Nikon D800......

Any recommendations on CF card please.

I use Sandisk Extreme Pro. About £50 for a 32gb. Use the same for the SD slot. A bit annoyingly pricey but I think now that Lexar don't really exist, it's probably the best option. The write speed does seem to be more important on the D800 than most cameras. Really notice the difference in general operation.

Just a note on size, I shoot 14bit lossless compressed raw and can get near 800 photos on a card. I guess if I was shooting an event I might want more but most of the time, that is plenty.
 
I use Sandisk as well for CF and SD slots . irrespective of GB size I do make sure the mb/s is not less than 90 and recently using 160 in both D800 and D810 cameras
 
I use Sandisk as well for CF and SD slots . irrespective of GB size I do make sure the mb/s is not less than 90 and recently using 160 in both D800 and D810 cameras

Yep. Though worth mentioning that cards are marketed on their read speed but the write speed is the important aspect. So worth reading the actual spec rather than than the headline number as the read and write speeds can (and do) differ massively. But never the less the Sandisk 160 cards are among the very fastest.
 
I use Sandisk Extreme Pro. About £50 for a 32gb. Use the same for the SD slot. A bit annoyingly pricey but I think now that Lexar don't really exist, it's probably the best option. The write speed does seem to be more important on the D800 than most cameras. Really notice the difference in general operation.

Just a note on size, I shoot 14bit lossless compressed raw and can get near 800 photos on a card. I guess if I was shooting an event I might want more but most of the time, that is plenty.

thanks both :)
i have put a sandisk extreme 90mb sd card in it already as they are what i always use so shall do the same for compact flash :D
 
thanks both :)
i have put a sandisk extreme 90mb sd card in it already as they are what i always use so shall do the same for compact flash :D

I use these and they’re great. For landscape you don’t need the fastest cards.

You might have missed the boat with Black Friday as amazon were doing 64gb Sandisk cards for a little over a tenner
 
Winter Stroll on Bulbourne Moor with Nikon D800E and Nikon 24-70

dxi6bgd.jpg
 
Really loving the D800 at the moment. I'd half thought about swapping to a D810 or even D850 but really the only gripe I actually have with the D800 is the quality of live view. Doesn't seem worth spending a few hundred quid just to improve that. Do need to get the front rubber grip replaced though. It's driving me mad. That means it needs to be sent off to fixation be taken apart. Need to figure out when I can do that.

In the meantime it's been put through its paces a fair bit over the last few weeks. We were in Lapland for a week before xmas. Mainly family photos and conditions weren't really ideal for landscape (near 100% cloud cover all week and the sun doesn't rise!) but I did manage a couple of things. The D800 just shrugs off cold weather. My X100T gave up completely in the cold, my phone thought it was in the Democratic Rebublic of Congo (really!) and my Olympus OMD's manual focus lens froze solid but the Nikon just soldiered on with no noticeable issues at all. Lowest temperature I was out with was about -25 and it didn't seem to notice!

Snowy Trees in Lapand by G.A.D, on Flickr

Aurora over lake in Akaslompolo by G.A.D, on Flickr

Lakeside house by G.A.D, on Flickr


And then I took it out a couple of nights ago for a planned shot of the moon rising but cloud cover killed that plan again but I did grab this which I quite liked.

The Groyne Lighthouse at South Shields by G.A.D, on Flickr
 
Graham

Yes the D800 is a really great camera, I have one and would not part with it,. However I also have the D810 and it is completely different to the D800 although they seem the same. Without going into a guts comparison between one and the other once owning the D810 I would not go back to the D800 but keep it as a backup.
 
Graham

Yes the D800 is a really great camera, I have one and would not part with it,. However I also have the D810 and it is completely different to the D800 although they seem the same. Without going into a guts comparison between one and the other once owning the D810 I would not go back to the D800 but keep it as a backup.

I used to own a d810. Not so bothered about any of the changes other than live view being miles better on the d810.
 
One of the great things about the D800 that may or may not be well known is that there was a firmware update that allows the record button to function as the ISO button.
Perhaps not important to many people but I love having all the 3 main exposure controls on my right hand, same as good Canon`s can
 
On the d810 the shutter button I have set to work both stills and video, a lot easier than separate buttons for each function. Not tried this setup on the d800. So don't know if it is possible
 
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On the d810 the shutter button I have set to work both stills and video, a lot easier than separate buttons for each function. Not tried this setup on the d800. So don't know if it is possible

I think on the d800, the Rec button is always the Rec button when you’re in video live view regardless of whether you’ve changed it for normal photography. I don’t really video much so it’s no big deal to me but sounds like d810 might be a bit neater.
 
One of the great things about the D800 that may or may not be well known is that there was a firmware update that allows the record button to function as the ISO button.
Perhaps not important to many people but I love having all the 3 main exposure controls on my right hand, same as good Canon`s can

I’ve had Nikon cameras for getting on for 10 years now and, though everything is pretty much programmed into muscle memory now, I’ve never understood the placement of standard iso controls on any of their cameras. ‘Normal’ models have one of the buttons on the left of the LCD if they have a button at all. The pro models like the d800 have that awkward position on the top left and my d3 had it right at the bottom on the vertical grip. I can never find any of them with my eye to the camera. The Rec button works nicely on the cameras that have it but it seems like it should be default.
 
I’ve had Nikon cameras for getting on for 10 years now and, though everything is pretty much programmed into muscle memory now, I’ve never understood the placement of standard iso controls on any of their cameras. ‘Normal’ models have one of the buttons on the left of the LCD if they have a button at all. The pro models like the d800 have that awkward position on the top left and my d3 had it right at the bottom on the vertical grip. I can never find any of them with my eye to the camera. The Rec button works nicely on the cameras that have it but it seems like it should be default.

I used to have Canon for that reason. You could tell the set button to act as an ISO button ( on better canons ), the aperture wheel surrounds the set button and the top command dial with one finger.
So all you need is a thumb and a finger and you barely have to move to set all 3 main exposure settings.
Now Nikon are sort of similar ( still not quite as good ) I prefer Nikon and got a D800 in the summer
 
i was just wondering if one could download the Nikon D810 data onto the D800 ? of course that would mean wiping everything off the D800 first. Just one of my wild thoughts. maybe the processor would not be able to handle it.
maybe not having looked at this comparison chart.

https://cameradecision.com/compare/Nikon-D810-vs-Nikon-D800

oh well another brainwave failure
 
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@gad-westy whst a great way to start 2019, lovely images too and I must make more effort this year to get up ealier and not kiss these types of opportunities
 
After some guidance, fellow D800 users. I love doing a bit of astrophotography landscape stuff. I don't do it that often but I have a Sigma 20mm 1.4 which is great for this and also doubles nicely as my only really wide angle. The rest of my landscape stuff is covered by with a 24-70 and 70-200.

I've more or less decided to have quite a major change, ditch the 20mm and 24-70 and replace them with the new Tamron 17-35 and a 50mm to bridge the gap to my 70-200. But I'm having a last minute concern, that although the f2.8 max aperture of the Tamron should be good enough for me in terms of results, I'm very concerned at whether it'll be bright enough to focus accurately on stars using the D800's ropey live view. I do struggle a bit when I've tried with the 24-70 and the stars will be even smaller dots at 17mm. I know there are work arounds but I'm a bit worried I'll miss that 1.4 aperture for focussing. Anybody have any experience of this sort of scenario on a D800?
 
My D800 is with fixation at present. The rubber grip peeling was driving me mad so it's being fixed. Which means replacing the whole grip housing. It's having a service while its in bits. Unfortunately the grip housing is out of stock so could be a few weeks. It's killing me!
 
My D800 is with fixation at present. The rubber grip peeling was driving me mad so it's being fixed. Which means replacing the whole grip housing. It's having a service while its in bits. Unfortunately the grip housing is out of stock so could be a few weeks. It's killing me!

I know that feeling the wait is awful at times especially when the conditions are decent. Some snow would be nice as well :)
 
Howdy folks, I'm after some advice and opinions from people using the D800.

At the moment I have a D600 which, aside from the oil issue and the slightly unreliable AF, is a fine camera but I'm thinking about replacing it with a D800. My photograhy these days is purely for pleasure, with no customers or camera club judges to please :).

So, what are the upsides and downsides of the D800 and will I see any benefit from the change?
 
Howdy folks, I'm after some advice and opinions from people using the D800.

At the moment I have a D600 which, aside from the oil issue and the slightly unreliable AF, is a fine camera but I'm thinking about replacing it with a D800. My photograhy these days is purely for pleasure, with no customers or camera club judges to please :).

So, what are the upsides and downsides of the D800 and will I see any benefit from the change?

You've probably read the spec sheets so I guess you're more after user experience? It's a couple of years since I had my D600 so some things I'm a bit hazy on but...

D800 IQ is better in most circumstances. If everything is on your side and you're using good technique and a good lens, you can get much more detailed images from the D800, no question. But there are some caveats, firstly I think, the shutter is a bit violent on the D800 and there are certain 'medium' speed ranges where this seems to work against you. Secondly, I think the D600 is cleaner at high ISO (even accounting for down sampling) and I think shadow recovery is cleaner too. D600 WB SOOC of camera seemed better to me but I shoot raw so don't really care. But all of these things are hair splitting, there really isn't much in it most of the time.

Edited just to mention something about resolution that rarely gets touched on. It's nice having lots of pixels if you want to print big or wish to crop a lot but the actual difference between 24mp and 36mp in printing terms isn't actually that life changing. If you were to print an uncropped image from a D600 at 300dpi, it would be 20inches on the long edge. A D800 images would be 24.5". It's not that big a real world difference but I have to say, the D800 files sure do look great zooming in to 100% on lightroom!

I have some gripes with the D800 which I don't recall having on the D600. 1. The live view is awful. It does some weird interpolation thing that means it is very hard to check critical focus in poor light and almost impossible for astro stuff unless you're using a very wide aperture lens. At least in my experience. 2. If you shoot in live view, there is a long pause after taking a shot where you cannot then use the camera. This is not effected by choice of memory cards. It's just what they do. 3. If the front rubber grip peels off, you cannot simply replace the rubber like you can on all other Nikons since the dawn of time. For some reason you have to buy the whole housing which means the camera has to be substantially disassembled to fix. Mine is currently with fixation and is likely to be there for a while as the part is on back-order. What seemed like a minor gripe, is becoming a real pain in the arse and is actually costing quite a lot of money too. I'm currently questioning the wisdom of doing that rather than just part-exing it against a newer camera.

AF, I think is broadly similar on both cameras. Both seem to be criticised a bit for AF speed and accuracy but in all honesty I have never really had an issue with either. They don't blow me away or anything but I've shot sports, wildlife and high-speed kids with both and found them fine. D600 hunted a bit more in low light I think though and D800 has slightly wider (though still narrow) spread of AF points.

This probably sounds a bit negative towards the D800 but actually I do think it's a hell of a camera. The IQ and dynamic range that is possible from it is superb. Genuinely as good as many of the current gen of high end full frame cameras which is really quite something for a 7 year old camera that can be bought for as little as £500 these days. The reason I opted for a D800 over a D750 (or indeed a D600/610) this time around was actually more about some the little details that make them more suitable for me for landscape photography. One being that the remote sync port is on the front of the camera so doesn't foul when using an L-bracket in portrait mode (why do camera manufacturers still put them there?!) and the other thing being the View finder cover thing. I shoot a lot at night so that last one is really handy. I like that it has a proper AF-on button. The D600 one is okay but I find the D750 one awkward to get at. Would probably prefer dual SD cards like the D600 but it's no big deal, just CF cards tend to cost more. Don't care about too much else other than good IQ and decent direct access to key controls which both these cameras do well.

I should mention one last thing, no oil spatter issues on the D800. My D600 went back to Nikon constantly before they finally gave up and replaced it with a D610. I don't know what your experience of the D600 has been but at least it's not a concern on the D800.
 
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@ gad-westy
Thanks for taking the time to do such a detailed write-up Graham - it has certainly given me some food for thought.

I do worry about my handling technique sometimes as I seem to get camera shake even at reasonably high shutter speeds or even with VR on. I'm quite rotund so pulling my elbows in to get more stability ofter causes the exact opposite, specially if I'm breathing heavily. The additional pixels may work against me in this instance :(

I realised this weekend that the oil spatter problem is actually putting a dampener on my desire to go out taking pictures. I had the opportunity to shoot a local rugby team on Saturday and the thought of having to clean the sensor again afterwards almost had me turning the chance down. I did go but only shot about 100 images and there are new oil spots on the sensor again:(

Now that I only shoot for fun I can't justify the cost of a 750/810/850 but maybe all I really need to do is move the 600 on a get a 610 instead? Food for thought indeed :)

Anyone else feel they have anything to add to the conversation?
 
Dynamic range? The dynamic range on the D800 is great, I don't know personally how it compares to the D600, but it's a significant improvement over my old D3/D300 [not surprising I guess].
 
@ gad-westy
Thanks for taking the time to do such a detailed write-up Graham - it has certainly given me some food for thought.

I do worry about my handling technique sometimes as I seem to get camera shake even at reasonably high shutter speeds or even with VR on. I'm quite rotund so pulling my elbows in to get more stability ofter causes the exact opposite, specially if I'm breathing heavily. The additional pixels may work against me in this instance :(

I realised this weekend that the oil spatter problem is actually putting a dampener on my desire to go out taking pictures. I had the opportunity to shoot a local rugby team on Saturday and the thought of having to clean the sensor again afterwards almost had me turning the chance down. I did go but only shot about 100 images and there are new oil spots on the sensor again:(

Now that I only shoot for fun I can't justify the cost of a 750/810/850 but maybe all I really need to do is move the 600 on a get a 610 instead? Food for thought indeed :)

Anyone else feel they have anything to add to the conversation?

Yeah, must admit the oil issue was driving me nuts with my D600. A lot of internet talk at the time was saying how it would go away after a couple of thousand shots but it actually seemed to get worse on mine the more time went on. Nikon ended up replacing the shutter twice and it was exactly the same afterwards.

It's a shame as I think in every other way, the D600 is a really nice camera and the sensor is a beauty.

Regarding the hand holding thing. You aren't going to get worse hand held shots than your D600. It's just that at 100%, you might see slightly more camera shake. At normal print and viewing sizes it shouldn't be relevant, you just might not be making the very most of the D800 sensor in those circumstances. When you can get the D800 on a decent tripod or have the light for really fast shutter speeds, you can unleash all the juicy detail. Worth repeating though that getting the best out of a 36mp sensor really does need good lenses. You can really see the difference between my 24-70 Nikon (a great lens I would say) and Sigma Art primes. You get much crisper detail out of the Sigmas. I guess that's true of all sensors but just seems to be even more apparent on these super hi-res sensors.
 
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