Is the Nikon D800 a New Classic?

What Constitutes a Classic Digital Camera?

A classic is something that exemplifies its class.

In film camera history, often those cameras which offered extraordinarily satisfying user experience coupled with versatility and longevity (e.g. Leica M6, Nikon F3, Olympus OM-1, Hasselblad 500CM) became classics.

In the digital camera world, not many classics exist. Ageing digital sensors and a community of photographers which is striving for the latest and greatest hamper the popularity of older digital camera models.

A New Digital F-Mount Classic?

When it comes to digital F-mount cameras, the Nikon D700 is often considered a milestone. Its reputation today is so good, that the used market prices for the Nikon D700 went up constantly over the last two years.

Timeless design - high-end performance: The Nikon D800.

When I purchased the D700 in 2019 (which I sold with a profit 2 years later), it was able to get 80% of all my professional assignments done. Nonetheless, I had to look for an F-mount camera that could get the last 20%: High resolution and video.

With its legendary 36mpx sensor, the D800 is a very versatile camera, even in 2021: It outperforms the D700 in low light while delivering an amazing amount of detail at lower ISO sensitivity.

Although often overlooked, the video performance of the D800 is very decent as well. The FullHD output is perfectly adequate IMHO, and as I mostly focus manually for video, the lack of high-end video AF does not matter to me.

Recommendation

I could go on and on about the many qualities of the D800, but let me sum it up: It is in many ways just a more modern D700.

And here is the insider tip: The prices for this camera are incredibly low. It can be had for around 600 Euro, which is very inexpensive for such a capable camera. Get it before its price goes up. Its only a matter of time, believe me.