Questions, questions, questions…….
My last two blog entries have started a panic!!!! I’ve gotten several emails asking if I’m dumping my FX gear for good!!!! The short answer is no, the long answer follows!
As my readers know, from painfully watching me gnash my teeth about what gear to choose for retirement that I’ve been obsessing, there I’ve said it, yes I have been obsessing about what I’ll use in the years to come. On the way back from St. Maarten I took my iPad and looked at all my favorite images I store there to share from the past 6 to 7 years of shooting digital. I hoped it would give me a clue about that decision. I came up with several surprising personal revelations;
1. Some of my favorite images which I think are technically very well done, were done with cameras I wouldn’t even consider using today, D70, D100, D2x. It’s amazing how often the teacher tells us that the gear doesn’t matter as much as the photographer, and then forgets it himself when it applies to him!! The truth is, I’ve made images that I’m very pleased with, with cameras that don’t hold a candle to what we have available today, which has me thinking, does all the advancement matter???? Yes it does, but probably not as much as we sometimes think.
2. It’s more about light, subject, conditions, and composition, than megapixels! Is a D800 higher resolving than a D700? Sure, but it may or may not matter much depending on what you are going to do with the resulting images! Truthfully for what I do, and 800 may be overkill. I made a lot of images I love with the trusty old D700!
3. Weight matters. Since I have been using compact cameras and DX cameras more, I’m having more fun, and that fun is leading to better images. It may just be that, I’m in the first class of the Baby Boomers, but lots of my friends are also making the same transition I’m making to lighter gear!!!! If you are weary, so is your vision!!
So am I dumping FX? No! I will keep a FX body and several key lenses, plus a bag full of old manual glass I still love and will play with it a lot in the years to come, but you will not likely see me carrying it for long walks and hikes! No, I suspect I’m headed toward much lighter smaller systems in the future.
Which DX body? I’m really loving the D7100. I think it is a great mix of features, build and speed. Along with lighter DX lenses I see it as a very useful tool for many kinds of work. I think the system I featured yesterday will get a lot of work from me in the years to come.
Which mirror-less camera? Still working on that, the field is packed with great candidates, I’ll let you know when I know!! One thing is for sure when I see some of the images Sam Garcia takes with our Coolpix cameras, and what Zak Arias does with his mirror-less cameras, and a number of others are producing, I think we can start taking the smaller cameras, a lot more seriously!!!
The picture above? My iPhone 4s, point made, and I hope, point taken!!!!!!
Blessings,
the pilgrim
This entry was posted on Wednesday, March 27th, 2013 at 10:54 pm
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Sorry Bill, I’m not sold. I see a huge difference in my D800 images and every other non D800 image I’ve taken. The D600 is to limited ( especially bracketing ). The. D7100 may indeed me nice but the incremental weight difference compared to features and quality make it a no brainer choice for me. I’ll continue to look for the perfect bag and take one less lens (I think the 16-35 and 24-120 is really all I need anyway and if needed the 28-300’s weight won’t brak me) before I’d give up the D800. IMHO Nikon has made the ultimate landscape camera in the D800.
What I really need is THE bag that works for what I need on the plane, at the hotel, and while hiking the trail.
I agree with all you’ve said about the D800, and I’m glad for you that it and the FX lenses don’t burden you down, I wish I could say the same!!! That’s why we make all those different models! Seems like it’s working for both of us! 😉
Bill, I totally see the wisdom with having the D7100. I love my D7000 and it looks like the D7100 improves on everything that my D7000 does. I know I also want an FX camera and lenses some day in my future. For me, the D7000 does so much that whatever FX I get in the future has to take me a big leap ahead – so I would look at either the D800 or D4 for wildlife, including all the bird photography. I wonder what FX camera you’re thinking about?
I’m still thinking about it, but, I think I could do 90% of what I do with the D700. It’s a matter of what file sizes you need! Some folks certainly need very large files, some don’t, I may be one of those that does not. It’s hard to be honest with yourself!!!! But, and you knew this was coming!! “Honesty is the best policy!”
Very good Bill. They actually had a D700 come to our local camera store at a very good price. I won’t get it – not now, but I know someday in my future, Lord willing, I’ll be getting an FX camera – just don’t what! Right now, I’m loving my D7000 and learning so much!
I still like the offroad stroller. I can’t carry any amount of gear for very long due to physical limitations and the stroller works great for me. At $25 at a yard sale I couldn’t beat the price either. The cart over at Outdoor Photo Gear is around three hundred dollars
That’s a really novel idea! Good for you!