First Day with the D800

Wired · 05-13-2014, 08:29 AM

Update on my D800 experience.

My kit has expanded quite a bit to include:
D800, SB700 (x2), 135mm f2.0 DC, 50mm f1.8 G, 85mm f1.8 G, 24-70mm f2.8 AF-S G, 80-200mm f2.8 AF-D, Tokina 16-35mm f4, Zeiss 50mm f1.4

There is very little I can't do with this setup. I have no immediate add ons on the list, the next step for me will be replacing the 80-200 with a 70-200mm f2.8 VRII and also adding a battery grip.

My photography has also changed as I've been shooting on average 1-2 times a week professionally so the D800 has been getting a lot of work. For personal work the K3 is still my goto, or as a backup kit in my trunk just in case. The K3 has also become my video production tool as I have started offering video service to local musicians and bands, as well as I will be doing work for a local studio as a writer and host for a video segment monthly.

My operational findings have changed as such:

a) The D800 is only being used to shoot video when it can be affixed to a tripod or slider setup. As I'm shooting a lot of bands lately at live venues, this means the D800 is really not being used for video at all. The lack of shake reduction is the reason for this.

b) as of firmware 1.10 you can now assign the movie record button to change ISO! This has solved my largest gripe about the D800's ergonomics.

c) The ability to quickly change the quality settings between RAW and JPG has been very useful when shooting events (like charity walks, rallies, that kinda thing). This helps keep the buffer speed up if I need a burst of speed (like charity runners at the starting line running past you.)

d) I briefly used auto-iso for three live music events, didn't like it as the lights often tricked the meter on me. I have since returned to just setting it to 6400 and adjusting as needed. As I've learned more about how the files work, the D800 RAWs clean up very nicely even at 6400. I can also scale down to 16mp which still allows for decent sized prints if needed with little to no noise unless your getting nose close to the print.

Some images from recent events:

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05-13-2014, 08:29 AM	#106
Wired Veteran Member Join Date: Aug 2009 Location: Edmonton, AB Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 2,519 Original Poster	Update on my D800 experience. My kit has expanded quite a bit to include: D800, SB700 (x2), 135mm f2.0 DC, 50mm f1.8 G, 85mm f1.8 G, 24-70mm f2.8 AF-S G, 80-200mm f2.8 AF-D, Tokina 16-35mm f4, Zeiss 50mm f1.4 There is very little I can't do with this setup. I have no immediate add ons on the list, the next step for me will be replacing the 80-200 with a 70-200mm f2.8 VRII and also adding a battery grip. My photography has also changed as I've been shooting on average 1-2 times a week professionally so the D800 has been getting a lot of work. For personal work the K3 is still my goto, or as a backup kit in my trunk just in case. The K3 has also become my video production tool as I have started offering video service to local musicians and bands, as well as I will be doing work for a local studio as a writer and host for a video segment monthly. My operational findings have changed as such: a) The D800 is only being used to shoot video when it can be affixed to a tripod or slider setup. As I'm shooting a lot of bands lately at live venues, this means the D800 is really not being used for video at all. The lack of shake reduction is the reason for this. b) as of firmware 1.10 you can now assign the movie record button to change ISO! This has solved my largest gripe about the D800's ergonomics. c) The ability to quickly change the quality settings between RAW and JPG has been very useful when shooting events (like charity walks, rallies, that kinda thing). This helps keep the buffer speed up if I need a burst of speed (like charity runners at the starting line running past you.) d) I briefly used auto-iso for three live music events, didn't like it as the lights often tricked the meter on me. I have since returned to just setting it to 6400 and adjusting as needed. As I've learned more about how the files work, the D800 RAWs clean up very nicely even at 6400. I can also scale down to 16mp which still allows for decent sized prints if needed with little to no noise unless your getting nose close to the print. Some images from recent events:

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