Next DSLR
It seems crazy to say it, but my trusty Nikon D70s DSLR is starting to get a little rusty, not to mention that I feel as though I’m starting to outgrow its functions. Why?
- Small, dim viewfinder (by comparison with D80/D200)
- Poor high ISO performance (by comparison with D80/D200)
- Luminosity histogram only (no RGB)
- Relatively poor AF performance (by comparison to D200/D80/D2)
- Slow AF motor (of little importance considering AF-S glass)
- Inability to map custom buttons, no custom setting banks
- Limited viewfinder information (e.g. ISO setting)
- Less-than-optimal handling
Depending on how familiar you are with your cameras, you might notice that I haven’t listed sensor resolution in the above list. My D70s is a 6.2MP DSLR, the D200 and D80 are around 10MP, the D2X is something like 12. But right now, 6MP is perfectly adequate for me. That said, CF cards are cheap, storage is cheap, I wouldn’t say no to more MP, if the trade-off is right (it is with both the D200 and D80… the D2 high ISO performance isn’t quite as good, but it’s still way above my D70).
So, with these functions in mind, which cameras am I looking at?
I’m not looking to Canon and I’m not looking to Olympus. The Canon 5D is on a par with the D200, despite being much more expensive; that said, it does have a 35FF sensor, which is where the price and demand comes in. The Canon 30D is barely worth consideration; it pales by comparison with the D80 (i.e. a Nikon consumer DSLR beats a Canon prosumer DSLR). The Olympus E-400 is a great looking little body, plenty of features, a good sensor, but a shocking viewfinder and (currently) no real upgrade route. Olympus will really have to do something good with the E-1 succesor for people to start taking notice again.
Unsurprisingly, I’m looking at Nikon bodies; this time around it’ll definitely be a pro body, this leaves the D200, D2X and the soon-to-be-announced Fujifilm S5 Pro (okay, not a Nikon camera, but it has a D200 frame licensed from Nikon, along with the F-mount and the other goodies).
D200: Good high ISO performance, excellent viewfinder, plenty of settings, excellent price
D2X: So-so high ISO performance, 100% viewfinder coverage (but not as large as the D200), loads of settings, best handling and performance, expensive
S5 Pro: D200 body, film modes, Fuji’s Super CCD for increased dynamic range images (one set of receptors for shadow/midtone detail, another set for highlight detail), “just” 6MP sensor, limited sensor update between previous Fuji body, price TBA
Fujifilm S5 Pro (image courtest dpreview.com)
Right now I’m really liking the potential that the S5 Pro has. The ability to record highlight detail is a real benefit over the other two bodies. What concerns me is the apparent lack of CCD update since the S3 Pro (there was no S4 Pro). Before buying this body I’d definitely wait for reviews, and the price would have to be right.
Currently the D2X is a non-starter, due to the high price, not to mention all of the current D3 rumours abounding. The next month or so will be very interesting, if only to find out whether the S5 Pro is really worth my attention, or if my next body purchase will be a D200 or a D200s.
Tags: Photography