D800 official release

bigredshark said:
Because the AA filter does have a purpose...I think I'd get the vanilla model myself, removing moire in processing is very possible but can be time consuming and while the D800E will produce greater detail in images, they're both still 36MPs, extra detail is somewhat relative at that point as either will better than D3x and that was already good enough. My view is it's a little extra detail I don't need for some extra hassle occassionally.

Also, there's the outstanding question about exactly how many lenses will resolve that level of detail. Personally, if I needed that level of detail I'd be buying a Phase1 back for the hasselblad...
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"We took our prototype D800s into the studio with great anticipation, and spent one full day prepping before we shot. The very first image zapped through the tether and hit the screen with a WOW. The resolution – first of all – is unprecedented. Testing the camera was nothing short of a delight. Crew members – the hair and make-up people, usually too cool to comment, stood in speechless wonder as the first images came up on the screen. Then there was a Group OMG from the crowd. This was different – not only fat, colorful, and crisp, it held the detail in the bright highlights. The screen images look like a medium format camera but the body handles smoothly and effortlessly like a D700. My Medium Format dreams are answered.

This is a camera for someone who wants extraordinary detail and super fine quality. I used to say that a D3x rivals a medium format camera. The D800 changes my inclination toward anything bigger."

http://weblog.robvanpetten.com/archive/nikon-d800
 
An Exception said:
"We took our prototype D800s into the studio with great anticipation, and spent one full day prepping before we shot. The very first image zapped through the tether and hit the screen with a WOW. The resolution – first of all – is unprecedented. Testing the camera was nothing short of a delight. Crew members – the hair and make-up people, usually too cool to comment, stood in speechless wonder as the first images came up on the screen. Then there was a Group OMG from the crowd. This was different – not only fat, colorful, and crisp, it held the detail in the bright highlights. The screen images look like a medium format camera but the body handles smoothly and effortlessly like a D700. My Medium Format dreams are answered.

This is a camera for someone who wants extraordinary detail and super fine quality. I used to say that a D3x rivals a medium format camera. The D800 changes my inclination toward anything bigger."

http://weblog.robvanpetten.com/archive/nikon-d800
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They'll surely rival a low to mid range digital MF back I'm sure, and the high ISO performance will beat any medium format back (the top of the line IQ180 back only goes to ISO800 after all).

I can't see it rivalling the images from an IQ180 (or IQ160 for that matter) though, no shame in that, they cost at least 6 times as much for the back alone.

My point wasn't entirely about the sensor though, the lenses on those systems will resolve the full resolution of the sensor. It was also a personal view somewhat as I rather like shooting with my Hasselblad, it's a change of pace...

I have said before the D800 specs were a challenge to medium format and that has to be a deliberate strategy for Nikon. If you were thinking about buying, for instance, the Pentax 645D before then the D800(E) is a spanner in the works for sure.

Nikon want market share at the end of the day and they obviously think that chipping at the low end of the medium format market is somewhere they can get it from. I can see the logic, a 645D body is basically £8K (with no glass) - that's a D800E + 24/35/85 F/1.4 primes, I'd be tempted by that.
 
An Exception said:
"We took our prototype D800s into the studio with great anticipation, and spent one full day prepping before we shot. The very first image zapped through the tether and hit the screen with a WOW. The resolution – first of all – is unprecedented. Testing the camera was nothing short of a delight. Crew members – the hair and make-up people, usually too cool to comment, stood in speechless wonder as the first images came up on the screen. Then there was a Group OMG from the crowd. This was different – not only fat, colorful, and crisp, it held the detail in the bright highlights. The screen images look like a medium format camera but the body handles smoothly and effortlessly like a D700. My Medium Format dreams are answered.

This is a camera for someone who wants extraordinary detail and super fine quality. I used to say that a D3x rivals a medium format camera. The D800 changes my inclination toward anything bigger."

http://weblog.robvanpetten.com/archive/nikon-d800
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My concern with reviews like this is that I wonder if they've been paid to say it. After all, they've been given the camera early to try and if you write something **** about it then it won't happen again.

Half the time these launch reviews from people sound like it was written for them by the company!

I always like to wait until the normal mans's reviews start hitting youtube etc. plus hopefully the prices will come down a tad!
 
^^^
By the sounds of it in the Canon forums, they are after the 5Dii upgraders, it seems a number of Canon folks are excited by this 36mp chip with D700 like features and handling.
 
AHarvey said:
My concern with reviews like this is that I wonder if they've been paid to say it. After all, they've been given the camera early to try and if you write something **** about it then it won't happen again.

Half the time these launch reviews from people sound like it was written for them by the company!

I always like to wait until the normal mans's reviews start hitting youtube etc. plus hopefully the prices will come down a tad!
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Indeed, but the sample I'v seen so far do look MF like, especially from the 800E.
 
This would tempt me away from M4/3s and I would stuff the weight. However, its just more money than I could justify. Its 5dMK2 *AND* 24-70L Money. Still, its lovely :D
 
bigredshark said:
Sums it up, 4fps is slightly disappointing but that's all really. It's a 36MP camera with at least the D700s low light performance, great AF and metering and some fancy video options, that's really impressive. As a few sites have commentated, DSLR development has somewhat plateaued now, there's not much genuinely new because everything was pretty good already, it's all incremental. In that climate the D800 is impressive.

While the D800 is probably the camera I'll buy, the D400 (or whatever) is the camera which is more interesting technically I feel. What can Nikon do with the DX sensor now - there isn't a crop body from anybody with really impressive high ISO performance (ie. none are better than the D700 was 3 years ago).
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The thing is, the 5dmk2 wasnt that impressive against a d700. If you wanted a canon equivalent to the d700, you had to buy a 1d or buy a 7d+5dmk2/mk1

Im telling u now, if 5dmk3 doesnt even fair against a d700 as a all round FF camera, then many will be dissapointed as we will be stuck with it for 4+ years
 
Just change to Nikon if it bothers you that much... The 5D2 not impressive against the D700? Been sniffing too much Internet hyperbole again have we?! :D

As for the review above, well it's new they're allowed to get excited! The samples online are nice but not MF. If the 5D2 replacement neglects AF and goes for the same ballpark as the D700 for MP, I'm not sure I will be interested in either. I'd need mraw/sraw options at the very least, 36MP I just have no use for at all.

There is some speculation that there is room in the Nikon line up for a more direct D700 replacement with a more modest MP count, that would be interesting.
 
jonneymendoza said:
The thing is, the 5dmk2 wasnt that impressive against a d700. If you wanted a canon equivalent to the d700, you had to buy a 1d or buy a 7d+5dmk2/mk1

Im telling u now, if 5dmk3 doesnt even fair against a d700 as a all round FF camera, then many will be dissapointed as we will be stuck with it for 4+ years
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Well, it depends what you wanted. Both had deficiencies but both were wonderful cameras in their own right. The D700 was a beast, really a mini D3. The 5DII was the easiest camera I've ever used to just pick up and take great looking shots. As I mentioned before, there's only so much better either of these cameras could/can get. I don't think there should be much disappointment in being stuck with the result for another 4 years. They're great cameras.
 
bigredshark said:
Well, it depends what you wanted. Both had deficiencies but both were wonderful cameras in their own right. The D700 was a beast, really a mini D3. The 5DII was the easiest camera I've ever used to just pick up and take great looking shots. As I mentioned before, there's only so much better either of these cameras could/can get. I don't think there should be much disappointment in being stuck with the result for another 4 years. They're great cameras.
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Doesn't ring true from my experience, but may you use a camera differently to me...
 
An Exception said:
Doesn't ring true from my experience, but may you use a camera differently to me...
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It certainly does with my experience - true, it had a 24-70L on the end at the time.

It made an average-looking photo opportunity look awesome and it was easier to use than even my 20D. AF in even indoor lighting conditions was poor as a trade-off, however, so...

I like the look of the D800 and I currently own Canon gear, so I get to play for awesome upgrades either way. :)
 
An Exception said:
^^^
By the sounds of it in the Canon forums, they are after the 5Dii upgraders, it seems a number of Canon folks are excited by this 36mp chip with D700 like features and handling.
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The D3x images rivaled lower-end medium format images without question. The D800 should easily surpasses the older high-end MF and the new low end. They wont touch the new high end MF except will spank them at the high-ISO stakes. The D800 will also be 5-7times cheaper.

The D3x stood up OK against the Pentax 645D, the D800 will undoubtedly surpass it, even with the lens issues.

But the lens issues are really what will hold the D800 back, especially for landscape use. It wont be possible to get 36MP at suitable apertures. Hyperfocal focusing ill be an absolute requirement and choosing the optimal focal point will be must. I'm even wondering if using the focus stacking techniques from the Macro world would be needed to gain the DoF.

This is where MF will still rule for the Pros. In the Studio, although I'm sure they like the high-end MF backs, i don't really see that they need anything more than a D800. The D800 will happilly make billboards, heck the 12MP D700/3 made billboard size photos withe ease.

The D800 will push techniques and stability to the limit. I am glad I went for a Gitzo 3531s and BH-55. I doubt hand holding it you will ever get more than 20MP.
 
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mrthingyx said:
It certainly does with my experience - true, it had a 24-70L on the end at the time.

It made an average-looking photo opportunity look awesome and it was easier to use than even my 20D. AF in even indoor lighting conditions was poor as a trade-off, however, so...

I like the look of the D800 and I currently own Canon gear, so I get to play for awesome upgrades either way. :)
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If th Af was poor then it wouldn't be an easy camera to use IMO. Flawless AF is a requirement for an easy camera.

I have borrowed a friend's 5DMKII and I can honestly say I much prefer the handling of my D90. For my type of photography ( a lot of landscaper, still and wildlife) I could make the 5DMKII work for me but for all that money it was just very disappointing.
 
D.P. said:
The D800 will push techniques and stability to the limit. I am glad I went for a Gitzo 3531s and BH-55. I doubt hand holding it you will ever get more than 20MP.
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I think it will probably be similar to D7000 or 7D, just up the shutter speed to 2-3 x the focal length and hold steady as possible to get the full 36mp...
 
So, has anyone pre-ordered a D800 yet ? I've nominally put myself on the waiting list for a D800E. Still mulling over the decision between the "E" version or a standard D800. Cameras like the Leica M9 which don't have an AA filter have a good reputation for seldom producing moire. I'm rather hoping that Nikon's latest offering will behave similarly. I don't shoot large volume, so removing moire in post-processing isn't the end of the world, but I wouldn't want to be doing it on every 2nd image. Interesting that the beta of Lightroom 4 has a moire reducing adjustment brush, and Nikon have announced they will be supplying a special version of Capture NX2 to deal with moire.
 
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