It's been a really long time since I last posted on this forum. I really can't say why. I hope to change all that now.

I recently received my long awaited D800 from my trusty Camera World dealership in downtown Portland, OR. I'd been waiting since February 17, 2012 for the camera from the online version of Camera World. Little did I know that it's a leased name affair not directly affiliated with the brick & mortar chain. After much frustration I cancelled that order & placed one with my mom & pop store. It arrived just 7 days later.

On the same day I picked it up I discovered a glitch with the camera. It wouldn't format my Lexar Pro CF & SD memory cards using the Tools Menu Format. The store verified there was an issue and placed a second D800 body on order with instructions to keep using the original until it arrived. There is a secondary means to format memory cards with the D800. It's a two button combination of the Trashcan and Mode switches. This works fine with the camera so I've been merrily shooting away since May 12th.

The results of a variety of shots have been amazing. I've shot portraits, landscapes, wildlife, flowers and birds thus far. Wow is an appropriate adjective that comes to mind! The sharpness, color saturation and exposure is so deep the photos look like they were all printed on Metal Paper.

The camera sounds like no other that I've used. It has a beefy clunk to each frame and is a very positive feel to it. The little things were improved on this camera. It has a separate switch to close off the viewing port instead of a dead slide that always gets lost. You don't have to press the shutter half way to change aperture or shutter speed in Aperture Priority. The ISO control is a button instead of a menu selection. The 51 focus points are very accurate. The focus is so sharp that my portrait of a bald man showed the individual hairs trying to grow back on the top of his head.

I've only had this camera 12 days but, compared to my D7000, it is in a whole new league of camera. Now all I need is for the rains to move on tomorrow so I can get out and shoot. Arghh!

Hey Bob,

Thanks for sharing your first impressions. Have you got any photos to share yet?

James

Bob.....AWESOME! I will have to wait a while to get mine (funding) but anticipate getting one before my project this fall.

My first digital camera (D70) was from the same brick and mortar store.

If you would like getting into the Gardens early, and would like to meet up, let me know. The colors are supposed to be awesome right now.

Roman