Premières impressions

Un condensé des premières conclusions de la presse

zone-numerique.com

3 ans après le succès du D700 qui reprenait le capteur ultra-sensible du D3, Nikon revient avec une nouvelle stratégie et adopte un autre capteur que celui du D4, dans le D800, cassant ainsi la hiérarchie entre les boitiers, ce qui aura pour effet de les orienter chacun sur des marchés et des usages distincts. Le D800 n'est plus un D4 semi-pro, mais bien un boîtier pro haute résolution : il y a peu de chances que le D4x voie le jour.

La très haute définition du capteur du D800 nous plonge dans l'inconnu :
- Quid de sa qualité d'image en moyennes et hautes sensibilités ?
- Quel sera son niveau d'exigence optique pour qu'il s'exprime ? Avec quels objectifs l'utiliser ?

Non ! Le Nikon D800 n'est pas le successeur du D700

Ce n'est pas un revirement de la part de Nikon, mais un changement de stratégie qui s'opère : la gamme pro sera constituée d'un reflex pro de reportage super sensible, le D4, et d'un boîtier moins renforcé, mais très haut de gamme, avec une très haute résolution, le D800. Le D4x ne verra vraisemblablement pas le jour. 

ephotozine.com

The Nikon D800 and D800E look particularly impressive on paper with an impressive specification reaching beyond entry-level medium format in terms of resolution alone thanks to the 36.3 megapixel full frame sensor. In hand the camera feels good with a reassuringly solid weather sealed body and a number of external controls and displays ensuring it's easy and quick to change settings as desired. The camera's speed in use appears to be very good and the high quality 3.2inch screen makes it pleasing to view with the live-view updating smoothly. On top of all of this Nikon has priced the D800 at a very competitive price making extremely high resolution image capture available at a price that is one quarter the price of medium format!

Focus Numérique

Pour les accros du détail, le D800 proposé à 2900 euros fait l'effet d'une petite bombe. Nikon propose en effet la définition d'un moyen format classique pour un tarif trois fois moins élevé avec toute la polyvalence qu'offre en reflex sans parler de la vidéo. Phase One, Hasselblad ou Leica doivent surement voir venir ce nouveau concurrent d'un très mauvais œil. Avec un bel écran LCD, une visée directe sur écran, un mode connecté complet, un viseur optique 100%, un mode vidéo complet, le D800 apparaît comme un appareil très polyvalent et rassurant.

Nous pourrons toujours regretter quelques mesquineries comme l'abandon du marquage IPTC dans l'appareil, la non compatibilité avec le module Wi-Fi WT-5 (vous ne pourrez pas piloter le D800 à distance sans fil) ou l'«oubli» des commandes rétroéclairées, d'un module GPS intégré, ou du mode totalement silencieux du D4 (2 Mpx).

La pièce maîtresse reste bien sûr le capteur 36 Mpx. Ce nouveau venu pose naturellement deux questions :

- quid de la gestion du bruit électronique ? Avec une taille de photodiode de 4,9 µm pour le D800 et 4,7 µm pour le D7000, nous sommes en droit d'attendre une qualité d'image assez proche entre les deux boîtiers. Lorsqu'on connaît la gestion du bruit électronique du D7000 dans les hautes sensibilités, tous les espoirs sont permis. Mais ce n'est sans doute pas aussi simple (ce n'est jamais simple), car les images que nous avons pu voir sur l'écran du boîtier nous ont laissés un peu dubitatifs avec un bruit de chrominance un peu trop présent à notre goût à 3200 ISO. Il faudra donc attendre d'avoir un appareil en test pour se faire une idée définitive.

- quid des optiques ? Là aussi, c'est l'inconnue. Le capteur 36 Mpx sera sans doute très exigeant et il est difficile de savoir si les zooms et les focales fixes passeront le cap. Souhaitons que les futurs acquéreurs de D800 ne soient pas obligés de changer leur parc optique pour les dernières focales fixes f/1,4 !

Mais qui a vraiment besoin de 36 Mpx ? Ceux qui réalisent des reproductions d'oeuvres d'art et qui souhaitent avoir le maximum de détail pour des impressions en grand format et ceux qui rêvent d'un zoom numérique performant et qui pourront recadrer à loisir tout en conservant de la matière. De tels fichiers (74 Mo pour un raw 14 bits non compressé) occuperont également plus de place sur les cartes, les disques durs et nécessiteront des machines plus puissantes.  Sur la gamme pro, le futur client n'aura finalement le choix qu'entre deux boîtiers pro : un D4 orienté reportage et cher et le D800 beaucoup plus abordable et très pixelisé. S'il est possible de photographier en mode M à 20 Mpx (5520x3680 pixels) en JPeg, il n'existe pas d'enregistrement Raw dans ces différents formats (contrairement au sRaw de Canon).

dpreview.com

We haven't spent long enough with the D800 to form any definitive opinions, but our initial impressions from handling a pre-production sample are very positive. Certainly, existing D700 users will feel right at home with the largely familiar ergonomics, but the changes that Nikon has made (particularly the improved live view controls) make a noticeable difference to handling. Not everyone pondering the purchase of a D800 will consider video a priority, but if the feature interests you then rest assured that right now, the D800 offers pretty much the most advanced specification around, an extremely close second only to the D4.

In terms of its core functionality, the D800 incorporates an extraordinary feature set, taking some of the most interesting technology from the D4 and coupling it with the highest resolution 36x24mm sensor on the market. At 36.3MP the $3000 D800 makes the $8000 D3X look distinctly irrelevant, and is right up there with medium format digital equipment in terms of output size (and file size - 36.3MP .NEF files will take up approximately 76.5MB on a memory card). This makes it very attractive, potentially, to studio and landscape photographers who value resolution over speed. This is even more true of the D800E, which without a low-pass filter should in theory get very close to the sort of output that studio photographers would expect from much more costly medium format digital equipment.

Exactly how good the D800's image quality turns out to be is something that we're very keen to establish. On balance, increased pixel count generally counts as a good thing in everyday photography. The most important 'headline' benefits, all other things being equal, are that you get more detail in your images and greater scope for cropping. But there are potential downsides, too. The D3X, Nikon's current flagship, makes very high demands on lenses at 'only' 24MP and we wouldn't be surprised if some of the optics which D700 owners love so much don't shine quite so brightly at 100% on screen when bolted on front of a 36.3MP sensor...

But that's for the future. We can't wait to get hold of a production sample D800, and we'll work on getting image quality samples and a full review online as soon as possible.

cmphotography.com

The focusing in this camera- like it’s D4 sibling- has been improved from the last generation. Yes, I said improved. I didn’t think it was possible for Nikon to improve the focus in the D3S, but somehow they did. The low light capabilities were targeted, and it’s more responsive in low light. The dynamic range in the D800 is also something people may overlook. With my style of shooting- sometimes in very harsh light- by choice- I’ll be able to hold more detail than ever before. File size alone wont do that. However, the file size accompanied by the increased dynamic range will make for some stunning files in dramatic light.
ISO. In my opinion, from the results I achieved, the ISO performance is about equal to a D3. It is in no way a D4, and wasn’t intended to be. It’s not a D3S either. You should expect it to perform close to the D700 and D3 with respect to ISO.
Auto 2 white balance was used. This allows some of the warmth from the room to be maintained. I really do like this setting.
Auto focus. Another area not really being highlighted much. I can tell you first hand that the autofocus has been improved... even from the D3S- which I didn't think was possible. Here, the 3D tracking maintains focus throughout the series of images. The focus point continues to move reliably allowing me to maintain focus. I used my 70-200 VRII for these images. Model Rachel Johnston and Luca Taormina were fantastic to work with.
Some of the more interesting technology introduced in this camera is the face recognition for auto exposure. The idea here is that the 3D color matrix meter III uses the face recognition information and exposes for the face- rather than the other elements in the frame. This is a real advantage in backlit situations. This image was shot in Aperture priority with absolutely ZERO compensation. The advantages here are obvious. Even in a challenging lighting scenario, if the camera can recognize the human face, it'll expose for that face without the need to adjust, thus, nailing exposure consistently without the need to compensate.
At 36 megapixels, the D800 produces unprecedented image quality and resolution within a body that boasts revolutionary technological advances. The 3D color matrix meter III, the improved auto focus with more cross sensors, additional dynamic range, and the improved AF performance in low light are just a few features that are glaring improvements. From a focus standpoint, I found it hard to believe there could be improvements to the D3S focus system. But, this camera does focus faster and will allow me to make pictures I couldn't make before.

Fakechuckwestfall

I feel for you Nikon morons who are now going to have to suddenly deal with 37MP files, up from 12MP on the D700. Imagine what that will do to your workflow having to deal with 37MP of bloated files. Processing power, RAM and especially storage are going to take a serious hit. And I’ve seen the files, they’re softer than a baby’s butt. Where the fuck is all the detail??? My God. And the noise, oh god, the noise.
Down from 8 FPS in FX mode on the D700. Oh. My. God. So if you were used to the 8 FPS on your D700 you’re going to really, seriously, have to slow down now. Not only are you slowing down in the field, but because of the fucking bloated, razor sharp, 37MP files you’re slowing down in post too. Oh God, what happened at Nikon? Jesus Christ, I can’t believe this. FUCK!
How do you “upgrade” from the D700 to this?? It’s a fucking downgrade! Does Nikon expect the D700 ($2700) crowd to upgrade to the D4 ($6000)??? HAHAHAHA you Nikon morons are SO fucked. The only upgrades I can think of on the D800 are the new autofocus system and the video capabilities. But with this noisy sensor, don’t expect a lot from the image quality and noise. But hey, you’ll have a headphone jack! So maybe it’s not so bad after all right???

mansurovs.com

Videographers should be super excited about the D800, because they can record uncompressed videos at 1080p full HD for 30 minutes straight, with full exposure control. The uncompressed video is a big deal, because it can give production-quality results for film-makers that can now record videos to external devices. There is even a dedicated live view mode for recording videos that gives quick access to exposure control, including white balance. The Nikon D700 has no capability to record videos, so that’s a huge difference there.
I am personally very excited about the Nikon D800, definitely more than the D4.
What I am trying to say here, is that you should not be scared of a high resolution D800, thinking that it will be in any way inferior to your beloved D700. I will provide an in-depth analysis between the D700 and the upcoming D800 when I have it on my hands, but I can say with confidence now that the D800 will give better results than the D700 when its image is down-sampled to 12 MP. Overall, we should be getting around a full stop of advantage noise-wise with the D800 compared to the D700. Think of it this way – you will be able to get superb 36 MP images in daylight and you have the option to down-sample images to lower resolution in low-light.
And for all Nikon landscape photographers out there – this is the camera we have been waiting for. Finally, we have a high resolution camera that will deliver outstanding images with great dynamic range at base ISO of 100. And best of all, compared to medium format and other expensive cameras out there, it won’t cost us an arm and a leg!

kenrockwell.com

Order yours as soon as you can if you hope to get it anytime soon. The D800 is Nikon's biggest news since 2008, so it will not be easy to get for a long time.
The D800E is for tweaks and professional lens testers like me. I wouldn't spend my extra money on it unless I either was a tweak, or really had my technique down and printed at 30 x 45" all day. If you're shooting at f/11 or smaller, or printing at least several feet or meters wide, you'll never see the extra sharpness of the D800E, but everyone will see the D800E's moiré at any print size on fabrics or screens. If you're a tweak, you'll love the D800E, but for photography and for normal people, stick with the D800 for better pictures.
The best lens to use on full-frame is Nikon's newest 28-300mm VR. As you can see at my review, it's just about as sharp as all of Nikon's previous reference lenses, and covers the entire range in a twist of the wrist. Likewise, it will be sold out very soon with the announcement of the D800, and so if you don't have yours yet, now is the time to order it while you can.
Beware of diffraction. At apertures smaller than f/5.6, simple physics will dull the image if you're looking at files at 100%! This is why digital point-and-shoot cameras are designed so that their lenses never stop down to more than f/8.

01net.com

Les 36,3 Mpix soulèvent cependant une interrogation sur les capacités du D800 à monter dans les hautes sensibilités. Au regard de la plage de sensibilités (100-6 400 ISO, extensible à 25 600 ISO) et selon le discours de Nikon, le D800 devrait offrir les mêmes performances que le D700 – qui était excellent. Mais seul un test montrera si Nikon a réussi, oui ou non, son pari risqué.
On retrouve donc le capteur d'autofocus à 51 collimateurs et 91 000 photosites qui devraient permettre à Nikon de conserver son avantage sur la concurrence en termes de performance de vitesse de mise au point.
Côté fabrication, sans être aussi blindé que le D4, le D800 est conçu dans un alliage de magnésium avec une armada de joints d'étanchéité contre les temps pluvieux. Du sérieux.
Un gain, une perte : si le viseur est meilleur, la rafale est moindre. Avec des fichiers énormes (57 Mo en RAW 12 bits, 75 en RAW 14 bits !) le D800 ne gère « que » quatre images par seconde. Avec la poignée et sa batterie spéciales (accessoires optionnels), ce chiffre monte à six… mais au format DX.
Le D800 accueille donc un nouveau viseur optique qui couvre 100 % de ce que le capteur enregistre : une amélioration qui séduira les amateurs de photos non recadrées.
Le D800 dispose donc de la vidéo Full HD 1080 progressif en mode 24, 25 et 30 images par seconde. A cela il faut ajouter un micro mono intégré, une prise microphone stéréo au format jack 3,5 mm, une sortie casque pour le contrôle du volume, la mise au point automatique permanente, un vumètre logiciel intégré et une sortie HDMI non compressée pour offrir de la vidéo 4:2:2 aux professionnels – et ainsi tailler des croupières au Canon EOS 5D Mark II.
Si l'appareil de Nikon est alléchant, il soulève cependant quelques questions et les avis ne sont pas que positifs. Notre estimé collègue et responsable technique du 01Lab, Lionel Morillon, pratique intensément la photographie au D700. Pour lui, si la définition et le mode vidéo de ce nouveau modèle sont de vrais plus « la limite de la rafale est un défaut rédhibitoire face à mon D700 qui peut, avec son grip, monter à huit images par seconde contre seulement quatre pour le D800. Pour la photo de sport, que je pratique, c'est bien trop juste. Et si la définition permet de recadrer à loisir, cela ne sert à rien si je rate la photo parce que ça ne va pas assez vite. Alors comme le D700 reste un excellent boîtier et que le D4 est trop cher pour ma pratique, je vais garder mon D700. »

Photofocus.com

Let’s step back in time. The D700 had about 12 megapixels. The D800 – its successor has three times as many pixels? Sorry but – WHAT THE YOU KNOW WHAT is that about?
Physics are physics. If you cram three times the pixels onto a sensor that is the same size as you used when your camera had 1/3 the pixels, something’s got to give. Yes the camera companies have come up with some neat tricks to make each pixel gather more light than it would have in the old days, but three times the pixels???
My guess is that Nikon is really betting on this being more of a video camera. The cinematic resolution you get from 36MP is probably more important to Nikon and their target audience for this camera than low-light performance with good detail. The video sample I’ve seen is tremendous. It looks very good for a $3000 camera.

Techradar.com

Probably one of the most highly anticipated DSLRs, and most widely rumoured cameras, of the past few months, the Nikon D800 is finally official.
It's 10% lighter than the D700 and the body has a more 'contoured' look and feel.
New buttons include a direct video record button just behind the shutter release, which reflects the D800's increased focus on high-end video.
During our brief time with the camera, we found reflections to be minimal with a good viewing experience to be had from a variety of different angles.
The viewfinder now offers 100% frame coverage, as opposed to the D700's 95%, which is likely to be welcomed by photographers specialising in landscapes, and other disciplines that demand criticial framing.
Although the Nikon D800 features 36.3 million pixels, which is more than three times that found on the D700, the company claims that noise performance is roughly equal. This is one of the key areas that we will be keen to test further in our full review once samples become available.

For the price, the D800 represents a good investment. You get pretty much all of the best features of the D4 in a more compact and lighter body, for just shy of half of the price.

Nikon Glass

Now with the D800, this focusing module is going to rock!  
 

Unlike its predecessors, the D800 does not "feel" like a "Made in Japan" camera like the D700 does, even though that's where its being put together. Don't get me wrong, its very well built no doubt, but after using nearly every pro and semi pro Nikon body produced in the last 22 years, this is the first time that a new model hasn't impressed me with its "feel"
 
To me the D800 is not the D700 replacement we all have been waiting for - though that may show up some time in the future as the D800s - but for now the D800 is more like a replacement or upgrade for D7000 users.

With the D700 you'll need to enlarge those pixels 3 times more than with the D800 pixels. So automatically the D800 has to its advantage both noise and blur suppression due to the smaller enlargement. So the number of pixels in this particular comparison count more than the noise capabilities.
 

So what do I think? From my testing so far on the pre-production model, the D800 is impressive between 100-800 ISO and very useable at 1600. I maybe rarely use 3200 only if I really had too. I would not want to ever go for 6400 ISO, though it may be a useful ISO for the PJ's. Overall, the D800 performs very well for a 36MP beast.

So far you would think that I was excited enough to upgrade, but that is not the case. There are some aspects that hold me back from such a move. As nice as the D800 is with its 36 million pixels, some attributes such as diffraction, file size and continuous shooting speed make me think twice. So whats my opinion? Well, at the time of this writing, I would warn any professional 12MP FX user away from trading his workhorse for the D800 - there is a chance such a trade up could prove a mistake - especially if he is a wedding photographer. They should not be looking at the D800 as an upgrade path, but as an extra tool that can be added to their kit. 

So the D800 would make an excellent 2nd body for existing 12MP FX users and the Nikon D4 should be there choice if they want to upgrade their existing bodies!