[caption id="attachment_5258" align="alignright" width="300" caption="Mo Megapixels = Mo Problems? Read on..."]
[/caption]
According to nikonrumors.com, the next Nikon full frame camera will indeed be called the D800 and it will have a high-resolution 36 megapixel sensor. Boy was I wrong when I said there would be no new DSLRs this year! That being said, my theory of cameras lasting longer is going to be proven right by the D800. After this camera it will be another 5 years before a replacement comes around, if it ever does, we may be reaching the theoretical limit of how many pixels can be effectively used on a 24x36mm sensor. A couple of months ago I remember reading about Sony producing a 36 megapixel sensor and its no industry secret that Nikon uses Sony sensors, so I can totally believe this. Additionally, Peter (the admin of nikonrumors.com) would not label the rumor with a "99% probability" rating if he had any doubts. The camera is supposed to be announced later this month with an arrival date sometime in late November. So basically that means we're going to get a few cameras in stock and then we won't see any additional units until March. Please no e-mails or calls asking when, because we simply don't know and no we aren't taking pre-orders until the product is officially announced by Nikon. Click 'MORE' to keep reading about some of the other features and specs of the D800.
So apparently the ISO range will be from 100-6400 with a Lo1 setting of 50 and a Hi2 setting of 25,600. I appreciate Nikon getting into the lower ISOs and wish there was a camera that would go down to ISO 25 or 12.5. It would be great for mixing with flash as 1/250 is the max sync speed (without going into AUTO-FP mode). Lower ISOs would also be nice for longer shutter speeds in bright light, meaning less of a need to stack multiple ND filters and degrade image quality. It is unclear what other specs the D800 will have, but we've been told to expect a physically larger and higher resolution screen with automatic brightness adjustment, a better autofocus system, and dual CF/SD card slots. 4 frames per second shooting seems slow, but not when you're talking about 36 megapixels. Apparently there will be a DX crop mode that can shoot 6fps at around 16 megapixels, so you get a free D7000 with your D800! Also the issue of Nikon not having a full frame camera with full 1080p HD video will be resolved and there will be a headphone jack on the camera as well. So it sounds like Nikon is truly addressing some of the demands of its customers. However, I pray that there will be an option of smaller RAW files, just like Canon has been doing for years now. Shooting a full 36 megapixels all of the time is going to be a pain. RAW files out of the 12 megapixel Nikons tend to be around 15 megabytes each, so you can imagine how big these files will be. An option to shoot at ~18 and ~9 megapixels would be fantastic.
[caption id="attachment_5253" align="alignright" width="310" caption="This isn't the actual camera, just a rendering I found online."]
[/caption]
All of this being said, the D800 doesn't address the need for every photographer out there. Personally I would prefer a more conservative pixel count, better high ISO performance, faster shooting speed, and better overall dynamic range. Aparently there will be a special edition that will also remove the anti-aliasing filter from the sensor, which would theoretically produce much higher quality images, but at the risk of aliasing/moire artifacts. I wish there was an alternative "D800s" with lower megapixels and better high sensitivity shooting, but it doesn't look like Nikon is going to address that type of photographer until the D4 comes out sometime next year. I expect the D800 to be around for a very long time as 36 megapixels will be testing the optical limitations of lenses as higher resolution sensors will show the flaws in lenses. 36 megapixels is reaching the point where everyone will need to have their cameras fine tuned/adjusted to match their individual lenses, which isn't going to be a picnic, but necessary for the highest possible image quality. Naturally my interest is piqued by a new Nikon full frame camera, but part of me remains skeptical until I've had the camera in my hands and images to print. It would be a tremendous waste to have 36 megapixel files and not be printing 16x20" or larger, so if you plan to get a D800, also consider a large format printer, top of the line lenses, expensive memory cards, perhaps a new computer, and certainly some extra external hard drives. Wow this is all sounding very pricey isn't it? I could rave for pages about how pixel counts are overrated, but again I will reserve judgement until I have the camera to review. Until then I will keep you updated on all credible news on Nikon's groundbreaking DSLR.