about to buy Nikon D800e. need some opinions.

AndrewofAdelaide · Apr 4, 2013

i'm an artist and have been photographing for over 20+ years. i've started transitioning to digital but the learning curve is still huge. my work is project-based, so i use equipment that suites each project.
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i'm about to buy the Nikon D800e, vertical grip, Nikkor 24-70 f2.8 lens, extra battery, SB910 flash, sync cord and two, SanDisc ExtremePro cards. plus a Black and White clear filter.
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i hv the funds (i got a great price) but i'm just wondering if i should wait. it's a lot of money and i'm now getting cold feet and questioning my decision.
i decided on this over the Canon 5D Mark III because of the higher megapixel and uncompressed video PLUS i already have a Nikon F5 and a Nikkor 80-200 f2.8 lens in mint condition.
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it's not that i NEED this system right now.
i know that there were some left AF issues (but i've read that Nikon has fixed it-- but didn't address or recall it).
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also, i've read that it will be 3 years until the next update.
should i wait for something?

Majeed Badizadegan · Apr 4, 2013

The D800e is probably the best imager in it's class for the price. If you're in a position to get it, and you actually need/want that much resolution, GO FOR IT!

kendalltristan · Apr 4, 2013

Well, the sync cord isn't 100% necessary as the D800E can trigger the SB-910 remotely using CLS, but sometimes it's nice to have the peace of mind associated with a physical cord.

I can't think of any reason for you to be disappointed in the purchase but it is an awful lot of money to be spending regardless of whether you're getting a great deal on it or not. I'd be getting cold feet as well.

Chad · Apr 4, 2013

Rotanimod said:
The D800e is probably the best imager in it's class for the price. If you're in a position to get it, and you actually need/want that much resolution, GO FOR IT!

I agree

orb9220 · Apr 4, 2013

If going for it. Don't forget about the back-end the computer end. As 36mp file sizes will require more ram and processor power.

And don't think like my system dual-core 4gb would suffice for the job. So want to take a look at your system specs and make sure it's not going to choke on the new raw sizes and can actually edit them on the system you have.
.

The_Traveler · Apr 4, 2013

orb9220 said:
If going for it. Don't forget about the back-end the computer end. As 36mp file sizes will require more ram and processor power.

And don't think like my system dual-core 4gb would suffice for the job. So want to take a look at your system specs and make sure it's not going to choke on the new raw sizes and can actually edit them on the system you have.
.

There are lots of 800E raw files around.
Download one and edit it to see how robust your system is.

TheLost · Apr 5, 2013

If you don't need a higher FPS then the D800E could be the last digital camera you ever need. There will always be something better on the horizon... You can either wait for the 'next big thing' or jump in with both feet now.

manaheim · Apr 5, 2013

The_Traveler said:
There are lots of 800E raw files around.
Download one and edit it to see how robust your system is.

I can put one up for you if you like... Just pm me and remind me.

The power to edit these is a very serious thing. I've had to upgrade my workstation and I'm damned close to upgrading my server at this point because the IDE and older spinning disk on the server drives me nuts when I need to edit more than 20 files.

Spesh · Apr 5, 2013

As has been mentioned, you will need to take your pc specs into account when chossing the D800. I have a Core i7 3960X @ 5.1Ghz and 16Gb RAM, which obviously deals with the load fine. But you will want something preferably with hyperthreading and 4 cores. I would not want to go below an i7 2600k if you do a lot of post processing. Storage will be an issue as well, if you don't have plenty.

Besides that, the D800/e takes stunning images and handles better then any DSLR I have used before it. You will not be disappointed.

Mike_E · Apr 5, 2013

If you like your other cameras then you should not buy a D800/e.

They'll wind up just gathering dust.

binga63 · Apr 5, 2013

[h=1]Nikon D800E Digital SLR Camera Body Kit + 24-70mm f/2.8G Lens 36.3 MP NEW USA[/h][h=2]w/ 2 32GB CARDS + NIKON CASE + NIKON CLEANING KIT +MORE ....$5189[/h]sb910 flash $440
$325 grip

Sourced from ebay...
Shop around if you are determined to spend that amount of cash

jaymitch · Apr 7, 2013

The d800 is a beast of a camera. Don't put to much thought into all of the "mp" talk, they are big files but memory is cheap. As long as you have a decent computer to handle it you will be fine. The quality you get is amazing, Im a wedding photographer and have been shooting with d800's since they were released and have never been happier with a body choice.

manaheim · Apr 7, 2013

jaymitch said:
The d800 is a beast of a camera. Don't put to much thought into all of the "mp" talk, they are big files but memory is cheap. As long as you have a decent computer to handle it you will be fine. The quality you get is amazing, Im a wedding photographer and have been shooting with d800's since they were released and have never been happier with a body choice.

What exactly are you suggesting he not take seriously with "all the mp talk"?

Those large files eat processor, ram and hard drive like candy. If you're not able to deal with that it becomes an issue. Hell you're even limited on how many files you can cram onto archival media. I would up buying bluray drives and discs.

jaymitch · Apr 7, 2013

manaheim said:
jaymitch said:

The d800 is a beast of a camera. Don't put to much thought into all of the "mp" talk, they are big files but memory is cheap. As long as you have a decent computer to handle it you will be fine. The quality you get is amazing, Im a wedding photographer and have been shooting with d800's since they were released and have never been happier with a body choice.

Click to expand...

What exactly are you suggesting he not take seriously with "all the mp talk"?

Those large files eat processor, ram and hard drive like candy. If you're not able to deal with that it becomes an issue. Hell you're even limited on how many files you can cram onto archival media. I would up buying bluray drives and discs.

I don't disagree with what your saying, the files are big and do take up considerable space. I just hear so many people act like the files are so big you can't possibly work with the camera. You just need to know what your getting into. If you think your just buying a new body that is going to fit right into your work flow like a d700 or d3s you are in for a rude awaking.

manaheim · Apr 7, 2013

Well the latter thing you said is basically my point. It's a GREAT camera, but it is nontrivial to work with. I was talking to another D800 owner and our assessment was that it was essentially like a loaded weapon. Very effective at what you need to do, but not a toy and nothing you pick up casually.