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B+W NIKON

D810

£2,699.99

body only

N

ikon’s new flagship

DSLR looks almost

identical to the Nikon

D800 and D800E that

precede it, but that’s something

owners of the previous models

will probably not complain about

• if it ain’t broke, why fix it?
  The grip is very slightly
  reshaped to be a little deeper,
  but aside from a few other
  minor button changes, the D810
  is very similar, ergonomically
  and operationally, and just
  as effective as the previous
  cameras, though subtly and
  significantly improved in
  performance. With excellent
  construction, dust and
  weatherproofing, it feels just as
  bulletproof too!
  Inside however, a new
  36.3Mp full-frame sensor and
  the Expeed 4 processor from
  the D4S noticeably improve the
  slightly slow behaviour of the
  previous models. Interestingly,
  Nikon have added a small 9Mp
  sRAW file option borrowed from
  the D4, for those not wanting to
  handle large file sizes.
  Nikon has also completely

TESTS AND

PRODUCTS

With a re-designed FX-format 36.3Mp sensor and a huge ISO

range, the Nikon D810 promises a performance that will

outstrip its predecessors. Andy Luck reports.

All pictures © Andy Luck

NY Musical and Dramatic Academy student Anna Carslaw models

a Di Gilpin Angel bonnet. Despite the total absence of a low pass fi lter

on the D810, I never found any signs of moiré or aliasing in any of

the many fashion shots I took.

Nikon D810 with 105mm lens, 1/500sec at f/3, ISO 800

Sir Christopher Wren’s Fountain Court at Hampton Court.

With a good lens, the amount of fi ne architectural detail the D810 can

capture is phenomenal.

Nikon D810 with 25mm Zeiss Distagon lens, 1/250sec at f/8, ISO 140

removed the optical low-pass

filter in the sensor with this

iteration and claims this results

in the highest image quality in

Nikon’s history. I am sure they

are right – the overall IQ, the tone

and pop of images taken with

this camera are very impressive

indeed, right up with what would

once have been considered

medium format quality.

The first thing I noticed on

handling the new camera,

however, was just how quiet

it was. The shutter now has a

delightful precision ‘snick’ to it,

instead of the substantial ‘clack’

the old model’s shutter made!

NIKON D810

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