By Brian
An ocean of ink and electrons has already been spilled over the positives and negatives of the Nikon D800 in comparison to the D700. Ultimately for me it isn’t about the technical details (particularly the megapixels) but image quality. Will the D800 have better image quality than the D700? I think so. However, I won’t know how much better until I can shoot one.
On the other hand, I can categorically state one thing: The Nikon D800 will not be like any other dSLR on the market. It will be a precision tool beyond anything previously available to us and won’t be a good everyday camera. Instead, it will have a specific and limited purpose in most photographer’s workflows. Why? Because getting the most from each pixel of the 36 megapixels will require the absolute best equipment and best technique and some situations simply won’t lend themselves to using that equipment or the best technique.
As you are probably tired of hearing Elliot and I state over and over, your technique and other equipment must be as good as your camera or you are just wasting money on the camera. The D800 will not give you great images without good technique and equipment. Why? With its higher pixel count and, as a consequence, much higher resolution, the D800 will magnify any movement during exposure, accentuate any errors in exposure, and expose any deficiencies in lenses and other equipment.
What equipment will you need? Here is what I consider the minimum:
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The BEST lenses. To take full advantage of the 36 megapixels, good lenses will be a requirement and that means expensive, heavy lenses. The kit lenses that you purchased with your D5100 or D7000 won’t cut it. D800 shooters will need some combination of the 14-24mm f/2.8 ($2,000), the 24mm f/1.4 ($2,000), the 24-70mm f/2.8 ($1,900), the 35mm f/1.4($1,600) the 85mm f/1.4 ($1,700), and 70-200mm f/2.8 ($2,400).
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A VERY GOOD AND HEAVY tripod. To get the sharpest image possible, you will need the best handholding technique, including a high shutter speed, or a very good tripod. While the D800 will likely have excellent ISO performance, it will still lose resolution as the ISO is increased, defeating the reason for the higher pixel count, and won’t be as good as the Nikon D4 or the D700. This means we will want to use low ISOs with the D800 and that will mean long shutter speeds and shooting on a tripod with a remote.
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The REMOTE for the D800. One way we introduce blur into our photographs is by slapping the shutter button with such force that the camera shakes. Using a remote is an easy and relatively cheap way to avoid this problem.
In addition to the best equipment, you will need excellent technique, including the following:
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Good SHOOTING discipline. This means taking your time to get the camera settings, including exposure and focus, and composition right. Sorry! Thirty-six megapixels doesn’t in anyway negate the need for getting it right in the camera.
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EXPOSE to the right. To get the most information from each pixel, getting the best exposure will be a must. In other words, “expose to the right,” which means knowing how to use the histogram to fine tune the exposure.
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KEEP the ISO low. The best quality pixels will always be captured at the native ISO of the camera. That will be 100 for the D800 and ISO 100 isn’t going to give you the shutter speed necessary for shooting basketball or birds. It also highlights the need for a good tripod.
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USE the right f-stop. Every lens has a range of f-stops at which the lens is sharpest, usually f/5.6 to f/11. Wide open, lenses tend to be soft at the edges; at high f-stop, e.g., f/16 or f/22, diffraction softens an image. The D800 is going to reveal any flaws in excruciating detail.
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SHOOT raw. Shooting raw is your only choice for this camera. Why spend $3,000 on this camera and another $6,000 on lenses and a $1,000 on a tripod and shoot 8-bit, compressed jpegs. That would be like buying Ferrari and never driving it above 20 mph.
All of this means that the Nikon D800 won’t make the best “walking around” camera. This will not be a street photographer’s camera. It is simply too precise a tool to be used haphazardly. This camera will be most effective in situations where the light and shooting circumstances are controlled, e.g., studio and macro, or where you have time to set up and carefully take a shot, e.g., landscapes.
Given all this, am I buying a Nikon D800? Well, I put one on order the day it was announced by Nikon. This was an easy decision for me. I already own the lenses, tripod, and other equipment that I will need for this camera. If you don’t have these already, you can count on spending an another $7,200 or more to get the most from this camera.
The bottom line is: This camera by itself will not create excellent images. It will take more. It will also take excellent lenses and other equipment and the best technique. Only you can decide if this camera is right for you.
