Nikon D81o experience

andiamo

I have been using the camera for a couple of weeks now and find my expectations have been exceeded by the camera's incredible clarity and color depth. I switched from a D700, but I think even D800 users would see a difference. The mirror damping and improved shutter have much less vibration and low light photos are noticeably sharper when taken hand held. The maximum file size allowed here does not do justice to the photos, so I didn't upload any

andiamo

Ah, I see that I can post a link to a photo:

andiamo

alaios

the first shot is very nice. How lousy is the shutter?
A

ziggy53

alaios wrote: »

the first shot is very nice. How lousy is the shutter?
A

I don't think that the Nikon D800 shutter would be considered "lousy" by any means. It's just that the D810 is improved and a little better.

The D810 has an electronic first-curtain shutter, meaning that (potentially) less vibration is generated by the shutter mechanism (with the electronic first-curtain shutter option enabled). Whether this makes any difference in the final image depends on the particular shutter speeds used, whether the camera is used with a tripod, and the particular lens used on the camera body.

Considering the outstanding sales success for the Nikon D800/D800E, it's still a very enviable camera body to have, and capable of image excellence.

alaios

ziggy53 wrote: »

I don't think that the Nikon D800 shutter would be considered "lousy" by any means. It's just that the D810 is improved and a little better.

The D810 has an electronic first-curtain shutter, meaning that (potentially) less vibration is generated by the shutter mechanism (with the electronic first-curtain shutter option enabled). Whether this makes any difference in the final image depends on the particular shutter speeds used, whether the camera is used with a tripod, and the particular lens used on the camera body.

Considering the outstanding sales success for the Nikon D800/D800E, it's still a very enviable camera body to have, and capable of image excellence.

yep that is so true. I just wanted that the camera also have some option for electronic shutter only so you can just pass by unoticed (some times this can help)
A.

ziggy53

A Nikon D810 owner, or at least someone with more knowledge than I have, will need to address whether the D610 has a quiet mode of shutter operation. Generally, full frame dSLR bodies have relatively loud shutters in my experience, but some of the Canon full-frame models allow delaying the shutter close and mirror close until later (I believe).

Many Canon models also have the electronic first-curtain feature, so it's not a feature limited to Nikon cameras.

Mirrorless interchangeable lens bodies do tend to be more quiet, since they don't have any mirror slap. Sony dSLR bodies with a fixed mirror are also free from mirror noise.

andiamo

The electronic shutter on the 810 only works in the mirror up mode, so I never use it. There is a major differrence in noise and vibration between the 810 and the 700. I have no experience with the 800 series, so can't give an opinion. If the 800 series is similar to the 700, then the 810 is smoother and quieter using the normal shutter and not the electronic version. My overall impressions of the 810 is much better than I expected. I expected more detail than the 700, but the subtleties in the colors I find amazing and the handheld shots with slow shutter speeds are much sharper, I assume because of the improved damping of the mirror and mechanical shutter.

I don't understand why the electronic shutter only works in mirror up mode.

360productphotographer

nice pics!!!! I am considering the D810 - thnaks for sharing this review.

andiamo

Andy

ziggy53 wrote: »

I don't think that the Nikon D800 shutter would be considered "lousy" by any means.

Pretty sure the poster meant "loud".

Matthew Saville

ziggy53 wrote: »

A Nikon D810 owner, or at least someone with more knowledge than I have, will need to address whether the D610 has a quiet mode of shutter operation. Generally, full frame dSLR bodies have relatively loud shutters in my experience, but some of the Canon full-frame models allow delaying the shutter close and mirror close until later (I believe).

Many Canon models also have the electronic first-curtain feature, so it's not a feature limited to Nikon cameras.

Mirrorless interchangeable lens bodies do tend to be more quiet, since they don't have any mirror slap. Sony dSLR bodies with a fixed mirror are also free from mirror noise.

Up until the D810, Nikon's "quiet" shooting mode has been, indeed, "lousy". (Not that the shutter itself is a lousy mechanism, as it's rated for pro-level work!)

Simply put, it's dumb: you get approximately the same amount of noise, but the recoil of the mirror is delayed until after you fully release your shutter from the trigger. Big whoop.

The Canon 5D mk3 on the other hand, now THAT has a quiet mode. They literally, well, make the click sound quieter. Almost as quiet as a rangefinder camera, IMO. Probably on the same decibel level, but for a larger fraction of a second, lol.

The D810, thankfully, finally has a quiet mode that is actually a little bit quieter than regular shooting, although it is still not nearly as quiet as the likes of the 5D mk3.

Still, I'd feel more confident to click away during the quiet moments of a church wedding with the D810 compared to a D800 or D700, or any other Nikon.

The elecronic first curtain, as others have mentioned, is only used during live view, and only for the beginning of the picture, not the end. Nikon, for whatever reason, still doesn't allow the capture of images during live view without requiring the mirror to flop up and down instead of just the shutter, like most (all?) Canons allow. Oh well...

Still, this does allow for better sharpness at those nasty shutter speeds like 1/2 and 1/8 sec. that are usually plagued by camera shake when using lightweight support systems such as a <3lb carbon fiber backpacking tripod, lol...

=Matt=