Help me Buy the wife a new dslr(nikon)

[Terry]

The GH1 which should be out any day now has video integrated into it and comes with a 14-140 lens which is all the range she will need. It was built with video in mind so it is more integrated than the 5DII because all manual controls are still available including AF with the kit lens. It has the video world buzzing. However it is still very much a stills camera.

It is same sensor as 4/3 cameras. The 1600 is totally useable and is better than my M8. The GH1 sensor is a bit better than the G1. Panasonic like Leica uses a very weak AA filter you will like that. Their colors are also very accurate.

As Diane mentioned you can print big and not differentiate from a 5D, which she has done and her work is good.

http://www.dpreview.com/reviews/panasonicdmcg1/page33.asp

Yes, it is light and smaller, but not too small. What it does allow for is smaller lenses and they are generally compact. The 14-140 is a bit larger.

At the same time Oly is going to unveil their m4/3 camera on June 15th so the array of available lenses will increase at that time. But that being said, with an adapter you could use a bunch of the regular 4/3 lenses or just about any old manual focus lenses.

The two areas the G1 does not excel in are fast burst mode sports because of the viewfinder and the way it will blank out. However the focus tracking does work well. Secondly, with the kit lens it is hard to do "dark" predawn shooting because of a lack of focus scales on the lens and live view giving a dark image however, I have worked through that to get good results.

What software is she using for her work? This could make a difference in recommendation.

On my Iceland trip, I will be backing up my A900 with the G1.

 

[glenerrolrd]

I know I am beating this to death ..but I never go down easy in a debate.

Video isn t a factor in the decision unless its totally unacceptable. If its about the same as the Clux/vlux thats fine....there having the best video gets maybe 5 points out of a hundred.

IQ gets at least 50% and thats more than noise...if you look at the DxO website you can see several measures of IQ ...noise is one,but dynamic range and color saturation also suffer as ISO increases. This doesn t mean that you can t get a great large print from a small sensor but as ISO increases quality declines. A shot from a G1 and a D90 at ISO 1600 would not be comparable. IMHO . The Nikon sensor is very close to the D3/D700 performance in this range. The review of the G1 states this ..image quality in low light doesn t match the DSLR. Thats important and one of the key arguments.

The 2nd is the viewfinder....a 92% Nikon view is pretty darn good and for me a lot better than an EVF.

This in no way degrades the G1 as a serious camera and in situations where size and form are very important or you value the best in HD video from a still camera or you have a bunch of M lenses....no question the G1 is a winner.

The only real issue I have with the Nikon D90 or really any of the current crop of DSLRs is the slow and large zooms. Carolyn isn t ready to try prime lenses or we could solve this quickly. You are dead right that F5.6 at 50MM sucks for evening shooting....kind of defeats the purpose.

Kidding aside we could certainly make the G1 a winner but I feel the intermediate DSLR may be a better fit for the improvements she is seeking.

I wish the new Pentax was available as small high quality and weather sealed ..nice package with smaller form lenses.

 

[mkawa]

you may not like this answer, but consider pairing one of the nikons (preference according to VF and handling, ignore the focus motor) with a third party f2.8 normal zoom. the sigma 18-50 and tamron 17-50 have their issues (mostly build) but will give you high IQ if you're just a little cautious of their faults. more importantly, they seem to be usable wide open (again, cautious of faults), nearly as small as the nikon kit lenses, and provide the all-important zoom and AF flexibility. if there's any money left over after that's done, a 55-200vr seems like a no-brainer to round off the kit.

micro 4/3s seems like a good solution for sometime in the (albeit near) future, but it's a bit too early for most to dive into that pool right now.

 

[woodyspedden]

Roger

I don't know how much in a hurry you are to pull the trigger but I would take a long look at the Pentax K7 before making a final decision. One of the big advantages of Pentax is of course it is small and light and they product very small prime lenses of exceptional quality. I have no experience with Pentax now for many years but the murmurings in the marketplace are very positive.

I am going to look very carefully at one for Phyllis to replace her aged G5.

Hello to Carolyn for me

Woody

 

[glenerrolrd]

Nothings ever perfect it seems ..even without much of a budget. We went with the D90 , the 16-85 VR and the 35/1.8. Carolyn is thrilled.

The size and weight is only modestly larger/heavier than the vlux so she sees little difference. The viewing and display are much improved over the Vlux. The better high ISO performance is the biggest advantage..it looks 2-3 stops better than the vlux.

The 35/1.8 is a sweet lens and only $200 .

Plus if she wants to move on ..this is an easy kit to resell.

The new Pentax looks like a real winner...the metal frame body and the weather sealing look great. The smaller lenses a large bonus.

We leave for Paris next Sunday so we will see how she does. Last year she shot about 1500 images in 10 days and produced an Apple book.

Roger

I don't know how much in a hurry you are to pull the trigger but I would take a long look at the Pentax K7 before making a final decision. One of the big advantages of Pentax is of course it is small and light and they product very small prime lenses of exceptional quality. I have no experience with Pentax now for many years but the murmurings in the marketplace are very positive.

I am going to look very carefully at one for Phyllis to replace her aged G5.

Hello to Carolyn for me

Woody

 

[Terry]

Say hello to Carolyn and I hope she enjoys the new gear. Have fun in Paris.

 

[glenerrolrd]

Say hello to Carolyn and I hope she enjoys the new gear. Have fun in Paris.

I will thanks for the insights on the G1 ....selling the M8 ....its a sad day almost everybodies quit Team Leica . I will be shooting 2 M8 s..and trying to copy HCB s image of the point on Ill Saint-Louis!!

 

[Terry]

I will thanks for the insights on the G1 ....selling the M8 ....its a sad day almost everybodies quit Team Leica . I will be shooting 2 M8 s..and trying to copy HCB s image of the point on Ill Saint-Louis!!

I may be back with Leica but right now the gear is just sitting and that drives me crazy. I kept a small stash....

 

[Cindy Flood]

Tell Carolyn congratulations. I'd love to see her join the forum.
...and it is only a matter of time till she is inot your Leica stash!:ROTFL:

 

[woodyspedden]

I will thanks for the insights on the G1 ....selling the M8 ....its a sad day almost everybodies quit Team Leica . I will be shooting 2 M8 s..and trying to copy HCB s image of the point on Ill Saint-Louis!!

Roger

I am still with you on the M8's as well as shooting some film on my M4-P. I basically stopped using the M8's for a while while I messed around with medium format etc and was ready to sell the gear as it was getting so little use.

I don't know what prompted me but I decided to use only the M8's for a month and at the end could not believe I had even considered selling them. Particularly as Phyllis and I love travelling and of course shooting, I could not imagine being without them given the small size and weight. I know the G1 is even smaller and I wanted to love it as well but the lack of an optical finder just killed it for me. The G1 has the best EVF I have seen but it still didn't get it for me. Horses for courses I guess

Have fun in Paris

By the way, Mark Gowin stopped by today and we had a couple of hours to chat and compare notes. He is now off to Colorado Springs for a three day seminar and then using Friday thru the weekend for some shooting at Mesa Verde, Monument Valley, Arches and Canyon de Chelly.

Best

Woody