Swissblad
Well-known member
I'm guessing the Nikkor 70-200mm f4.0, which is actually very good and a lot lighter than the f2.8 version.
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Fun with the D810
- Thread starter tashley
- Start date
tashley
Subscriber Member
Joe, the 70-200. One thing about the Art: it is lovely, but is not notable better than the FE55 on the A7R - in fact at F1.8 thru F2.8 the FE has sharper edges. Bokeh might be a matter of taste but seems to me to be possibly a tiny bit more to my taste on the Art but not by a big margin. And of course the FE is relatively tiny... however, the files from the D810 are a touch more subtle, which I put down to two factors: lower compression of files and less in-camera pre-cooking of the RAW...
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Even I am not into DSLRs anymore, I am impressed by this Toggle example
diglloyd: Nikon D810: HDR in One Exposure?
diglloyd: Nikon D810: HDR in One Exposure?
D
Deleted member 7792
Guest
And according to Lloyd, the Live View is the best he's seen. This from his [free] blog:
The Nikon D810 Live View (with Zacuto) is unequivocally the best experience I’ve ever had in a camera, and I definitely prefer it over the EVF on the Sony A7R. Not just a practical time saver but a hit rate improvement for focus, snapping in and out obviously. Awesome.
The in-camera compression and "pre-cooking" annoys me, too. Sony's bias tends to be consumer electronics, and the a7/a7R is definitely biased towards the consumer JPEG shooter market.
The FE 55mm is simply a gem! I've tested it against the Leica 50mm equivalents and the FE 55mm wins in edge and corner sharpness. Definitely a winner.
Thanks again to you and Jack for sharing your experiences with the rest of us. It's all in the details.
Joe
dogstarnyc
Member
Tried out the RAW S version the other day (was running low on cards).
Obviously a square crop however my thoughts on the S RAW are that for me anyway it's an emergency option if space is running out and a better alternative to shooting jpegs, but nothing else. I see no real advantages to it other than a 'get out of jail free' card so to speak.
Nikon d810 Nikon 50mm 1.8G ISO 200 1/125th sec@F4 handheld..
My faux pas was the usual thoughts and mutterings, well documented and experienced by many of us...
' not on a job... won't be much to see and shoot... just take a few cards for some snaps etc....'
Famous last words:banghead::banghead:
Obviously a square crop however my thoughts on the S RAW are that for me anyway it's an emergency option if space is running out and a better alternative to shooting jpegs, but nothing else. I see no real advantages to it other than a 'get out of jail free' card so to speak.
Nikon d810 Nikon 50mm 1.8G ISO 200 1/125th sec@F4 handheld..
My faux pas was the usual thoughts and mutterings, well documented and experienced by many of us...
' not on a job... won't be much to see and shoot... just take a few cards for some snaps etc....'
Famous last words:banghead::banghead:
tashley
Subscriber Member
VERY gaudy light here this evening... the 50 ART, now I have AFFT'd it (+10) doesn't miss a trick and the D810 is just a totally different camera to the D800/E - even when snapshooting holiday casuals, it seems to get everything right. The reviews keep on saying it's an incremental, evolutionary type improvement. It's not. It is, simply, if you can forgive its heft, the finest camera there has ever been. Discuss.
Okay, I'm discussing now, but it will include some disagreement :ROTFL:
Regarding net IQ, it is an incremental upgrade IMHO; and mostly from the gained DR and resultant slight added smoothness. What's that worth? For me and my uses, not a whole lot because I already end up adding both black and white to a lot of my D800/E files! The added smoothness is nice though, and while visible onscreen, it is subtle enough to likely not be very prominent in print -- at least I think that; have to print a comparison to be certain and I haven't done that yet. Maybe I'll get some print-worthy captures this weekend when I shoot it more seriously
Regarding usability, the improved AF, improved live view, locking orientation AF points, I'd say those are worth whatever they're worth to the end user; to me, I'd probably tag a $500 value on them. So far, I have yet to determine a true value of the EFC for me. I know you like the multi-exposure blending Tim. I've played with it and while it works as advertised, it seems a bit gimmicky. Perhaps for doing a running water series on a tripod, it would eliminate the need for the heavy ND filters I currently use, and if the background stacks stay perfectly registered, and maintain resolution, that could be an interesting application to me.
So is it worth the cost of an upgrade? Assuming one can sell a D800 for around $1900, and a D800E for around $2200 now, then it would be a bit of a stretch in my humble opinion to say spending an extra $1100 or $1400 to get the D810 they'd be gaining that much in added IQ or usability -- at least for my uses...
In closing, I'm going to go out on a limb by suggesting that at least 50% of your enamor and admiration for the D810 is a result of also using the new 50 Art at the same time. Worth discussing?
tashley
Subscriber Member
You're right of course. But the intangible is worth everything to me - I actually really enjoy using it and feel that we (it and I) are a team. I really enjoy the extra DR and the much more reliable focus.
There's a small fly in the ointment though, and I have to await C1 support to be sure, but it seems to me that in many of the LR profiles, files are prone to posterise under any kind of slider action a little earlier than with the 800 series. I'm not at all sure about this. What do you think?
There's a small fly in the ointment though, and I have to await C1 support to be sure, but it seems to me that in many of the LR profiles, files are prone to posterise under any kind of slider action a little earlier than with the 800 series. I'm not at all sure about this. What do you think?
GrahamWelland
Subscriber & Workshop Member
It sounds like Nikon have achieved with the D810 vs D800 the same as they did with the D3s when it superseded the D3. Not huge differences between cameras but somehow the new version is easier and more satisfying to use - probably for only a few tangible reasons but nicer nonetheless.
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Tim, I was editing while you posted and added a bit at the end I'd like you to comment on
Re file processing, I don't use LR, and have been using the new and free Capture NX-D. A bit of foible learning the conventions, but the resulting files are really nice (REALLY nice!) and enough of the command conventions are the same or similar to C1's.
~~~
Graham, I think you and Tim nailed it with the intangible convenience part, and there I'd agree :thumbs:
Re file processing, I don't use LR, and have been using the new and free Capture NX-D. A bit of foible learning the conventions, but the resulting files are really nice (REALLY nice!) and enough of the command conventions are the same or similar to C1's.
~~~
Graham, I think you and Tim nailed it with the intangible convenience part, and there I'd agree :thumbs:
tashley
Subscriber Member
Jack, regarding processing, I tried NXD but I couldn't get to grips with the sharpening. Might I ask what settings you use? I'd love to explore this further, especially whilst waiting for C1 support.
Regarding the ART lens, it is a wonderful thing but for me it isn't necessarily any better than the Sony FE55. In fact up until about F2.8 or F4 the Sony has sharper edges, and the extra 5mm of focal length goes some way towards mitigating the loss of de-focus effect caused but the slower max aperture - especially given the light and small form factor. But I do love the F1.4 party trick on the ART, where even mid distance subjects can have de-focussed backgrounds, and I do think that the combo with the D810 is a lot more usable in low light due to the shutter differences.
Most of my shooting so far on the D810 has been on the 24-70 and 70-200 but the ART is getting a workout at the moment!
Regarding the ART lens, it is a wonderful thing but for me it isn't necessarily any better than the Sony FE55. In fact up until about F2.8 or F4 the Sony has sharper edges, and the extra 5mm of focal length goes some way towards mitigating the loss of de-focus effect caused but the slower max aperture - especially given the light and small form factor. But I do love the F1.4 party trick on the ART, where even mid distance subjects can have de-focussed backgrounds, and I do think that the combo with the D810 is a lot more usable in low light due to the shutter differences.
Most of my shooting so far on the D810 has been on the 24-70 and 70-200 but the ART is getting a workout at the moment!
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dogstarnyc
Member
To add to Jack's discussion, I will say I came straight from using my D800E to using my D810 so didn't have a break as Tim did.
It's true the image quality improvement is slight, and it's really the ISO64 that brings that into play but lets be honest, none of us were complaining about the D800/E's quality.
I'm in Tim's camp here with usability, it is a great camera to use handheld and more than a subtle step up from the D800/E, it doesn't matter how skilled you are, the D800/E camera kept you on your toes, and gave us all a few too many non usable frames, the D810 really lets you get back out there and take the shot, without trebling the shutter speed and holding you breath.....!
Add that to the technical points Jack mentioned above and to me it was worth the upgrade, and I'm using 50mm and 85mm 1.8G's.
The caveat is, like so many things related to 'gear', how you use your camera, Jack and many others I think shoot predominately landscapes, on tripod so it's fair to say that the feel of the camera is reduced somewhat.
I shoot editorial and commercial fashion, predominately hand held and often using Profoto's. When I do landscapes, like everyone else I slow it down and use a tripod etc... (mostly), this takes the camera out of my hands, I understand using this method takes away the closeness Tim mentions and reportage/Leica users need more than any of us a camera that feels part of you.
One a slightly off kilter note, I LOVE and want the Sigma Art 35 and 50mm glass, BUT... no one I shoot for looks at the corners of an image or whats out of focus, they look at the clothes and the girl, so for me and my work the 35mm/50mm/85mm 1.8G's are great value. And they are light, easily replaceable and affordable to carry a spare.
In a perfect world I'd love exotic lenses just for personal work but that extra cash goes on funding new work for my book etc... again just a different take on what is 'better'...
Jack's point about putting a value on the improvements are valid and will offer up a wide range of opinions (what a great debate), kudos to Nikon for not over selling the upgrade and milking the fact that they could charge almost anything they like for what to me is still the best camera out there in terms of image quality/price/size/usability/flexibility/lens legacy..
It's true the image quality improvement is slight, and it's really the ISO64 that brings that into play but lets be honest, none of us were complaining about the D800/E's quality.
I'm in Tim's camp here with usability, it is a great camera to use handheld and more than a subtle step up from the D800/E, it doesn't matter how skilled you are, the D800/E camera kept you on your toes, and gave us all a few too many non usable frames, the D810 really lets you get back out there and take the shot, without trebling the shutter speed and holding you breath.....!
Add that to the technical points Jack mentioned above and to me it was worth the upgrade, and I'm using 50mm and 85mm 1.8G's.
The caveat is, like so many things related to 'gear', how you use your camera, Jack and many others I think shoot predominately landscapes, on tripod so it's fair to say that the feel of the camera is reduced somewhat.
I shoot editorial and commercial fashion, predominately hand held and often using Profoto's. When I do landscapes, like everyone else I slow it down and use a tripod etc... (mostly), this takes the camera out of my hands, I understand using this method takes away the closeness Tim mentions and reportage/Leica users need more than any of us a camera that feels part of you.
One a slightly off kilter note, I LOVE and want the Sigma Art 35 and 50mm glass, BUT... no one I shoot for looks at the corners of an image or whats out of focus, they look at the clothes and the girl, so for me and my work the 35mm/50mm/85mm 1.8G's are great value. And they are light, easily replaceable and affordable to carry a spare.
In a perfect world I'd love exotic lenses just for personal work but that extra cash goes on funding new work for my book etc... again just a different take on what is 'better'...
Jack's point about putting a value on the improvements are valid and will offer up a wide range of opinions (what a great debate), kudos to Nikon for not over selling the upgrade and milking the fact that they could charge almost anything they like for what to me is still the best camera out there in terms of image quality/price/size/usability/flexibility/lens legacy..
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Almost embarrassed to admit, but so far I've only felt the need for the "quick adjust" tools and not the detailed USM or NR tools, though I've only been shooting at ISO 64. That said, I mostly leave "quick" sharpening at factory default of 3 simply because after sliding the slider up a notch and under a notch, while the change is slight the default looks "just about right" to my eyes. I do usually bump clarity and saturation each 1 point though, and then play with the rgb curve to get the overall look I want. The only real issue I have so far with the software, is a heavy curve can alter hue and saturation subtly, but enough it's visible in some images -- a definite bug they need to fix. I will play around with the detailed tools more and report back. My thinking is that C1 will release an update in a few weeks that will include the D810, so spending a bunch of time with it may be moot. OTOH, if you saw my Nikon Monochrome post, I may in fact be spending more time with NX-D, at least for mono...
D
Deleted member 7792
Guest
Anyone tried the Zeiss 55mm f/1.4 Otus Distagon T* with the D810? Closer to the FE 55mm in edge-to-edge sharpness in the f/1.8 to f/4 range?
Joe
Joe
I haven't owned an SLR for five years or more but fancied focussing on a ground glass screen for a change. The D810 arrived today and, not owning any SLR lenses, I also bought a new 50/F1.2 AIS to use with it. A quick snap of my daughter makes me think this combination has some promise.
Untitled by Ian_Watts, on Flickr
Untitled by Ian_Watts, on Flickr