There is at least one member of the forum with the D800 and another one or two nikon shooters. I was hoping that they'd chime in.

Trying to be as fair as I can, I've watched and read just about everything I can regarding these two cameras. This exercise was almost a waste, however, as I ended up concluding that they are both very good cameras and it gets down to details.

First...agree with the above sentiments, look at the entire system, not just the camera.

But in looking at just the cameras:

1. The Nikon D800 has an amazing sensor. It will resolve incredible detail if you have a sufficiently sharp lens attached. Also, it has very impressive control of noise, especially in the shadows (important for low light photography) and amazing dynamic range. It is shines at low ISO (100-~800).

2. The Canon 5DIII does most everything else not a ton better, but a little better. In particular, there seem to be reoccuring themes that the AF is slightly faster and more accurate, better control of noise at higher ISO (1600-25,400) and that the auto white balance is a bit better. There are the obvious things such as a slightly faster frame rate.

3. The blessing that is the 36 MP sensor for detail in the D800 is also a curse in terms of file management. While I suspect there is a bit of exageration or error in some of the reports (75 MB files??? I suspect someone was doing something wrong), the files are larger than those from the 5DIII. Anyone that has processed a lot of photos knows that this can slow everything down. So, it gets down to if you need and even want that additional detail.

4. I have seen some reviews that prefer the Nikon video, others that prefer Canon's. Again, these are two excellent cameras.

5. There is a lot of personal preference to cameras. I love the feel of my 7D and don't particularly like the feel of the 5D series in my hands when I've had the chance (but, honestly, I wouldn't necessarily mind needing to get used to it ). But, as an example, I watched one video where the reviewer couldn't get past the LCD screen on the D800. It was slightly lower resolution and he felt the colors weren't representing the image. So, take the time to handle each camera.

Overall, my impression is that if you are very detail oriented, are always pixel peeping, and primarily shoot landscapes, go with the Nikon D800 (assuming you can get the system you want).

But, for most other photographers, especially those that just shoot a little of everything, the 5DIII is more than sufficient and probably the better option because of the smaller file size, better AF and overall lens selection.

But, I really think this could be argued either way. Look at the overall system and if you find some reasons to choose one over the other go for it. From everything I can tell, both are excellent.

If interested, www.thecamerastore.com had three videos comparing the two cameras (look in their blog and go back to May-June). Also www.digitalrev.com had more lighthearted videos, but still give you a good impression. There are many others if you search online. Those are the ones that I remember.


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