Sign of the times:
http://abcnews.go.com/Technology/wireStory?id=1499936
I don’t think your post was off-topic at all. many railfans use Nikon SLR camerasor other makes of SLR cameras. So cameras and railfanning are interlinked.
Many railfans are going over to digital cameras as their prices come down. Also you get instant gratification in that you get to see your photos almost right away, and you don’t have to worry about when your slides will return.
A big advantage of digital cameras was demonstrated to me today. We were photographing the CSX and NS today when we came upon a CSX track geometry train at the end of the day, and in a shady place. My friend has a digital camera so he raised the “film speed” to ISO 800 to get a good picture. He also got to look at the photographs after he took them to get an idea of how much he had to raise his “film speed.”
Although I can’t exactly say that I am suprised, their choice of camera models to continue really suprises me.
In particular, I’m suprised that they’re not keeping any low-end autofocus SLRs. Everything I have seen indicates that Canon is still making a killing off of sales of film Rebels, which are in the same general class as the Nikon N50, N80, etc. The market is obviously out there, it just looks as though Nikon has chosen not to capitalize on it.
Although the F6 may be their pro-oriented camera, I don’t imagine that there’s really a whole lot of market for it. Professional use of 35mm film is dead for the most part; about the only people who are still buying high-end film bodies are the rich amateurs and die-hard pros who refuse to switch. Even most of the small-town newspapers I know of have switched to digital.
The FM10 doesn’t suprise me, as it’s not even made by Nikon, but rather by Cosina. I would have thought that they would have kept the FM3a, though, as many people, even all-digital pros, want a totally mechanical camera that will work with no batteries. With the FM3a gone, nothing of that sort exists. Also, if I’m not mistaken, it was the only one that also offered interchangable prisms, which is considered to be a bonus by some.
I wondered why they chose to keep the FM10. That explains it.
I wonder if APS cameras will be next, if they aren’t already. Mine died when it failed to get pictures of my daughter meeting her ceazarian section pre-mature (30 weeks) son for the first time.
I use the N55 - might pick up another Nikon for the heck of it.
I have a 6mp Pentax, but I’m still going to shoot slides no matter what. You can’t beat them.
Sad…I don’t use Nikon, but it’s a sign of the times…I am going to shoot film for as long as it’s somewhat economical, or at elast until my trusty old Pentax K-1000 dies…and even then I might be able to get a used one, bur still…
As for the F6 survival, I wouldn’t be surprised to see a digital back similar to the Leica R9 back become available. Don’t know for certain, but it would certainly seem like a possibility. Nikon wouldn’t have devoted the R&D they did for it without some plan for it to be digital compatible.
Chris,
Although most of the camera discussing I do on the internet is through the Yahoo Canon FD list, I did venture over to the photo.net Nikon forum today to see their reaction to the recent announcement. Something that many of them brought up is that Nikon recently said that the F6 would not be their last film camera, and they supposedly also have a full-frame digital in the works. Some were speculating that their next camera might infact be a hybrid of the two, perhaps with both a digital and film back.
At one time, there was a company that was also working toward producing a full-frame digital back for a variety of different cameras. One of the ones they mentioned was the Canon T90, which really got me excited, although I don’t think anything ever became of it.
Leon,
APS was the most recent, and probably the last, of Kodak’s attempts at an easy load camera. Like 126, 110, and disk film, it only lasted about 10 years before they gave up on it completely. You can still get 110 film fairly easily, and even 126 if you hunt around for it enough, so there might at least be hope of APS surviving a few more years. Like all of the other formats in its class, its big problem was the small image area. They did come out with some great new emulsions to combat this, and, fortunately, they have carried over to larger formats.
Digitals have pretty much taken over the APS target market, too, so there’s pretty much no point in making new cameras. There were some pretty decent ones being made at one time, though, even including one or two SLRs from Canon.
That’s what has irked me about Nikon’s digital offerings, if you have a bunch of the 35mm lenses, the digital cameras use only about 2/3s of the lens’ coverage. A friend of mine, who has several of the digital cameras and has bought a bunch of the new lenses, said get used to it.
[:-^]Boy… I, for one, did not see this coming. [:-^]
[:o)] Erik (co-author of Trains.com’s Trackside with Erik and Mike… decicated to digital photography)
…I didn’t dream the film cameras were leaving so fast…as I just purchased a new Canon EOS Elan 7e in the last few years…Oh how I wish I would have waited a bit longer and then purchased the Digital Rebel XT…and now thinking about exchanging or selling to perhaps do so in near future…
At least your Canon lenses (assuming they’re EF models) will work if you get a Canon digital SLR.
Add up the cost of film and process… trust me, it will quickly take the sting out of the upfront cost of a digital camera. Plus, I take 10 times the photos I used to take with my film camera simply because there’s no cost. You can tinker around and practice your techniques while waiting for a train to arrive. My Canon Digital Rebel did more for my photography skills than any other “tool” associated with any of my hobbies. It’s invaluable.
When you get right down to it, digital’s cheaper. Yes, you’ll have a big upfront cost, but then you’re done spending money… unless you buy accessories or want prints made. Over the course of time, the continual cost of film and developing will make a film camera more expensive. You have to look at it as a long-term investment. I know, that doesn’t make it any easier to drop around a grand upfront, but you could always go with the original Digital Rebel. Compare the original Digital Rebel with the XT. If money is an issue, you can get the original Digital Rebel at a reduced rate now and you’re basically only giving up some speed (always a bonus, but something you can live without if it means you save $300) and megapixels. But when you get right down to it, do you really need 8 megapixels over 6? I doubt it.
Alright, enough camera talk, I need some breakfast. Coffee!!!
Have a great weekend,
Bergie
Bergie…Thanks for the input…and it’s all well taken. We do have an inexpensive digital and understand what you say about the developing and all the rest. Furthermore, I have so many prints now I don’t know where to store any more, so the digital format is great to bring the camera in here to the computer and download and just keep what one wants, and so on…I believe if I do make this transaction I would spring for the XT as I generally like the better of what I buy…{and then sometimes can’t understand how to work the bells and whistles}, but that’s just the way I most always do it…And furthermore I can print right here what I may like to have a copy of and it’s pretty decent, and so on…Just wish I would have seen this all coming. I have a friend who’s VERY knowledgeable in all what we’re talking about and he didn’t see it coming any more than I did…
I will miss the old film cameres, currently I use a nikon and cannon. While I have a digital camera the pixals are so low it offers little in the way of serious photography. I have shot sports events and weddings in the past and really expected this to come soorer that later. The cannon rebel series does seem to offer us holdouts the best deal at the present. A really good digital will rum about $ 1,000 give or take a little. Phil
…And what is it…1.6 we must multiply to find the working value of lenses we have now on 35mm film cameras and when that would be moved over to the new digital {example, Canon to Canon Rebel XT},…So my 28 mm would now be 44.8mm and so on…Am I figuring that correctly…?
Interesting. I got a digital camera for Xmas, went and shot a CSX rail train in Manchester, Georgia… it’s much more versatile than my Canon AE1. The photos are also subject to much easier cropping and cleaning up.
Digital photography is not accepted as legal evidence in the county I do my policing in… the judges believe that the photos are subject to easy manipulation. So the cops still use their 35MM SLR’s.
Erik
…Now that’s a new wrinkle…but it is a fact the digital’s can be easly altered.
Erikthered “went and shot a CSX rail train” - makes a change from bank robbers ! Must bring a whole new dimension to policing !!
You should be safe for the time being - my dad owns a K2 (the K1000’s higher-spec relative) which he’s had for a good 24 years now, it still works even though it was dropped down a sizable mountain shortly after purchase!
I have a K1000, P30, and P30T - the latter is my main camera of choice as it has auto modes but is still manual focus/winder. What I have noticed of late is that even in high street used camera stores (Jessops) prices have crashed - I was able to get the P30T with a 70-210MM zoom for under £100, the zoom looked like it had never been used while the camera only has some slight rub marks around the strap lugs. I have every intention of going digital one day, but until I can get a digital SLR for similar outlay I’m sticking with film. Thanks to all the pros selling off their gear after moving to digital the used market is flooded, and some very good equipment can now be had for comparative pennies.