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Digital Nikon FM2

JohnBrew

Active member
I'd like to see a monochrome camera like others have mentioned, but this probably won't happen. A camera body with AF is okay as long as it is possible to shoot completely manual. But frankly 16 mp ain't gonna cut it. Yeah, I had a D700 for several years and it was terrific. The files up-rezzed great and the color was good and bw conversions were fine, also. But since Nikon is doing this retro bit I want at least as many mp as some of the less expensive bodies have now, ie 24. I'm like many of you and waiting for the announcement. I'm sure whatever Nikon introduces will generate considerable discussion. For me Nikon is going to have to have something special the other bodies don't have for me to give it the proper consideration. And it's going to have to be something which makes me want to leave the Leica's at home.
 
V

Vivek

Guest
There is a huge diffrence between a 16 mp monochrome and a higher mp Bayer output. I will even take a 12mp monochrome over 24 mp Bayer.
 

jonoslack

Active member
The tragedy is that anticipation always leads to anti-climax, and anyway, reading this thread shows how different people's wants are.

Hey Ho - I'm betting it's a modern digital camera dressed up in a nice old-fashioned box, with a shutter speed dial on the top.

. . . . and we'll all buy one!
 

Jorgen Udvang

Subscriber Member
But frankly 16 mp ain't gonna cut it. Yeah, I had a D700 for several years and it was terrific. The files up-rezzed great and the color was good and bw conversions were fine, also.
Why isn't 16MP going to cut it? The difference between 16 and 24MP is 22% linear size. It means being able to print 85 x 61 cm instead of 70 x 50 at the same resolution. Add to that the fact that the D4 sensor is considerably better than the D600 sensor at high ISO, even if the latter is downsized to 16MP. An improved 16MP sensor would probably fare even better, at least if the D4 sensor is used as basis, and enable larger prints from high ISO files than the D600 sensor. With the D800 sensor, this looks different.

Yes, the 24MP sensor will enable you to print slightly larger at low ISO, but if the 16MP sensor is much better at high ISO, I know which one I would choose.
 
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Guy Mancuso

Administrator, Instructor
PC outlet on the side?

That would fall out in about 3 seconds. Oh it comes with a roll of gaffers tape.
 

bensonga

Well-known member
If Nikon DID make a monochrome camera (retro or not)....I would buy one in a heart beat.

Unfortunately, I don't expect they will do it. :cry:

I think it's a niche product, which only a company like Leica and Phase One can produce.

I hope I am wrong, but I seriously doubt it.

Gary
 

etrigan63

Active member
Some folks over at Nikonrumors (with far too much time on their hands) have managed to eke out the following info based on the videos:





 

jagsiva

Active member
My wild *** guess:

This has to be a Bayerless (CFA) monochrome camera, otherwise it just doesn't make sense!

- 16MP would be equivalent to about 22-24MP (so can still run with the big boys)
- The whole retro theme is good, but not sure it would be enough for yet another body
- Build may be great, but size/weight still about the same, so no real compelling reason
- While the monochrome market maybe niche, it is still big enough
- Unlike Sony, but not quite like Leica, Nikon still has a loyal cult of following, and this would appeal to them.
- 3K would easily be justified!
- The whole "pure" whatever would make much more sense.

It just does not add up for me, unless something super compelling like this being a CFA less body.
 

bradhusick

Active member
I tend to agree. I am confused at this point how a camera with this many buttons gives you the "pure" thing. If you ignore styling, what they seem to have done is added a shutter speed dial and perhaps and exposure comp dial to the top of a current Nikon DSLR.

This is a far cry from a "digital F3" that was rumored. I wish they had dropped the following features and controls:
AF
Drive modes
bracketing
program modes
exposure comp
joystick control on back
AE-L
AF-L
multiple metering modes

I would still like this to be a color camera but monochrome would be great too - perhaps offer two cameras?

When they make me king...
 

Shashin

Well-known member
It is kind of pointless in dropping features (and dropping an LDC is probably the most pointless ideas for a digital camera). It seems like Nikon went retro with the prism cover design and gave it a big shutter speed dial. It is not like they are going to start putting aperture rings on their lenses.

The "pure" is of course pure advertising. The B&W sensor make no sense. It was not like I couldn't put color slide or color negative film in my FM. It is not like B&W is anymore "pure" than color, just like film is no more pure than digital. Besides, the Japanese market is too important to these manufactures and the Japanese do not get the B&W fixation. It will be a color camera, perhaps with a nice sepia mode (for purity).
 

Shashin

Well-known member
If Nikon DID make a monochrome camera (retro or not)....I would buy one in a heart beat.

Unfortunately, I don't expect they will do it. :cry:

I think it's a niche product, which only a company like Leica and Phase One can produce.

I hope I am wrong, but I seriously doubt it.

Gary
Gary, and what are you going to do with your 645D? (You need to join the fun with MF thread.)
 

ptomsu

Workshop Member
It is kind of pointless in dropping features (and dropping an LDC is probably the most pointless ideas for a digital camera). It seems like Nikon went retro with the prism cover design and gave it a big shutter speed dial. It is not like they are going to start putting aperture rings on their lenses.

The "pure" is of course pure advertising. The B&W sensor make no sense. It was not like I couldn't put color slide or color negative film in my FM. It is not like B&W is anymore "pure" than color, just like film is no more pure than digital. Besides, the Japanese market is too important to these manufactures and the Japanese do not get the B&W fixation. It will be a color camera, perhaps with a nice sepia mode (for purity).
I don't get what is so bad about that retro and pure stuff. I like the shutter speed dial and I like some of the old Nikkors with aperture ring. Also like the new shape of the camera, at least a good starting point towards smaller DSLRs - and Oly and Sony are very successful in this area. But who knows, maybe they will even come with retro Nikkors, which will have an aperture ring again - I would be very happy about that.

B&W also makes no sense for me (too small market). Hopefully they will show a simplified menu structure on this camera as well!
 

Shashin

Well-known member
There is nothing wrong with "retro." (I did not say there was.) It is simply design that is based on nostalgia. Nothing wrong with shutter speed dials. There are lots of camera with shutter speed dials--some made with the shutter speeds, like the old FM and Leica M, and some not, like the RX-1, EP-1, and 645D. I am not sure why anyone would think this camera is or would be something else than a modern DSLR. The prism design and a shutter speed dial will not change that.
 

ptomsu

Workshop Member
There is nothing wrong with "retro." (I did not say there was.) It is simply design that is based on nostalgia. Nothing wrong with shutter speed dials. There are lots of camera with shutter speed dials--some made with the shutter speeds, like the old FM and Leica M, and some not, like the RX-1, EP-1, and 645D. I am not sure why anyone would think this camera is or would be something else than a modern DSLR. The prism design and a shutter speed dial will not change that.
Actually I do hope that this camera is the most modern DSLR incarnation WRT electronics, processor and sensor Nikon has today - just in a small retro style package.
 
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