Nikon D850

Ok, recently purchased the Nikon D850.  Retailers are shaving $500 off of the retail price, and I decided to take the leap and get this beautiful full frame body! When it came out in 2017, it won awards for its design: Nikon D850 wikipedia page.  Recent reviews seem to point to the end of the SLR, and predict we will all be using mirrorless bodies soon: Nikon Z7 II vs Nikon D850  Sounds like if video is a feature you want, the mirrorless Z7 may be a better option.  I have to say, I miss the days when camera bodies were not becoming "obsolete" in the time it took to get home from the camera store.  I had a Nikon F3HP body that was top of its class for years.  One reason may be that for film cameras, a lot of the technology is built into the film, and not the camera.  Now we live in a time where manufacturers tell us that our electronics (cell phones, digital cameras, laptops, tablets, etc.) are "obsolete" in 2 years.  I guess a company isn't going to get rich if folks are able to hang on to the latest product for years without upgrading!

Well, let's enjoy what we have, and get out there and take some great photos!

You can purchase it now from B&H for $500 off of retail here: B&H Photo Video.

Ok, looks like the sale ended at B&H. I have seen the $500 discount come and go, so if you want this camera, keep an eye out for the next sale!

Let me know what you all think.  What camera are you using?  Or are you happy using the camera on your phone?  Anyone still using film?  Comment below!

Nikon D700 - will it ever end?

Well, just when you thought the Nikon D300 would be all the camera a serious amateur could ever want, Nikon comes out with the D700! This is basically the Nikon D3 full frame technology in the D300 camera body. B&H has them for sale here. I've bought a lot of camera gear over the years from B&H, and have always had good luck. If you're ever in New York, stop in their store. You will feel like a kid in a candy store!

Anyway, Scott Kelby seems to like the camera. You can read his review here. He felt like you get the benefits of the Nikon D3 without the cost ($3000 vs $5000). It's also a little smaller and lighter (35 oz vs 43.7 oz). If you need a full frame digital camera, and can't afford the D3, this just may be the ticket! Ken Rockwell is also enamored with the camera. His review can be found here. Thom Hogan also has a nice review of the D700 here.  And Shun Cheung at photo.net has a very thorough review here!

Nikon D300 - I Still Want One!

Well, I was in my local camera store, Central Camera, picking up my black and white prints (yes, Kodak still makes Tri-X!), and had to ask about the new Nikon D300. The fellow behind the counter told me that they get maybe 10 in with each shipment, but they have folks waiting for them. They list them for around $1,794.95. He told me that the D200 has come down to around $1,399.95 now. That's pretty good for a camera that started out at $1,700!

So that got me to thinking: is the D300 worth $400 more than the D200? Some of the improvements seemed like they might be 'nice to haves' and not 'need to haves.' I searched for a D200 vs D300 review, and Scott Kelby did a nice hands-on job here. I bought his book on Adobe Photoshop Lightroom (I've got a link below for Amazon.com if you'd like to check it out) and found the guy seems to know what he's talking about! I like his comparison of the two cameras, because he actually bought the D300, and was able to compare it to the D200 he also owns (not just compare the specifications that anyone can dig up).

Well, to cut to the chase, he says on his blog "the D300 is a much better, more fully featured update to the D200 than I had ever imagined it would be. How much so? Well, needless to say, I’m selling my D200." And later he says "To me, the D300 doesn’t feel like an upgrade; it feels like a whole new camera from the ground up. The improvements are that significant."

Read the whole article, it's very informative. I've decided it is worth the extra money for the D300. Now I just have to find out where to get this money! I know it seems trivial, but that huge screen (at least compared to my D70) really has me hooked. Scott was also impressed with the utility of the Live View (like adjusting White Balance and seeing the effect in real time). Anyone else out there have any hands-on comparisons for us? If you're fortunate enough to have the money, you can get the camera here from B&H. I've bought camera (and other electronics) both off of their website, and at their retail store in Manhattan, and have always had a good experience.

Update 3/14/08

Phil Askey has just posted his thorough review of the Nikon D300, and said the hardest part of the review was trying to come up with the 'cons' for the camera. See his review here.

Update 3/17/08

Ben Long at Macworld has also posted a glowing review of this camera here. His biggest complaint was that "Nikon’s menuing system is cumbersome and not easy to navigate." But in the end he says "the D300 is a great DSLR" with "excellent image quality, high ISO performance, robust feature set, and sturdy build."

Update 4/5/08

Ken Rockwell has a nice review of the D300 here. He calls it the "world's best amateur camera!"

Nikon D300 - I want one!

Anyone else out there lusting after the upcoming Nikon D300? I'm saving my pennies! (I also put a Donate button on the site if you're feeling generous!) :-) Right now I have the Nikon D70, which does a great job for digital photography. But have you seen how big the screen is on the D300? Compared to my D70, my screen looks like a postage stamp!

The scary thing with digital cameras (and computers, for that matter) is that you feel like they are obsolete months after you buy them. They aren't really obsolete, they just aren't as advanced as the new model that has come out two weeks after you finally saved up enough pennies to buy the 'almost newest' model. If you look at Phil Askey's review of the D300, I noticed something unique to digital cameras: the new models are coming out faster and faster! I guess it's something similar to Moore's law.

• D100 - announced Feb 2002
• D200 - announced Nov 2005
• D300 - announced Aug 2007

I think back to when I bought the Nikon F3 camera in 1986. It seems like that camera was state of the art from it's introduction in 1980 until the F4 came along in 1988. I loved that camera... tough as nails! The difference now with digital cameras is that the technology advances in the camera, unlike with film cameras, where the film got better with time.

Well, the camera is supposed to be out this month, so hopefully we start to see some hands on reviews for it soon! Bob Atkins has a nice preview of the camera on photo.net. I also see that PopPhoto has a 'Buying Guide' synopsis of the D300. And here is the Nikon USA link: Nikon D300. Has anyone pre-ordered?

Where to buy a Nikon D300: