Another D800 post.

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Archive 2012 · Another D800 post.

caad4rep
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p.1 #1 · Another D800 post.

Question for y'all. I am curently shooting with a D3 and really have no complaints. I'm just a hobbiest shooter and don't get paid for any of my pictures. The D800 has perked my interest a bit, 36mp

Feb 08, 2012 at 10:53 PM

domdog31
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p.1 #2 · Another D800 post.

The 36MP sensor needs a flat field to display its full power....closeups of the cat and nephew shot at 2.8 aren't going to show its true power...stick with the D3.

Feb 08, 2012 at 10:57 PM

caad4rep
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p.1 #3 · Another D800 post.

Check out my flickr page, http://www.flickr.com/photos/onepointfour/

These are the types of pictures I do. Like I said, it's a hobby (expensive one). If I were to print some of the better ones at 12x18 will a D800 sensor give me drastically better results? How about at 16x24?

With that being said, I'll only make about 10 large prints per year, it's not an every day thing.

I'm trying to talk myself into being content...

Feb 08, 2012 at 11:13 PM

drdrew
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p.1 #4 · Another D800 post.

be content.

Feb 08, 2012 at 11:16 PM

caad4rep
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p.1 #5 · Another D800 post.

killer, I love you guys.

Feb 08, 2012 at 11:20 PM

hardlyboring
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p.1 #6 · Another D800 post.

The D800 will show you nothing new unless you are needing absolute resolution at say less than a foot at 40x60 inches. I am not sure of the actual numbers but it has to do with A LOT with viewing distance. You need much more resolution if you are standing 1 foot away than if you are standing 10 feet away.
Billboards are huge but if you get up close the pixels are actually HUGE. Up close a billboard will look like crap but driving in your car it looks good.
So ya
The D3 is a HELLUVA camera, trust me. I came from Canon for it. It kills big time and honestly will most likely be just as good at high iso because of the lower pixel count.
Plus you do NOT want to deal with 40-80mb files unless you have to for a living.
Heck if I were you I would buy a D3s....

It is what I am doing !

Feb 08, 2012 at 11:29 PM

fsiagian
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p.1 #7 · Another D800 post.

If it makes you happier, go for it. From non-business perspective. It makes you take pictures more

Feb 09, 2012 at 12:20 AM

CGrindahl
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p.1 #8 · Another D800 post.

A friend took a photo in Mongolia a few years ato with a 10 MP D200 and posted it on a photography website. She received an email from a museum in Istanbul that was mounting an exhibit on Mongolia and wanted to license her photo. She agreed and they paid for her airfare from the Netherlands with a stay at a local hotel. When she arrived at the exhibit she was surprised to find her photo had been blown up and was about six feet high and however long. It looked wonderful and was much admired.

I wouldn't worry about your 12 megapixel files from the D3 and certainly wouldn't buy the D800 simply for greater resolution. I've gone back and forth about buying the camera and intend to cancel my pre-order for the moment. My D700 still works for me, though it is nice to know that when I'm ready to switch, Nikon has a nice alternative waiting for me.

Feb 09, 2012 at 02:02 AM

clmusic
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p.1 #9 · Another D800 post.

hardlyboring wrote:

Heck if I were you I would buy a D3s....

It is what I am doing !

+1 I am shooting with a D3. And I 'd upgrade to a D3s than a D800.

Feb 09, 2012 at 02:04 AM

Gregg B.
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p.1 #10 · Another D800 post.

fsiagian wrote:
If it makes you happier, go for it. From non-business perspective. It makes you take pictures more

Yes! I was waiting for someone to say something smart like this.... and I agree with this statement.
I know this guy will be looking more and more on D800 and thinking should I get it or not.
Then, in a couple of months, some talented shooter will post their amazing pictures taken with D800 or D800E
and say their shots are great because of the camera, its resolution, etc. etc.
So, go ahead and get it. I can see you're taking a lot of landscape shots and higher resolution will certainly
help you even if your final image will be small. You can crop your shot and still be left with say 20MP that makes
your image detailed/sharper. Now you're printing small but once you get this camera you may start thinking about
printing bigger. You'll have a great tool for that. And, selling your aging D3 for about $2500 will make D800 cost you only about $500. Think about that!

Feb 09, 2012 at 02:17 AM

M635_Guy
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p.1 #11 · Another D800 post.

I think a D800 will cost you a lot of down-stream upgrading for storage and your PC hardware.

Love and use your D3 - I'd love to have one, and in your position I'd absolutely keep it. Honestly, if someone offered me a choice between a D3s and a D800, I'd take the D3s in a blink.

Feb 09, 2012 at 05:00 AM

crewshin
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p.1 #12 · Another D800 post.

40x60? Haha c'mon guys... Anything over 17.3"x11.8" @ 240ppi (full res from D700) and you WILL see a difference. Fact.

There are some hacky ways to scale up photos that actually work fairly decent... but they are no substitute imo.

Feb 09, 2012 at 05:26 AM

Trakl
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p.1 #13 · Another D800 post.

caad4rep wrote:
I'm trying to talk myself into being content...

Oh you are not. You're trying to talk yourself into trying this new camera! As a D3 owner, there's probably no practical reason for you to get a new body, just as there's no practical reason for anyone driving a great car to buy a different great car. But people don't buy Corvettes for practical reasons, do they . . .

Feb 09, 2012 at 05:35 AM

Justin Huffman
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p.1 #14 · Another D800 post.

CGrindahl wrote:
A friend took a photo in Mongolia a few years ato with a 10 MP D200 and posted it on a photography website. She received an email from a museum in Istanbul that was mounting an exhibit on Mongolia and wanted to license her photo. She agreed and they paid for her airfare from the Netherlands with a stay at a local hotel. When she arrived at the exhibit she was surprised to find her photo had been blown up and was about six feet high and however long. It looked wonderful and was much admired.

I wouldn't worry about your 12 megapixel files from the D3 and certainly wouldn't buy the D800 simply for greater resolution. I've gone back and forth about buying the camera and intend to cancel my pre-order for the moment. My D700 still works for me, though it is nice to know that when I'm ready to switch, Nikon has a nice alternative waiting for me.

+1 well said C...

Ive pondered down the exact same road and in the end, for the size files the D800 is capable of producing vs the amount of times I think i need them, its not worth it. I am considering a deeper delve into some stitching instead, besides D800 wont hit the streets for about a month.

Feb 09, 2012 at 12:54 PM

sjms
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p.1 #15 · Another D800 post.

sounds to me the old saying " careful what you wish for, you might get it". if you have a use for it get it. if not its truely irrelevent. i do archiving work some organizations. it does pose some interesting options. i like the ability to shoot DX and pretty much get a D7000 res shot from it too. there are considerable options here in this body if one has a use for them.

Edited on Feb 09, 2012 at 01:12 PM · View previous versions

Feb 09, 2012 at 01:06 PM

sjms
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p.1 #16 · Another D800 post.

crewshin wrote:
40x60? Haha c'mon guys... Anything over 17.3"x11.8" @ 240ppi (full res from D700) and you WILL see a difference. Fact.

There are some hacky ways to scale up photos that actually work fairly decent... but they are no substitute imo.

please, in the world of smoke and mirrors you work in? you're lucky your world is going by 24 fps + at times.

image quality and use is dependent quite a bit on the POV.

as you now life on the image is for the most part a "trick of the eye"

Feb 09, 2012 at 01:07 PM

derry1
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p.1 #17 · Another D800 post.

Coming from a well used D300 I am really looking forward to my 800E arriving.

Have not read much if anything from the macro shooters. My rail bellows and 105 VR are just waiting to see what all that resolution will offer.

I also shoot 1 meter RC sailboats and even the long lens rarely fills the frame with a boat, so more cropping.

I started digital with the 3mp cameras and have always admired the high pix count the MF Guy have enjoyed and always thought if Nikon ever comes out with a 30+ mp camera for a decent price I will buy. The did their part so now it is my turn.

If the computer needs updating guess it will be next but will use and then determine.

D800E on order and waiting

Deery

Feb 09, 2012 at 02:01 PM

Pinarello65
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p.1 #18 · Another D800 post.

My approach is that if you can afford it and you know you will enjoy it, then just do it. The resale value is great so worst case scenario you enjoy it for a while, resell later for most of what you paid. The bit you lose is payment for time enjoyed just like any other activity. Maybe the D800 is what gives you the greatest inspiration of your photographic life & you start taking even better pictures, someone notices, you get an opportunity then this takes you on a path that leads to bigger and better things.

On the other hand if buying one causes financial hardship or conflict with loved ones, then be content with what you have.

Me I'm leaning towards the D800E at the moment, as a primarily macro/nature photographer. It will be my first FF camera, currently I'm using a D7000 & mostly FX lenses. It's a fantastic hobby, makes me look at the world in a different way, takes me places I probably wouldnt have chosen to go to before I was a photographer. I've made new friends. My photography got me interested in other new activities. That led to other new friends, other new interests etc.

It's like my bike riding...I could ride any old bike but instead I ride an italian Pinarello bike, which is like the Ferrari/Maserati/Lambo etc of bicycles. It cost me a few thousand, is made of carbon fibre & titanium, looks absolutely gorgeous & is a joy to ride. The D800E will cost less than I spent on the Pinarello.... and I'm absolutely certain it will give me great pleasure and create new opportunities & experiences for me.

Sorry I'm probably not talking you out of it....(buy! buy! buy!) sorry...(buy! buy!)

Feb 09, 2012 at 02:02 PM

cohenfive
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p.1 #19 · Another D800 post.

i'm sort of in the same camp shooting a d3, but what is interesting in all these discussions is how little chat there is about the d4..i know the d800 is more 'interesting' as a camera since it is breaking a few molds relative to anything else out there, but as good as the d3 is still, i would love a little more resolution (36mp seems like overkill for my shooting), better high iso shooting, without giving up much of the shooting speed of the d3. i was hoping that the d800 would be a true d700 replacement, but obviously nikon had different ideas in terms of product positioning in the market over the coming few years.

nikon has positioned these two new cameras brilliantly i think, but also making it difficult for me to do anything. the d800 is positioned to take some canon customers and a bunch of nikon customers from both the d700 as well as the d3x....and is aggressively priced to boot. the d4 seems like the odd man out to some degree, especially at its price point which seems way high relative to the d800...for that $2400 extra you get much faster speed (fps), better high iso shooting but a lot less resolution. we will see what the market bears but i am hoping that the d800 steals demand from the flagship d4, thus lowering its price back towards the d800.

for now i sit tight and continue to enjoy the still great d3.

Feb 09, 2012 at 02:41 PM

Airphoto
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p.1 #20 · Another D800 post.

caad4rep wrote:
Question for y'all. I am curently shooting with a D3 and really have no complaints. I'm just a hobbiest shooter and don't get paid for any of my pictures. The D800 has perked my interest a bit, 36mp

My question is, how big of a print do I need to make to see a noticeable difference between 12 and 36mp? Most of my printing is 8x10 with an occaisional 12x18 and even a couple 24" prints. Like I said above, no complaints from the 12mp D3. I've never shot with something higher though so I don't know what I'm missing.

At what point do the 36mp make a difference?
Currently a 39 mb file 13MP camera can produce a 20x30 at 150 ppi. Most large format printers print at 72 DPI, but you can see and improvement in your prints up to 150 dpi. At 12mp its very close. So you would have to be doing 30x40 all the time to see a noticeable improvement.
At 20MP to a 30 x 40 you will see more improvement with better lenses then you will with a 36mp and a mediocre lens.
The E version also adds a distinct difference but again you wont see it till 30 x40 and it will be slight.

Feb 09, 2012 at 03:14 PM

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