Nikon D800E Review | 108 Data compared

The Les Numériques article outlines a practical comparison between the 36-megapixel Nikon D800 and its sister model, the D800E, featuring hands-on testing by professional photographer Cyrille Robin. The core shared advantages of both bodies include an expansive 100% optical viewfinder, a highly precise 51-point autofocus system, advanced video features, and an expandable low-light sensitivity reaching up to 25,600 ISO. The primary differentiator evaluated in studio packshot sessions is that the D800E cancels out the effects of an anti-aliasing (low-pass) filter to prioritize absolute sharpness, making the two models appeal to different professional workflows depending on their tolerance for post-processing. Pros and Cons Summary Pros: Extremely high resolution: The 36-megapixel full-frame sensor delivers immense detail, making it highly competitive for studio and detail-oriented photography. Superior framing and focus accuracy: The 100% optical coverage viewfinder and robust 51-point AF mechanism offer high-tier framing control. Enhanced sharpness (D800E): By effectively bypassing the low-pass filter, the D800E captures maximum structural micro-detail in studio environments. Cons: Slow continuous burst speed: The camera is limited to a slow continuous frame rate of just 4 frames per...

The Camerarace review highlights the Nikon D800E as an exceptional full-frame DSLR delivering elite-tier image performance with high scores in landscape and portraiture. Key pros include an outstanding 36.3-megapixel sensor offering exceptional color depth and dynamic range, paired with a rugged, weather-sealed body for challenging environments. Furthermore, the camera features dual memory card slots and a dedicated microphone input, enhancing its suitability for professional use. Conversely, the review notes significant limitations, including a slow 4 frames per second continuous shooting speed, which restricts its effectiveness for rapid-action photography. Additionally, the high-resolution sensor requires precise focusing and high-quality lenses to avoid motion blur, while generating large files that necessitate extensive storage. The camera is also noted for being heavy and utilizing a slower contrast-detection autofocus system in live view.

The Nikon D800E achieved an outstanding overall sensor score of 96 on DXOMARK, placing it at the very top tier of digital cameras for its generation. The primary pros highlighted by this benchmark include its class-leading landscape capabilities, driven by an exceptional 14.3 Ev maximum dynamic range that preserves deep shadow details. Additionally, it provides elite color depth for portrait photography with a 25.6 bits score, and maintains robust low-light noise control with a 2979 ISO sports rating. The camera notably edges out its sister model, the standard Nikon D800, by effectively disabling the anti-aliasing filter to maximize sensor sharpness. YouTube · On the flip side, the cons or limitations of the system revolve around specific performance trade-offs. While its overall performance surpasses legacy medium-format options and modern competitors like the Canon EOS R6 (score of 90), it falls slightly behind later-generation bodies like the Nikon D850, Sony A7R III, and Panasonic Lumix DC-S1R, which all reach a perfect score of 100. Furthermore, its low-light sports score of 2979 ISO, while excellent for a high-resolution 36.3-megapixel sensor, naturally ranks below...

The Nikon D800 is a high-resolution 36.3 MP full-frame DSLR delivering medium-format quality, notable for its exceptional detail, wide dynamic range, and excellent low-light performance with clean JPEG output up to 6400 ISO. It features a robust, ergonomic design with a 100% viewfinder, USB 3.0, and an advanced autofocus system (Multi-CAM 3500FX) providing precise subject tracking, even in low-light conditions. However, the massive 36 MP files require substantial storage and a powerful computer for processing, and the camera is relatively slow, limiting its suitability for high-speed sports or photojournalism, with a maximum burst rate of 4 frames per second in FX format. While the autofocus is very accurate, it is not optimized for rapid action, making it better suited for studio, landscape, or commercial photography, according to the review.

The Nikon D800E is a semi-professional full-frame DSLR released in February 2012 for $3,300, securing a remarkably high DXOMARK sensor score of 96. Its defining feature is a 36.56-megapixel CMOS sensor (7424 x 4924 resolution) modified to cancel the anti-aliasing (low-pass) filter effect, which enables it to output images with exceptional sharpness and fine detail rendering. Key pros highlighted by its specifications include an advanced 51-point autofocus system (supporting AF-S and AF-C), an expanded ISO range of 50 to 25,600, dual memory card slots (Compact Flash and SD), and a durable metal chassis featuring sensor cleaning mechanisms. Furthermore, it incorporates professional-grade exposure flexibility with wide bracketing (2 to 9 frames) and compensation ranging from -5 EV. On the flip side, the camera exhibits notable technical limitations, particularly regarding speed and video capabilities. Its burst rate is restricted to a relatively slow 4.0 frames per second, making it less suitable for high-speed action or sports photography. For videographers, it lacks modern standards, offering a maximum resolution of 1080p Full HD at only 30 fps encoded in H.264, without any in-camera or...

This article on ⁠Les Numériques highlights a real-world field test conducted by photographer David Lefevre, who spent a month documenting the American West using the Nikon D800E digital SLR. The review serves as an experiential photoblog, capturing a vast array of challenging subjects including landscapes, deep canyons, local wildlife, and neon-lit urban environments like Las Vegas and Los Angeles. Instead of a traditional laboratory bench test, the article delivers practical insights and personal anecdotes on how the specialized, high-resolution full-frame camera performs under rigorous, real-world travel and outdoor conditions. The primary pro showcased in the review is the camera's exceptional sensor resolution, which is optimized for ultra-sharp landscape and wildlife photography due to the modified optical low-pass filter design of the "E" variant. This modification allows the 36.3-megapixel sensor to capture intricate details, maximizing clarity in sprawling desert landscapes and distant wildlife. However, the implicit con highlighted by the nature of the test is that the Nikon D800E is a highly demanding tool. Its massive file sizes require significant storage and processing power, and the removal of the anti-aliasing filter...

The Nikon D800 and D800E are both high-definition full-frame digital SLR cameras sharing a 36.3-megapixel sensor, but they differ significantly in their handling of image sharpness and optical distortion. The standard D800 features a traditional anti-aliasing (low-pass) filter designed to slightly blur the finest optical details, distributing a single light ray across four photosites. This effectively prevents color artifacts, rainbow effects, and labyrinth-like distortions known as moiré when capturing repeating geometric textures like fabrics or roofing. Conversely, the more expensive D800E modifies this optical layout to eliminate the anti-aliasing effect. This allows the sensor to capture maximum native sharpness and pixel-level detail straight out of the camera, lowering the need for heavy digital sharpening during post-processing. The core advantages of the D800 include its reliable protection against moiré artifacts and a lower purchase price, making it an excellent all-around body for diverse shooting scenarios. However, its primary drawback is a minor loss of native micro-contrast and edge sharpness due to the blurring effect of its anti-aliasing filter. For the D800E, the main advantage is its exceptional rendering of raw details,...

On paper, the Nikon D800E is equipped with several advanced video specifications lift straight from high-end DSLRs. The reviewer highlights several on-paper pros, including its ability to record Full HD 1080p video at 24, 25, or 30 frames per second, uncompressed HDMI 4:2:2 8-bit output, and a 1.5x DX "crop" recording mode. It also provides solid physical audio options, consisting of a dedicated headphone jack for sound monitoring, a visual volume meter (vumètre), and a manually adjustable external microphone input. Furthermore, users can adjust core exposure parameters directly on the fly while recording is in progress. Despite these promising technical features, the reviewer concludes that the camera is poorly suited for general videography due to significant cons caused by its physical design. Because the Nikon D800E completely lacks an anti-aliasing (optical low-pass) filter to maximize still-image sharpness, video recording suffers from highly pronounced moiré and aliasing artifacts, alongside macro-block "false details" in solid color fields. Additionally, the video autofocus tracking and face detection are sluggish, and the internal microphone records distracting physical noises, such as the lens autofocus motor and...

The Photoexposition review highlights Jerome Milac's analysis of the Nikon D800E after its record-breaking benchmark test. The evaluation focuses heavily on its full-frame sensor performance, noting that the camera achieved an exceptional benchmark score of 96/100 on DxOMark. The reviewer emphasizes that while this outstanding score sets a new technical boundary for camera sensors, the raw benchmark data only tells part of the story. True photographic success with this camera still relies heavily on secondary factors like ISO noise management across all levels, using premium-quality matching lenses, and the actual skill of the person holding the camera. When analyzing specific pros and cons from the review and its underlying benchmark context, the clear advantage is the unmatched sensor resolution and clarity provided by the modified optical filter, which pushes past traditional limitations. On the downside, the review warns that a sensor test cannot guarantee real-world success on its own. Photographers must actively manage noise at varied ISO settings, invest in highly comparable high-end lenses to avoid bottlenecking the sensor, and accept that human error remains the ultimate weak link when...