Final Verdict: The Nikon D800E and AF-S 35mm f/1.4G Lens

Last post in this saga.

I ain't the biggest gearhead in the sandbox, but I do know the territory pretty well. For 25 years I've deliberately made it a point to experience a wide variety of cameras of most types: I've tested dozens of cameras, owned dozens of cameras, and seen and handled literally hundreds more. I wrote the first of my many published camera reviews in 1989, in Darkroom Photography magazine. I was East Coast Editor of Camera & Darkroom magazine and Editor-in-Chief of Photo Techniques. Among the 150 or so published articles I have to my credit are more than 80 columns for the British Black & White Photography magazine and a number of the annual "World's 25 Best Cameras" features written for Photo Techniques.

My concerns and concentrations have sort of shimmied and segued back and forth between professional reviewing and my needs and enthusiasms in my own work. My weaknesses: I have relatively limited experience with toy cameras, underwater cameras, specialty aerial cameras, subminiature cameras, medium-format digital backs and pinhole cameras, infrared shooting, Foveon sensors, and extreme telephoto lenses.

Most other things I have at least a passing familiarity with. I've used many cameras on loan for periods ranging from a number of days to more than a year, and at least snapped a few frames with a wide variety of cameras ranging from a plastic Diana to a Deardorff 8x10*. I've tried literally hundreds of lenses. The first digital camera I used was the .7-MP Agfa ePhoto 1280 in 1997, and currently I own five of them, including an Olympus OM-D and a Sony A900. I also own eight film cameras including a whole plate Chamonix and two Rolleiflex 6008AFs.

There are of course a whole lot of cameras I haven't used, or tried, or seen.

Cutting to the chase: all things considered, the Nikon D800E and Nikkor AF-S 35mm ƒ/1.4G lens is the best overall photographic device of any description I have used thus far in my life.

•     •     •

That said, I'm not entirely certain that it's the best camera out there now, or even that it's actually appreciably better than the Olympus OM-D E-M5 for image quality in the small to medium-sized prints I make. My intuition—and that's all it is—is that digital technology has recently rounded another curve in its ongoing technological development, in that the engineers at the camera manufacturers are actively responding to the photographic community's concerns about dynamic range. This is leading to a new class of sensor and new emphases of implementation—and a new, higher level of image quality that is exciting and gratifying. These new FF Nikons; the D7000 and the Pentax K-5II; the newest rangefinder-style Fujis, starting with the X100 and definitely including the great X-Pro1; the current best Micro 4/3 camera, the OM-D; the NEX-7 and even the supersweet little Sony RX100 all seem to belong to this movement. There may be more. The Canon 5D Mark III, for one, might also belong in this group, though I don't know a lot about that one.

Although evolutionary in nature, this trend feels like a breakthrough to me. (The next breakthrough—currently still hull down on the horizon—will be when we're able to comfortably keep our digital cameras for seven to ten years instead of two to five. But that's a post for another day.)

•     •     •

Now then...people ask. But I don't usually see why it should be interesting to others what I actually do. As a photographer, I'm just another photography-phile, just like almost all of you. I don't see why my decisions amount to a bigger hill of beans than anyone else's.

But here's what I did. I dropped the rental camera off at UPS, and turned right around and drove to Mike Crivello's Cameras, my local camera store, and bought a D800.

I opted for the plain-jane version as opposed to the hot-rodded "E." For one thing, they had it in stock. The one I bought happens to be the very same one I handled the other day.

This is my first snap with the new camera, taken this morning. My dear doggie, a quarter-pit named Lulu. Ain't she handsome? Best-natured animal of any species I ever met. (At least towards me. She gets after some other critters pretty good, including my son's friend A.J. whom she doesn't cotton to for some reason. His friend Caleb is wary of her too. And she routinely scares the crap out of delivery people....)

The process I've been going through recently grew out of one central insight. I realized I was wasting a whole lot of emotional energy on the idea that I'm still going to be a B&W film photographer. Realistically, I have to give that idea up. That's a big step; black and white film photography and its entire culture was a huge part of my life for better than twenty years. And I loved it dearly. Still do.

But for me it's like resolving to walk everywhere when you have a car in the garage: you'll do it for a while, but the car is just too damn much easier. I wish I wasn't so lazy, but I am. I have to learn how to do exactly what I want to do with modern tools.

I really will have to sell most of my other cameras—along with the lens I bought, this is a very expensive camera. I've decided to keep just two digital cameras (one DSLR and one mirrorless) and one film camera**. For the DSLR, the D600 would have been a more sensible choice. Twenty-four megapixels is enough, and the D600's lighter build quality suits my usage level: I'm not hard on my cameras these days. But for some reason I just wanted the higher level model this time.

As for the D800, Nikon just seems to do this every once in a while: they hit a balance that seems clearly to exceed the sum of the specs. The image quality of this camera is truly exciting even for a jaded old photo-dawg like me. It sees in the dark, it's got oceans of pixels, and the highlight rendering seems to me like a long-simmering problem solved. And I find the camera itself marvelously comfortable and transparent to use, a highly refined design that falls to hand just right.

Lest you think that my purchase constitutes some sort of ringing, clarion endorsement of Nikon, though, let me bring you back to earth by pointing out that my last two major camera purchases were singularly, even rather inspiredly, unwise. I bought an A900 at the very end of its product run, for instance, paying full price for a camera that was just about to go past its sell-by date, that had been augmented by a significantly less expensive but nearly-as-good little brother (the A850), and that hadn't been terribly popular to begin with—certainly less popular overall than it deserved to be. It was a poor move on my part from a practical standpoint, and I will lose a significant amount of money on that one, as well as on the Don Quixote view camera. So, another facet of my ambition for the D800 is the hope that it will turn out to be a sensible, practical, and wise move. But, really, what I do is not necessarily any less dumb than the happy dumbass things most cameraholics do from time to time.

And I'm happy.

So that's it.

Mike

*For a while it was my ambition to collect a set of good or decent pictures taken with as broad a range as possible of different cameras and techniques. I gave this up as being sort of senseless, as well as too dorky by about a factor of two.

**Or possibly two, should the whole plate view camera prove unsalable. As one reader suggested, though, if I can't sell that on, I can always set it up in the corner of the living room as a superlative piece of decor and a conversation starter. That'll work. It's a true beauty.

Original contents copyright 2012 by Michael C. Johnston and/or the bylined author. All Rights Reserved. Links in this post may be to our affiliates; sales through affiliate links may benefit this site.

(To see all the comments, click on the "Comments" link below.)
Featured Comments from:

Omer: "Nice image of Lulu, who definitely appears to have some opinions."

Dave: "As a very satisfied D800 user, I'm curious how much difference (if any) you see between the 'E' and standard model in real-world shooting. Maybe a quick follow-up post after you've used the new body for a few weeks?"

Mike replies: Okay.

Robert Harshman: "Congrats Mike, it's a great system, I ordered a D800 today as a backup to a D800E and primary if shooting products/people. Like you say, I think it's the best SLR I've ever held in my hands/used and I do have access to a Canon 5D3, a great camera too, but not quite a D800/E.

"A couple of notes on the D800/E use. Keep the ISO as low as possible cause you lose DR with every push up and it's not small. By the time you get to ISO 1600 or 3200 you have lost 4 stops of DR. And based on my own test and others reviews, don't push the ISO beyond 1600. You are better off beyond that under exposing and pushing the shadows up in PS.

"And lastly, but perhaps most useful is try Photo Ninja RAW converter, it's automatic smart lighting adjustment should blow your mind vs. ACR and you actually get a few more pixels as if that matters here. Seems most DSLR's actually capture more pixels than the stated dimension and what all other RAW converters produce.

"Enjoy the current top of the hill :-) "

Riley: "It's good to be happy."

Jeff Smith: "Enjoyed the posts on the 800E and hope you thoroughly enjoy the camera too. I sometimes think that coveting new gear is a sickness, but you like what you like and new gear is nifty. I bought two new cameras this year—well, three if you count the used Nikon 35Ti film camera, which is a jewel of an old semi-compact film camera, but by golly is it slow in operation to today's gear.... And as I tell my wife I sold two cameras this year too, so all-in-all not too bad. Heck I even sold the old Yashica T4 for more than I paid for ages ago. And now I can't stop thinking of the Fuji X-E1 and that wonderful little Sony RX1. I guess it never ends, does it. But really do we want it to?"

Mike replies: Not me. It's fun!

 

 

Comments

[Chris]

So which lens did you get to put on the front of your new toy?

[RobR]

Having just made the switch from my old Canon 5D to a D800E this weekend, I must agree with your comments on what Nikon has done here and where digital photography has come. I feel kind of like the country bumpkin come to the big city. Boy, this thing has a lot of buttons, but even with just the 24-120 zoom, I'm loving the superb dynamic range and high ISO capabilities, not to mention all that resolution.

Enjoy, Mike!

[Simon]

" I realized I was wasting a whole lot of emotional energy on the idea that I'm still going to be a B&W film photographer."

Thanks Mike, how well put, the scales have at last fallen from my eyes.

Simon, Norfolk UK

PS. If Lulu don't scare em wait till they see the monster Nikon!

[Hugh]

"I realized I was wasting a whole lot of emotional energy on the idea that I'm still going to be a B&W film photographer. Realistically, I have to give that idea up."

Like many others, I've been following your decision making process with enormous interest. I think I've reached the same point, if I stop kidding myself.

I love the look of Tri-x shot with the Pentax 67 standard lens shot wide open, I've had one for 25 years, I just don't use it, even if I take it along to a shoot.

I bought the 5D3 two weeks ago, put my 35mm/1.4L lens on, and immediately fell in love with it. Had the 5D1 and 5D2; never fell for them, just liked them for their ability to take good fotos.

Seriously considering selling everything except the 135/2.0L and the 35/1.4L lenses, and all the other camera bodies.

[Rob Atkins]

Excellent. Use it well, use it in good health, use it a lot.

What lens? 35/1.4?

It's been some trip for your readers.

[Keith Trumbo]

Mike,
As much as your 'announcement' is interesting is this the famous Lulu that had that major operation awhile back?

[Alex]

Congratulations. You need to look no more. This camera should last you at least a decade and might very well take you to the grave (in the good sense). Now we have High ISO, high density sensors, excellent auto-focus. There is no longer any reason to keep up-grading. Hope you enjoy yourself.

[Mike Johnston]

Keith,
Yes. It's called a "TPLO, " for tibial-plateau-leveling osteotomy. It repaired a blown ACL in her left hind leg. The right hind might need the same at some point. A TPLO is more expensive than the new camera!!

Mike

[Arthur]

Let's have some fun with this.

"Mike Johnston finally consummates his Nikon love affair."

"Johnston declares D800 camera of the decade."

"TOP in the tank for Nikon."

"Mike Johnston - Canon hater or just misinformed?"

"TOP's Johnston declares D800 better than large format"

[Mike Johnston]

"So which lens did you get to put on the front of your new toy?"

Chris,
For the time being, the 28mm ƒ/1.8G. Not as much a thoroughbred as the 35mm, but cheaper and lighter. I thought I'd try to learn to give myself a little "air" for modest cropping and convergence correction in post.

Don't know if this lens choice will last, but I'll give it a fair try.

Mike

[Marek Fogiel]

So, as they say, you're done for now.
Frankly, I wouldn't know a difference between this camera, or a Sony A900, they both look like plastic bricks, and are both more than adequate for most photographic requirements. The challenge, is not in the pixels or DR, but, as always, in creating the magic of interesting images.
Good luck and good light.
Marek

[Ctein]

Dear Mike,

I eagerly await the howls of outrage from certain quarters (g). No doubt accompanied by demands you rename this "The Online Digital Photographer" so as not to "mislead" anyone about your dark perversions.

I think you chose wisely, going for the higher model. No camera's going to be without warts, but you have a better idea of what this model's warts are. Also, once the honeymoon is over and you start to find the weaknesses that mildly vex you (happens with every camera), the extra sheer raw image quality will help you work around a lot of them better.

Plus, it's nice to be able to crop with impunity when you so desire.

pax / Ctein

[Richard Man]

re: you comment about new generation of sensors, I have been saying something derivative of that in the past few days: there does seem to be a genuine leap with the latest sensor such that even the tiny 4/3 sensor seems to compare favorably with the best that are/were available from current and last generation.

Or to put it this way: if you were happy with last generation's full frame sensor performance, you can now get similar performance even on smaller sensors.

Yes this means that if you are chasing "the best," the best new full frame sensors (and that could be the Nikon D800/E, or the Leica M/T240, or...) will be even better, but it's no longer necessary. If you consider other factors, smaller cameras should be considered, even if you want really good image quality.

[David Chao]

Hi Mike,

Don't know if you're going to sell your OM-D but maybe reconsider if you're thinking of it: looks like Olympus is developing a 17/2 to replace their 17/2.8.

--Dave

[dan meyers]

Mike,

I've followed your 5-day journey and must say congratulations. It had me swaying back and forth as I contemplated using it to justify my own D800 purchase which may (or may not) materialize. One of my concerns is needing to upgrade my computer hardware; what thoughts do you have about this now that the camera is yours?

Dan

[Jeff Warden]

But Mike, but Mike . . .

Don't you have a basement darkroom conversion underway? I can't recall a post with that project coming to completion. Are you still going to print in the darkroom or have you gone all Ctein on us?

:-)

Nice camera, btw. Your test images were very interesting and make me want to try a really good digital camera sometime, but I do hope you will complete the darkroom and share some of that experience too.

[The Dynamic Ranger]

"Realistically, I have to give that idea up."

[Cue Rossini's William Tell Overture]

Hi ho Silver, and away !

[Michael Roche]

Phew!! thank goodness for that Mike now I can get back to things more mundane like getting on with life.
Hope you get lots of enjoyment from you purchase and I look forward to some stunning b/w shots which I hope you'll share with your loyal fans at TOP.

Also hope you will share your insights and tips on post processing and how to get the best possible b/w results.
Michael.

[John King]

Congratulations Mike. I really enjoy your enthusiastic explorations of new gear. Any new gear. As used by a photographer as opposed to a test machine guru.

And I applaud your choice of focal length too. After you use the 28 f/1.8 for a while I'd be interested to hear your reflections on how it compares to the 35mm f/1.4. And any regrets or second thoughts.

The only f/1.4 lens I ever owned in 35 years was a good one- a 35mm Summilux for the M4P I had at the time. It was my standard lens for nearly everything but I couldn't distinguish any superior "thoroughbred" optical properties in the Summilux compared to the much less expensive 50mm f/2 Summicron I also had.

[Craig C.]

Mike,

If you are actually going to sell off the balance of your camera collection, will you do that here on TOP, or will they be heading to the *Bay for some auctions?

Not that I should even consider another camera, lens or other photo related purchase, but I'm sure a number of us are interested in finding out what will be available and where...

Have fun with your new D800!

[Bob Keefer]

Mike,

I'd be curious to read some day why you have apparently never taken to the K-5.

(I'm assuming it was the other unwise purchase you made recently.)

Bob

[Bob, no, the unwise purchases were the Sony A900 and the Chamonix Whole Plate. Both are very good cameras though--the first I simply overpaid for considering where it was in its lifecycle, and the second just isn't a fit for me. --MJ

[Pete F]

I have followed this series with great interest - mostly because I believe my Dragoon buying days are over and I didn't fear you would influence me into buying one. I only hope there's no buyer's remorse when you get your hands on that Sony RX1.

[Mike]

Congrats! Getting a new camera is always exciting.

[Paul De Zan]

Congratulations! Refocusing on a single exceptionally capable device will surely enable you to realize more of what you really want to see in your work.

>(The next breakthrough—currently still hull down on the horizon—will be when we're able to comfortably keep our digital cameras for seven to ten years instead of two to five. But that's a post for another day.)

I think we're there; for most serious but generalist photographers we've been there for a while now. The last big question for me is: can the D600 replace my $3.00/shot MF film cameras for the occasional killer landscape? I'm going to enjoy looking for the perfect sky to test out that idea.

[Eric Erickson]

Mike, you will love the camera. I have had mine since spring and have approximately 5000 clicks on it so far. I generally shoot with a 24-120 or the 28-300 and like them both. The camera makes the whole process easy and you will love the images. Please post your progress with the camera as well as images, as you move along. Good luck. Eric

[Joe Boris]

Always interesting, great reasoning, and have a blast, Mike! You/Nikon have me seriously considering jettisoning these 3 wonderful MF systems I've been hanging on to since the early 2000s, hoping/until MF backs no longer cost as much as new cars...
Joe

[Mark Crabtree]

I sure would have lost that bet. I never doubted the Nikon's ability; when the D800 came out I thought that digital had now reached a level that would satisfy very nearly anybody.

But I must have been projecting on to you my desire for something in a size/weight I'm more likely to actually have with me when I need it. That amount of camera has gotten progressively smaller for me each year; it hovers right around the M4-2 w/35 level at the moment (max).

I hope the camera is everything you are wanting and inspires you to get out and do lots of good work.

[Nicholas R. Von Staden]

You'l love/hate it......I've had one for 4 months now and still finding my way. That sensor show EVERYTHING...but thats the fun...too bad you might will be selling it in a year or two to get any return out of it...I don't want it to become a doorstop like my Kodak/Nikon NC2000....Cameras are really computers now and not the tools of art like in the film days of a Lieca M's or Nikon F's...now its all about the sensor. And the D800 is the top of the heap in 35mm format....Now if I could find printer to show off that tonal range of the sensor and the know how to get the results....I do love working with the B/W Google/Nik software Silver Efex Pro 2. close to working in the darkroom without the smell of fixer...nothing will replace that experience.

[Will Frostmill]

Mike,
Congratulations! 28mm crops very nicely to a wide-ish square, btw.

Will

[Jayson Merryfield]

Another potential headline: "Johnston Finds Fondling Newest Nikon Optically and Ergonomically Pleasing"

So when is the garage sale?

[David Dyer-Bennet]

Watching from a distance (not just you, but everyone else too), I get the feeling the D600 is designed at a lower level of solidity / professionalism than the D800. I haven't handled either one myself, though, so that's entirely second-hand opinion. So you quite probably made the right choice for you.

Besides, it's only a few hundred dollars cheaper. (Sheesh, did I really say that?)

[Stephen S. Mack]

Mike:

Enjoy it! Eat dessert first! Life is uncertain!

With best regards.

Stephen

PS: I have the D7000, and I'm as happy as a rat in liverwurst with it. But is it really a FF (full-frame) camera?

[Pak-Ming Wan]

Let me summarize things here ...

- Nikon D800/D800E: 97%, TOP Platinum Award.

Closely follwed by:
- OM-D 92%, TOP Gold Award,
- Sony A900 79% TOP Highly Recommended Award,
and uh...
- Chamonix View Camera Thingy 60% TOP Don Quixote Award

...(and of course I'm kidding! I really enjoyed the review process actually!!)

Pak

[Dave Harpe]

My findings are similar to yours. I've had a D800 since May of this year. It is by far and away the best camera I have ever used. I've been a Nikon user since the D3 and have lenses from 16mm all the way to a 200-400/f4. It's amazingly sharp on all.

One issue I didn't see covered in your evaluation involves point light sources. I do a fair amount of landscape/nature photography and I've noticed the D800 has a tendency to have an odd artifacting in the lens flare...looks like something to do with the Bayer filter. You can kind of see an example of it in this image:
http://david-harpe.artistwebsites.com/featured/autumn-in-the-rockies-david-harpe.html

Notice the odd regular shaped red/green pattern in the flare? This is using a Nikon 20mm/2.8 probably at around f/16. This one shows it a little better (in the sky in the right corner):
http://david-harpe.artistwebsites.com/featured/colorado-aspen-trees-4-david-harpe.html

I'm shooting with the straight D800 and not the "E" model, so it would be interesting to see if the E model minimizes it. It's not hard to work around...just surprising is all.

[JackS]

You've made an excellent choice. For you. Which is all that matters.

Were I a single man or one with a spouse who understood GAS, I would have one, too. But I am neither, so I won't. Having said that, I am not sure that I am one bit less content (for now) with my Sony NEX 7.

Happy shooting to us all. That's what it is all about anyway.

[Mike Johnston]

"PS: I have the D7000, and I'm as happy as a rat in liverwurst with it. But is it really a FF (full-frame) camera?"

Stephen,
That's a semi-colon there, not a colon. A colon says "as follows"; a semi-colon is like a period but a little less so.

Mike

[Paul]

Congratulations on your new purchase. May this camera prove to be a very inspiring tool with which you will manage to create a new body of work which leave you proud and satisfied.
BTW lovely dog, there's nothing like pitbull blood in a dog to create the most loving and faithful companion.

[Stephen McCullough]

Congratulations. Thanks for sharing your thoughts and journey to purchase.

Now get out there and enjoy.

[Craig A. Lee]

I've found this quite an interesting series of articles. Reading about your thought process through your rental period, plus your impressions on how the camera seemed to work for what you were testing for was much more interesting to me than another feature-centric review.

Can't wait to see some of the fruits of your new tool.

[Miserere]

Mike, I'm a bit surprised that you were surprised at the surprising capabilities of the Sony sensor. Way, way back, 2 years ago, I showed how impressive the new generation of Sony sensors were with their apparent lack of shadow noise and gobs of dynamic range. I did so with the Pentax K-5...which you own!

I'm curious to know why you weren't impressed by the Pentax K-5 in that respect the way you were with the Nikon D800e.

[Lex]

"...I don't usually see why it should be interesting to others what I actually do"

Perhaps it shouldn't be, but I, for one, am reassured that my purchase of the D800 was a good choice.

[robert e]

It was a bit odd witnessing someone else's romance-in-progress on a blog, but I enjoyed following your process and I'm glad you're pleased. Happy shooting!

[Peter]

Did you ever finish your darkroom? Just curious.

[Joe]

....Congratulations. You need to look no more. This camera should last you at least a decade and might very well take you to the grave (in the good sense). Now we have High ISO, high density sensors, excellent auto-focus. There is no longer any reason to keep up-grading...
"chuckle" ;-)

[Steven ralser]

So what are you selling?

[Tim]

Glad you found something, also that it's a sizeable change. Happy image-making - good start with Lulu. :)

[John Brewton]

Good choice, Michael. May you two be very happy.

[Steve Jacob]

Have fun with the new camera Mike. I don't think you made a bad choice here, because it will be a hard camera to replace - even for Nikon. For that reason it's performance may still be looking good for a while yet. If you measure the cost over the amount of use something gets and its useful lifespan, buying the best sometimes works out to be more economical.

Check out the new Sigma "A" 35 F1.4 some time. It's a relative snip compared to the Nikon version and the specs bode well.

[Eric Rose]

As I've said before I love my D700. I will probably die before I buy another DSLR. The D800 is certainly a better camera but for me the D700 does everything I want or need a digital camera to do. If I were at the same point now as I was a couple of years ago I would buy the D800 today. Mike, I think the D800 will probably do you well into your senior years. Sure new stuff will come out but in the end will it be the same leap forward as the D700/800 is compared to DSLR's made 5 years ago. In five years I think the improvements will be important but marginally beneficial.

[ben ng]

hey there Mike, one thing I know is that you have great experience with cameras, and printing. I have enjoyed reading your posts about this Nikon, as it seemed to me that you were discovering new enthusiasm and joy in making pictures. You just want to use the damned thing. The concept of "being a black- and-white film photographer" is something we cling on to...but we move on. (It took 3 spinal surgeries to move me on!) So, enjoy your camera!! Photography, it's an emotional thing.

[Kenneth Tanaka]

"And I'm happy.

So that's it."

Indeed it is.

I am glad you were able to try and then buy with confidence.

A week or so ago you took exception to my remark that mid/high range cameras have reached a point where nearly any of them are technically more than adequate for the vast majority of snaps that the vast majority of owners will ever take with them. I stand by this opinion firmly, having purchased / tried more cameras (film and digital) than most sane photographers. The differences lie mainly in ergonomics and fetishes.

But that opinion aside, a camera --any camera-- is only as good as its user. No use, no good. I look forward to you giving that new "dragoon" plenty to look at this fall and winter, Mike!

[Sven W]

"I realized I was wasting a whole lot of emotional energy on the idea that I'm still going to be a B&W film photographer."

Perhaps in the next 2 or 3 years, top-end digital will be able to re-produce film almost perfectly (after digital post-processing). Whether you want to do that is another story, but the capability might be there. Then people can create images with whatever look they like -- from a film look through to a digital illustration.

BTW: For digital with a film look, check out Mark Hobson's work. For digital with a pleasing digital look, check out Ming Thein's work.

[tex andrews]

Well, a coupla three things....

First, that A900 of yours was NOT a bad purchase, and I think you'll find a good market for it among the Sony faithful who are skeptical about SLT and want that lovely viewfinder. Don't know about your lenses, but if they were decent they'll have held some value.

Second, once again about that A900: if you'll recall, that camera started the dynamic range "revolution", imo. Sony specifically went after dynamic range over high iso performance, and it had the best DR (sorry Ctein) of any camera for several years I think, along with the A850 (which I have).

And third----call me a skeptic about this B+W thing of yours. I've just bought a complete Pentax 645N film kit---body, two holders, 3 lenses, flash, release, and even a pola back!----for less than $900. This will backstop my Fuji 6x9 nicely. Easy to scan, manageable file sizes, print as big as you wanna, and some great tonality.

You'll be back....

[Daniel S.]

So, a Nikon D800 and an Olympus OM-D? living the good life, huh? well, congrats on your purchase, I hope you find it as enjoyable as you did your rental.

Anyways, I'm curious: has this recent experience with Nikon's mammoth affected your view on results vs other factors when choosing a camera, in either direction?

Again, enjoy your new camera & lens :)

[Aaron Greenman]

Mike,

How much is your Sony A900 worth used? :-)

Best Regards,

ACG

[Aaron, the top of the market seems to be about $1,600-$1,800, roughly $1000 less than I paid. Mine's in very good condition, though, with relatively few shutter actuations, so it should at least sell for a price on the decent end of the range. BTW the only reason it was a bad choice was because of the time in the lifecycle I bought it and the depreciation it has suffered as a consequence--it was and still is a very fine camera and very pleasant to use. --MJ]

[Simon]

I'm also currently culling my gear after buying a 5D3.

On the list is an antique 8x10 kodak that i said i'd shoot Christmas family portraits on until i couldn't buy or develop the film - 2 years later the shutter is broken and the project will come to an abrupt end - turns out to be the most expensive happy dumbass decision of my photographic career so far

if only i'd listened to my wife :(

[Mike Johnston]

"One of my concerns is needing to upgrade my computer hardware; what thoughts do you have about this now that the camera is yours?"

Dan,
I have a pretty good computer already...a 27" i5 mid-2010 iMac with 16GB of RAM and a 2TB hard drive. I use a 2TB external drive for backup. The limits of storage are not currently threatened....

Mike

[Mike Johnston]

" Don't you have a basement darkroom conversion underway?...Are you still going to print in the darkroom or have you gone all Ctein on us?"

Jeff,
Ctein is inimitable. But to answer your question, the darkroom has been mostly finished for some time. I'm using it to print a portfolio of the best of my B&W 35mm work from 1980 to 2000.

Mike

[dale]

prints? prints? prints??????

[William Barnett-Lewis]

While I watch your footsteps along this path carefully, I must admit it's with some irony. As you shed your attachment to B&W film, I find myself recommitting to it. Your sale of your whole plate camera is putting me on the course of moving to a 5x7 with the intent to try and sell contact prints.

The most important difference though is that I have never done this work professionally and, should I fail at selling prints, we will be no worse off than we were before. There is a gentle freedom in that detail...

[Murray]

Mike, you've never really shared with us your reflections on some of your previous purchases. Perhaps as you get rid of them you could give us a report on what you liked and didn't like?

[robert harshman]

"will be when we're able to comfortably keep our digital cameras for seven to ten years instead of two to five. "

Haaaaa! Mike, it's a computer now, that is just never gonna happen other than it already does. The D10 or even Nikon 990's I had would still work for most clients I have today since it's almost all internet use, but if I shown up with either...I probably would not even start the shoot before the client said WTF? And asked me to leave. In the commercial world we upgrade just to stay even or a bit ahead of the clients camera :)

Robert

[Neil Swanson]

Mike, You've got to try NX2 if you haven't yet. I still have the "old" D3 that is now 6? years old.

Nothing, I mean nothing does the math with a NEF to deliver an image as well as NX2. This is especially true at hi-iso.

Sure for a wedding shooter it seems slow and doggy. That isn't you. Try it..Please.

Neil

[Mark]

I apologize for not reading most of the comments. I usually do. This sure has engendered a lot of comments.

Number 1, too bad the rental cost doesn't go toward the purchase.

Number 2, but really should be number 1, why on earth did you go to your local camera shop, buy brand new, and pay tax, when you could have saved gobs of dough (okay, perhaps at least $300 or so) on a perfectly good used one that I see pop up for sale on the forums all the time, even on the Canon forum?

At one time, I never, ever bought used anything. Always viewed it as someone else's headache, whether it be a car or what have you. I finally conquered that irrational fear and have gotten great deals on used camera equipment more times than I can count and have probably saved thousands of dollars in the process. Just a thought.

[Rich Beaubien]

The D800 is a great pro camera, works fabulously in the studio and on location but every time I took it out to have some fun I ran into the 'oh wow' factor (oh wow that's a big camera...).

So I bought a D7000 for fun and stay under the radar. And yes it's imaging capability is right up there.

[Jeff Smith]

Mike,

Enjoyed the posts on the 800E and hope you thoroughly enjoy the camera too. I sometimes think that coveting new gear is a sickness, but you like what you like and new gear IS nifty. I bought two new cameras this year, well three if you count the used Nikon 35TI film camera, which is a jewel of an old semi-compact film camera, but by golly is it slow in operation to today's gear.. And as I tell my wife I sold two cameras this year too, so all-in-all not to bad. Heck I even sold the old Yashica T4 for more than I paid for ages ago. And now I can't stop thinking of the Fuji X-E1 and that wonderful little Sony RX1. I guess it never ends, does it. But really do we want it to? Jeff Smith

[Bob Rosinsky]

Give Lulu a nice scratch between the ears for me. She looks good in black and white. Congrats on the new camera. I hope it serves you well for at least the next seven years.

You might do okay selling the A900 and lenses. A lot of folks aren't thrilled with the A99. The A900 is a nice low-ISO studio camera. The viewfinder is first-rate.

[Peter Croft]

I'm glad you mentioned the D600. I could never justify the D800 and I felt the D600 IQ would be pretty comparable. DPReview seem to have confirmed that today.

Not that I'm thinking of switching. I'm still very happy with Pentax. The K-5 still compares pretty well and I'm still hoping for a FF soon. Knowing Pentax, they'll do a good job.

I can't help wondering - you bought a K-5, then said not another word about it, even now. What happened?

[I've said many words about it, actually. Mainly to explain (repeatedly) that the reason I never shot much with it is that I never had a lens I really got along with for it. A mark against me, not the K-5. --MJ]

[joanlvh]

cannot tell from your post if you know that a Nex7 has an aps-c sized sensor not a micro 4/3's. good luck with your new camera. joanlvh

[Peter Croft]

PS, yeah, on Tex's point above. I had a Fuji 6x9 at one time and took the attitude that cropping that huge neg or transparency scanned at 4800dpi was as good as having a zoom. I have a few 100MB+ scans that I can just zoom and zoom into.

You had to be dedicated to carry it around, though. I used to pull it out of my shopping bag and say, "That's not a camera, son, THIS is a camera." In my best Mick Dundee drawl.

[James Sinks]

Mike, does this mean we can hope for the occasional article about _your_ photography? It's make a nice change to get a peek of your own work, and some insight into your own style every now and then.

[psu]

You might find that with the new machine and the new outlook you can get back to digital black and white later on after acclimating to the new machines. I had a hard time black and white in my digital cameras for a long time until I finally managed to loosen up enough to be able to see the black and white picture through the possibly color digital representation. It's an extra mental step, but I find black and white with my D700 (and iPhone for that matter) to be pretty satisfying.

I guess I have stopped printing. But darkroom printing was never good for me anyway (I mean physically. I liked doing it, except for the rashes and the wheezing).

Good luck with the new machine. Consider the 24-85 zoom lenses. They are nice.

[Jerry Stachowski]

Congrats Mike---

As a D800 owner as well, I've had a lot of fun with it. You should be well served with your iMac, I'm running 12 GB of Ram and had no problems.

[Lorenzo]

Hard to move on, but move on we must (or should). I had to let a decade of serious mountain biking go when photography entered my life. Interestingly, fifteen years of photography is now in the same spot as mountain biking, although its replacement is unclear. Fun times!

[Mart]

You may or may not find this funny..
http://youtu.be/LApO_BDRE8M

Given your initial "___" triple underscore post I thought you were getting the RX1, which I hope you can compare for us one day.

[Kevin Purcell]

@ Dave Harpe: Notice the odd regular shaped red/green pattern in the flare?

The second example shows an almost regular array of dots. It's probably reflections back from the microlenses that are then reflected back from the last element of the lens.

Other cameras have suffered from this (an Olympus E-PL2 and others Pens) with the infamous "red dots".

http://theonlinephotographer.typepad.com/the_online_photographer/2012/07/ufos-in-the-sunset.html

It's difficult to deal with when shooting directly into the sun if the backmost element doesn't have a great AR coating. Even then there is a lot of light to be reflected. That coating was not needed in film days as the film didn't reflect that much light. So older lenses tend to be worse than new ones.

[Igor Smirnoff]

Frankly, it is strange that there is still so much attention to "image quality", "sharpness", etc. Can you raise the dead with a high IQ?

I shoot film and it has too much resolution for me - when I get a good one.

[Stephen Best]

For the DSLR, the D600 would have been a more sensible choice

Let's face it. For all the pretence of a thorough and reasoned approach, the choices we make are basically personal and irrational. If you believe the D800 will give you better results, it will. It certainly looks like a great camera.

(I'll probably swap my Sigma 30mm f/2.8 with the upcoming Zeiss 32mm f/1.8 on my NEX-7 next year for the same reason. Not because the Sigma is bad ... in fact it's a great performer, especially given its price ... but pride of ownership and a belief that all my shots with the replacement will be so much better).

Have fun with your new toy!

[Mike Johnston]

"Have fun with your new toy!"

Thanks Stephen, I am!

Mike

[Phil Maus]

Congrats Mike, I'm sure you'll be happy with the new camera. Or, I mean happy with the photos you make with it, to more precise. Having great tools is one of the things that can make photography such a rewarding pursuit.

It still seems to me, when I think back on it, looking at the prints I'm most proud of, it's hard for me to think or remember anymore which camera I used.

I'm sure for at least a while you'll be 'inspired' and motivated to go out and shoot, thus increasing the potential for getting the shots that result in the prints you're happy with. if it takes getting a whole new camera (or indeed, going digital altogether) to fire your imagination enough to get out there and do it, then it's all worth it in the end.

I sincerely hope this satisfies your soul, at least for a good long while.

[Carsten W]

Congratulations on the camera, Mike. I hope this ends up being a good purchase for you. The camera is amazingly good, and has a great layout, but it is also somewhat intimidating for me. I feel pressure to do great work every time I pick it up :)

I am interested why you chose the D800 over the E?

A good short tele you might want to consider is the Micro Nikkor 60mm f/2.8G. Very neutral, sharp and pleasing, although not so fast, of course. Macro is a bonus, and the lens is very cheap.

[Harvey Steeves]

fortunately or unfortunately, depending on how you look at it, we are all different. Our likes and dislikes, needs and wants are different. While I own the D800 twins, it is my OMD that comes with me every day. And I am still into that black and white film thing ... just got to get off my fat butt and start thinking again.

[`/1nc3nt]

I bought a D800 and find my tranquility back, stop questioning about digital qualities or aiming at other new releases.

Also got an V1 set for half price. You still need a pocket camera though :)
Ups sorry, you guys call it mirrorless. Anyway.

[darr]

I don't always "get" the hoopla about street photography, but I do "get" the Lulu thinking on her street shot. Smart and pretty looking Lulu. Congrats on finding yourself with the D800. I know how important the connection can be. Me, I use an Alpa Max + P45 and a Nex-7. I love them both and they speak to me.

[Tom Kwas]

If I stay in photography as a commercial enterprise, looking at my buddy's Nikon D800, it seems to be a category killer, not only in it's ability to match some very expensive large chip 120 based cameras, but of course, in the usual high-end Nikon ability to shoot tiff files. This camera seems reasonably priced in that almost anything you would shoot with it would be unlikely to be visually super-ceded by any new digital developments, i.e. any more megapixels, etc. would be unlikely to be noticed in any reasonably sized print or reproduction needed in any commercial aspect. In the possibility that you might be able to actually hold on to this camera as a usable item for the next 10 years, and at just 2900, it seems like a bargain against having to replace cameras to meet client requirements every 3-4 years, as was normal.

If I finally give up on the mayhem of commercial photography for good, I would shoot 120 or sheet film for myself, and be more interested in digital as a adjunct to what I'm doing, for documentation or other things that necessitate instant decent images. Another buddy's NEX7 (or6) seems perfect for that use: small, light, APS-C performance for excellent output in most print and reproduction needs, no mirror box moving parts for long term breakage, a third of the size of my current APS-C Nikon; lot's to recommend that mentality as well.

But you are correct, somewhere recently we've gone over a hump, like the first cheap Canon Digital Rebel, and it's changed going forward. The D800 may foster in an era where we see even less of the high-priced, and ill-affordable for most working pros, 120 based digital in the professional market.

[Mike Johnston]

darr,
Actually I think that would be a classic "environmental portrait." [g]

Mike

[Mike Johnston]

"I'm sure you'll be happy with the new camera. Or, I mean happy with the photos you make with it, to more precise."

Phil,
Your "more precise" clause is the key. Of course, I still have to get over the printing hurdle.

Mike

[Julius]

Congratulations !!!! You bought local, too!

[Mike Johnston]

"You bought local, too!"

Well, I do a lot of tire-kicking at that shop, and they showed me the camera. They deserve it. In the same way that I hope people who get a lot of enjoyment from this site will buy through my links.

If I knew I was going to buy the D800 online, I wouldn't have gone in and asked to see it. You can't keep everybody completely happy, from either side, but it's nice to try to be fair.

Mike

[Ludovic]

"But I don't usually see why it should be interesting to others what I actually do."

Well, I do.

I will in all probability never buy a D800 or any DSLR for that matter - my G1 was my last attempt at using multiple lenses, now all I'm hoping for is that Sony will send me the RX1 before going bust - but I read every single of your D800 posts with attention, just because they were, well, interesting. (I'm a fan of your OTs, as well.)

Oh, and just curious: you spoke very highly of the 800E, so (besides the all-too-understandable "because it's there now" syndrome), why did you go with the "normal" 800?

(NB: Next time - there will be one, you know that - you buy a camera, buying it through one of your affiliate programs means you'll get money back and so will have to sell fewer lenses, jus' sayin' :))

[Rob]

Mike, I wholeheartedly agree with your comments about advances in sensor technology that produce increased dynamic range. I have recently been using a Pentax K-5, which reputedly can deliver 14 stops of DR at ISO 80, and I can tell you that it has opened up a new range possibilities for image capture. The shadows are just amazingly clean. For my preferred printing size (never greater than 17x22 inches), 16MP is more than enough. So given the choice, I will take greater DR over more MPs any day of the week, and I'm sure that there are many others would would agree with me on this.

[Arg]

Hi Mike, looking at your D800 and A900 purchases, maybe there is something in the way you appreciate photographs that is emphasized by high pixel counts.