Professionals Comment on the Nikon D800 and the Canon 5D Mark III

The interest and anticipation had peaked so high during the recent announcements of the Nikon D800 and the Canon 5D Mark III, it seemed nothing could go wrong.  When reports began surfacing about issues with both of the cameras, many became frustrated and wary about diving into a new, large purchase for a camera body.  While both companies have released statements about the issues, it is important to remember that these are not universal issues.  We thought we would ask some of the professionals what they thought of their new cameras and if they had seen any of these problems surface.

MARC MUENCH (Landscape Photography)

"I did not notice the light leak in either of the two bodies of the Canon 5D Mark III that I used over the past two weeks in Alaska. However, since I was not using it often in low light, this may not have been an issue. I will be testing more soon. I did notice that the Nikon D800 liveview was extremely grainy especially in low light and was probably a tad green too. What was interesting is how the grain made it easier to focus in very low light!  I'm not sure that was their intention, but it worked for me." Website

JASMINE STAR (Wedding and Portraits Photography)

"I love the Canon 5D Mark III…I know there's been rumored issues of light leak, but I haven't experienced it, and i hope i never do! But the new focusing system?!  UNREAL.  I almost died from how happy it made me, but then I revived because I wanted to shoot some more!" Website

COREY RICH (Outdoor Adventure Photography)

"We are enjoying our new Nikon D800's and can honestly say that we haven't had any problems with a "green tint" on our LCDs." Website

MICHAEL CLARK (Outdoor Adventure Photography)

"I have been shooting with both the new Nikon D4 and D800 and I have not experienced any of the problems reported on the web. I have been completely blown away by the color fidelity of both cameras. With the Nikon D4, the lack of high ISO noise is astounding, especially with the resolution bump and I also love the 10 fps framing rate for shooting adventure sports. With the Nikon D800, the 36 MP resolution is astounding. I have shot with the Hasselblad H4D (and was even considering buying an H4D system late last year) and the D800 has very similar image quality in a much easier to handle camera format - and with a much faster framing rate as well. Needless to say, I won't be buying the H4D because I have all that I need and more in the Nikon D800. The 36 MP resolution of the D800 is something I never knew I needed or would have wanted, but not that I have used it quite a bit (on a recent shoot in Dubai) I can't imagine not shooting with it. Also, in my testing the 1080p HD video quality is better than any other DSLR on the market. All in all, Nikon has two phenomenal cameras they have just released. As a result, I have sold all of my old Nikon cameras because the new ones are just that much better." Website

DAVE BLACK (Commercial Photography, Flash Photography)

"I am currently using the NEW Nikon D800 and will have some examples in my presentation at Picturline in Salt Lake City on May 24th. I'm currently using the NEW Nikon D800 and find the detail of the files to be fantastic. This camera will be used primarily for my projects where my Elinchrom strobes or Nikon Speedlights are used, and also for my Lightpaintings. In the short time I have had been using the D800 I have learned that keeping the Sharpen level in the camera's Picture Control setting at the default setting, or even one "click" higher is important to maintaining the image sharpness with this camera's morie' filter. I see a future of beautiful and extremely detailed images being added to my portfolio with the NEW Nikon D800." Website

Have you had issues on your Nikon D800 or Canon 5D Mark III?  Let us know the good and the bad in the comments below.

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Canon 5d mark iiiCorey richGreen tintJasmine starLcdLight leakMarc muenchMay 2012Michael clarkNikon d800