Nikon D800 Review | 108 Data compared

The DPReview analysis of the Nikon D800 and D800E highlights these cameras as revolutionary for landscape and studio photography due to their 36.3-megapixel CMOS sensor, which offers unparalleled resolution and excellent dynamic range. Key advantages include superb image quality, a robust build, and the D800E's increased sharpness, though the cameras are limited by a slow 4 fps shooting speed and a high risk of moiré in the D800E model. To maximize performance, the review notes the necessity of high-grade lenses, careful technique, and adequate lighting, as the system demands precision to avoid capturing unwanted artifacts. While offering extensive features like dual card slots, the cameras are not ideal for action photography and feature slower autofocus in live view mode.

The Photography Life review characterizes the Nikon D800 as a groundbreaking, professional-grade camera featuring a 36.3-megapixel sensor with exceptional dynamic range and low-light performance. Key advantages include a robust, weather-sealed body, a reliable 51-point autofocus system, and an improved 91K RGB metering system. However, the analysis notes significant limitations, specifically a slow 4 fps burst rate, mediocre battery life, and a flawed live view implementation with non-1:1 magnification. Additionally, users must account for the workflow strain of large files and potential early-production autofocus defects.

The Nikon D800 is highlighted as a professional-grade camera, defined by its 36.3-megapixel sensor, exceptional resolution, and massive dynamic range that sets a benchmark for landscape and studio photography. Key strengths include a 91,000-pixel RGB sensor for superior autofocus tracking and high-quality build features like a dedicated viewfinder shutter lever. YouTube ·Mr. 50 Conversely, the extreme resolution necessitates managing large file sizes and demands precise technique, as it highlights any movement or lens flaws. With a slow 4 fps burst rate, the camera is categorized as a "resolution king" rather than a speed-focused machine.

Nikon D800 & D800E Review Summary The Nikon D800 and D800E are demanding, prosumer-grade DSLRs that package the massive resolution of a flagship D3x into a smaller, more affordable D700-style body. Boasting a 36-megapixel full-frame sensor, these cameras offer state-of-the-art image resolution and an exceptional dynamic range that exceeds previous models by a full stop, making them excellent choices for landscape and wildlife photography. The updated 91,000-pixel metering system excels at skin tone recognition, while the autofocus system is updated to support f/8 lenses. Furthermore, the cameras support uncompressed 1080p video output via the HDMI port. However, the reviewer notes that the D800E’s lack of an anti-aliasing filter makes it sharper wide-open, but both models show diffraction at f/8 and above, meaning maximum resolution requires top-tier lenses and meticulous shooting discipline. Despite their class-leading image quality, the cameras feature notable drawbacks in handling, performance, and long-term reliability. Nikon altered long-standing control layouts—such as reversing the default exposure meter orientation and swapping the zoom buttons—which disrupts the muscle memory of legacy Nikon users. Continuous shooting is limited to a slow 4...

In this gear review, photographer Sam Hurd evaluates the Nikon D800 as a highly specialized tool rather than a standard, all-purpose successor to the popular D700. The absolute standout pro of the camera is its jaw-dropping image quality, powered by a 36-megapixel sensor that captures an astonishing level of detail and tonal range. Hurd highlights its shocking dynamic range at base ISO, which allows photographers to aggressively pull up shadow details or recover extreme highlights in post-processing with little to no added noise. Additionally, the physical build offers great ergonomics, featuring a rugged, weather-sealed professional body that is slightly more compact, lighter, and more comfortable to hold for long periods than its predecessor. However, these major advantages come with steep operational cons that limit the camera's versatility. Shooting in uncompressed 14-bit RAW produces massive 77MB files, making the D800 a massive resource hog that demands the fastest available memory cards and creates a painful culling and editing bottleneck. Furthermore, Hurd notes that the live view feature is frustratingly slow to respond, making it completely unusable for burst shooting. The camera's...

The Nikon D800 is highly praised as a "resolution king" featuring a 36-megapixel sensor that delivers medium-format-level detail and excellent dynamic range. This immense resolution provides great creative freedom, acting as a virtual teleconverter that allows for significant image cropping while still retaining a large, sellable file size—a massive benefit for wildlife and hide photography. Out in the field, the camera proves to be incredibly rugged, featuring a solid, durable body that handles harsh conditions with ease. Furthermore, its autofocus system is snappy and accurate across all focus points, and the addition of a clean HDMI output alongside broadcast-quality video brings Nikon's video capabilities in line with its competitors. However, the reviewer notes several downsides, primarily centered around speed and handling. The continuous shooting rate is limited to a slow 4 frames per second, which forces the photographer to revert to speed-oriented models like the D3 for high-action scenarios. The enormous 36-megapixel files also place a heavy burden on workflow, causing Lightroom to slow down significantly during preview rendering and requiring upgraded data storage solutions. Additionally, the high resolution is...

In this hands-on preview, Daniel J. Cox provides his initial impressions of the Nikon D800 after a brief real-world field test comparing it to his older Nikon D700. On the positive side, the reviewer praises the camera's exceptional fit, finish, and tactile control layout, which he considers the best of any Nikon body he has handled. Despite industry assumptions that its massive 36-megapixel sensor would compromise low-light efficiency, the D800 delivers excellent noise control and superior shadow details that rival the 12-megapixel D700 up to ISO 6400. Additionally, the camera features incredibly crisp, reworked menu system aesthetics, fast autofocus, stunning HD video integration with auto-adjusting video frame rates, and a dedicated headphone jack for real-time audio monitoring. Conversely, the review highlights several drawbacks, most notably the monstrously large 36-megapixel RAW files, which demand faster hard drives and substantial computer processing power to manage efficiently. Lens compatibility is another major concern; Cox notes that older, non-nano-coated lenses—like his older generation 70-200mm—fail to deliver the optical sharpness required to maximize the sensor's capabilities. Ergonomically, the physical layout changes create a learning curve,...

The ePHOTOzine review highlights the Nikon D800 as a groundbreaking, competitively priced 36.3-megapixel DSLR offering outstanding image quality, a robust weather-sealed body, and excellent handling. Key advantages include its high-resolution sensor, advanced features inherited from the Nikon D4, and a high-quality 3.2-inch rear screen. Conversely, the review notes that the extreme resolution requires high-quality lenses and precise technique to avoid sharpness issues, placing heavy demands on photographic skill. Additionally, the massive RAW files necessitate significant storage capacity and powerful computing resources for post-processing. ePHOTOzine

However, the review points out several significant cons, starting with the camera's heavy 1kg body weight (excluding the lens). Due to its dense pixel count, the camera exhibits higher noise levels at rapid ISO speeds compared to its main rival, the Canon EOS 5D Mark III, and requires expensive, high-quality lenses to truly avoid motion blur or camera shake. Continuous burst performance suffers significantly, proving relatively pedestrian at 4fps and dropping heavily after a few raw or JPEG frames due to limited internal processing power. Furthermore, video capture is hindered by a clumsy autofocus system, noticeable moiré interference patterns on tight textures, a 20-minute clip recording limitation, and a lack of proper exposure flexibility regarding simultaneous shutter speed and auto-ISO adjustments.

The Nikon D800 is a powerful full-frame DSLR defined by its groundbreaking 36.3-megapixel sensor, which offered unprecedented resolution for its time. While initial product strategy was questioned due to its focus on resolution over speed, testing revealed that the high-resolution sensor gives photographers massive flexibility. The camera delivers exceptional sharpness, expansive dynamic range at low ISO speeds, and deep editing leeway, allowing for effective image downsampling, heavy cropping, and shooting in a 15-megapixel DX crop mode. Its physical build is highly durable, featuring a weather-sealed magnesium alloy shell, a bright 100% coverage viewfinder, dual memory card slots (SD and CompactFlash), and useful in-camera features like timelapse creation and high dynamic range (HDR) modes. However, the massive resolution introduces notable downsides, primarily a pedestrian continuous shooting speed of just 4 frames per second, making it poorly suited for sports and action photography. The resulting enormous file sizes (10–17MB for JPEGs and up to 50MB for RAW data) quickly exhaust the 12–15 shot internal buffer, locking up the camera for up to a minute while it clears, while also rapidly consuming memory...

The Nikon D800 serves as an exceptional landscape and nature camera featuring a massive 36-megapixel sensor that delivers incredible file detail, allows for loose shooting, and enables extensive cropping and perspective adjustments without sacrificing composition quality. Long-time Nikon users will find the body comfortable, simple to operate, and intuitive regarding menu system layout and button placement. A standout feature is its auto-timer mode, which lets photographers pre-program a 5-shot bracketing sequence that fires automatically two seconds after pressing the shutter once, eliminating the need to constantly carry a cable release. While the reviewer prefers the camera's smaller form factor relative to the D3 and D4, the massive resolution also provides a significant advantage for teaching purposes, allowing clear zooming on projectors, as well as delivering ultra-large prints for clients. However, the massive 36-megapixel file sizes double as a primary drawback, wreaking havoc on storage systems, filling up hard drives quickly, and slowing down the editing workflow with sluggish progress bars. To cope with this, the reviewer must frequently prune reject images or temporarily downsize files to run quick filter tests...

The Nikon D800 is a durable, professional-grade full-frame DSLR that still delivers outstanding image quality thanks to its massive 36-megapixel sensor. Its primary strengths lie in its highly rugged build, excellent dynamic range, an ergonomic control layout featuring an illuminated top status panel, and access to a vast catalog of affordable used Nikon F-mount lenses. Because it is a traditional DSLR with a lagging-free optical pentaprism viewfinder, it operates with dual autofocus systems; the dedicated 51-point phase-detect viewfinder AF remains fast and highly reliable for tracking subjects. As a consequence of not being in fashion compared to modern mirrorless alternatives, it represents exceptional value for budget-conscious stills photographers looking for high-resolution output. However, the camera's age introduces clear limitations, particularly for modern multimedia users. Its video capabilities are strictly limited to Full HD up to 30p, and the rear 3.2-inch screen is completely fixed, making low-angle or creative framing difficult. When using live view, the mirror locks up and forces the camera to switch to a primitive, sluggish contrast-detect autofocus system, making video or fast-paced shooting via the screen highly...