The Review
We haven't had a chance to fully test this product yet, but we've assembled this helpful overview of relevant information on it.
Nikon's latest FX-format DSLR camera comes in the D800 which offers an amazingly high 36.3-megapixels which Nikon claims to be the highest in the world for non-fixed lens cameras.
Nikon is hitting big with their cameras in 2012 already having announced the D4 the company will also be releasing the 36.3-megapixel FX-format D800. It comes with Nikon’s newest FX-format CMOS sensor and the new EXPEED 3 image-processing engine that Nikon introduce with the D4. D800s come with a standard ISO range of 100 to 6400 and Nikon says that it comes with equivalents for ISO 50 (Lo 1) and 25600 (Hi 2). There’s a 91k RGB sensor and a 51-point AF system which is a much-lauded system from the D3 and D4 cameras.
The camera can record in 1920 by 1080 full-HD video cameras. It can record up to 30 frames per second. A microphone is available and it can record time-lapse photography. Nikon claims that the camera is light-weight, dust- and water-proof. On the back of the camera is a 3.2-inch LCD screen. There are slots for CompactFlash and SD dual memory cards. It also has a SuperSpeed USB (3.o) port.
Features List:
- 36.3-megapixel FX-format CMOS sensor
- EXPEED 3 image-processing engine
- ISO 100 to 6400
- 91k RGB sensor
- 51-point AF system
- 1080p HD videos
- Dust- and water-proof
- 3.2-inch LCD screen
- CF and SD card slots
- USB 3.0 port
Digital Trends’ Camera Buying Tips:
What about shooting video?
Within the past few years, video has gone from a novel sideshow that yielded almost unusably bad results, to a legitimate secondary purpose for many point-and-shoot cameras. Although you probablt won’t want to replace your dedicated camcorder with a camera that also shoots video, many will do the job just fine for short, impromptu clips.
First off, pay attention to the resolution a camera can capture – VGA (640 x 480) is now common on point-and-shoot cams, while 720p is getting more frequent and 1080p sometimes crops up on DSLRs. Video in the AVCHD format – the same type real digital camcorders shoot – is preferable to other formats. Pay attention to the encoding bitrate, measured in megabits per second (mbps). The higher the rate, the more detailed the videos will look, although they will take up more space on your storage card as well.
What are my options?
There are two basic types of digital cameras-point-and-shoot and D-SLRs (Digital Single Lens Reflex). Point and shoot digicams-or as we like to call them “aim and forget”-make up the vast majority of models sold (over 90 percent). The reason is simple: in a single gadget you have everything you need to take good photos. Just aim, zoom in on your subject, press the shutter and the camera does all the work. More sophisticated D-SLRs have interchangeable lenses that let you unleash your inner Annie Leibovitz-they offer higher quality, faster response time and more flexibility. They also are a lot heavier and cost much more. Your decision between the two is purely personal and totally dependent on your level of commitment to photography. No matter which way you go there are basics that hold true for all cameras. Learning them will help you make the right decision.
What’s the difference between optical and digital zoom?
Like megapixels, manufacturers frequently throw around big numbers relating to digital zoom. Like megapixels, you should ignore them. Optical zoom uses real optics to get you closer to your subject, while digital zoom merely takes the same amount of pixels you would have in a standard shot and blows them up to fill the frame. The camera captures no more detail. It’s the same zooming or cropping trick you could pull in Photoshop, done in the camera on the fly. While that can sometimes be handy, image quality suffers severely as a result, and most photographers would never use digital zoom.
How many megapixels do I need?
In 2000, the answer to this question was “more is always better.” In 2010, the answer is more likely “if you have to ask, you have enough.” Even the cheapest cameras these days typically pack eight or more megapixels onto a sensor, which produces superb 4 x 6 prints, all the way up to 8 x 10, and sometimes more. The physical size and quality of the image sensor along with the corresponding optics play a much bigger role in image quality than megapixels alone, so don’t be fooled into thinking more megapixels will produce better photographs. Unless you’re planning to blow up shots to poster or billboard size, any modern camera has enough resolution.
When you’re researching different cameras, manufacturers will state the maximum file (or picture) size you can take. In the case of a 6 megapixel (MP) camera, it’s 2816 horizontal pixels x 2112 vertical pixels, with 7MP it’s 3072 x 2304 and so on. Simply multiply the numbers and you get the effective resolution of the imaging device. We suggest you avoid anything less than 6 or 7MP at this point unless you’re looking for an inexpensive camera for the kids.
Pros have access to 21-megapixel imagers in very expensive D-SLRs. You don’t have to go this route or spend that much money for great everyday photos. However, 6MP should be your minimum and if you plan on making very large prints, such as 13x19s, or you feel you’re going to experiment cropping photos with imaging software, consider 8- or more megapixels. There are no hard and fast rules since so much depends on your final end use
