As I prepare to migrate my photography from a D300/D700/D3x world this summer to a D800/D800E world and am studying the D800 manual I am becoming more and more intrigued in the 1.2x crop mode available on this camera. In short, the 1.2x crop mode lops off 10% on each side leaving you with a 25 megapixel image. I can see a number of advantages in using this on a relatively regular basis in my landscape photography:
1. It lops off the worst performing parts of most lenses
2. You are still left with more pixels than a D3x and you gain dynamic range, noise performance, weight, and automatic sensor cleaning compared to the D3x
3. You reduce the file storage requirements down to something close to the D3x requirements
4. You gain one frame per second to 5 FPS even without the vertical grip.

It seems to me that this would be a very useful function and one that is likely to be overlooked by most photographers.

What about the DX crop mode - will that also offer the same advantages as the 1.2 crop mode E.J. (aside from the pixel loss)? Do you think it will still out-perform the current DX bodies in those arenas?

It does outperform the current DX bodies by a wide margin except for in frame rate.

DX mode is 15MP. My D800 will likely live in DX mode with a grip attached to get 6FPS. But my D800E will spend most of it's time in FX and 1.2x mode. My statements above were primarily landscape photography centric. I will clarify that.

E.J, I agree completely. I also find the 1.2x crop mode as one of the most compelling reasons to move up to the D800. The option of the sweetest part of the glass, and manageable file sizes when you don't want to eat CF cards.

Also in DX mode the AF points pretty much cover the whole area

Dave

E.J. Very interesting. If you add the grip, and stay in 1.2x crop mode, do the fps stay at 5 or increase to 6?

Joe Smith

OK, this thread is abut 1.2 crop mode not DX mode I'd like to keep the discussion to that. We all know about 1.5x crop or DX mode. This 1.2x crop is something new and different and that's what I would like this thread to be about. :

AF point coverage across the frame is completely inconsequential to me for landscape photography since I focus where I want to focus and recompose anyways but even in 1.2x crop mode, the AF sensor coverage is a larger percentage of the frame which I guess would be point number 5 in my original post.

The manual doesn't specify but I'm guessing it is still 5 FPS as the limiter is the data pipeline not current in this scenario. Once you get to just 15MP, the limiter is no longer the data pipeline but rather the current to move the mirror and shutter that fast, thus the MB-D12 increases frame rate.

I think you have found something interesting there E.J. Point 1 is useful for getting the best from your lenses. Does the camera give you the preview of the final frame size, I guess on the rear LCD?
Not useful to me (Canon, me bad), but well spotted useful concept.
So, if I crop 10% of each side on my 5DII I get.....kidding.
Cheers
Marsshall

Yeah the viewfinder has a frame that shows where the image is cropped. Crop mode on FX bodies is nothing new for Nikon shooters but the 1.2x crop is new and the fact that it still gives you 25MP makes it very compelling.

I've been planning on selling my 70-200 VR I after switching completely over to FX (I have a D200 I use it on now), but when I read in the D800 rumors last Autumn that there would be a 1.2 crop mode I realized that the lens would be viable again for me.

Very interesting, and sounds useful - for landscapers as well as macro-lovers; was reading the new review of the D800 in UK Amateur Photographer mag just now (slightly silly cover headlines are 'Nikon D800: better than medium format' and 'the 38 million pixel miracle'?!) and thought about this too.

Re. the crop modes and the viewfinder, the same review states the following: 'When a crop mode is selected, the electronic overlay in the viewfinder displays a marker to indicate the frame edges. An option for shading out the unused areas of the frame would be useful because it is easy to forget where the crop is effective. Wideangle DX lenses display a cutoff in the corners, but not in the final image.' I'm not sure I quite understand whether this is new to the D800 (compared with the D3S, say), but if so, something else to consider? Or perhaps it isn't, and the review is just poorly worded.

Yeah I would wish for the shading too like on the D3x but I think in practice, this won't be a problem after about 5 minutes of getting used to it and there is some benefit to seeing stuff just out of the frame. I would never mount a DX lens on an FX camera so at least for me it's irrelevant. Plus the default is to automatically default the camera to DX mode when you mont a DX lens anyways. this is no different from the D3 models, D4 and D700.

Interesting points/motivation for using the 1.2x mode, EJ. I like to shoot ultra-wide angle most of the time when landscaping, but even then the 14-24mm becomes a 16.8mm on the widest end - still nice and wide (though I must say I love using it @ 14mm ).

Sorry but I don't fully get the excitement over the 1.2 crop in a landscape situation ?
Points 1 & 2 I completely get, but would it not be better to crop afterwards in post and have more flexibility / control ?
I understand points 3 & 4 too, but I'm not understanding why they are so significant in a primarily landscape situation, seems more of an advantage in a wildlife / action scenario.

With the D800 if you go to the custom function A5 and turn the AF illumination to OFF you get a darkened/shaded border around the crop, With the AF illumination set to ON the AF point and the cropped box outline glow red when you press the shutter button

Dave

3. I am referring to computer storage requirements
4. In a fast bracketing situation when clouds are moving fast it could be a small benefit but I agree it is very minimal

Ok I see where you are coming from now. Certainly if you are on a combined landscape & wildlife trip the option to switch modes would be beneficial too.

Please confirm that NEF file options are available with 1.2 and 5:4 formats. That would be sweet. The manual shows FX & DX NEF file sizes, but that's it.

Have to admit I'm more drawn to 5:4 option for wildlife, but I've always enjoyed the more square looks, especially for portrait orientation.

Yes you can get RAW in

1.0x (FX)
1.2x
1.5x (DX)
5.4x

Dave