Cheap Price Nikon D800 36.3 MP CMOS FX-Format Digital SLR Camera (Body Only) for sale in USA
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Availability: Temporarily out of stock. Order now and we'll deliver when available. We'll e-mail you with an estimated delivery date as soon as we have more information. Your credit card will not be charged until we ship the item. 4 new or used available from $2,999.00 Average customer review: (38 customer reviews) |
Product Description
Hold in your hands an HD-DSLR able to capture images rivaled only by that produced by a medium-format camera: extremely low noise, incredible dynamic range, the most faithful colors, the broadest tonal range. Meet the Nikon D800, a 36.3 megapixel FX-format D-SLR for professional photographers who require end results of the highest quality; who demand superior performance, speed, handling and a fully integrated imaging system. For multimedia professionals, 36.3MP means true 1080p HD cinematic quality video. The essential tool for today’s still and video professional, every photo will astound, every video will dazzle.
Product Details
- Amazon Sales Rank: #29 in Camera & Photo
- Color: Black
- Brand: Nikon
- Model: 25480
- Released on: 2012-03-20
- Dimensions: 48.43" h x 32.28" w x 57.48" l, 1.98 pounds
- Display size: 3.2
Features
- Extreme resolution 36.3-megapixel FX-format (35.9 x 24.0mm) CMOS sensor
- Full 1080p HD broadcast quality video and minimized rolling shutter
- View simultaneous Live View output on external monitors and record uncompressed video via HDMI terminal
- Multi-Area Full HD D-Movie Video Recording Mode
- Comprehensive high fidelity audio recording and playback control
Editorial Reviews
From the Manufacturer
The Nikon D800
Every photo will astound. Every video will dazzle.
Hold in your hands an HD-SLR able to capture images rivaled only by those produced with a medium-format camera: extremely low noise, incredible dynamic range and the most faithful colors. Meet the Nikon D800, a 36.3 megapixel FX-format HD-SLR for professional photographers who require end results of the highest quality, who demand superior performance, speed, handling and a fully integrated imaging system. For cinematographers and multimedia professionals, 36.3 MP means true 1080p HD cinematic quality video. Inputs for stereo microphones and headphones, a peak audio meter display, DX crop mode to maximize NIKKOR lens selection and increase angle of view plus much more—the D800 is the essential tool for today's still and video professional.
D800 and D800E
Which is right for you?
Every Nikon DSLR camera uses an optical low pass filter (OLPF) in front of its sensor to slightly blur the image at a pixel level in order to reduce the occurrence of false colors and moiré that can appear when shooting repetitive and/or fine patterns. For the vast majority of photographers, the D800 provides an ideal balance between sharpness and effectively prevented moiré and false color, ideal for shooting using all file formats. D800E is a specialized camera that removes the "effect" of the OLPF, which results in a slight gain in sharpness and resolution and is recommended for studio and still life professionals but carries an increased possibility that moiré and false color will appear.
| D800 | D800E |
|---|---|
| Strikes an ideal balance between sharpness and preventing the occurrence of false color and moiré for consistent performance | Slight increase in sharpness and resolution with increased occurrence of false color and moiré |
Ideal for:
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Ideal for:
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D800 and D800E: Comparison of false color and moiré
With the D800E, false color and moiré may be noticeable when shooting repetitive and/or fine patterns. Enlarge
D800 and D800E: Comparison of resolution
Compared to the D800, the D800E reproduces textures with slightly higher resolution for sharper rendering and greater depth. Enlarge
What else is different?
Other than the very slight image quality differences described above, the D800 and D800E perform exactly the same. Focus speed, exposure metering, shooting speed, movie recording, accessory compatibility, control location and function, and all other aspects are identical.
Reveal every nuance, every detail
The 36.3 megapixel FX-format advantage
Wedding, commercial or landscape, the D800 is the ultimate 36.3 MP FX-format camera for creative genius. Witness tonal range and precision rendered to supreme clarity, depth and texture. Make poster sized prints without sacrificing detail. Explore creative opportunities with ISO 100 to 6,400 (expanded up to 25,600)—shoot from dawn to dusk. Experience Nikon's new Advanced Scene Recognition System featuring a 91,000-pixel RGB light meter capable of rendering unprecedented levels of accuracy to AF, AE, i-TTL flash control, face recognition and auto white balance. Nikon's new EXPEED 3 image processing reduces color phase shifts seen with lesser systems, producing more faithful colors and tones while managing massive amounts of data at breakthrough speed. With the D800 in your hands, achieve what was once unreachable.
Broadcast quality video
A full cinematic experience
Filmmakers, multimedia professionals and event photographers—record Full HD 1080p at 30/25/24p or 720p at 60/50p in AVC-HD format. Produce to your exacting vision when working in manual mode, controlling aperture, ISO, AF and shutter speed. Record uncompressed files via HDMI to an external recording device via HDMI. Widen production perspective using either Nikon FX or DX lens formats at Full HD 1080p and 16:9 aspect ratio. Attach headphones and check audio levels or monitor input via peak audio meters as displayed on the camera's LCD monitor. Microphone sensitivity can be adjusted in up to 20 steps. Remotely start and stop video. Simultaneously Live View footage on the camera's LCD monitor and external monitor during recording are possible.
Render every megapixel with precision
Fast, precise 51-point wide area coverage
Precise AF detection is critical to sharply render every pixel of the D800's massive resolution count. An improved 51- point AF system with 15 Cross Type AF sensors, versatile AF area modes and superb AF detection in even the dimmest lighting deliver immediate, pinpoint focus. Fast shot-to-shot time, full resolution frame rate up to 4 fps, 6 fps in DX crop mode using MB-D12 Multi-Power Battery Pack and ultra fast CF and SD card write times. For more productive workflow, high-speed data transfer using USB 3.0 is realized. For demanding professionals, the D800 responds immediately and precisely.
Versatile shooting, fluid operation
Streamlined ergonomic design puts critical tasks a touch away
Intuitive design makes D800 operation a thing of beauty. A streamlined ergonomic body allows critical photography and video tasks, including Movie Record, Live View, White Balance and Picture Control to be performed at the touch of a button. Confirm image capture and view menu options, histograms, video settings and more using the D800's super sharp 3.2-inch 921,000-dot LCD screen with 100% coverage. Anti-glare coating and auto brightness control ease of viewing, no matter the environment. Enlarge images up to 46x for on-the-spot focus confirmation. Magnesium alloy construction and environmental sealing make the D800 as comfortable in the field as in the studio.
EXPEED 3 image processing
Nikon's EXPEED 3 technology extends and assures breathtakingly rich image fidelity and reduces noise, even at high ISO's. EXPEED 3 is so powerful that it handles data-intensive tasks such as Full-HD video recording at 30p with ease.
Rich image previewing
The D800's 3.2-inch super-sharp 921,000-dot LCD monitor automatically adjusts LCD brightness and visibility according to your environment for bright, crisp image playback, menu adjustment and Live View shooting. Enlarge images up to 46x to make on the spot focus confirmation—crucial for high resolution shooting.
Expand dynamic range with built-in HDR
Create a single image revealing an extremely wide dynamic range, but with less noise and rich color gradation than ever before. Combine two exposures at up to 3EV.
Dedicated picture control button
The convenient Picture control button provides six preset options: Vivid, Monochrome, Neutral, Standard, Landscape and Portrait for stills and video while 9 customizable settings provide advanced, personalized color control.
Customer Reviews
Most helpful customer reviews
146 of 150 people found the following review helpful.
A clear improvement over the already excellent D700
By M. Billon
I know that the D800 is not really the replacement model over the D700. Nevertheless, it did replace my old D700 and the D800 is, I believe, better suited for my photographic needs than the D700, i.e., studio, portraits, and landscape.
The D700 was and still is an outstanding DSLR. The D800 is of course better, but in a very perceptible way, which was quite a surprise to me.
I have done over 5000 shots since my purchase on 24 March. So far, no issues to report: no green cast from the LCD and no problems with the CLS system.
Nikon has really outperformed with this new DSLR and the clear improvements are:
- Much improved Dynamic Range, which was my main problem since my first DSLR
- Better colors straight off the camera: deeper and richer
- Better AF in low light
- Highly detailed photographs at full res, 100% magnification and also when down-scaling the photos.
Let's not forget a proper and useable HD video feature at broadcasting quality.
On the negative side (there has to be some):
- The zoom in and zoom out buttons are reversed from the old models, which is now more logical, but I am used to the old wrong way! it's a minor problem of course.
- D4 has backlit buttons, why not on the D800? This can't be that expensive to include.
- Very expensive Battery pack, this is a major drawback for me. But yes, the D800 is well priced at $3000. I just hate ridiculously priced accessories.
- still wonder the point of having 1 CF slot and 1 SD slot. 2 CF slots would have been superb. But I guess if you come from a SD card DSLR, that would be practical for you.
One crucial point that has to be considered when acquiring a 36MP DSLR: storage will be an issue. I just purchased a 4TB ext hard drive. A 14-bit RAW file (uncompressed) coming from the D800 will average 75MB.
I just shot a wedding, and I consider the D800 to be an excellent choice for the job. All the complains about shots being more blurry at 100% magnification are irrelevant. One has to be precise with his/her settings, at the right exposure and optimal shutter speed, results can be absolutely mind-blowing. And since most won't need 36MP for wedding photographs, down-scaling images will certainly eliminate slight camera-shake or noise.
One particular aspect that I appreciate is that my Nikkor 85mm f/1.4G is now tack-sharp at f/1.4. I had a front focusing issue with my old D700 even with the fine-tune option set to max. Since I'm no techie geek, I still don't understand why the D700 gave me problems with the 85mm.
Anyway, I used to be one of those people saying that digital photography will never replace film photography. The D800 has changed all that.
81 of 85 people found the following review helpful.Best in Class
By Emmanuel
...
See that my purchase is verified by Amazon. Below are my observations after one month of ownership.
Pros:
+ Resolution: Beautiful detail, just make sure that your lenses are up to the task.
+ Dynamic Range: Incredible, when shooting in lower ISO's it is near impossible to ruin a photo. Do an internet search for: "fred miranda d800 review Yosemite" to see real life comparisons.
+ Color: Adobe profiles are horrible, create custom profiles using a MacBeth chart with Adobe DNG profiler and the colors will amaze.
+ AutoWB: Excellent, much better than the D3/D700. *** See Tip Below ***
+ Low ISO: Having a true 100 ISO is godsend for on-location studio lighting setups.
+ High ISO: The D800 and LR4 do an excellent job in controlling noise. Using PS plugins a properly exposed image can print acceptable 6x9's at 12800 ISO (max for D3/D700's is 6400).
+ LiveView: The live exposure preview is a new and pleasant feature.
+ Build and Weatherproofing: I shot three weddings with this camera and all three had slight to heavy rain. The camera performed excellent in all occasions, as did my D3.
+ Handling: The auto ISO is easy to engage and the new position of the ISO button is more intuitive when looking through the viewfinder than on the D700. Like the D700, the D800 is extremely customizable.
+ Autofocus modes: S(ingle) AF point is very good for stationary subjects at close and far distances; 9 point AF: works well with close range subjects that move, but in long distance shots it may select a contrasty pattern on the shoulder and throw the eyes a bit out of focus; 3-D: tries to follow the subject based on color and it works quite well; Auto: looks for what it thinks it the closest face. It comes in handy when taking action photos with the camera overhead.
Neutral:
~ Handling: I prefer the AF switches of the D700. The magnification + - are opposite from the D700, a small irritation.
~ Exposure: Better than D3/D700, but far from perfect. Contrary to Nikon's literature, it struggles with backlit scenes.
~ Frames per second: I rarely shoot in continuous, and when I do, I have my D3/D700 set to CL (continuous low-speed) of 3 FPS.
~ Battery Performance: It can get me through a full day's shoot if I avoid extensive LiveView or WiFi use, otherwise I need to use a backup battery.
~ Autofocus: The AF is very similar to the D3/D700, good but could have been better. The center sensors are quick and reliable, the extreme corners work well, but they are not as quick and require high contrast subjects. For example, when shooting with the razor-thin DOF of the 85mm 1.4, slight rocking back and forth movements will cause plenty of out of focus shots. Set the camera on a tripod and the outer sensor works perfect on subjects with contrast. The center sensors are quicker at micro adjustments and compensates quickly for movements.
Cons:
- Software: Nikon software can produce excellent results, but it is clunky and slow.
- Handling: The mode selector button is awkwardly placed. I prefer the D7000 U1/U2 style custom banks.
- JPEG: Nikon has the worst jpeg engine; competitors like Olympus, Panasonic, and Canon put Nikon to shame. Although I would never shoot JPG, there are those that do, and this camera will let them down.
- Autofocus: 1.) All 51 points are still too centrally located 2.) No increase in cross-type sensors over the D3/D700 3.) All the cross-type AF sensors are in the middle. 4.) Like the D3/700, the outer sensors are near useless in low lit, low contrast situations.
- LiveView: There is a well reported bug when using LiveView at 100% viewing, although I am still able to focus, I heard that is a deal-breaker for many landscape shooters. I have no idea how people survived 100 years of film or shoot $20k+ Hasselblad's.
D800 resolution on tested lenses:
* Nikon 24-70 2.8 G: Center is good at f/4, excellent from 5.6-9; Corners good from f/5.6-9, OOF CAs are very high from F/2.8 to 5.0; works well for studio/fashion work
* Nikon 35mm 1.4 G: Center and corners are good from F/1.4-2.8, all excellent from F/3.6-11
* Nikon 50mm 1.8 G: Center and corners are good from F/1.8-2.5, all excellent from F/2.8-11
* Sigma 85mm 1.4: Center and corners are good from F/1.4-2.0, all excellent from F/2.5-9
* Nikon 85mm 1.4 G: Center is excellent and corners are good from F/1.4-2.0, all excellent from F/2.5-11
* Nikon 85mm 1.8 G: Excellent center and corners from F/1.8-9
* Nikon 70mm-200mm 2.8 G: Center is excellent and corners are good from F/2.8-4, all excellent from F/5-11
*** TIP *** Remove the dreaded Nikon green cast by shifting the WB Fine-Tune (pg. 149) 2 points toward Magenta on each setting, (Auto, Daylight, etc..) and enjoy perfect skin tones.
Summary:
Using proper technique, the images this camera produces are superior to the D3/D700 in every measurable aspect. Would I jump systems for this camera? If I owned a large collection of top-tier gear, NO! Otherwise, I would consider it if I was not too invested into another system. Does it equal or better Medium Format? There are differences in perspective, DOF, FOV, and CANNOT BE COMPARED.
Having shot Canon (FD, 630, A2, Elan II, 20D, 40D, 5D I &II, 1D's) Nikon (FM, F4, F100, D200, D300s, D7000, D700, D800, D3), Fuji (S3, S5), Mamiya (645, RB67), and Hasselblad (H4D-40), I know that they are excellent tools that are capable of creating amazing images. Pick the one that best fits your needs and enjoy the fine art of photography and avoid online forums. :)
465 of 521 people found the following review helpful.Unbiased Review of 5DmkIII vs D800
By se
I'm a Sony shooter with only a few lenses. I use to shoot Canon during the film days. I tested both the Canon 5D mkIII and the Nikon D800 and here are my results. I tested a 5DmkIII with a 24-70 f2.8 lens and a Nikon D800 (not D800e) with a 24-70 f2.8 lens.
High ISO:
About the same, except D800 has a lot more detail to work with. In Lightroom, I can save a higher percentage of ISO 6400 shots because the D800 has more detail. Canon seems cleaner initially in Lightroom but when the picture fits into a 24" 1920x1080 monitor or a 64" Samsung plasma TV, the Nikon looks a tad cleaner, noise less noticeable. I think the Canon looks cleaner in Lightroom because it is just a smaller picture. But displaying ISO 6400 shots on a monitor or TV, Nikon looks nicer in general. Both cameras at ISO 12,800 look awful and not recoverable in Lightroom. It might look acceptable as a really small pic but why the heck would you buy an expensive camera to display crappy looking pictures?
Frames per second:
Easy winner. Canon can shoot 6 FPS, Nikon 4 FPS. However, in practice I think 4 FPS is pretty good. None of these cameras are really Olympic style sports cameras.
Resolution:
Easy winner. Nikon's RAW files are more detailed, almost 3D like. I can't really explain it other than the pictures look more real. I can crop a photo to 1/3 it's size (12 megapixels) and it still looks stunning. I wonder how much better the D800e version is. I'll have to wait until my friend receives his to find out.
JPEG:
Easy winner. Out of the camera, the Canon JPEGs are phenomenal. The processing done is quite remarkable.
RAW:
Easy winner. If you shoot RAW, Nikon is it. Also there is an issue with the Canon with the color red. I think the color is overblown at times because all the details are loss and not recoverable in Lightroom. Not always but it has happened at least twice. The same photo on the Nikon kept all the details.
Autofocus:
About the same. Canon and Nikon have awesomely quick autofocus and I couldn't determine a difference. The only caveat is that Nikon focuses better in lowlight (without the autofocus assist lamp) and also the Nikon focuses when there is almost no light (with the autofocus assist lamp). Why the heck doesn't Canon include an autofocus assist lamp is beyond me. Also, Nikon's face detection is extremely useful because it focuses right on the eyeballs.
Flash:
Easy winner. Canon doesn't have built in flash. Nikon flash worked surprisingly well.
Dynamic Range:
Easy winner. Nikon knocked it out of the park. I got a lot less blown highlights with shots with white clothing and more realistic blue skys. Also, there is a lot more headroom on both the highlights and shadows on the Nikon when editing in Lightroom. How did Nikon have better shadows and highlights! They have to share some of that technology!
Video:
Suprisingly about the same. I would have thought that Canon's lead in video would maintain. Surprisingly, the Nikon's video was just as awesome as the Canon. Nikon's video has a bit more detail and is definitely a little sharper than the Canon. I didn't test Nikon's uncompressed HDMI out, although it seems to be a useful feature (this is like RAW HDMI output for video). Canon should adopt uncompressed HDMI out also.
Price:
Easy winner. Why anyone (who doesn't already have Nikon or Canon lenses) would buy this Canon for $500 more than the Nikon would need to think twice. I can see why the Nikon is selling so much better than the Canon, at least on Amazon.
Comfort:
Both about the same weight. Both feel nice in the hand. Canon possibly slightly more comfortable if you have bigger hands. Nikon maybe more comfortable with smaller hands. Both are fine though.
USB transfer:
Nikon wins with USB 3.0. Skipping the card reader altogether by just plugging in the camera to the computer is convenient. Also the transfer speed is much much faster than Canon's older USB 2.0. This saves a lot of time.
LCD Screen:
Canon has slightly better screen in direct sunlight (LCD facing up towards the sun). Nikon is better when the LCD is not directly facing the sun. Nikon's screen is crisper and more 3D like.
Weatherproofing:
My last day of shooting was in a light mist/drizzle. I was shooting both cameras again for about 20 minutes when the Canon 5D mkIII developed some fogging inside the viewfinder screen. I could not wipe it away as it seemed to be inside the camera. I could no longer take pictures normally without live view. Nikon didn't have this problem and I continued to shoot the rest of the day with the Nikon in the same wet conditions without issue. I had planned to shoot at least 2 weeks with both cameras so this was definitely a bummer.
Lenses:
Both Canon and Nikon's 24-70 2.8 lenses are great. I would say the Canon 24-70 2.8 is just a tad faster on focus. Nikon is slightly sharper in the corners. Both Nikon and Canon seem to have a very comparable lens assortment (although my wallet won't be happy buying so many new lenses!)
Well, after using both cameras for about a week, I kept the Nikon D800 and returned my (possibly water damaged) Canon 5D mkIII. Both are phenomenal cameras but D800 has definitely outclassed the 5D mkIII in this round. Maybe Canon will come back strong with its next version. It definitely has some catching up to do.
Thanks for reading my review and I'll also post this on the Nikon D800 and Canon 5D mkIII review page. Best of luck to all you photogs and enjoy these phenomenal cameras!
