Nikon has announced their highly anticipated D800 DSLR. Most folks assumed it would be a replacement for the D700. Instead it's a different species altogether, designed for wedding/fashion pros and priced at $3000.

The big news is the 36.3-megapixel, 7360 x 4912 resolution FX-format CMOS sensor that Nikon promises will deliver "astonishing image quality." My first impression was that more MP usually means more noise for low-light, high ISO images, but Nikon promises "amazing low noise images through the ISO range" (100-6400) using advanced processing technology. Maybe that's true. Pixel density on the larger FX sensor is similar to DX sensors, which Nikon has improved tremendously in terms of high ISO performance. But the files will be huge.

Bonus, with 36.3 MP you can crop away to your heart's content. You can also shoot in several lower resolution modes, including one compatible with DX lenses making it a 15MP 1.5 crop DX camera good for telephoto.

This probably won't be a sports camera, though, with maxim 4 FPS (6 FPS in DX mode with optional battery pack).

The other big news is 1080p HD video with several pro features and HDMI output from the camera.

Other new features are improved image processing system, improved autofocus, improved metering, improved auto-white balance, larger viewfinder with 100% frame coverage, larger LCD, in-camera HDR, etc. Basic features for exposure, autofocus, metering, bracketing, etc. are similar to other high-end Nikon cameras.

Read the press release and specs at DP Review, and here's the Nikon D800 page with a few sample images.