OUR BEST SHOT

What we love about the Nikon D810

autofocussing and sharper images. Vibrations can be further reduced by using the new electronic frontcurtain shutter in Mirror Lock-Up or Exposure Delay mode.

Build and handling

Any D800 owner who picks up a D810 will feel at home. There are only a few design changes: the rear grip is a little more pronounced, the front grip is slightly more ergonomically shaped, and the memory card door feels more durable. The changes to the grips make the D810 feel a fraction more comfortable and secure.

“The changes to the grips make the D810 feel a fraction more comfortable and secure”

The metering switch on the back of the D800 has also gone, making the AE-Lock/AF-Lock and AF-on buttons easier to operate with the camera held to the eye. Metering options are now accessed via what was the bracketing button, above the drive mode dial on the top. We generally prefer a switch or dial for setting selections because it’s usually quicker and easier, but the change to a button for metering isn’t a deal-breaker.

The most noticeable difference is the introduction of an ‘i’ button on the back. This gives access to some key settings, such as Active D-Lighting, and it works in the same way as it does on Nikon’s other recent SLRs. It is particularly useful when shooting in Live View or Video mode, and it provides the means of accessing the Split-screen view. However, as we have said before, it seems strange having options to change some of the customisation settings via this information screen in reflex shooting mode. It would be better to keep the options for changing the functions of the preview and Fn buttons, for example, in the main menu. This would free up space in the information screen for features such as Exposure Delay that may need to accessed on a shot-by-shot basis.

We’d also like to be able to make adjustments via the Information display that pops up when the Info button is pressed. As it stands, this displays key camera settings, but they can’t be changed. It feels like a waste and a bit of an overlap in buttons.

Superb autofocus Even in very flat low light like this, the D810 is usually able to find its target Noise control This shot was taken at ISO 3,200, but noise is controlled well, with just a little coloured speckling visible at 100% on-screen Digital...