a photo shoot today. This camera is magnificent and performed incredibly well. Still learning it (big thick manual) but it is relatively intuitive. A few major things different to Canon layout that threw me but its just a matter of familiarity.

Greg.