Nikon on Monday announced the D800 digital SLR camera, the newest addition to its professional DSLR line up. Boasting a 36.3 megapixel full-frame CMOS sensor, high ISO shooting capabilities, and a variety of high definition video modes, the D800 leapfrogs well beyond its predecessor, the D700, as well as anything else in the 35mm format, to offer resolution approaching that of $10,000+ medium format cameras.

Like the flagship D4 announced in January, the D800 uses a 51-point autofocus system that is sensitive down to -2EV. It also has the new 91,000 pixel 3D color matrix metering and Advanced Scene Recognition System that compares the image in the viewfinder with a database of previously captured images and their exposure settings. The D800 retains the standard DSLR size of the D700, wrapped in magnesium alloy, but its corners and curves have been rounded in line with the design of the D4.

Where the D800 primarily differs from the D4, at least as far as performance is concerned, is in its 36.3MP, 7360 x 4912 pixel, full-frame CMOS sensor. Nikon has chosen to emphasize raw resolution instead of extremely high ISO capabilities. Like the D700, the D800 can go up to 6400 ISO sensitivity, or can be ratcheted up to 25,600 in an extended "Hi 2" mode. The D4, on the other hand, captures 16.2MP, but can shoot at a mind-boggling 204,800 ISO when pushed to its limits.

The D700 was just 12MP, so we're not entirely sure that the jump to 36MP was necessary for the D800. However, the resolution will be perfect for studio photographers. Such resolution is usually only available from medium format digital cameras, which start at a budget-busting $10,000 and go up quickly from there. At $3,000 for a D800 body, it's one of the best values per megapixel available to working pros.

With a glut of pixels, however, Nikon is doing some interesting things with the D800. It offers additional aspect ratios in addition to the standard 3:2, including a 5:4 format perfect for common portrait print sizes (8x10, 16x20). There's also a 1.2x crop mode for a slight telephoto boost, or the camera can be switched to DX-format mode (similar to APS-C size sensors found in the smaller D-series cameras) with a 1.5x crop factor, while still taking 15.4MP images.

After Canon's successful foray into professional and amateur filmmaking with the release of the 5D mark II, Nikon has jumped on the DSLR-as-cine--camera bandwagon whole-hog. The D800 can shoot at various resolutions and framerates, including 1080p at 30 or 24fps and 720p at 60 or 30fps. Nikon says that an optimized data path from the sensor to its EXPEED 3 processor minimizes rolling shutting effects (see the video below for an example.) The camera includes a full complement of audio inputs, monitor output, and HDMI control for live monitoring while recording; Nikon is positioning the D800 for both filmmaking and live video broadcasting.

One detail we noted is that the D800 is equipped with a Compact Flash slot and an SD card slot. Unlike the D4, it won't be compatible with the new XQD cards. With the massive data that the camera has to pump from the sensor ultimately down to the memory card, we're surprised it doesn't support XQD and its 125MB/s transfer rates. We wonder if that omission is the bottleneck that limits the camera to 4fps still capture, or if the bottleneck is elsewhere and precluded needing XQD's high speed capabilities.

The D800 is set to launch in late March for $2,999.95 for the body only. A special D800E version, which eliminates the optical low pass filter and its anti-aliasing effects (a benefit mainly for certain studio and scientific applications), will be available in April for $3299.95.