Nikon D810 update does not feature 4K video

[Guest Ebrahim Saadawi]

They seem serious about marketing the d810 is a video camera.

It has 60p at 1080p, a new "log picture profile" for "expanded dynamic range", clean HDMI out whilst recording to internal card, zebra stripes for exposure, native crop mode, built in stereo mic, etc

They claim an entirely new sensor (and it's 36.3 vs 36.2 so might be true), thus I see no reason why this one couldn't impress with C100-style alias-free, detailed images with great Nikon colors and great low-light performance like the D5200-3000 did but on a full frame sensor.

Could be totally bullocks and has the same terrible aliasing and moire as the d800 though

[gethin]

515544243a6f3f37a5257ee84fd1cf8e

[Andrew Reid]

Why not just let a stills camera be a stills camera :)

 

No, Nikon are not trying to market the D810 at all towards video users, judging by the press release sent out to stills sites like DPReview...

 

In the heading of the PR it refers to the camera as an "HD-SLR", delivering a TRUE CINEMATIC EXPERIENCE.

 

Then under that is a sub-heading which says:

 

"Powerful Video Features and Enhanced Performance, the New Nikon D810 is the Essential Asset for Pro Photo and Video Applications"

 

Another mention of video in the first line of the main text...

 

"Today, Nikon Inc. announced the D810, the next benchmark in D-SLR image quality for professional photographers and cinematographers"

 

And then references pro video 6 more times in the very first paragraph.

 

"The D810 delivers enhanced response and performance for a wide variety of photographic, cinematic and broadcast disciplines. Whether photographing weddings, fashion or landscapes, shooting documentary-style cinema or video for broadcast, this is the one D-SLR that provides the ultimate in versatility and capability."

 

And direct from the horses mouth in the next paragraph, says Masahiro Horie of Nikon:

 

"The D810 becomes a powerful storytelling tool to create images and broadcast-quality video with unprecedented detail"

 

I can only assume he is talking about a different model?

 

Nikon then mention no less than ELEVEN video features. (Highlights include ability to change aperture while recording, and zebras. Oh my!)

 

And it doesn't stop there, they want to sell us the lenses as well

 

"NIKKOR lenses: Cinematographers and filmmakers are supported with more than 80 NIKKOR lenses, many of which are a popular choice for cinema applications because of their brilliant optical quality and characteristics."

 

Then finally, the cherry on top...

 

"Additionally, Nikon will be offering two kits designed for videographers and filmmakers; the D810 Filmmaker’s Kit consists of the D810 body, AF-S NIKKOR 35mm f/1.8G, AF-S NIKKOR 50mmm f/1.8G, AF-S NIKKOR 85mm f/1.8G lenses, 2 additional EN-EL15 batteries, ME-1 Stereo Microphone, Atomos Ninja-2 External Recorder, and Tiffen® 67mm and 58mm Variable Neutral Density Filters (8-Stops)."

 

The next person to suggest Nikon aren't aiming their stills cameras at video crowd... will automatically be flagged as 'idiot' by the forum software which has a new idiot filter.

[maxotics]

Can we hold Zach accountable for Nikon's advertising department?  If you've work for/with any corporation you know the advertising department is not in the truth business :)  Anyway, Zach is saying the same thing.  Nikon full-frames are not good video cameras.  

 

Anyone who gets into video, or follows EOSHD, get this.  The thread got lively because people criticized the camera as a stills camera.  You said you returned it for ergonomics?  Ergonomics as a video shooter or stills shooter.  Andrew, you said it best in your original post.  No video news here.

[jgharding]

This is the only Nikon D810 film I can find.

 

 

Dynamic range looks abysmal. Aliasing etc don't seem so bad but it's hard to tell. The acting is just.... well have a look ;)

 

It all looks very old school DSLR video here. But then these promos always suck.

[Michael1]

It does full sensor readout at then properly downsamples it to 1080P. This was all covered extensively at NAB by newshooters,com in interviews with Sony and other reviews. 

 

There is no way in hell D810 will match A7s video quality. I would be surprised if it can even match RX100 III (or GH3) 

"No way in hell"?  Is this before or after the Sony fully read sensor overheats, or a light drizzle shorts it out, or the battery goes dead? :D

 

The Sony's are great if you can keep them running.

 

Michael

[leeys]

Are they jpegs or raw? Dxomark couldn't find these "differences"

 

Raw. Dxomark measures sensor data before demosaicing. I think you'll find examples online where the A7R is *slightly* worse.

[Husah]

"No way in hell"?  Is this before or after the Sony fully read sensor overheats, or a light drizzle shorts it out, or the battery goes dead? :D

 

The Sony's are great if you can keep them running.

 

Michael

 

 

According to the specs, the battery life for video on A7s is around  90 min. . This is same as Black magic camera where battery isn't even swabable. 5D III averages around 90 minutes per battery for video too  

[Husah]

Raw. Dxomark measures sensor data before demosaicing. I think you'll find examples online where the A7R is *slightly* worse.

 

raw has  yet to undergo demosaicing and that's same for all raw. That's why they are raw. A raw file is developed on computer.  Dxomark are comparing raw, not jpegs

[Derek Weston]

Purely from a stills perspective:

 

1. Nikon has a proper lens lineup, with a much better AF system.

2. Nikon 14 bit RAW loseless vs some weird semi-lossy RAW format Sony uses

3. Much better ergonomics on the Nikon.

 

This. Lens lineup is a big drawback for sony right now. You can use an adapter, but that's a compromised solution.

Light weight with the Sony is a plus and minus depending on usage. 

Outside of medium format sensors, the Nikon offering is the out there for static type shooting where detail and dynamic range are at a premium.

 

You can practically shoot one shot HDR with the d800... I've processed thousands of files. Used to be with Canon. D800 easily wins here.

[Derek Weston]

No, Nikon are not trying to market the D810 at all towards video users, judging by the press release sent out to stills sites like DPReview...

 

In the heading of the PR it refers to the camera as an "HD-SLR", delivering a TRUE CINEMATIC EXPERIENCE.

 

Then under that is a sub-heading which says:

 

"Powerful Video Features and Enhanced Performance, the New Nikon D810 is the Essential Asset for Pro Photo and Video Applications"

 

Another mention of video in the first line of the main text...

 

"Today, Nikon Inc. announced the D810, the next benchmark in D-SLR image quality for professional photographers and cinematographers"

 

And then references pro video 6 more times in the very first paragraph.

 

"The D810 delivers enhanced response and performance for a wide variety of photographic, cinematic and broadcast disciplines. Whether photographing weddings, fashion or landscapes, shooting documentary-style cinema or video for broadcast, this is the one D-SLR that provides the ultimate in versatility and capability."

 

And direct from the horses mouth in the next paragraph, says Masahiro Horie of Nikon:

 

"The D810 becomes a powerful storytelling tool to create images and broadcast-quality video with unprecedented detail"

 

I can only assume he is talking about a different model?

 

Nikon then mention no less than ELEVEN video features. (Highlights include ability to change aperture while recording, and zebras. Oh my!)

 

And it doesn't stop there, they want to sell us the lenses as well

 

"NIKKOR lenses: Cinematographers and filmmakers are supported with more than 80 NIKKOR lenses, many of which are a popular choice for cinema applications because of their brilliant optical quality and characteristics."

 

Then finally, the cherry on top...

 

"Additionally, Nikon will be offering two kits designed for videographers and filmmakers; the D810 Filmmaker’s Kit consists of the D810 body, AF-S NIKKOR 35mm f/1.8G, AF-S NIKKOR 50mmm f/1.8G, AF-S NIKKOR 85mm f/1.8G lenses, 2 additional EN-EL15 batteries, ME-1 Stereo Microphone, Atomos Ninja-2 External Recorder, and Tiffen® 67mm and 58mm Variable Neutral Density Filters (8-Stops)."

 

The next person to suggest Nikon aren't aiming their stills cameras at video crowd... will automatically be flagged as 'idiot' by the forum software which has a new idiot filter.

Beats not having those features.

Definitely trying to grab some of the dslr video market. Using a product that was engineered for stills first, though. 

Is what it is. 

[Michael1]

According to the specs, the battery life for video on A7s is around  90 min. . This is same as Black magic camera where battery isn't even swabable. 5D III averages around 90 minutes per battery for video too  

In the real world, they have been getting even less, while on the GH4, they have been getting more than the specs.

 

Michael

[Andrew Reid]

The acting is just.... well have a look ;)

 

SCARY!!

[Nikkor]

The neon yellow tint on every offical video is even scarier (this has been added later). What's the target for that color anyway? Americans?

[Brellivids]

I have been interested about this upcoming D810 Since I dont have any Nikon Cameras yet but I have gathered nice used Nikon mount lenses. The reason I'm interested in this camera is the still side only. I was not expecting it to have any note worthy video features. But what does that tell us about my thinking process. We expect way too little from the companies. We should expect much more. These minimalist product iterations certainly are not good for the enviroment. for instance I dont see any reason the shutters could not be built to last 1 million shots. And the camera should naturally support the latest cards and connections.

 

IF it indeed uses a new sensor the claims that it's better need to be proved fisrt. It could be worse. Since the move to cheaper poroduction locale certainly is about cutting the costs .. they might be saving on the sensors as well. These companies lie all the time. For instance the Tamron 150-600mm Zoom is only 560mm according to the patent and allmost all lenses dont really have the F numbers that they clame they have (DXOmark tests seem to prove that). Cinema lenses seem to be the exception.

 

For me it's the 36Mpix sensor for still work that is interesting. I'm not fooling my self in the respect that I understand that have to have the right glass to have benefit from the Megapixels. The Sigma 85mm ART is on my list.

[Michael1]

This is a disappointment that Nikon did not include 4K in the D810.  The more we see, the more it is evident that shooting 4K, even for later downsampling to HD, has huge advantages.  I just saw a green screen keying test with the GH4, and even with the GH4's compressed internal 100 Mbps codec, it beat out the Black Magic Cinema 2.5K with raw and ProRes.  Not only did the hair used in the test have more detail in the key area, but even in the areas not at the border of the keys.

 

[Andrew Reid]

The thread got lively because people criticized the camera as a stills camera.  You said you returned it for ergonomics?  Ergonomics as a video shooter or stills shooter.

 

I returned it for the stills ergonomics. Metering with adapted lenses is a nightmare. I just wanted accurate exposure in A, S and P mode, or decent live view and it wasn't giving me it. I had to enter the lens details manually in a database and choose the lens via CPU lens settings deep in the menus. Crap! Also prefer the way the D600 is laid out as a stills camera. Not a big fan of the positioning of the ISO button or lack of articulating screen on either camera but they are nice to look at. D600 with the 80-200mm F2.8 AFd lens is a beauty. But Canon have the better button layout.

[maxotics]

Also prefer the way the D600 is laid out as a stills camera. Not a big fan of the positioning of the ISO button or lack of articulating screen on either camera but they are nice to look at. D600 with the 80-200mm F2.8 AFd lens is a beauty. But Canon have the better button layout.

 

I've only had a d600, have never touched a d800 so I believe you.  I came from Canon when getting the d600 so was pleasantly surprised.  However, I find the Canon menus superior too.  The more I use the a7 and a6000 the more I agree with you that one day optical viewfinders will be as quaint as viewfinders on film range-finders before the advent of SLRs.  The ability to set the exposure and see what you'll get, in real-time, plus focus zoom, etc., counters Nikon's only real benefit--high dynamic range.  The high dynamic range of the d800 assumes that either you'll misjudge the scene, or will get it right and need that extra range.  In the first instance, I think i'm at least a stop more accurate with the a7 than when I had the d600.  So in real world terms, I feel I'm getting the extra dynamic range I'd get from the Nikon by nailing the exposure through Sony's EVF.  As for shots where I need maximum DR, I'd probably use a tripod, and then I can HDR my way to anything I want.   All that said, Sony cameras are still consumerish so I'd probably use a Nikon or Canon if I was a professional.

 

ISO is a real important button for me.  I wouldn't want it in a bad place either!

[Nikkor]

On the other hand I find the canon menus terrible and the iso button terrible (on the d800 you can set the iso to easy iso, this let's you change the iso with the wheel you are not using, unless you are in manual mode. With the latest update you can also set the movie record button to change iso -I haven't tried this-). The only thing I like more about the 5d is that the grip is wider than on the d800.

Dynamic range should be very similar between a a7 and a d600 as they are almost the same sensor (only that sony has this shitty processing that might bother you).

EVFs are still pretty green, and if you take a lot of photos, staring at small screen through a diopter with a flickering and stuttering image can be pretty lame. Once they make them better they will be the obvious choice.

[Nikkor]

Double post.