Contax N Digital vs Nikon D800E
The Contax N Digital and the Nikon D800E are two professional cameras that were announced, respectively, in February 2002 and February 2012. Both are DSLR (Digital Single Lens Reflex) cameras that are equipped with a full frame sensor. The Contax has a resolution of 6.1 megapixels, whereas the Nikon provides 36.2 MP.
Below is an overview of the main specs of the two cameras as a starting point for the comparison.
Going beyond this snapshot of core features and characteristics, what are the differences between the Contax N Digital and the Nikon D800E? Which one should you buy? Read on to find out how these two cameras compare with respect to their body size, their imaging sensors, their shooting features, their input-output connections, and their reception by expert reviewers.
Body comparison
An illustration of the physical size and weight of the Contax N Digital and the Nikon D800E is provided in the side-by-side display below. The two cameras are presented according to their relative size. Three consecutive views from the front, the top, and the rear side are shown. All width, height and depth measures are rounded to the nearest millimeter.
If the front view area (width x height) of the cameras is taken as an aggregate measure of their size, the Nikon D800E is notably smaller (14 percent) than the Contax N Digital. However, the D800E is slightly heavier (1 percent) than the N Digital. It is noteworthy in this context that the D800E is splash and dust-proof, while the N Digital does not feature any corresponding weather-sealing.
The above size and weight comparisons are to some extent incomplete since they do not consider the interchangeable lenses that both of these cameras require. Hence, you might want to study and compare the specifications of available lenses in order to get the full picture of the size and weight of the two camera systems.
As can be seen in the images above, the N Digital has a battery grip built in. This facilitates image-taking in portrait orientation and gives it additional battery power. In order to provide similar functionality for the D800E, Nikon provides the MB-D12 vertical grip as an optional accessory (see here on ebay).
The table below summarizes the key physical specs of the two cameras alongside a broader set of comparators. If you would like to visualize and compare a different camera combination, you can navigate to the CAM-parator app and make your selection from a broad list of cameras there.
Camera Model |
Camera Width |
Camera Height |
Camera Depth |
Camera Weight |
Battery Life |
Weather Sealing |
Camera Launch |
Launch Price (USD) |
Street Price |
||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1. | Contax N Digital | 152 mm | 138 mm | 80 mm | 990 g | 100 | n | Feb 2002 | 7,399 | ebay.com | |
2. | Nikon D800E | 146 mm | 123 mm | 82 mm | 1000 g | 900 | Y | Feb 2012 | 3,299 | ebay.com | |
3. | Canon 1Ds | 156 mm | 158 mm | 80 mm | 1265 g | 600 | Y | Sep 2002 | 8,999 | ebay.com | |
4. | Canon 10D | 150 mm | 107 mm | 75 mm | 850 g | 500 | n | Feb 2003 | 1,999 | ebay.com | |
5. | Canon D60 | 150 mm | 107 mm | 75 mm | 855 g | 620 | n | Feb 2002 | 2,999 | ebay.com | |
6. | Canon Rebel | 142 mm | 99 mm | 72 mm | 649 g | 400 | n | Aug 2003 | 899 | ebay.com | |
7. | Leica M9 | 139 mm | 80 mm | 37 mm | 585 g | 550 | n | Sep 2009 | 7,999 | ebay.com | |
8. | Leica M10 | 139 mm | 80 mm | 39 mm | 660 g | 210 | Y | Jan 2017 | 6,595 | ebay.com | |
9. | Leica M10-P | 139 mm | 80 mm | 39 mm | 660 g | 210 | Y | Aug 2018 | 7,995 | ebay.com | |
10. | Leica SL | 147 mm | 104 mm | 39 mm | 847 g | 400 | Y | Oct 2015 | 7,450 | ebay.com | |
11. | Nikon D1X | 157 mm | 153 mm | 85 mm | 1100 g | 1200 | Y | Feb 2001 | 5,999 | ebay.com | |
12. | Nikon D100 | 144 mm | 116 mm | 81 mm | 780 g | 370 | n | Feb 2002 | 1,999 | ebay.com | |
13. | Nikon D610 | 141 mm | 113 mm | 82 mm | 850 g | 900 | Y | Oct 2013 | 1,999 | ebay.com | |
14. | Nikon D700 | 147 mm | 123 mm | 77 mm | 1074 g | 1000 | Y | Jul 2008 | 2,999 | ebay.com | |
15. | Nikon D800 | 146 mm | 123 mm | 82 mm | 1000 g | 900 | Y | Feb 2012 | 2,999 | ebay.com | |
16. | Nikon D810 | 146 mm | 123 mm | 82 mm | 980 g | 1200 | Y | Jun 2014 | 3,299 | ebay.com | |
17. | Nikon D850 | 146 mm | 124 mm | 79 mm | 1005 g | 1840 | Y | Jul 2017 | 3,299 | amazon.com | |
Note: Measurements and pricing do not include easily detachable parts, such as add-on or interchangeable lenses or optional viewfinders. | |||||||||||
Any camera decision will naturally be influenced heavily by the price. The retail prices at the time of the camera’s release place the model in the market relative to other models in the producer’s line-up and the competition. The D800E was launched at a markedly lower price (by 55 percent) than the N Digital, which puts it into a different market segment. Usually, retail prices stay at first close to the launch price, but after several months, discounts become available. Later in the product cycle and, in particular, when the replacement model is about to appear, further discounting and stock clearance sales often push the camera price considerably down.
Sensor comparison
The size of the sensor inside a digital camera is one of the key determinants of image quality. A large sensor will tend to have larger individual pixels that provide better low-light sensitivity, wider dynamic range, and richer color-depth than smaller pixel-units in a sensor of the same technological generation. Further, a large sensor camera will give the photographer additional creative options when using shallow depth-of-field to isolate a subject from its background. On the downside, larger sensors tend to be more expensive and lead to bigger and heavier cameras and lenses.
Both cameras under consideration feature a full frame sensor, but their sensors differ slightly in size. They nevertheless have the same format factor of 1.0. Both cameras have a native aspect ratio (sensor width to sensor height) of 3:2.
Despite having a slightly smaller sensor, the D800E offers a higher resolution of 36.2 megapixels, compared with 6.1 MP of the N Digital. This megapixels advantage comes at the cost of a higher pixel density and a smaller size of the individual pixel (with a pixel pitch of 4.88μm versus 11.90μm for the N Digital). However, it should be noted that the D800E is much more recent (by 9 years and 11 months) than the N Digital, and its sensor will have benefitted from technological advances during this time that make it possible to gather light more efficiently. Coming back to sensor resolution, it should be mentioned that the D800E has no anti-alias filter installed, so that it can capture all the detail its sensor resolves.
The resolution advantage of the Nikon D800E implies greater flexibility for cropping images or the possibility to print larger pictures. The maximum print size of the D800E for good quality output (200 dots per inch) amounts to 36.8 x 24.6 inches or 93.5 x 62.4 cm, for very good quality (250 dpi) 29.4 x 19.6 inches or 74.8 x 49.9 cm, and for excellent quality (300 dpi) 24.5 x 16.4 inches or 62.3 x 41.6 cm. The corresponding values for the Contax N Digital are 15.2 x 10 inches or 38.6 x 25.5 cm for good quality, 12.2 x 8 inches or 30.9 x 20.4 cm for very good quality, and 10.1 x 6.7 inches or 25.7 x 17 cm for excellent quality prints.
The Contax N Digital has a native sensitivity range from ISO 50 to ISO 1600. The corresponding ISO settings for the Nikon D800E are ISO 100 to ISO 6400, with the possibility to increase the ISO range to 50-25600.
In terms of underlying technology, the N Digital is build around a CCD sensor, while the D800E uses a CMOS imager. Both cameras use a Bayer filter for capturing RGB colors on a square grid of photosensors. This arrangement is found in most digital cameras.
Since 2007, DXO Mark has published sensor performance measurements that have been derived using a consistent methodology. This service is based on lab testing and assigns an overall score to each camera sensor, as well as ratings for dynamic range ("DXO Landscape"), color depth ("DXO Portrait"), and low-light sensitivity ("DXO Sports"). The adjacent table reports on the physical sensor characteristics and the outcomes of the DXO sensor quality tests for a sample of comparator-cameras.
Camera Model |
Sensor Class |
Resolution (MP) |
Horiz. Pixels |
Vert. Pixels |
Video Format |
DXO Portrait |
DXO Landscape |
DXO Sports |
DXO Overall |
||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1. | Contax N Digital | Full Frame | 6.1 | 3040 | 2008 | none | 21.5 | 10.5 | 1283 | 59 | |
2. | Nikon D800E | Full Frame | 36.2 | 7360 | 4912 | 1080/30p | 25.6 | 14.3 | 2979 | 96 | |
3. | Canon 1Ds | Full Frame | 11.0 | 4064 | 2704 | none | 21.8 | 11.0 | 954 | 63 | |
4. | Canon 10D | APS-C | 6.3 | 3072 | 2048 | none | 21.1 | 10.9 | 571 | 57 | |
5. | Canon D60 | APS-C | 6.3 | 3072 | 2048 | none | 20.3 | 9.8 | 301 | 47 | |
6. | Canon Rebel | APS-C | 6.3 | 3072 | 2048 | none | 21.0 | 10.8 | 544 | 55 | |
7. | Leica M9 | Full Frame | 18.1 | 5212 | 3472 | none | 22.5 | 11.7 | 884 | 69 | |
8. | Leica M10 | Full Frame | 23.8 | 5952 | 3992 | none | 24.4 | 13.2 | 2133 | 86 | |
9. | Leica M10-P | Full Frame | 23.8 | 5952 | 3992 | none | 25.1 | 14.1 | 2739 | 93 | |
10. | Leica SL | Full Frame | 24.0 | 6000 | 4000 | 4K/30p | 25.0 | 13.4 | 1821 | 88 | |
11. | Nikon D1X | APS-C | 5.9 | 3008 | 1960 | none | .. | .. | .. | .. | |
12. | Nikon D100 | APS-C | 6.0 | 3008 | 2000 | none | 20.4 | 9.9 | 394 | 48 | |
13. | Nikon D610 | Full Frame | 24.2 | 6016 | 4016 | 1080/30p | 25.1 | 14.4 | 2925 | 94 | |
14. | Nikon D700 | Full Frame | 12.1 | 4256 | 2832 | none | 23.5 | 12.2 | 2303 | 80 | |
15. | Nikon D800 | Full Frame | 36.2 | 7360 | 4912 | 1080/30p | 25.3 | 14.4 | 2853 | 95 | |
16. | Nikon D810 | Full Frame | 36.2 | 7360 | 4912 | 1080/60p | 25.7 | 14.8 | 2853 | 97 | |
17. | Nikon D850 | Full Frame | 45.4 | 8256 | 5504 | 4K/30p | 26.4 | 14.8 | 2660 | 100 | |
Note: DXO values in italics represent estimates based on sensor size and age. |
Many modern cameras are not only capable of taking still images, but can also record movies. The D800E indeed provides for movie recording, while the N Digital does not. The highest resolution format that the D800E can use is 1080/30p.
Feature comparison
Beyond body and sensor, cameras can and do differ across a range of features. The N Digital and the D800E are similar in the sense that both have an optical viewfinder. The latter is useful for getting a clear image for framing even in brightly lit environments. The viewfinder in the D800E offers a wider field of view (100%) than the one in the N Digital (95%), so that a larger proportion of the captured image is visible in the finder. On the other hand, the viewfinder of the N Digital has a higher magnification (0.73x vs 0.70x), so that the size of the image transmitted appears closer to the size seen with the naked human eye. The following table reports on some other key feature differences and similarities of the Contax N Digital, the Nikon D800E, and comparable cameras.
Camera Model |
Viewfinder (Type or 000 dots) |
Control Panel (yes/no) |
LCD Specifications (inch/000 dots) |
LCD Attach- ment |
Touch Screen (yes/no) |
Max Shutter Speed * |
Max Shutter Flaps * |
Built-in Flash (yes/no) |
Built-in Image Stab |
||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1. | Contax N Digital | optical | Y | 2.0 / 200 | fixed | n | 1/8000s | 4.0/s | n | n | |
2. | Nikon D800E | optical | Y | 3.2 / 921 | fixed | n | 1/8000s | 4.0/s | Y | n | |
3. | Canon 1Ds | optical | Y | 2.0 / 120 | fixed | n | 1/8000s | 3.0/s | n | n | |
4. | Canon 10D | optical | Y | 1.8 / 118 | fixed | n | 1/4000s | 3.0/s | Y | n | |
5. | Canon D60 | optical | Y | 1.8 / 114 | fixed | n | 1/4000s | 3.0/s | Y | n | |
6. | Canon Rebel | optical | n | 1.8 / 118 | fixed | n | 1/4000s | 2.5/s | Y | n | |
7. | Leica M9 | optical | n | 2.5 / 230 | fixed | n | 1/4000s | 2.0/s | n | n | |
8. | Leica M10 | optical | n | 3.0 / 1037 | fixed | n | 1/4000s | 5.0/s | n | n | |
9. | Leica M10-P | optical | n | 3.0 / 1037 | fixed | Y | 1/4000s | 5.0/s | n | n | |
10. | Leica SL | 4400 | Y | 3.0 / 1040 | fixed | Y | 1/8000s | 11.0/s | n | n | |
11. | Nikon D1X | optical | Y | 2.0 / 120 | fixed | n | 1/16000s | 3.0/s | n | n | |
12. | Nikon D100 | optical | Y | 1.8 / 118 | fixed | n | 1/4000s | 3.0/s | Y | n | |
13. | Nikon D610 | optical | Y | 3.2 / 921 | fixed | n | 1/4000s | 6.0/s | Y | n | |
14. | Nikon D700 | optical | Y | 3.0 / 922 | fixed | n | 1/8000s | 8.0/s | Y | n | |
15. | Nikon D800 | optical | Y | 3.2 / 921 | fixed | n | 1/8000s | 4.0/s | Y | n | |
16. | Nikon D810 | optical | Y | 3.2 / 1229 | fixed | n | 1/8000s | 5.0/s | Y | n | |
17. | Nikon D850 | optical | Y | 3.2 / 2359 | tilting | Y | 1/8000s | 9.0/s | n | n | |
Note: *) Information refers to the mechanical shutter, unless the camera only has an electronic one. |
One difference between the cameras concerns the presence of an on-board flash. The D800E has one, while the N Digital does not. While the built-in flash of the D800E is not very powerful, it can at times be useful as a fill-in light.
The Nikon D800E has an intervalometer built-in. This enables the photographer to capture time lapse sequences, such as flower blooming, a sunset or moon rise, without purchasing an external camera trigger and related software.
The N Digital writes its imaging data to Compact Flash cards, while the D800E uses Compact Flash or SDXC cards. The D800E features dual card slots, which can be very useful in case a memory card fails. In contrast, the N Digital only has one slot.
Connectivity comparison
For some imaging applications, the extent to which a camera can communicate with its environment can be an important aspect in the camera decision process. The table below provides an overview of the connectivity of the Contax N Digital and Nikon D800E and, in particular, the interfaces the cameras (and selected comparators) provide for accessory control and data transfer.
Camera Model |
Hotshoe Port |
Internal Mic / Speaker |
Microphone Port |
Headphone Port |
HDMI Port |
USB Port |
WiFi Support |
NFC Support |
Bluetooth Support |
||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1. | Contax N Digital | Y | - / - | - | - | - | FW | - | - | - | |
2. | Nikon D800E | Y | mono / mono | Y | Y | mini | 3.0 | - | - | - | |
3. | Canon 1Ds | Y | - / - | - | - | - | FW | - | - | - | |
4. | Canon 10D | Y | - / - | - | - | - | 1.1 | - | - | - | |
5. | Canon D60 | Y | - / - | - | - | - | 1.1 | - | - | - | |
6. | Canon Rebel | Y | - / - | - | - | - | 1.1 | - | - | - | |
7. | Leica M9 | Y | - / - | - | - | - | 2.0 | - | - | - | |
8. | Leica M10 | Y | - / - | - | - | - | - | Y | - | - | |
9. | Leica M10-P | Y | - / - | - | - | - | - | Y | - | - | |
10. | Leica SL | Y | stereo / mono | Y | Y | full | 3.0 | Y | - | - | |
11. | Nikon D1X | Y | - / - | - | - | - | FW | - | - | - | |
12. | Nikon D100 | Y | - / - | - | - | - | 1.1 | - | - | - | |
13. | Nikon D610 | Y | mono / mono | Y | Y | mini | 2.0 | - | - | - | |
14. | Nikon D700 | Y | - / - | - | - | mini | 2.0 | - | - | - | |
15. | Nikon D800 | Y | mono / mono | Y | Y | mini | 3.0 | - | - | - | |
16. | Nikon D810 | Y | stereo / mono | Y | Y | mini | 3.0 | Y | - | - | |
17. | Nikon D850 | Y | stereo / mono | Y | Y | mini | 3.0 | Y | Y | Y |
Both cameras feature a PC Sync terminal to control professional strobe lights, which will be appreciated by studio photographers.
Both the N Digital and the D800E have been discontinued, but can regularly be found used on ebay. The D800E was replaced by the Nikon D810, while the N Digital does not have a direct successor. Further information on the two cameras (e.g. user guides, manuals), as well as related accessories, can be found on the official Contax and Nikon websites.
Review summary
So how do things add up? Which of the two cameras – the Contax N Digital or the Nikon D800E – has the upper hand? Is one clearly better than the other? A synthesis of the relative strong points of each of the models is listed below.
Arguments in favor of the Contax N Digital:
- Better moiré control: Has an anti-alias filter to avoid artificial patterns to appear in images.
- Larger viewfinder image: Features a viewfinder with a higher magnification (0.73x vs 0.70x).
- More portrait friendly: Features an integrated vertical grip for easier portrait shooting.
- More heavily discounted: Has been available for much longer (launched in February 2002).
Reasons to prefer the Nikon D800E:
- More detail: Has more megapixels (36.2 vs 6.1MP), which boosts linear resolution by 143%.
- Maximized detail: Lacks an anti-alias filter to exploit the sensor's full resolution potential.
- Broader imaging potential: Can capture not only stills but also 1080/30p video.
- More complete view: Has a viewfinder with a larger field of view (100% vs 95%).
- Larger screen: Has a bigger rear LCD (3.2" vs 2.0") for image review and settings control.
- More detailed LCD: Has a higher resolution rear screen (921k vs 200k dots).
- Easier time-lapse photography: Has an intervalometer built-in for low frequency shooting.
- More compact: Is smaller (146x123mm vs 152x138mm) and will fit more readily into a bag.
- Longer lasting: Gets more shots (900 versus 100) out of a single battery charge.
- Better sealing: Is splash and dust sealed for shooting in inclement weather conditions.
- Easier fill-in: Has a small integrated flash to brighten shadows of backlit subjects.
- Greater peace of mind: Features a second card slot as a backup in case of memory card failure.
- More affordable: Was introduced into a lower priced category (55 percent cheaper at launch).
- More modern: Reflects 9 years and 11 months of technical progress since the N Digital launch.
If the count of individual advantages (bullet points above) is taken as a guide, the D800E is the clear winner of the contest (14 : 4 points). However, the relevance of individual strengths will vary across photographers, so that you might want to apply your own weighing scheme to the summary points when reflecting and deciding on a new camera. A professional wedding photographer will view the differences between cameras in a way that diverges from the perspective of a travel photog, and a person interested in cityscapes has distinct needs from a macro shooter. Hence, the decision which camera is best and worth buying is often a very personal one.
How about other alternatives? Do the specifications of the Contax N Digital and the Nikon D800E place the cameras among the top in their class? Find out in the latest Best DSLR Camera listing whether the two cameras rank among the cream of the crop.
In any case, while the specs-based evaluation of cameras can be instructive in revealing their potential as photographic tools, it remains partial and cannot reveal, for example, the shooting experience and imaging performance when actually working with the N Digital or the D800E. User reviews that are available, for instance, at amazon can sometimes shed light on these issues, but such feedback is all too often partial, inconsistent, and inaccurate.
Expert reviews
This is where reviews by experts come in. The adjacent summary-table relays the overall verdicts of several of the most popular camera review sites (amateurphotographer [AP], cameralabs [CL], digitalcameraworld [DCW], dpreview [DPR], ephotozine [EPZ], photographyblog [PB]). As can be seen, the professional reviewers agree in many cases on the quality of different cameras, but sometimes their assessments diverge, reinforcing the earlier point that a camera decision is often a very personal choice.
Camera Model |
AP score |
CL score |
DCW score |
DPR score |
EPZ score |
PB score |
Camera Launch |
Launch Price (USD) |
Street Price |
||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1. | Contax N Digital | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | Feb 2002 | 7,399 | ebay.com | |
2. | Nikon D800E | .. | .. | .. | 84/100 | 5/5 | 5/5 | Feb 2012 | 3,299 | ebay.com | |
3. | Canon 1Ds | .. | .. | .. | + + | .. | .. | Sep 2002 | 8,999 | ebay.com | |
4. | Canon 10D | .. | .. | .. | + + | .. | .. | Feb 2003 | 1,999 | ebay.com | |
5. | Canon D60 | .. | .. | .. | + + | o | .. | Feb 2002 | 2,999 | ebay.com | |
6. | Canon Rebel | .. | .. | .. | + + | .. | .. | Aug 2003 | 899 | ebay.com | |
7. | Leica M9 | .. | .. | .. | .. | 4.5/5 | .. | Sep 2009 | 7,999 | ebay.com | |
8. | Leica M10 | 4.5/5 | .. | .. | .. | 4/5 | 4.5/5 | Jan 2017 | 6,595 | ebay.com | |
9. | Leica M10-P | .. | .. | 3/5 | .. | .. | 4/5 | Aug 2018 | 7,995 | ebay.com | |
10. | Leica SL | 4/5 | .. | 4/5 | 84/100 | 4.5/5 | 4/5 | Oct 2015 | 7,450 | ebay.com | |
11. | Nikon D1X | .. | .. | .. | + + | .. | .. | Feb 2001 | 5,999 | ebay.com | |
12. | Nikon D100 | .. | .. | .. | + + | o | .. | Feb 2002 | 1,999 | ebay.com | |
13. | Nikon D610 | 4/5 | + + | .. | 87/100 | 4.5/5 | 4.5/5 | Oct 2013 | 1,999 | ebay.com | |
14. | Nikon D700 | .. | 89/100 | .. | + + | 4.5/5 | 4.5/5 | Jul 2008 | 2,999 | ebay.com | |
15. | Nikon D800 | 5/5 | + + | .. | 82/100 | 5/5 | 5/5 | Feb 2012 | 2,999 | ebay.com | |
16. | Nikon D810 | 5/5 | .. | 5/5 | 86/100 | 5/5 | 4.5/5 | Jun 2014 | 3,299 | ebay.com | |
17. | Nikon D850 | 4.5/5 | + + | 5/5 | 89/100 | 4.5/5 | 5/5 | Jul 2017 | 3,299 | amazon.com | |
Note: (+ +) highly recommended; (+) recommended; (o) reviewed; (..) not available. |
The review scores listed above should be treated with care, though. The assessments were made in relation to similar cameras of the same technological generation. Hence, a score should always be seen in the context of the camera's market launch date and its price, and comparing ratings of very distinct cameras or ones that are far apart in terms of their release date have little meaning. Also, kindly note that some of the listed sites have over time developped their review approaches and their reporting style.
Other camera comparisons
Did this review help to inform your camera decision process? In case you are interested in seeing how other cameras pair up, just make your choice using the following search menu. As an alternative, you can also directly jump to any one of the listed comparisons that were previously generated by the CAM-parator tool.
- Canon 1D X vs Contax N Digital
- Canon 77D vs Contax N Digital
- Canon T1i vs Nikon D800E
- Canon XC10 vs Contax N Digital
- Contax N Digital vs Nikon Z50
- Contax N Digital vs Olympus E-420
- Contax N Digital vs Panasonic L10
- Leica T vs Nikon D800E
- Nikon D800E vs Panasonic G9
- Nikon D800E vs Ricoh WG-6
- Nikon D800E vs Sony A6000
- Nikon D800E vs Sony A7R
Specifications: Contax N Digital vs Nikon D800E
Below is a side-by-side comparison of the specs of the two cameras to facilitate a quick review of their differences and common features.
Camera Model | Contax N Digital | Nikon D800E |
---|---|---|
Camera Type | Digital single lens reflex | Digital single lens reflex |
Camera Lens | Contax N mount lenses | Nikon F mount lenses |
Launch Date | February 2002 | February 2012 |
Launch Price | USD 7,399 | USD 3,299 |
Sensor Specs | Contax N Digital | Nikon D800E |
Sensor Technology | CCD | CMOS |
Sensor Format | Full Frame Sensor | Full Frame Sensor |
Sensor Size | 36.0 x 24.0 mm | 35.9 x 24.0 mm |
Sensor Area | 864 mm2 | 861.6 mm2 |
Sensor Diagonal | 43.3 mm | 43.2 mm |
Crop Factor | 1.0x | 1.0x |
Sensor Resolution | 6.1 Megapixels | 36.2 Megapixels |
Image Resolution | 3040 x 2008 pixels | 7360 x 4912 pixels |
Pixel Pitch | 11.90 μm | 4.88 μm |
Pixel Density | 0.71 MP/cm2 | 4.20 MP/cm2 |
Moiré control | Anti-Alias filter | no AA filter |
Movie Capability | no Video | 1080/30p Video |
ISO Setting | 50 - 1,600 ISO | 100 - 6,400 ISO |
ISO Boost | no Enhancement | 50 - 25,600 ISO |
DXO Sensor Quality (score) | .. | 96 |
DXO Color Depth (bits) | .. | 25.6 |
DXO Dynamic Range (EV) | .. | 14.3 |
DXO Low Light (ISO) | .. | 2979 |
Screen Specs | Contax N Digital | Nikon D800E |
Viewfinder Type | Optical viewfinder | Optical viewfinder |
Viewfinder Field of View | 95% | 100% |
Viewfinder Magnification | 0.73x | 0.70x |
Top-Level Screen | Control Panel | Control Panel |
LCD Framing | Live View | |
Rear LCD Size | 2.0inch | 3.2inch |
LCD Resolution | 200k dots | 921k dots |
LCD Attachment | Fixed screen | Fixed screen |
Shooting Specs | Contax N Digital | Nikon D800E |
Focus System | Phase-detect AF | Phase-detect AF |
Continuous Shooting | 4 shutter flaps/s | 4 shutter flaps/s |
Time-Lapse Photography | no Intervalometer | Intervalometer built-in |
Fill Flash | no On-Board Flash | Built-in Flash |
Storage Medium | CF cards | CF or SDXC cards |
Single or Dual Card Slots | Single card slot | Dual card slots |
Connectivity Specs | Contax N Digital | Nikon D800E |
External Flash | Hotshoe | Hotshoe |
Studio Flash | PC Sync socket | PC Sync socket |
USB Connector | Firewire | USB 3.0 |
HDMI Port | no HDMI | mini HDMI |
Microphone Port | no MIC socket | External MIC port |
Headphone Socket | no Headphone port | Headphone port |
Wifi Support | no Wifi | no Wifi |
Body Specs | Contax N Digital | Nikon D800E |
Environmental Sealing | not weather sealed | Weathersealed body |
Battery Type | Contax 4xAA | Nikon EN-EL15 |
Battery Life (CIPA) | 100 shots per charge | 900 shots per charge |
Body Dimensions |
152 x 138 x 80 mm (6.0 x 5.4 x 3.1 in) |
146 x 123 x 82 mm (5.7 x 4.8 x 3.2 in) |
Camera Weight | 990 g (34.9 oz) | 1000 g (35.3 oz) |
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