Thinking about a digital SLR

[Hardyhead 0]

Ok, so I am thinking about buying a digital SLR.

 

I have 2 standard SLR cameras, an old Nikon F, and Topcon that used to belong to the US Secret Service that I bought at an auction. I shoot photos with these quite a bit, and I have my own darkroom for B&Ws, but I rarely shoot color with either of these cameras, and when photographing flies I am always borrowing someones digital camera.

 

I would like to get a digital SLR for outdoor color photography and photographing my flies. I am thinking about getting a Nikon D80, seems like an all around solid camera. Anyone have experience with either the D80 or other digital SLRs? Any input would be appreciated.

[KVRNut 0]

Have heard a lot of good things about the D80 and have recommended it, or the D200, to a friend of mine who uses a Nikon 35mm SLR. I'm pretty sure that Graham is real happy with his D200 and he takes some super photos with it.

 

Personally, I won't be going digital until after I get a Canon EOS 1V 35mm camera paid for. Then I'm pretty sure my fist digital will be a Canon EOS full frame digital.

 

Ernie

 

[Graham 0]

I LOVE my D200! It took me a few months to learn how to operate it, but with your experience with SLR photography, that wont be such an issue. I think a D80 would be perfect for outdoor and fly photography, but, for action shots, a D200 or better would be my recomendation.

 

I'm eagerly awaiting the D300 or D3x because I really like fast action shots, such as birds in flight, and want more focus sensors, and all of them to be cross type, instead of vertical or horizontal. My D200 only has a cross sensor in the middle of the group of eleven. For fly and macro photography the sensor types doesn't matter to me because I manually focus those shots, same is true with outdoor shots using a tripod.

 

Graham

[KVRNut 0]

Have you checked out the new D2Xs Graham?

[Guest]

Graham,

 

have you heard any official word on the D3x? Everything I have heard is just rumor and Nikon has not even officially announed that this camera even exists. I have heard everything from it being a full frame sensor(or close to it) to it being 22 MP. I heard the same rumors a while back that Nikon was going to announce the D3x and they ended up announcing the D40 which was going in the opposite direction of being for "professionals".

[Graham 0]

I've drooled on the D2Xs with the Cam2000 system, and have only heard rumors about a new 3 series. I think it was on the Nikonians forum where some are expecting Nikon to finally make their new equipment public, possibly this month at a show in Europe??? If I was rolling in dough, a Hasselblad would be nice LOL I read a review in January's Professional Photographer magazine (a British Publication) and the difference between D2Xs and Leaf-Aptus-digital-back was amazing, almost made the top of the line Nikon look crappy. And the Phase One P45 with 39 megapixels is incredbile, ISO 25 -1600. But these camera only make the extra mega pixels count if top shelf glass is used.

 

I guess you get what you pay for, and for now I'm very happy with my D200, I'll stay with Nikon, but hope to eventually use my D200 as a backup, when the next generation Nikon technology is available. What kind of sucks is the thought of my DX lenses, (17-55 /2.8) made for the smaller sensor, will likely not work with a full size Nikon sensor without massive vignette. But I do like the 1.5 crop factor, makes my 300 /4 with a TC14 a very light weight 630mm... Because I enjoy shooting birds so much, the smaller sensor helps me a lot, well, saves the cost of longer glass and carrying the extra weight. For general walking around shooting, like vacations, and fishing shots, I really love the Nikon 17-55 /2.8

 

 

[Hardyhead 0]

 

The D200 looks pretty good, but might be a bit pricey for my application, although looking at some of your photos that you have taken Graham, if those are from the D200, then price be damned You listed a general lens you like to use, is there a specific ones I should consider or avoid? Some of my old SLR lenses are screw mount and all manual, so I know they will not work, which is a shame, I have some really good glass on some of the Pentax Asahi lenses.

 

My sister has a Canon EOS 35mm, and she likes her camera, but I don't like the feel of the Canon SLRs in the $1000 price range, they seem cheaply made to me. I am still browsing other brands, but it still seems like the Nikon has the best features.

[Graham 0]

Hi Hardyhead,

 

All of the pics I've been posting were taken with the D200. I have to admit, I've invested more in lenses than the camera. Hopefully the lenses will last me a lifetime, although the camera likely wont, with all of the internal electronics.

 

I don't know which lenses to avoid, seems like most of the Nikon glass is good. I avoided the 18-200 and spend more to have the 17-55 /2.8 and 70-200 /2.8. These are incredible lenses, very fast to focus, even in dim light. For fly tying photos I use a Sigma 105 macro, the first lens I bought, but I wish I had the 105 Nikon with VR instead, but that really doesn't matter much because I use a Manfotto adjustable clamp arm at my tying desk, with a Manfrotto pistol grip ball camera mount. For insect and other macro shots in the field I use the Nikon 200mm /4 with either a monopod, or, for the dragonfly shots, a Gitzo trekker with a full size Novoflex ball head. This set allows me to have my camera at ground level, and the Magic Ball permits full range of motion, unlike other ball heads. I would avoid macro focusing rails. I bought the Adorama dual axis for fly tying and the Manfrotto single axis for use in the field, have tried them both, but don't use them. Maybe for super close up stuff they would be helpfull, but I'm not into scientific looking shots. I like to see the whole bug and some background, with the background pleasingly a wash of blurred color. I really like the products from Novoflex, especially for my macro flash set up, ball heads and qucik releases. For hand held macro shots I mount my D200 with 200mm lens onto a Novoflex hand mount, have two flexible arms that support flash units, but I typically only use one, but the second arm has the optional ground spike, and the D200 wireless flash system allows for remote flash control. That said, I seem to have better control of the TLL flash when I use a hot shoe cord to the flash. I've learned to never use the D200 auto fill flash, instead I control the light by using manual flash mode, and make all of the compensation setting on the flash unit, not the camera. For fill flash -1 to -1.7 seems to work well for most situations.

[Graham 0]

Features I like about my D200

 

Mirror lock up for macro and scenic shots with depth of field

 

Depth of field preview button

 

5 frames per second for action shots

 

super fast focusing, set to track objects across the field of view once focus is established, which makes the flying bird shots rather easy

 

shoots in RAW as well as JPEG

 

built like a tank

 

4 on board customizable menus, as well as 4 customizable pre-programed shooting modes, I have them set and named action, portrait, flash, and auto-ISO-point and shoot. There are quite a few different settings pre-programed to allow me to quickly change all of my settings by choosing a differnt menu bank. I mostly shoot in Aperture priority mode, even for action shots, and adjust my ISO to control the shutter speed.

 

Single servo and continuos servo option is nice as well, I very often use C mode, and have the action menu set for "release" instead of "focus lock", which allows the shutter to be released even if the camera thinks nothing is in focus. I like to hand someone a fish for me to photograph, and I blast off a couple dozen shots in a few seconds, and it seems like one photo always stands out as the best. This makes it easy.

 

The D200 Matrix metering system is amazing! I use this most of the time, unless I'm filling the frame with my subject and switch to Center Weighted metering. The only times I've used spot metering, so far, is for sunset shots, where I point the spot meter to the sky, left or right of the sun, in manual mode, dial in my exposure, then swing back with the sun in the viewfinder.

 

I guess I could go on and on, there are so many great features the D200 has, especially user control. That said, I lost 3 months of my life reading, studying just trying to figure out how to use it. If you just want to point and shoot and take very nice photos the D40 or 80 would be great. I like the ability to control the camera completely, and only wish I had more focus sensors, and all of them to be cross type. For fast action bird shots I use the center focus sensor to lock on, but, with the menu set to "release" mode with "focus tracking", the focus stays locked on the bird even though it's no longer centered.

[Carlin 0]

My sister has a Canon EOS 35mm, and she likes her camera, but I don't like the feel of the Canon SLRs in the $1000 price range

Don't take the build quality of the 300D, 350D or 400D (EOS, XT, XTi) as indicative of the build quality of the higher end pro-sumer Canon bodies such as the 20D and 30D which are super heavy-duty and much better made than their smaller, plastic bodied brethren.

 

Not that I want to dissuade you from taking Graham's advise on the Nikon, but I have a Canon 30d and absolutely love it, though my total experience with the D200 was limited to about 30 seconds of holding Grahams.

[Graham 0]

Hey Carlin, I agree, the Canon camera's are great. If I didn't have the Nikon, I'd seriously consider the Canon. Both are great.

 

BTW... here's a pic from last November, I caught a nice fish, handed it to Carlin, and I got down low and blasted off some shots, and this was my favorite.... used the 17-55 set at 19mm, focused on the eye, using one of the outer focus sensor points ...

 

[Hardyhead 0]

 

Very cool pic Graham. Well I have done as much digging as I can online, I guess it's time to go this weekend and have a look at the cameras. Hopefully I will be able to make my decision in a reasonable time frame, usually I waffle about for a while when purchasing something like this, don't know why, it seems like I don't bat an eye when I spend a boatload of money on a fly rod and reel, but for some reason non-fishing items make me balk sometimes.

 

Thanks for all the great info, hopefully I will be posting some pics soon

[Frogfish 0]

Hey guys, will the Nikkor Series Lenses work on digital SLRs like the D200?

 

Also, I found the D200 for $500.

http://www.expresscameras.com/prodetails.a...117&start=1

 

Should I try to get this camera, or try for something else?

 

Edit: Nevermind, I found out the Nikkor lenses will work...Will the old ones work to? Any 35 mm lense will work, right?

[Graham 0]

Express camera has a horrible reputation. Do a google search for scams and complaints... You'll find many. Do this type of search for any online camera store. There are a number of scammers out there, and lots of complains about the employees using your credit card info for themselves. If the price is too good to be true, watch out. I belive almost all Nikor lens work with the D200.

[Frogfish 0]

Ok, thanks for the heads up Graham!

 

Will the old Nikkor lenses work too?