D800 D-SLR product photograph
Cliff Mautner photo of bride Cliff Mautner

The D800 is Nikon’s newest D-SLR, a 36.3-megapixel FX powerhouse fueled by the EXPEED 3 image processing system—which is nothing less than the sum total of everything Nikon knows about digital imaging. Simply, the D800 is capability and performance at a whole ‘nother level.

No matter what story you choose to tell, the D800 is a superb choice. It’ll put incredible capability into the hands of the studio, wedding, fashion, commercial and outdoor photographer, and it’s also a videographer’s camera that’ll provide ease and versatility to the still shooter looking to add moving pictures to the repertoire.

The D800 features an improved 51-point AF system that works in tandem with a new 91,000-pixel Matrix meter that sets new standards for color sensitivity. The benefits of the camera’s incredible accuracy apply to all functions, including scene recognition, autofocus, auto white balance and, in a first for a Nikon D-SLR, face recognition (when using the optical viewfinder)—and as you might expect from Nikon technology, it’s face recognition with a breakthrough difference: the D800 will identify not just a single face but multiple faces; and it will automatically adjust for distance, color tones, backlighting, even for faces that are not in the center of the frame. In addition, face priority AF applies in Live View.

On the video front, uninterrupted 20-minute recording is possible with broadcast quality and full-time AF video at 1080p at 30, 25 or 24 frames per second and 720p at 60, 50 or 30 fps. Also, the D800 provides a dual area FX or DX 1080p mode—meaning you can shoot in FX mode at 1080p and 16:9 aspect ratio, and, if you’d like to use a DX lens on the camera, you’ll maintain the 16:9 ratio at 1080p while you gain the greater reach of the 1.5x crop factor. The camera also offers an external stereo microphone jack, plus a headphone jack so you can listen to the audio as it’s recorded. To provide optimum control of video settings, the D800’s menu offers a selection of custom settings to suit individual preferences. And we have to mention this neat video recording feature: you can place an index point—an editing cue, in effect—when playing back the video in the camera to indicate an important point if you choose to trim the clip in camera or edit at your computer.

In the realm of stills, the extraordinary performance of the D800’s sensor and the stunning quality of the images produced by the camera have already led a pro who normally chooses medium format for his fashion work to tell us that the D800 is going to replace his medium-format gear, as the D800’s extraordinary dynamic range, quick and easy handling and compatibility with an extensive range of NIKKOR lenses simply make it better for the job. He didn’t mention the D800’s smarts, but we think you will when you check out all the features of this incredibly powerful, versatile and capable camera at NikonUSA.com or, even better, at your local imaging dealer.

 

Inside Stories

For Stills

• 36.3-megapixel FX-format CMOS sensor and 91,000-pixel RGB 3D color Matrix meter III.

• 3.2-inch 922k-dot LCD monitor with auto brightness control.

• EXPEED 3 image processing.

• Advanced AF sensor and improved 51-point AF system linked to the Matrix meter.

• Face detection AF analysis (when using optical viewfinder) and subject tracking AF.

• ISO 100-6400.

• Built-in two-shot HDR capability.

• Four frames per second advance at full resolution.

 

For Video

• Full HD 1080p with manual shutter speed, ISO and aperture control; 30, 25 and 24 fps at 1080p; 60, 50 and 30 fps at 720p.

• Multi-area Full HD recording: FX or DX settings at 16:9 ratio and 1080p.

• Live View on LCD as well as external monitor.

• Capable of recording to an external recorder.

• Input for stereo sound recording; input for headphone jack.

• Custom settings menu for video operation.

• Remote start and stop of recording with standard ten-pin Nikon remote control accessories.

• Full-time AF, manual focus and subject tracking available in video mode.

• Adjustable playback speeds.