CKrueger wrote:
I suppose the Perfect System is a futile dream, eh?
Yep I agree with that.
On the other hand I am a completely different animal in that when I decide I want to carry a DSLR I carry a big one (usually with a 17-55 or 50mm) and when I don't want to carry one .... that's what the G7 was made for (every now and then I will pull out the D70).
mjmetts wrote:
I remember reading in the press conference for the anouncement of the D300 and D3 that Nikon pledged ongoing commitment to the DX sensor. Although I, like you, am skeptical as to the professional-grade offerings that will ensue.
I agree. Prior to the d3, a short tele f/2 zoom made sense. Oly has one for their system. But now, they'd say that you don't need it. Buy the d3 if you want high ISO performance and more subject isolation. Yeah, well, that's fine and good, but 1 stop of signal boost doesn't equate to 1 stop of real light. 1 stop of real light would benefit both DX and FX performance, without doubt. Of course, such a lens would outlast several bodies, making it a much better value in the long term.....
Avi B wrote:
Well, it's not "guess-and-check" outdoors You surely know about the sunny-16 rule right? Anyway, don't you have a lightmeter? That would tell you how to meter something. Indoors, I personally just go wide-open at ISO200. Then I do guess-and-check.
My only meter is in my camera... ironically the only time I'd need a light meter would be when shooting with the D40x. Which I'd only use when I want to travel light, thereby making a light meter too much bulk!
Unless I'm shooting flash I'm not a big fan of shooting manual mode. I prefer twiddling away at an EC dial. My wife is the opposite; she lives in manual mode unless shooting action, even when shooting with a 350D, which uses a single dial with button chording to adjust both aperture and shutter speed.
Different strokes, I suppose.
mjmetts wrote:
It sounds like the D3 and the D80 are the cameras for you. The D80 is phenomenal. I've been using it for my jobs recently and it does not dissapoint.
I do agree that something needs to happen to give more lenses AF-S so that D40 users can have access to them.
The D3 for sure. That's the impetus for me to switch. But my second camera would have to be a D300 (awesome camera, but sometimes too big) or a D40x (acceptable, but doesn't play well with primes). The D80 is a great all around camera, but if I were to buy a "normal size" DSLR I might as well get the D300 to get the ISO, frame rate, and AF benefit. It's not much bigger, after all. Might as well maximize the benefits if I'm going to suffer the size increase!
I just wish, like the OP said, that Nikon would start a refresh program on their primes. It would certainly take a while to cover the range, but cherry-picking a few important lenses like the 35/2, 50/1.8 (or 1.4), and 85/1.8 (or 1.4) would give a lot of bang for the buck. Prime focal lengths less commonly-used by low-end body users, like 24mm or 135mm could wait until the next raft of 17-xx consumer zooms arrive to bolster Nikon's bottom line.
You surely know about the sunny-16 rule right? Anyway, don't you have a lightmeter? That would tell you how to meter something. Indoors, I personally just go wide-open at ISO200. Then I do guess-and-check.