I cannot say enough about the merits of this machine! In the late 80's and 90's I owned several Nikon bodies and kit-level lenses. My film photos at the time were decent and frankly maybe about 1 in 3 photos I considered good, and perhaps 1 in a couple hundred (landscape pics) was truly exceptional. What I am getting to here is that with that type of success rate, my interest in photography was bound to decline; and it did. So aside from taking pics of family on special occasions and some vacation shots, my gear stayed on the shelf.
Since I have always had an attraction to Nikon cameras and wanted to try the FX format, I sold an old Rolex watch that had been sitting in a drawer for over 15 years and used the proceeds to buy an 800E and a 24-70 2.8 lens as I wanted glass commensurate to accompany this much acclaimed camera.
I simply don't have the ability to tell you just how much I love this camera and lens combination! From the moment I picked it up (heavy) and took the first few shots, I knew I had latched onto something special. The camera is solid, precise, and just exudes craftsmanship, intelligence and professional capability. I suppose it imparts the feeling that with the right lens and some basic knowledge about light and composition, you can do anything!
That sense of capability and pride in just holding the damn thing was the reason I titled this review as I did. The sensor capability and dynamic range of this camera puts to shame anything I ever took on film years ago, and it has opened my eyes again to seeing pictures in most everything I do, and once again to enjoy the magic of capturing slivers of time and vision. This past Christmas and just after getting the camera/lens combo, my wife asked me to do some obligatory photos of family and friends around the tree. In the past I have used either an Olympus point and shoot or my D90. Anyway, I broke out the D800E and the 24-70 and did my best to please her. (I am not one who usually enjoys taking photos of a bunch of staged smiles--you know what I mean.) I framed up a shot of our daughter and 4 friends near the tree and bounced flash from an SB-700. The playback photo looked good in terms of person capture and lighting, so I didn't think more about it. Later, upon looking at the pic in LR4, and even when I took the shot to a silly degree of magnification, my daughter's face among that head-to-toe group shot of 5 persons, was still useable and printable at 8.5" X 11". Just crazy, crazy sharp; so sharp that I framed that head shot and have received repeated compliments of its technical quality and much praise from my very picky wife. Little do people know that that pic was only about 5% of the original frame!!
So if you have ever held a love for finely crafted and capable technology, buy this camera. Yes it eats up a battery charge faster than expected, so be sure to get at least a second battery. For sure it will re-ignite your artistic vision and you'll find yourself watching a little less TV and more time daydreaming about what you can do rather than what you have already done. The only downside for me is that I rarely pick up my D90--a shame.
Thank You Nikon for such a great camera and this new inner smile.
Nikon D800E 36.3 MP CMOS FX-Format Digital SLR Camera (Body Only) (OLD MODEL)
4.1 | 157 ratings
Price: 1799
Last update: 06-29-2024
About this item
36.3MP full-frame CMOS sensor
51-point AF system (15 cross-type)
ISO 100-6400 expandable to 25,600
3.2 inch LCD with 921,000 dots
1080p HD video recording
4 frames per second continuous shooting
100% viewfinder
91,000 pixel metering system
Built-in flash with wireless control
Dual-axis level (viewfinder and live view)
Uncompressed video output via HDMI
Weather-sealed and shock-proof
15.3MP DX-format crop mode
Extreme resolution 36.3-megapixel FX-format (35.9 x 24.0mm) CMOS sensor
Full 1080p HD broadcast quality video and minimized rolling shutter
View simultaneous Live View output on external monitors and record uncompressed video via HDMI terminal
Multi-Area Full HD D-Movie Video Recording Mode
Comprehensive high fidelity audio recording and playback control
51-point AF system (15 cross-type)
ISO 100-6400 expandable to 25,600
3.2 inch LCD with 921,000 dots
1080p HD video recording
4 frames per second continuous shooting
100% viewfinder
91,000 pixel metering system
Built-in flash with wireless control
Dual-axis level (viewfinder and live view)
Uncompressed video output via HDMI
Weather-sealed and shock-proof
15.3MP DX-format crop mode
Extreme resolution 36.3-megapixel FX-format (35.9 x 24.0mm) CMOS sensor
Full 1080p HD broadcast quality video and minimized rolling shutter
View simultaneous Live View output on external monitors and record uncompressed video via HDMI terminal
Multi-Area Full HD D-Movie Video Recording Mode
Comprehensive high fidelity audio recording and playback control
Product information
Warranty & Support
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Nikon D800E 36.3 MP CMOS FX-Format Digital SLR Camera (Body Only) (OLD MODEL)
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