Today’s announcement of the Nikon D800 has upped the ante in the world of DSLR photography. With a 36.3 megapixel FX-format CMOS sensor and full HD 1080p video with stereo sound, the D800 is a game changer. And Nikon has set the bar even higher by announcing the D800E, which according to Nikon “incorporates an optical low pass filter (OLPF) without anti-aliasing properties to facilitate the sharpest images possible and is a great option for RAW shooters who are in a position to control light, distance and their subject to the degree where they can mitigate the risk of moiré and any false color.”

Some of the D800′s specifications (see the Nikon website for a complete table of specs):

• 36.3-megapixel FX-format CMOS sensor
• 35.9mm x 24mm sensor size
• 1/8000 to 30 sec. shutter speed
• Up to 4 frames per second in FX-format
• TTL exposure metering using 91,000-pixel RGB sensor
• ISO 100-6400
• 51-point dynamic-area AF
• Built-in flash
• Live View

Already, with very few who have even touched the new camera, there are reviews, articles and digests appearing on the Web, including:

• Nikon’s product page
• Rob Galbraith’s “Announced: Nikon D800 with 36.15 million image pixel sensor”
• Rob Galbraith’s “Links to all things Nikon D800″
• Digital Photography Review’s “Nikon D800 Hands-on Preview”
• diglloyd.com (Lloyd Chambers) blog posts on moire, lenses, lens requirements, technique and tolerances, and an overview of the D800 and D800E
• Thom Hogan’s article “The Nikon D800 Introduction”

Nikon USA now has the 20 pages Nikon D800 | D800E Technical Guide available for download. The guide is particularly useful in describing and illustrating techniques for getting sharp images with a 36-megapixal camera.

Stay tuned. This is exciting!