Going full-frame

As I have mentioned on my introduction post, I have the opportunity of going full-frame.
I had been going backwards and forwards between the 610 and 800... to me the lack of AF points over the whole area on the 610 was a major drawback, and the file size of an 800 raw file was my main concern with that camera (my budget wouldnt stretch to a new computer to process too!)
I am just interested in the following...

Has anyone here bought a 610 and regretted not going for the 800, and has anyone bought the 800 and wish they'd gone for the 610.

I have tried both in a store, and they both felt comfortable in my hand, and lightning quick autofocus with the 28-300 lens they had me try it with. Either camera will be a huge step-up from my 5100, and no doubt lots for me to learn/experiment with etc...

Many thanks in advance for your input

I have just upgraded from the D5100 to the D610 and I'm very happy with the results. I can't comment on the 800 as that was above my price range. I have recently shot fast moving Swifts and RC aircraft successfully and was happy with the focus points.
My Flickr page is in my signature.

I sat down the day before I got my D600 and tried to convince myself to keep my powder dry and get the D800 instead. I couldn't do it.

I printed out the spec sheets for both, crossed off everything that was common and equal between them, and took a hard look at the differences.

I just could not get excited about the D800. And still have no desire for it or the D810.

The D600 does everything I want a camera to do. So I figured I'd be wasting money on a D800.

I'm happy with the D610....I didn't want to deal with the 36 mp's either.....and I already had the D7100, which is a great camera by the way!

480sparky said:

I sat down the day before I got my D600 and tried to convince myself to keep my powder dry and get the D800 instead. I couldn't do it.

I printed out the spec sheets for both, crossed off everything that was common and equal between them, and took a hard look at the differences.

I just could not get excited about the D800. And still have no desire for it or the D810.

The D600 does everything I want a camera to do. So I figured I'd be wasting money on a D800.

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I concur. My thought and purchasing processes were similar.

traceyjj said:

As I have mentioned on my introduction post, I have the opportunity of going full-frame.
I had been going backwards and forwards between the 610 and 800... to me the lack of AF points over the whole area on the 610 was a major drawback, and the file size of an 800 raw file was my main concern with that camera (my budget wouldnt stretch to a new computer to process too!)
I am just interested in the following...

Has anyone here bought a 610 and regretted not going for the 800, and has anyone bought the 800 and wish they'd gone for the 610.

I have tried both in a store, and they both felt comfortable in my hand, and lightning quick autofocus with the 28-300 lens they had me try it with. Either camera will be a huge step-up from my 5100, and no doubt lots for me to learn/experiment with etc...

Many thanks in advance for your input

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giggle...ok had my laugh.

Had the D600. same thing. I didnt have money for anything more expensive but never felt like I should have bought the D800. 24mp files were a pita to work with and the D800 would be even more so.
consider that going D800, you will need more memory cards and youre computer will be tested with these files. so think that you may have to upgrade other components besides getting the camera.

btw, the D800 is being sold refurbed for $2100 on ebay. add another $200 for 3 years of all risk warranty from mack and its a perfect deal IMO.

see this. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hk5IMmEDWH4

if youre considering the 28-300, the D800 really isnt using any of its potential. like getting a ferrari with crap engine.

I have the 28-300 already (bought pre-used). My thoughts were to buy better lenses as I could afford them. I want this to be my last body upgrade (hahaha), so I want to make sure I have the best camera body I can. Could you explain why the 28-300 and d800 is such a bad combination please?

The lightning quick part may be amusing, but coming from my 5100 and Sigma, believe me, its so very fast.

Great timing on this post!

Since I've been keeping a list and trying to rationalize picking up a 7100, I was a bit shocked to see the AF similarities between my D5300 and the D610. When I sat down yesterday and talked it through though, I'm not sure that having 39 AF points in the center of the frame is going to be that bad of a deal. It ultimately depends on what you're planning to shoot ... stationary versus sports, but even some of the people shooting sports with the 610 will tell you it's not a problem. I'm torn as well, wanting to make sure I don't invest in something and then start second guessing myself 2 months later, but I'm not getting the sense that the AF is going to be that trigger.

Don't let the 36MP deter you. If you're a spray-and-pray type of shooter, then yes, the D800/810 would be a concern. As for computing power, unless you're using a very dated machine, you have nothing to worry about there either. There are several advantages of the D810 over the D610, you just have to determine if the price difference is worth it for what you shoot.

traceyjj said:

Could you explain why the 28-300 and d800 is such a bad combination please?

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I'll let Rocketman speak to his own car analogy (God, I hate those).

It's not a bad combination. Any lens that covers that amount of territory is going to have sweet spots and problem spots, and the resolution of the D800 sensor will highlight those problem areas moreso than any other camera (the D7100 actually has higher resolution but ignores the outside portion of the FX lens which is where those problems tend to live). A lot has been made about how the D800 will render some glass useless, and as a D800 owner I must say that I find the premise ludicrous. I've put a $50 28-80mm f/3.3-5.5 lens on my D800 and got great shots with it. Would I have gotten a more refined image with a 24-70mm f/2.8? Probably. Would I have gotten a "better" image? I honestly can't say since no one has ever bothered to point out that I had "cheap glass" on a D800 just by looking at the photo.

There is nothing wrong with using the 28-300mm in combination with the D800. It's not like driving a Ferrari with a crap engine because it's not a car it's a camera, it's not an engine, it's a lens. Besides, I think the analogy is backwards - it's like putting a Ferrari engine in a VW, and I see nothing wrong with that, unless you're all about the flash and not the muscle. Sure, the original body will handle better, but there are things you can do with the combination that will still blow you away.

All that said, the D800 is a lot of camera. Having it and the D600, I find that I prefer using the D600 in most cases. The D800 gets used for wildlife and macro photography, where cropping and resolution come most into play, while the D600 is my go-to camera if I'm just grabbing something on the way out the door. Before switching to Canon, Scott Kelby declared the D600 and 28-300mm the "perfect vacation combination - leave everything else at home". I regret selling my 28-300mm for that very reason - it would certainly make life easier when my primary goal is walking around and not taking photos.

I own the D610 and am very happy with its performance. It is stellar with low light, high ISO, and allows cropping when necessary. As Sparky said, take a look at what the D610 and the D800 share then see what the D800 offers that the D610 lacks. Are those features you can live without? If so the D610 should offer everything you desire and then some.

RocketLogic®

What exactly is the problem with 36 MP's?

Blacktop said:

What exactly is the problem with 36 MP's?

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Nothing. But there were other things that actually worked against the D800 for me. Two types of memory cards, for one. Beyond that, the D800 didn't do anything I needed it to do that the 600 couldn't.

36 needs a lot more processing power when editing, for example....but you can probably handle it...depends on how old your computer is?

The processing is quite a worry. I have a friend send me a couple of D800 raw images to play with, and while my computer copes editing them as single files, I havent yet tried doing a batch process or a HDR.

Currently most of my photos are landscapes/architecture with the long exposure/night shots thrown iin for good measure, but I want to get out of my comfort zone somewhat, and try new things...

Get the D610...You will not regret it...My 2 main reasons for going FX was for the true FOV and better Iso performance in low light...5000 ISO on the D610 is very clean...That is the highest I have had to use....

So the larger sensor of an FX camera ,would be like a larger maximum aperture on a lens? Would this be a good analogy?:indecisiveness:

Blacktop said:

So the larger sensor of an FX camera ,would be like a larger maximum aperture on a lens? Would this be a good analogy?:indecisiveness:

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No. F/4 is f/4 is f/4.

480sparky said:

No. F/4 is f/4 is f/4.

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Thank you, but you really missed my point about a mile and a half.