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Nikon D800 Review

Mar
30
2012
March 30, 2012
By 410 Comments

Overview

This is an in-depth review of the new Nikon D800 camera, one of the most anticipated DSLRs from Nikon that the photography community has been impatiently waiting for more than a year now. The Nikon D800 was supposed to be released in the summer of 2011, but due to several natural disasters that heavily impacted Nikon’s capability to produce cameras both in Japan and in its Thailand factories, its launch was delayed until February of 2012. There has been a lot of hype about the D800 and while our team has been posting quite a few articles about this camera, there are still many questions pouring in on a daily basis from our readers about its features, capabilities, limitations and performance, especially when compared to the older cameras like Nikon D700, D3, D3s and the new Nikon D4. In this review, I will not only provide detailed information about the Nikon D800, but will also try to answer the many questions that we have gotten so far on the camera, along with comparisons to other DSLRs. Specifically, the comparison includes sensor ISO performance between the D800 and the following DSLRs: Nikon D700/D3, D3s, Canon 5D Mark II, 5D Mark III and Fuji X Pro 1 mirrorless camera.

Nikon D800

Was the Nikon D800 worth the wait? There has been a lot of buzz about the D800 before and after the camera was announced. One of the main reasons is the popularity of the existing Nikon D700 camera and the sheer number of people, especially part-time and full-time pros, who were dying to upgrade their aging cameras. In addition, the D800 delay further fueled the heat and spiked up the interest from the photography community that was getting rather impatient, wondering what Nikon would bring to the table for the next several years in the full-frame arena.

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A Conversation with my Nikon D800

Mar
24
2012
March 24, 2012
By 51 Comments

The other night I had a dream – I was first on B&H’s D800 shipping list. Like many journeys into the mind, however, it soon took an unexpected turn. The following is the conversation that transpired. Warning: Some may find this disturbing.

Conversation with D800

Bob: I am so glad to see you! Do you know how many others would sell their right eye to get their hands on you?
D800: It is indeed good to be the king!
Bob: I don’t even have to wait until I charge one of your batteries, as you use my existing EN-EL15s! Ok, let’s head out and see what you can do!
D800: Whoa, Bobby! Hold on here, champ. Aren’t you rushing things a bit?
Bob: “Bobby”?
D800: We are family now, right?
Bob: I suppose so.
D800: Let’s step back a bit. First off, you aren’t actually going to put one of those DX lenses on me, are you?
Bob: Well, that was the idea. After all, you do have a usable DX crop mode, don’t you? And the Sigma 17-50mm 2.8 O/S is an outstanding lens, highly regarded for its sharpness.
D800: Sure, but do you really want to attach that DX lens, put me into crop mode, and throw a good bit of my glorious pixels away right off the bat? What a waste!
Bob: Well, that does seem a bit harsh, I suppose.
D800: What about the Nikon 16-35mm f/4 VR or a member of the Nikon Trinity – the 14-24mm 2.8? You do want me to have the best, don’t you?
Bob: Absolutely! You deserve nothing less!
D800: Now you are talking! Ok, well, let’s navigate to B&H’s site, and get one of these puppies on order!

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Nikon D800 has the best sensor in the world

Mar
23
2012
March 23, 2012
By 108 Comments

If you have pre-ordered the Nikon D800, you will have a smile on your face after you read this. Remember my first post on the Nikon D800, where I said that it will take the #1 spot at DXOMark? Well, guess what – I was right on that one. DXOMark has just released their latest data for the Nikon D800 and it took the #1 spot away from the expensive Phase One IQ180 medium format camera. With an overall score of 95, nothing comes even remotely close to its sensor performance:

DXOMark-Nikon D800

While most of us were expecting to see incredible dynamic range performance from the D800, many photographers and critics out there were complaining about small pixels on the sensor and their implication on low-light performance. When I saw the negativity about the pixel size, I published an article on the benefits of a high resolution sensor. For some, the concept of “down-sampling” was quite new, while others strongly disagreed with me and kept on repeating the same old tune on how smaller pixels negatively affect high ISO performance. Well, those who doubted me can now take a look at the data that DXOMark has published today – the Nikon D800 pretty much matches the Nikon D4 in terms of high ISO performance. Wait a second, how is that possible, you might ask? After-all, we are not only comparing two completely different cameras for different needs, but also two cameras at completely different price points – the D4 costs twice as much as the D800.

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What is the Future of DSLR Video?

Mar
19
2012
March 19, 2012
By 11 Comments

The video recording capabilities in DSLRs have been the subject of lively discussions ever since video-capable DSLRs have been introduced (with Nikon D90 being the first). At first, some thought it was unnecessary and too cumbersome to be of any practical use, while others embraced the new possibilities and the small (in comparison to high-end video cameras) price they came with. Regardless, the first full-frame camera to do video (and Full HD, at that) – the Canon 5D Mark II – quickly became very popular among amateur cinematographers that could not afford high-end RED cameras. A compromise, but not a too painful one. Both the D90 and, slightly more so, the 5D Mark II offered a very broad lens selection, good to great low-light capabilities and, more importantly, brought aesthetics and shallow depth of field of modern photography into the world of videography.

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Nikon D4 vs D3s vs D3 ISO Performance Comparison

Mar
18
2012
March 18, 2012
By 65 Comments

While I have not yet received my copy of the Nikon D4, I had an opportunity to test it today and perform some comparisons against the original Nikon D3 and D3s cameras, thanks to my new friend Michael Sasser, who was kind enough to let me use his D4. The purpose of this Nikon D4 vs D3s vs D3 ISO comparison is to show how the new professional D4 compares to the older-generation Nikon cameras in low and high ISO performance. I will start working on a full Nikon D4 Review once I receive it and hopefully will finish it up with plenty of image samples and my analysis sometime in early April (planning a couple of big projects for the Nikon and Canon DSLR cameras).

Nikon D4 vs D3s vs D3

Some background information for the below crops:

  1. All photographs were taken in a controlled environment, with a single studio light (octabank, modeling light), placed on the left
  2. All cameras were set to 14-bit NEF / RAW format, Active D-Lighting, Noise Reduction, Vignetting set to Off
  3. White Balance: Auto, changed to 3300 Temp, +6 Tint in Lightroom 4 (Process Version 2012)
  4. Lightroom Settings: Default
  5. Due to the difference in resolution (16 MP on the D4 vs 12 MP on the D3 and D3s), images from the Nikon D4 were down-sampled to 12 MP for a fair comparison

Here is the full image and the cropped area:

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Nikon GP-1 Review

Mar
17
2012
March 17, 2012
By 23 Comments

This is a quick review of the Nikon GP-1 GPS unit designed for Nikon DSLRs that have built-in support for an external GPS unit. Traveling and photography go together, so the idea of geo-tagging and mapping your photos in Lightroom, Aperture or iPhoto is appealing to many of us. The price for the ability to geo-tag using a Nikon DSLR is a bit steep when you consider new point and shoot cameras include this feature and don’t cost much more, if any, than the Nikon GP-1 GPS unit itself. So is this added feature worth the $200?

Nikon GP-1

1) Nikon GP-1 Specifications

  • Acquired data: Latitude, longitude, altitude, time information
  • Time required for satellite acquisition: Approx. 45 sec. (cold start), approx. 5 sec. (hot start)
  • Power source: Supplied from camera body
  • Receiving indicators:
    1. Red blinking (GPS data not recorded)
    2. Green blinking (GPS data recorded utilizing three satellites)
    3. Green solid (Four or more satellites detected, GPS data are more accurate)
  • Compatible DSLR models:
    1. Nikon D5000, D5100, D7000, D90 (via accessory terminal cable GP1-CA90)
    2. Nikon D200, D300, D300s, D700, D800, D2X, D2XS, D2HS, D3, D3X, D3S, D4 (via 10-pin remote terminal cable GP1-CA10)
    3. * Some models may require an update to the latest version of firmware.
  • Attachment: Attaches to camera’s accessory shoe or a camera strap via strap adapter GP1-CL1
  • Dimensions: Approx. 2 x 1.8 x 1 inches
  • Supplied Accessories
    1. GP1-CA90 for connection to the D90
    2. GP1-CA10 for connection to the 10-pin remote terminal of supported cameras
    3. Strap adapter GP1-CL1
    4. * Supplied accessories may differ depending on country or area.

2) GPS Performance

The GP-1 does a good job of what it is designed to do – tagging the latitude and longitude coordinates, but the altitude is not extremely accurate. I have found that the unit is a bit slow at locking in the satellites, other reviewers have found it to be within 30 seconds to a minute, my experience has been slower. I understand the concerns of being indoors, tall buildings, etc., but I found this to be the case even outside with no buildings or tall trees nearby.



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Nikon D7000 In Stock at B&H

Mar
13
2012
March 13, 2012
By 11 Comments

Just got an alert from folks at B&H – the super popular Nikon D7000 is back in stock in limited quantities! I know many of readers have been asking about it – the Nikon D7000 has been out of stock everywhere for the past 6+ months.

Nikon D7000

Here is the link to the D7000 page at B&H Photo Video: http://mansurovs.com/go/bh/nikon-d7000

The Nikon D7000 is the best DX camera from Nikon at the moment. If you have not had a chance to see my review, check it out – Nikon D7000 Review.

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Canon is Winning the Camera War?

Mar
13
2012
By 35 Comments

I received an email today with the title “Canon is Winning the Camera War”. I opened the email immediately to see what it was about, because it had such a bold subject line. Canon winning the camera war… I have not seen any market share reports lately, so this was an interesting read. Apparently, a company called “Sortable” has recently conducted a massive survey with over 275,000 people over a period of 6 months, which showed that more than 33% of consumers favor Canon over other brands when making a camera purchase, including Nikon. Check out this interesting graph:

Popular Camera Brands

Here is some more information from this announcement:

In a brand war traditionally fought between Nikon and Canon, it appears that Canon now has the upper hand, with 33 percent of consumers indicating it as their preferred camera choice according to online consumer buying trends drawn from Sortable’s partner, Snapsort, a web site that allows people to analyze, compare, and recommend digital camera options. Nikon falls to second place with 26 percent, followed by Sony at 15 percent, Panasonic with 7 percent, Fujifilm at 5 percent, Olympus at 4 percent and Pentax at 3 percent. Other manufactures make up the final 7 percent.

With a range of camera options available, survey data shows consumers remain split in their preference between Point and Shoot and DSLR cameras. Data shows 36 percent of consumers are searching for both. Most surprising in the survey was the rising popularity of Mirrorless cameras, a relatively new technology in the camera market. Mirrorless cameras stuff a DSLR size sensor into a small portable package, with interchangeable lenses for greater flexibility. Sortable’s survey identified that 22 percent of consumers are searching for Mirrorless camera options, leaving the leading brands in a bit of a deficit position. Canon has yet to enter the Mirrorless market, and Nikon has just entered. Sortable believes this emerging trend gives Sony, Panasonic and Olympus the opportunity to take brand share.

That’s an interesting analysis, given the large number of respondents. Mirrorless is on the rise, and we know it. Canon historically has been dominating the DSLR market, so no surprises here, although Nikon has been catching up pretty quickly ever since the Nikon D3 came out.

I say that folks at Sortable are just trying to bring attention to their websites with such a headline. Canon winning camera war? I did not know there was one. With so many new innovative and wonderful products from all manufacturers, there is room for everyone. What do you say?

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Introduction to Infrared Photography

Mar
12
2012
March 12, 2012
By 25 Comments

Infrared, or “IR” photography, offers photographers of all abilities and budgets the opportunity to explore a new world – the world of the unseen. Why “unseen”? Because our eyes literally cannot see IR light, as it lies just beyond what is classified as the “visible” spectrum – that which human eyesight can detect. When we take photographs using infrared-equipped film or cameras, we are exposed to the world that can often look very different from that we are accustomed to seeing. Colors, textures, leaves and plants, human skin, and all other manner of objects can reflect IR light in unique and interesting ways, ones that cannot be mimicked with tools such as Photoshop (yes – there are limits to what Photoshop can do!). Like any form of photography or art however, it is a matter of taste. I would strongly urge people to explore the world of IR. As the number of cameras-equipped devices proliferates and the associated technologies improve, IR photography may offer the opportunity for photographers to expand into new arenas and differentiate their offerings from those of others.

Barboursville Vineyards

1) Terminology

For purposes of this article, I will refer to the infrared light spectrum as “near infrared”, or simply, “IR”. Near infrared refers to the spectrum of light just beyond the range humans can detect with their eyesight. This light range is between 700 – 1200 nm (nanometers). Another aspect of the IR spectrum, above near IR, is associated with thermal imaging. Thermal technology was popularized by movies such as, “Patriot Games” and other thrillers, whereby intelligence agencies or military personnel were able to detect villains by measuring their body heat under nighttime conditions. Today’s common digital camera sensors are not able to detect thermal images. Under the right circumstances however, digital cameras can do an excellent job of recording IR.

2) History Of Infrared Photography

The first forays into IR photography, using special film plates, began in the early part of the 20th century. During WWI, IR photography proved extremely valuable, as images using the IR spectrum were not affected as much by atmospheric haze as normal photos. IR images were also able to show stark distinctions between vegetation and buildings, better identifying potential enemy targets such as camouflaged munitions factories and other key sites. Rivers, streams, lakes, and other waterways were depicted in a very dark hue, making them much more obvious.

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Nikon D4 – How and Why

Mar
10
2012
March 10, 2012
By 8 Comments

You might have already seen this video by Corey Rich on the Nikon D4 when the camera was announced. It profiles some of the best athletes such as Alex Honnold (the guy that “free solo” climbed the Half Dome with his bare hands), showing them in action. Here is the video if you have not seen it:

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