Chasing Rainbows

I’m really getting tired of reading about the whole Nikon D600/610 debacle. There is no D610, really. It’s a D600, with an improved shutter.

Yes, Nikon made a boo-boo. They released a camera with an over-lubricated shutter, of questionable design. Then they fixed it. They could have just put the new shutter in the D600 and done with it. But the implications of that would have been to offer a free retrofit to all the existing D600 users. And that would have been a nightmare.

If you enjoy using Nikon cameras as I do, and you want them to be around a while, remaining solvent in the face of Canon, then you will understand this decision. And this is exactly why I NEVER purchase a product the moment it comes out. So if you bought a D600 and you can’t get past sending your camera back to Nikon to have it cleaned and/or repaired, then don’t come complaining to me (through repeated posts on the internet.)

Everyone’s complaining that the D610 is not an earth-shattering upgrade. It’s not supposed to be. Basically Nikon got it right with the D6XX. Nikon has now set us down an upgrade path with the transition to a numbering system which allows for such permutations. The successor to the D60 was the D3000, and the successor to the D90 was the D7000. We’re now up to the D3200 and D7100. This allows for quicker upgrades with more incremental features to keep the market moving. Get used to it, my friends, because this is never going to change. These are not your father’s SLRs.

The D610 will probably be short-lived, as it is the continuation of the D600. The D620 will probably last longer, and I can say almost without a doubt that it will not have an AA filter. For better or for worse.

So, is my decision to buy the D610 now a sound one? Personally, I was on the fence about the D800 vs. the D800/E. Less is more? So I have to pay extra to not have an AA filter? The D610 kind of helps that decision along.

The Bayer-filter sensor technology is supposed to have an AA filter. Simply taking this filter out is, to my way of thinking, a cheesy workaround. Fujifilm solved the issue completely by designing a sensor with randomly placed photosites. No AA filter is necessary by design. Genius. 

For a while I was saying that D800/E would be my last camera. Which would mean that when Nikon (or should I say, Sony) comes out with a completely new sensor technology, I would not be invited to the party. But, by keeping my next purchase conservative with the D610, I can rationalize this new upgrade. 

Yes, the D6XX series looks like the right choice for me at this time. Let’s see what bargains Friday has to offer. 

Working the D50

Nikon D50; IR solution turned compact daily shooter.

I bought my pre-owned Nikon D50 primarily to do infrared work. My research  had indicated that right out of the box it was well-suited for IR, but it was also one of the easiest cameras to enhance by removing the IR-blocking filter. But after using it for a while, I’ve decided to forgo conversion.

The D50 is one solid, simple DSLR. Compared to the D70 it replaced, it has slightly enhanced performance in a smaller, simpler to operate package. Except for the most basic functions, the D50 is essentially menu-driven, which is OK, because the menus are quite simple compared with such cameras as the comprehensive D90. It’s only slightly larger than the diminutive D3100, but feels more solid in the hand. And, it retains the ability to work with D-series lenses, and has a top-deck LCD display, which the D3100 does not.

And for me, the D90 user, it works with all my D90-compatible goodies, including batteries and SD cards. No battery grip (save for third-party options) but then it’s nice to just to use it as-is and travel light. 

As an out-of-the-box IR camera, the D50 will white balance through the R72 filter, and makes pleasing tobacco and pale blue split-toned images which need little or no post processing. 

Veering Toward the D610...

Nikon D610: The full-frame DSLR for the lean conscious.

Not long after the D800 arrived on the scene came the D600. And while I had already fallen for the D800, I couldn't help but realize that the D600 was really the camera I had been waiting for.

I’ve seen the D600 referred to as an entry-level camera. Perhaps. But it’s certainly not short on features, and it sports a magnesium alloy body and weather sealing just like the big boys. And at 24MP, it offers higher resolution than a 12MP DX camera without the sensor congestion. In DX crop mode, the resolution is 10MP (not exactly shabby) which means that it’s less dense than my D90, and that’s a good thing. Now the D610 comes along with a new and improved shutter, and any hesitation arising from the oil problem is moot. 

The thing is, I’ve been putting too much emphasis on the DX performance of the camera. Sure, I can shoot a 15MP image on the D800, but the whole point of this camera is to work with my full-frame lenses, which actually outnumber my DX ones. If I plan on shooting DX, I can just use my D90, which is fine since I have no plans of unloading it anytime soon.

And to be honest, I’d get far more out of the full auto mode, scene modes, and U1 and U2 banks than I would a resolution that my current lenses won’t even be able to take full advantage of. 

Also, I’ve never been quite sold on Nikon’s “Pro” control layout, sans mode dial. Even the professional Canon 6D has one, including a scene setting. And while it would be nice to have that “Pro” style metering selector and eyepiece shutter, I won’t miss them as much as the $800.00 in my pocket.

Yet another added benefit is that the the D610 is compatible with non-pro accessories such as the DR-6 and DK-21M viewfinder accessories that I already own. In fact, these fit all my Nikon SLRs, since the N80, D50, and D90 all have interchangeable viewfinder eyecups and accessories. 

The D610 is a new breed of Nikon. It’s clearly not an entry-level camera, otherwise it would be the D6100. But it’s not exactly a D6 either, despite its pro-like build, features, and performance. The D200, 300 and 700 all featured pro-style tampo’d logos, and weather-sealed magnesium bodies. The D610 has the machined-style logo of the DXX-series and the mode dial I’ve grown to love, but also has all the important pro features I’d ever need.

It’s fairly compact, too, weighing in  somewhere between the D90 and D 800/E. 

Yup. I’m thinking I’m really going to like this camera. 

Why the Nikon Df Won’t Be My Next DSLR

The Nikon Df: The Classic Design of the 1970s SLR in digital form.

From the moment I learned of this camera, I felt as if Nikon had formed an empathic link with me. A digital SLR with traditional controls? An actual shutter-speed dial? The ability to meter with pre-1977 lenses? Wow.

Read more >




Camera Size Equilibrium

The drive in all electronic devices always seems to be, “smaller is better” and cameras are no exception. However, there is also a little saying that goes like this…

“form follows function”.

Read more >