What's happening in cameras.
- This topic has 15 replies, 8 voices, and was last updated Mar 4, 2014 at 4:32 am by
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After the recent comments on the Nikon DF and the camera chat in general, I thought this would be an interesting read
for all you guys that like snapping.
It’s an essay by Michael Reichman at luminous-landscape.com on the state of camera design and very interesting.
I like this guys take on cameras because he’s never just about a single issue like resolution for example and he’s also been around for long enough to to be sucked in by marketing department razzle-dazzle.www.dsaphoto.com
A picture is thousand words that takes less than a second while a thousand words is a picture that takes a month.
Is this the article, David?
http://www.luminous-landscape.com/essays/nobody_knows_anything.shtml
Thanks man,
Zach
Wow, he skewered them all.
I have considered switching from Canon, but while I have never thought it through as thoroughly as the writer, I always came back to “to what?”. So I stayed.
He was dead on regarding Canon.
I disagree with alot of what he’s saying outside the DF comments. Today’s cameras are nothing short of amazing considering where we were just a few years ago. Damn, I remember digital cameras that took floppy drives. Now I can take images in darkened rooms with no flash, and get decent results.
My biggest gripe is the rising cost of OEM lenses and accessories. They have gotten ridiculous! The silver lining is that some of the third party manufactures have really stepped up their game. Tokina, Tamron, and Sigma, all have produced some really sweet lenses lately. My latest favorite is the new Tamron 70-200 2.8 VC. At a whopping $1000 less than the Canon L , minus tank like construction, and a little more vignette wide open, it’s pretty much it’s equal.
It’s quickly becoming my all-time favorite lens.
Look, no flash!
I’m pretty much with Mike – I think back to fairly recent cameras that I’ve owned such as the D300/D300s generation and still get a facial tick thinking about the ISO limitations I was constantly fighting. I hated to go over 400, and anything over 600 was right out.
The reliability and capability of the modern offerings may not have taken quantum leaps model over model, but digital imaging has vastly improved over, say, the last 5 years.
A shot from 2 days ago, taken under conditions that would have left my cheese hanging in the wind with a D300:
I am extremely happy with the state of gear right now. I can’t speak for the “Other” camp. I am a happy NANO shooter. It is hard to even imagine going to a crop sensor. Ugggg.
The DSLRwill always have its place however, with the line of work I do I will be shooting Medium Format. It is on my radar and when prices continue to fall and technology becomes more affordable I will make the jump for all my commercial portraiture. It is a huge leap. THE PHASE 😉
Hell for the same amount of coin I dropped on the D4 I could by a used medium format back.
Zach, thanks for fixing up my link post fail..lol
www.dsaphoto.com
A picture is thousand words that takes less than a second while a thousand words is a picture that takes a month.
Completely off topic, but I have to tell you Jay that the close up of the duck is amazing. Beautiful capture of a beautiful animal.
Thanks Don. Much appreciated. That shot took me a little over 4 years to capture. I got to share the moment with Colvin. I have seen Redheads only at a distance of about 250 yards. They are so skittish and I could never get close enough to capture one on the camera.
We have been pretty fortunate the last couple of years to be in the right position at the right time to nail down a few on the bucket list. Definitely a favorite of mine just based on the technical challenge of getting the shot. I lucked out to the point where I was clipping some of my shots as this bird got within about 6 yards of us. Great experience.
Anyways, the article linked was a little amusing. One thing I feel from my perspective is that medium format is definitely the cats-meow and as companies push innovation pricing will continue to come down. When it does so will the price tag on medium format. When that happens you will see Pro’s who are currently shooting on a companies flagship camera bodies make the jump to medium format.
As I previously mentioned DSLR will always have its place with speed. Action and wildlife shooters will be on DSLRs for sometime because I just dont see technology pushing format backs with the raw processor power it would take to shoot at higher frame rates.
When you see medium format being available for around 7-10k that currently have a price tag of 25k+ it will be a game changer in certain areas.
Interesting link if you want to check out some examples on Zach’s Phase One and “Why I moved to Medium Format”. I enjoyed the read and I think you will too:
https://zackarias.com/for-photographers/gear-gadgets/why-i-moved-to-medium-format-phase-one-iq140-review/It is on my radar 😉
Yeah I agree, I almost fell through my monitor checking out the detail on that duck yesterday. Great shot!
Zach
Like everyone else has already stated that is an awesome shot Jay. I’d love to see or know more about your sharpening technique in post.
I am out of the gear trends right now. Ive kind of become bored with a lot of what is going on in photography. It may be due to the over saturation of images these days. Don’t get me wrong, I still shoot and enjoy the process. And with my iPhone, I probably shoot more than ever. If I’m out to shoot landscapes, I carry my Mamiya RB and some rolls of film and my 20D or 30D and some lenses. But I dont have a serious camera that I like to carry with me no matter where I go. And that has lead me to only have a specific need for a camera.
I feel like the manufacturers are not paying attention to the pro market in the mirrorless arena. Could we please get a fully manual compact camera with a good range of lenses? Either dual wheels for shutter and aperture or put the aperture controls back on the lens. Combine that with a full frame sensor and a range of lenses that I can afford and I would be extremely happy. So far, the Fuji X-Pro1 is about the only thing Ive found that sparks my interest. But every time I look at the system, I get turned off by the cost. I guess the X-T1 falls into that same category but it looks like Id be approaching DSLR size again, and I might as well just upgrade to a 5D at that point.I’m curious to see how the new Nikon 1 AW1 plays out. A waterproof camera with interchangable lenses looks extremely appealing. Just get me a wide angle lens with a dome on the front and I may have to put a balance on my credit card.
http://society6.com/grainfarmer Fly Fishing and Landscape open edition Photography prints.
http://grainfarmer.vsco.co/ iPhone photos
http://instagram.com/chad_simcox InstagramISo far, the Fuji X-Pro1 is about the only thing Ive found that sparks my interest. But every time I look at the system, I get turned off by the cost. I guess the X-T1 falls into that same category but it looks like Id be approaching DSLR size again, and I might as well just upgrade to a 5D at that point.
Chad … I agree with your assessment here. I got to play with the X-T1 a couple days ago, and I <i>really</i> like the size and feel. However, at its current price point it is just way to hard to pull the trigger. Think I am just going to wait it out and see what the next Canon 7D successor is like.
Chad, what about the Sony A7’s ?
(A bit lighter than your RB ! – lol)
They have my interest, but a buy is still out there with some more lens availability.
That said, it’s moving in the right direction.
What really holds me back is I wouldn’t want to buy into a system and then have it fade away due to a lack of interest from buyers and the manufacturer.Also, recently I did a review of the Nikon AW-1 and it’s a little ripper of a camera – WAY better than I expected given it’s size.
IMHO, it would be the pick of the ‘I’m to lazy to haul around a DSLR system fishing camera’ of the moment.Agree with you guys on the Fuji stuff – very cool – though still not quite.
Fussy ?
Hell yes !!
lolJay, that is a cool shot of the duck.
I envy the sort of patience required to get good wildlife photos..www.dsaphoto.com
A picture is thousand words that takes less than a second while a thousand words is a picture that takes a month.
Its funny, I go back and forth on my compact 35mm cameras. I like shooting with them, but with the cost of use every time vs just taking a P&S digital or iPhone for snapshots, I find a reason to not take them out. I dont have anything great, but its nice to be able to have manual controls. Then of course I shoot and leave the rolls of film sitting around for months/years before developing it. I loved it when Target was doing one hour development only of rolls for 99¢. Then they started phasing out the chemical photo departments. Of course, sometimes the process of scanning can be tiresome.
As far as the Sony system… I’m not sure. Ive seen some great shots come from photographers using the NEX series of cameras. Again though, the price point of buying into a new system is my barrier of entry. My problem with the NEX is that it does not have a viewfinder. I dont like the idea of having to use a LCD screen as my viewfinder. One for battery use, and two because of delay. Optical viewfinders on rangefinders make sense and are a technology that has worked for many many years. Theres got to be a way to have that style viewfinder work in conjunction with zoom lenses to get the correct field of view.
David, Id love to see your review of the AW-1. Where could we find that?
Anyone tried the Panasonic Lumix GX-7?
http://society6.com/grainfarmer Fly Fishing and Landscape open edition Photography prints.
http://grainfarmer.vsco.co/ iPhone photos
http://instagram.com/chad_simcox InstagramDavid, Id love to see your review of the AW-1. Where could we find that?
It’s going to run in Flylife magazine (Australia) – a quarterly – in about 3 months..
I’ll put up a link to it when I can.www.dsaphoto.com
A picture is thousand words that takes less than a second while a thousand words is a picture that takes a month.
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