Like others, I debated on whether or not to choose the D800E or the D800. I'm primarily a nature photographer, so my inclination was to get the D800E. The one potential problem situation was with moire on bird feathers. I ultimately chose the D800E based on the logic that birds have so many feathers at different angles and proportions that significant moire would be very unlikely.
Well I received my D800E two days before a planned trip to the St. Augustine Alligator Farm. After more than 2500 images under all conditions, I have to rate the camera as spectacular a step beyond excellent. Image quality and detail are stunning. I was using a Nikon 200-400 f/4 VR and a Nikon 600 f/4 VR for most of my images. The level of detail is simply stunning. There is detail that I have never before seen from any camera. I'm seeing resolution at 100% (1/7th the image) that is suitable for a web post or small print. And noise is completely absent at lower ISO levels and minimal even at ISO 6400.
You know going in that the D800E only has a frame rate of 4 fps. That's enough for a quick burst at critical action. With birds I'm shooting at 1/1000 second or faster so I am already trying to capture critical action and a catchlight in just a few frames. At burst rates it does take a little time to write to the card, but I never came close to filling the buffer.
One of the things that has been underappreciated is the new AF system. The new AF system of the D800 is excellent very quick and accurate. There have been some reports of AF errors with the D800 especially using the widest sensor and a wide angle lens. I have not seen that issue on my copy of the D800E.
The ergonomics and controls are very intuitive. This is a camera you can immediately pick up and use just like other Nikons. The one adjustment I had to make was with exposure compensation. The direction of the exposure comp has been reversed, but can be customized in the camera menu settings.
While there have been reports of the need for a tripod or special technique, I shot the D800E just as I would have used earlier cameras. If you miss focus the image is still soft, but there is no problem using the camera handheld or on a gimbal head.
File sizes are large and as expected the large files put greater demand on your computer. Large files understandably take longer to open and to save. But this is to be expected.
Colors and dynamic range at ISO 200 are spectacular. Even at high ISO levels, colors are very acceptable.
Overall, I am very pleased with the D800E and highly recommend it for advanced amateur and pro nature photographers. This is not a camera for a beginner or someone who is not skilled. This is a camera for someone who is skilled, understands the tradeoffs involved, and wants the best image quality possible in a DSLR.
EDIT June 16, 2012
I've continued to use the D800E and my opinion has not changed. It's a great camera. One thing to be aware of is the depth of field. Because the in focus area is so extremely sharp, your specific focus point and depth of field require a little more thought. Your choice of what parts of the image should be in sharpest focus will be rewarded, but if you make the wrong choice you can really tell the difference.
I bought one of the first D800 bodies Nikon sold. And, yes, I had the left-side AF issues that other folks describe in these reviews. I had been using the camera for a couple of months, and was very pleased with the quality of images I was getting. However, I decided to have the left side focus points fixed in case I ever needed to move my focus point over to the left side. I sent my D800 in to Nikon USA Repair in Melville, NY. It came back fixed and worked great.
In the meantime, a D800E arrived that had been on order since February 7th. After a week of shooting both the D800 and D800E, I decided to sell the D800 and buy another D800E. I like to have two identical bodies so I always have a backup camera on treks, and one that has the same controls as my other body. I was planning to keep the D800 as my backup until I saw the images coming out of the D800E and after I did extensive testing with the FoCal software from Reikan Technology.
I only shoot RAW (Nikon NEF format). While I could post process the images from the D800 and D800E using Adobe Creative Suite CS6, and make them look almost identical...they were in fact not identical. As long as I was shooting landscapes, the images from the two cameras would appear to have the same level of details in my first prints. However, when I started to do prints larger than 16 in x 24, I was convinced the D800E was the winner. You could clearly see the finer details.
After I started using the FoCal software to do my AF Fine Tuning, I also found major differences in the sharpness the D800E could produce. While FoCal is not currently designed for use in comparing camera bodies, it does provide that capability if you carefully control the lighting on your target, the distance to target and the camera/lens settings. When I did this apples-to-apples comparison between the D800 and the D800E on all of my Nikon lens (14-24mm, 24-70mm, 70-200mm, 200-400mm), I found the aperture sharpness results for the D800E were substantially higher than the results from the D800 for every lens...and consistently so. When I zoomed in on the shots of the target for a visual comparison, I could also see a difference, especially in the fine details in the target.
I don't yet know how much more details I will get for all types of shots, but I do know I can crop the D800E images significantly more than I can crop D800 images and end up with better details. For any kind of animal or bird shot, where I do not have the luxury of setting up for perfect composure, having more details means I can worry about composition later because I know I can crop more. I have cropped down to 10% of some D800E images, and still had enough details to make a nice 8x10 print without using special fractal software. Now that is detail I can live with!
Buy Nikon D800E 36.3 MP CMOS FX-Format Digital SLR Camera (Body Only) Now
I originally ordered a Nikon D800E but after 4 months on a waiting list I settled for a Nikon D800. I shot it for a week or so, but when the Nikon D800E became available I jumped at the opportunity to own the camera I had originally pre-ordered. I shot both camera's with a Nikon 85mm 1.4G and they were both amazingly sharp with detail I've never seen from the format before. I started shooting the Nikon D800E today and it is plainly evident that their is a fidelity that is simply beyond what is available from the Nikon D800. The colors are also better, its hard to explain but they seem to be more true/accurate. Overall, I am highly impressed with both cameras but simply cannot believe the fidelity and quality that I am getting from the D800E. Well worth the wait & cost. I hope this helps a prospective buyer!
Read Best Reviews of Nikon D800E 36.3 MP CMOS FX-Format Digital SLR Camera (Body Only) Here
I ordered the first D800E on 6/1/2012; after waiting for 2 and 1/2 months, I received the camera at mid of September. I was so excited, but, as soon as I opened the shipping package, I knew the camera was used/returned: the outer box was worn, the camera LCD protector has scratches, and there were several big pieces of dust on the mirror and in the camera. The serial number of the camera is 30049XX.
After returned the first one, I waited another month until Amazon out of stock of D800E and then in stock again. I thought OK now Amazon.com should have a brand new batch of D800E, so I ordered the second one at mid of October and received it a week later. To my surprise, the second one's serial number was even smaller than the first one -it is 30037XX. That made me very nervous and quickly ran some AF tests with my nikon lenses (60mm f2.8G, 24mm f1.4G, and 85mm f1.4G). As expected, the result was bad: very serious back-focus with all these lenses. That probably was the reason why it was returned by previous owners.
It is clear that two D800E I received are returned/restock, or even refurbished, items sold as brand new. The shutter number of both cameras were reset to zero either by Amazon.com or by Nikon, so they knew.
I write this review just want to warn other D800/E buyers: there are many defective D800/E from the earlier production are still in the market today, so carefully check and test what you have received.
The one star is to Nikon for producing so many defective D800/E without recalling them, and to Amazon.com for sending out returned/used/restock, even refurbished, items without inform its customer about the true condition of the items.
Update (November 10, 2012): ordered the third D800E from another online store this week. Called the store for the serial number of the camera before it was shipped to me. The number is 3009XXX, much bigger than those from Amazon.com -a good sign. After received it couple days ago, I have been doing some extensive tests on the camera with all of my FX lenses. The result: finally, I think I got a brand new, trouble-free D800E. The AF is good with all my lenses, even 14-24mm f2.8G and 24mm f1.4G. No dead or stuck pixels even at iso 1000 with no NR. Image sensor is clean, no dust or oil.
Based on my tests, I would say D800E is a fantastic camera -it is so sharp, the produced images has so much detail when used it with the best nikkor/zeiss lenses. It is a unique DSLR: one and only Nikon DSLR that doesn't have anti-aliasing filter, so its image quality could challenge those from $20,000 medium format. Nikon's engineer department has done a great job developed this wonder FX high-resolution imaging system, but its quality control, management, public relation and customer service have messed up a big time. That is why it was so painful to just purchase a good quality D800/E. The camera itself deserves 4-5 stars.
Good luck with your searching for a good D800E! You will like the camera. Enjoy shooting!
Want Nikon D800E 36.3 MP CMOS FX-Format Digital SLR Camera (Body Only) Discount?
I've been a Nikon customer since my Dad gave me his old Nikon F in 1972 (and yes, I still have it). The D3/D300 generation finally convinced me to give up on film, and recently, with over 100,000 images on the D300 shot meter, I upgraded my older D3 and D300 to a D4 and D800E. Both the D3 and D300 were amazingly fine cameras, so my expectations have been high and I'm happy to say, the new Nikons have generally lived up to my expectations. In this review, I'll stay focused on the D800E.
In a nutshell, the D800E is an amazing camera that's a steal for the price. When I first bought a D300 several years ago, I was stricken by the ease I was able to get keepers having that certain "pop". The D800E continues in this trend. It feels like a well-tuned machine that disappears in your hands, and when you point it at something, it just gives and gives. You never feel like the camera is holding you back...the only limits are your own technique and artistic sense. To me, this is exactly what a fine camera should be.
As for the D800 vs. D800E decision, in the end I decided that the D800E is (marginally) better in ultimate image quality, with no obvious drawbacks other than the higher price. False color and moire? Yes, they're there...and when I first got my camera, I went out and took dozens of shots of subjects intentionally designed to bring out the worst. None took more than a minute to fix in Capture NX2 or Photoshop. Not an issue for me.
A few other reviewers knock the idea of going from DX to the D800E, but I suppose I disagree. My rationale in going with the D800E as a replacement for my DX camera was all about preserving my investment in lenses. Put a DX lens on the D800E, and you get a 16MP D300S. In any measure of image quality, it's better than my aging D300, and I don't need to scrap the 5-6 DX lenses I've collected over the years. The D4, by comparison, is somewhat different...with a DX lens on the D4, you don't get any more resolution than the D300 instead, you get an amazing low-light D300. I suppose each has a place, but I tend to want both options.
Prior generation accessories don't work on the D800E, no matter what you're upgrading from...forget about reusing the batteries, grips, etc about all I salvaged was my collection of CF memory cards, my Nikon speedlights, the GP-1 GPS unit and my camera strap. But if you're like me, the big investment is lenses, and I'm happy to say all of my lenses made the transition without issue, as you'd expect.
Keep in mind that 36MP raw images are huge, so any 4GB CF cards you might have are getting pretty wimpy: 50 full-resolution raw images fit on a 4GB card. 32GB cards are much more convenient, and the D800E supports dual CF and SD slots, so you can carry quite a bit of memory.
And to fill up all those memory cards, you're going to want the best lenses you can find. Although most any Nikon lens ever made will fit on the D800E, that pixel-packed sensor has an uncanny ability to reveal even the tiniest of lens flaws and to amplify the merits of a top-notch lens. My 85mm 1.4 is awesome, as are my 14-24, 24-70, 60 macro and 135 DC. You can even see optical differences f/stop by f/stop. The 24-120 you see on a lot of these cameras is an okay lens, but if you look closely, you'll see its flaws without too much effort. And the same goes for any of the kit-quality DX lenses...my advice would be to invest in at least one really good prime lens.
Just as all those pixels put stress on your lenses, you'll want to consider everything in your digital darkroom, from computer to printer to software. Editing large raw files (or uncompressed video) takes a lot of computer...what seemed snappy and fast with a 12MP camera might be notably sluggish with 36MP. The D800E can to 8x10 prints at over 600DPI...can your printer do anything with all that detail? If you haven't updated your imaging software in a long time, you'll probably notice most older programs can't even handle files as large as the D800E puts out.
Some reviewers take the stance that the D800E is somehow "too good" for the typical amateur. That unless you're willing to use exotic and expensive lenses, a tripod for every shot, etc etc etc that somehow you're just not going to be happy with this camera. I tend to look at this the other way around...if I take a shot with my D300 and my D800E, no matter what level of care I put into the picture, the D800E will always give me a better looking image. Yes, if I'm hand-holding at slow shutter speeds and using a lesser quality lens, I'm not going to get the maximum quality the D800E is capable of. But I *am* going to get as good or better images than most any lesser camera. Sometimes "good enough" is all I can do, and the D800E, in addition to having insanely high upper limits on performance, is also going to give me better "good enough" images. Just because I'm only driving to my local grocery store doesn't mean I don't enjoy driving a Porsche.
Construction quality is excellent, as you'd expect for a pro-grade camera at this price point. Although side-by-side next to a D300, the size difference is small, the D800E has more "heft" to it. The grip fits well in your hands, and most of the controls can be operated by feel, even with gloves. If you've used pretty much any Nikon DSLR, the layout and menu system will feel familiar to you, and I was able to dial in most of the settings I wanted without spending lots of time foraging through the instructions. Some folks have criticized the placement of the ISO adjustment button, since it pretty much takes two hands to operate. For myself, I tend to set the ISO where I want, then use the exposure compensation switch, as I can do this with one hand and without taking my eyes off the viewfinder.
I've read about various firmware problems (focus and video problems mainly) and I'm happy to say, mine has not shown even the slightest symptoms. If it helps anyone, mine was new in Dec. 2012 and has a serial number of 3010xxx.
As for individual features, yes, there's all in here...seriously, there's too much to write about in a short review, but here are a few highlights:
At ISO 100 and standard image settings, I get about 10 stops of dynamic range. This is about a stop better than the D300.
At ISO 100-800, noise and picture quality are superb. I'd rate ISO 1600-3200 as good, if you use a strong software noise reduction package. 6400 and up is hit or miss.
Video is amazing if you use the uncompressed HDMI output and record to an external device. This is about the best video you'll find short of studio-grade video cameras.
If you do a lot of video, you'll want to invest in outboard microphones, or Nikon's shoe-mount ME-1.
Autofocus is blindingly fast, except during video recording.
The CLS system works flawlessly with the built-in flash as a master.
Frame rates are somewhat slow in FX mode. The D4 is a clear winner here, and even the old D300 was notably faster.
The built-in flash seems a bit higher, meaning it's less prone to those annoying dark areas caused by large lenses obstructing the flash beam.
The GPS works well, but remains slow. I tend to leave it on whenever the camera's on (as opposed to the default which cycles it on/off with the meter).
The add-on battery pack (MD12) is outrageously expensive, but it makes the camera much easier to handle.
You get about 500 shots on the standard internal battery...the MD12 get you up to 2000 images on a set of batteries, and you can use standard AA's.
The in-camera HDR is cool, but I prefer doing HDR in software.
The eyepiece view is very bright and easy to see, even without glasses. I have a 1.2X DK-17M, and I find I don't need to use it.
Live View is much easier to use, and the artificial horizon is a blessing for architecture or landscape shots.
Yes, it is as loud as some reviews say, even in "quiet" mode.
The custom menus and shooting options are a terrific feature, if you learn to use them properly.
Overall, in the right hands, this camera is capable of producing some stunningly fine photographs. If you know what to do with it, or are willing to learn, then this is truly a five-star product.
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I bought this camera because it was the cheapest at my large local Japanese electronics store, it runs on AA batteries, and as well as loads of pixels in the still camera mode, it takes high definition videos. High definition videos are important even, or especially, on Youtube to get a crisp result.
