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Nikon hasn’t really made an amazing camera since the days of the F5 (the weapon of choice for greats such as Peter Lindbergh). I really feel that Japan Inc. ne

by numair 6y ago

Nikon hasn’t really made an amazing camera since the days of the F5 (the weapon of choice for greats such as Peter Lindbergh). I really feel that Japan Inc. needs a version of that Stephen Elop “burning platform” rant.

KineticLensman 6y ago
> Nikon hasn’t really made an amazing camera since the days of the F5 The F5 appeared in 1996. Are you really saying that Nikon haven't produced a great camera in 25 years? I personally think the D3s (2009) was a pretty amazing camera for sport / low-light work, although obviously it has been superseded since then.
- numair 6y ago
  There is a difference between “that’s a nice camera” and “wow.” The F5 was a “wow.” It is the “wow” factor that ultimately makes or breaks the internal psychology that drives greatness at companies.
lizknope 6y ago
Between my Dad and I we have owned the D70, D200, D90, D40X, D2X, D3, D7100, D7500, D800, D850 I like all of them. Are any of them amazing? Sure, why not? The D70 was just $1000 which was great. The D2X and D3 are built like tanks. I think my D850 is the best DSLR ever made.
mikece 6y ago
The D1 was a legendary and revolutionary camera: a WHOPPING 2MP digital sensor that allowed photographers for the news services to submit photos "only two hours after an event" (via dialup). I recall reading that the first two major events being shot all-digital by the AP were the 1996 Super Bowl and the RNC/DNC national conventions. Until it was pointed out that nobody could tell it wasn't film nobody knew. From there the age of film for journalism was over.
sib 6y ago
Strongly disagree - the D850 is probably the best all-around DSLR ever made, certainly for landscape shooters.
dagw 6y ago
Bah. The F3 was their last great camera. After that it's been nothing but pointless 'hi tech' bells and whistles /s
- bgrsgeg 6y ago
  The F3 is an amazing camera. The F5 great is you want to have to bother with electronics (I'm faster without the electronics, but to each his own). Digital SLRs are an example of entrenched technology that doesn't make sense. DSLR don't make sense. The mirror in film SLRs was always a compromise [1] that doesn't exist once you have a digital sensor. It was a compromise that became popular, at least in 35mm. The DSLR was a legacy format that was "professional" only because camera manufacturers would put things like big focus motors on mirrorless cameras. Market forces slowed the adoption of mirrorless and gave the SLR a reprieve to their inescapable demise. So in a sense, ya, the F5 is greater than any D-SLR. The F5 is the pinnacle of the SLR, an excellent solution in the film domain. Digital SLRs are compromised format for a solution no longer needed. [1] The SLR lets you see what the film will actually see. +1. The SLR has mirror shake -1, and a film plane that's far from the last lens element -1. For small "sensors" like 35mm, it (usually) wasn't that big a problem (lightweight mirrors, geometrically smaller distances between lens and focal plane). For medium format, SLRs (like Hassleblad) were neck in neck with other solutions (Rollei, Fujifilm). For large format, I don't think there was any SLR made.

by numair 6y ago

KineticLensman 6y ago

> Nikon hasn’t really made an amazing camera since the days of the F5 The F5 appeared in 1996. Are you really saying that Nikon haven't produced a great camera in 25 years? I personally think the D3s (2009) was a pretty amazing camera for sport / low-light work, although obviously it has been superseded since then.

numair 6y ago
There is a difference between “that’s a nice camera” and “wow.” The F5 was a “wow.” It is the “wow” factor that ultimately makes or breaks the internal psychology that drives greatness at companies.

lizknope 6y ago

Between my Dad and I we have owned the D70, D200, D90, D40X, D2X, D3, D7100, D7500, D800, D850 I like all of them. Are any of them amazing? Sure, why not? The D70 was just $1000 which was great. The D2X and D3 are built like tanks. I think my D850 is the best DSLR ever made.

mikece 6y ago

The D1 was a legendary and revolutionary camera: a WHOPPING 2MP digital sensor that allowed photographers for the news services to submit photos "only two hours after an event" (via dialup). I recall reading that the first two major events being shot all-digital by the AP were the 1996 Super Bowl and the RNC/DNC national conventions. Until it was pointed out that nobody could tell it wasn't film nobody knew. From there the age of film for journalism was over.

sib 6y ago

Strongly disagree - the D850 is probably the best all-around DSLR ever made, certainly for landscape shooters.

dagw 6y ago

Bah. The F3 was their last great camera. After that it's been nothing but pointless 'hi tech' bells and whistles /s

bgrsgeg 6y ago
The F3 is an amazing camera. The F5 great is you want to have to bother with electronics (I'm faster without the electronics, but to each his own). Digital SLRs are an example of entrenched technology that doesn't make sense. DSLR don't make sense. The mirror in film SLRs was always a compromise [1] that doesn't exist once you have a digital sensor. It was a compromise that became popular, at least in 35mm. The DSLR was a legacy format that was "professional" only because camera manufacturers would put things like big focus motors on mirrorless cameras. Market forces slowed the adoption of mirrorless and gave the SLR a reprieve to their inescapable demise. So in a sense, ya, the F5 is greater than any D-SLR. The F5 is the pinnacle of the SLR, an excellent solution in the film domain. Digital SLRs are compromised format for a solution no longer needed. [1] The SLR lets you see what the film will actually see. +1. The SLR has mirror shake -1, and a film plane that's far from the last lens element -1. For small "sensors" like 35mm, it (usually) wasn't that big a problem (lightweight mirrors, geometrically smaller distances between lens and focal plane). For medium format, SLRs (like Hassleblad) were neck in neck with other solutions (Rollei, Fujifilm). For large format, I don't think there was any SLR made.