When I saw all these threads about yet another D800 iteration I thought it was just a joke! Seems pretty random when there other potential areas nikon could address in it's lineup to target a wider audience?
--
facebook
https://www.facebook.com/steverphotographer
google +
https://plus.google.com/u/0/+StevenRobinsonPhotographer/
flickr
http://www.flickr.com/photos/steverphotographer/
I've got to be honest, the market for astrophotography (which, don't forget, Canon has had all to itself) may well be bigger than the market for a pro grade APS-C cameras. Outside of DPR forums I don't know a single person who wants an APS-C pro grade body.
most of those will stick to their actively cooled SBIG's, QHY,etc cameras which are far better and not much more expensive than a D810A with a very simplistic cut filter.
while the original 20Da made sense (as it added in liveview into the camera and didn't just change the filter) and at the time, sensor were few and far between. The 60Da or this make little sense with the newer sensors from Sony and the Kodak full frame monochromatic sensor with significantly higher QE, and full electronic shutters. not to mention most have guide ports.
They are also better because they will have less thermal drift over time, being actively cooled - versus a D810A being passive cooled.
DSLR's for this scenario were always a "hack" because you could get a cheap DSLR that was 1/3 or the price or more off of what a dedicated CCD senor would cost you. So you put up with the poorer capability, heavier payload weight because you were saving money by doing so.
however when you're talking about nearly 4K for a dedicated astro camera - there's a ton of better options for astrophotography. heck take a D810, convert to full spectrum and you are ahead of the game - you can use it for color and far better astro work than this camera.
the timer modes really show that Nikon has very little clue on what and how this would be used.
if Nikon really wanted to rock some worlds - put this sensor into a stripped down assembly like one of the QX's from sony. cool it, without an LCD, with tethering working right and they'd have something.
