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POLL: Will you sell your MFD gear if the D800 holds good on its promise?

Will you sell your MFD gear if the D800 holds on its promise?

  • Never. I don't care about paying 10x as much for 10% more quality.

    Votes: 15 16.9%
  • C'mon, D800 will never match DoF, dynamic range and microcontrast of my Phase One!

    Votes: 32 36.0%
  • I'm into tech cams.Won't give up Rodesntocks & stitching, even if that luxury costs me 40k more!

    Votes: 15 16.9%
  • Damn. I just sold off my Canon/Nikon gear to get into MFD!

    Votes: 8 9.0%
  • If that Zeiss/Leica glass on the D800E performs as I think it should ... EBAY here I come!

    Votes: 5 5.6%
  • I just preordered a D800E. Hell it's cheaper than that MFD lens I'm longing for!

    Votes: 14 15.7%

  • Total voters
    89
  • Poll closed .

David Schneider

New member
I think it's an interesting question given how many gave up on MFD for a 5DII in the past...
Let's not forget those like me who went from 5DMK2 to MFD.

I am no expert, but it seems to me that whatever is the latest and greatest Canon or Nikon can't compete with IQ of a 3-4 year old MFD in the studio.
 

MaxKißler

New member
I'm sorry, it it is not my intention to offend anybody when I say this thread is ridiculous.
I highly doubt that anybody who is able to invest that much money in camera gear will simply sell it off in favor for a cheaper system. It might be a nice addition for the nikon user.

All we have right now are a bunch of tiny jpgs on the internet. They could have come from any camera. Remember when Nikon used files from a Phase One P45 to show the superiority of their products?
I bet the D800 is great if you restrict yourself to the use of macro lenses only. Anything wide open will probably be terribly soft...

Then again I welcome the introduction of this camera. There might be a chance that medium format gear will become cheaper in the future.
 
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SYGTAFOTO

New member
D800 made me think about going back to FF DSLR from M9 for a split second.. but then that GAS went away, and GAS for MFD came back again. :)
 

Agnius

Member
I noticed that all the samples from D800E at Nikon are shot at f8. Nikon is trying to get maximum DOF and sharpness out of those samples, but to me they just don't look that spectacular. Maybe they need better photographers?
 

cng

New member
That's not the point. Of course an IQ180 will deliver superior results paired with great optics. There will always be an ultimate solution for a lot of money.
These types of threads always assume there is only ONE solution, ONE answer to be had. Define "ultimate" solution. e.g. Perhaps one person want to shoot @ f1.4 with a WA prime; versus someone else who needs minimal distortion, shifting capability and maximum resolution with his SK/Rodenstock lenses and IQ180.

When you look at the feature set offered by every camera system currently available today, it is too simplistic to just focus on MP. So what if the D800 has 30+MP and the option to ditch the AA filter? In the context of the wider camera market, is this truly earth-shatteringly groundbreaking to justify all the angst?

Buy what you want/need, what you can afford, use it, enjoy it.

P.S. I don't understand all the ridiculous consternation surrounding the D800: "Look at the sample JPEG's, they're rubbish so the camera is rubbish"; "MF is quaking in their boots / no they're not"; "I bet we'll see moire / no we won't"; "Nikon will need better glass / no they don't, their best glass is already great"; "the S2 / Leica glass is still better"; "the S2 will now be worthless, can't wait to pick one up one eBay on the cheap".
 

jagsiva

Active member
Not sure what all the fuss is about, this already happened once before and we didn't see a whole bunch of people flocking to the 5DII from their 22MP Leaf/Hassy/P1 backs 3 years ago.

I shoot Canon, m43 and MF, and all about horses for courses.

If its about bragging rights on specs, a juiced up Camaro is still no 911 :)
 

kuau

Workshop Member
I pre ordered a D800E,
I am for sure keeping my Sinar arTec Leaf Aptus II 7 AFI back,
Though I am thinking about selling my Leaf HY6 body and lenses.
Steven
 

PeterA

Well-known member
So the question is ...

with Nikon's D800 around the corner and hence the promise of a 36MPX photographic system that shoots at 4fps, has live view, an advanced autofocus system and a huge screen paired with great battery life and uncompressed HDMI output ...

at a price point lower than a new MFD optic ...

do you consider consolidating your gear and selling off your MFD kit?
:ROTFL::ROTFL:
 

tsjanik

Well-known member
Warning
Double fines for infractions in moderator free zones
Bob, aren't you a moderator? So no doubles.:ROTFL:

To the original question: no, but I might consider getting a D800 and a 14-24 rather than the $5K 25mm from Pentax.*

* approximately the same cost
 
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fotografz

Well-known member
So the question is ...

with Nikon's D800 around the corner and hence the promise of a 36MPX photographic system that shoots at 4fps, has live view, an advanced autofocus system and a huge screen paired with great battery life and uncompressed HDMI output ...

at a price point lower than a new MFD optic ...

do you consider consolidating your gear and selling off your MFD kit?
No. Why would I step backward?

Sorry, but no, I'm not interested in the D800 either. I went on a "Hype" diet some time ago.

What I consolidated and got rid of is all the pretender cameras with big hype budgets, and spent the money on lighting which makes more impact than any camera I could buy.

Like it or not, the photo industry has changed dramatically, and "good enough" is the new "excellent." So, it stands to reason that a camera like this will be quite popular. That is the crux of the "numbers" discussion as opposed to the personal art aspect.

IMHO, if someone thinks they can get to the level of even a 31 meg MFD with a high spec 35MM, then they didn't need a MFD in the first place. I was still shooting an "old tech" 16 Meg CFV on a 203FE when I had a Nikon D3X and all of the latest Nano coated optics, and always preferred the 16 meg MFD files to the 24 meg Nikon ones in terms of IQ. I use 35mm DSLRs for functional differences, not IQ.

The real question that hasn't been asked is ... how many shooters will dump their $8K D3X for this higher meg camera? That seems to be what will flood the used market ... or will it?

As to S2 users quaking in their boots ... anyone that says that just doesn't get it. If Leica had launched an 18 to 24 meg 35mm R-10 instead, THAT is what many S2 users would have bought. Leica cameras are a path to their lenses. The S2 is my new 35mm DSLR and the A900 is now relegated to a snapshot camera.

For some odd reason, a few people want the big guys kicked to the curb, and they want to extoll the virtues of their "little camera that could". No matter how hard they wish upon a star, I doesn't change the fact that it's a fairy tale ... in reality, the only way Canon or Nikon will equal MFD IQ, is if they make a MFD camera and all new lenses.

-Marc
 

Shashin

Well-known member
Marc, are you saying face recognition would not help you in the studio? I mean, what if you could not recognize the face?

BTW, +1
 

bensonga

Well-known member
If I didn't have a ton of money invested in seemingly every system except Nikon, I might buy a D800E. Even so, if Nikon ever sells a DSLR with 9 micron "fat pixels" I might buy it.....but I'd still keep my Hasselblad CFV-16II, because no one (besides Leica) makes glass as good as Zeiss. Except of course, for a few of the old Nikkor AIS lenses....those are sweet (in a low tech sort of way). ;-)
 

Agnius

Member
My MF gear is safe in its case. I don't even know if I ever use it, but someday it will make a nice addition to a glass case. Too many memories to sell, too much work to use. And D800? Nothing special, just another dSLR. Images on Nikons' website look kinda' meh. Maybe because they don't know how to use photoshop?
 

Anders_HK

Member
So the question is ...

with Nikon's D800 around the corner and hence the promise of a 36MPX photographic system that shoots at 4fps, has live view, an advanced autofocus system and a huge screen paired with great battery life and uncompressed HDMI output ...

at a price point lower than a new MFD optic ...

do you consider consolidating your gear and selling off your MFD kit?
What makes you think I would be so stupid to sell it and put $$ in bank? I obvious enjoy higher image quality than also D800E can offer.

Are you planning to upgrade your D700 to the new Samsung camera phone? I hear it has more pixels???

I did not think you are that stupid either, why posting?

I suggest to remove this thread. Thank you, and no I did not vote.
 

Wayne Fox

Workshop Member
Interesting "answer" choices ... so you think the d800 will be within 10% of an IQ180? Sounds like some bias in the polling method.

Couple of thoughts, the 36mp sensor is only a 20% increase in linear resolution over the d3x. so while an improvement (and outstanding to a point) it certainly won't compete with 60 and 80mp backs that many of us shoot. There are many Nikon lenses that won't hold up (there is plenty of good glass available but many users don't have that glass). note Canon has been aggressively upgrading lenses, rumored to be so purchasers won't be disappointed with the quality of their higher res offering. The real news here is a decent high res FF Nikon for under $3000. It should have happened a couple of years ago.

I know that technically the Dynamic range is simlar, I've worked extensively with dSLR files and those from my Phase backs, and from a usability perspective, the MFDB files offer more dynamic range. I have a good friend I travel and shoot with frequently, and we work side by side on similar captures many evenings. He frequently has to bracket shots I have no problem with. If he doesn't bracket, he can't pull the same file quality out.

Granted this is with a 5d Mark 2, but I've shot with a D3x and feel the same way. Whether the d800 makes that leap to compete we'll see, you can bet I'll be out shooting the first one that shows up in my store to get a feel for what it can do.

But no, I won't be ordering a d800 for myself, and in fact prob. won't bother with the new offering coming from Canon. I think I can get plenty of quality out of a NEX 7 and to beat that quality both offer just incremental upgrades, so the IQ180 remains my choice. I'll sell the canon gear, and get a few really good lenses for the Sony for backup and those occasions I want to stay light.
 
V

Vivek

Guest
This is an odd question.

The same company, Nikon, just before the D800/E issue, issued the D4. Lower pixel count, heavier and pricier.

Do you expect people not buying the D4 and instead buy the D800/E?

Also, the lower pixel count, heavier and pricier D3X is a current camera.

=> Pixel count isn't everything.

Another development that goes unnoticed is the significant price drop on the Sigma SD-1. That also is an interesting option (in the small format area) now just because of that.
 

gazwas

Active member
The only thing I get from all this is why can Nikon release a camera with all this technology build in for only £2300 but Phase One (the main culprit) can continue to shamefully charge £4500 for the flakey Phamiya 645?

I imagine the aggressive pricing of this latest Nikon has a few camera manufacturers scratching their heads.
 

Paul Spinnler

Well-known member
This is an odd question.

The same company, Nikon, just before the D800/E issue, issued the D4. Lower pixel count, heavier and pricier.

Do you expect people not buying the D4 and instead buy the D800/E?

Also, the lower pixel count, heavier and pricier D3X is a current camera.

=> Pixel count isn't everything.

Another development that goes unnoticed is the significant price drop on the Sigma SD-1. That also is an interesting option (in the small format area) now just because of that.
It's a very valid question in my view. If you take a look at this video:

Nikon D800 and D800E: Hands On Preview - YouTube

where the Nikon product manager presents the new D800E to the public, you will see that Nikon with the D800E squarely aims at the MF crowd. They mention medium format users many times.

No AA filter and 36 MPX is a clear marketing proposition aimed at people thinking of buying a H4D-40 or IQ140 in my view.

Of course one gets fire when asking these question in a forum dominated by pros and wealthy enthusiasts who can afford a 40-50k imaging system. But it is childish to ask for the removal of the thread - it must be possible to discuss the introduction of consumer-priced 36 MPX systems in a medium format forum without making people angry. :)

So if everybody here laughs at the D800E ... why would Nikon create an AA-less version in the first place, mention medium format users in press conferences and commission fashion photographers to test out the new camera? I guess it's because they do see potential of getting a piece of that high-end market with that camera.

And it is also clear that people rationalize their investments. If one had spent 30k on an IQ140 system two months ago, having sold off a D3X and all Nikon lenses to fund the purchase, it would only be natural to defend one's purchasing decision staunchly. But in the back of one's head one might say to oneself: "That Nikon D800E wouldn't have been the worst of choices ... Damn."

I'm wondering what the D4X will bring now!
:watch:
 

b&w

New member
Oh no, the sky is falling in!

Now Nikon have released a 36Mpix camera my Phase/Hasselblad/Leaf system no longer takes good pictures. :cry:
I hope so - in this case I could get a cheap digital back for my Hasselblad ;)
 
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