Bought a D800

[Joseph]

After a long trip where my hand got really sore due to handling the D600, I decided that I should move to a different direction. I was deciding between the D800 and the D3s but eventually, the D800 won out. I sold the D600 and bought a D800. I just received it a couple of days ago and my first impression is that... It's definitely heavier than the D600.

Ergonomics - however, is better. IQ - I don't know yet as I haven't really used it, but snapshots look good so far. It's nice to have a round viewfinder again :smile: I kept my DK-17m when I sold the D700 and I just popped it on the D800 and the VF looks great! The shutter sounds more like my old Nikon FE, with a solid "clunk", unlike the D600's smooth shutter. I really like the meter bar on the top LCD, which is something the D600 doesn't have. Also, no more worrying about the plastic mount when mounting big glass.

What I'm really missing from the D600 is the U1/U2 custom settings. I hope that Nikon implements this on the D800 successor, because the custom menu banks is totally useless for what I want to do.

I went to the park and took some snapshots just to test it out. Found out that 200 images is about 10 Gigs! YIKES!!
I think the DR is about the same as the D600. Crop-ability is better. Editing on LR4 and CS6, it seems that they are eating up my 8GB's of RAM quickly. This never happened with the D600 NEFs.

Anyways.. here are some of my first snaps with the D800. I need a lot of practice. this is a different beast! :redface:

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D8H_5955 by JGI, on Flickr

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hbird by JGI, on Flickr

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D8H_5944 by JGI, on Flickr

 

[Wimorrison]

All I can say is that you made an excellent choice and have taken some super images with it.

If this is what you can do with a new camera, goodness knows how good they will be once you are used to it!!

Again, lovely images

 

[tewmom]

Beautiful images! I am waiting for mine to arrive!

 

[greyhound]

brill!

steven

 

[Beagledog]

Lovely images!!! i really like the hummingbird!

The only problem you will now have is that every lens is not quite good enough and you will have that NAS disease forcing you to replace all your lenses with the latest, most expensive and sharpest Nikon glass. I know it happened to me, when i got the D800, I just had to buy new lenses.

But, now i am poor, but happy.

cheers and good luck with the new D800

alexis

 

[wingspar]

I looked long and hard at the D600, but it just had too many negatives for me, but the D800 had zero negatives, and the decision to buy the D800 was swift. It’s not as heavy as I was expecting, but I never held a D600.

I have not shot any RAW yet, but I can tell the size of the D800 jpg files over my D300 files do load slower, but once on my computer they are fine. My computer is 6 years old, but I built it from scratch to last. Same difference I noticed between the D2H files and D300 files. The resolution and color are just wonderful on the D800. I’m very happy with my choice, and this is my first FX body. Been years since I shot any film, so my memory of FX has disappeared.

 

[FREDO RIDER]

WOW, Great start !
These photos are really nice Joseph.

 

[Joseph]

All I can say is that you made an excellent choice and have taken some super images with it.

If this is what you can do with a new camera, goodness knows how good they will be once you are used to it!!

Again, lovely images

Beautiful images! I am waiting for mine to arrive!

brill!

steven

Thanks! :smile:

Lovely images!!! i really like the hummingbird!

The only problem you will now have is that every lens is not quite good enough and you will have that NAS disease forcing you to replace all your lenses with the latest, most expensive and sharpest Nikon glass. I know it happened to me, when i got the D800, I just had to buy new lenses.

But, now i am poor, but happy.

cheers and good luck with the new D800

alexis

Thanks Alexis. I already have a few good glasses... if NAS strikes again I'd be dead, lol.

I looked long and hard at the D600, but it just had too many negatives for me, but the D800 had zero negatives, and the decision to buy the D800 was swift. It’s not as heavy as I was expecting, but I never held a D600.

I have not shot any RAW yet, but I can tell the size of the D800 jpg files over my D300 files do load slower, but once on my computer they are fine. My computer is 6 years old, but I built it from scratch to last. Same difference I noticed between the D2H files and D300 files. The resolution and color are just wonderful on the D800. I’m very happy with my choice, and this is my first FX body. Been years since I shot any film, so my memory of FX has disappeared.

I'm loving the 36MP resolution.. but I think a new storage drive is in order :wink:

 

[Joseph]

WOW, Great start !
These photos are really nice Joseph.

Thanks Fredo!

 

[stevieboi]

Anyways.. here are some of my first snaps with the D800. I need a lot of practice. this is a different beast! :redface:

Not much practice required.......actually I'd say non!!!

Steve....

 

[GuaroGuaro]

beautiful images.

 

[FutureFocus]

Which lenses were used to take those?

Very nice!

 

[Joseph]

Not much practice required.......actually I'd say non!!!

Steve....

beautiful images.

Which lenses were used to take those?

Very nice!

Thanks!
These were taken with the Nikon 200 f/2 VR.

 

[Dman51]

Will miss your posts in the D600 capture thread Joseph but enjoy the D800 will keep tabs on your posts as I'm sure the images will be as amazing!

 

[Joseph]

Will miss your posts in the D600 capture thread Joseph but enjoy the D800 will keep tabs on your posts as I'm sure the images will be as amazing!

Thanks Dustin. After a week with the D800, I think I'll save up for another D600 as a second body, so I will be back :smile:

 

[ariel777]

Excellent choice, Joseph. "Need a lot of practice"? :biggrin: You are joking of course. The images speak volumes. :wink:

 

[avyoung]

Joseph congrats man! Great images as aways!

I hope the new firmware improves AFC tracking performance. It's the only thing that bugs me with the d800 (besides slow RAW processing on my old computer)

 

[Joseph]

Excellent choice, Joseph. "Need a lot of practice"? :biggrin: You are joking of course. The images speak volumes. :wink:

Thanks Ariel.. the 800 handles differently than the 600. The button placements are different. The whole ergonomics is different. I still find myself reaching for the left dial which of course, isn't there anymore :tongue: i have to re-train my muscle memory again.

Joseph congrats man! Great images as aways!

I hope the new firmware improves AFC tracking performance. It's the only thing that bugs me with the d800 (besides slow RAW processing on my old computer)

Thanks Alan, glad to be part of "the club" :smile:

I did not waste time and loaded the updated firmware as soon as I got the camera. Didn't even bother using it with the old firmware.

I spent a few hours yesterday AF Fine tuning my lenses, like I always do when buying a new body. I am surprised that all my lenses (minus the 200 f2) now needed some sort of adjustment, whereas on the D600, only the 200 f/2 needed an adjustment. After fine-tuning each one, they are tack sharp as heck!! I even fine tuned the 16-35 (which I never ever fine tuned even when I had a D700 & D600) and even that lens became significantly sharper.

My advice to anyone buying a new body, regardless of what it is - spend some time AF Fine tuning your lenses. It DOES make a huge difference.

 

[idleowen]

if those are just 'snapshots' I want to see some of your other photos....very nice!

 

[Someguy]

These look great, Joseph! I held the 600 and 800 side by side and found the 800 not that much heavier and the handling was also better.

I ended up buying nothing at all