I recently cam to the realization I need to move up from my XH-A1 with a letus adopter, the lighting situation is to difficult indoors, haven't decided whether to just keep it or sell it..... but I digress.

I saw Philip Bloom's video on the D5 and was slightly concerned about this idea of post sharpening he talks about. I'm wondering if the Nikon D800 has the same issues, having to sharpen the video in post, or if it's a better image right of the bat.

The D800 video isn't what I would call soft, but it doesn't resolve detail like a higher end camera does so sharpening in post will only improve it so much. D5 footage doesn't look any better to me. I absolutely love my D800 for raw stills but the video is very average. Auto focus is essentially unusable, there's no 1080 60p etc. I'm really hoping Nikon gets in the video game with their next releases as I have a bunch of Nikon lenses. Unless you need a superb stills camera, I would go with something else.

Duane, thanks for the clarification. I'm looking at all possibilities recently just came across the Sony FS100 that is looking more like the way to go.

The D800 video isn't what I would call soft, but it doesn't resolve detail like a higher end camera does so sharpening in post will only improve it so much. D5 footage doesn't look any better to me. I absolutely love my D800 for raw stills but the video is very average. Auto focus is essentially unusable, there's no 1080 60p etc. I'm really hoping Nikon gets in the video game with their next releases as I have a bunch of Nikon lenses. Unless you need a superb stills camera, I would go with something else.

That's interesting. I've been considering getting a D800 for video. I may have to rent one and try it out before taking the plunge.

What lenses do you use when you're shooting video?

One thing I wish Nikon would incorporate is some kind of focus peaking, so we can see what's in focus on the LCD.

What lenses do you use when you're shooting video? One thing I wish Nikon would incorporate is some kind of focus peaking, so we can see what's in focus on the LCD.

I use several Kyle, the sharpest is my 50mm 1.8 prime which shoots astonishing stills. I have to think Nikon is working on something better but they seem to be lagging behind everyone else in video.

I will agree that Nikon seems to be currently lagging behind others such as Canon in their video implementation.

I currently shoot a D90, which I partially bought because of its video capabilities at the time, which admittedly arean't too great. lol

For me, the biggest thing I like about the D800 is control of exposure in real time in live view. I'm kind of hoping that the next high end DX interation has the same feature. My main lens is the 17-55 F2.8 and I also have a Tokina 11-16 and 35 F1.8, both of which I enjoy using as well.

Hi Michael,

I went ahead and sold my Canon XF300 recently. Almost pulled the trigger on the 5dMk3. But went ahead and bought the Nikon D610 (with Tokina 17-35, and a used Nikon 70-300). Why?

For our purposes, we're moving away from video and getting back into photography. Not exclusively, but mostly. My wife will be using the DLSR, and having to move to a full framer (from a Nikon D80) will take some getting used to. But we're excited about it.

I'm not brand loyal, so the Nikon vs Canon never was an issue. What it really came down to was budget, and the wife getting excited over a new toy :)

Best,

Hey Jeff, I'm late here but I've been using the Nikon D800 and D7100 with fantastic results. You'll find the images to be sharp and audio control is just like a video camera.

Here's a sample of some D800 uploaded straight from the camera.

https://vimeo.com/57878802

Also for more than one input of audio you may want to consider this nice little adapter. It allows me to bring in two wireless lavs. Cost is only $89. No batteries required.

Beachtek MCC-2 2-Channel Audio Adapter and Bracket MCC-2 B&H

Hi Jeff,

Thanks for that video footage!

We just got our D610 today with the Tokina 17-35mm lens, but haven't really put it through it's paces yet. Have a bit of a learning curve with our first full framer, not to mention first HDSLR. It's a bit heavy, specially with the Tokina, and looks absolutely monstrous in my wife's petite hands :)

Tested it out with an old nifty 50 I kept from the D80, and it works pretty good in low light (just a few snaps of the wife with ambient kitchen light). Now on to shooting in daylight!

Best,

And Michael, the original poster, finally bought a 5DMk3 :)

Like I said before, we could've afforded the body, but couldn't buy any lenses or other accessories with it.

I've been having some discussions with a friend of mine about all kinds of cameras lately. And I just about talked myself into a D800 this morning on the phone. lol

Right now, I'm still using my trusty Sony NX5U as my main event camera, and have gotten a Canon XA20 as a backup (because of the 20x zoom on it)

While these cameras are great and do a good job at the run and gun stuff like weddings, which is mostly all I do now, I really want something to add some "wow" factor and the only way to get that is to go to a large sensor kind of camera.

I'd still use my main cameras for the ceremony, but for things like pre-ceremony and reception, I'm still wanting to get a DSLR to get some of those shallow DOF detail kind of shots that I just can't get now.

I've had a fantastic year with weddings and have the money set aside to buy a D800 and a 70-200 2.8 right now, but I kind of want to hold off until Q1 2014 to see if Nikon does a new high end DX camera with similar full exposure control in live view, since all my glass is DX, plus it would be cheaper.

I have both, D800e and 5dmk3, like Nikon better, for latitude, colors, resolution..
5dmk3 can shoot Raw video, if you have time to work with it!

Thanks guys some good post. I am very close to shifting from my Canon 5D MKIII and glass to Nikon D800. I use the camera for 100% stills and have been doing some bigger prints (4'x6') and the Canon has disappointed a few times. Thinking the D800 might be a better choice.

I have a 5d3 with some canon crop bodies also.
I recently realised that I absolutely need to be able to backup my stuff via a ninja and hdmi out.
Unofortunately no other canon body outside of the 5d3 has clean hdmi out.
I work with 2 cameras all the time so for me this means I need to get second 5d3.
The other option I have is to sell the 5d3 and get both a d800 and a d7100 (both of these have clean hdmi, even the d5200 has it)

Oleg, can I ask you how the d800 compares to the 5d3 at higher iso's (for video)

You should search for Philip Bloom's comparison of the Nikon D800 versus the Canon 5D Mk III. Pay attention to what he says how they fare after sharpening in post. He changed his mind on the 5D Mk III (for the better).

Read that article when it came out. For me, I want the footage as clean as possible. Often I hand the footage off. So that my client can edit. Sharpening the footage after the shoot seems like an extra step. Also I don't want my clients to think it was me or my equipment.

The second part to choosing the D800 is the ability to adjust audio level input and headphone volume from the screen. With the 5d Mark III you have to go into a menu, adjust and back out. I'm often shooting run and gun documentary style. So quicker I can adjust the better.

Also if you do Timelapse it has a built-in intervolmeter. I prefer this versus a tangled remote hanging off my rig especially for motion Timelapse where things are moving.

This is why I prefer the D800. Thanks for sharing.

Still on the road but I think I will buy a D800 before the end of the year and start my switch. For me it is not video just stills and from what I have been shown in the field there is a big difference.

I had D800. Replaced it with D800e for more resolution, bought anti aliasing filter by Mosaic, shoot both photo and video, have to remove Mosaic filter for stills, rarely ever had a aliasing problem with stills.

D800, D800e do much better job for stills, no doubt about that.. RAW is somehow better, easier to manipulate in ACR or Lightroom,
as for video, if you do not go above 2500 Nikon is a better camera, latitude is ultimate value in cameras, to me.

If you plan to shoot events, going over 2500 iso, sometimes I shoot 6400 with 5dmk3, it works pretty nice!
Nikon has different color scheme, some people like Canon skin tones, I grade everything and the codec from D800e is better, holds more of a color change, shadows pull better.. The difference is maybe 15 20 percent, from non scientific estimate.. Depends which lenses you have.. ( I have both) happy to be able to afford different systems, have GH3 M4/3 (bunch of glass) If you plan to shoot RAW, get MK3!

awesome video Jeff, where can we see the final result?

How did the gopro footage came?

Evgeniya Arkhipova. Pergolesi - Stabat Mater. - YouTube
my recent opera music video, shot mostly with D800e.

I was all set to consider Nikon last year until I realized all of the lenses focused and zoomed in the opposite direction of "normal" video cameras. Messing with years of muscle memory is just not worth it for me even though I think Nikon bested Canon on this last round.

Magic Lanter RAW does change the landscape although it is still pretty "raw" in its current state. Nikon is making a great product from what I have seen. Both these cameras are pretty capable for $3,000

I've compare 5dmk3 RAW with D800e to Ninja.. still image that Nikon produces is more pleasing to my eye, even after all color correction, dynamic range seems better on Nikon,
but again if someone shoots at iso 3200 and above Canon is the right way to go.