Demand for the new Nikon D800 has exceeded Nikon’s expectations. Jeremy Gilbert, marketing manager for Nikon UK, reveals, “The pre-orders are unprecedented.”
Since Nikon’s announcement of the D800 on February 7, retailers have been flooded with customers eager to obtain the 36 megapixel digital camera. In an interview with TechRadar, Gilbert explained, “People have been asking for the D800 for the past two years, and the excitement has been building and building.”
Although its $2,995 price is the as same as the D700 at the time of introduction, Nikon has made it clear the D800 is not a replacement for that camera. Its high resolution places the D800 in an entirely new category closer to medium format cameras. The D700 will remain in the lineup for the foreseeable future.
In addition to the standard D800, a special version D800E was announced. Landscape specialists seeking the greatest detail possible in their photographs choose the D800E because it lacks an anti-aliasing filter. The camera delivers unmatched sharpness but may not be suitable for everyone. The lack of the filter can introduce unexpected artifacts into images with repeating patterns usually found in textiles and man-made objects.
Demand for the D800E has been higher than anticipated. Gilbert urges consumers to “Try before they buy so that consumers understand the positives and drawbacks of using the camera.”
The Nikon D800 is set to arrive at retailers in about two weeks, with a delivery estimate of March 22, 2012. The D800E is due to follow in early April with a release date of April 12, 2012.
I suspect that some (many?) people who buy the D800E will do so with no real understanding of what it will mean for a significant number of their images and will regret having purchased it instead of the regular D800. Nikon dealers should ensure that at time of purchase buyers are made well aware of both the advantages and disadvantages of the ‘E’ version in terms of image quality. Otherwise, I suspect they’re going to have a real problem on their hands with respect to demands for returns/trades.
Nikon has taken measures to address this. Only certain retailers are allowed to sell the D800E. In order to sell it, the retailer has to have trained staff who understand moire, and how to deal with it while shooting and in post-processing. (Source: http://www.richardpeters.co.uk/blog/2012/03/09/nikon-d800-my-hands-on-pre-production-review/). This may explain why some retailers sell the D800 but not the D800E (Best Buy for example).