Nikon 36.3 Megapixels D800 Fullframe DSLR

Nikon announced the D800 FX-format DSLR camera offering 36.3 Megpaixels (7360 x 4912 resolution) CMOS sensor with a new EXPEED 3 image-processing engine and 91K-pixel RGB sensor that supports the Advanced Scene Recognition System. The D800 also comes with a new Multi-area mode Full HD D-Movie that enables movie recording using either the FX-based movie format or the DX-based movie format. The D800 supports a standard sensitivity range of ISO 100-6400, plus ISO 50 (Lo 1) and up to ISO 25600 (Hi 2). 

The viewfinder supports a frame coverage of approximately 100% and magnification of approximately 0.7x. Other features include s 51-point AF system for improved subject acquisition and focus performance under dim lighting, a 3.2-inch 921k-dot LCD monitor with reinforced glass, a new shutter unit with 200,000 cycles, a maximum shutter speed of 1/8000 s and flash sync speed of 1/250 s, continuous shooting at 4 (FX-format/5 : 4 image area) or 5 (DX-format/1.2x image area) fps, CompactFlash and SD dual memory card slots, and SuperSpeed USB (USB 3.0).In addition to the D800, there is also a supplementary D800E model with enhanced resolution characteristics of the 36.3 Megapixels CMOS sensor by cancelling the anti-aliasing properties of the OLPF inside the camera. 

Light is delivered directly to the photodiodes, yielding an image resulting from the raw light gathering properties of the camera. A color moire correction tool will also be available within Capture NX2 to enhance the D800E photographer's workflow. The Nikon D800 is available for $2999.95, while the D800E version is available for $3,299.95. Here's the summary of review by AmateurPhotographer, giving the camera a rating of 90 out of 100:"Nikon has made a neat refinement to the auto ISO control, as the camera detects the attached lens and focal length, and adjusts its settings to give the minimum possible ISO to achieve the longest shutter speed for blur-free handheld images. 

For example, with a 200mm lens attached, auto ISO sets the shutter speed to 1/200sec and selects the appropriate ISO setting for a 'correct' exposure. In most situations this is very accurate and eliminates the need to change the ISO manually (if shutter speed isn't the primary exposure concern), although this can be achieved quickly via the control on the dial on the top left of the camera. Given the high resolution of the sensor, I had great expectations for the level of resolved detail and I was not disappointed. The D800 resolves the highest level of detail of any full-frame camera, and comes very close to some medium-format models,. At ISO 100, the D800 comfortably reaches the 38 marker on our resolution chart, with sections of the lines visible all the way to the end of the chart. 

Also a pleasant surprise, the level of resolved detail is high all the way to the extended ISO 25,600 (Hi2) setting, at the 30 marker. While resolved detail is impressive at higher ISO settings, images are not free of noise. When viewed at 100%, luminance noise is evident at ISO 800 in shadows, but it is adequately controlled all the way to ISO 3200 in highlight areas. Beyond these ISO settings, luminance noise steadily increases in shadow and highlight areas. In the extended ISO settings of 12,800 and 25,600, chroma noise is also obvious, with an array of yellow, red and blue blotches. It is in noise control that the D800 cannot quite match the competition, but this is to be expected to a degree, due to the camera's high resolution. Images all the way up to ISO 3200 look clean and are perfectly acceptable.

For a camera costing around £2,600, the D800 is unrivalled in the level of detail it can resolve and is an enticing prospect, particularly for landscape photographers. While luminance and chroma noise are gradually introduced up the ISO range, and the camera's full-resolution files cannot quite match lower resolution competition, it performs very well up to ISO 3200 with resolved detail at this setting, matching the top full-frame and APS-C models. It's not just about the sensor, though. Numerous features from the much pricier D4 are also present in the D800. 

The LCD screen is bright, as is the viewfinder with its 100% field of view, and the AF system is accurate. The D800's buffer cannot handle the large volume of data in high-speed situations as effectively as the D4, but the D800 is not intended to perform in this way. Reducing the format and shooting JPEG images does, of course, enhance continuous shooting rates. We talk about the bar being raised occasionally, and Nikon has certainly raised the bar in the full-frame market with the launch of the D800. Despite the slight increase in the camera's price since its original launch, it remains a relatively affordable model."

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