Hi-ISO Nikon shots

[jrc]

Hi-ISO Nikon shots are beginning ot show up on Nikon forums, and some of them are pretty amazing. Here is one set:

http://review.fengniao.com/64/644918.html

There are others on Phil Askey's site. We're not talking candle light anymore; we're talking paper match.

JC

[sean_reid]

Very interesting. Are we looking at converted RAW files or JPEGs?

Cheers,

Sean

[billh]

That camera intrigues me. I switched from Nikon F5s to the Canon 1Ds, 1D2 and 1Ds2, and while the image quality (especially of the 1Ds series) is excellent, I’ve never found servo (predictive) AF as good as that on the film Nikon. I turned down my dealers offer of a 1D3 because of the AF issues, and wonder if the Nikon might be the better replacement camera? The downside is having to buy another 300 f2.8 VR to replace the Canon 300 f2.8IS. Maybe Sean can add these cameras to his site....?

[sean_reid]

Yes, I plan to test the D300 and D3 at some point.

Cheers,

Sean

[malland]

Just what I wanted to see: pictures of lens barrels!

Seriously though, I got interested by the D300 because of it's many features, including the 100% VF, the LiveView, and the ability to use older manual focus Nikkor lenses, of which I have a few. And looking at the specs I saw it would be only 50 or 75 grams heavier than the M6.

Therefore, while in Tokyo last week I went to look at the D200, which has a similar shape and weight. But the thing is huge: even though I have long hands I felt as if I could barely get my hand around the right side where the battery compartment is. How do people with small hands use these cameras? Does it really have to be so large?

Incidentally, Tokyo is one of the cities left that has real, large camera stores, where one can actually look and try out equipment.

—Mitch/Bangkok
Mitch Alland's slideshow on Flickr

[farnz]

Interesting but the images are very soft so it's not clear whether this is owing to the degree of magnification, operator error or perhaps noise reduction. I'm not sure what the images are really showing me.

Thanks for posting though, John.

Pete.

[billh]

Originally Posted by sean_reid

Yes, I plan to test the D300 and D3 at some point.

Cheers,

Sean

Beside the 1D3 and 1Ds3 perhaps?

[sean_reid]

Originally Posted by billh

Beside the 1D3 and 1Ds3 perhaps?

In a perfect world, 1Ds3 and D3 together. May not do 1d3.

Cheers,

Sean

[billh]

Originally Posted by sean_reid

In a perfect world, 1Ds3 and D3 together. May not do 1d3.

Cheers,

Sean

Hi Sean,

While the D3 may well suffice for anything one would use the 1Ds3 for, the real competition seems to me to be between the high speed 10MP 1D3 and the 12MP (also high speed) D3. That said, I can well understand a comparison being between the 12 MP D3 and the 21MP 1Ds3.

I use the M8 and/or 1Ds2 for everything except those times when I actually need a high speed motor drive. Other than the dog action pics, those times are fairly rare, but I do use the 1D2 quite a bit for the dog shots. I would have purchased the 1D3 were it not for the reports from people like Ron Galbraith and others who compared it to their 1D2 shots.

The 1Ds3 is up to 5 fps, which just might be enough to catch most of the action (I am trying to photograph snippets of action which last less than one second, which is why the high frame rate is useful). But 21 MP will fill HDs even more quickly than the 1Ds2 files, and I often downsize the 1Ds2 files so I can print 8.5 x 11 at 360 on an Epson 4800. Your choice of the D3 and 1Ds3 comparison is probably the one that will hold the most interest for people. Any of these cameras should provide image quality and versatility that we would never have been able to imagine when many of us began our photography.