Nikon D810 Hands-On Review

During the weekend Chris Niccolls and Jordan Drake from from the Camera Store in Canada took the new Nikon D810 for a spin and came back with some insights.

In the video Niccolls takes a look at 10 improvements the D810 has over the previous D800/E versions – his conclusion (and ours from looking at the changes) is that the D810 is an evolutionary change with some modifications that we should have seen in the original D800 (specifically when it comes to video).

We already had a quick look at the D810 when it was announced a few weeks ago by Callum Mcinerney from What Digital Camera in the U.K.. We also brought to you an extensive photoshoot video with one of our favorite young female photographers – Miss Aniela, which worked with Nikon and used the D810.

Here is a reminder of the D810 main features and changes:

Sensor: A new 36.3MP full-frame CMOS sensor with no AA filter (the D800E had a ‘canceled’ AA filter).
Processor: Expeed 4 engine (vs. Expeed 3 engine on the D800/E).
Sensitivity: Improved sensitivity – ISO 64-12,800 (expands to ISO 32-51,200 – one stop better on paper than the D800/E).
Shooting speed: 5fps maximum shooting in FX mode and up to 7 with a booster in DX mode (compared to 4fps in D800/E and 6 with a booster).
Buffer – Nikon increased the size of the buffer (you can see a real world test against the D800/E – here).
AF: The same AF unit but with a new Group Area AF mode (where 5 AF points can act together as a unit – same as D4S).
LCD: 3.2″ 1,229k-dot RGBW LCD screen – similar to that of the D7100 (compared to 3.2″ 921k-dot RGB on the D800/E).
sRAW – small RAW option – 9MP images at 11bit (the D4S only has a 4MP sRAW and the D800/E did not have this option).
New electronic first-curtain shutter.
Redesigned sequencer/mirror balancer to reduce micro vibrations.
New ‘highlight-weighted’ metering option (to preserve highlight detail in contrasty scenes)
1080/60p movie recording with built-in stereo mic (compared to 1080/30p with monaural audio)
Power aperture while shooting video to memory card (vs. only when using HDMI on the D800/E)
New option for simultaneous video recording to memory card and external unit over HDMI.
New ‘flat’ Picture Control mode (good for video for broader dynamic range).
Unlimited continuous shooting (vs. max 100-frame limit – good for long timelapse shots).
New Zebra strips for video.
Built-in stereo microphone (vs. mono only on the D800/E).
New OLED viewfinder information display.
New ‘highlight-weighted’ metering option.
New Split screen zoom display in live view.
Price: The D810 will be available starting mid July for just under $3300 (on Amazon).

You can find many more previews and reviews on our Photography review section here on LensVid.

Iddo Genuth

Iddo Genuth is the founder and chief editor of LensVid.com. He has been a technology reporter working for international publications since the late 1990's and covering photography since 2009. Iddo is also a co-founder of a production company specializing in commercial food and product visual content.