Canon 1D MII vs Nikon D800

Here, we are looking at the Canon 1D MII vs Nikon D800, former being a Pro DSLR while the other is a Advanced DSLR by manufacturers Canon and Nikon. There exists a noticeable gap among the resolutions of the 1D MII (8MP) and D800 (36MP) and the 1D MII (APS-H) and D800 (Full frame) have different sensor sizes.

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The 1D MII was unveiled 9 years earlier than the D800 and that is a fairly sizable difference as far as camera technology is concerned. Both of these cameras feature different body design with the Canon 1D MII being a Large SLR camera and the Nikon D800 being a Mid-size SLR camera.

Before we go right into a more detailed comparison, here is a short synopsis of how the 1D MII grades vs the D800 when considering portability, imaging, features and an overall grade.

Here is a sample of the gallery pictures for Canon EOS-1D Mark II & Nikon D800. The full galleries are viewable at Canon 1D MII Gallery & Nikon D800 Gallery.

If you are aiming to lug around your camera, you're going to have to consider its weight and size. The Canon 1D MII has got outer dimensions of 156mm x 158mm x 80mm (6.1" x 6.2" x 3.1") with a weight of 1565 grams (3.45 lbs) while the Nikon D800 has specifications of 146mm x 123mm x 82mm (5.7" x 4.8" x 3.2") with a weight of 900 grams (1.98 lbs).

Contrast the Canon 1D MII vs Nikon D800 in our newest Camera plus Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Don't forget, the weight of an ILC will differ depending on the lens you choose at the time. Here is a front view physical size comparison of the 1D MII versus the D800.

Using dimensions and weight, the portability grade of the 1D MII and D800 is 50 and 54 respectively.

Quite often, its difficult to picture the difference in sensor measurements purely by seeing a spec sheet. The visual below may give you a better sense of the sensor dimensions in the 1D MII and D800.

As you can see, both cameras come with different megapixel count and different sensor measurements. The 1D MII having a smaller sensor is going to make shooting shallower DOF tougher and the Nikon D800 will produce extra detail having an extra 28MP. Greater resolution can also make it easier to crop photos a good deal more aggressively. The older 1D MII will be disadvantaged with regard to sensor innovation.