For anyone that hasn’t heard, there is a new breed of camera coming out and it’s called the Nikon D800. It has a full-frame FX-format sensor with 36.3 megapixels and a 7360 x 4912 resolution, which is more than twice the pixel density of the newly unveiled D4. The back screen is a 3.2″, 921,000-dot LCD monitor. It can reach ISO 25,600 and shoots 4 frames per second. It has a dead accurate metering system, one of the things Nikon DSLR’s are known for. This is going to be big for wedding, portrait, and fashion photographers. There is also a new Advanced Scene Recognition System that nails accuracy for the AF, AE, i-TTL flash control, face recognition and auto white balance. It has a wider dynamic-range than any other camera and does so with less noise and rich color gradation.

The list goes on about all the upgraded and added features, but the thing photographers will love most about this camera is it’s top quality video. It can record 1080p Full-HD video at 30/25/24p or 720p at 60/50p in AVC format. Along with a USB 3.0 port, the D800 can connect to an external monitor using a HDMI port for simultaneous Live View in addition to recording to a computer or hard drive. That’s a big bonus for me where I shoot tethered to a lap top on almost all of my photo shoots. It’s also compatible with a lot of third party video accessories. All this for $2,999.95. That sure is a bargain. Imagine offering this entire package to someone a decade ago? People would pay twenty grand for a camera with this many capabilities. Next thing needed is a Kino-Flo lighting kit and entire production team. In due time…

Here is the official promo video made for the D800 called “Joy Ride” directed by photographer Sandro.

Behind the scenes.

Here is a music video of the Copenhagen band Euzen shot with the D800 by photographer Morten Rygaard.

Behind the scenes.

This is a side-by-side comparison of the D800 and the D700. (click to view larger)

The complete list of specifications for the Nikon D800 can be found on nikonusa.com and the technical guide for the camera can be viewed and downloaded here.

top photo: nikonusa.com
comparison photo: dpreview.com