Posts Tagged ‘D800’

Happy Mother’s Day 2013

Sunday, May 12th, 2013

To all mothers out there … Happy Mother’s Day!

Flowers for all mothers on Mother's Day. These beautiful flowers adorn a florists shop in Kumamoto Japan. Taken with Nikon D800.

Flowers for all mothers on Mother’s Day. These beautiful flowers adorn a florist’s shop in Kumamoto, Japan. Taken with Nikon D800.

And to all mothers-to-be or newly-minted mothers, here’s a book to find out what not to expect when you are expecting.

Muddlehood (S$25.90). Available online, at Popular, Books Actually, Thomson Medical.

Muddlehood (S$25.90). Available online, at Popular, Books Actually, Thomson Medical.

“Muddlehood” is a collection of essays by parents on life in the first year of parenting.

It was written by my wife and a few of her friends to share the trials and tribulations of motherhood, or how they “muddled” through it all.

The authors noted that when they were going through their first pregnancies and looking for advice and things to pay attention to, it was difficult to come by a book that was truly honest about the difficulties and psychological rigours the expecting mother was to encounter.

So having gone through it, they decided to pen down their own experiences as honestly as possible – to share what “expecting mothers never expected”.

“On hindsight, we felt that the accounts were so brutally honest that the book might actually discourage women who had not conceived yet to put off having children,” mused Koh Keat Kian, co-author and co-editor of Muddlehood.

However, despite the rigours of motherhood, the consensus among all the authors was that – at the end of the day – motherhood is the most rewarding thing a woman could experience, and it was worth every bit of angst or trouble they had to go through to have the baby.

This is an excellent book for the expecting mom to find what they never tell you to expect.

It’ll make a handy book to buy yourself if you’re contemplating having a baby, and an excellent present to give an expecting or newly-minted mum.

"Translucent" flowers at a greenhouse in Beppu, Japan. Taken with a Nikon D800.

“Translucent” flowers at a greenhouse in Beppu, Japan. Taken with a Nikon D800.

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Posted in Events, Holiday, Japan 2012, Lifestyle, Nikon, Photography, Photos, Shopping, Travel | No Comments »

Travel: Sightseeing the hells of Beppu in Oita, Japan

Wednesday, December 5th, 2012

Today we started our sightseeing in earnest – checking out the onsen “hells” of Beppu.

Umi Jigoku(海地獄） - or Sea Hell - is my favourite hell.

Umi Jigoku (海地獄） – or Sea Hell – is my favourite hell.

Beppu claims to be the world’s second largest hot spring water producer in terms of volume – behind the Yellowstone National Park in the USA.

The Umi Jigoku has nicely landscaped gardens aroud the hotspring ponds.

The Umi Jigoku has nicely landscaped gardens aroud the hotspring ponds.

The seaside town is a popular onsen destination in Japan – both for the regular version spas where people immerse their bodies in the healing attributes of natural hot spring water – as well as eight hot springs that can only be viewed for their striking colours and characteristics but which are not suitable for bathing in.

Each of these eight hot springs are called “hells” （地獄）because of the high temperatures and vivid colours – much like the boiling waters used to punish evil-doers for their sins – traditional Japanese and Chinese beliefs about what hell is like.

Six of the eight hells are located close to each other so you can visit them one after another before heading to the other location where the remaining two are located next to each other.

There's also a red mud hot spring pond in the Umi Jigoku.

There’s also a red mud hot spring pond in the Umi Jigoku.

The most striking onsen among those we visited must be the Umi Jigoku （海地獄) – or Sea Hell – because of the vivid turquoise colour of the hot spring water here.

It had emerged after a volcano explosion 1,200 years ago.

The Yama Jigoku （山地獄） - Mountain Hell - comprises steam spewing out of a pile of rocks.

The Yama Jigoku （山地獄） – Mountain Hell – comprises steam spewing out of a pile of rocks.

The second Jigoku we visited was the Yama Jigoku （山地獄）- or Mountain Hell – comprising hot steam emitting from a pile of rocks.

Ever stared into the mouth of a hungry hippo before? For 100 yen, you get some fresh carrots to throw inside this begging hippo at the Yama Jigoku.

Ever stared into the mouth of a hungry hippo before? For 100 yen, you get some fresh carrots to throw inside this begging hippo at the Yama Jigoku.

Though the hot spring itself is simple, it’s a favourite with the children because there were some enclosed animals on display, including a hungry hippo, some flamingoes and a bored elephant.

And here's a one-eared Llama at Yama Jigoku. Wonder who chewed up his ear.

And here’s a one-eared Llama at Yama Jigoku. Wonder who chewed up his ear.

Next was Kamado Jigoku （かまど地獄） – or Boiling Hell – because of its association with boiling water for cooking.

Bubbling boiling water at the Kamado Jigoku （かまど地獄） - or Boiling Hell.

Bubbling boiling water at the Kamado Jigoku （かまど地獄） – or Boiling Hell.

It actually comprises six pots of murky, bubbling boiling water.

An orange mud hot spring pond at the Kamado Jigoku.

An orange mud hot spring pond at the Kamado Jigoku.

After that was Oniyama Jigoku （鬼山地獄） – or Demon King Hell – which claims that the force of the steam produced here is strong enough to pull one-and-a-half train carriages.

The Oniyama Jigoku （鬼山地獄） - Demon Mountain Hell - produces steam that's strong enough to pull train carriages.

The Oniyama Jigoku （鬼山地獄） – Demon Mountain Hell – produces steam that’s strong enough to pull train carriages.

This hell also had a collection of crocodiles relishing the warm spring water.

The Oniyama Jigoku has a collection of crocodiles frolicking in warm spring water despite the cold winter.

The Oniyama Jigoku has a collection of crocodiles frolicking in warm spring water despite the cold winter.

Next was the Shiraike Jigoku （白池地獄） – or White Pond Hell – which got its name from its creamy-white hot-spring water.

The Shiraike Jigoku （白池地獄） - or White Pond Hell - also has a nice Japanese landscaped garden around it.

The Shiraike Jigoku （白池地獄） – or White Pond Hell – also has a nice Japanese landscaped garden around it.

It had a collection of tropical fishes, including a tank of deceptively-harmless-looking piranhas which were eyeing us as intently as we were eyeing them.

Piranhas lining up to watch us. This was the first time that the kids had seen live piranhas.

Piranhas at Shiraike Jigoku lining up to watch us. This was the first time that the kids had seen live piranhas.

Finally, we visited the Oniishibozu Jigoku （鬼石坊主地獄） – or Shaven Monk’s Head Hell – because the bubbles of gray mud boiling up the ponds resemble the shaven heads of monks.

The Oniishibozu Jigoku （鬼石坊主地獄） - or Shaven Monk's Head Hell - has white bubbling mud springs.

The Oniishibozu Jigoku （鬼石坊主地獄） – or Shaven Monk’s Head Hell – has white bubbling mud springs.

We had to give the final two Jigokus a miss because of time constraints – although they looked beautiful and sounded interesting in the brochures.

The Chinoike Jigoku (血の池地獄 – Blood Pond Hell) has red water while the Tatsumaki Jigoku (龍巻地獄 – Geyser Hell) has a geyser that spouts every half hour.

Along the way, we had plenty of Jigoku Mushi – food cooked using the steam and hot spring water – such as eggs and sweet potato.

As per the night before, we rounded off the day with a visit to the onsen.

* All photos in this post were taken with a Nikon D800 DSLR and AF-S NIKKOR 24-70mm f/2.8G ED lens.

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Posted in Cameras, DSLR, Events, Gadgets, Holiday, Japan 2012, NIKKOR, Nikon, Photos, Travel | No Comments »

Travel: From Fukuoka airport to hot spring heaven in Beppu Hells

Tuesday, December 4th, 2012

After a scrumptious meal at CoCo Ichibanya, we made another unplanned stop at the Tosu Premium Outlets before continuing towards our first night in Kyushu – Beppu.

* All photos in this post were taken with a Nikon D800 DSLR and AF-S NIKKOR 24-70mm f/2.8G ED lens.

Window dressing for Dog Dept, one of the shops at Tosu Premium Outlets.

Window dressing for Dog Dept, one of the shops at Tosu Premium Outlets.

The town of Tosu lies at the crossroads of two major expressways of Kyushu.

Some familiar brands at the Tosu Premium Outlets.

Some familiar brands at the Tosu Premium Outlets.

One runs north-south from Fukuoka to Kumamoto and beyond, while the other runs east-west from Oita to Nagasaki.

So it’s an ideal location for Premium Outlets.

People commuting long distance from one part of Kyushu to another tend to go through Tosu and it’s so convenient to just make a quick stopover.

We’d already planned our final hotel stay in Kyushu to be in Tosu before flying out of Japan.

But since it was on our way to Beppu, we decided to take a quick preview of what the outlets had to offer.

As an outlet shopping mall, the Tosu Premium Outlets seemed pretty run-of-the-mill, with the usual  brands that we see at other similar malls.

Another unplanned stop to take a preview of the Tosu Premium Outlets.

Another unplanned stop to take a preview of the Tosu Premium Outlets.

But we’ll be taking a closer look at the end of this trip so maybe we’ll discover something special.

Miyuki - a local restaurant in Beppu whose owner doubled up as enthusiastic tour guide. This photo of its exterior was shot at ISO 6400 with little noise.

Miyuki – a local restaurant in Beppu whose owner doubled up as enthusiastic tour guide. This photo of its exterior was shot at ISO 6400 with little noise.

After Tosu, we continued our drive towards Beppu, the seaside town known for its hot springs.

Trying out the local fare - especially the Dango Jiru soup, which is made with flattened wheat flour dumplings.

Trying out the local fare – especially the Dango Jiru soup, which is made with flattened wheat flour dumplings.

Here we had a little bit of difficulty locating our hotel among the tiny and complicated streets in the area.

Checking out the shops and wares of You Me shopping centre in Beppu. Everybody recommends it - for its free parking in town.

Checking out the shops and wares of You Me shopping centre in Beppu. Everybody recommends it – for its free parking in town, from which to visit other sights.

Contemplating whether to make a stop at Uniqlo. This shot was deliberately over-exposed to get a high-key effect that puts the focus on the boy in the car and the brand.

Contemplating whether to make a stop at Uniqlo. This shot was deliberately over-exposed to get a high-key effect that puts the focus on the boy in the car and the brand.

So we asked a local who promptly got onto his motorbike to show us the way to the family-run establishment called Happy Neko – where we had booked a studio apartment complete with kitchen and launderette facilities.
Bukkake is served in the food court - here it's a legitimate and traditional Japanese dish, not a genre.

Bukkake is served in the food court – here it’s a legitimate and traditional Japanese dish, not a genre.

The Czech proprietor, Bibo, sat down with us to tell us about the places to visit, food to eat, and things to do during our 2-day stay at Beppu. He spoke perfect English.

So we headed out for dinner at a local restaurant, whose owner plied us with more brochures, travel magazines and recommendations on what to do during our stay.

The owner was a one-man-show: owner, chef, steward. He had visited Singapore before and immediately associated the Merlion with our island nation.

After dinner, we popped into the huge shopping mall in town – YouMe, before visiting the Hyotan onsen spa near where we stayed – an apt and restful end to a long day of travel.

Tomorrow, we shall visit the Beppu Hells – eight natural hot springs that tourists all over Japan come to visit.

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Posted in Cameras, DSLR, Events, Food, Gadgets, Holiday, Japan 2012, NIKKOR, Nikon, Photography, Photos, Shopping, Travel | 1 Comment »

Travel: Flying out from Changi Singapore to Fukuoka in Kyushu

Monday, December 3rd, 2012

The direct flight from Changi Airport Terminal 3 in Singapore took slightly more than six hours to reach the International Airport in Fukuoka, where we collected our rental car.

* All photos in this post were taken with a Nikon D800 DSLR and AF-S NIKKOR 24-70mm f/2.8G ED lens.

SIA SQ656 flies 5 times a week direct from Singapore to Fukuoka - 0105 hrs to 0810 hrs. This is the golden sunrise from the plane's window.

SIA SQ656 flies 5 times a week direct from Singapore to Fukuoka – 0105 hrs to 0810 hrs. This is the golden sunrise from the plane’s window.

We paid for the air tickets using the UOB Prvi Amex card which entitled us to a free airport limousine transfer from home to the airport. We did have some problems getting them to change the date of the limousine to the correct day, but the service from the driver was excellent.

First thing upon arrival is to pick up the rental car. Take an free airport shuttle from the International Terminal to the Domestic Terminal and then cross the road.

First thing upon arrival is to pick up the rental car. Take a free airport shuttle from the International Terminal to the Domestic Terminal and then cross the road.

The flight itself was unremarkable and upon landing we promptly collected our rental car from Nissan Car Rental outside the Domestic Terminal.

First stop after picking up the car is to visit the supermarket to stock up on supplies, especially bottled drinking water.

First stop after picking up the car is to visit the supermarket to stock up on supplies, especially bottled drinking water.

First stop was the supermarket to top up supplies and to get bottled water, before heading to our first stop – Beppu – a seaside town 2 hours’ drive from Fukuoka.

We'd discovered CoCo Ichibanya during our visit to Kyoto and Nagoya some years back and the children loved it.

We’d discovered CoCo Ichibanya during our visit to Kyoto and Nagoya some years back and the children loved it.

We didn’t get far before we came across an outlet of the CoCo Curry house.

CoCo Ichibanya has since expanded into Singapore although we haven't had the chance to check it out back at home.

CoCo Ichibanya has since expanded into Singapore although we haven’t had the chance to check it out back at home.

That’s our favourite Japanese curry house so we decided to stop there for lunch – that’s the kind of flexibility that a self-drive holiday gives you – you can make unplanned stops at your whim and fancy.

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Posted in Cameras, DSLR, Events, Gadgets, Holiday, Japan 2012, NIKKOR, Nikon, Photography, Photos | 1 Comment »

Travel: First to set off for vacation, last to return home

Sunday, December 2nd, 2012

Every time we set off for a family vacation, guess who gets to set off first, and is always the last to return home?

Cliff gets to set off for his staycation before us and only returns home after we've returned and settled back at home.

Cliff gets to set off for his staycation before us and only returns home after we’ve returned and settled back at home. Photo taken with Nikon D800.

It’s Cliff of course – that’s our resident Golden Retriever.

Before we set off for our family vacation, we have to pack him off to his boarder – which costs as much as our own hotels.

Cliff smacking his lips at the thought of going on staycation?

Cliff smacking his lips at the thought of going on staycation? Photo taken with Nikon D800 and AF-S NIKKOR 70-200mm f/2.8G ED VR II lens. I love the shallow depth of field of this lens at its constant f/2.8 aperture.

We wonder if he misses home and us, but secretly concedes that he probably enjoys his staycation as much as we do our vacation.

What with the other dogs at the boarder to hump interact with.

And we usually pick him up after we’ve come back from vacation and have unpacked and settled down.

So guess who has the longest vacations in the family?

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Posted in Cameras, DSLR, Events, Gadgets, Holiday, Japan 2012, Lens, NIKKOR, Nikon, Photography, Photos, Travel | No Comments »

Travel: Planning an impromptu 2-week vacation in Japan – one week before

Saturday, December 1st, 2012

So we decided that there was a 2-week window to grab a quick break. But that’s like one-week away. Is it possible to plan the usual DIY self-drive holiday at such short notice?

Aerial view of Fukuoka, our gateway to Kyushu.

Aerial view of Fukuoka, our gateway to Kyushu.

The answer is yes, with the advent of the Internet. Here’s a recap of what I did for my own holiday.

First the obvious, decide how long you’ve got and where you want to go. In my case, we’ve long wanted to visit Kyushu in Japan, and the window of opportunity available was roughly two weeks.

If you’re thinking of visiting Japan, I recommend this site called japan-guide.com. It has comprehensive descriptions of popular tourist spots all over Japan, as well as travel tips for Japan.

Even more useful is its forum where vacation planners get their queries answered in detail with advice from a community of fellow travelers, as well as useful links to resources – such as timetables, rates etc – outside of the website.

Next book the air tickets. The availability and price of last-minute tickets usually determine whether your vacation destination will become a reality.

I use Zuji.com to get a feel of the airlines plying Singapore and the possible stops and the price range, then if there’s time, check competing sites or the airline’s website for better rates.

For Kyushu, it was pretty straightforward, only Singapore Airlines fly directly there from Singapore – to Fukuoka. It’s straightforward until you hit the SIA website. For a premier airline, it sure has a terrible website for bookings and reservations – plenty of long waits.

Next is the car rental. I use ToCoo car rental. It helps you check the rates for multiple car rental companies with cars available in the cities where you intend to pick up and drop off the car. But you’ve got to compare rates manually yourself.

Computing on the go

For computing, I’m bringing along the Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon Ultrabook, a BlackBerry PlayBook, and the Seagate 1TB Backup Plus.

The X1 Carbon is sleek in design, wonderfully thin and light, yet powerful enough for surfing Web and running Photoshop and Dreamweaver CS6 for photo-editing and blogging back in the hotel room.

The 7-inch PlayBook keeps the children entertained with game apps, and serves as an e-book reader. Its biggest bugbear is that it’s the Wi-Fi version and does not have 3G, but I don’t use 3G data in Japan anyway.

To store and back up the 40MB RAW photo files generated by the D800, I brought along the 1TB Seagate Backup Plus Portable Drive. The 2.5-inch plug-and-play drive constantly backs up the hard disk and makes posting photos online a breeze.

Usually, I pick up the car at the airport, drive off to the first destination and return the car at the airport I’m flying off from. If the pick-up and drop-off locations are different, check if a surcharge is levied and how much it is.

Finally, book the hotels. I know some Japanese so I used to browse Japanese booking websites and hotel websites directly, calling them on the phone for enquiries and reservations.

This time round, I discovered that my favourite accomodation-booking website for Europe holidays – booking.com – now has quite extensive list of hotels in Japan. Enough to find hotels that fit your budget in most places in Japan.

I like booking.com because of its clear information and easy booking. So even if you don’t know ANY japanese, you can still find and book accommodation easily.

Another website that I tried last year – hotels.com – seems to be only beginning to move into Japan, with poor selection and high prices. I’m hoping there coverage and pricing will improve over time.

Once you’ve gotten the flight, car and hotel bookings out of the way, what remains is the physical packing for the big day.

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Posted in Apple, Audio, Cameras, DSLR, Events, Gadgets, Holiday, Japan 2012, Lenovo, Lens, Lumia, NIKKOR, Nikon, Nokia, Notebooks, Olympus, Phones, Photography, PlayBook, RIM, Seagate, Sony Mobile, speakers, storage drive, Tablets, Travel, Ultrabooks, Xperia, Zuiko | 1 Comment »

New DSLR: Nikon D600

Thursday, September 13th, 2012

Nikon has launched its latest DSLR: a full-frame shooter that fills the gap between the recently-released D800 and the DX-format D7000.

The FX-format D600 has a 24.3-megapixels sensor and will be available from 18 September for S$3,249 (body only).

Nikon D600 was launched in Singapore. Full-frame 24.3 MP. S$3,249 from 18 September.

Nikon D600 was launched in Singapore. Full-frame 24.3 MP. S$3,249 from 18 September.

The Nikon D600 is targeted at the serious photography enthusiast upgrading to an entry-level full-frame camera.

Full-frame digital SLR cameras excel over other digital cameras equipped with smaller sensors, especially under challenging low-light conditions and where the wider angle of view is critical for shooting scenarios such as landscape and architectural photography.

Equipped with the heart and technology of its higher-end siblings (the D4, D800 and D800E), the D600 is more affordable and has a similar ergonomics and layout of controls as the D7000 to make the transition easier for the photographer making the cross-over.

The D600 has the same EXPEED 3 image-processing engine as the D4 (S$9,799) and D800 (S$4,488), and sports the following features:

  • an optical viewfinder with 100% frame coverage
  • Full-frame mode: 24.3 megapixels
  • DX-format crop mode: 10.5 megapixels
  • a magnesium-alloy weather-sealed body for dust and water-resistance
  • 3-D axis tracking with 39 focus points
  • built-in automatic HDR capturing/processing
  • time-lapse video function
  • dual SD memory card slots
  • ISO range from 100-6,400, expandable to 50 (Lo-1) and 25,600 (Hi-2)

The Multi-CAM 4800FX AF-sensor module of the Nikon D600 utilises 39 focus points.

The system also places an emphasis on the human face, working in conjunction with the Advanced Scene Recognition System to provide accurate face detection even through the optical viewfinder.

The camera also offers seven cross-type sensors that are fully functional when using super-telephoto NIKKOR lenses and teleconverters (2.0x) with an aperture value up to f/8.

This is useful for those who need extreme telephoto focal lengths for sports or wildlife.

Nikon D600, entry-level full-frame DSLR.

Nikon D600, entry-level full-frame DSLR.

The Nikon D600 also features a precise Scene Recognition System that analyses detailed scene brightness and colour information acquired from the 2,016-pixel RGB sensor.

The information is then applied to autofocus, automatic exposure, i-TTL balanced fill-flash, and white balance control, all to achieve detailed and balanced images.

For storage, the Nikon D600 has dual card slots for SD cards, and offers users the ability to record backup, overflow, RAW/JPEG separation, and the additional option of shooting stills to one and video to the other.

The new Nikon D600 (left) sitting side-by-side with its higher-end sibling, the D800 (different lenses).

The new Nikon D600 (left) sitting side-by-side with its higher-end sibling, the D800 (different lenses).

Cinematic HD Video

When it comes to recording HD video, users have the choice of various resolutions and frame rates, including full HD 1080 at 30/24p utilising the Nikon D600‘s entire full-frame sensor, and HD 720 at 60/30p.

Nikon D600
Megapixels 24.3 megapixels
Sensor FX-format CMOS (full-frame)
Image processing engine EXPEED 3
ISO 100-6,400 (Expanded: 50-25,600)
Burst mode 5.5 fps
LCD 3.2″, 920k dots, TFT colour
Movie Full HD (1080/30p)
Size /mm 141 x 113 x 82
Weight 760 g
Price S$3,249

By utilising the B-Frame data compression method, users can record H.264/MPEG-4 AVC format video with optimal size and quality for up to 29:59 minutes per clip (normal quality).

The Nikon D600 also enables users to use both compatible FX and DX lenses to shoot HD movies.

The FX-based movie format makes full use of the large image sensor and offers a shallow depth-of-field with an emphasis on background-blur characteristics while the DX- based movie format is optimal for recording movies and bringing subjects closer (1.5X) when lenses with short focal lengths are used.

For professional and broadcast applications that call for outboard digital recorders or external monitors, users can stream an uncompressed full HD signal directly out of the camera via the HDMI port.

The Nikon D600 is also equipped with an audio monitor port for headphones to be used.

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Posted in Cameras, DSLR, Events, Gadgets, Launch, Nikon, Photography, Prices, Specifications, Videocams | 1 Comment »

News flash: Nikon D4 and D800 win EISA awards

Tuesday, August 28th, 2012

Nikon D4 has received the “European Professional Camera of the Year 2012-2013 Award” while the Nikon D800 has received the “European Camera of the Year 2012-2013 Award”.

Nikon D4 (left) and D800. Not shown to scale.

Nikon D4 (left) and D800. Not shown to scale.

The Nikon D4 and Nikon D800 FX-format digital-SLR cameras were awarded the European Imaging and Sound Association (EISA) Photo Awards.

Read the citations by EISA for the two cameras below.

(more…)

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Posted in Announce, Cameras, DSLR, Gadgets, Nikon, Photography, Tickers | No Comments »

TODAY! D4 and D800 available in Singapore

Thursday, March 22nd, 2012

The two new top DSLRs from Nikon hit the shelves in Singapore today. Flagship D4 (S$9,799) and 36.3-megapixel D800 (S$4,488) go on sale today.

D4 (S$9,799) and 36.3-megapixel D800 (S$4,488)

D4 (S$9,799) and 36.3-megapixel D800 (S$4,488)

Nikon’s new flagship D4 was first launched in Singapore on 6 January 2012, while the D800 was launched on 7 February.

D800E will likely be available only later in April (price TBC, possibly 10% more than the price of D800).

A write-up on the launch, specs and brochure for the D800 can be found here, while the brochure for D4 can be viewed or downloaded here.

The key specifications and features for the D4 and D800 are summarised below.

Nikon D4

S$9,799

Nikon D4 DSLR, S$9,799

 The next-generation flagship digital SLR camera is equipped with a new Nikon FX-format CMOS image sensor (36.0 × 23.9 mm) and EXPEED 3, the latest image-processing engine specifically optimized for digital SLR cameras.

Designed with versatility and functionality that offers superior image quality rich in detail along with excellent high-speed performance.

The Nikon D4 has an effective pixel count of 16.2-million pixels, and offers superior image quality under a broad range of lighting conditions with its image sensor supporting an incredible range of sensitivities from ISO 50 to ISO 204800.
  • New Nikon FX-format CMOS image sensor.
  • Support for an huge range of sensitivities, from ISO 50 to ISO 204,800.
  • New EXPEED 3 image-processing engine with superior, high-speed processing capabilities.
  • 91K-pixel RGB sensor for the more accurate Advanced Scene Recognition System.
  • Faster and more accurate AF with 51 focus points.
  • Multi-area Mode Full HD D-movie with three image area options.
  • Smooth workflow from initial setup to image transfer.
  • The new compact Wireless Transmitter WT-5 with simple connection to the camera (available separately).
  • Capture NX 2 Ver. 2.3 for significantly faster processing.

Nikon D800

S$4,488

Nikon D800 DSLR, S$4,488

 The D800 is Nikon’s newest FX-format DSLR.

Its huge 36.3 megapixels and the powerful new EXPEED 3 image processing engine offers imaging potential that rivals some of the best studio cameras.

If your workflow demands broadcast quality video with high-fidelity audio recording, D-Movie will satisfy even your most demanding needs.

The D800 shoots 1080p Full HD in both FX and DX based formats, offering cinematographers newfound versatility.
  • 36.3 Megapixels.
  • ISO range of ISO 100 to 6,400, expandable to ISO 50 to 25,600.
  • Optical low-pass filter optimized for sharpness.
  • New image-processing engine EXPEED 3.
  • Newly developed 91K-pixel RGB sensor.
  • Approx. 921k-dot, 3.2-in. LCD monitor.
  • Dual card slots for a CF card and SD memory card.
  • High-speed data transfer with USB 3.0 supported.
  • Full HD video quality (1920 x 1080/30p).
  • High-fidelity audio recording control.

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Posted in Availability, Brochures, Cameras, DSLR, Gadgets, Nikon, Prices, Specifications | 2 Comments »

New DSLR: Nikon D800 and D800E

Tuesday, February 7th, 2012

Nikon has launched, worldwide, the successor to the D700. The 36.3-megapixel D800 (approx. S$3,750) will be available in March, while the D800E (approx. 10% more at S$4,100) will be available in April.

Update (22 March 2012):

D4 (S$9,799) and D800 (S$4,488) go on sale in Singapore on 22 Mar.

Nikon launched the D800 and D800E DSLRs worldwide today.

Nikon launched the D800 and D800E DSLRs worldwide today.

The 36.3 megapixel, FX-format DSLRs boast the highest effective pixel count in the world.

In Singapore, Nikon launched the D800 and D800E in the Pan Pacific Hotel, together with the slew of 12 COOLPIX cameras that it had announced one week ago.

Expected to be less than half the price of Nikon’s recently released flagship D4, the D800/800E promises tremendous value for money for enthusiasts looking for a similar level of video recording performance as the D4, but who do not need the professional-oriented features for shooting stills in the D4.

But the star of the event was undoubtedly the D800 and D800E.

Main features

Nikon D800 with 36.3 million pixelsBoth have a powerful new EXPEED 3 image processing engine, 36.3-megapixel CMOS sensor, and 91k-pixel RGB sensor (for Advanced Scene Recognition) inside a light, single-piece magnesium body that is water and dust resistant.

They are capable of shooting broadcast quality video with high-fidelity audio recording.

The cinematographer will love the versatility of being able to shoot 1080p Full HD in both FX and DX based formats.

ISO ranges from 100 – 6400 (extensible to ISO 50 – 25,600)

The D800E offers even greater detail resolution

Nikon D800E with a battery grip

Nikon D800E with a battery grip

The D800E disables the aliasing and moiré pattern reduction operation performed by the optical low-pass filter in the D800 and most DSLRs, that result in a slight blurring of details.

By doing so, light passing through a NIKKOR lens is able to strike photodiodes directly for greater resolution in details.

This model is optimal for landscape and artistic photography, which demand higher detail resolution and clear definition.

Apart from this, the D800E possesses the same characteristics as the D800.

The detailed brochure for the two cameras can be viewed here.

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