Today, well, yesterday I had the chance to be at Photo Days, a photography fair, aimed at professionals and companies. The reason I really went was simple: Nikon. They had their new flagship models there to fondle, shoot and marvel at. The new D4, D800 and D800E.
While I won’t go in full detail, and won’t post every little thing they changed, I will more go in the way of how the cameras feel, rather than the performance.
I asked for permission to use my own CF card in the camera, and was granted for the Nikon D4, yet not for the megapixel beast, the D800. The pictures on this blog are all shot with the D4. The cameras are still demo samples, and the EXIF file did ask not to publish, however, many other media and blogs posted .NEF files and more. So I’ll just provide these samples. If there are Nikon reps here that will not agree, contact me. :)
As a photographer, I notice little things, and I use a lot of the same technology day in and out. I wake up with my iPhone, go to bed with my iPad. And shoot my Nikon in-between. The grip of my D700 feels amazing, especially compared to my older D90, yet the moment I held the new cameras, they felt very light and ergonomic.
However, when I did the comparison test of the D700 and D800, both with grip and 14-24mm lens, I couldn’t say which one was which. Still, on its own it feels a lot lighter and more fun to carry around all day.
Both cameras have an impressive spec bump, and feel very well built.
My problem is: Which one to choose.
I’m a news and music photographer, with lots of art and and portraits in between. I could use the megapixels in the art, but they would be overkill at a party. And it will take a new skill set to learn how to handle pure sharpness with movement. But not something I can’t overcome
Yet the D4 is a work beast. Light sensitive, and FAST! I could use some extra light sometimes, especially at a concert. And shooting a burst at a fast-moving artist at high ISO could bring something extra to some shots.
But priced at double the price. 6k is something that I just can’t afford yet. Not that 3k is easy, but still doable over time.
So, I think it will be the D800 in the end. With a D5 in a few years.
I think.
Readers, feel free to comment!
