Krubin Offline Upload & Sell: On
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p.1 #1 · p.1 #1 · Paying for Performance vs. Pay for Features | |
As I have been awaiting the release of the new D4s, I have been reading these threads with increasing frequency, soaking in everything I could get my hands on as I prepared to pick up a new D4s. The community seems to be very polarized, and out of curiosity I've been giving it some thought and think I have an answer.
There is a crowd (of which I am a part) that is and has been beyond excited about the release of the D4s. These are the folks whom don't seem to care that the body represents only incremental improvements, (ergonomics, the focusing algorithm improvements, etc.) and whom do not seem particularly concerned about the price tag.
There is another crowd that sees the body as a significant disappointment -- lacking 24MP, coming up short on 4k video, etc.
So earlier today I had an "a-ha" moment. The difference is about paying for features vs. paying for performance. When comparing feature-by-feature, paying over USD$6k for something that does not offer the latest-and-greatest "wow" numbers, (save some new ground relating to ISO sensitivity and such) must seem like a significant disappointment. With this thinking, some of the Canon bodies clearly outshine, and one can even compare much less expensive offerings and seemingly still you come up short.
For the other community, this camera represents paying top-dollar for top-performance. It is not about how many whiz-bang features are in the camera, it is all about how likely you are to capture that perfect moment and get it right -- accurate exposure, in focus, perfect expression, or whatever makes the magic. If 1 additional FPS means that the subject's eyes are looking exactly the right way, it is worth the price of admission. If the color accuracy is just that little bit better meaning that you don't need to invest time post-processing, it is worth it. If the focus accuracy allows you to maintain focus on that basketball player while someone from the opposing team cuts across your path en route to the seminal dunk that makes the game, it is all worth while.
A lot of the sparring I've seen seems to stem from the above observation. I'm in the "pay for performance" camp. I am fortunate enough to have a D4 already, and just leapfrogged my D3s to a D4s. When I am out there shooting, the two bodies (different generations) are seemingly interchangeable. I "choose" a body with a lens, putting the focal length I expect to favor onto the newer body, and then I don't think about it. I shoot. My D3s was an incredibly capable machine. So is the D4, or the D4s. To me, it is not about the whiz-bang, it is about being able to capture a shot before the lights come up and have confidence that I've got it.
Curious about what you all think, especially those that plan to get the D4s. Picked mine up Thursday, and it gets broken in tomorrow. I cannot wait...
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