Asher Kelman
OPF Owner/Editor-in-Chief
There's a significant opinion by a frequent commentator on cameras, Michael Reichman that Nikon's new flagship DSLR, the 24MP D3x is not a competitively priced camera in this quality range. Michael has been correct on a number of predictions, but not always! Here's an excerpt from "Judging Value" by Michael Reichman:
So what do we think? I have already stated that the Nikon D700, having almost all the owl-like capability of the D3, at a modest price, is the camera of the year likely to bring back the joie de vivre in the hearts of Nikon users! For many photographers, the price of a camera is "budget dust" compared to the massive material and processing costs they had with film for every client. With todays Nikons and Canons, the speed of being able to supply images to news desks and art directors and other clients has revolutionized the impact of their creative work. They are not buying the camera for "review". Most already have a huge investment in Nikon glass and several Nikon bodies to boot. For these folk, there is little immediate interest in giving up the superb optics of Nikon with brilliant focus for the albeit logical price advantages of Sony's (Minolta-heritage) 24 MP A 900. Even for enthusiasts, few lenses on the market match the Nikon superwide angle zooms. The other lenses can stand shoulder to shoulder with Canon's best. If I was still using Nikons and wanted large prints, this D3X is what I'd get.
Read about real Pros who make their living competing with other photographers in the quality of their prints; the clarity, contrast, resolution and dynamic range and resistance to brights being blown and shadows lost. The best of the best are MF backs. If one cannot justify that, the Nikon, Sony and Canon offerings are logical choices.
Now why would nicolas Claris choose an US $8,000 + all the European VAT and extra price margin to get a Canon 1DsIII 21MP camera over the previous 1DsII 16MMP full frame predecessor? Simple! He needs to make prints that are stunning to show off 50 million dollar yachts and $400,000 motor vessels. Some prints are for closed circulation books, others for brochures. For eye-level billboards every good pixel counts! Often such prints are 10 feet by 24 feet! That might be just from 70% of the full frame! For such professional work, the camera needs to be well waterproofed, of course, as he's low over the boat in hanging from a helicopter or else bumping through a foaming wake in a chase boat. Now for a Nikon users, the same resolution pictures could be taken with the D3X. The photographer with a D700 would be at a disadvantage!
For a lot of us, we can sell our current 5D or 1DsII and get a 5DII. However, unlike the Nikon 700 or D3. the 5DII has been given a less sophisticated focus system than the flagship, for Canon, the 1DsIII.
So, I can see now a good reason for even switching to Nikon, (which I'll likely not do for other reasons) because one can have a 24MP full frame camera and for a bargain price and as a backup a brilliant super-focussing D700 that can see what the owl sees!
With the Canon, to maintain focus quality, one needs two 1DsIII, LOL. Now, the 5DII is going to be a revolutionary camera, but doesn't take the spotlight off Nikon and for sure many pros will use it ad their main camera, but for many, the moat rugged camera will still be preferred, regardless of paying $3000-$5000 more!
For a long time, Nikon in press booths were just black dots in a see of white Canon lenses. Now it's changing. I do not doubt that people who depend on their cameras to put bread on their table will welcome and embrace the D3X.
Now, just like the 600mm lenses, Nikon does not expect to sell thousands every day. I think the mere availability of this camera, will influence enthusiasts getting into their first DSLR. The fact that there's a D3 and even a D3X provides an upgrade path and a feeling of belonging to the "Nikonians", one of the most brand-loyal photographic communities that are around.
There do not need to be many flagships sold. I'm betting that enough will be sold to impress Canon and MF camera MFRS. From this I'd expect new bold moves by Canon and lower prices in the MF market.
I don't think the age of the flagships are past. We have yet to see the best. I'd imagine the S3 Leica might be a path Canon will take next, of increasing the sensor size. The other possibility would be a new midrange enthusiast's camera with Foveon like sensor and no need for Bayer interpolation.
Thousands of professionals will immediately buy the D3X if it can be at all justified. It's a wonderful feeling to have the latest and the best to go on your best lenses! If it can get them more orders and help deliver the work they want, the choice will be even better. Doctors, dentists and lawyers will always go for the "best" and that's not yet Sony. No baloney!
Asher
Source in Luminous Landscape.com, December 2cd 2008.Michael Reichman said:That's something of what I feel about the D3x and why I cancelled my order. Yes, I can afford it, but I simply find it not to represent good value. After testing the 24MP Sony A900 (which I purchased for less than the equivalent of US $2,500 here in Toronto last month) the thought of paying US $8,000 for a camera that that has the same resolution, the same frame rates, a similar large and bright viewfinder, etc, just seemed to me to be a bad value proposition. The Canon 5DII at well under $3,000 is another current alternative in a full-frame 20+ MP camera.
With the value represented by the Nikon D700 as compared to the D3, and the Canon 5DII as compared to the 1Ds MKIII, I feel that the days of the mega-pro DSLR are numbered for many photographers. Yes, of course they offer superior AF, weather sealing and maybe a slight edge in image quality, but the price differential is enormous, especially now as the world enters a serious recession, if not worse..........
That was the reasoning behind the cancellation of my D3x order – simply the acceptance that an era has passed, and that the perceived value wasn't there (for me) at the US $8,000 price point given the current economic and technology environment. It might be for others though.
So what do we think? I have already stated that the Nikon D700, having almost all the owl-like capability of the D3, at a modest price, is the camera of the year likely to bring back the joie de vivre in the hearts of Nikon users! For many photographers, the price of a camera is "budget dust" compared to the massive material and processing costs they had with film for every client. With todays Nikons and Canons, the speed of being able to supply images to news desks and art directors and other clients has revolutionized the impact of their creative work. They are not buying the camera for "review". Most already have a huge investment in Nikon glass and several Nikon bodies to boot. For these folk, there is little immediate interest in giving up the superb optics of Nikon with brilliant focus for the albeit logical price advantages of Sony's (Minolta-heritage) 24 MP A 900. Even for enthusiasts, few lenses on the market match the Nikon superwide angle zooms. The other lenses can stand shoulder to shoulder with Canon's best. If I was still using Nikons and wanted large prints, this D3X is what I'd get.
Read about real Pros who make their living competing with other photographers in the quality of their prints; the clarity, contrast, resolution and dynamic range and resistance to brights being blown and shadows lost. The best of the best are MF backs. If one cannot justify that, the Nikon, Sony and Canon offerings are logical choices.
Now why would nicolas Claris choose an US $8,000 + all the European VAT and extra price margin to get a Canon 1DsIII 21MP camera over the previous 1DsII 16MMP full frame predecessor? Simple! He needs to make prints that are stunning to show off 50 million dollar yachts and $400,000 motor vessels. Some prints are for closed circulation books, others for brochures. For eye-level billboards every good pixel counts! Often such prints are 10 feet by 24 feet! That might be just from 70% of the full frame! For such professional work, the camera needs to be well waterproofed, of course, as he's low over the boat in hanging from a helicopter or else bumping through a foaming wake in a chase boat. Now for a Nikon users, the same resolution pictures could be taken with the D3X. The photographer with a D700 would be at a disadvantage!
For a lot of us, we can sell our current 5D or 1DsII and get a 5DII. However, unlike the Nikon 700 or D3. the 5DII has been given a less sophisticated focus system than the flagship, for Canon, the 1DsIII.
So, I can see now a good reason for even switching to Nikon, (which I'll likely not do for other reasons) because one can have a 24MP full frame camera and for a bargain price and as a backup a brilliant super-focussing D700 that can see what the owl sees!
With the Canon, to maintain focus quality, one needs two 1DsIII, LOL. Now, the 5DII is going to be a revolutionary camera, but doesn't take the spotlight off Nikon and for sure many pros will use it ad their main camera, but for many, the moat rugged camera will still be preferred, regardless of paying $3000-$5000 more!
For a long time, Nikon in press booths were just black dots in a see of white Canon lenses. Now it's changing. I do not doubt that people who depend on their cameras to put bread on their table will welcome and embrace the D3X.
Now, just like the 600mm lenses, Nikon does not expect to sell thousands every day. I think the mere availability of this camera, will influence enthusiasts getting into their first DSLR. The fact that there's a D3 and even a D3X provides an upgrade path and a feeling of belonging to the "Nikonians", one of the most brand-loyal photographic communities that are around.
There do not need to be many flagships sold. I'm betting that enough will be sold to impress Canon and MF camera MFRS. From this I'd expect new bold moves by Canon and lower prices in the MF market.
I don't think the age of the flagships are past. We have yet to see the best. I'd imagine the S3 Leica might be a path Canon will take next, of increasing the sensor size. The other possibility would be a new midrange enthusiast's camera with Foveon like sensor and no need for Bayer interpolation.
Thousands of professionals will immediately buy the D3X if it can be at all justified. It's a wonderful feeling to have the latest and the best to go on your best lenses! If it can get them more orders and help deliver the work they want, the choice will be even better. Doctors, dentists and lawyers will always go for the "best" and that's not yet Sony. No baloney!
Asher