Nikon D4 (vs D800)

hsz said:
There is some footage in D800 that looks amazing .... and other that just looks plain bad ... I got the D800 I can't just yet afford the D4 even though looks temping ... I would love to know what kinda of settings are those guys using in the D800 ...
Quick question is recommendable to have the Noise reduction ON or OFF? I guess on ...
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a good post. fundamentally, We need a single source for testing. I've been lobbying DPreviews.com to start attacking the video part of the equipment market.
 
Seems the consensus, just reading a few articles and pages, is that the D800 is the preferred video DSLR from Nikon, if the not the best one out there so far. Anyone still prefer the D4?

Overall, I have been fairly impressed with what we have given the restrictions such as codecs, and such. Been shooting with a Sony PMW 350 and Canon broadcast glass lately, and I can honestly say I almost miss the 60D and D7000 rendering at times, and they cost less than a tenth (less than a 20th, depending how you math it) of what my setup is. Haha. Meanwhile these 2nd gen dslr's are even a bit better. Given that I am intrigue about doing more stills, I may actually sink some teeth into one of these machines.

Has there been a new crowd favorite? The 5dmk3 has some impressive out of camera low light ability and time code, while the D800 has resolution and DR at low ISO, and the D4 just seems like a jack of all trades with 3 crops modes, good native lowlight, and consistent DR and cold through out the ISO range.

Thanks.
 
welcome back James, it's been a while :)
I think the D800 completely dominates the D4: it's equal or better in any aspect you look at
right now, I see the D800, 5D3, GH2, and maybe NEX-5N, as very viable options, they all excel at something, and none has such huge drawbacks that it just can't be considered an option
(my favorite would be the 5D3... if they reduce the price to match the D800) (yes, I'm sick of the aliasing/moire, and would love to get rid of it)
 
japieson said:
Also, low light is key. Many scenes do take place during the night and I used to get horrible noise. That problem needed to be remedied without over lighting because it costs money and it’s warm and it takes time and it requires power. I wanted to light for aesthetics and not camera noise.
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Light is always the key. While it seems like shooting at night without lights is what you want, really what you need is plenty of light and the ability to correct it in post. Too often we try to fix low-light situations. Try it the other way around; start with too much light and correct that. You'll be happy with the results. Low noise, sharp images that can be molded to any style you need.

Lighting is less expensive now than it was and LEDs can be battery powered and not hot. Always err on more light. Your colorist will love you for it. No modern TV show or movie is looking for the lowest-light camera than can find, they are lighting well and crafting the look in post. It takes some practice but provides amazing results that don't get in the way of the story like noisy low-light shoots do.
 
Low-light image is important for lighting situations you cant control - I find myself in very bad lighting situations most of the time - murky bar's and orange fluorescent halls, pitch black lounges - setting up lights is usually not an option.
 
Samuel H said:
welcome back James, it's been a while :)
I think the D800 completely dominates the D4: it's equal or better in any aspect you look at
right now, I see the D800, 5D3, GH2, and maybe NEX-5N, as very viable options, they all excel at something, and none has such huge drawbacks that it just can't be considered an option
(my favorite would be the 5D3... if they reduce the price to match the D800) (yes, I'm sick of the aliasing/moire, and would love to get rid of it)
Click to expand...

Thanks, good to be back for a while.

I am getting the impression that D800 with neat video cleaner makes a D4 or 5Dmk3 less of an advantage on the D800?
 
James0b57 said:
Thanks, good to be back for a while.

I am getting the impression that D800 with neat video cleaner makes a D4 or 5Dmk3 less of an advantage on the D800?
Click to expand...

One thing to have in mind is that the D800's noise is more prominent due to the higher dynamic range. If you watch tests compared with the MkIII, there are two traits that does not get the attention they deserve: One, the blacks are more crushed in the MKIII, thus hiding noise and two, The D800 image is far brighter than the MKIII at the same ISO-setting.... Don't get blinded by the numbers. ISO 1600 is unfortunately NOT the same as ISO 1600 these days.

Also with the D800's superior resolution, it can take a heavier beating from noise-reduction software (like neat video), and still come out with at least as much detail as you get with the quite soft MKIII. This of course also goes for the the D4 which is (IMO) just too soft from the get go.

If you are concerned with aliasing/moire Mosaic Engineering is set to release an aa-filter for the D800 quite soon.
 
[QUOTE
On a side note, when you guys got your cameras, did you check the shutter count? If so, what was it at? I bought mine from a local store and the D4 had a count of 65, and the D800 had a count of 503. I've taken the D800 back and will receive a new one in the next shipment, and am debating doing the same with the D4.

Am pretty peeved that I received two camera bodies from a local store, and both had a large shutter count. QUOTE]

Large shutter count?
You should be thankful that they tested it for you.
When I sold my D1, it had pretty close to 1 million shutter activations on it.
The only work done was several sensor cleanings.
I would not worry about 503 activations.


Back to the subject:
I really like the D800 for Video and will be getting the Mosaic Engineering aa-filter
 
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chagchag said:
One thing to have in mind is that the D800's noise is more prominent due to the higher dynamic range. If you watch tests compared with the MkIII, there are two traits that does not get the attention they deserve: One, the blacks are more crushed in the MKIII, thus hiding noise and two, The D800 image is far brighter than the MKIII at the same ISO-setting.... Don't get blinded by the numbers. ISO 1600 is unfortunately NOT the same as ISO 1600 these days.

Also with the D800's superior resolution, it can take a heavier beating from noise-reduction software (like neat video), and still come out with at least as much detail as you get with the quite soft MKIII. This of course also goes for the the D4 which is (IMO) just too soft from the get go.

If you are concerned with aliasing/moire Mosaic Engineering is set to release an aa-filter for the D800 quite soon.
Click to expand...

That makes a lot of sense. The D800 with an AA filter+ post NR, sounds like a formidable setup. Thanks.
 
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