Appendix B: Accessories
There are an overwhelming number of accessories for the D800 for all different kinds of purposes. Nikon makes some of them and third party manufacturers make some. This is just a short list of some of the accessories that Nikon has available for the D800.
Nikon MB-D12 Battery grip
While not absolutely necessary this accessory is one that I find the most useful. Not only does it allow you to add an extra battery for extended shooting time, it also provides you with a full set of controls for handling the camera vertically. In addition to that, if you use the Nikon EN-EL-18 battery (the D4 battery) or AA batteries it allows you to increase the frame rate from 4 frames per second (fps) in FX up to 6 fps in DX mode (without the grip the D800 shoots at 5 fps). This isn’t a great improvement like the D700, which allowed a jump from 5 fps to 8 fps in FX mode, a great increase in speed if you’re a sports or photojournalist.
If you’re looking for a speedier frame rate you need the D4, which shoots at 10 fps in continuous AF and 11 fps with AF locked. The D4 is also half the resolution and twice the price.
The vertical controls allow you to hold the camera at a normal angle, which helps prevent the elbow up in the air shooting style and allows you to shoot in the more comfortable traditional style all while providing you with all of the controls that you have while shooting in the traditional style including a Shutter Release button (which can be switched ...
