Nikon D800 review

This is Nikon’s second full-frame DSLR that’s priced within reach of semi-pro and enthusiast photographers. The D700 had a tough time competing with the best Canon had to offer, but the contest between the D800 and its rivals looks set to be much closer.

The D800’s trump card is its 36.3-megapixel sensor. This is by far the highest resolution outside of medium-format cameras, and images shot on this camera at full resolution will give you A2 prints at 300dpi. We wonder how many people need such a high resolution, but the option to crop photos and still have plenty of pixels to play around with is one compelling argument.

That’s an awful lot of data to shift around, though, so it’s little surprise that the D800 is slower than the Canon EOS 5D Mark III in continuous mode. To its credit, 36 photos at 4fps equates to more pixels per second than the Canon’s 6fps mode and 22.3-megapixel resolution. However, the D800 doesn’t have the processing power to keep up this speed indefinitely, slowing after 17 frames to 1.3fps for JPEGs and 1fps for raw in our tests.

Still, 4fps for 17 frames isn’t too debilitating, and in most other respects, the D800 is extremely quick to use. There are dedicated dials for drive and metering modes, and the crop of buttons to the left of the viewfinder gives quick access to various other key settings via the dual command dials. This layout lends itself to two-handed operation, which we found particularly easy to do while using the viewfinder. It’s great to see that Auto ISO can be switched on and off using these controls – it’s an annoying omission in other Nikon DSLRs.

The D800’s autofocus is a 51-point system with 15 cross-type sensors. That’s a little behind the best we’ve seen, but the D800 regains ground on Canon’s EOS 5D Mark III with its 3D focus tracking technology. This works in conjunction with the metering sensor to track subjects by colour and move the autofocus point accordingly.

It worked well in our tests, allowing us to shoot moving subjects without doggedly following them so that they lined up with the chosen autofocus point. Our tests showed the Nikon level pegging with the Canon EOS 5D Mark III on autofocus, but the Canon’s faster burst rate means there were more shots to choose from, nudging it ahead in practice.

Photo quality was stunning by any normal standard. The massive resolution paid off in our studio tests, revealing small text and subtle details that others can’t capture. Differences in real-world tests were less conspicuous, though. It only took the tiniest focus error or motion blur to squander the benefit of all those pixels, and noise levels were a little disappointing. This isn’t a disastrous result by any stretch of the imagination, but disappointing for a full-frame camera.

On the other hand, the 
D800’s video mode produced breathtakingly sharp footage, showing a clear advantage in its ability to resolve subtle details in foliage. It wasn’t as impervious to moiré interference as other cameras, though, and again noise was significantly higher at ISO 12800. The full complement of exposure controls can be adjusted while recording, but shutter priority mode is frustratingly absent. It’s good to find a headphone output and proper level metering to support the microphone input, though. And although mid-clip autofocus is ropey, it’s good enough for casual use.

The 20-minute clip-length limit and 20Mbits/sec AVC compression are likely to be fine for most people, but we saw slight compression artefacts in 
fast-moving scenes. However, the D800 can output an uncompressed 1080p video stream from its HDMI port to an external recording device such as the Atomos Ninja, which can record for hours at far higher bit rates. Other cameras relay live video to their HDMI ports, but the D800 is the only one we’ve seen where the picture fills the frame and isn’t overlaid with text information. It isn’t quite a lossless output, with 4:2:2 chroma subsampling discarding some colour information, but it’s an outstanding camera for serious filmmakers who don’t have £10,000 to spend.

Overall, then, the D800 has 
the edge for video quality, while Canon’s top-end EOS 5D Mark III takes the lead for photos. However, they’re very close to each other in both areas, and we wouldn’t advise switching allegiances for the small advantages on offer. In the final reckoning, the D800 misses out on the overall honours, but by the narrowest of margins.

Click the links below for full resolution sample shots:
Test scene shot at base ISO, raw file converted with Lightroom 4 (22MB)
Test scene shot at ISO 6400, raw file converted with Lightroom 4 (26MB)
Bridge scene, raw file coverted with Lightroom 4 (25MB)
Resolution test card (13MB)

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