Nikon D6 vs Nikon D800E

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D6 compared with D800E

	NikonD6	NikonD800E
Overview
Released
Released	June 2020	April 2012
Image and sensor
Camera type
Camera type	DSLR	DSLR
Sensor format
Sensor format	Full frame	Full frame
Sensor type
Sensor type	CMOS	CMOS
Sensor dimensions
Sensor dimensions	35.9 × 23.9 mm	35.9 × 24 mm
Effective resolution
Effective resolution	20.8 MP	36.3 MP
Largest image
Largest image	5568 × 3712	7360 × 4912
RAW recording
RAW recording	Yes	Yes
Standard ISO range
Standard ISO range	100–102400	100–6400
Sensor detail
Sensor detail	Japan specifies 20.82 million effective and 21.33 million total pixels, rounded to 20.8 million effective globally; sensor-cleaning system. FX, 1.2×, DX, 5:4, 1:1 and 16:9 image areas	FX CMOS with 36.3 million effective pixels and 36.77 million total in Japan, rounded to 36.8 million USA; Optical low-pass filter stack cancels the aliasing/moiré reduction effect rather than removing all filter glass; Nikon warns of more noticeable moiré and false colour with some subjects. IR/anti-reflection coating remains the same as D800. Image Sensor Cleaning and Image Dust Off reference data. FX 7360 × 4912; 1.2× crop 6144 × 4080; DX 4800 × 3200; 5:4 crop 6144 × 4912
Image formats
Image formats	Large NEF RAW at 12 or 14 bits with lossless compression, compression or no compression; medium and small RAW fixed to 12-bit lossless compression. JPEG and RAW plus JPEG; separate JPEG plus JPEG recording with different size/quality settings; Flat and Creative Picture Controls	12-bit or 14-bit NEF RAW, uncompressed, lossless-compressed or compressed; TIFF RGB, JPEG Fine/Normal/Basic with size-priority or optimal-quality compression, simultaneous RAW/JPEG; adjustable/custom Picture Controls and in-camera RAW processing
ISO detail
ISO detail	Expanded equivalents ISO 50–3280000; Auto ISO	Standard ISO 100–6400 in one-third, half or whole stops; Lo expansion down to ISO 50 equivalent and Hi expansion up to ISO 25600 equivalent; automatic sensitivity control
Image processor
Image processor	EXPEED 6; Advanced Scene Recognition System	EXPEED 3
Lens and shooting
Lens mount
Lens mount	Nikon F mount	Nikon F mount
Stabilisation
Stabilisation	Optical lens stabilisation	Optical lens stabilisation
Maximum continuous burst
Maximum continuous burst	14 fps	4 fps
Lens detail
Lens detail	Compatible G/E/D AF NIKKOR lenses, subject to PC lens restrictions; body autofocus motor for compatible screw-drive lenses. Non-CPU AI lenses support aperture-priority/manual; non-AI, IX and F3AF lenses unsupported; DX lenses use the DX image area	F mount with body AF coupling and contacts; G/D, other AF and AI-P lenses with restrictions; non-CPU AI lenses usable in A/M with registered lens data, DX lenses use DX crop. Non-AI, IX and F3AF lenses excluded
Autofocus
Autofocus	Multi-CAM 37K; 105 selectable cross-type points, including 15 f/8-compatible points. Centre sensitivity -4.5 EV and other points -4 EV at ISO 100, 20°C. Single-point, dynamic 9/25/49/105, 3D tracking, Group-area and auto-area; 17 custom Group-area patterns; eye-priority focusing in auto-area and 3D tracking. Live view uses contrast detection with AF-S/AF-F	Advanced Multi-CAM3500FX phase detection with 51 points, 15 cross-type and 11 f/8-compatible points; -2 to +19 EV at ISO 100, 20°C; AF-S/AF-C, fine-tuning, single-point, dynamic nine/21/51, 3D tracking and auto-area. Live view uses contrast AF-S/AF-F and face/wide/normal/tracking areas; current USA AF-A listing conflicts with Japan's AF-S/AF-C modes
Shutter
Shutter	1/8000 to 30 seconds, Bulb and Time; manual exposures extend to 900 seconds; flash sync 1/250 second; electronic front-curtain and electronic shutter options	Electronically controlled vertical-travel focal-plane shutter, 1/8000 to 30 seconds and Bulb; tested to 200000 cycles. X-sync 1/250 second, up to 1/320 with reduced flash range
Burst detail
Burst detail	Approximately 14 fps mechanical with full AF/AE tracking under Nikon's AF-C, S/M, 1/250-second-or-faster test conditions. Silent full-resolution live-view shooting up to 10.5 fps; separate reduced-resolution live-view modes approximately 30 fps at 8 megapixels or 60 fps at 2 megapixels	Approximately 4 fps full FX or 5:4; 5 fps DX or 1.2× crop on EN-EL15. DX reaches 6 fps with optional MB-D12 using EN-EL18 or AA batteries, or an AC adapter; 1.2× remains 5 fps. Quiet single-frame, mirror-up and configurable self-timer modes
Stabilisation detail
Stabilisation detail	Optical VR depends on the lens; no sensor-shift stabilisation; electronic movie vibration reduction available	VR depends on attached lens; no sensor-shift stabilisation
Flash
Flash	No built-in flash; hot shoe and threaded PC sync terminal; optical/radio Nikon CLS with compatible external Speedlights and required accessories	Built-in i-TTL pop-up flash, guide number approximately 12 m at ISO 100, 20°C; commander for two remote groups, hot shoe, PC sync terminal and compatible Auto FP Speedlights
Exposure controls
Exposure controls	P/S/A/M; 180000-pixel RGB viewfinder metering with Colour Matrix Metering III, centre-weighted, spot and highlight-weighted modes; ±5 EV stills or ±3 EV video compensation; Active D-Lighting	P/S/A/M; 91000-pixel RGB matrix, centre-weighted and spot metering; ±5 EV compensation, exposure/flash and white-balance bracketing; two-exposure HDR, interval timer and dual-axis virtual horizon. Japan centre-weighted default is 12 mm and spot range 2–20 EV; USA lists 8 mm and 0–20 EV
Video
Highest video resolution
Highest video resolution	3840 × 2160 at 30 fps	1920 × 1080 at 30 fps
Video detail
Video detail	H.264 MOV/MP4 at 4K 30p/25p/24p, Full HD 60p/50p/30p/25p/24p and 720p 60p/50p; actual NTSC rates 59.94/29.97/23.976. Nikon identifies 4K as 1.5× crop and native 1920 × 1080 crop as 3.0×; the latter supports 60p/50p/30p/25p/24p. Maximum recording 29 minutes 59 seconds; 4K up to 144 Mbps; timecode and in-camera time-lapse movies. Cards over 32 GB formatted in-camera allow files over 4 GB without splitting	FX- or DX-based 1920 × 1080 at 30p/25p/24p; 1280 × 720 at 60p/50p/30p/25p; MOV H.264/MPEG-4 AVC and linear PCM audio. High quality up to 20 minutes, normal up to 29 min 59 s; time-lapse movies and uncompressed HDMI output. Photography Blog's 1920 × 1280 movie caption conflicts with Nikon's 1920 × 1080 specification; DPReview introductory VGA listing conflicts with the own maker specification
Audio
Audio	Built-in stereo microphone; 3.5 mm stereo microphone input and headphone output; adjustable sensitivity and attenuator; linear PCM for MOV or AAC for MP4; photograph voice memos	Built-in mono microphone; 3.5 mm external stereo input and headphone output; adjustable microphone sensitivity
Screen and viewfinder
Viewfinder
Viewfinder	Optical	Optical
Screen size
Screen size	3.2″	3.2″
Screen dots
Screen dots	2,359,000	921,000
Touchscreen
Touchscreen	Yes	No
Tilting screen
Tilting screen	–	No
Display detail
Display detail	Fixed touch TFT with 170° viewing angle, approximately 100% coverage, 11-level manual brightness and colour adjustment; touch priority image transfer with Ethernet or optional WT-6 connection. Global specifies 2359000 dots, Japan rounds to 2360000; dots count subpixels	Fixed 3.2-inch TFT, approximately 921000 dots USA/global or 920000 Japan; 170° viewing angle, approximately 100% coverage and automatic brightness adjustment; top status LCD, BM-12 protective cover and live view
Viewfinder detail
Viewfinder detail	Pentaprism; approximately 100% FX coverage; 0.72× magnification with 50mm f/1.4 at infinity; 17 mm eyepoint; grid overlay	Pentaprism, approximately 100% FX coverage, 97% DX/1.2× and 100% vertical/97% horizontal 5:4 in Japan; USA gives 97% both axes for 5:4. Approximately 0.7× magnification with 50mm f/1.4 at infinity, 17 mm eyepoint, grid display and depth-of-field preview; current USA calls it a pentamirror, conflicting with the combined Japan pentaprism specification
Connections and design
Wi-Fi
Wi-Fi	Yes	–
Bluetooth
Bluetooth	Yes	–
Battery life (maker's claim)
Battery life (maker's claim)	3580 photographs	900 photographs
Body weight
Body weight	1270 g	900 g (better)
Release detail
Release detail	Nikon Japan records sale on 5 June 2020 after postponements from March to May and then June; the original US announcement's April plan is not an actual retail date. Nikon's Japanese announcement explicitly identifies D5 as the previous model	April 2012 release month; Nikon Japan records actual first sale on 12 April, with global announcement dated 7 February. The regional day does not establish earliest worldwide sale; this model was co-marketed with D800
Recording media
Recording media	Two slots each accepting CFexpress Type B or XQD; overflow, backup, separate RAW/JPEG, separate JPEG/JPEG and card copying	One Type I CompactFlash slot with UDMA and one SD/SDHC/SDXC slot with UHS-I; overflow, backup, RAW/JPEG split and copying between cards
Ports
Ports	USB Type-C with SuperSpeed USB, mini-HDMI Type C, 3.5 mm microphone/headphone sockets, RJ-45 Ethernet with 10/100/1000BASE-T support, ten-pin accessory terminal, PC sync and WT-6 expansion connector; Kensington security lock compatibility	USB 3.0 Micro-B, mini HDMI Type C, 3.5 mm microphone and headphone sockets, PC sync and 10-pin remote/GPS terminal; optional UT-1 provides wired LAN
Wireless connections
Wireless connections	Integrated 802.11a/b/g/n/ac Wi-Fi, Bluetooth 4.2 and SnapBridge; 5 GHz availability depends on region and station mode. Integrated GPS/GLONASS/QZSS positioning, unavailable in some regions; optional WT-6 transmitter for network transfer	No built-in Wi-Fi or GPS; optional WT-4 networking or WT-5 with UT-1, GP-1 GPS and WR-R10 with WR-A10 adapter or WR-1 remote. Current Japan lists later accessory support
Battery life detail
Battery life detail	EN-EL18c; approximately 3580 CIPA single-frame photographs, 8670 continuous photographs under Nikon's separate test and 105 minutes of CIPA movie battery life. EN-EL18b/18a/18 also supported, with lower endurance using original EN-EL18	EN-EL15, approximately 900 CIPA shots; optional MB-D12 takes EN-EL15, EN-EL18 with BL-5 cover or eight AA cells. Japan gives 1400 shots for grip EN-EL18 or 1000 with alkaline AA, without simultaneously counting the body's battery
Charging
Charging	External MH-26a charger; optional EH-6c adapter with EP-6 power connector	External MH-25 charger; optional EH-5b AC adapter with EP-5B connector
Dimensions
Dimensions	Approximately 160 × 163 × 92 mm	Approximately 146 × 123 × 81.5 mm Japan; current USA gives 144.78 × 121.92 × 81.28 mm
Weight detail
Weight detail	Approximately 1270 g body only; 1450 g with battery and two CFexpress cards, excluding body cap and shoe cover	Approximately 900 g body only; 1000 g with battery and SD card, excluding body cap
Materials
Materials	Magnesium-alloy body; dust/drip-resistant construction; illuminated controls	Magnesium-alloy body with dust/water-resistant sealing
Colours
Colours	–	Black
In the box
In the box	EN-EL18c battery, MH-26a charger, UC-E24 USB cable, AN-DC22 strap, DK-27 eyepiece adapter, DK-17F eyepiece, BF-1B body cap, BS-3 shoe cover, BL-6 battery cover and HDMI/USB cable clip	EN-EL15, MH-25, DK-17 eyepiece, UC-E14 USB cable and clip, AN-DC6E strap, BM-12 monitor cover, BF-1B body cap, BS-1 shoe cover and ViewNX 2 CD-ROM (Japan D800E package)