Nikon D810 and a photoshoot

It was finally time to try the Nikon D810, it arrived from Hire a Camera on Friday, in preparation for some weddings later in the year. The intention being to get use to it.

The shoot was with a Hana, a model I hadn't worked with before. The shoot I had organised with a model I knew fell through. It gave me a chance to work inside. The original plan was to shoot by the Thames. But considering the weather was not as nice as it had been, the change in plan worked very well. And the 8th floor roof terrace was a bonus.

So what are my thoughts on the D810?

First there is memory. If you are going to use the largest RAW size; and why wouldn't you? A 32gb card gets you 394 pictures. And if you are backing up to a second card. That is a lot of storage. I have seen wedding photographers offer 600 or more pictures. So the number they must take has to be considerably more. It's a big jump up from my D700. I feel stupid admitting I didn't factor it in to my plans. I have a 32gb and an 8gb in both CF and SD and a 16 in CF format so only 689 pictures. I have never had a card problem, or lost any pictures to an accidental deletion, but if it did happen on the big day doubling up on the cards to provide a backup would be money well spent.

The shutter is as quiet as the reviewers say, if you set it to Qc. The standard setting is nearly as loud as the D700, which is surprisingly loud compared to my old cameras, the D70 and 90.

For me the improvements are not going to compel me to upgrade just yet. My D700 has a resolution sufficient for my needs. Having an immediate backup of my pictures isn't a concern. Focusing is still too centre weighted, being little better than my present camera. I know it's a technical limitation with the location and size of the mirror, it's something a mirrorless cameras don't have. Nikon are working on this technology, do I wait or not? The big question about changing will also be whether they change to lens mount. If they do, meaning I would have to buy new lenses, it could be time to jump ship to maybe Sony. They have full frame mirrorless cameras with lenses to match already. So second hand examples will be available. I never thought I would be contemplating this type of move.

The next wedding will mean I hire the D810 again. Second hand they are too much for me to justify buying at the moment.

Here are the pictures from the shoot. The look was lifestyle, editorial. Hana got the outfits right, the room suited my plan, and the roof terrace was a bonus. Although being eight floor up it was very windy and cold. We didn't stay there long.

 

Then just to show you need to keep your eyes open for possibilities, the stairwell and lift lobby were useful locations.

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Nikon D810, part one.

I don't really do gear reviews. I just write about what I have been doing in regards to my photography and cycling. But I have been approached to do a couple of weddings this year. My Nikon D700 is still considered a worthy and useful camera. It is certainly brilliant for what I do. But it would be good to have two bodies. For a back up and to allow me to use two lenses without having to swap them over. My first use of the D700 was the studio shoot with Anna at the beginning of the year. I saw a definite change to the pictures. It is hard to put my finger on what exactly is better. But I am glad upgraded.

But it is a 2008 camera and technology has moved on. The D810 was released in 2014. I know there is now the D850. but this is way out of my reach, the D810 will start to reduce in price second hand. The truth is I don't upgrade without a lot of thought. I broke my D70 so I replaced it with the D90. When the D700 came within reach I knew it was time to go full frame. The next step will be because I need the extras a newer camera can provide.

The big increase in resolution isn't really a consideration for me, it's the quiet shutter and better low light focusing that interests me. Less of a distraction during a wedding ceremony and more accurate focusing at the reception in the evening.

I am intrigued to see what the lack of low pass filter will produce. Will it be the step up in sharpness I am hoping for?

The reviews say to get the best from the camera you should use the best lenses. Mine are getting on a bit, but were considered pro or semi pro quality in their day. And I have used them a lot on the D700 so will aid my comparison.

I decided to hire a D810 for the end of the month, I have two shoots organised. The first with Janayah and then with Rosie.

It will be a good opportunity to familiarise myself with the camera before the pressure of shooting a wedding. I'll be stressed enough without worrying about how to use the camera.

I'll write blogs for them, with my impressions and thoughts. I know you will have already seen many reviews about the D810. But I think it will allow me to gather my thoughts, and prepare for the weddings.

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Please checkout my website and facebook page. And leave a comment about this post. I would really appreciate your thoughts on this or any blog post.

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and 

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