Nikon D800 Review: Digital Photography Review

Camera Menus

The D800 has an extensive, yet sensibly arranged menu system that will look very familiar to owners upgrading from the D700. By default, menu navigation is accomplished using the multi selector, though you can also configure the camera's front and rear dials to move among options as well. Pressing the camera's external help button will pop-up explanatory text describing the currently selected option.

	The D800's menu system is divided into six main categories.The contents of each category are displayed in a page-driven interface. Menu display is sticky, meaning that whether you exit the menu system or turn off the camera, pressing the Menu button returns you to the primary menu option you last visited.

Playback menu

In the playback menu you can delete, copy and rotate images, as well as specify the information that is displayed during image review. In this table and all those that follow the * indicates a material change over the D700 (we haven't marked menu items that have simply been moved or renamed).


Option	Values / Actions	Notes
Page one
Delete	• Multiple images Selection screen • All SD card slot CF card slot
Playback folder	• ND800 • All • Current
Hide image	• Select/set • Deselect all?
Playback display options	• Basic photo info Focus point • Additional photo info None (image only) Highlights RGB Histogram Shooting data Overview	Allows you to select the information screeens that are available to cycle among in image playback.
Copy images *	• Select source SD card slot CF card slot • Select images Folder name Deselect all Select all images Select protected images • Select destination folder Select folder by number Enter folder number Select folder from list Choose from list • Copy images? Yes No
Image review	• On • Off
After delete	• Show next • Show previous • Continue as before	The 'Continue as before' option cycles through the remaining images in the direction you were scrolling.
Rotate tall	• On • Off	Enable to automaically rotate vertical images in playback.
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Slide show	• Start • Image type Still images and movies Still images only Movies only • Frame interval 2 s 3 s 5 s 10 s
Print set (DPOF)	• Select / set • Deselect all?

Shooting menu

The shooting menu is where you'll find a vast array of parameters related to image size, quality and color settings. Among these options is the choice for handling the camera's dual card slot configuration. This is also where you set the movie recording options.


Option	Values / Actions	Notes
Page one
Shooting menu bank	• A • B • C • D • Rename Text entry	Four banks of settings can be memorized and quickly switched. Each bank can be given a custom name. Settings for each bank can be individually reset back to camera defaults via the Delete button.
Extended menu banks *	• On • Off	Allows exposure mode, shutter and aperture values (where applicable) to be saved in menu banks.
Primary slot selection *	• SD card slot • CF card slot
Secondary slot function *	• Overflow • Backup • RAW primary, JPEG secondary
Image quality	• NEF (RAW) + JPEG Fine • NEF (RAW) + JPEG Normal • NEF (RAW) + JPEG Basic • NEF (RAW) • TIFF (RGB) • JPEG Fine • JPEG Normal • JPEG Basic
Image size	• Large • Medium • Small	- 7360 x 4912 / 36.2 M - 5520 x 3680 / 20.3 M - 3680 x 2456 / 9.0 M
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Image area	• Auto DX crop On Off • Choose image area FX (36x24) 1.2x (30x20) DX (24x16) 5:4 (30x24)	With 'Auto' enabled, the camera will automatically switch to a DX crop when a DX lens is mounted. Non-DX lenses will use the crop specified in the image area setting.
JPEG compression	• Size priority • Optimal quality
NEF (RAW) recording	• Type Lossless compressed Compressed Uncompressed • NEF (RAW) bit depth 12-bit 14-bit	Set the type of compression used in the NEF file as well as the bit-depth recorded.
White balance	• Auto Normal Keep warm lighting colors * • Incandescent • Fluorescent • Direct Sunlight • Flash • Cloudy • Shade • Choose color temp. • Preset manual	A separate A-B, G-M grid is available to fine tune WB in all modes except Kelvin mode, which offers G-M. Kelvin adjustments are possible in increments of 10 degrees.
Set Picture Control	• Standard Quick adjust (-2 to +2) Sharpening (A, 0 to 9) Contrast (A, -3 to +3) Brightness (-1 to +1) Saturation (A, -3 to +3) Hue (-3 to +3) • Neutral Sharpening (A, 0 to 9) Contrast (A, -3 to +3) Brightness (-1 to +1) Saturation (A, -3 to +3) Hue (-3 to +3) • Vivid Quick adjust (-2 to +2) Sharpening (A, 0 to 9) Contrast (A, -3 to +3) Brightness (-1 to +1) Saturation (A, -3 to +3) Hue (-3 to +3) • Monochrome Sharpening (A, 0 to 9) Contrast (A, -3 to +3) Brightness (-1 to +1) Filter (Off, Y, O, R, G) Toning (10 options) • Portrait * Quick adjust (-2 to +2) Sharpening (A, 0 to 9) Contrast (A, -3 to +3) Brightness (-1 to +1) Saturation (A, -3 to +3) Hue (-3 to +3) • Landscape * Quick adjust (-2 to +2) Sharpening (A, 0 to 9) Contrast (A, -3 to +3) Brightness (-1 to +1) Saturation (A, -3 to +3) Hue (-3 to +3)	The 'Quick adjust' setting triggers pre-programmed values for the underlying options.
Manage Picture Control	• Save/edit Choose a Picture Control • Rename • Delete • Load/save Copy to camera Delete from card Copy to card	Create custom Picture Control sets
Color Space	• sRGB • Adobe RGB
Active D-Lighting	• Auto • Extra high •High • Normal • Low • Off
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HDR *	• HDR mode On (series) On (single photo) Off • Exposure differential Auto 1 EV 2 EV 3 EV • Smoothing High Normal Low	Combines two images captured at user-specified EV differences to form a single HDR image. Available in JPEG and TIFF modes only.
Vignette Control	• High • Normal • Low • Off	Applies in-camera masking to reduce corner shading. Not available for movies, multiple exposure or DX format images.
Auto distortion control *	• On • Off	Enable to reduce barrel and pin-cushion lens distortion.
Long exp. NR	• On • Off	Enables dark frame subtraction NR for exposures of 1 sec or longer.
High ISO NR.	• High • Normal • Low • Off	When set to 'Off', NR is still applied (to a lesser degree) to images shot at ISO 1600 and higher.
ISO sensitivity settings	• ISO sensitivity Lo 1 Lo 0.7 Lo 0.3 100 125 160 200 250 320 400 500 640 800 1000 1250 1600 2000 2500 3200 4000 5000 6400 Hi 0.3 Hi 0.7 Hi 1 Hi 2 • ISO sensitivity auto control On / Off Maximum sensitivity 200 250 320 400 500 640 800 1000 1250 1600 2000 2500 3200 4000 5000 6400 Hi 0.3 Hi 0.7 Hi 1 Hi 2 Minimum shutter speed Auto 1/4000 - 1 sec	Available sensitivities depend on ISO step custom setting. Full range: Lo 1 = ISO 50 to Hi 2 = ISO 25600.
Multiple exposure	• Multiple exposure mode On (series) On (single photo) Off • Number of shots 2 - 10 • Auto gain On Off	Create a new image from between two and ten exposures.
Interval timer shooting	• Choose start time Now Start time [hh:mm] • Interval [hh:mm:ss] • Select no. of times*no. of shots [000] x [0] = 0001 • Start Off On	Cannot be used simultaneously with time-lapse photography.
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Time-lapse photography	• Start On Off • Interval [hh:mm:ss] • Shooting time [hh:mm:ss] • Start Off On	Time-lapse is not available in live view, with shutter speed set to 'bulb', or in bracketing, HDR or multiple exposure modes.
Movie settings	• Frame size/frame rate 1920 × 1080; 30 fps 1920 × 1080; 25 fps 1920 × 1080; 24 fps 1280 x 720; 60 fps 1280 x 720; 50 fps 1280 x 720; 30 fps 1280 x 720; 25 fps • Movie quality High quality Normal • Microphone Auto sensitivity Manual sensitivty 1 - 20 Microphone off • Destination SD card slot CF card slot