Value & Verdict

Nikon D800 review – Verdict

In many ways the Nikon D800 doesn’t feel like a natural upgrade to the D700, but rather a new line in Nikon’s full-frame DSLR line-up.

While the D700 was a great all-round full-frame DSLR, the Nikon D800 is slightly more specialised – whereas the D700 was seen as a baby D3, the Nikon D800 could be seen as more of a baby D3X with even great resolving power.

The ISO performance sees it loose out to the competition ever so slightly if you’re going to be shooting handheld in lowlight, while the frame rate, even in DX mode can make it feel slow when shooting action. That’s not to say you won’t be able to achieve great shots in these situations, but you’ll just have to work a little harder.

These negatives are to some extent brought about by the camera’s main appeal, resolution. If you’re prepared to make small sacrifices in other areas, then the results from the D800 will blow you away. The amount of detail rendered is excellent, while the tonal range very broad, allowing you to produce super-sized, high-quality prints. Combine that with the quality feel, extensive feature set and polished handling, and the Nikon D800 is an excellent DSLR that won’t disappoint.