Canon 1D Mark IV vs Nikon D800

Nikon D800 advantages over Canon 1D Mark IV

• Larger sensor
  35mm vs APS-H
  More sensor area. Bigger is (generally) better.
• Fast startup
  ~0.30 vs 0.4 sec
  Faster startup lets you catch the moment
• Better color depth

  Better color depth

  Color depth refers to the number of unique colors that a sensor can faithfully capture. Cameras with better color depth will demonstrate smoother transitions from one color to the next, and avoid "banding" in areas with subtle shading. (Blue skies are an example of where you might see color banding.)

  More color depth is generally better, but you'll struggle to notice a difference between two cameras with less than 1 bit of difference. Color depth above 22 bits is considered excellent.

  Want to learn more? Head over to our full glossary entry on color depth

  Color depth test data courtesy of DxO Mark.

  D800 test data on DxO Mark 1D Mark IV test data on DxO Mark
  25.3 vs 22.8 bits
  Capture richer, more accurate colors
• Higher effective ISO

  Higher effective ISO

  Maximum effective ISO is an estimate of the highest sensitivity at which a camera can capture excellent quality photos.

  Cameras with higher effective ISO will be better choices for indoor photography, night shooting, and indoor sports photography, especially if you intend to make large prints.

  You can learn more at our glossary entry.

  Maximum effective ISO test data courtesy of DxO Mark.

  D800 test data on DxO Mark 1D Mark IV test data on DxO Mark
  2,853 vs 1,320 iso
  Take photos in low light with less noise
• More dynamic range

  More dynamic range

  Cameras with more dynamic range allow you to take photos with dramatic differences in highlight and shadow areas while retaining detail in both.

  Think of a brilliant sunset on a rocky beach: Bright sunset in the background, with dark rocks in the foreground. High dynamic range means more of the extremes will be faithfully reproduced.

  Dynamic range test data courtesy of DxO Mark.

  D800 test data on DxO Mark 1D Mark IV test data on DxO Mark
  14.4 vs 11.9 evs
  Retain detail in highlight and shadows
• Internal flash
  Internal flash vs None
  Useful in a pinch for fill flash
• Shoots 24p video
  Yes vs No
  Gives your movies a big-screen feel
• Lighter weight
  1008g vs 1390g
  Lighter weight
• More viewfinder magnification
  0.70x vs 0.58x
  Get a bigger view of the scene through the eye-level viewfinder
• More pixels
  36.3 vs 16.1 megapixels
  Higher resolution photos
• Shoots 60p video
  Yes vs No
  A faster framerate can give you more editing options
• Headphone jack
  Yes vs No
  Monitor audio recording while you shoot video