Just picked up a D800 and....

MikeWa wrote in post #14672036
My buddy purchased a D800 which he also sent back. He is an avid D700 user so Nikon is his bag. In fact he ragged on me quite a bit for getting the 7D. He found the D800 hand grip very uncomfortable. Pictures from the D800 were soft compared to the D700 and 7D. Noise control wasn't as good as expected. There were some color aberrations on the LCD. So he sent the D800 back. Perhaps he will try for a replacement. Perhaps not. As for me, I am very satisfied with my 7D.

Mike

Previous 7D and D700 owner here
I disagree with what he said specially on NOISE and SOFT, he just don't know how to process the RAW files to get the most of it

I used a friends D800 last month, and agree the ergonomics isn't my cup of tea. A local camera shop let me take a 5d3 out for a morning, and it felt so nice...a lot like my 7d which I really like.

ching wrote in post #14673333
Previous 7D and D700 owner here
I disagree with what he said specially on NOISE and SOFT, he just don't know how to process the RAW files to get the most of it

It is possible that he could have bought a malfunctioning unit, which left him a bad impression (even though that could have easily happened with a Canon camera and does on occasion).

MikeWa wrote in post #14672036
My buddy purchased a D800 which he also sent back. He is an avid D700 user so Nikon is his bag. In fact he ragged on me quite a bit for getting the 7D. He found the D800 hand grip very uncomfortable. Pictures from the D800 were soft compared to the D700 and 7D. Noise control wasn't as good as expected. There were some color aberrations on the LCD. So he sent the D800 back. Perhaps he will try for a replacement. Perhaps not. As for me, I am very satisfied with my 7D.

Mike

Well, the pictures I've seen look like medium format photos - the camera picks up details I've yet to see picked up in a digital camera. It gives the photos an almost 3D quality.

I don't know, I am very open minded and can care less about Canon vs. Nikon and all that, but many of the D800 images I have seen, full sized images, do not blow me away. Sure they are large and have the detail due to the 36MP, but they really do not wow me at all. I thought I would be more impressed honestly. The dynamic range thing is not a big deal for me either as I rarely ever at low ISO's to benefit from it.

Well I just got back from returning. Reminds me of the song "hurt so good".

http://m.youtube.com/w​atch?v=vIFsQbM3ofY

I found the AF fantastic (didn't test fast glass though) and the detail captured was outstanding. I like the ability to correct under exposure or lift shadows without as much of a noise penalty. I used the heck out of it and after about 15 minutes of use my middle finger would start cramping and then eventually my whole hand would hurt. Since I rarely shoot ISO 100, the dynamic range didn't get tested as much.

Well my summer fling is over with. She was nice and a bit exciting, but my "marriage" to canon just feels right

Camera feel and ergonomics are largely down to what you are used to. I had a hard time with the 60D moving from a 30D because of the different shaped grip. But after 2 weeks going back the 30D felt awkward.

It's all a matter of taste. I really like the 7D ergonomics, so I'm looking gorward to shooting a 5D III someday.

I also think that the control placement on the 7D is about perfect. The new liveview switch is nicely placed, M- fn. button makes switching focus modes a breeze without having to take your eyes off the viewfinder etc. All the controls that I ever need are accessed on the fly and I think they hit the nail on the head.

Apart from Fred Miranda's landscape photos with the D800, none of the d800 photos impress me. He also shot some very good landscape photos with the 5d3.
In fact I couldn't even tell if the images were shot with entry level D7000, D3100 or Pentax for that matter.

IIRC Nikon shrunk the D800 abit vs the D700. That's why there are many complaints about comfort by owners.Maybe due to cost? Less plastic and metal? Every bit counts yer know! There was a guy that did some corporate photos at our office. He was using a D800. It's funny because he is a big guy. The way he held the D800 was like someone holding a McD's Fillet O-Fish. I think he's waiting for a grip to arrive.

MikeWa wrote in post #14672036
My buddy purchased a D800 which he also sent back. He is an avid D700 user so Nikon is his bag. In fact he ragged on me quite a bit for getting the 7D. He found the D800 hand grip very uncomfortable. Pictures from the D800 were soft compared to the D700 and 7D. Noise control wasn't as good as expected. There were some color aberrations on the LCD. So he sent the D800 back. Perhaps he will try for a replacement. Perhaps not. As for me, I am very satisfied with my 7D.

Mike

I really wasn't trying to start a debate here. The thing just took crap pictures. Granted the grip ergonomics is subjective. So some will love it others won't. But soft pictures are soft. We couldn't get them sharp with auto or manual focus. On a tripod or off. Pretty cut and dry in this case. Some of the other issues are known quality control issues. Like focusing different with a right focus point vs softer with the center and left etc. Then there is the LCD hmmm.

Post processing is great for achieving the affect a photographer wants. But trying to repair every picture with post processing is more than tedious. Especially when every picture is crap to begin with. And yes he shoots in raw. In this case we tried both raw and jpeg. But crap still stinks no matter how much perfume you put on it. One of the reasons he purchased the D800 was the high pixel count. The idea was so he could crop out a part of the picture and still have a reasonable size to work with. Try that with a crappy soft picture. And don't even get me started on lens quality.

My friend is a long time Nikon user. His D700 is a pretty good camera and he is quite familiar with Nikon's software as well as photoshop. So yea after waiting on a list for months when it finally arrived it seems like he got a bad copy. So what to do? Send it in for repair or send it back? His went back. Just to many issues. Will he get another? I just don't know. At this point he is still undecided. For any of you who think he just doesn't know how to use the camera pm me and I will tell you where you can purchase his returned D800 at full price.

My point was, I didn't have any of these issues with my 7D. It has been flawless. It has fewer focus points than the D800 but they all work. My pictures are sharp, large enough to crop and my camera is comfortable to hold. So after all the hype on the D800. After all the science and technology needed to produce such a camera. After all the marketing. It seems Nikon is falling on the execution. Their quality control just doesn't seem to be up to the task. They still have some work to do.

Mike

Yes there are widely reported issues with Nikon's Q&A with respect to autofocus. Just read they have a fix that is a combination of hardware and software so it will likely require sending those bodies in to be fixed.

With that said, the D800 I was using made my eyes bleed with a mediocre lens (70-300 4.5-5.6). It was very sharp. Sounds like your buddy had a defective body.

MikeWa wrote in post #14672036
My buddy purchased a D800 which he also sent back. He is an avid D700 user so Nikon is his bag. In fact he ragged on me quite a bit for getting the 7D. He found the D800 hand grip very uncomfortable. Pictures from the D800 were soft compared to the D700 and 7D. Noise control wasn't as good as expected. There were some color aberrations on the LCD. So he sent the D800 back. Perhaps he will try for a replacement. Perhaps not. As for me, I am very satisfied with my 7D.

Mike

Ah The rest of the story.
But first. Sorry for steeling this thread. Hope I am not but if so my apologies.

My friend received a replacement D800 yesterday. Night and day difference. Now pictures are sharp. Even when pixel peeping over two hundred percent. Focus points are spot on. The LCD and other issues seem to have been resolved in this copy. Only time will tell if it can live up to all of his expectations but it is finally off to a good start.

Mike

Ergonomics is important. You hit on it yourself. If you aren't comfortable you won't use it. Also, discomfort can cause you to have trouble getting the shots you want. It can wear you out quickly on a look shooting day too. The IQ between the two is close enough to justify buying entirely on ergonomics.

jase1125 wrote in post #14667071
Ultimately, I am returning it because of the pain it inflicted upon me. I do not have large hands but man the ergonomics really suck. Maybe I am just use to canon but after shooting 45 minutes my hand is in some serious pain. It is a fine camera and the ergonomics I'm sure are fine for many. As a hobbyist, I need a body I will want to pick up and use and I'm afraid I would have avoided the D800. I couldn't justify sinking that much change into a body I would have hated to use. Therefore, I'm sticking with the 5D3 and the 1D4.

Same reason i dident gor for Nikon D7000 but instead went for the 60D.. the handle/ergonomics (sorry for you Nikon users) is ****. Canon make cameras that fit the hand (and the fingers on the buttons) perfectly. My father, my brother and two co-workers have different Nikons (D5000, D80 and D7000) and i've tried them all.. completly crap in ergonomics among other dislikes (menu system).
Anyway.. each to his own.

I'm still tempted by getting a Nikon, I can afford 2 cameras for now, it's very tempting to get the D7000, BUT I hate their menu system, there is something weird about it, it way too confusing, but I'm sure it's a great camera......
Why don't they put their effort together and make one perfect camera