1. Autofocus
No problems with the car left focus points. No matter which measurement field, the auto focus corresponds to the setting in Live View and sits.
I have a slight front focus, I have adjusted the autofocus fine-tuning, however, with all Nikon lenses. This is not noticed on the photos taken so far. Only with a test setup, I was able to determine this at maximum aperture. In the camera menu there is a point by feinjstieren can focus. The camera remembers every lens and adjusts the programmed value during change of objectives automatically again.
My correction values
Nikon 70-200mm f2.8 VR II +4
Nikon 85mm F1.8 +20
Nikon 24-120mm f4 + 10
Nikon 16-35mm f4 +15
Nikon AF-D 50mm f1.8 +3
Nikon AF-S 24-70mm 2.8 +3
Update: 11/21/2013: Since me the need for AF fine adjustment has particularly annoyed with the 85mm lens, I haeb the camera together with lenses for autofocus adjustment brought about Nikon Frankfurt. The whole lasted 1 day until I got everything back. As a result, the fine adjustment is off. The autofocus works absolutely perfectly. I need to correct anything. Even if the depth of field is only a few millimeters, everything fits. I am especially thrilled by the 85mm now.
Update 03/26/2014
One should set the camera to focus priority in the AF-C, therefore the continuous autofocus. With the D3S release priority works very well. In the D800, however, the photos of fast-moving kids are constantly somewhat blurred, despite the short exposure times. This changes the setting to focus priority. The recordings are significantly better.
2. landscapes
In my opinion The D800 requires a different approach when focusing. Due to the extremely good resolution, the sharpness is changed by movement of the photographer quickly. My attitude is therefore:
Continuous AF focus priority and release priority instead even when AF-C.
Approach: 1. Cutting determine. 2. Select the Auto Focus area, trigger 3.
The resolution is so extreme that bad lenses are now provided only. The advantage of the resolution is, then one really does not need such a large zoom range, because you can make large enlargements. As always it is enough loose a 24-120 mm.
3. Sport
In FX mode, max. 4 frames per second in FX too little. Fast it is with AA battery in the handle. Here it creates in the DX mode 6 fps. In Crop 1.2 there are still 5fps. The Mignon batteries increase but against Nikon Battery weight felt again. The auto focus points work only in the DX range and are very fast. The 3D continuous autofocus, there is virtually no waste.
4. Low Light
I have had very good experience with the Auto ISO setting. There is the possibility that the camera will automatically take care of a sufficiently short shutter speed depending on the lens and, if necessary, the high ISO.
Even at high ISO speed images are hardly noisy. Scaled down to this one example 12 megapixels there until 6400 no bad pictures.
Update: For sports photography in the hall (table tennis) I bought another Nikon D3S needed. The difference at high ISO values is more than clear in favor of the D3S with only 12 MP. The pace anyway. The D800 is great for landscape. The D3S super for indoor sports and fast. The noise when you D800 is significantly better than with my old D300. But overall, a league worse than the D3S. With the D3S 5000 the recordings are still knackscharf with ISO and not to see the noise after the RAW development. Despite the 36 MP I prefer in the sports hall, the D3S
5. Miscellaneous
The Live View mode is much better than the D300 (without S). One button and you are in Live View and can ask directly here sharply and trigger. The downside is that I have repeatedly triggered accidentally accidentally LiveView mode and had unnoticed switched on the display, which had a much higher battery consumption.
In an amusement park I made a replica of battery 850 photos. Once I had run for an unknown time accidentally LiveView. The battery lasts so through very well.
The camera is quite large and heavy and almost with small hands not so good as a D300. The autofocus selector has only the positions manually and AF. To have to switch between continuous and single focus you press the AF button and select the desired mode and / or the number of measurement fields on the dial.
The case is well sealed. In extreme sleet with strong gusts of wind I had no problems.
Update July 2014: As in the Europa Park Rust I was in the Tyrolean whitewater course in the fall of 2013, sat well on the wrong place. While I / s photographed dipping into the water with 4 images spilled a load of a felt half a bucket of water over the camera. I only have the filter on the lens and further dried photographed. So far without consequences.
Software problems I had also no. The camera never crashed and was always ready for use.
In video mode is used with only the LiveView display consumes much power the camera. After an estimated 15 min recording with handle and 1900 mAh AA batteries, a low battery warning is already displayed.
Problems with dirt on the sensor I had to now 1,600 images with many lens change no. I have set in the menu, the sensor to be cleaned when switched on and off. To date, all the photos perfectly without visible dust spots. Cleaning therefore seems to be working very well.
Cold:
For a short break in Northern Sweden the temperature gauge showed noon in the sun minus 26 degrees. That same evening, 100 km further north in Abisko down to the open chairlift to Abisko Sky Station. There min. 2.5 hours photographed outdoors auroras and had no problems with the camera. Display, etc. all went perfectly. Only the lightweight carbon fiber had to return to the warm, before it could be retracted.
Focus Update 20/03/2014
Dealing with the 36 MP is not easy. Small motion blur fall immediately. Sometimes it is not easy to shoot a portrait, in which every hair of the eyelid is knackscharf. One needs much faster shutter speeds than you it was used to. And even at 1/250 sec at 85mm is not any photos sharp to the finest hairs. If you close the aperture to a higher value as a diaphragm 8 is added a diffraction blur. Therefore own values between 1.8 and 8 is best for sharp photos.
Focus Update 02/06/2014
The camera is very sensitive to motion blur due to many pixels. Toll is the function, which adjusts the ISO Auto on the focal length used. I have set to "Automatic" in the shortest shutter speed. It can be set separately for "Automatic" Normal, Longer in 2 stages and Less in 2 steps. Longer for someone who can hold the camera very quiet, less if the desired exposure time should be even shorter. So for example, instead of Less at 200 mm focal length 1/200 sec or 1/640 sec instead 1/400. The shortest setting I have everything knackscharf at portraits of children nervous. In the default setting only the shots were sharp, where the children were sometimes really quiet.
I find this setting option avoids errors. You have less to think that ISO number you take.
6. My impressions of lenses:
Nikon 70-200mm f2.8 VR II super fast autofocus, knackscharf. Thanks to VR II sharp at 200mm and 1/125 Images
Nikon 85mm F1.8 - After calibration knackscharf and well
Nikon 24-120mm f4 Very good immerdrauf lens, in the center always sharp. At 120 mm, it is worse in the margin.
Nikon 16-35mm f4 Not as good as my Tokina 12-24 on the D300. Still good and sharp. At 16mm high distortion. At 35mm it could be sharper. Loss of sharpness towards the edges more clearly.
Nikon AF-D 50mm f1.8 super sharp. Even at full aperture ok. But tiny depth of field thanks to FX sensor.
Nikon 28-80mm real sharp cheap plastic lens
Nikon AF-S 24-70mm 2.8 - Super sharp, valuable built. Relatively heavy.
Sigma 28-300mm Oh my God !! Just get rid of it
Tokina AF 17mm f / 3.5 AT-X Pro f3.5 prime lens The definition is so extremely poor. The photos are not to be used
Tokina AT-X 12-24mm 4.0 PRO DX DX lens in the FX mode: super sharp at 24mm no vignetting, especially in the center. At the edge still ok.
Nikon 14-24mm 2.8 Wonderful sharpness, great colors, Hammer.
Nikon 28-300mm Really great sharp, good travel zoom. Indemnify However motives in the light due to the light intensity is really only at the telephoto end. Of course, it depends on the distance to the subject.
The impressions are influenced personally. Others may have other views
For AF problem of cameras from the first series in 2012
This is my personal opinion and hence not part of the review:
Therefore, comments or dislikes my review unnecessary. There will be many who think differently than I do. I think that's fine.
In my personal opinion, the AF problem is exaggerated. My first D800 from June 2012 also had the AF problem. These things I have but only by trial and error in December 2012 found after I read about it. In the meantime, I had made many thousands of first-class and sharp photos.
The D800 has 51 points. Of the problem the 3 leftmost fields were exactly affected. In normal use, in landscape and sports you will not notice this error because you do not necessarily use these 3 measuring fields. Even if I used this, the photos were creaking economy, as I had at least stopped down to f 5.6.
I have long wondered whether I sell the camera and me buy a new D800 for min. 500 euros extra. Ultimately, I did it for the reason I assume that the loss of value in a few years from cameras with AF problem is higher than cameras without AF problem.
Personally, I'm just stumbled upon reports of an AF problem and had not come of its own accord it.
But it is the decision of every individual, whether he finds the camera good or bad, when the 3 left fields erroneous results at maximum aperture and high-intensity lenses.
It is true that it is a pity Nikon to deliver cameras with such a problem. Conversely, the camera has such an extreme resolution, which it would be difficult to make perfect in the context of mass production, an adjustment of the autofocus.
Everybody has to decide for yourself whether he likes the camera or not, or want to take the Risk of having a camera with 3 errors in the left measurement fields. I like my D800 and was annoyed not a day.
Update July 2014
Nikon has introduced the D810. However, I see no reason to change. Differences are a better subject tracking with auto focus, probably a little better noise performance and a slightly better shooting speed. Everything difference that would interest me for sports photography. But for the D810 FX full frame mode is still too slow.
