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D850

rayyan

Well-known member
I have never sold one photograph. That might be a reflection on my end product, or the fact that it has always been hobby for me. Since about the late 70s.

If my finances would permit, I would buy the latest and the best. Not coz of need but want. I would still not sell any photographs. It is still a hobby for me.

The strange thing, though, is that whenever I have progressed to a newer model
Of a camera, I still spend the same amount of time before pressing the shutter, as I did long time ago...when i learned what photography was all about.

My D70, e.g, was excellent. I found that I was limited by its high ISO performance. Of course, a tripod could have alleviated some of these issues.
Or a flash. But I am not averse to these aids.

Should I still be carrying a wooden tripod or a light weight carbon fiber one.
I still spend more time looking and envisioning than pressing the shutter.

The last camera I bought was the Fuji X-pro2.
Miraculously, I discovered that I could set it to all manual, and I was back with my
Spotmatic.

The Df, similarly, I can set to all manual.

I am sure, the next bang whiz that might buy, I can still set to manual.

Enjoy my photography...of course that is why I do it.

Whether in manual or full auto.

Nothing has changed for me...except that iso 6400 is a blessing for a lazy old man with shaky hands.

Having the latest in no way should not allow one not to practice and enjoy the essence of different genres of photography.

I had 2 sets of cameras and lenses with me, when I went to meet the locals..so to speak....

Like has been observed, better to click with the subject...than with your camera.
I am all for clicking with the subject. I enjoy my photography, but I enjoy my subjects more...

My iPhone was enough. Allowed me more time with my vision.

 

Jack

Sr. Administrator
Staff member
One of my most favorite shots ever. Nikon 8008 early AF film body with first 24/f2.8 AF, which was arguably a POS lens. Shot on Velvia rated at ISO 40. Aperture was f8, for this in-cam double exposure. First exposure at sunset for sunset sky, second exposure 2 hours later after sunset and after full moon rise -- a 2 hour exposure -- which provided some fill and time to do the following: secondary fill on casino exterior from portable Nikon strobe and old-school flashlight -- very warm CT -- used inside building to paint interior walls for the kerosene light effect. Due to timing and double-exposure requirement, I got exactly one chance to create this:




Another favorite, this one done all newer school and higher tech, Phase IQ 180 with 55mm lens. (True story -- I was shoulder to shoulder with about 50 other photographers I didn't know at Tunnel View, all were standing around gabbing about gear waiting for the "magic light to happen" when I snapped 2 or 3 frames either side of this one -- the clouds parted and closed over the course of maybe a minute. Yet I saw nobody else exposing, apparently they weren't even looking... I left them all there, still talking and waiting while I drove off knowing I'd gotten it. Seriously.) :




Another favorite, this one done really old school with a 4x5 view cam and 150mm lens and Provia IIRC. Nothing special, just in Yosemite on a winter morning with a camera discovering movements -- a wee bit of rise and a wee bit of tilt...:



...


...


...


And I'm not even certain what my point is with this post... I've created my art with some of the best gear available; and at the same time created some of my best art with gear that by all accounts is total crap by current standards, and others essentially antiques. Perhaps I'm just tired of chasing the latest and greatest in gear, and yearn to get back to creating art with whatever tool I happen to own...

Carry on without me, I am tired.
 
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Swissblad

Well-known member
Thanks for the above posting, Jack - you really hit a home run.

Stunning set of images - very valid points - which echo my own sentiment.

:cool:
 
V

Vivek

Guest
One of my most favorite shots ever. Nikon 8008 early AF film body, first 24/f2.8 AF lens, which was arguably a POS lens. Shot on Velvia rated at ISO 40. Aperture was f8, for this in-cam double exposure. First exposure at sunset for sunset sky, second exposure 2 hours later after sunset and after full moon rise -- a 2 hour exposure -- which provided some fill and time to do the following: secondary fill on casino exterior from portable Nikon strobe and old-school flashlight -- very warm CT -- used inside building to paint interior walls for the kerosene light effect. Due to timing and double-exposure requirement, I got exactly one chance to create this:




.
One of my all time favorites. Used to adorn the front page (homepage) of getdpi.
Did not know what went into making it!

Thanks for the information, Jack! :)
 

ptomsu

Workshop Member
And I'm not even certain what my point is with this post... I've created my art with some of the best gear available; and at the same time created some of my best art with gear that by all accounts is total crap by current standards, and others essentially antiques. Perhaps I'm just tired of chasing the latest and greatest in gear, and yearn to get back to creating art with whatever tool I happen to own...

Carry on without me, I am tired.
Jack,

You speak from my heart, very similar for me too, I am tired!

Issue is that I still am waking up from time to time and then it always takes some effort to come to this conclusion again.
 

Godfrey

Well-known member
... I've created my art with some of the best gear available; and at the same time created some of my best art with gear that by all accounts is total crap by current standards, and others essentially antiques. Perhaps I'm just tired of chasing the latest and greatest in gear, and yearn to get back to creating art with whatever tool I happen to own...

Carry on without me, I am tired.
Lovely photos, Jack, thanks for showing them.
I understand.

(bolded) This is the good part. You don't need anything to create fine art; we don't need anything, most of us. We have everything we need. So lets get on with that and forget the GAS chase. :)

onwards,

G

"Equipment is transitory. Photographs endure."
 

D&A

Well-known member
Jack Wrote--->>>"And I'm not even certain what my point is with this post... I've created my art with some of the best gear available; and at the same time created some of my best art with gear that by all accounts is total crap by current standards, and others essentially antiques. Perhaps I'm just tired of chasing the latest and greatest in gear, and yearn to get back to creating art with whatever tool I happen to own..."<<<

What it always come back to, is that it's the photographer/artist and their vision, insight and talent that makes a great image than most anything else. When we get lost in an image out of shear interest, for a few seconds or longer, regardless of the subject matter, we rarely first ask, what equipment was utilized. For myself, that is the hallmark of an image well done, with thought and creativity. Afterwards might come the interest in the technical aspects. There's no hard and fast rule to all this of course and different subject matter holds interest for different people. Yet a well crafted image or alternatively capturing a decisive moment that immediately stimulates the viewer, is generally a successful photograph and for which we've seen taken with equipment at all levels throughout the many decades of the past.

Dave (D&A)
 
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Vivek

Guest
Here is a suggestion- to harness all the strong feelings expressed here- why not start an old gear thread? Over at the sony section there is a thread for using old lenses. Like that make it an old gear thread. No new cameras allowed.
 

Godfrey

Well-known member
Here is a suggestion- to harness all the strong feelings expressed here- why not start an old gear thread? Over at the sony section there is a thread for using old lenses. Like that make it an old gear thread. No new cameras allowed.
Why not do something even more radical, like start a section about photographs where you get to post and discuss one photograph per thread, with no irrelevant blah-blah-blah about camera, lens, bytes, etc? What is the title of the photograph, what was your intent in making it, how did you go about it, what problems did you encounter, what do the viewers think about it, how could it be improved, etc?

An "old gear thread" is just another gearhead discussion rather than anything to do with photography. All gear threads become Old Gear threads the moment your new WunderKamera is put to use.

G
 
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Vivek

Guest
Looks like my proposal is misrepresented and turned down.

Sure, make a section based on the “radical” suggestion. Quite a few such sections have already been created and provide platform for low or no contributions.
 

Thorkil

Well-known member
just a Nikon FF mirrorless for me, lovely viewfinder, modest Mp, simple menu's, high iso-ability like the Df and just one lens, a 24mm with aperture-ring with figures (not by wire!) and oldschool focus-ring, depth of field with decent zonefocus ability, then I'm on
 

Jorgen Udvang

Subscriber Member
This thread has gone so far off base it isn't funny. it's supposed to be about the D850 !
I agree, although I'm one of the sinners who have contributed to the off topic trend. I think there are some good reasons why we're off topic though:

- The camera isn't yet widely available. Here in Thailand, where I asume it's manufactured, it isn't available at all yet.
- Even if it were available, and even if it's the best alround camera in the world, its predecessors, the D800/E and in particular the D810, are so good that many hesitate to upgrade. The philosophical and practical reasons for that are what we see reflected in this thread.

It's tempting to compare with the Panasonic G9 thread, which is very on topic. In spite of being the sister camera to the GH5 with the same sensor, more or less the same size and with many similar specs, the Panasonic is a major breakthrough for that company when it comes to advanced cameras marketed towards stills photographers. So, people are upgrading from other Panasonic cameras and other brands and "side grading" from the GH5. Although the camera has only been available for a few days, many are posting images and describing their experiences.

I notice also that the shops where I buy cameras hasn't listed a single D810 body for sale the last 6 or so months, which is unusual when the new model has been launched. One can always question if describing why many people are not upgrading yet is off or on topic, but it's certainly an interesting aspect of the situation. The D850 is clear proof that DSLR technology hasn't reached its peak yet, and probably never will, but the fact that the upgrade isn't really needed by many, at least not urgently, will mean a distinct change in the DSLR market and how Nikon plans ahead.

Sorry if you feel that this too is off topic, but I thought it sould be mentioned. My upgrade from the D610 that I currently use will probably be a used D810... if I can find one locally.
 

Steen

Senior Subscriber Member

Oh, sorry

I have enjoyed the nice and interesting chat while waiting for the body-only version to become available in my country

(and worse, in my case awaiting that I can actually afford it)
 

Frankly

New member
This thread has gone so far off base it isn't funny. it's supposed to be about the D850 !
So Doug... are you going to cancel/refund your D850 order and build a pinhole camera to cleanse your artistic soul?

I’m always amused by how conservative and puritanical “creative” people can be. Save your money and buy a nice camera and you might as well be a modern day Hester Prynne.
 

ptomsu

Workshop Member
One of he reasons I probably would not upgrade from a D810 is that this camera is much quieter (the shutter) than the new D850. The D850 shutter sound is back up to the annoying click clack of Nikon ....
 
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