Sooo which one has been the more popular one? D800 or 5DIII

[molested_cow]

Apparently the mail man who comes to the office to deliver mail everyday is an avid photographer as well even though he definitely has quite a bit of ego from the stuffs he talks about.
He's a Nikon guy and has been wanting to get the D800E, but he says it's on back order here. Then he goes on to say that D800 is selling like hot cakes and the 5DIII are in stock.

Of course, this doesn't mean anything. The D800 may have lower production rate than the 5DIII for all you know. They are not the same type of cameras as well, so it's not fair to compare them directly, but I am still interested which one is selling better over at your side?

 

[MLeeK]

Here I'd have to guess the D800. I've only see a couple people pop up with the 5d3. I've certainly seen more images out of the D800, but we have a couple of full time members shooting with it.

 

[Derrel]

The D800 is *the* hot, new thing...it is the new resolution champion in the d-slr arena. It is the very first "affordable" high-megapixel camera from Nikon, and as a result, the pent-up demand from FX Nikon users who were stuck at 12.2 MP with the D3 or D3s or D700 has rocked the Nikon world. The 5D-III on the other hand, is basically a four year old Mark II model with one megapixel added to the sensor, and finally, finally, a decent AF system instead of one borrowed from the old 20D crop-body and slapped into a $389 EOS Elan chassis and sub-system. SO, the competition in this segment is not exactly based upon the same "rules of the game". Canon users have HAD the option for high MP count with the 5D-II for literally YEARS, but with a sucky AF system and primitive feature set in the rest of the body. Nikon users OTOH have had FANTASTIC body and AF capabilities in the D3 series and the D700, but all with a low-MP count sensor.The D3x was priced beyond the means of the majority, with its 24.5 MP sensor and rugged build, so it was never a "sales factor" camera model.

My impression is that the D800 is selling better than the 5D-III, due to both lower price on the Nikon, and pent-up demand AND the sheer 36 MP "bragging rights" aspect on the Nikon side. BOTH are neat cameras,however. The $3,500 price of the Canon is rankling MANY Canon users, who see NIkon selling a camera with many more MP for only $3,000. I THINK many Canon users are biding their time until the price drops on the 5D-III.

 

[KmH]

Unless Nikon and Canon publish sales figures, anything else is just speculation.

 

[Derrel]

Unless Nikon and Canon publish sales figures, anything else is just speculation.

Uh...unless you know people in the ACTUAL camera-selling biz and know that one camera is selling like hotcakes...and the other is not...

 

[Dao]

Well, popular and better are, sometimes, not related.


In the Nikon world, there are people maybe happy to even get a D700 since it is still a very very capable camera or waiting for the rumour D600. So that may hurt the D800 sales. But then again, without knowing the sales figure, nobody knows.

 

[MLeeK]

The D800 is *the* hot, new thing...it is the new resolution champion in the d-slr arena. It is the very first "affordable" high-megapixel camera from Nikon, and as a result, the pent-up demand from FX Nikon users who were stuck at 12.2 MP with the D3 or D3s or D700 has rocked the Nikon world. The 5D-III on the other hand, is basically a four year old Mark II model with one megapixel added to the sensor, and finally, finally, a decent AF system instead of one borrowed from the old 20D crop-body and slapped into a $389 EOS Elan chassis and sub-system. SO, the competition in this segment is not exactly based upon the same "rules of the game". Canon users have HAD the option for high MP count with the 5D-II for literally YEARS, but with a sucky AF system and primitive feature set in the rest of the body. Nikon users OTOH have had FANTASTIC body and AF capabilities in the D3 series and the D700, but all with a low-MP count sensor.The D3x was priced beyond the means of the majority, with its 24.5 MP sensor and rugged build, so it was never a "sales factor" camera model.

My impression is that the D800 is selling better than the 5D-III, due to both lower price on the Nikon, and pent-up demand AND the sheer 36 MP "bragging rights" aspect on the Nikon side. BOTH are neat cameras,however. The $3,500 price of the Canon is rankling MANY Canon users, who see NIkon selling a camera with many more MP for only $3,000. I THINK many Canon users are biding their time until the price drops on the 5D-III.

As much as I want the 5D3 this has been my holding point! I think the pricing is a bit out of this world and I also know that things usually drop after the first year or so-right after the kinks are worked out.
I know I have enough in my 'overflow' fund to buy it, but I'll wait a while more.

 

[Derrel]

The 5D (aka the 5D 'classic') ALSO premiered at $3,499. It then went to $3199. As the camera was sold more widely, and demand slacked, the price on the original 5D eventually dropped more, and the camera was, at multiple points in its lifespan, offered with rebates, as well as in "bundles". It became possible, at one point, to procure a 5D Classic with a VERY nice Canon printer and a nice Canon zoom lens, sell the printer, which was like a $900 printer!, and get the camera with an after-sale net of around $2000. Of course, this was like three and a half years into the life span of the original 5D!!!

Starting with a HIGH price, as high as the market will bear, is the way to maximize profits. THEN, the NEXT step is to offer a "rebate"--NOT cut the price, but offer a REBATE. The decision to offer a rebate and NOT a price reduction is a very critical decision for Canon and its dealer network, since a rebate protects DEALER MARGINS on very expensive stock!!! Also, some people will not actually claim the rebate, which is yet a second reason that a rebate is a MUCH better decision for profit than a price "reduction". After the first round of rebates, occasionally a bundle promotion will be offered; following that, the first round of price reductions will be effected. THIS IS THE WAY CANON does business. It is a very,very sound way of doing business.

Canon didn't get to #1 by falling off the turnip truck. Canon knows best how to milk the cow to get every last,single drop it can squeeze out.

 

[MLeeK]

I'd be ok with a good rebate! LOVE when rebate checks arrive unannounced!

 

[JohnTrav]

Would there really be a reason for 36mp for your dslr though?

I have 18mp with my 7D and have been very happy with it. I never come close to blowing my picture up big enough to even need the 18mp. So with double that in the D800, when would you ever have to actually use all those MP the camera has? Or is it more just bragging rights like mentioned before? Even poster or real life size images wouldn't need that many pixels does it?

Sorry I know these questions might be a little off topic.

 

[Derrel]

The D800 and D800e move d-slr capture even closer to digital medium format resolution. I agree mostly: 36 megapixels seems like overkill for MOST people, MOST of the time, for MOST subjects. But for people who want the "most" information in their files, with the "most" detail, or the "most" cropping flexibility...the 36MP D800 offers...well..."the most"... and no Jerry, the question is most definitely NOT off topic...the D800 is 36MP, and the 5D Mark III is what? 22.7 MP I think it is???

Keep in mind too, the D800 offers a reduced-area capture option, ie. a SMALLER, crop-body feature with a FUNC button push and a click of the thumb wheel...a la the D2x and D3 series bodies...it gives the user a "crop-body" camera that shoots a coupole of FPS faster, and makes I think it is 16.7 megapixel captures with a 1.53x FOV reduction. I have found this feature to be very useful at times!

I personally think Nikon screwed up BIG-TIME though, by NOT OFFERING the sRAW, or "small RAW-but still full-frame" 24x36mm capture option that CANON has offered in its 5D-II and 5D-III bodies!

 

[TheBiles]

The D800 is a much bigger leap over the D700 than the 5D3 is over the 5D2 . I'm guessing that most 5D2 users are happy unless they want the enhanced autofocus.

Sent from my Nexus 7

 

[molested_cow]

One big plus for the bigass resolution on the D800 is that when in cropped mode, you are still getting something like 18mp. This means you can opt not to pay for FX lens for certain purposes and go with DX, for example, a telephoto or macro, and still get a really decent size photo. Then when it comes to landscape, you can put on a FX wide angle and snap away. IMO that's two cameras in one.

 

[Derrel]

JUST SAW THIS: Olympus OM-D E-M5 Review. THE ARTICLE BEGINS THIS way. "It doesn't take a genius to figure out which are the hot cameras at any one time. Last year it was the Fuji X100 and Sony NEX-7. So far this year been it's the Nikon D800/e, the Fuji X-Pro 1, and the subject of this review, theOlympus OM-D E-M5. How to know if a camera is hot? Just try and buy one during the first six months or so. "