[LRflex] Re: For Kevin: Choosing Nikon bodies for Leica Glass
- From: Aram Langhans <leica_r8@xxxxxxxxxxx>
- To: <leicareflex@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
- Date: Sun, 11 Dec 2011 20:54:15 -0800
David, Kevin and all. Here is my take. I own a D7000, and my father-in-law
owns a D300, not the S model.
If you want/need full frame, then the D700 is probably the camera for you.
If you have/want Leica wide glass, they will behave like they were intended
on this camera, as far as focal length goes. I have not used one, but did
handle one. Nice camera w/o breaking the bank as much as the upper lever FF
Nikon bodies.
If you are more interested in the telephoto end, then I would recommend the
D7000. In many ways it is superior to the D300, and is some ways it is not.
Read the specs as far as AF sensors and such to see if these differences are
meaningful to you. As far as other people's remarks that the higher MP
sensor in the D7000 is a hindrance, let me tell you that the high ISO
difference between the older D300 and newer D7000 slight, but definitely in
favor of the D7000. My camera at ISO 3200 is superior to his at ISO 1600.
Si I disagree with David in this. Maybe he as seen other results, but my
experience with the both of us shooting side by side is that the D7000 is
superior. The smaller pixel size is offset by a more modern technology,
evidentially. And the D7000 is cheaper, has a better viewfinder, and,
important for me, smaller and lighter.
I am sure the D700 is superior to both, however, as far as clean results
from high ISO. By how much, I do not know. Since weight was very important
to me, and since most of my work at the time with Leica did not include much
in the way of wide angle work, I did not even give the D700 a second look.
But that is just me and my use and my collection of Leica glass I had at the
time.
So, I would raise the D7000 much higher on the list.
Hope this helps.
-----Original Message-----
From: David Young
Sent: Sunday, December 11, 2011 8:32 AM
To: leicareflex@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
Subject: [LRflex] For Kevin: Choosing Nikon bodies for Leica Glass
> David,
>
> I'm in a similar dilemma, although I never had a DMR, and I am
> years behind you skill-wise. I have a R8 and R6.2 and 5 R-lens
> which I too highly value. If money was not a deciding factor, in
> which Nikon body would you invest? I am looking for a long-term
> solution and am willing to pay more up front. I'm just back from 9
> days in Thailand, and while I enjoy shooting film, I am envious of
> the great raw images my wife gets from her Leica X1. I'm shooting
> primarily BW film, however. It's just the wait and scanning routine
> with my Imacon 343 that I am finding prohibitively time-consuming
> and hence impractical.
>
> Thanks
>
> Kevin
Good Morning, Kevin!
I envy your 9 days in Thailand. Rose and I were lucky enough to spend a
month there, in 2002. Like
you, I shot film, and scanned the images with a Nikon Coolscan V. An
excellent scanner, which I
still use, on occasion. However, like your Imacon, painfully slow, even if
the results are superb.
Equivalent to a 24mp image!
If money were no object, I'd still not buy top-of-the-line. The financial
loss in digital cameras
is simply to great, compared with film cameras. Look at an M3 ... sells
today, in good condition,
for more than was paid new. Meanwhile, an M8 now sells, used, for half it's
2006 price. And
Leica's hold their value better than most! (I sadly miss my R8+DMR. But,
financially, having Leica
buy it back from me, without loss, was perhaps the best financial move I
could have made.)
I'd be torn between 3 models, and I'll tell you why.
The D700 offers 12mp with a Full Frame sensor. This means photos virtually
devoid of noise, even at
very high ISOs. Which means no need for flash. (I learned at the foot of
Dr. Ted, and *hate*
"Twinkie-lights".) I need no more than 12mp ... at 300dpi and only very
little interpolation, an
11x14" print is readily made, and I rarely make anything bigger. In fact,
the biggest prints I
sell, are 12x18" prints and they look bloody marvelous, out of both the 10mp
Oly and R8+DMR. My
best selling print in this (or any) size is a Hummingbird, taken with an 8mp
Canon 20D (and 80~200
Vario-Elmar).
So Megapixels is not the issue. I see little advantage in super high
resolution sensors, other than
the ability to crop a shot and still have lots of MPs left. Of course, with
these sensors, there is
always a noise problem.
So, my other choice would be a D300s. Cheaper, and with about the same
Megapixels. Thus, my 400
Telyt "grows" to around 600mm, in "effective" focal length. For me
(although not everybody), this
is a HUGE advantage in my wildlife work, as I can forego extenders
(converters). When your max
f-stop is 6.8, this is a good thing! The other advantage of the smaller
format, is that the Telyt
suffers some curvature of field. Using only the "sweet spot" in the middle
of the image makes the
superb Telyt even better!
Of course the FX series cameras have a problem with w/a lenses, but so does
every other smaller
sensor camera. Oly's 12~60mm zoom cured that, for me, as I rarely shoot
w/a. Not sure which way to
go, in Nikon glass.
One of the things which sold me on the Oly. was the in-body image
stabilization. I meant my 40+ yr
old Telyt 6.8 gained IS!!! Not so, on any of the Nikon bodies; which means
purchasing new, VR
lenses. (Ugh!)
I suppose the D7000 would also be in the running. At 16.2 MPs, it has room
to crop... but, I fear,
more noise than in the D300.
You'll note I did not give any weight to weather-proofing. It's nice, to be
sure. And the Oly has
some of the best. But, in my youth, living in the Yukon, I used my Nikon F
in the snow, at -40 and
colder. I've shot all my Leica R's in the snow, at -20 and -30C without a
problem, even if Leica
won't guarantee they work below 0C. Personally, I try to avoid shooting in
the rain (I'd
dissolve!), but when I do, I put a bread bag over the camera and away I go.
Never had a problem in
50+ years.
Over the years, dropping gear has cost me thousands in repairs; but none of
the brands have
drop-proofing built in! :-(
I hope this analysis helps. My reasons need not be your reasons, for we all
have different
requirements of our gear. If we didn't, we'd all be happy with just one
camera brand & model.
YMMV. LSMFT, etc, etc.
David.
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