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Speed and power, without compromise. That’s how I’d sum up my impression
) [; t4 A; v8 e8 f+ ~6 Yof the new Nikon D800. Established medium-format image quality is
, |! r* P$ g9 i4 Fnow inside a phenomenal, incredibly responsive Nikon machine. At 36.3
4 v/ @# q2 k7 E5 P' ~; ]0 Emegapixels, the D800 produces unprecedented image quality and resolution
5 a% b$ j* |4 k* Iwithin a body that boasts revolutionary technological advances. The 3D color, ]9 j B2 }9 L* _, `. S. v, j* B
matrix metering III, wide dynamic range and the improved AF performance
/ n3 G4 E( k- yin low light are just a few features that are glaring improvements. The D800
. [3 w/ O% \/ H: u' q0 _allows me to concentrate on the light, the composition and my subject/ E0 x: @2 q S% n; @& @8 E
without having to think about much else. In years past, wedding photography
! q- V) \$ e8 e G+ O/ j$ |was traditionally captured with medium-format equipment for maximum T G. Q" c7 l1 Z6 ^7 s9 A$ m8 W
image quality. When the 35mm format was adopted within the genre, it was, Y( m3 o0 f. \; u3 ]
widely accepted that image quality was compromised in lieu of speed and
5 k/ ^/ O: w, ?9 Vconvenience. Now, my wedding portraiture will have a depth it’s never shown$ H# g) f% J. O
before, and my style of shooting will be enhanced rather than compromised,. l6 q8 R8 g' d x9 I
thanks to the D800.
* M0 Q$ P. U$ ]$ S) NWhen I’m shooting beauty and jewelry in the studio or fashion on location,
' [% z/ z/ U" G, D0 p( T% \36.3 megapixels changes the industry standard: in image quality, dynamic
7 l {% W5 K0 B+ h/ {5 ?* wrange, color rendering and the final print. The detail from the D800 produces) T% Q4 }! l8 Q$ Q+ G
the look of a medium-format camera, but gives me the feel and response of a) Z: x. C' J; o
D-SLR. The improvements in rendering skin tone and specular highlights, as
8 V( G% E& ]; v* \4 P e1 ?well as fabric and hair detail are superior to anything that has come before.
1 s3 W; ~ }# {Autofocus quickly tracks models in motion. Nikon’s 91K-pixel RGB sensor2 ~: r# R/ V+ O* {5 \- P
has noticeable improvements in metering accuracy, while the larger LCD is
' z% }& ?! `/ {% \easier to read. The camera body feels solid and ergonomically simple, while
1 C; \( M3 {9 k# {7 Walso feeling lighter and smaller than previous high-resolution Nikons. New
m9 Y( R7 m6 z; Gcameras always inspire me to test and explore, and all the useful features
- |- u6 F3 j8 s; |+ y* ^in such a compact package will open huge creative possibilities for my highquality- \6 I. ~9 I2 r: ]- Z2 S
prints and video., q- ?2 E0 k/ m* N
To me, cameras are more like paintbrushes than technology. The goal is4 U$ G4 T. _+ n5 m
not megapixels or technique but the image, and while camera models% X% s3 m0 ^8 S
are important, they are not the be-all or end-all. But after a lifetime using
; K: b. x9 J5 D( tcountless cameras, I have found a new best friend. It was not love at first8 C9 Y8 b1 Y" V5 e0 a. n
sight. The sharpness and detail were initially intimidating, exposing my flaws
4 u1 ~7 o- T* Q' v xlike never before. Subtle camera movements showed and differences of! y0 g; }0 s1 E6 G) A! \) z, `
acuity between aperture choices on various lenses were apparent. But now I
1 y2 X# _4 [" Kam enthralled with this technology. Why? Because the images almost feel as. M5 d1 W1 U- h0 g4 m/ a8 G5 J3 i
though they were made with a 4x5 view camera! Special features like timelapse7 W$ I$ K2 x, a6 b3 Z! i
photography and the improved HD video quality and flexibility also add
5 G: e H! I/ z5 F. gtremendously to the camera’s personality. After spending a month with the) ?, S/ ?. N$ \$ d& r z0 f
D800, I’ll never be the same again. Perhaps the best compliment I can express0 I: B3 N. J' ^. U% h9 G9 [
is that now I will think differently about the images I make.( Y* D* G$ `3 r0 k
As a modern architectural photographer I am always looking for a lightweight,
1 |. ?4 i8 P" n4 x& |& {+ Ucompact and reliable camera system fulfilling the requirements of my personal
9 l" W" X7 Z3 H3 S$ { h) d- Bartistic and client expectations. The Nikon D800 will set new standards for
7 R) y2 O& V; ]" K" Nthe high-end 35mm D-SLR market. I have never worked with a 35mm digital
0 O( \, {2 u5 `, [; C' w) xcamera that produces images with such exceptional quality and detail till* _, N# |+ f2 s* Z4 I) O
now. Particularly, the live view mode enables extremely precise compositions
z {% _% ~/ I! w2 a0 Qand easy focusing in dim lighting, which simplifies my workflow. Superior
( c. c( g. Y) g/ c" D2 hquality lenses such as the PC NIKKOR tilt & shift lineup are indispensable for
/ N$ H* w# {. K d9 w2 @, Narchitectural photography. From my hands-on experience I found that they8 |, @7 \3 k( O2 g+ n& Y0 @
perfectly match with the newly invented system and produce breathtakingly* a; q* ^) P9 D
clean, clear and sharp files. This camera gives me the photographic flexibility- X" z7 r& t' Z% v+ d E9 S0 n. A
to work at unusual shooting locations and capture images in an exceptional
: C* G" X, V7 r9 Q/ {range of light. It definitely takes my photographic versatility and image quality/ ]+ F% \! j) T$ O
to a new level. What a new companion!7 f [- m* b& \0 k) y9 n- f
The D800 On Assignment: H1 j! L0 H8 l0 g
Rob Van Petten
+ |3 V' N/ h8 [7 t4 z4 g7 PFashion (U.S.A.)
0 Y: \! k! q0 k" OCliff Mautner9 o* U& t3 E ?! {4 F( D
Wedding (U.S.A.)
6 A4 ?0 S& J/ a/ FJim Brandenburg% a7 H$ ^) I3 }* X
Nature (U.S.A.): n7 u) O9 u. L
Benjamin Antony Monn% @8 B, y" W, w0 f+ U3 L; E
Fine art/Architecture (Germany)
8 r# r }% C8 fPrinted in Holland Code No. 6CE11030 (1202/A)K |
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