I'm in a very similar situation as you. I was a longtime Nikon user until I switched over to Canon in '05 because I needed better high ISO performance than I was getting from the D2H and the D2x wasn't any better.
I just can't justify purchasing another Mark III with a possible Mark IV coming out next year...and I was expecting the 5D Mark II to have an improved AF system, better build and overall close-to-One Series-like performance...I can't see using it as a second action body. The D700 is what the 5D Mark II should have been.
Don't get me wrong...the Mark III is a great camera but it's overall performance is so much better than my Mark II's and the control layouts are so different that I only use them as emergency back-ups. The 40D and 50d are not even options.
I'm very strongly considering a move back to Nikon due to the rave reviews and images I'm seeing from local Nikon shooters using the D3, D3X, D700...and those three cameras have similar performance, control layout.
Also...I am taking on another high school photo contract next fall and the schools don't have great lighting on their football/soccer fields and gyms will require ISO's of 6400 and/or lots of flash and strobing to get the job done....and the Nikon bodies do have the edge in high ISO performance now.
As far as optics go...the Nikkor 85 f/1.4 was and still is my all-time favorite lens, the Nikon 24-70 f/2.8 looks to be very impressive and Canon offers nothing like the 200-400.
Nikon Professional Services is sending me a D3, 24-70 f/2.8 and 70-200 f/2.8 for evaluation next week.
I'll be shooting high school tournament basketball with a Mark III and D3 for comparison. I'll carefully judge the results and see if it's cost-effective to make the move...back.
I'll be shooting high school tournament basketball with a Mark III and D3 for comparison. I'll carefully judge the results and see if it's cost-effective to make the move...back.
We'll see.
Much success,
Lee Woolery
Speedshot Photo
Lee,
Looking forward to hearing your comparison, hope you come back to this thread and give us your thoughts.
come on Alistair, make the move. we need more people buying nikon so hopefully they will eventually bring prices down on their long primes. i just got by back-up D3 back and it is working like a charm. one thing that some have mentioned---if you grew up with Nikon, then rediscover them via the D3 it is quite an amazing experience. everything on the camera is pretty much where you remember it was on the older Nikon digitals. also having so many issues with my Canon Mark 3, made my decision easy---if their were heat waves, it failed to hold focus; if the temperature was extreme, it had challenges; and during NFL season, my keeper rate dropped--which is a problem when your stock editors want more than a 100 keepers per game. I just could not trust it and this caused me to over shoot and on occasion rent Mark 2 models if I knew any of the above conditions might exist--which in the summer they do almost every day. my D3's in the same conditions have performed amazingly well. I do not find it takes more time to lock focus like others have noted, it is fast enough for me. at least when it does find focus, it really is in focus. shooting NHL is a good test as the players are really moving on the ice.
Well, I visited a Nikon Pro dealer today, had quite a long play around with the D3x and a 300/2.8 VR. Very impressive. Got home a while ago, can't open the D3x NEFs... CS4, rather ACR, doesn't support it yet! Damn!
I don't have NX2, the Nikon view thingy doesn't support the D3x on OS X. Any ideas?
rbranan wrote:
come on Alistair, make the move. we need more people buying nikon so hopefully they will eventually bring prices down on their long primes.....
I am not sure me buying a 300/2.8 VR and 500/4 VR will have any impact to Nikon prices but it looks like I am pretty much set for the move. I will do my bit!
Alistair Watson wrote:
Well, I visited a Nikon Pro dealer today, had quite a long play around with the D3x and a 300/2.8 VR. Very impressive. Got home a while ago, can't open the D3x NEFs... CS4, rather ACR, doesn't support it yet! Damn!
I don't have NX2, the Nikon view thingy doesn't support the D3x on OS X. Any ideas?
Download the trial of either Lightroom or Aperture.
Alistair Watson wrote:
Well, I visited a Nikon Pro dealer today, had quite a long play around with the D3x and a 300/2.8 VR. Very impressive. Got home a while ago, can't open the D3x NEFs... CS4, rather ACR, doesn't support it yet! Damn!
I don't have NX2, the Nikon view thingy doesn't support the D3x on OS X. Any ideas?
Download the trial version of NX2...you can use it for 60 days free.
