Convert the D810?

[Andrea B.]

Well, why not?

 

Let's face it: I will never be a famous photographer. My only publications are in obscure Italian architecture books and equally obscure travel photo websites. (And no one is knocking down the door to get more of those.) Every portfolio submission I've ever made has been rejected. Every photo contest I've ever entered has been unwon by me. And so on.

 

It's OK that nothing ever came of it. I don't feel bad about it. I learned a lot. I enjoy shooting and making portfolios and prints even though no one ever sees them.

 

But why the heck did I indulge in this Nikon D810 36-megapixel professional studio camera if my so-called photographic art is going nowhere fast?

 

After about 2 months of serious contemplation I'm pretty sure the answer to that has become this:

I'm trying to work up the nerve to convert that D810 to full spectrum, slap on the UV-Nikkor, grab the Baader-U, and reshoot every flower I can find and then some.

 

Might as well shoot the UV which I enjoy and stop tormenting myself with portfolios and publications and contests. And it would be nice to carry a little point-n-shoot on vacation like everyone else.

 

36MP for UV?? Could be way cool.

[Shane]

I have a new D810 sitting here and a D800 purchased a couple of months ago. The D800 is scheduled for an 830nm conversion in January. Unless you plan on big flower prints with a 36mp it seems a bit of an overkill to go full UVIR. Don't you already have a D610 UVIR, surely that would suffice? Of course if you have a D810 "sitting around" and have to find a use for it, then why not.

 

I understand

I'm trying to work up the nerve to convert that D810 to full spectrum

, it was hard enough for me with the D800IR830.

[nfoto]

Andrea, you have triple stars * * * in my book :)

 

I have a D800 sitting more or less unused since I got the Df cameras which serves me so well. Perhaps I should do it the honour of converting it to something more useful than just another VIS camera?

 

Shane: Do keep us updated on the success, or lack thereof, with converting your D800.

[Damon]

I say go with your gut feeling. We will all be worm food someday. Do want you want to do.

 

I look forward to having these dilemmas someday.

 

-D

[Alex H]

Have you considered pixel binning, Andrea? 36 MP bayer sensor will give you nice 9 MP files.

[Andrea B.]

Do you refer to the sRAW choice offered on the D810?

 

I tested sRAW versus RAW on the D4S and wrote a bit about it on Fotozones. There is some softening of the image but it is minor. There seems to be no particular improvement in noise, so I'm not sure that sRAW is true binning.

[Shane]

Unlike previous models, the Nikon D810 is actually letting the RAW converter set the black level rather than subtracting the black point from the RAW data before the file is saved in the camera. This relates to dark field noise and so for those who like to dig around in the RAW data and astrophotographers this is a bonus.

 

Although there are probably some benefits to sRAW I prefer my RAW, well RAW, uncompressed and as RAW as I can get it.

[Alex H]

Do you refer to the sRAW choice offered on the D810?

 

No, Andrea, I mean pixel binning as implemented in certain RAW converting software, like RPP (Raw Photo Converter).

[Andrea B.]

Thanks, Alex.

 

I had a trial copy of RPP. Will check to see if it is still useable.

[Shane]

Other than you have the D800 "sitting around", are you unhappy with the D610 wide spectrum conversion? What don't you like about the converted D610? I ask because it is possible that at some point I may upgrade my UVIR DSLR to that model.

[Andrea B.]

I'm not sure who you are asking Shane? Me or Bjørn? He has a D800 'sitting around'. I have a D810 in use. We both have a converted D600, not D610.

 

I think the D600 makes an excellent conversion for UV/IR photography. I have no complaints about the excellent image quality and configurability of this camera. Unfortunately I did get one of the earlier models which throws oil (or whatever) onto the sensor, so it has been a bit of a pain to keep this cleaned up. I would like to sent the D600 in for the offered repair but I don't know if Nikon service will touch a converted D600.

[Shane]

Well I completely messed up that question - it was directed to you (Andrea) and I meant D810 but I did think you had a D610.

[baffe]

Hi!

 

Andrea don't hesitate to convert the cam if it brings you any benefit!

 

! da baffe, the man who drilled a M42 thread onto his MFT cam

[Andrea B.]

Baffe, that was a cool mod. M42 is a very useful mount.

 

I don't think the Nikon D810 will give all that much res over the Nikon D600 - 36MP vs. 24MP is not that great a leap. However the D810 has an electronic first curtain setting which is nice for all those on-tripod, carefully focused UV still lifes. And the dynamic range is good.

 

The camera which would be truly useful for UV work is the Nikon D4S - in terms of dynamic range and low noise at high ISOs. But it is not convertible I think because it may still have that IR shutter monitor thingie which would "contaminate" UV photographs. Bjørn, if you are reading, could you please ask your Techman or ask Nikon Nordic about this??

 

That said, any recent Sony sensor is also an excellent candidate for conversion. Only one little nitpicky thing holds me back from that - the A7R files are not 14 bit. I can't fathom why Sony would limit their file "depth" to that weird lossy compression 11+7 scheme. Lloyd Chambers wrote about it here: http://diglloyd.com/blog/2014/20140212_2-SonyA7-RawDigger-posterization.html. Then there's the shutter slap: http://diglloyd.com/blog/2014/20140123_2-SonyA7R-shutterVibration-CallForAction.html.