I had planned to finish up a post on Erlang tonight, but that got preempted by Nikon’s announcement of the D3, a full frame digital SLR, and the D300, which is a very nice improvement on the D200. The best articles I’ve read so far have been at Rob Galbraith’s site (D3, D300), followed by DPReview (D3, D300). As with the new Canon bodies, the proof will really come when enough regular folks have them in hand to provide real world information. Nikon users have got to be pretty happy today. Canon users as well, since now Canon will really have to accelerate their pace of innovation.
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Yeah, its nice to see the new gear. Of course, you could argue that Nikon is getting as “bad” as Canon in releasing new equipment too rapidly! (I miss the old days when the camera investment half-life was >2 years!) I’m not ready to put out $5K for a full-frame camera yet.
D300 has some improvements, although I see ISO was raised to 200 again. Whether the D300:D200 ratio is as great as the D200:D100 was – don’t know yet.
The new lenses look nice as well. Now we know why they discontinued the 17-35/2.8. Looks like the ideal (FX) lens kit now will be 14-24, 24-70, 70-200, all 2.8.
It will of course raise confusion over whether to buy “DX” or “FX” lenses. I guess Canon users have already dealt with that issue, but it seems like Nikon has many more “pro” lenses in the DX category.
I think that the competition will bring the cost of full frame cameras down faster…
I’m a Nikon guy, and I’m pleased that the competition has lined up more effectively again. I am also surprised that after so many years, Nikon has released a full-frame (35mm-sized) sensor body. The technical reasons for doing so are actually pretty slim, but the competitive reasons vs. Canon are clear.
Also interesting are the choices Nikon made — the D3 is a little over half the price, and also a little over half the resolution, of the Canon 1-Ds Mark III. The D300 is essentially a full-fledged D3 with a little less toughness and a smaller sensor, for less than half the $5000 price.
Those buying a new DSLR have a lot more choices now. Anyone invested in either Canon or Nikon is unlikely to change, but the upgrade path looks a lot more interesting than it did yesterday. I’m glad at least, even if I’m sticking with my D50 for awhile yet.
I currently have a Rebel XT, but am looking at a significant upgrade. I have to say that the D3 looks pretty nice: that 1 megapixel viewscreen is attractive, along with what looks from the specs to be unbelievable light response, and wireless compatibility…
Nikon does have a history of upping megapixels on its D-series, so I wouldn’t be surprised to see a 22 megapixel D3(h)? in the future.
Since the Canon 1Ds Mk III is 21MP, 21/22 sounds like a safe bet for a D3(h), unless Nikon is going to pull yet another rabbit out of their hat.
I am looking at an upgrade too, but I am not at all sure that I want to schlep something like a 1D series or a D3.