Nikon unveils D800 DSLR and yes, its pixel count is enormous ~ Perfect PC 24/7

Nikon unveiled its latest DSLR camera on Tuesday, the D800, confirming recent rumors that it would incorporate a huge 36.3MP sensor. Buyers of the device might also want to consider getting several extra-large external hard drives to hold all of their super-sized images. The D800 starts shipping in March.

Nikon unveiled the D800 in Tokyo on Tuesday, the latest addition to its DLSR range.

The new camera takes much from Nikon’s recently released D4 flagship model, though there are of course plenty of differences too.

The stand-out feature of the full-frame D800 device is its new 36.3MP CMOS sensor, which Nikon claims is capable of image quality “equal to that achieved with medium-format digital cameras.” If you’re fond of making big prints or always find yourself using your editing software’s crop tool, the D800 will give you more leeway than you ever thought you’d need.

The D800 incorporates a 51-point AF system with the viewfinder offering 100 percent coverage and 0.7x magnification. You’ll find twin memory card slots for SD and CF cards and a USB 3.0 port.

Video-wise this is Nikon’s most advanced camera to date and is capable of capturing 1080p full-HD movies at 30/25/24fps, and 720p movies at 60/50/25/24fps.

The new camera sports a magnesium alloy body and weighs 10 percent less than its predecessor, the three-and-a-half-year-old D700.

Its low frame rate of just 4fps at full resolution will come as a disappointment to some, and is the reason why Nikon is pitching the D800 at studio, wedding and nature photographers, as opposed to sports photographers.

Those who need more shots per second will continue to look toward the higher-end models, such as the D4, with its 11fps capability, though the hefty $6000 price tag of that device will be prohibitive for many. The only way users can increase the D800’s frame rate is by dropping down to DX mode (max 15 MP) and adding the MB-D12 battery pack, which’ll bump it up to 6fps.

Likewise, the D800 is also inferior to the D4 when it comes to shooting in low light, with a maximum ISO of 6400 (extendable to 25,600), compared to the D4’s 12,800 (extendable to 204,800), though we don’t want to think about how grainy things will be getting if an image is pushed that far.

Still, for those looking to upgrade from the D700 or D300S, or pro shooters in need of a back-up body (sports photographers excepted), the D800 will be very tempting.

The D800E was also announced on Tuesday, which is identical to the D800 except for the elimination of the anti-aliasing low-pass filter, enabling it to capture images with even more detail.

The D800 will hit stores in March with a price tag of $3000 (body only). The D800E body will be available in April for $3300. Both cameras will go on display for the first time at the Camera & Photo Imaging Show in Yokohama, which kicks off on Thursday.

[Images: NikonRumors]