Nikon Digital SLR

[sinedyar]

I use a Nikon D100 digital SLR and plan on eventually getting a Nikon D70s. Anyone else here using Nikon digital SLRs?

Denis

[herron]

Sorry, not me...I have the Canon 300D (Digital Rebel) -- on the recommendation of my son, who uses the larger megapixel Canon DSLRs in his business (architectural photographer)

[sinedyar]

Herron, then you shouldn't have answered. :-) But, then, that's the way Canon guys are. :-)

Denis

[herron]

LOL -- must be the Mamiya guy in me!

;D

[sinedyar]

I see Nikon just officially announced their D200 digital SLR. That may well be the next camera I buy.

Denis

[vintageslrs]

Denis

quite a nice choice!!
guess you have been saving your pennies


tell me how do you handle the problem of image storage
on formats that may not be compatible in the very near future......it's not as simple as putting prints in a plastic storage box . is it?


Bob

[sinedyar]

Hi, Bob:

I'm still primarily a film person, and as with film I don't save every digital picture I take. So having copies of my digital images that I want to keep both on harddrive and DVD, plus a backup of the hard drive is how I'm handling it at present.

Denis

[lulalake]

sinedyar said:

I see Nikon just officially announced their D200 digital SLR. That may well be the next camera I buy.

Denis

I'm looking at the same thing, DPreview is coming out with a full review on it in the next couple of days

Jules

[sinedyar]

Jules:

Looks very promissing. I'm somewhat excited about it. I'm nearing retirement so don't know if I'll be able to afford one, but will be trying to save for one - if all the reviews are favorable.

Denis

[kamera]

I look and look at each Nikon DSLR that comes out as I have a number of Nikkor lenses. But I still resist for 3 reasons:

1. Am still heavily into film and not truely convinced yet on digital.
2. I am frankly very intimidated by all those controls.
3. Based on #1&2, I think the camera, for the price, would get very little use.

Ron Head
Kalamazoo, MI

[sinedyar]

Ron:

I felt much the same as you until finally getting a digital SLR. I still prefer film, but digital is here to stay, does have good quality, and the controls are not nearly as bad or complicated as one might think.

Denis

[kiev4a]

My problem with the digital SLRs is the knowledge that I can spend a thousand dollars or more on the newest model and in a couple of years it will be low tech and worth very little -- just like the computer you paid two grand for two years ago that you'll have to pay someone to haul to the landfill today. I would have to go Nikon because I've invested heavily in Nikkor lenses. But I've been told Nikon is famous for releasing models then fixing the bugs later, while Canon does a better job of solving those problems before releasing. My Canon A-80 Point and Shoot drives me nuts because of the shutter lag.

[kamera]

It does seem, upon reading the reviews, that digital camera quality is improving greatly. In fact, I see different ones(even the digital PS's) state "quality enlargements up to 16x20". That I take with a grain of salt, so to speak.

I, like Wayne, would have to go with Nikon as that is the bulk of my lense buildup and all my AF ones could be used inspite of the 1.5 or 1.6 focal length factor, which really would not bother me. However now in the prosumer cameras, Canon and Pentax have ones with a higher MP than Nikon. Granted there are other specifications as important but it still seems the more MP the better. Interesting, when the D50 came out I talked to three different salesperson in an established store and got three different opinions on the importance of MP.
Just further clouded my understanding.

So for now the quest and consideration merely continue for me. Still think I will wait for even lower prices on a decent prosumer model; have not really given any thought to a pro model.

Ron Head
Kalamazoo, MI

[herron]

Ron:
If you have an investment in lenses for Nikon, then go with Nikon in a DSLR. Digital lenses are not cheap!

When I bought my digital SLR, my heaviest investments were in Mamiya lenses, which couldn't be used anyway (at least until I found an EOS adapter for threaded lenses), so I opted for the Canon 300D (digital rebel), based on a recommendation from my son.

My son just bought the latest Canon digital (the 12+ megapixel version, whichever one that is) and he uses them in his architectural photography business. He must believe in them, he sold his Hasselblad to get another new Canon body! He would rather have one of the large-format digital backs for his 4x5 (to take advantage of the swings & tilts for perspective)...but you could buy a small house for what they cost!

He says the new Canon (and he loves the lenses, by the way) is the next best thing, and he says the latest versions of Photoshop make it easy for him to control the perspective after-the-fact. He likes the new, larger sensor size (full 35mm area), says the lag time in the newest DSLRs is practically nonexistent, and insists that total MP do count, but you need to consider the pixel length and width, too!

As to digital print size, I use this rule of thumb (which seems to work just fine):

To calculate the largest photo-quality print you can make (in inches) with a digital camera, divide the vertical and horizontal pixel counts (see your manual) by 200. For critical applications, or if you want exhibition-quality prints, divide the pixel counts by 250.

In other words, a 5mp processor and a largest pixel count of 2592 x 1944, can be expected to provide a reasonably good print up to 13" x 10" (approximately). On the other hand, a larger MP processor with a pixel count of 5488 x 4145 pixels, can provide quality prints to about 28" x 20".

[sinedyar]

Jules: Now that the D200 is out and being delivered, I'm seeing nothing but positive comments on it. Looks like it will be a real winner!

Denis