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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 .

Paul Spinnler

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?
 

Shashin

Well-known member
No. But I might look around for those $3000 deals on an S2.

BTW, my MDF has an advanced AF system, huge screen, and great battery life. That is not special to the Nikon.

It is nice to see the trolls out. It was getting boring around here.
 

gazwas

Active 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:
 

Paul Spinnler

Well-known 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:
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.

But one has to ask where the critical point lies where the market starts chosing Nikons over a H4D 40s, especially considering the substantial price difference.

Dropping 20k on a system instead of 4-5k DOES make a difference if only it means that more amateurs will be penetrating new markets where photographers tried to differentiate themselves by resolution and gear only.

For example, medium format was dominating wedding photography at one point. Now it's all about D3s, D700s and Canon 5Ds at those weddings. Maybe at one point high-end commercial photography will be dominated by 40-50MPX CaNikons that shoot at 10fps, have live view, shoot 3000 images per battery charge, are weather-sealed and have 60 AF points.

Interesting times ... I'm wondering about Canon's next move now!
 

Terry

New member
OK folks most of the moderators will be out shooting and out of coverage range for most of the day. We are counting on you to keep the conversation civil and in the spirit of GetDPI. Hopefully, when we get back later today we don't have to go in and delete posts.
 

Paul Spinnler

Well-known member
In a word, no. If you already own a Ferrari, why go buy a G-Whizz?
It's all about economical thinking.

Not considering the case that you just have enough money so you don't care ...

spending 40-50k on a basic setup instead of 10k can make a difference. For working photographers as well as photo enthusiasts.

Some young photographers have all their net worth in their camera gear. If getting 95% the effect in the end means having 30k more in the pocket ... I bet for some people it will make a difference. Or won't it?

I just find this poll interesting from an economical perspective. I will never sell my MFD camera because I love the images it produces but I'm interested in microecnomics ... so that's why I ask, no harm intended :)
 

Shashin

Well-known member
Actually, I differentiate myself by my work. I chose my gear for the look it gives me, whether MFD or any other format or process. Clients don't ask for an equipment list before they ask for a job to be done and I don't sell my services out of a camera catalog. There is more to photography than pixels, which is a classic amateur mistake.

Funny, when 24mp DSLRs came out, there was not a flood of 20-30mp MFD equipment in the market. And prices did not drop. So what is different this time?
 

Quentin_Bargate

Well-known member
While its not just about resolution, the fact is medium format has stayed ahead of that game since inception. When the 1Dx was king with 11mp, Phase One's top offering was the P25 with 22mp. Now the D800 and the other soon to follow dslr's are becoming available with around 37mp, the highest resolution medium format backs are already at 80mp.

I shoot with several cameras, an H4D-50 among them and they all have their place. There will always be a market for those who appreciate or need the quality only available from medium format. That won't be mom and pop operations or even many serious enthusiasts, but those who currently buy and use MF digital will carry on doing so now as they have in the past when similar questions have been asked. A D800 or whatever Canon or Sony launch is unlikely to change that. But that is not to say the D800 is not a mighty fine camera.
 

Shashin

Well-known member
It's all about economical thinking.

Not considering the case that you just have enough money so you don't care ...

spending 40-50k on a basic setup instead of 10k can make a difference. For working photographers as well as photo enthusiasts.

Some young photographers have all their net worth in their camera gear. If getting 95% the effect in the end means having 30k more in the pocket ... I bet for some people it will make a difference. Or won't it?
But that argument works for everything. Why a D800 than a Sony SLT77? Both will take fine images and you tie less money up in the Sony. And no one needs to go into MFD as a startup. I never bought equipment I could not afford when I started because it was too expensive, but I was able to make professional work.

You are just picking facts to support your argument.
 

Paul Spinnler

Well-known member
But don't you guys believe that there's an invisible Megapixel barrier where demand for high-end MFD will subside?

Traditionally Canon/Nikon where strong in the news gathering market. 35mm has always been enough for the newspapers and today cameras such as the D3s and 1 MK IV reign supreme in the that segment.

Wedding is mostly 35mm nowadays from what I hear and read.

Commercial Photography is everything with the high-end being dominated by MFD.

Fine-Art is everything, but on the high-end analog 4x5, 8x10 and MFD.

So the question is which markets CaNikon will penetrate next because cameras now are becoming "good enough" for 99% of the tasks.

It is true that photographers differentiate themselves by their imagery. But you must confess that it's kind of embarassing when your client tells you he got his son that D3s last Christmas when you're at work with your D700 ...

Just being the advocatus diaboli here, interested in opinions.
 

Paul Spinnler

Well-known member
But that argument works for everything. Why a D800 than a Sony SLT77? Both will take fine images and you tie less money up in the Sony. And no one needs to go into MFD as a startup. I never bought equipment I could not afford when I started because it was too expensive, but I was able to make professional work.

You are just picking facts to support your argument.
No I'm just interested in people's economical priorities. It is true that the camera per se is not a deciding factor if your output is considered "professional" and I bet a good architectural photographer will create stunning work with a 5D MKII and a TSE 17. But there's that thing of democratization of photography that leads to your uncle doing freelance wedding photography for 300 USD with his newly acquired 5D MKII. 30 Years ago the entry price for wedding photography was much higher. I remember a wedding where the guy had a Hasselblad 500 and at that time I didn't know anything about photography but was impressed by the professional looking camera and I was sure it cost him a lot of money ...
 

Paul Spinnler

Well-known member
But that is your mistake--it is not about the number of pixels.
BTW: I don't believe that the D800 will match the MFD quality. In fact I have an Aptus 12 and after acquiring it I lost all interest in 35mm digital because the quality of the files had completely spoiled me. But I think for a lot of people 36 MPX on paper for 3k might sound a lot more tempting than 40MPX for 20k.

As I said, I in no way want to say that the new D800 is better than MFD. There aren't even any raw files out yet. And from what I can glean from the official samples they files seem rather disappointing ...
 

Shashin

Well-known member
No I'm just interested in people's economical priorities. It is true that the camera per se is not a deciding factor if your output is considered "professional" and I bet a good architectural photographer will create stunning work with a 5D MKII and a TSE 17. But there's that thing of democratization of photography that leads to your uncle doing freelance wedding photography for 300 USD with his newly acquired 5D MKII. 30 Years ago the entry price for wedding photography was much higher. I remember a wedding where the guy had a Hasselblad 500 and at that time I didn't know anything about photography but was impressed by the professional looking camera and I was sure it cost him a lot of money ...
Paul, so the wedding photographer 30 years ago could by a Mamiya C2 or C3 for less than $300. Those were a staple of wedding photographers. You are taking anecdotes and thinking those are the norms.

It is great that amateurs can get better equipment--the D800 will be a fine camera. I would not complain if my gear was as cheap. But you are throwing the baby out with the bathwater. Art is not a democracy. We don't have to reduce everything to the lowest common denominator. And artists know the value of working in systems that amateurs think are luxuries. It is only a luxury if it has no purpose or cannot give actual results. You are confusing specifications with process.
 

Paul Spinnler

Well-known member
Shashin,

so if Canon tomorrow made a camera paired with optics that match your current MFD setup as it is today or that is very close with regards to end results ... but with advantages such as live view, weather-sealing, more fps etc. 60MPX or 80MPX.

Would you consider going for 35mm digital or would you stay in MFD if say Phase One by that time had introduced a 120 MPX IQ back that would cost you 40k more?

I'm just asking if you, as a working photographer, who knows the client's needs, would consider a image quality point where the files "good enough" for all professional tasks and where you wouldn't be willing to spend more money on gear?

Or to what point do you think the argument of your client having a better camera than you is an important deciding factor for a pro to go medium format?

In that regard an interesting read:

Why I Moved To Medium Format :: Phase One IQ140 Review • Photography By Zack Arias

Also here we have a fashion photographer who had to possibility to test the D800 during the last 9 months. Of course he is biased, but on the other hand the pictures do look great:

http://weblog.robvanpetten.com/archive/nikon-d800
 
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kdphotography

Well-known member
OK folks most of the moderators will be out shooting and out of coverage range for most of the day. We are counting on you to keep the conversation civil and in the spirit of GetDPI. Hopefully, when we get back later today we don't have to go in and delete posts.
I'm not sure you should disclose this, Terry. Don't worry, I know a couple of adults who can supervise. Me and Don can, uh, well never mind....:ROTFL:
 
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