ayler
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 p.1 #10 · Sony A900/850 users jumped ship to Nikon D 800/E? | |
Not often I post here, but this thread has got me piqued.
I've thought about it hard, but haven't yet jumped for a few reasons:
- I really like the A900/850's ergo and simplicity (the last Minolta DSLR with the first full-frame Sony sensor?), it feels like an SLR with a computer inside, where a lot of what's out there feels the opposite (no experience with Nikons since the F3HP, so no idea how I'd get on, but the D800 does look like it has far too many buttons and levers)
- Nikon doesn't have IBIS, which for me is pretty invaluable
- The D800's viewfinder is likely darker
- Although technically the D800's sensor is superior, I really like the A900's sensor - it's the most analogue like of all the cameras I've owned, which have been quite a few; I particularly like its gentle highlight roll off and its famed (mythical?) colour separation. The Nikon would be much closer to a ISOless camera, with better S/N, much better shadow lifting, greater DR, better high ISO, but somehow I suspect I'd still prefer the A900's for reasons that are hard to qualify. It seems that the D800's sensor is just the D7000's and K5's bulked up; now I've owned a K5 and didn't like the sensor that much for how it handled colour and highlights (despite of what DXOMark would indicate)
- Wouldn't be able to use my Mirex+Mamiya combos for product, and I do like the larger image circle and the Apo-like rendering of the Mamiya macros on full-frame
However, the Nikon has to its advantage:
- LV, which I'd love to have on the A900, as it's very hard to work with the tilted Mirex for focus and because it obstructs the mirror and you get a large part that is shaded after a few degrees
- 12 more megapixels and a 5:4 crop in the viewfinder, which would allow me to aim for my favourite 5:4 ratio, still retaining more resolution than the A900 will give. I do love 5:4/6:7 and feel there wouldn't be a penalty cropping with the D800
- Better shadow pulling, which not being bad on the A900 when used with care and not really that crippling, is not that great either
- Probably much better high-ISO
- A system you can depend on and better options in terms of native lens range and better integration with third-parties
- A future?
In the end, I might just get a couple more A900s (they're as cheap as sausages now anyway), and use it/them until the D800 is cheaper/proven to be the right replacement or something else comes along. What I don't want is a headache inducing EVF, as I've got enough electronic displays around on the telly, the Mac, the camera's LCD, the big monitor and so on, and really wouldn't like to find another one at the end of a viewfinder...
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