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AF Reliability D800 vs. D750

4711

Member
Hi

I can not decide between the D800 and the D750. I have for both an offer, mint condition, only a few clicks both for the same price.

I am more a travel shooter, shooting 95% handheld with FFL.

Now I read often on the internet, that the D800 is not very reliable with its AF. It does not "snap" very fast and often misses the right spot.

The D750 seems to be better in this regard. But I find it strange to pay the same price for the "enthusiast" D750 as for the pro-grade D800 with its better build quality and higher MP.

So what is your experience with the AF handheld with moving subjects (people, kids, sport, street photography) and closeups?

Would I make a mistake with the D800 vs. the D750?
 

johnnygoesdigital

New member
I don't know much about the d750, but the AF on the D800 was excellent! The camera was always reliable, even under extreme shooting conditions and temps. Although, I think the sweet spot for most of today's lenses is 24mp, the D800 photos were insanely good. Just a little more technique to keep it steady, but I miss the resolution sometimes. I'd prefer the D800 because most of the bugs have been worked out too.
Nikon's 85mm 1.4g was absolutely one of the best lenses I've ever shot with. Try DXO for up to date camera /lens reviews.
 
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segedi

Member
I went with the D750 over the D810 primarily due to size and weight. I like to travel light so my D750 kit consists of a Voigtlander 28mm f/2.8, Nikon 50mm F/1.8g and Nikon 85mm f/1.8g and I couldn't be happier. It comes in at about 3.5 pounds.

I've been shooting mostly with the manual focus 28mm, but the 50 and 85mm are really snappy in AF.

Physical comparison
Compare camera dimensions side by side
 

ptomsu

Workshop Member
I have shot the D800E for several years and I never had an issue with AF - it was fast and snappy.

What I would have preferred though would be a larger AF field with even more AF points, something which you find in most of todays mirrorless cameras.

I have tried the D750 on several occasions and would prefer the size and ergonomics of this one over the D800 - if you do not need the extra high resolution but want the currently best 24MP DSLR then go for it!

My 5c

Peter
 

4711

Member
Thanks for the feedback. So AF will not be anymore the deciding factor for me between the two options.

But reflecting that both costs the same and the D800 is the pro camera with beter build etc. and the D750 more the prosumer camera, would I not be crazy to pick the "inferior" D750?

I print max. A3 (epson printer), but love the best IQ available. I like to look at prints close as 20cm. Someone told me that the more resolution the sensor has, the more transparent the images will look.

Best wishes
 

Steve P.

New member
I wouldn't make this decision based solely on the opinions of others. What suits one may not always suit another. You really do owe it to yourself to find a store where you can handle both cameras, albeit you may have to substitute the D810 for the D800, but the feel in hand should be sufficiently close. It's remarkable sometimes how the act of holding a camera can really cement a preference in your mind. One may just feel 'right' to you.
 

4711

Member
I wouldn't make this decision based solely on the opinions of others. What suits one may not always suit another. You really do owe it to yourself to find a store where you can handle both cameras, albeit you may have to substitute the D810 for the D800, but the feel in hand should be sufficiently close. It's remarkable sometimes how the act of holding a camera can really cement a preference in your mind. One may just feel 'right' to you.
Hi steve,

I did that already in a shop. The D750 feels better in the hand, but I have no problems with the D800 neither. So this is not a knock-out criteria for me personally.

Or let's say for the higher resolution, better build quality etc. I could sacrifice the better grip of the D750.

What bothers me also is that the D800 will not depreciate a lot anymore in the future in price.

But the D750 will. At the end of the day, the D750 does not do many things better than the D600. It has no better sensor than the D600, which trades below 1000.- USD. So with buying a D750 I will probably loose more money over 2 years than with a used D800.

My timeframe to buy new bodies is 2-4 years, depending on the innovations in sensor technology.
 

Steve P.

New member
My advice is to always go with the camera you feel works best for you as a photographic tool. If you look on digital cameras as investments you hope will bring you future returns you're probably going to end up unhappy. Good luck with whatever you decide.
 

johnnygoesdigital

New member
As much as I loved the D800, I switched to a 24mp camera because I had better success with lens choices for fast sports. Resolution differences at A3 will be a moot point, so base your decision on how it feels and ignore the pro/prosumer labels. It's mostly marketing anyway.
Having a smaller camera body like a d610,d750, is excellent for hiking, travel, etc. you'll get the same professional looking results with either camera, so get the one that feels right for you budget and ignore marketing hype. Getting the "pro" look to your images really depends on your lenses and technique as most sensors are insanely good regardless of MP's.
 

segedi

Member
When it comes to "pro" vs "prosumer" there are a couple things to consider, shutter rating, weather sealing and ruggedness of the body. I have no problems with a prosumer body. My first DSLR was a Canon 10D.

The shutter in the 10D was rated at something like 50,000 actuations, but I put more than 300,000 on mine without fail. The nearly 6 years that I used the body, it stood up to all challenges - though I don't abuse my equipment, I do use it. I didn't take it out in pouring rain, but I probable wouldn't do that with any camera body.

When it comes to investment, I'd rather invest in a camera that suits my needs than worry about resale value. All digital cameras lose value in the market, but that doesn't mean they lose value as a fine photo taking machine.

As far as image quality in A3 prints - my 6.3 megapixel Canon 10D performed well. Not as good as the 24MP, but I sold prints from that old camera with no problem. I agree with another opinion, at A3 and probably A2 sizes, you won't gain much.

I have a feeling you want the best option, best value, best resolution, best build, etc. I've found after buying and selling more gear than I want to think about, that the best option is the camera that you'll use and not second guess. For me, at least for DSLR, that choice was the D750.
 

Jorgen Udvang

Subscriber Member
Buy the D810 :D

Jokes aside, you can consider this choice until Christmas next year and still not get any further. If the D750 feels better in your hand and you're travelling a lot, that's probably the camera to buy. The last thing I worry about is resale value. Usability and image quality are what count, or image quality and usability. Buy the camera and take some photos :)
 

4711

Member
Thanks for your feedback.

Although there is a difference with the grip between the D750 and D800, for me the handholding of the D800 was not significantly worse than handholding the D750.

After reading all the reviews on the internet about the difference with the grip and how superior the D750 would be, I was rather diapppointed that I did not feel THAT much difference. So this was not an important point for me.

The weight difference is more important. But I was used to a Sony A900. The D800 looks and feels almost smaller :)

I decided to go for the D800. I really would like play with that 36MP sensor and see whether I can master it. If it turns out that I can not use the extra pixel or the weight or higher needed shutter speed gets on my nerves, I will sell it again and buy a D750 or whatever is then the best compromise in IQ and usability...
 

absolutic

New member
It is a psychological thing. If you had gotten the D750, you would never be satisfied because deep in your mind you knew there was a 36MP body for the same price. I have not shot with D750 (just held it briefly) but I had owned D800, D700 and D600. To me D750 grip is much superior to D800, also the quieter shutter is a big thing, and a longer battery life is nice. also D800 Raw files are large and slower to work with in pp. 1/4000 and 1/200 xsync rates is a bummer of course, but I see what you are saying about overpaying for D750 because it is sort of new. For 36MP treatment you could have also picked up a used A7r body (about $1250-1400 used) alongside your A900 :)

also you could wait til next week when Canon 5Ds (50MP camera) is announced and you see a lot of people dumping their D810s making the room for the new MP monster, thus maybe a chance to pick D810 cheap :)
 

Steve P.

New member
also you could wait til next week when Canon 5Ds (50MP camera) is announced and you see a lot of people dumping their D810s making the room for the new MP monster, thus maybe a chance to pick D810 cheap :)
I'm sure existing Canon shooters will be all over this one but I imagine most D810 owners have a significant investment in F mount and would take a massive hit in the wallet if they offload their D810s which, according to most user reports I've seen, is a real improvement over the already popular D800. Some may lust after ultimate pixels but I don't think there'll be a glut of cheap used D810s on the market any time soon.
Apologies if your comment was meant ironically, it's hard to gauge the tone correctly in forums sometimes. :)
 

ptomsu

Workshop Member
I am absolutely sure that lot of D800/D810 bodies will be available as soon as the new Canon 5Ds becomes available ;) this is just the way it always has been going and will not change ...

I personally am not so convinced about 50MP although I am confident that all the known players will offer such a model sooner or later.

Now when it comes to lenses which can handle such massive resolutions things become more interesting as we all know there are not many lenses around being able to out resolve even 36Mp - so IMHO going even higher in MP is something crazy, but again this is the way todays world develops.

Having said that Canon offers a few lenses that I personally would love to shoot with on a high res camera body, not that all may be up to resolve enough, but they are just the lenses I would love to own (I shot some of them before and really loved them). The one I would love most would be the 1.2/85II - I know it does not offer the resolution, but it is lightyears ahead of the Nikkor 1.4/85G (which I also owned for some years and NEVER could fall in love with). And there are a lot of others Canon lenses around meanwhile I would prefer against their Nikkor counterparts.

So for me this move from Canon (if it really proves to be true and delivers WRT DR, IQ, noise, etc) opens wonderful possibilities, because now suddenly a Canon alternative with substantially more resolution than 20MP would finally be available.

Let's keep fingers crossed that Canon really delivers, which would be good for some needed market dynamics and throw lot of people out of their Nikon investments (used and cheap D800/D810) plus open doors for those who were waiting patiently (more or less) for a capable high res camera alternative from Canon.
 

Steve P.

New member
I am absolutely sure that lot of D800/D810 bodies will be available as soon as the new Canon 5Ds becomes available ;) this is just the way it always has been going and will not change ...
Maybe D800, but D810?...not so sure, and probably not so cheap! It would be interesting to hear from any other D810 owners on the forum one way or the other. Personally, I chose to go with a little less bulk, physically and pixelly, and went with the D750. So far, so good. :)
 

ptomsu

Workshop Member
Maybe D800, but D810?...not so sure, and probably not so cheap! It would be interesting to hear from any other D810 owners on the forum one way or the other. Personally, I chose to go with a little less bulk, physically and pixelly, and went with the D750. So far, so good. :)
I think your decision was just right, currently the best DSLR available IMHO!

WRT D810 - yes I am pretty sure we will see the usual trend followers all over again :cool:
 
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Jorgen Udvang

Subscriber Member
Maybe D800, but D810?...not so sure, and probably not so cheap! It would be interesting to hear from any other D810 owners on the forum one way or the other. Personally, I chose to go with a little less bulk, physically and pixelly, and went with the D750. So far, so good. :)
Most of those using D800/810 cameras are also heavily invested in F-mount lenses, making a change very expensive. The 5Ds would have to offer something really revolutionary for a mass transition to happen. For me, it would be financial suicide. Unless the 5Ds features a little tap on the back with access to unlimited amounts of Islay Single Malt, it's out of the question ;)
 

ohnri

New member
Most of those using D800/810 cameras are also heavily invested in F-mount lenses, making a change very expensive. The 5Ds would have to offer something really revolutionary for a mass transition to happen. For me, it would be financial suicide. ;)
Could not agree more. Why would I sell my D800, D4 and every Nikon lens to get a tiny increase in resolution that both Nikon and Sony will soon offer in any event.

Canon would need to offer a quantum leap in sensor performance or autofocus or something equally valuable for me to have anything more than a vague curiosity.

I, frankly, cannot even imagine that happening with this camera.

Best,

Bill
 
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