where there’s smoke there’s fire

Moire example (taken with Fuji X100)

Why would Nikon release the D800E with the anti-aliasing (AA) filter removed? The simple answer is to produce sharper images with more details and better resolution. The AA filter removes information that cannot be recorded "correctly" by the sensor. It's basically an extra layer on top of the sensor that reduces the image quality in order to remove certain undesired artifact. If you remove the AA filter, the drawback is that you can get moire patterns in certain situations (see example above). Since several readers have asked me about this topic, here are few related links about anti-aliasing (AA) filters and moire (feel free to add more links in the comment section):

• Anti-aliasing filter on Wikipedia
• Maxmax -this company offers removal of the AA filter for certain Nikon DSLR cameras (see before and after examples)
• An article about moire
• Technical explanation of aliasing

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Nikon D800 picture that was briefly displayed on Nikon's website in Germany

Few more small details on the Nikon D800/D800E:

• The version without the AA filter will be called Nikon D800E
• The D800/D800E will "read" images with 12 different channels (14-bit conversion)
• 16 bit image processing with EXPEED 3
• 3.2 in. LCD display
• 100% viewfinder coverage
• New bracketing button
• Start-up and shutter delay identical to the D4
• The D800/D800E will use the EN-EL15 battery, same as D7000
• Similar to the D4, the D800/D800E will be able to take up to 850 shots on a single battery charge which is less than the D700 that could go up to 1000 (based on CIPA standard)
• The optional battery pack for the D800/D800E will be called MB-D12
• In some markets (I think Europe) the Nikon D800/D800E will include Capture NX2