After a long time of procrastination, thinking and rethinking, searching for the best fit for our money and needs we finally invested in a new camera, a DSLR with a few lenses. The camera body is the new Nikon D3000 introduced in August this year, the lens included in the package is the 18-55mm standard zoom with Vibration Reduction. As extras I chose the classic Tamron 90 mm short tele with 1:1 macro, now available with built-in autofocus motor to suit simpler camera bodies like this. From another resource I found a cheap Nikon telezoom, the 55-200 but without vibration reduction.
Well now nobody here in this house can blame the equipment if taking crappy pictures with this stuff...:)
Well, if you take a look at the specs for this camera you will see that the sensor is just a moderate 10 MPixels and the "old" camera, the Olympus SP570 UZ is the same so what´s the big deal?
The big deal is that the physical size of the sensor in this camera is twice the size, width- and heightwise which makes the light receiving area four times bigger as well as the size of every pixel itself which provides for better sensitivity with less picture noise in low light. And the resolution of the lens itself can be better utilised on a larger sensor.
I may not have mentioned it before but (as so many other people involved in vacuum tubes, radio and audio) I was deeply involved in photography in the good old days. Back in the beginning of the sixties I would run around with an old box camera my mom got from her sister Hilda who was living in the USA and later on I got my own box camera.
My first girlfriend's dad owned a Yashica two-lens reflex camera for 70 mm film and that was the first camera I ever used that could take really good pictures. I learned how to develop film and got myself an enlarger, a second-hand Opemus III and started to make copies in B&W. The first 35 mm camera I bought was a Nikkormat FT2 in 1975 with a hefty 35-105 mm Sigma zoom lens that was something new and exclusive then. Later I bought a real pocket camera a Rollei 35S for 35 mm film and that was a nice little camera that travelled with me everywhere. Started to shoot color slides and traded in my old Opemus for a new Durst with a color head and started to make color copies of my slides.
Nowadays all that equipment is sold and all cameras in this household are digital cameras, compact- and bridgecameras and now this new Nikon.
Some samples taken with this camera and the Tamron lens:
9 comments:
Oh ~ welcome to the family!
What a great camera. Nikon, I believe, takes the best photos. I have a D200, but it is fairly heavy to carry around.
I look forward to your photos, since you have a background in photography. Your first to are beautiful :)
have fun with your new toy.
"2"
Hi Grace,
Yes, I have been a Nikon-fan from my early teen years. I can still remember standing outside some of the few photo shops downtown Vasa looking at those lovely Nikkorex cameras, the first Nikon F and the outstanding Nikon F2.
The Nikkor lenses have always been outstanding beaten only by the Leitz camera lenses but at half the price.
The funny thing with our Tamron 90 mm macro lens though is that it according to many reviews and tests in many respects is equal to or even outperforming the Nikkor 60 mm macro lens but at half the price... :)
Your Nikon D200 has many commonalities with the Nikon D3000, the same sensor, the same AF-system with 11 focus points and the same exposure metering system. There is a trend that the good stuff from the top-of-the-line cameras are introduced in the entry-level cameras after some years and there are developed new fancier top-of-the-line models :)
So their next entry level camera will have the 12 MPixel CMOS sensor and Live-View found in D90 and D5000 now.
is your D3000 heavy or light?
I would like their small digital to carry around with me.
I found the video on youtube
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CF74HD0cEyI
Hi Grace,
The Nikon D200 body is a hefty 830 g when the nikon D3000 is a tiny 485 g, i.e. almost only half the weight of a D200!
I noticed that the predecessor to Nikon D3000, the Nikon D60, can be found at bargain prices in the US now. The D60 is almost as lightweight as the D3000. It sports the same 10 MPixel sensor ast the D200 and D3000 but a simplier autofocus measuring system.
Hans, I would wrap that camera in deep, soft fur if it were mine, too! It's beautiful!
I remember snapping photos with my old black and white Brownie box camera - viewfinder on the top. I received it for Christmas when I was about 10 years old.
Here's to many happy picture-taking excursions!
xx
Oh my goodness, I've missed so many posts here. I really need to put you on my blog update list!!
Good choice with the Nikon! Koos uses them all the time and loves them. He has two D40"s which he absolutely loves and also the point and shoot 8400 and 8800 which he also loves for totally different reasons. I hear the D3000 is amazing and you have some nice lenses there too. Wow Hans, and the photos shown here show that it was worth it!
I only have snap-happy cameras, but my favourite is an old Leica digilux 2, which I adore, but is a bit big to put in my pocket. Still, all my absolute favourite photos have been taken with that one. I just love it to bits. The one I usually use is a Panasonic TZ2. I can slip it in my pocket but it has the Leica lens, so apart from lousy flash photos and horrible video, it's a great little tote around camera. I've taken it to both Spain and Italy with me, and it's done all and more than could be expected of it.
I also have a Nikon Coolpix P80, but haven't really got into it yet. Too big for my pocket, but without that special something the Digilux undoubtedly has.
Sounds like I don't really know what I like doesn't it? Well, I do, but I can't afford the newer ones....
Hi Val,
Yes I remember reading earlier in Koos' blogs that he is using different kind of Nikon cameras. And of course the optical quality of anything named Leica or Leitz is outstanding.
To me Nikon has always ment outstanding quality to a relatively affordable (but though high..) price.
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