I have finally taken the plunge and pre-ordered the new Nikon D800.
Why does a web design company need a $3000 camera?
That’s a great question. The answer is because I do way more than web design and WordPress development! I like to say that I’m a digital storyteller. Yes, in many instances I use WordPress to tell stories and help others tell their stories… but at the end of the day what I’m really good at is telling stories.
Why the D800?
The D700 was already a bad ass camera, way beyond my limited skill level. My friends over at Reams Photography use the D700 as their primary shooter and the results speak for themselves.
So, from the best I can tell, Nikon has taken a great camera and turned it into a must-have camera. They’ve amped up the pixels as well as added video which most reviewers say rivals the more common DSLR w/ video camera, the Canon 5D Mark III. Just head over to Vimeo and you’ll see that lots and lots of great video is shot on the 5D.
So, a great shooting camera with great video capabilities. It seems like a no brainer to me.
Other reasons I went with the D800.
- It eliminates my need to take both a still and video camera on shoots. I’ve traveled a bit with large video camera equipment… it’s a pain in the ass. It’s bad enough carrying around a tripod, batteries, and sound equipment. I’m looking forward to a much smaller camera bag on my trip to Palestine / Israel this summer.
- Lenses. This is a pretty big upgrade for me from the Nikon D60. Actually, no there is no comparison. But at least I’ll be able to use the lenses I have while I dream about the lenses I want. I looked hard at the Canon 5D Mark III, but at the end of the day it’s way more expensive because of the lens investment.
- Resale value. As a small business owner there is essentially no risk to my buying the D800 right now. They are selling used for more than retail! A quick look at the D700′s being sold online in used condition is very reassuring.
The wait is killer
I placed my order with Amazon on April 14th. Anyone have an idea on how long the current wait time is?
Update: April 22nd, still no shippy ship.
On June 1st I got this update: Nikon D800 36.3 MP CMOS FX-Format Digital SLR Camera (Body Only)” Estimated arrival date: June 25, 2012 – July 12, 2012
Photo credit: Nikon Rumors
