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Thirty six megapixels. That’s the native resolution of Nikon’s long-awaited FX-format digital SLR. TheD800 was designed with all professional photographers in mind, but with 36.3-megapixel captures (yes, that also means 36.3 megapixels in RAW, or 15.4 in DX format), the Japanese camera maker’s latest DSLR output is likely to far exceed the needs of many. It also limits low-light shooting capabilities — the D800 is a full-frame camera, but even so, with a standard sensor capturing 36.3 megapixels, its high-ISO performance is unlikely to match the likes of the D4, or Canon’s new 1D X. It’s for this reason that Nikon limited the camera’s top native sensitivity to ISO 6400, or 25,600 in Hi2 extended mode. Want to see more? Thumb through the gallery below and jump past the break for a closer look at the latest full-frame DSLR to hit the market.

As you might expect, the D800 adopts many new features from the D4, while maintaining a smaller D700-like footprint. You get the same Advanced Scene Recognition System with 91k-

pixel 3D Color Matrix Metering III, 1080/30p HD video with 20 adjustable audio levels and uncompressed HDMI output, in-camera two-consecutive-shot HDR and Active D-Lighting. In addition to the difference in resolution (remember, more megapixels doesn’t necessarily translate to better quality images), you also lose the D4′s 2.7x crop mode, which effectively multiplies your focal length by 2.7, bringing you closer to your subject without the need to a longer lens or teleconverter.

Significantly smaller than the monstrous D4, the D800 isn’t the

most compact full-frame DSLR that Nikon’s released to date. It’s noticeably taller than the D700 (by roughly half an inch), with a higher pentaprism and smooth appearance. But a new body design isn’t the only element differentiating the D800 from its predecessor. The camera offers excellent contrast-detection autofocus, allowing you to sharpen your subjects much more quickly while in live view. The D800 also offers video improvements, and lets you capture 29 minutes and 59 seconds in a single clip in normal quality mode. Because of the DSLR’s larger footprint, you’ll need to upgrade your grip along with the camera — the MB-D12 attachment uses the same battery as the D4, and boosts the camera’s burst mode from four frames per second to six in DX mode.

And what about price? The basic D800 will run you just shy of $3,000 — without a lens, of course. Nikon is also offering a second version, called the D800E, that is expected to retail for $3,300. This model captures slighter finer detail and “enhanced” resolution by removing the low-pass filter. Without the low-pass filter, you’re likely to notice moire, though a new setting in the Nikon Capture NX2 software will enable you to compensate without losing sharpness. We took a look at side-by-side images captured by the D800 and D800E, but weren’t able to differentiate between the low-resolution samples. Nikon reps explained that the differences can be incredibly subtle, and are most distinguishable when capturing fine details, such as individual hairs in an uncompressed D800E image. If the mainstream version will suffice, you can pic k up the D800 when it hits stores in late March, while the specialty “E” model will ship a few weeks later in mid-April.

Nikon Digital SLR Camera D800/D800E Specifications

Type
Type
Single-lens reflex digital camera
Lens mount
Nikon F mount (with AF contacts)
Effective pixels
Effective pixels
36.3 million
Image sensor
Image sensor
35.9 x 24.0 mm CMOS sensor (Nikon FX format)
Total pixels
36.8 million
Dust-reduction system
Image sensor cleaning, Image Dust Off reference data (requires optional Capture NX 2 software)
Storage
Image size (pixels)
  • FX format (36 x 24): 7,360 x 4,912 (L), 5,520 x 3,680 (M), 3,680 x 2,456 (S)
  • 1.2x (30 x 20): 6,144 x 4,080 (L), 4,608 x 3,056 (M), 3,072 x 2,040 (S)
  • DX format (24 x 16): 4,800 x 3,200 (L), 3,600 x 2,400 (M), 2,400 x 1,600 (S)
  • 5:4 (30 x 24): 6,144 x 4,912 (L), 4,608 x 3,680 (M), 3,072 x 2,456 (S)
  • FX-format photographs taken in movie live view*: 6,720 x 3,776 (L), 5,040 x 2,832 (M), 3,360 x 1,888 (S)
  • DX-format photographs taken in movie live view*: 4,800 x 2,704 (L), 3,600 x 2,024 (M), 2,400 x 1,352 (S)
  • * Photographs taken in movie live view have an aspect ratio of 16:9; A DX-based format is used for photographs taken using the DX (24 x 16) image area; an FX-based format is used for all other photographs
File format
  • NEF (RAW): 12 or 14 bit, lossless compressed, compressed or uncompressed
  • TIFF (RGB)
  • JPEG: JPEG-Baseline compliant with fine (approx. 1:4), normal (approx. 1:8) or basic (approx. 1:16) compression (Size priority); Optimal quality compression available
  • NEF (RAW)+JPEG: Single photograph recorded in both NEF (RAW) and JPEG formats
Picture Control System
Can be selected from Standard, Neutral, Vivid, Monochrome, Portrait, Landscape; selected Picture Control can be modified; storage for custom Picture Controls
Media
SD (Secure Digital) and UHS-I compliant SDHC and SDXC memory cards; Type I CompactFlash memory cards (UDMA compliant)
Dual card slots
Either card can be used for primary or backup storage or for separate storage of NEF (RAW) and JPEG images; pictures can be copied between cards
File system
DCF (Design Rule for Camera File System) 2.0, DPOF (Digital Print Order Format), Exif (Exchangeable Image File Format for Digital Still Cameras) 2.3, PictBridge
Viewfinder
Viewfinder
Eye-level pentaprism single-lens reflex viewfinder
Frame coverage
  • FX (36 x 24): Approx. 100% horizontal and 100% vertical
  • 1.2x (30 x 20): Approx. 97% horizontal and 97% vertical
  • DX (24 x 16): Approx. 97% horizontal and 97% vertical
  • 5:4 (30 x 24): Approx. 97% horizontal and 100% vertical
Magnification
Approx. 0.7 x (50 mm f/1.4 lens at infinity, -1.0 m-1)
Eyepoint
17 mm (-1.0 m-1; from center surface of viewfinder eyepiece lens)
Diopter adjustment
-3 to +1 m-1
Focusing screen
Type B BriteView Clear Matte Mark VIII screen with AF area brackets and framing grid
Reflex mirror
Quick return
Depth-of-field preview
When depth-of-field preview button is pressed, lens aperture is stopped down to value selected by user (A and M modes) or by camera (P and S modes)
Lens aperture
Instant return, electronically controlled
Lens
Compatible lenses
Compatible with AF NIKKOR lenses, including type G and D lenses (some restrictions apply to PC-NIKKOR lenses), DX lenses [using DX (24 x 16) image area], AI-P NIKKOR lenses, and non-CPU AI lenses (exposure modes A and M only); IX-NIKKOR lenses, lenses for the F3AF, and non-AI lenses cannot be used
The electronic rangefinder can be used with lenses that have a maximum aperture of f/5.6 or faster, employing eleven focus points with lenses that have a maximum aperture of f/8 or faster
Shutter
Type
Electronically-controlled vertical-travel focal-plane shutter
Speed
1/8,000 to 30 s in steps of 1/3, 1/2 or 1 EV, bulb, X250
Flash sync speed
X = 1/250 s; synchronizes with shutter at 1/320 s or slower (flash range drops at speeds between 1/250 and 1/320 s)
Release
Release mode
S (single frame), CL (continuous low speed), CH (continuous high speed), Q (quiet shutter-release),  (self-timer), MUP (mirror up)
Frame advance rate
  • With EN-EL15 batteries (FX/5:4) CL: approx. 1 to 4 fps, CH: approx. 4 fps, (DX/1.2x) CL: approx. 1 to 5 fps, CH: approx. 5 fps
  • Other power sources (FX/5:4) CL: approx. 1 to 4 fps, CH: approx. 4 fps, (1.2x) CL: approx. 1 to 5 fps, CH: approx. 5 fps, (DX) CL: approx. 1 to 5 fps, CH: approx. 6 fps
Self-timer
2 s, 5 s, 10 s, 20 s; 1 to 9 exposures at intervals of 0.5, 1, 2 or 3 s
Exposure
Metering
TTL exposure metering using 91K-pixel RGB sensor
Metering method
  • Matrix: 3D color matrix metering III (type G and D lenses); color matrix metering III (other CPU lenses); color matrix metering available with non-CPU lenses if user provides lens data
  • Center-weighted: Weight of 75% given to 12-mm circle in center of frame; diameter of circle can be changed to 8, 15 or 20 mm, or weighting can be based on average of entire frame (non-CPU lenses use 12-mm circle or average of entire frame)
  • Spot: Meters 4-mm circle (about 1.5% of frame) centered on selected focus point (on center focus point when non-CPU lens is used)
Range
(ISO 100, f/1.4 lens, 20°C/68°F)
  • Matrix or center-weighted metering: 0 to 20 EV
  • Spot metering: 2 to 20 EV
Exposure meter coupling
Combined CPU and AI
Exposure modes
Programmed auto with flexible program (P); shutter-priority auto (S); aperturepriority auto (A); manual (M)
Exposure compensation
-5 to +5 EV in increments of 1/3, 1/2 or 1 EV
Exposure bracketing
2 to 9 frames in steps of 1/3, 1/2, 2/3 or 1 EV
Exposure lock
Luminosity locked at detected value with AE-L/AF-L button
ISO sensitivity
(Recommended Exposure Index)
ISO 100 to 6400 in steps of 1/3, 1/2 or 1 EV; can also be set to approx. 0.3, 0.5, 0.7 or 1 EV (ISO 50 equivalent) below ISO 100 or to approx. 0.3, 0.5, 0.7, 1 or 2 EV (ISO 25600 equivalent) above ISO 6400; auto ISO sensitivity control available
Active D-Lighting
Can be selected from auto, extra high, high, normal, low or off
ADL bracketing
2 frames using selected value for one frame or 3 to 5 frames using preset values for all frames
Focus
Autofocus
Nikon Advanced Multi-CAM 3500FX autofocus sensor module with TTL phase detection, fine-tuning, 51 focus points (including 15 cross-type sensors; f/8 supported by 11 central sensors), and AFassist illuminator (range approx. 0.5 to 3 m/1 ft 8 in. to 9 ft 10 in.)
Detection range
-2 to +19 EV (ISO 100, 20°C/68°F)
Lens servo
  • Autofocus (AF): Single-servo AF (AF-S); continuous-servo AF (AF-C); predictive focus tracking automatically activated according to subject status
  • Manual focus (M): Electronic rangefinder can be used
Focus point
Can be selected from 51 or 11 focus points
AF-area modes
Single-point AF, 9-, 21- or 51-point dynamic-area AF, 3D-tracking, auto-area AF
Focus lock
Focus can be locked by pressing shutter-release button halfway (single-servo AF) or by pressing AE-L/AF-L button
Flash
Built-in flash
Manual pop-up with button release and a guide number of approx. 12/39, 12/39 with manual flash (m/ft, ISO 100, 20°C/68°F)
Flash control
TTL: i-TTL flash control using 91K-pixel RGB sensor is available with builtin flash and SB-910, SB-900, SB-800, SB-700, SB-600 or SB-400; i-TTL balanced fill-flash for digital SLR is used with matrix and center-weighted metering, standard i-TTL flash for digital SLR with spot metering
Flash modes
Front-curtain sync, slow sync, rear-curtain sync, red-eye reduction, red-eye reduction with slow sync, slow rear-curtain sync; auto FP high-speed sync supported
Flash compensation
-3 to +1 EV in increments of 1/3, 1/2 or 1 EV
Flash bracketing
2 to 9 frames in steps of 1/3, 1/2, 2/3 or 1 EV
Flash-ready indicator
Lights when built-in flash or optional flash unit is fully charged; blinks after flash is fired at full output
Accessory shoe
ISO 518 hot-shoe with sync and data contacts and safety lock
Nikon Creative Lighting
System (CLS)
Advanced Wireless Lighting supported with built-in flash, SB-910, SB-900, SB-800 or SB-700 as a master flash and SB-600 or SB-R200 as remotes, or SU-800 as commander; built-in flash can serve as master flash in commander mode; auto FP high-speed sync and modeling illumination supported with all CLS-compatible flash units except SB-400; Flash Color Information Communication and FV lock supported with all CLS-compatible flash units
Sync terminal
ISO 519 sync terminal with locking thread
White balance
White balance
Auto (2 types), incandescent, fluorescent (7 types), direct sunlight, flash, cloudy, shade, preset manual (up to 4 values can be stored) and color temperature setting (2,500 K to 10,000 K); fine-tuning available for all options
White balance bracketing
2 to 9 frames in steps of 1, 2 or 3
Live View
Modes
Live view photography (still images), movie live view (movies)
Lens servo
  • Autofocus (AF): Single-servo AF (AF-S); full-time-servo AF (AF-F)
  • Manual focus (M)
AF-area modes
Face-priority AF, wide-area AF, normal-area AF, subject-tracking AF
Autofocus
Contrast-detect AF anywhere in frame (camera selects focus point automatically when face-priority AF or subject-tracking AF is selected)
Movie
Metering
TTL exposure metering using main image sensor
Frame size (pixels)
and frame rate
  • 1,920 x 1,080; 30p, 25p, 24p
  • 1,280 x 720; 60p, 50p, 30p, 25p; actual frame rates for 60p, 50p, 30p, 25p, and 24p are 59.94, 50, 29.97, 25, and 23.976 fps respectively; options support both high and normal image quality
File format
MOV
Video compression
H.264/MPEG-4 Advanced Video Coding
Audio recording format
Linear PCM
Audio recording device
Built-in monaural or external stereo microphone; sensitivity adjustable
Movie options
Index marking, time-lapse photography
Monitor
Monitor
8-cm (3.2-in.), approx. 921k-dot (VGA) TFT LCD with 170°viewing angle, approx. 100% frame coverage, and automatic monitor brightness control using ambient brightness sensor
Playback
Playback
Full-frame and thumbnail (4, 9 or 72 images) playback with playback zoom, movie playback, photo and/or movie slide shows, highlights, histogram display, auto image rotation, and image comment (up to 36 characters)
Interface
USB
SuperSpeed USB (USB 3.0 Micro-B connector)
HDMI output
Type C mini-pin HDMI connector; can be used simultaneously with camera monitor
Audio input
Stereo mini-pin jack (3.5-mm diameter)
Audio output
Stereo mini-pin jack (3.5-mm diameter)
10-pin remote terminal
Can be used to connect optional remote control, GP-1 GPS Unit or GPS device compliant with NMEA0183 version 2.01 or 3.01 (requires optional MC-35 GPS Adapter Cord and cable with D-sub 9-pin connector)
Supported languages
Supported languages
Arabic, Chinese (Simplified and Traditional), Czech, Danish, Dutch, English, Finnish, French, German, Indonesian, Italian, Japanese, Korean, Norwegian, Polish, Portuguese, Romanian, Russian, Spanish, Swedish, Thai, Turkish, Ukrainian
Power source
Battery
One EN-EL15 Rechargeable Li-ion Battery
Battery pack

Optional MB-D12 Multi-Power Battery Pack with one EN-EL15/EN-EL18* Rechargeable Li-ion Battery or eight R6/AA-size alkaline, Ni-MH or lithium batteries

  • * Requires BL-5 Battery Chamber Cover (available separately)
AC adapter
EH-5b AC Adapter; requires EP-5B Power Connector (available separately)
Tripod socket
Tripod socket
1/4 in. (ISO 1222)
Dimensions / weight
Dimensions
(W x H x D)
Approx. 146 x 123 x 81.5 mm/5.7 x 4.8 x 3.2 in.
Weight
Approx. 1,000 g/2 lb 3.3 oz with battery and SD memory card but without body cap; approx. 900 g/1 lb 15.7 oz (camera body only)
Operating environment
Operating environment
Temperature: 0 to 40°C/32 to 104°; Humidity: Less than 85% (no condensation)
Accessories
Supplied accessories
(may differ by country or area)
EN-EL15 Rechargeable Li-ion Battery, MH-25 Battery Charger, DK-17 Eyepiece, UC-E14 USB Cable, USB Cable Clip, Camera Strap, BM-12 LCD Monitor Cover, BF-1B Body Cap, BS-1 Accessory Shoe Cover, ViewNX 2 CD-ROM
  • The SD, SDHC and SDXC logos are trademarks of the SD Card Association.
  • PictBridge is a trademark.
  • CompactFlash is a registered trademark of SanDisk Corporation.
  • HDMI, the HDMI logo and High-Definition Multimedia Interface are trademarks or registered trademarks of HDMI Licensing, LLC.
  • The USB-IF Logos are trademarks of Universal Serial Bus Implementers Forum, Inc.
  • Products and brand names are trademarks or registered trademarks of their respective companies.
  • Images in viewfinders, on LCDs and monitors shown in this site are simulated.
  • All images and movies (except sections about the D800E) were shot with the D800.