Nikon D810 Detailed Review

In additional D810 was introduced by Nikon in June 2014. It belongs to the Professional DSLRs category.

Nikon is well-known and shouldn’t require further introduction, please see our manufacturer’s page for more digital cameras by Nikon.

The D810 has a Full frame CMOS sensor with size of 36 x 24 mm² (1.42″ x 0.94″).

Picture of D810’s sensor compared to popular format.

The 1-Euro coin has a diameter of 23.25mm.

The D810’s image sensor has an effective resolution of around 36 megapixel. The resolution is far above average and will easily be sufficient for years to come. Photos with this resolution can easily be printed in A2 size or larger, even if unwanted parts of the photo have to be cropped.

The Nikon supports taking images in RAW. RAW images are stored as they come from the sensor, without any in-camera processing or sharpening. Converting to JPEG or other formats takes place on the computer, using software like Adobe Lightroom or Nikon’s RAW converter. This involves one extra processing step but almost always results in superior image quality. Some filters, like converting to monochrome (black and white) will only yield decent results when used with RAW images.

The D810 features a mechanism for automatic sensor cleaning.

The D810 has an optical viewfinder with a penta prism. Viewfinders with a penta prism are typical for enthusiast and professional DSLRs. The viewfinder covers 100% of the field of view and has a magnification of 0.70x, an above average value for a viewfinder like this.

The D810’s shutter speed varies from 1/8000s to 30s.

The D810’s sensitivity is from 64 ISO and 12800 ISO.

Also, Nikon’s sensitivity can be boosted to 51200. Therefore, ISO boosting will lead to growth noise.

The D810 supports all general exposure modes.

The Nikon allows spot exposure for the difficult occasion.

The D810’s auto focus processor uses 51 AF points (or sensors). A basic rule of thumb says that the more AF points you have, the better. More AF points mean a better chance to have a point at the location of interest in a scene, a big plus in challenging situations (e.g. in sports).

Manual focus is also possible with the Nikon, a plus in tricky situations or for some creative freedom.

The D810 has a built-in flash with a diapason of up to 12m (40 ft.). That range will fit for almost all occasion.

The D810 features a monitor with a diagonal of 80.00mm (3.1 in.) and a resolution of c. 1.23 megapixel. That’s about average.

Unfortunately, the D810’s monitor is not articulated. That can make it tricky to frame your subject in some situations, e.g. when taking selfies.

The D810 does not feature a touch screen.

Display characteristics at a glance:

D810 video supported the resolution with 1920 x 1080 pixel.

Also the camera is equipped with an external microphone.

Nikon D810 Video parameters:

Built-in wireless connectivity is not available with the Nikon. You will need appropriate accessories to wirelessly transfer images between camera and smartphone.

However, the camera can be controlled over a wired connection.

Connect the Nikon to a monitor or TV set over HDMI.

USB 3.0 is already supported by the Nikon. USB 3.0 greatly speeds up transferring images and videos to the computer.

Connection parameters:

The camera uses CompactFlash cards.

The camera supports SD HC and SD XC cards.

Memory cards characteristics:

The Nikon D810 has a EN-EL15 LiIon battery. The battery provides a shooting life of 1200 shots. It`s enough for one day or more.

The D810’s battery battery parameters:

The Nikon D810’s dimensions are 146 x 123 x 81.5mm³. (5.7″ x 4.8″ x 3.2″). That’s the body only, without lens. The camera’s weight is a rather considerable 980 grams (31.6 oz.). Add to this the weight of the lens.

Here is front and top view of the D810:

For a better idea of the size of the camera, takes a look off camera and ID card comparison image.