Nikon D800 vs Canon EOS 1D Mark II

This is a full comparison between the cameras Nikon D800 and Canon EOS 1D Mark II. We compare them by looking at the categories you see below.

Manufacturing

Nikon D800 is manufacturered by Nikon but Canon EOS 1D Mark II is from Canon. Both Nikon and Canon are well known brands though.

Type of camera

Both these cameras are DSLR cameras. No difference there.

Sensors / crop factor

These cameras have different sensors. Nikon D800 has a "Nikon FX"-sensor while Canon EOS 1D Mark II has a "Canon APS-H"-sensor, and their difference in sensors will also affect the crop factor and experience focal length. See the table below.

** Experienced focal length when using a lens such as a common "50mm f/1.8"

Learn more about crop factor and focal length multiplier here:
Camera selection can affect the focal length (Nikon)
Camera selection can affect the focal length (Canon)

Resolution

Nikon D800 has a 36,3 MP (Megapixels) resolution while Canon EOS 1D Mark II has 8,2 MP. If we break down this in more detail this is the data behind the numbers:

Nikon D800 has a 342 % larger resolution than Canon EOS 1D Mark II. This could give you more details in the picture but also a possibility to crop more in the pictures, afterward while editing the pictures, if needed that is.

ISO range

Nikon D800 has a larger ISO-range than Canon EOS 1D Mark II. Nikon D800 has an ISO range that stretches from 100 to 25600 while Canon EOS 1D Mark II has 50 to 3200.

Autofocus and lens compatibility

Both of these cameras have a built-in autofocus motor. Some lenses, that support autofocus, do not have an autofocus motor of their own but this won't cause any problems with these two cameras.

Here is a complete overview of which lenses work with each camera:
Lens compatibility chart for Nikon D800
Lens compatibility chart for Canon EOS 1D Mark II

Pictures per second

Depending on what you are shooting the FPS, or frames/pictures per second, can definitely be of interest. Nikon D800 can shoot up to 6 pictures per seconds and Canon EOS 1D Mark II can shoot up to 8,5 pictures per seconds.

Ability to record movies

It is becoming more and more popular to record movies with digital cameras.

When comparing these two cameras there is only one of them that can shoot movies and that is Nikon D800. Unfortunately Canon EOS 1D Mark II does not support recording movies and movie clips.

Weight

The weight of the camera can be an extremely important factor, especially if the camera is about to be used, or carried around, for several hours at a time.

Canon EOS 1D Mark II weighs 1565 gr (equal to 3.45 lb) which is 74% heavier than Nikon D800 and its 900 gr (or 1.98 lb).

Nikon D800 vs Canon EOS 1D Mark II Specs

Below you will find the complete and detailed technical specs for both Nikon D800 and Canon EOS 1D Mark II, next to each other. Each category of data is a link to an article covering the subject, giving you a deeper understanding so you can better understand the strengths and weaknesses of the two camera models.

Product	Nikon D800	Canon EOS 1D Mark II
Name	Nikon D800	Canon EOS 1D Mark II
Manufacturer	Nikon	Canon
Release Date and Price	Nikon D800	Canon EOS 1D Mark II
Release Year	2012	2004
Release Date	2012-02-07	2004-01-29
MSRP	2999 USD	4499 USD
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Camera Type	Nikon D800	Canon EOS 1D Mark II
Camera Type	DSLR	DSLR
Sensor	Nikon D800	Canon EOS 1D Mark II
Sensor Size	Full Frame (approx 36 x 23.9 mm) Also known as "FX"	APS-H (approx 27.9 x 18.6 mm)
Sensor Type	CMOS	CMOS
Resolution	7360 x 4912 pixels	3504 x 2336 pixels
Megapixels	36,3 MP	8,2 MP
Image Processor	EXPEED 3	DIGIC 2
Image	Nikon D800	Canon EOS 1D Mark II
ISO Range	100 - 25600	50 - 3200
White Balance Presets	12	8
Custom White Balance	Yes	Yes
Image Stabilization	No	No
Image Stabilization CIPA Rating	0 stops	0 stops
Uncompressed format	RAW	RAW
Optics & Focus	Nikon D800	Canon EOS 1D Mark II
Autofocus Motor	Yes	Yes
Autofocus	Phase Detect Multi Area Selective Single Point Tracking Single Continuous Face Detection LiveView	Phase Detect Multi Area Selective Single Point Single Continuous
Focus Points	51	45
Lens Mount	Nikon F See Compatible Lenses	Canon EF See Compatible Lenses
Focal Length Multiplier	FX (Full frame) No multiplier Example: 24 mm remains 24 mm 50 mm remains 50 mm 100 mm remains 100 mm 200 mm remains 200 mm	APS-H Sensor 1.3x multiplier Example: 24 mm becomes 31 mm 50 mm becomes 65 mm 100 mm becomes 130 mm 200 mm becomes 260 mm
Screen & Viewfinder	Nikon D800	Canon EOS 1D Mark II
Articulated LCD	Fixed	Fixed
Screen size	3,2”	2”
Screen dots	921000	230000
Touch screen	No	No
Screen type	TFT Color LCD with 170 degrees wide-viewing angle	N/A
Live view	Yes	No
Viewfinder Type	Optical (pentaprism)	Optical (pentaprism)
Viewfinder Coverage	100%	100%
Viewfinder Magnification	0.7×	0.72× (0.55× 35mm equiv.)
Viewfinder Resolution	N/A	N/A
Photography features	Nikon D800	Canon EOS 1D Mark II
Frames per second	6 fps	8,5 fps
Minimum Shutter Speed	30 seconds	30 seconds
Maximum Shutter Speed	1/8000 seconds	1/8000 seconds
Built-in Flash	Yes	No
Built-in Flash Range	12 meters	N/A
External Flash	Yes	Yes
Self-Timer	Yes	Yes
Time-lapse	Yes	Yes
Metering modes	Multi Center Weighted Spot Average	Multi Center Weighted Spot Partial
Exposure Compensation	+/- 5 (at 1/3 EV, 1/2 EV, 1 EV steps)	+/- 3 (at 1/3 EV, 1/2 EV steps)
Videography features	Nikon D800	Canon EOS 1D Mark II
Video recording	Yes	No
Video format	MPEG4 H.264	N/A
Video resolution	1280 x 720 1920 x 1080	N/A
Built-in Microphone	Yes	No
Built-in Speakers	Yes	No
Storage	Nikon D800	Canon EOS 1D Mark II
Memory Card	Compact Flash	Compact Flash SD/SDHC
Connectivity	Nikon D800	Canon EOS 1D Mark II
HDMI Output	Yes	No
Microphone Port	Yes	No
Headphone Port	Yes	No
Wireless	Yes Optional with Nikon Wireless Transmitter for D800 (WT-4A)	No
Remote Control	Yes (Optional, wired or wireless)	Yes (N3 connector)
GPS	Yes Optional with GP-1	No
Body & Dimensions	Nikon D800	Canon EOS 1D Mark II
Enviromentally sealed	Yes	No
Battery	Battery Pack	Battery Pack
Battery Details	Lithium-Ion EN-EL15 rechargeable battery & charger	Ni-MH pack NP-E3
Battery Life (CIPA)	900 shots	N/A
Width	146 mm	156 mm
Height	123 mm	158 mm
Depth	82 mm	80 mm
Weight	900 gram	1565 gram