D3100: beginning of the end for ALL other current Nikon bodies?

[Revision]

I think that the writing is on the wall: if an under $700 camera body with otherwise "rudimentary" features such as an 11 point AF and a 3 fps continuous rate gets HD video and a megapixel boost to 14, megabucks professional bodies with 12 megapixels and no HD video start looking dangerously like a thing of the past. Even (oh my!) 24 MP bodies without HD video more and more "ancien regime"...

Any thoughts?

How long will the outstanding quality of the high ISO D700/D3 and especially D3s remain unmatched?

How long will professional studio types put up with a no video D3x when their client's kids have access to HD??

--
Best Regards,
Renato

'The world is going to pieces and people like Adams and Weston are photographing rocks.' Henri Cartier Bresson, in the 1930's

 

[KSV]

http://forums.dpreview.com/forums/read.asp?forum=1021&message=36049619

 

[Robin Casady]

--
Robin Casady
http://www.robincasady.com/Photo/index.html

 

[Deleted-pending]

or complicated :

while nikon is offering better features in lower entry level camera, some still remain "bricked" (like slow motion in video, ais lens metering, bracketing & mini jack mic input lacking), so if you really need those features + bigger lcd , better flash sync, & weather sealing, you still may be looking at semi-pro & pro level cameras.
But sometimes the extra cost may not be worth it.

I personaly dislike the fact that semi pro & pro cameras are not "upgradable" for an extra 150$ cost. That would make more sense to me.

Finally, I know many professional photographers in europe using low end gear or "outaded" second hand D200 cameras because it is more cost effective, less hassle to replace it if a big issue appears & simply smarter.Dont forget that The small cameras are capable of the same IQ than the bigger ones. Only the FF cameras are a real advantage at higher isos & the faster AF is a no brainer for action shooters.

 

[eNo]

I think that the writing is on the wall: if an under $700 camera body with otherwise "rudimentary" features such as an 11 point AF and a 3 fps continuous rate gets HD video and a megapixel boost to 14, megabucks professional bodies with 12 megapixels and no HD video start looking dangerously like a thing of the past.

Really? REALLY!??? Go shoot a fast moving sporting event and/or in foul weather with the D3100, or try 9 frame HDR brackets with it, or shoot at ISO3200 in low light or and get back to us on how the D3100 trumps a D300 or D700.

Any thoughts?

Only that stopping to think before posting comes in handy.

Don't get me wrong. I'm sure the D3100 will be a fine camera, even though we still have to see the reviews and samples. But undo all those higher cameras? Heck, in many ways a D2X can still run circles around a D90 -- even if I rather have the latter.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

It's easy to argue about equipment and technique, but hard to argue with a good photograph -- and more difficult to capture one .



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[Nikonan]

HAHAHA, lighten up fanboy.
--
D700 & D300, various lenses.

 

[Nikonan]

and i think he just means the timeline in general... if a low end body is getting features pro bodies had 3 years ago now.. how long before the current pro bodies are a thing of the past (with new ones out of course.).. make sense? LOL. i dont think he meant that the D3100 is replacing EVERY Nikon model out there. lol
--
D700 & D300, various lenses.

 

[Ronni H]

It's always like that isn't it....?

A new camera comes along making the other cameras look old. I could dig out so many examples where an old pro camera have been out performed by a newer and cheaper camera (at least on some points)

If the Nikon D3100 looks good it's good news for people waiting for the D7xx - which will most likely will inherit the HD video and improve it even further...

Welcome to the electronic age where camera bodies are not long term investments

--
Ronni

http://www.pbase.com/ronnihansen

 

[eNo]

and i think he just means the timeline in general... if a low end body is getting features pro bodies had 3 years ago now.. how long before the current pro bodies are a thing of the past (with new ones out of course.).. make sense?

Well, no actually. As it has become cliche to point out around these parts, new models don't make old ones obsolete. Less attractive, perhaps, but old cameras can still take great, high quality photos for years to come -- until they die, actually. So where's the logic in saying a new camera, much less an entry-level one, will make the old ones obsolete?

LOL. i dont think he meant that the D3100 is replacing EVERY Nikon model out there. lol

I appreciate the translation. But taking time to express one's thoughts clearly rather than coming across as making illogical, outlandish remarks comes in handy.

But I'll go lighten up now.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

It's easy to argue about equipment and technique, but hard to argue with a good photograph -- and more difficult to capture one .



Gallery and blog: http://esfotoclix.com
Special selections: http://esfotoclix.com/store
Wedding & Portrait: http://esfotoclix.com/wedevent
Flickr stream: http://www.flickr.com/photos/22061657@N03

 

[photonerdcom]

Just when i thought I was going to be happy with my D700 for years to come... there's always something better on the horizon.

 

[Revision]

eNo,

I understand the limitations of a non-professional body such as the D3100 (I mentioned in my post that max frame rate of 3FPS and and 11 AF points are "rudimentary" features in this camera, and I agree -and referred to this later in my post- that features like excellent much higher ISO in current pro bodies still set them apart), but still the upped MP and HD video capability of this entry level camera spell "obsolete" for one or the other feature sets of each and all current pro Nikons.

I agree with Robin Casadt staement that the release date is the beginning of the end for any DSLR, but here I have the feeling the "end" is really near...

--
Best Regards,
Renato

'The world is going to pieces and people like Adams and Weston are photographing rocks.' Henri Cartier Bresson, in the 1930's

 

[JJ10]

I think if we were not surfing the net and pouncing on every new camera release we would be a lot more content with out current cameras. Its all this reading and looking at images of the latest new must have features just released that make us feel like our camera is old and past it. Truth is the cameras we have are much better than most of us are capable of exploiting to their fullest.

I dare you to stay off the net for a year and take images instead with the time saved and see how much better you get as a result....

 

[SixDasher]

They have never been, yet with every new model we see the same garbage posts.

Really impressive to compare a brand new camera to ones that have been around 3-4 years. Duh!!!! Ofcourse they will have improved features, why else bring out a new camera. And when the D400 comes out next year we can just flame every other camera that is now turned into garbage, because hey, they upgraded the thing to even newer features than my D3100, boohoohooooo!!!!! Nikon sucks, I want a D3200 now!!!

Stop whining and take some pictures dammit!!! mwuhhahaha

--
Ai-S all the way!

 

[WalterH]

I do not need video so why should I care?

Will be happy to buy YOUR D3s and YOUR D3x from you for a friendly price of only 100 US$ less than the price of a new consumer camera with "better" specs printed in golden letters in a nikon catalog

 

[M Lammerse]

I think that the writing is on the wall: if an under $700 camera body with otherwise "rudimentary" features such as an 11 point AF and a 3 fps continuous rate gets HD video and a megapixel boost to 14, megabucks professional bodies with 12 megapixels and no HD video start looking dangerously like a thing of the past. Even (oh my!) 24 MP bodies without HD video more and more "ancien regime"...

Any thoughts?

Its called evolution, and we re getting both close to the end of that of DSLR and that of the beginning of digital creative possibilities

How long will the outstanding quality of the high ISO D700/D3 and especially D3s remain unmatched?

D3100 very good, but I think not directly comparable with that of d3S or even D700. We could not record any images unfortunately, but DPreview will up a well compared (T2i) review very soon I guess!

How long will professional studio types put up with a no video D3x when their client's kids have access to HD??

Its all in the need. If the professional studio type needs HD (3D) video output, he allready purchased a video camera capable of that. If not, he will uses his non video D3X..ijust as simple as that. Pro are usually not married to a brand but to a need.
Michel

Disclaimer: Posts written by me are my views, ideas and opinions only, and should not be taken as facts, unless stated otherwise.

Light is everything

http://www.fotopropaganda.com
http://www.fotopropaganda.com/fotopropaganda-blog/
http://www.pbase.com/photopropaganda

 

[WalterH]

... but still the upped MP and HD video capability of this entry level camera spell "obsolete" for one or the other feature sets of each and all current pro Nikons.

I want to see first before I believe that a step up from 12MP to 14MP can improve detail resolution in any relevant way (far away from "obsolete" ) , perhaps it is even difficult to prove that it is significant in measurements. You may be lucky if you generate a dedicated test target. Pixel peeping a brick wall or any real life photo is certainly not sufficient ^^.

So what exactly is the point except as a trap for simple minded people who conclude 14MP is superior to 12MP? YES, the trick might work well in a foto-supermarket.

OK if you need HD movies get a camera that is capable of HD movies.
But for everybody else the excitment is a bit less, certainly for me .-)

I see it similar to macro lenses. I shoot macro using a macro lens but my 24-70 f2.8 is therefore not obsolete for other applications .-)

 

[SixDasher]

Why is this even in the D1/2/3/700 forum????

End of DSLR? Get real!!!! Maybe for the D3100/P&S users, but go to your own forum and rave about it.

--
Ai-S all the way!

 

[M Lammerse]

Its a very relevant question I think.

The OP specified image quality in his question and that of the D3100 are very good, and than I mean still image, not even video (I know there are many nay sayers mentioning that video does not belong in a photo camera body) but the video is probable better than that of my D3S. It says more what to expect and more where we are by means of modern (photo) camera design, marketing and competition .

End of dslr, yup , end of mirror flipping operation in 5 years from now Nikon makes professional cameras which are suited well lfor both video and photo And of course you can still but dslr, you can still buy film camera and ais lenses also.

Michel

Why is this even in the D1/2/3/700 forum????

End of DSLR? Get real!!!! Maybe for the D3100/P&S users, but go to your own forum and rave about it.

--
Ai-S all the way!

--

Disclaimer: Posts written by me are my views, ideas and opinions only, and should not be taken as facts, unless stated otherwise.

Light is everything

http://www.fotopropaganda.com
http://www.fotopropaganda.com/fotopropaganda-blog/
http://www.pbase.com/photopropaganda

 

[Nikonan]

the progression of technology is the logic behind the statement.

and i think he just means the timeline in general... if a low end body is getting features pro bodies had 3 years ago now.. how long before the current pro bodies are a thing of the past (with new ones out of course.).. make sense?

Well, no actually. As it has become cliche to point out around these parts, new models don't make old ones obsolete. Less attractive, perhaps, but old cameras can still take great, high quality photos for years to come -- until they die, actually. So where's the logic in saying a new camera, much less an entry-level one, will make the old ones obsolete?

LOL. i dont think he meant that the D3100 is replacing EVERY Nikon model out there. lol

I appreciate the translation. But taking time to express one's thoughts clearly rather than coming across as making illogical, outlandish remarks comes in handy.

But I'll go lighten up now.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

It's easy to argue about equipment and technique, but hard to argue with a good photograph -- and more difficult to capture one .



Gallery and blog: http://esfotoclix.com
Special selections: http://esfotoclix.com/store
Wedding & Portrait: http://esfotoclix.com/wedevent
Flickr stream: http://www.flickr.com/photos/22061657@N03

--
D700 & D300, various lenses.

 

[cdrross]

I guess I don't understand something that to me is very fundamental...
First some disclaimers:
First I am still very new to the DSLR/Photography world - less than one year.
The D90 is my first and only DSLR

I browse this forum area (as well as others) to learn more from diverse photographers and to explore my thoughts on eventually going FF.

I guess I consider myself more of a purist in that I love to see folks capture a moment in a single frame that draws me in (not by video).

So that being said, one thing that I haven't seen here in this thread is anything about the photographer making the picture. It seems everyone is concerned with a new camera out performing an older model when if you guys gave me the D3x I still couldn't match some of the shots folks are taking with their D40s.

In my short time taking photos and comparing them to others, my big take-away so far has been that it is the photographer and the knowledge and the artistic ability the photographer has is what make me look at photos and go WOW! (without even looking at the camera model).
--
Regards Craig - D90
WSSA #381