Now comes the predictable flood of hand held, mostly soft, casually composed images taken with this utterly magnificent new D800. I'm sure they are fun for the posters but they are virtually useless in terms of demonstrating what this amazing camera can do.

PLEASE, will someone post some carefully composed, precisely focused and accurately exposed QUALITY TRIPOD images?

PLEASE?


Gator Bob in Gainesville FL
D700 & SB800 * D800E on order
Nikkors: *14-24 * 28-300 * PC-E 85mm *50mm 1.8
Tamron 90mm Macro

Naaa you will have to do that I'm having too much fun shooting mine to set up a tripod.

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LOL!

Did he aay useless?

I rarely use a tripod for anything I shoot. Therefore, comparing my D800 using the same methods I shoot my D3s, D2x, D7000, and all my other camera's makes perfect sense to me.

------
Webpage: http://www.ptfphoto.com

Visit my Nikonians gallery.

Looks like the tripod users are all holding out for the D800e

Larry - a Bay Area Nikonian
My Nikonians gallery

www.tempered-light.com

Well ... I've been fascinated and (re)educated in about equal measure by the discussions here on this D800/D800E sensor's resolution and the diffraction issues - but isn't there a (fast) shutter-speed threshold that we could bring into the equations which would (mostly) eliminate the worries about hand-held vibrations?

When I say "hand-held vibrations", I don't mean shots taken while riding a vehicle or even while panning - but given the rule-of-thumb for VR (and even for VR II) which says(?) that for shots taken at shutter speeds faster than 1/500th sec, our VR brings little or no benefit, couldn't this principle be extrapolated to give us a similar "rule-of-thumb" to use when assessing whether a D800(E) photo is too "shaky" to be accepted as a fully representative example of its class?

For example, I see that in Peronne's shot of the two sprinters - FSU_Relays_2012_D80_0461 - on an adjacent thread, he used a shutter speed of 1/2000th second. Isn't that shutter speed fast enough to eliminate all concerns - such as yours Gator Bob - about non-tripod-mounted D800 shots? (Regardless of the subject matter.)

If not (and I'm genuinely interested in the science here), then what shutter speed would be fast enough?

Colin P.

--
Staying busy is easy. Setting priorities is harder!
A doorway to my other photo sites

Shutter speed ... plus precise focus ... plus accurate exposure (plus a quality lens) plus a rock-solid tripod together provides images that convey information about the CAMERA that many of us would find very useful. I appreciate and view all the posted D800 images and I find them interesting. However, a lot of those D800 images could easily be taken with equipment that costs a fraction of the price of a D800 and lens.

Gator Bob in Gainesville FL
D700 & SB800 * D800E on order
Nikkors: *14-24 * 28-300 * PC-E 85mm *50mm 1.8
Tamron 90mm Macro

I agree Bob, there are not many shots on display with a d800 that anyone could use to evaluate. Most look like they were taken with a point and shoot. Maybe Fake Chuck Westfall has a point after all

Peter
Canada

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If you want to see tripod shots, with very good lenses you can start here: http://www.pbase.com/lmmiller9/image/142254695. Look at it full size and you will see what this camera will do in poor light. Each successive photo is in worse and worse light until the last ones (all on tripod)are in virtual complete darkness, so yes they get grainy.

But, This camera is more than capable of producing perfectly good, NOT soft, photos hand held. Tell me this is soft: http://www.pbase.com/lmmiller9/image/142246121 and it is hand held.

Different tests shots indicate different things. The most valuable tests for me were just walking around with the D800 and the 24-120 lens to get past and dispel this idea that you absolutely must have this incredibly superior technique, shoot on a tripod, etc. That's baloney.

Larry Miller, Annapolis, MD
D700/D800
http://www.pbase.com/lmmiller9
http://lmmillerphotography.smugmug.com/

Larry,

Good photos. However, the real issue is whether these same photos could just have easily have been obtained using current Nikon DSLR's. I think that they could have. I am still seeing nothing special (or improved) from the photos I have thus far reviewed that were taken by the new D800. And this concerns me, because this is a camera I am considering purchasing as I would like to obtain a modern FX camera.

Visit my Nikonians gallery.

>Larry,
>
>Good photos. However, the real issue is whether these same
>photos could just have easily have been obtained using current
>Nikon DSLR's. I think that they could have.

Maybe they could have. But the D800 is going to be a winner at the extremes of many situations.

We know it has about 1 stop on the D700 in low light. We know it can compete with medium format cameras for detail in the right situation. We know it has D7000 type resolution in DX crop mode.

A new D700 retails for about $2200 and a new D800 retails for $3000. For someone who doesn't already have a D700 this is a no-brainer. Spend the extra $800 and get D700 capability, plus better-than-Canon 5D mk II detail, and a D7000 to boot.

If you already own a D700, the choice is a bit harder.

>I am still
>seeing nothing special (or improved) from the photos I have
>thus far reviewed that were taken by the new D800. And this
>concerns me, because this is a camera I am considering
>purchasing as I would like to obtain a modern FX camera.

Then buy the D800. When used correctly, it will be better than any DSLR ever made (for detail not speed). When used incorrectly it will be as good as any other camera used incorrectly (but maybe a little better because of improved smarts like face detection, improved meter, etc).

--
RL

Visit my Nikonians gallery and my Flickr page.

Amazing! Nikonians instructor Mike Hagen just posted some carefully composed, exposed, focused TRIPOD images that SHOW what this amazing D800 can do. Surprise! None of his images can be confused with snapshots from a "walkaround" with a $500 point-and-shoot. Thank you, Mike.


Gator Bob in Gainesville FL
D700 & SB800 * D800E on order
Nikkors: *14-24 * 28-300 * PC-E 85mm *50mm 1.8
Tamron 90mm Macro

>Amazing! Nikonians instructor Mike Hagen just posted some
>carefully composed, exposed, focused TRIPOD images that SHOW
>what this amazing D800 can do. Surprise! None of his images
>can be confused with snapshots from a "walkaround"
>with a $500 point-and-shoot. Thank you, Mike.
>
>
>Gator Bob in Gainesville FL
>D700 & SB800 * D800E on order
>Nikkors: *14-24 * 28-300 * PC-E 85mm *50mm 1.8
>Tamron 90mm Macro


Congratulations on finding someone who could produce an image good enough for you. I'm sure everyone on Nikonians can breathe a sigh of relief.

------
Webpage: http://www.ptfphoto.com

Visit my Nikonians gallery.

The irony is that it is no great proof of a camera's capability to produce a clear sharp image on a tripod with lots of daylight. Any recent camera can do that competently and easily. Photos, like those that Peron demonstrated of hand held, fast action sports, is much better evidence of the camera's ability. But... each to his own.

When did a "TRIPOD" become the primary requirement of either a good photo or a good camera?

Larry Miller, Annapolis, MD
D700/D800
http://www.pbase.com/lmmiller9
http://lmmillerphotography.smugmug.com/

>When did a "TRIPOD" become the primary requirement of either a good photo or a good camera?

From the very first photographs in the 1840s until today. Google "Is a tripod necessary for quality photography?" The answer is yes.

I enjoying taking and viewing casual handheld photos as much as you do. Those images can be excellent, sometimes even exceptional. However, I was asking to see what the D800/800E is capable of doing in the hands of the advanced amateurs and pros on this Nikonians forum. Mike provided that answer and I know others will, too.

Gator Bob in Gainesville FL
D700 & SB800 * D800E on order
Nikkors: *14-24 * 28-300 * PC-E 85mm *50mm 1.8
Tamron 90mm Macro

Attachment #1, ( file)

Link please?

Thanks,

Rob

Visit my Nikonians gallery.

Visit my Nikonians gallery.

Visit my Nikonians gallery.

>Now comes the predictable flood of hand held, mostly soft,
>casually composed images taken with this utterly magnificent
>new D800. I'm sure they are fun for the posters but they are
>virtually useless in terms of demonstrating what this amazing
>camera can do.
>
>PLEASE, will someone post some carefully composed, precisely
>focused and accurately exposed QUALITY TRIPOD images?
>
>PLEASE?
>
>
>Gator Bob in Gainesville FL
>D700 & SB800 * D800E on order
>Nikkors: *14-24 * 28-300 * PC-E 85mm *50mm 1.8
>Tamron 90mm Macro

It just so happens that I shot a nice quantity of that exact thing, using a Nikkor 50mm f/1.4G lens at f/8, 100 ISO, NL Picture Control, on a tripod, with mirror up release.

Posting a small version is unhelpful. However, I do intend to post a link to download NEF files for your own postprocessing and discussion. I am talking with the powers that be. Stand by!

>
>Posting a small version is unhelpful. However, I do intend to
>post a link to download NEF files for your own postprocessing
>and discussion. I am talking with the powers that be. Stand
>by!
>
May the powers to be smile down on you. Otherwise you'll have to console yourself by taking more pictures for yourself with that awesome camera.

Visit my Nikonians gallery.

Interestingly, today I went to the mall with my D800 and took a few pictures HANDHELD. I averaged about 1/80s at f/4 with a 50mm lens at 400 ISO. They were sharp as a tack. Of course, I was careful in my hand-holding technique.

I did this because I have a wedding coming up in May and I wanted to see how the camera would handle in a handheld environment.

I also shot some nice handheld portraits today. Wanna see some? They are sharp!

Darrell, I'd love to see your tripod and handheld images! As I just posted, I was simply asking to see samples of what this new camera is capable of producing under controlled conditions in the hands of the skilled shooters on this forum. Yikes!

Gator Bob in Gainesville FL
D700 & SB800 * D800E on order
Nikkors: *14-24 * 28-300 * PC-E 85mm *50mm 1.8
Tamron 90mm Macro

Visit my Nikonians gallery.

>Darrell, I'd love to see your tripod and handheld images! As
>I just posted, I was simply asking to see samples of what this
>new camera is capable of producing under controlled conditions
>in the hands of the skilled shooters on this forum. Yikes!
>


I'm still working on a way to let you have NEF images from my camera for your own workup. In the meantime, consider these:

Tripod:
http://www.nikonians.org/forums/dcboard.php?az=show_topic&forum=226&topic_id=39391&mesg_id=39391&page=

Handheld:
http://www.nikonians.org/forums/dcboard.php?az=show_topic&forum=226&topic_id=39599&mesg_id=39599&page=

I thought it was a reasonable request. Although I have seen some incredible images after reading through the forums. Namely, this blog ...
http://www.imageandlight.net/blog
...
and this thread ...

http://www.nikonians.org/forums/dcboard.php?az=show_topic&forum=226&topic_id=39355&mesg_id=39355&page=

There were a couple others ... but these two sold me on the D800. Maybe it was just the way your request came across to some ?? I don't know.

___________________________________________________________

Reality is merely an illusion, albeit a very persistent one. - A. Einstein

Visit my Nikonians gallery.

Maybe it was just the way your request came across to
>some ?? I don't know.

Yea, calling a group of people's photos useless, particularly when you are asking them to do you a favor, kinda comes across the wrong way.

It would have taken me 10 minutes to put the camera on a tripod attach one of my sharper lenses, and take a photo. And would gladly do that for most users here.

------
Webpage: http://www.ptfphoto.com

Visit my Nikonians gallery.

See post by me entitled "D800 Live View"

http://www.nikonians.org/forums/dcboard.php?az=show_topic&forum=226&topic_id=39533&mesg_id=39533&page

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I'm holding out for all those wonderful images of new camera owners' cats (or dogs). Seems that is the first subject we all gravitate too.

Visit my Nikonians gallery.

I suggest to take a look at this site,
http://blog.mingthein.com/2012/03/23/first-impressions-review-the-nikon-d800/
for me so far the best on D800.

Visit my Nikonians gallery.

WOW! A great report. The Salad Days image is truly amazing. Thank you!

I am facing a demanding but exciting learning experience. Am I really up to the D800E or should I "settle" for the sufficiently awesome D800? Hopefully, a rigorous 10-day self-test of the D800E will tell me. I'll definitely keep my D700, at least for a while.

Gator Bob in Gainesville FL
D700 & SB800 * D800E on order
Nikkors: *14-24 * 28-300 * PC-E 85mm *50mm 1.8
Tamron 90mm Macro

Visit my Nikonians gallery.