Used Nikon D800E 36.3 Megapixel FX Format Digital SLR Camera Body, Full 1080p HD Video - Optical Low Pass Filter (OLPF) with Anti-Aliasing Removed

2014-05-26T20:00:00

I purchase a refurbished D-800E from the Nikon store. It arrived with a cracked view finder shade. I returned it for a new one but was told they no longer had any D800 E's and were not ordering anymore of them. They shipped be a second refurbished one which also had a crack in the view finder shade. I don't know if this is a reflection of Nikon's products, customer care or the Nikon store itself. Very disappointing purchase.

MoreLes

Originally posted at

2014-04-19T21:00:00

A most excellent camera; thought about going for the D4s but couldn't justify spending $6500 so took a step down and, after looking at specs and reviews, decided on the D800E... and it was a great choice. I moved up from the 14MP D2Xs so it's taking some time to get used to 2 1/2 times more resolution and the pros and cons that go with it. I absolutely love the ability to use the live view to zoom in on a subject and adjust focus; one of the issues with extreme MPs is that focus is critical (though at points less than full resolution, subjects look more in focus than they actually may be). Moving from the D2 body, I tried to get used to the smaller size of the D800 but decided to add the extra battery pack (which sits on the bottom of the camera, much like motor drives back in the day). The increase in size makes it very similar to holding the larger bodied camera. The camera is very good at determing proper white balance, exposure, etc., when framing the shot (I shoot mostly landscapes, city scapes, nature, etc.), though if you're shooting something very dark or very light, you will need to adjust the exposure accordingly. I am still getting used to some of the details and extra bells and whistles that weren't available with my previous DSLRs but I must say I am very happy with my choice.

BRIAN B.

2014-04-16T20:00:00

I have never touched or even seen a camera I like better than the D800E. Initial focus alignment problem was handled expertly by Nikon service. Images are astonishing, and I mean with any lens. My expensive lenses, and my less expensive lenses all perform better with this camera than anything else I have used them on. Some lenses require fine tuning and some don't, just like with any Nikon pro camera. For instance, my 85mm f.18G is perfect at any distance, no fine tune, my 24-70 f2.8G requires +10 on fine tune, but it requires the same fine tune on my D600. My D800E focuses incredibly fast, and I will point out that I always use Focus Priority for shutter release. Handling wise, it feels like my old D700, except for the AF controls, and I loved my D700. My D800E is better in just about every way. I cannot imagine a future upgrade for this camera because I don't know how it can get any better. Good thing it is a solid piece of work, and I expect to have it for the rest of my time on planet earth. File size is larger than anything else out there, but you have options, depending on what you are shooting. For birds in flight I like the 1.2 crop factor and 12-bit RAW. For people I like full frame and 12-bit RAW. For landscape I like full frame and 14-bit RAW. For sports I like JPEG. I might add that this camera handles white balance better than I have ever had before. ISO control is flexible and very easy to deal with. Flash photography? It's a Nikon. Nuff said. It is the finest camera I have ever had, with the only possible exception being the FM2n, an engineering marvel that might never be exceeded. However, the FM2n had a terrible AF system. One qualification note - I do not shoot video with this camera, and I never will. So I can't help you with that.

Anonymous

Originally posted at

2014-03-07T19:00:00

My D800e has had focusing problems from the very beginning. This occurs through the viewfinder, but not through the "Live View" option. I didn't send it in right away because I couldn't figure out what it was doing wrong. Some photos were ok, but most weren't. I have now sent it in twice and struggled and struggled with Nikon to get it fixed. They have used every excuse in the book to not be able to fix it. They did manage to get the center focus point to work correctly, but the side focus points do not focus properly. This occurs on 4 of my lenses - 3 of which are new. The lens that it works worst with is the: AF Micro-Nikkor 60mm f/2.8D. They give the excuse that this is an older lens. #Note they still sell this older lens#. The outer focusing points work fine with "Live View", but are SEVERELY out of focus if you focus through the viewfinder.

Whatsthedeal

Originally posted at

2014-02-09T19:00:00

best digital camera i have seen. from the d600 the wow factor ain't that great but from a dx it blows your socks off.it gives you more freedom to concentrate on what your shooting rather than trying to frame the shoot perfectly, like using a 6x7 format. i like the fact that it has a pc plug,makes it more convenient to use the more powerful flash units and studio lites. with the nx 2 program, it makes handling raw files very easy.you get better results from a slite under exposure.wish i got this before i got the d600 but it was not around then.i shot this photo while testing a flash. first photo to give you scale. the second is an enlargement made from the previous shot.

chuck

2014-01-13T19:00:00

this camera does not feel any different to use than my D7000 yet physically it is bigger. I like the ISO picture quality. Because it is top of the line , It will take me time to fully use it as I am a slow at reading It has a CF slot and a SD slot I wish it had 4 SD slots

Dock

2014-01-09T19:00:00

Dynamic range, resolution and low light performance all superb. A faster frame rate would have made it a home run for me when I am doing wildlife. The current 4fps in fx is adequate but 8 or 10fps would be ideal. Like the size and weight.

critidoc

Originally posted at

2013-12-26T19:00:00

I've been using Nikon cameras for over the past 35 years, and never have I ever experienced the dynamic range, resolution and wide Tonal Range I’ve seen with the D800E camera with any other. The image quality, functionality and performance that the D800E provides out performs all other makes and models by far, it’s the most reliable camera I've ever used. I use this camera for shooting wildlife, nature and landscapes and has performed extremely well. I also own a D2X that performs well but no compassion in quality and performance to the D800E. I’ve even borrowed a D3X from a friend and did some comparison between the two, and the D800E out performed even the D3X. I use to carry several camera bodies with me at all times depending on what I was going to photograph, but now there’s no need to. I use the D2X as a backup now, knowing that the D800E will provide me with the performance and quality I need!

NatureBuff

Originally posted at

2013-12-15T19:00:00

The D800e is capable of astounding levels of detail and image quality. I love the solid feel and heft of the camera, it's viewfinder and general build quality. What displeases me are the lack of U1 and U2 modes. I find myself using my D7000 in preference due to the simple effectiveness of being able to instantly access full recall for time lapse and other types of photography. My previous correspondence to Nikon to address this in firmware will of course, fall on deaf ears. Nikon will wait to release their next models to address the pedantic and hard to use custom settings bank issues. Additionally, the ML3 remote I use with the D7000 can't be used on the D800e. Another serious annoyance.

Stoka

Originally posted at

2013-11-26T19:00:00

Although I am still learning the Nikon from Canon. I am really liking it - a lot. Of course I do Landscape photography.

Joseph P.

2013-11-25T19:00:00

I refrained from buying this camera b/c I could see no rationale for a 36mp image. After viewing the incredible sharpness of images directly out of camera I was sold. Furthermore I wanted a companion camera to my D4 and this is the only other Nikon without the silly consumer icon based controls on the top panel. The transition from one camera to the other is seamless.

Lightwiz

2013-11-12T19:00:00

This is an Amazing camera. Fast response depending on Lens.

Orson

Originally posted at

2013-11-01T20:00:00

I've been using Nikon cameras for over 50 years, from S-series rangefinders through the F-series film bodies (still have all my film bodies) to the D-series digital. The D800e is by far the most exceptional camera I've used, both in handling and quality of results. The ability to quickly focus on any area of the image in Live View has really streamlined my outdoor work. The resolution and dynamic range is beyond any digital camera I've used, and yields prints that are as fine as medium format work that I've done in the past. It takes a reasonable level of skill (years of experience helps) to produce the highest quality images the D800e is capable of capturing. Excellent lenses like the Micro-Nikkors and good technique like tripod use will enable recording the full resolution of this camera, but even the better zoom lenses (like the AF-S 24-120 f/4G ED VR, and the AF-S 70-200 f/2.8G ED VRII) can deliver superb images. Just be sure your computer has plenty of hard drive space available - resolution like this makes for large files! My favorite Nikon camera so far!

PhotoGuy1

Originally posted at

2013-10-14T21:00:00

This camera has a relatively slow FPS but unless you're trying to shoot sports, it doesn't matter. The D4 gives you a big boost in FPS but falls short in my book for megapixels. So for me, this is the BEST offering Nikon currently has.

Nathan M.

2013-05-06T21:00:00

I had high expectations for this cameras performance and to my surprise .... it was better than expected

Greg

2013-04-04T21:00:00

Our first run with the D800E was an indoor wedding, and I cant count the shots that I was able to go without flash, out of 900 photos and 5 hrs I only used the SB910 flash about 50 times and all that was outdoor shots using it for flash fill. The photographs are impeccable and without blemish. Lighting in program matrix balanced fill flash is awesome. I would highly recommend. The wedding I shot at about 1/3 what the camera will actually shoot and I was still getting 9 mb jpegs. Raw, it is your call, awesome. We did a family session and shot all tiff and filled a 8 gig card quick so make sure you know how much memory you have, this camera is the top. If i take care of this one it ought to be good till 2020. The detail with the Nikon 28-300 that we usually shoot with is outstanding.

CRAIG L.

2013-04-01T21:00:00

Nikon D800E is the best camera I have even used: fast focus, high quility of image, low noisy. The only thing I still worry about is oil leakage.

Jikui S.

2013-03-25T21:00:00

This camera helps you getting high-quality image, over all other cameras. But I still worry about oil leakage and left autoocus probloms.

Jikui S.

2013-02-12T19:00:00

I love this camera. I have no complaints other than I need to get a CF card so I can have the camera write my RAW files faster. Great, great camera. Massive file sizes along with massive detail and resolution.

FRANK G.

2013-01-16T19:00:00

Lives up to the hype. A great camera but not perfect. So far I have tried to use two different CF memory cards and the camera rejected them both. I e-mailed an inquiry to Nikon via their "ask Nikon" webiste. Their repsonse was to give me the list of approved CF cards which I already had - nothing else. Nikon support lives much to be desired. For this reasons I give only 4 stars. Without them I would have rated it 6 stars. Luckily SD cards work without a hassle.

Dan B.

2012-08-15T21:00:00

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!

LARRY J.

2012-06-26T21:00:00

The elimination of the Low Pass filter helps the D800E with a resolution boost of some 10% over the D800 which is not to be gained by sharpness slider during PP (you can not get more resolution at PP). Further the D800E pictures look crisper and requiring almost no sharpening afterwards. For wildlife/bird photography use it like a DX format camera, plenty of resolution. Pay attention in choosing lenses as this sensor will reveal resolution drop toward edges more than other FF cameras. The new 1.8G series (28, 50 and 85mm) are excellent lower cost alternatives to the pro-line. Check [@] and [@] sites for best possible lens choices. For pros I would recommend the Zeiss line too. Once coupled with optimum lenses the D800E delivers the next-best results to the very expensive MF cameras. For critical results USE tripod, use MLU and shutter delay; then you will be amazed of the outputs. This is a revolutionary camera.

BILL B.

2012-06-14T21:00:00

This camera just wants to shoot. It froths at the mouth ready to capture anything in any light. I find it silly that this is being pegged as a "studio-only," tripod only, camera. It most certainly isn't. A good photographer can get good results from any of the dslr's on the market, but this dslr has something up it's sleeve. It's hi-megapixel count allows it to be used in ways that other current dslr's just can't. It can reach out and grab detail from the image. You can frame your subject wider with room and resolution to crop. I use this beast for everything. Portraiture work and hi-speed indoor sports (no flash), under horrible lighting. Yes, hi-speed sports. Yes, I have shot cameras with a faster frame rate. Sure, i wish it shot 11-12 fps, but I don't typically shoot that fast. Do you really shoot faster than 4fps all the time, if yes, grab a D4... it exists! What has been wonderful for me is when I shoot at 10159 ISO the info is in the image. It is amazing what I can get out of it. This has really made shooting low light, more fun. This camera begs to be shot. I can not attest to battery life without the grip, which I purchased as well. I use eneloop's in the grip and have to charge the grip batteries about every 750 shots, with some video and plenty of playback of stills. When the grip batteries die, I throw another set in. Off of the original charge, my main batter is still at 81%. Bottom line, if you are a nikon shooter you will be familiar with the layout and menu structure. Don't sweat buying this camera, it rocks. Stress over getting get shots, because this camera won't hold ANYONE back in the least. OH,one more thing. Use fast cards. My 400x Lexar 32GB cards still transfer slowly when importing pics in to my computer. It is 3 times as a d700, for instance, on import.

Horatio B.

2012-04-27T21:00:00

If you are able to get a best shot with this camera, you will become fortunate from the bottom of your heart.However, the performance of the lens is very important for this D800E camera.You need to choose a high quality lens.Moreover, you have the severe necessity of being careful so that camera shake may not be carried out at the time of shot.Those who criticize the image quality of this camera have exposed that his photography capability is low.

YASUHITO N.