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With greater clarity: Nikon D810 Shooting Experience

Published Jul 30, 2014 | dpreview staff

The Nikon D810 represents a consolidation of its two predecessors, the D800 and D800E. The 36MP full frame DSLR lacks an anti-aliasing filter to make the absolute most of its high resolution sensor and provides a number of meaningful updates over the previous generation. Improvements include 5 fps burst shooting in FX mode, 1080/60p video recording and added tools for videographers. After some extensive shooting in the field we've updated our First Impressions Review with a shooting experience. Find out what it's like to use this latest evolution of the D800 line.

Read our Nikon D810 Shooting Experience

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Adorama	Audio-Technica Nikon - D810 Digital SLR Body Only Camera, - Bundle With Audio-Technica AT8024 Stereo/Mono Camera-Mount Microphone	$2796.95
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Comments

Total comments: 1618

I've Shooting d810 since basketball season began. Love it!
Shot video for first time yesterday. Really very good. Basketball pix excellent, portraits excellent. Haven't had a god Milky Way night yet. Except for how big and heavy it is, I love it!

0 upvotes

Love my D810... shot this image of ANTM semi-finalist ChloeL in Catalina with it.
https://scontent-lax3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-xap1/t31.0-8/12110035_10206609739473559_25492653129014770_o.jpg

Comment edited 2 times, last edit 5 minutes after posting

1 upvote

i bought Nikon d810 recently. It is a great camera. The problem is the "network" option in the setup menu is greyed out. can you please tell me how to work with this option?

0 upvotes

You will need to connect an optional wifi accessory (WT-5A or Eye-Fi).

1 upvote

It would be nice to have the full review of this camera to compare with Canon and Sony 7R2. But I already know this is the best of the bunch. I just want to know what I'm giving up really if I go with sony's smaller form other then glass that can't touch nikon's glass.

But than Nikon will probably come out with the sensor used in the 7r2 in the near future so I guess Ill just have to wait for the 850 or will it be a 910?

1 upvote

I love my Nikon d810, I have noticed that this camera has little room for error. I find the Nikon d4 or d4s an easier camera to master but I always go back to my d810

1 upvote

and one note
This camera is not forgive bad glass.
One recomendation Nikkor AF-S 20mm 1.8G , you will do not believe what you see !!!

1 upvote

For D810 what can i say , after testing for my own knowlegge 6 cameras in one year in real life shooting of any kind.
It is amazing first the D800E , i would never sell it , but only for one reason,
when you shoot in a theater in a church or in a seminar room with a speaker , the sound of D800E/D800 is very annoying too loud to ignore disturbing i would say.
With the D810 is silent !! like Sony A77 II i can say the same sound maybe a little more silent !!! . great job nikon only for that.
And with a fast telephoto you can go for sports unlimitted shooting with jpegs in 7 FPS , great AF performance.
Low ISO native 12800 very usable results directly from the camera depend on cituation (Jpeg !)
You have something between D4s and D800E features of the d4s and all the benefits of D800E improved ... excelent .
If you have the money and want the top usable DSLR this is it.
The only drawback is the EXTRA money that you will need for the top Lenses

1 upvote

Hi All, I shot concert photography and some of the venues have poor lighting. I shoot on a canon 7D and the images suffer past iso1600. Lightroom helps a bit but not much. Native iso for d810 is 6400. Does anyone know if I will have the same issues if I switch to the d810? I like the features on the d810 but if the camera can't handle low light, i may have to look elsewhere. Can anyone comment?

0 upvotes

There are so many fine labs and blogs in the net that have been writen reviews on the D810. Just google "D810 review" and you get them all. So you can learn everything about the camera, no need DPR 's review.

0 upvotes

As the other commenter suggests, there are many good reviews to choose from on this extraordinary camera - but sadly not with DP Review - though they have posted some studies of what shadow can be pulled back in raw processing - where its clearly a leader. For me, its low light ability is exceptional, particularly when shooting raw. Maybe a D4S will give you more - but that's a different tool altogether.

0 upvotes

Hi there, I shoot with the D810 since 3 month now and I can say without a doubt that it's currently the better in the nikon lineup. I'm in love with this camera, absolutely gorgeous.

The image quality is just insane, mid-format level, there's nothing else that can match it (I've used both Canon and Nikon for years). 36Mpix give you so much details that noise is really small, files are great until 6400 iso, above it need some post production. I don't speak about dynamic range because I never seen something like this before, outstanding performance.

It handles better than D700 and 5D mk II and maybe as good as 5D mk III. So if you have money to buy it, don't hesitate a second ! This is a pro level camera, so you cannot be disappointed.

Good shoot man!

Comment edited 7 minutes after posting

0 upvotes

Hey DPR... where the F is the review???... you've reviewed dozens of cameras since the D810 came out... so whazsup?

8 upvotes

Indeed. This is a mystery - and my guess is there will be a full review of the Canon 5DS before the D810... DP Review has been an authoritative source of info for the camera world for years. But this inexplicable delay on one of the finest cameras ever produced suggests that there are commercial influences on the editorial team which questions their impartiality in future reviews.

0 upvotes

dpr will do the same with the D810 as they did with Pentax K3 and make all sorts of excuses.Excluding some cameras from reviewing without suffieient justification and favouring others on whim seems to be the only explaination one can think of.
A footnote to D800/800E mentioning the D810 is all that we will get.

0 upvotes

The biggest issue is that dpreview still says the review is on the way.. Just have the courage to say it is to late now and it will never be published!

0 upvotes

Two Questions:

Nikon, why not make this beautiful camera XQD-compatible?

DP, Review?

Thanks.

0 upvotes

If there's gonna be no review of the 810, why don't they say so??? I even send a email to the reviewers months ago about the review and no answer.

shame.

5 upvotes

any news about the D810 review?

10 upvotes

Already promised many times but never published.

Mr. Barney Britton said last year "probably before christmas", which year he didn't mention however.

I assume it has something to do with priorities based on bribes from other companies as announcing the D810 as best general DSLR would cut in their sales big time!

7 upvotes

Probably 810 is so tough for dpreview that they have been running and running TO GET THE ANSWER--"Nikon D820 is next"?

Comment edited 2 times, last edit 2 minutes after posting

0 upvotes

How come no review?

3 upvotes

DXO scores show that the noise performance of the D800E is marginally better than that of the D810 whereas the preview says that the D810 is 1 stop better than its predecessor at ISO3200 and above. Do I miss something here or the preview is wrong?

http://www.dxomark.com/Cameras/Compare/Side-by-side/Nikon-D810-versus-Nikon-D800E___963_814

0 upvotes

Is there an issue with the camera? Is that the reason for delaying a review?

1 upvote

The issue is that the D810 is too good.. The review has been promised several times before, months ago.. It seems there are some changes going on at Dpreview, but they are slowly losing their authority status regarding in depth reviews..

4 upvotes

My 6D has that too.

1 upvote

Zzzzzz, Dream On! ;)

2 upvotes

You mean what, dynamic range? Hahaha

1 upvote

How long do we have to wait for the D810 review !
I think that is a shame that DPReview come out first with the D750 review, I understand the pressure Nikon Made for that but now it's time for the D810!
Please join me in this request !

15 upvotes

image resource has finally written their conclusion one day ago--so it is not a big thing for dpreview--image-resource has written about moire problem and falls colours in some pictures;Auto & incandescent white balance is too warm in tungsten ;--one more important cons according to them--"Places strong demands on your lens and ability to keep the camera steady or use a high-enough shutter speed, if you really want to extract the maximum detail"---

Now we want dpreview must check the flaws--we should remember the last ball of a over in cricket is really dangerous and I hope dpreview has been observing the recent trends and their verdict will be the very prestigious for Nikon and us too!Personally I feel NikonD810 grip is little large and my fingers does not reach 100%--for small hands!

May be some LED lights may take the AF-assist button in next model--Tiny LED lights will come in NIKOND820 as AF-assit!May be Moire removal filter will come soon by Marumi,Hoya??Is it not possible ?

Comment edited 2 times, last edit 7 minutes after posting

0 upvotes

It's just ridiculous they don't review a presumably best camera of 2014..

4 upvotes

dpreview is waiting for NikonD820!or they are not in favour of Nikon D810?I humbly request dpreview a indepth review--I have read both 750 and 810 review in another forums,blogs,webs-I am initially intended to buy one of them but confused--the picture quality of 810 is little better,but moire is the still problem--750 is not rugged--when you see the bottom of the flip LCD you will get that dust can be easily accumulated there--electric cables are also there--750 was already reviewed--but was it in depth?light fall was too a issue--

Now I have seen some reviews are so fast in dpreview--NIkon 5500 for example.but why 810 is not?Photographers like me have many questions--moire problem,how can we get rid of big file sizes--RAW file is 18MB in DPREView.Dpreview has immense responsibility since we are associated with this site since inception and well wishers.

Now situation is-we are getting many info about 810 from other sites--not in our parent like dpreview!shame!

0 upvotes

@mayurgogoi I've shot more than 5000 pics since 3 month, never had a problem of moire with my D810. This camera is insanely good. Enjoy

2 upvotes

Here goes Nikon again with this D750 "issue". Are these people trying to drive customers away intentionally? Good grief. The D600 fiasco. The D800s with focus problems. The recall of early D810s. Now taking the D750 off the shelves? (That's a metaphor since I understand most sales are on the internet now, not brick and mortar stores.) I am so glad that I just got a D810 without waiting for the worthless full review from DPR(Amazon) that never materialized. The D810 is the best DSLR in the world, period. If you don't want 36MP, just change it in the menu to a lower resolution. Use it as a DX camera and get the reach of a 750mm telephoto from a 500. Anything you want. It just does the job, period. Nikon management needs to get their heads in the right place and stop trying to send their customers to Canon. And any credibility that DPR retained from the old days when it was the "go to" site, is gone.

Comment edited 13 minutes after posting

3 upvotes

The "D750 issue" is strongly exacerbated. You mostly hear the issues, less about the non effected bodies. Same as the early "white spot issue" of the D810 was a non-issue fixable by a firmware update. When you say that Nikon drives away customers, you are doing the same with your writing.
I agree that the D810 is (one of the) best DSLR on the market and that dpreview never delivered the review!

1 upvote

As with most camera "issues", they are rarely noted by actual owners/users of the "affected" camera. Everyone gets bent out of shape when the competition releases something new and exciting that their camera doesn't have. Some people take things too far and LOOK for problems. It's the old "If I can't beat them, I'll beat them down!" mentality.
When the autofocus issues with the 5Dii were first being noted, Canonistas harped at each other to keep it quiet. I'm sure these are the same people who jumped on every single Nikon "issue". As noted elsewhere on DPR, not every D600, D750, D800 or D810 was affected by a malady.
Be happy with your camera or change. Shoot or shut up. It's worse than kindergarten some days!

1 upvote

Captura, totally agree. The world of photography getting far too noisy(i mean voices), instead of peace and quiet of the art of shooting.

Of course, relatively new to digital, most of past with 4X5. But in the last few years, during research to learn about cameras that might replace my film cameras, it seems most review sites, especially DP Review becoming clogged with so called trolls, nasty negative-for-negative-sake people. Some just defensive to their own brand. Some just hateful people. I applaud DP Review's writers to simply add logic, common sense, and honest opinion. Yet DP Review seems to be the worst for total number of those previously mentioned nasty noisy people.

Is there any, at least one, review/comment sites for mostly pros who truly need a clearer, logical path to new equipment?

Of course, certainly can easily be accused of being a dreamer.

Thanks!

2 upvotes

Hi Galbertson,
Sadly, that dream shall remain a dream. Objectivity when it comes to camera gear is the same as it is in the automotive world. And I see people every day driving certain makes that are notoriously horrible and defending them with a fervor that would make a Templar shudder.
As soon as you mention "Review", the trolls attack. I think many of them have Google Alerts setup so they can respond quickly.
Your best resource is rarely the internet. Find a retailer and start talking to the staff. Find the person or people who know what you're talking about. And know what they're talking about. The only thing I liked about retail was helping others get the right gear. I'm a Nikon guy but I sold a lot of Canon, Sony, Fuji, etc because this was their gear not mine.
Unfortunately, intelligence in retail staff can be almost as elusive as honesty in online reviews :-( But you can find it!

1 upvote

Where is the proper review of this wonderful masterpiece?

Why it's not uploaded yet?

1 upvote

Thanks to my wife, I now own a D810; Merry Christmas! I came from a D7100. Just spent the weekend in NYC, midtown Manhattan. Friday was perfect, but Saturday and Sunday it rained non-stop. The D810 handled all the days flawlessly; the rain had no effect on this new, $3k camera.

My conclusion: forget about 36mp, forget about extra ISO capability; it's just a DSLR, treat it accordingly. If you're used to 24mp, like I am, then 36 is no great leap in resolution--on paper, maybe, but not in the real world. In the real world, it's still the same issues with all other cameras that make or break the shot, and the quality of the lens is where the real action is in any case. Outstanding? Sure. Superior? In every way. Does it matter? Not really.

3 upvotes

It's a shame! d750 review is out while D810 is still missing
I am curious to see D810 score, sure more than 90% 😉

4 upvotes

As I see the camera makes H264 8 bit 4:2:0 35Mbps video at 60 FPS. It would be nice to see a sample at 24/25 FPS to know if there is an improvement over the D800 which recorded at only 24Mbps.

1 upvote

Moreover, they have just released their weekly newsletter and this time it doesn't say anything about D810. Besides, now this preview is not accessible through the Reviews tab on the home page!

0 upvotes

7D Mark II review is on. That camera was announced later than D810. This is really ridicilous!

5 upvotes

I purchased a D810 based on this web site's preview and based on several other more reliable (not owned by a retailer) reviewers. After using it for a month or so, I can say that it's a significant improvement over the D800/E, the mirror and shutter assembly are very quiet, and they have fixed the mirror/shutter vibration issue that sometimes caused slight blurring of images at very high magnification. At 36MP, everything has to be just right - lens, camera, technique - or you will see an effect on the image, that would be invisible at 16 or 20 MP.
So if anyone is still waiting for DPR before buying this camera, don't wait. It's a great camera, and it does everything Nikon says it does with no bad habits. It's just not a forgiving camera, but I don't suppose that any 36MP full frame camera would be.
Regarding rebates, I'm guessing that Nikon's worldwide production of this model doesn't support any rebates. I haven't seen any offered, and I doubt that there will be.

1 upvote

I repeat, I appreciate that it will take time to write a review to the level we expect from DPreview but bloomin heck the 'first impressions was July, and tomorrow in December 1st. Santa realt reallt needs to know what I want!

2 upvotes

Hello. I realise that producing the detailed performance analysis that DPreview creates will of course take time, but I am sure many would be keen to see the full D810 review soon. Santa needs to know what I want!

7 upvotes

The D810 seems OK, BUT and it is big BUT, looking at the file sizes here the D810 file sizes are so much bigger than the D800/800E's for the same image at the same ISO- i.e. 74.3 MB @100 (D810) as against the 43.6MB @ 100 of the D800E,
that there really must be something very odd going on, as this means 4/7ths the number of shots to a card and vastly increased (by 4/7ths again) use of and consumption of Hard Drive Space, plus slower to work with files- that I as a user of Lightroom 4 and Elements 11 am unable to open with even the most recent updates- and I note with bitterness and rancour that Capture NX2 does NOT open D810 RAW files at all.
Are the original files here at compressed as against uncompressed? or 12 instead of 14 bit- what IS going on please????

Comment edited 1 minute after posting

0 upvotes

Surely the settings for recorded files are not similar. With "lossless compressed raw" setting, I get files of maximal 45MB with my D810. I suppose yours is set to "Uncompressed raw" instead!
Capture NX2 doesn't support the Nikon D810, you can download Capture NX-D instead (which is free) to open the files.

Comment edited 5 minutes after posting

0 upvotes

These figures come straight from the above Image Quality compared of the preview! They are Dpreview's own results of the same subject still life (above if you are on the right page of the preview- Studio Scene, Image Comparison tool) with the D810 and D800E set to RAW at 100 ISO. Take a look, the size difference is huge.
I do not have an 810, but if I was about to buy one this file size increase would put me off. I have an i7 with 16Gb ram and its just about enough with the 800's files. With the 810 you'll need 24Gb or 32Gb Ram to be as efficient, surely?

Comment edited 3 minutes after posting

0 upvotes

Surely they have the D800E and D810 at different settings then in their test. I checked my files and although I have some raw's of 50MB (fine details), most of them are around 40-45MB at full resolution and the camera set to "lossless compressed raw".

0 upvotes

Another thing that is not correct in this preview is that for AE bracketing a maximum difference between shots is specified as 1EV, my D810 clearly is able to shoot 5 shots at 2EV difference!
Seems like the preview was somewhat rushed and now we are still waiting for the full review..

0 upvotes

"We" are still waiting for a full review?

You bought it and you still need validation from someone else.

0 upvotes

@DenWil; It is like a gear fetish ;)

0 upvotes

Den,very much many of us waiting for full review, as we are the D750.

But agree, if i had either or both in hand(the D750 an ideal second body), i certainly would end my use of DP Review, would go out and get lost in shapes and color, a waste of energy to look back.

0 upvotes

Just get a Phase One

0 upvotes

In the October the 29th newsletter Barney says he is "writting the conclusion to the review", and now saying in today's most recent newsletter that he is "putting the finishing touches".

Even though I mostly agree with lorenzo, I really wonder whether dpreview would support the claim of less shake -due to the new mirror box mechanism and shutter- with some scientific methods, if there exist any, and set forth how much difference there is. So far other user and website reviews lack these aspects-- they merely say there is less shake.
.

0 upvotes

Here comes November, and the review is still not out!

3 upvotes

DPR has really dragged their feet getting this review out, for unknown reasons. Oh well, that's life with Nikon. There are enough user reviews and reviews on other sites similar to DPR, that whatever Barney has to say now will be quite irrelevant.

0 upvotes

Yes it is strange, the D810 is after the D800(E) a revolution in digital photography, but it takes ages to get a full review out!

1 upvote

No, it does not take ages to compile full review. Much of its data already out, well tested. It truly odd such an important camera to many photographers would be on hold to review. Then throw in lack of full review of D750, another great camera.

Christmas marketing season here NOW.

Hey, DPR very large corpoate linked company, most reviews are in some way.

Maybe Canon putting delay on Nikon full reviews, knowing full well how D750 and D810 would eat into early Christmas purchases.

Santa, it's on my list.

2 upvotes

I've just learned that dpreview is owned by amazon.com, and now I can clearly see why the review has not been published yet. Apparently they want to deliberately coincide the review with the Holiday Season to increase the sales.

While doing this, in today's newsletter they, again, state that they "are putting finishing touches to our review of the Nikon D810". They have been putting those magic touches for almost a month!! If I were them, I would not mention anything about D810 in those newsletters because they are acting us as if we are fools. What a shame!

3 upvotes

Mg428
Wow, rather depressing news. Easy to imagine how Amazon.com would compile great intellect to manipulate camera sales. If true that Nikon difficult to deal with, can imagine why DP Review/Amazon.com holds back on D810/D750 reviews. As it stands, Nikon has two great cameras, easy buys for large number of photographers.

Maybe Canon owned by Amazon??? :-o

1 upvote

January 2015, and no full review. Totally rediculous. I have rather enjoyed DPReview in past years, but honestly sense they getting lost in upper managment, not serving their photographers in need of timely data and testing...certainly on Nikon D810.

0 upvotes

I've been waiting for the full review too. But at this point, I'll just wait for the D810S since it should be out very soon. ;-)

1 upvote

I just purchased the D810 and started to compare it with my D800. By first feel, there are quite a few differences, so I think this upgrade is indeed, a quite significant one.

The grip is much more secure, the Metering button relocation makes sense, the BKT is also easy to reach, the new LCD is brighter and sharper, the viewfinder display is also better and clear looking, the ISO performance is better, the camera's shutter is MUCH more quiet, the processing is faster and so is the auto-focus and the frame-rate, which in DX mode is plenty enough for general sports photography even.

Though the D810 looks more or less as a D800, yet, I feel as the two are not the same at all. Like the D810 was/is a different and much better camera.

I'm probably going to try and sell my D800 if I can for a reasonable price, but it may be a challenge right now due to D810 and the D750.

Downside: So far, the one and only issue I see is "purple" tones on the images in the dark areas.

That's it... :)

3 upvotes

Thanks for your personal input! But why do you think the images are a little purple in the blacks? I know with the D750, i was experiencing greenish tints on my images in the LCD monitor. So I changed my brightness, but then found the problem to be a WB problem. This purple-ish tint isn't a problem like that, is it?

Thanks!

0 upvotes

Mr G Clips is right, try shooting at high iso, 6400 or 12800 slightly underexposed, adjust exposure during raw development and see the purple appear, mainly at the frame borders!

0 upvotes

Wonder as to when we can expect an in-depth review of the D810. Afterall the preview was in July and it is now... October! There was a time that DPReview "shined" in this respect. Just an observation...

8 upvotes

+1.

I am especially interested in dpreview's observation or even better technical analysis comparing D800/E and D810 in terms of camera shake due to the new mirror box and shutter mechanism employed in D810. So far other reviews or users say it is better, but we don't know how much better. I believe we cannot know this unless some technical analysis including solid numbers is carried out.

1 upvote

My primary reason to buy D810 is its electronic first curtain for best IQ. But I shoot mostly in live view exposure preview and above review states electronic first curtain not available in live view. How might that effect my IQ? Is there a workaround? I normally shoot 4X5, enjoying taking my time to get to image i want.

0 upvotes

@Galbertson:To use EFC in live view
1. Activate EFC in the menu
2. Switch to MLU mode on the upper left dial
Then activate the shutter TWICE:
1. First time to reset the sensor,
2. Second time to take the picture.
If you set exposure delay to e.g. 2 seconds, you only need to press once, as far as I know.

1 upvote

Hflm.
Thanks much for you answer. My guess i would use 2 second delay to keep any finger on shutter button movement. Can it be sent forlonger delay? Of course, i maybe could use remote release...but would prefer shutter delay to keep process simpler.

Thanks again!

0 upvotes

Hflm,
I forgot to mention before shuttering will be in live exposure preview. I only use lcd, only in full manual mode, much preferring to see constant effect on image as i juggle preferences of shutter speed(1/4-1/15 second mostly), ISO! And f stop. I am often critisized for not using evf and graphs/histograms. Just how I prefer to shoot.

In other words, can i use your technique if I am in live exposure preview?

0 upvotes

Could anyone tell me process to use older AI/AIS manual lenses? I know perameters of lens must be set in non lens menu. Does save data for my 24, 35 and 105mm lenses? Is/can data be recalled by camera buttons?

0 upvotes

I handled a D750 yesterday for a couple of minutes. I was considering it to replace my D700. But that is not going to work for me.
It felt so much smaller and less comfortable in my hands. Also the finder seemed much dimmer and smaller (don't know if that is only my perception).
In all the D700 is in a totally different class. So I am looking at the D810 again, even though the 36MB files are a bit too much for my taste.

0 upvotes

I've been looking for something to replace my D700's and, when I saw what the D750 was, bought a D810. It's early days but I haven't been disappointed so far. I used the 810 alongside a 700 at a wedding last week and, when post-processing, I have been surprised how much nicer (less noise, and obviously far more definition and a greater ability to crop) the D810 files are. So much so, in fact, that I'm thinking of selling both 700s and buying another 810. File size is a bit of an issue but the advantages brought by the newer camera in terms of picture quality significantly outweigh this issue, at least IMO - YMMV.
One thing - a Sigma 35mm 1.4 doesn't seem as sharp on the D810 so I'm going to have to look into that.
One other advantage that occurs to me - the quieter shutter is a godsend!

0 upvotes

The 36MP files (35-45MB) of the D810 (D800) are not to much at all!
I came from D300 which has the same 12MP as the D700. I am very happy with the resolution of the D810. Even with a significant crop there is still more resolution left then with 12MP.
Buy a 4TB drive (only US$149) and you can store around 100K photo's..

0 upvotes

@Patrick Dodds; My Sigma 35mm 1.4 had very disappointing sharpness as well on my D810 (especially at f/1.4). I bought the Sigma dock and recalibrated the lens, now it is my favorite lens..

Comment edited 4 minutes after posting

0 upvotes

Do not have d810 in hand...yet. Have downloaded both d810 and d750 users manual. The d750 seems to have limitations in Live View mode regarding live exposure preview. It will not totally show image in all scenarios, such as extreme low light. Has anyone compare the two cameras Live View exposure preview differences? I rarely use histogram, preferring to see my manual settings on lcd.

0 upvotes

How is the audio quality from it, and what is the video sampling quality?

0 upvotes

Great!

0 upvotes

Awesome.

0 upvotes

Thanks, you two made me curious :-)

0 upvotes

I don't know what you are doing with your lens in the studio test, but you are not getting the maximum out of the Nikon D800E/D810 compared to other AA filter equipped sensor cameras, the D800 being the first example. One does have to have the right glass and the correct technique to get these AAlfree sensors to really shine and you are not accomplishing this. Done correctly with the right glass and the difference is HIGHLY visible at 100%. DxO Mark rates the resolution increase at 30% and it is definitely visible in many other comparisons. Something is not right in your testing...

0 upvotes

hi guys
could anybody explain to me how does this
"Viewfinder type: Optical (tunnel)"
work?
It's a typo in the article?!

0 upvotes

Greetings,
Been researching intensly D810. Also D610 , but does not have Live View exposure preview...what a stupid deletion.

Does anyone know if new iPhone soon to be released work as as external monitor directly out of hdmi port?

0 upvotes

Ask that question on an iPhone forum.

0 upvotes

My question is not directed toward general iPhone users, nor is it directed toward general D810 users, but to the many, many D810 users who have experience with external monitors and might understand technical data within present and the future iPhone about it's compatability as external monitor. That question fits this forum much better than on Apple forums.

If a iPhone buyer knew of this, he would not rush out to buy a $3,500 camera...but if a D810 owner knew the $150 iPhone he had or could soon buy would work as external, he just might rush out to buy.

I will be buying D810 soon. Have researched external monitors. If iPhone worked as external monitor, i would wait to buy new iPhone 8.

0 upvotes

This is best logical forum to ask D810 users if they are using or plan on using iPhone 8 as their external monitor

0 upvotes

check out " idisplay" it might be a solution, maybe some workaround somewhere.

0 upvotes

Indeed, the lack of the exposure preview seems to be weird.
I wonder if that could be implemented later on in the firmware?

0 upvotes

No exposure preview??? In specs it states it has Live View preview. I would not contemplate this camera if I could not see my shutter speed/f stop/ISO settings before capture.

Quite some time ago, rejected purchase of Nikon D5300 because it did not have live view preview, only histogram before capture. I believe most, perhaps all, pro level FF cameras have live view preview. The D810 certainly a pro camera.

Will certainly dig into this, need to confirm before i purchase.

BUT, maybe you were referring to lack of live exposure preview in D610, which is true. Have yet to hear of any camera that live view preview added with update.

Nice to hear D750 has it, amongst other improvements over D610. Might even sway away from D810...but D750 has AA filter.

Comment edited 2 times, last edit 10 minutes after posting

0 upvotes

Looks like the exposure preview on the live view is there in the D810 by pressing the 'ok' button.

However didn't catch that in the manual for movie mode (maybe just got unnoticed when browsing quickly).

0 upvotes

With no filters sharpening is unecessary, but colour tends to improve with NX2- better than Adobe.

Is anyone using Capture One with theirs?

0 upvotes

Hmm, when i consult the studio scene, the IQ of the D800E is better than that of the D810. I would expect the IQ of the D810 should be better. It is clear when you compare the test charts at the left and bottom corners. Is this a result of this special setup, I can't imagine that the D810 performance is below the D800E.

Or do I misinterpret something

0 upvotes

The raw processing software manufacturers take some time to really get the most out of the conversion, so while it is supported now it should get better over time. I'm a D800E owner and I would expect to see a very small difference in favour of the D810 after a few months.

0 upvotes

@RichyjV
RAW is the RAW data, from the sensor and needs no big conversions, once the data I captured, I compared the raw data. The process which is constantly improved is the jpg-conversion. Off course all processes are improved, but the raw data is the data the sensor delivers, without fundamental conversions.

Maybe I am wrong, but it seems to me, in this studio scene, that the IQ of the D810 is worse than the IQ of the D800E and even other cameras.

Can you confirm that?

0 upvotes

RAW data is RAW data, but computers cant directly display RAW files. The RAW files have to be converted to something that can be viewed.

1 upvote

To get the most out of the D810, just like any other Nikon DSLR, you need a Nikon-based RAW Converter - "generic" ones like ACR into PS or LR doesn't show the full potential the Sensor is capable of.

@Willie

RAW is not simple RAW, each Brand does their own format, and some RAW files are pre-cooked inside the DSLR/DSLM, and the IQ varies with different RAW converters.

Comment edited 2 minutes after posting

3 upvotes

@Marc: do you mean that switching for my D800E from my current LR4.4 to NX2 would show a noticeable improvement?

That is of interest to me, as I'm in the process of getting a new laptop and possibly a separate screen (Eizo 24?).

0 upvotes

@marc

I have already a "Nikon based raw converter" I own the D800E and I've downloaded the RAW-files of D810, D800E and compared them. But I can't see much difference in IQ between them.

Besides that, what is the advantage in buying for a higher price a camera, which has no advantages in IQ, no matter, if the camera or the raw converter is responsible or not, if the user is not able to benefit from the higher price.

Regards

0 upvotes

@Mike4Black LR4 vs CNX2 (it's into german, my bad - but you can see the sample comparsions) http://www.foto-just.de/vgl_raw.0.html

@Coliban That's a very good question from you, indeed. Besides the slightly detail improvements of the D810, your D800E is a very good DSLR. My best Nikon currently is only a DX-based D7000, and i have a FF A7 Sony, too. The D810 is no revolution,
but a slightly evolution of the D800(E) concept. When you compare the D800E & D810, they're way close together with DxOMark, for some ppl it's worth to upgrade to the D810 because of many minor enhancements. Enjoy your great D800E Nikon.

0 upvotes

@Marc, vielen Dank; I can read German!

Cheers (Schüsz?),

Michiel

0 upvotes

Alright, nice. ;) Cheers!

1 upvote

The difference of D800E to D810 is there, but requires the best lenses to be visible. I subscribed to diglloyd.com. He has a very thorough test comparing both. The D810 is slightly sharper (could be sensor filter stack), but it's very close. The main advantage is autofocus improvement, LCD, EFCS amongst others. I really like my D810 and have problems now using our D610 or XT1, as the D810t is just mazing in most respects and the other cameras feel like toys compared to it.

1 upvote

Question regarding tripods for D810.

I am accustome d to large, heavy tripods for my 4X5. Since D810 has mirror up and electronic first curtain, can i use a much lighter tripod? I am used to working slowly, giving time for camera to settle down. Also will only be shooting 24-105mm lenses. How light can i go and still make full IQ of 36 mp?

My guess if i purchased light Sony A7R, would need my 4X5 tripod to settle down its agressive shutter shake.

0 upvotes

The answer to this question may be obvious to those on this forum exceptionally familiar with the engineering details of the D810, not so much for me....

Is there an impact on dynamic range, noise, etc. when using the D810 in something other than full resolution mode? 20 megapixel or 9 megapixel mode for example?

1 upvote

At least noise is less visible shooting with lower resolutions, don't know about DR

1 upvote

OK DPR we've been patient. it's been 2 + months since the this first impressions review was published. Where is the review? Have you found something that Nikon would not like to see in print? Have politics intervened? Are you just overworked? Understaffed? What could it be that delays publishing the test results of this marvel?

5 upvotes

May be DPR will be more cautious before giving 80+!Because after DPR giving Gold Ratings to FUJI FILM XT1--light leak discovered--same is happened in case of NIKON 610D--even some users complains about 610 WHEN THEY TRAVEL TO HIMALAYAS--

Comment edited 17 seconds after posting

0 upvotes

Viz. the lab report: To me it looks like the raw images of the D810 are the same as the raw images of the D800. This should not be so. I would like to suggest that dpreview stop using the 50mm lenses of Canon, Nikon and Sony and use the 55mm Zeiss Otus instead on tests of all 3 brands. This is not a lens test. It purports to be a sensor test. How can it be a sensor test when the D8xx sensors outresolve Nikon's 50mm lenses by a far margin?
I guess people who upgrade to 810 also have Zeiss lenses and they would like to see what more they will get from the 810 that they do not already have in the D800 (e). If time permits: The Zeiss 15mm, 50mm and 135mm would be good choices. ( I only have the 35mm F2 ). This test would also show us what more we get from 36 Mpix that we do not already have from the 20-24 Mpix range. ( I have a good idea - but that is not a professional's opinion ).

1 upvote

Your comment is well taken, if the sensor outpaces the lens, then a test is pointless. Also, a single lens across all platforms would rule out differences being attributable to having used different lenses. Very important to control this source of review error. I hope DP takes your advice. And as I seriously hesitate to buy without having had an in-depth review by DP, sure would be nice to see it soon!!!

Comment edited 3 times, last edit 2 minutes after posting

0 upvotes

Nikon’s service advisory for thermal issue (white dots) during long exposures with the D810 camera...

Read more on NikonRumors.com: http://nikonrumors.com/2014/08/19/nikons-service-advisory-for-thermal-issue-white-dots-during-long-exposures-with-the-d810-camera.aspx/#ixzz3AqgPMT6x

0 upvotes

I am considering D810 and like to know if the lens I am thinking about a single lens for general photography is good choice. I am thinking of Nikon AF-S FX 24-70/2.8D.

Comment edited 2 minutes after posting

0 upvotes

For 3oz and $ 700 less the Tamron is better says DXO lens testing.

http://www.dxomark.com/Lenses

The site requires searching but the test info is there...for every worthy lens

0 upvotes

I went for the Tamron 24 700 f2.8 could'nt have been happier

0 upvotes

Cameralabs has a very good comparison: http://www.cameralabs.com/reviews/Nikon_vs_Tamron_24-70mm_comparison/. I tested both, find the Nikon focuses faster and behaved better when shooting into the sun. As to DXO: look at the curves: Tamron is better for wide angle shots, wheres Nikon takes over from 50-70mm, so depends on your needs.
Another thing: if you want to use fine tuning, only ONE lens of a non-Nikon company can be tuned. All others use the same preset (or you remember it and set it to the desired value everytime you shoot). In case you add a macro or other lens, it's good to know that.

Comment edited 39 seconds after posting

1 upvote

Hoping to get D810 soon, use my pro AI manual lenses.

I know i will need to get into menu to set up for non cpu lenses. Do i have to go back into menu every time i change lenses, or does connections and memory in camera remember the lens attached? It would be frustrating and time consuming if have to dive into menu to make settings every lens change. If so, might be forced to buy new set of lenses.

0 upvotes

Concerning Lab Report No 10.
What does this say (if anything) about shutter vibration caused sharpness issues when using a shutter speed higher than 1/80 sec? Will a higher shutter speed eliminate the shutter vibration caused sharpness issues? if so, at what shutter speed will all vibration issues be eliminated?
or
Are there shutter vibration issues at all shutter speeds, and the only way to eliminate them is by using the mirror up mode ?

1 upvote

Anyone done any performing arts photography with the 810 yet? I shoot mostly dance and theater and have relied on my D4 pretty exclusively to do so. However, the D810 looks pretty interesting.

FPS speed is a non issue for me. Focus speed / accuracy and high dynamic range are.

1 upvote

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