Digital camera - what kind do you have?

[maureeno]

I use 2 Nikon D50s with assorted lenses and am very happy with them.

Maureen

[fpellerin]

The D50 is a great camera. I could not bring myself to part with mine after I got my D200.

[Kamik]

I went from a D50 last year, on to a D200 with about 7 lenses total, nothing slower than f2.8 either. Then i sold it all this year for a 5D and 3 lenses. No regrets either, I'm much happier with this camera now

[SteveB2005]

I have been using digital cameras since 2001, when I started using the Nikon 990, a 3.3 MP digi cam, which was state of the art at the time and we were using it for product photography and it worked out fine to produce $20,000 pre-press ads that went to high end jewelry mags. Then I got the 6 MP Canon 10D and now the 8MP Canon 30D. Now the 10+MP Canon 40 D is out.

Don't be concerned about newer DSLR cameras so much at this point. Anything 6MP and up capture enough info in RAW mode for web and pre-press. Everytime a new, larger MP digi cam comes out, everyone goes out and buys it, thinking that more MP means more quality. The new high end Canon is I think 22 MP, which is getting up there with the $20-30,000 med format digital backs. See, more MP is relative. Digi cams will keep increasing MP as a selling point, but as someone stated, the camera is only a recorder, it's the lenses that you should focus on, high quality glass, especially f 1.2-2.8 that are fast, great in low light, crisp, crystal clear images with accurate color. but they are also costly, but worth the investment

I would stick to the 2 top name brands, Canon and Nikon, mainly because there are many 3rd party products available for these brands and they stand up to pro usage. Nikons and Canon shooters win awards every year with these new DSLR cams.

But one thing very important to remember is, the camera is half the game, post work and processing in Photoshop CS2-3 is imperative and you have to study your digital darkroom techniques to deliver optimal imagery really good

BTW, I have fine old Canon slides from 1978-1993 I have had professionally scanned on CD, hi-rez, but the really good RAW images that I have captured from my Canon 10D-30D are way beyond the quality of the films and slides I have scanned in the past. I have retouched many, many hi-rez drum scanned images from Nikon and Canon 35mm film for a pre-press house in the late 90's, but when DSLR's got to the 6MP and up, and you have the right lighting, right exposure and metering, you can get a great image, that is web and press quality

I cannot face film cameras anymore and besides, once a film/slide image is scanned into the computer, it is still digital anyway, right?



Steve

[ricric]

Currently am using a Canon 5D as my main and a 20D as my backup. Hopefully can venture into Medium Format camera with Digital Back in future.

[camilla_k]

i am loyal to nikon.

even though they've screwed up a little and didnt understand their own users. nikon is finally starting to catching up with canon.

i just upgraded to a Nikon D80 (used to have a D70).

im not sure about it to be honest with you. the metering is not very good and i expected a faster buffrer. i also dont understand why they changed memory cards from compact flash to Secure Digital. but one thing is very good, and its the colors. it produces fantastic colors. its is also a nice and light camera. big lcd as well. so some good stuff of course... but the thing is:

i've used a nikon d200 quite a lot and its miles better, depsite the same amount of megapixels and all that... it just feeeels so good in your hand you know. its just right.

if i can afford to i'd might go for the new D300, but people are actually saying that its not that much diffrence from the D200... we'll see

got quite a few lenses as well

nikkor 28-80 mm
nikkor 18-70 mm
sigma 105 mm macro
sigma 70-300 mm
tamron 11-18 mm

hope to afford some VR lenses at some point.

beeing into photography is so expensive..... bleh!

if you wanna check out some pictures:
http://flickr.com/photos/camilla-karlsen/

[ftp-Jeff]

Been using Phase one for years now.

Jeff

[Nacoya]

DSLR

Nikon D200
Nikon D50 (Black)
AF-S Nikkor 18-70mm f/3.5-4.5G ED DX
Nikon AF-S VR 70-300 mm f/4.5-5.6G IF-ED
Sigma 150mm f/2.8 EX IF HSM Macro
AF Zoom-Nikkor 28-200mm f/3.5-5.6G IF-ED
Nikkor 35mm F/2 AF

UV filters, ND filters, CP filters, closeup +4, Hoya R72
Kenko Extension Tubes
Calumet pro strap
SB-600 flash
Flash x-tender
Zigview R Digital view finder

Camera Bag

Lowepro Mini Trekker AW
Lowepro Slingshot 100 AW

Tripod

Manfrotto 190BPRO tripod
Manfrotto 460MG MAGNESIUM 3-WAY HEAD
Manfrotto 488RC2 ball head

Monopod - Manfrotto 681B + 234RC head

Calumet 6000 series
Std calumet ball head
Quickgrip action head

Compact

Canon S2 iS
lensmate 52 and 58mm adaptor & UV filters

Olympus 3020z

Flash

Vivitar DF200 slave

Other

lightbox/tent

Software Used (primarily)

Nikon Capture 4.4/NX
Photoshop CS3
IrfanView 3.99

Storage
The VP2160 X'S-Drive II Plus 120gig