Nikon unveils the 36.3MP D800 DLSR

Published on February 7th, 2012 | by sylv3rblade

With Nikon’s professional line already secured with the Nikon D4, many enthusiasts and pro photographers looking for a D700 replacement will be happy to hear that the new Nikon D800 sits comfortably above it’s predecessor in terms of specs and unfortunately in price. The D800 is a Full Frame DSLR that sports 36.3 megapixels, using the same sensor as it’s more expensive sibling, the Nikon D4.

The D800′s impressive spec sheet is as follows:

36.3MP CMOS sensor with a 15.3MP DX-format capture mode
51-point AF system with 15 cross-type sensors, rated to -2EV*
ISO 100-6400 extendable to ISO 25,600 equiv
1080p video at 30, 25 or 24 frames per second, up to 24Mbps, with uncompressed HDMI output and audio monitoring options
3.2″, 921,000 dot LCD with anti-fog layer
Maximum 4fps continuous shooting in FX mode, 6fps in DX mode
Advanced Scene Recognition System with 91,000 pixel metering sensor
‘Expeed 3′ Image Processing
Dual-axis Virtual Horizon (on LCD screen/viewfinder)

One of the major complaints about the D700 was it’s tacked on video capabilities lagging well behind the competition’s offerings. Nikon has equipped the D800 with video capabilities at par with the D4, making it a great and cheaper alternative if the D4′s price tag breaks your bank.

The D800 does miss out on the more premium features of the D4 like ethernet connectivity but in it’s place, you get a USB 3.0 port plus the ability to read and write to both SD and CF memory cards. Not a bad compromise if you ask me.

The Nikon D800 will ship in March at $3,000 and a special, slightly more expensive D800E will ship in April with the low pass filter removed.

source DPreview, TheVerge