D300s Successor-D400, what and when

Sanook

You can never have too many cameras.

heartyfisher

So tempted to get a secondhand D800E. (as a D400 replacement Like @MSMOTO) There is one i am eyeing that probably cheaper than a D400 IF released in photokina 2014 .. (<$1900 ) should i grab it ???? should I ?

tell me again how good a D800E is ?

spraynpray

G R A B
I T
H E A R T Y !

proudgeek

+1

sevencrossing

unless you more than 4fps go for it

heartyfisher

slept on it and .. I am sure it would go to a good home.. just not with me.. I am really quite quite happy with the D610.. and I will probably get a DX at the same level .. probably the D7200 when it arrives. looking for something to complement my main lense now (the 70-200F4) probably a nice fast wide prime. I think that would be best for me.. maybe the 28 F1.8 or the sigma 35 1.4 or a zoom like the tamron 24-70 F2.8 VC .. in the mean time the 35-70 F2.8 is doing good. though I feel that maybe not wide enough or fast enough I also have a 50f1.4 AIS which I like( no AF and not sharp at all at f1.4) . but I want to replace all that with 1 secondary lense. so far I think the 28mm F1.8 is a good complement. as I can use it in DX mode as a 42mm FOV normal prime (really nice cozy/intimate FOV)

[Deleted User]

Decisions, decisions, decisions ;;) life is so hard.

manhattanboy

slept on it and .. I am sure it would go to a good home.. just not with me.. I am really quite quite happy with the D610.. and I will probably get a DX at the same level .. probably the D7200 when it arrives. looking for something to complement my main lense now (the 70-200F4) probably a nice fast wide prime.

Its best to think of what you are shooting. That should dictate what gear you need be it a D800 or D9300 or whatever lens.

sevencrossing

Its best to think of what you are shooting. That should dictate what gear you need be it a D800 or D9300 or whatever lens.

Absolutely, but deciding you need a camera, that does not exist, is not a good thing

Life is too short. Enjoy what you have
Deciding you want something that is not available, or attainable, is counter productive and a waste of time, you do not have

heartyfisher

Agree guys.. :-) but this is the D400 thread after all ;-)

I am really really happy with the D610. I didn't think I would be as I had a pro body before(d200 clone) and when i got my D7000 it was such a downgrade. The handling of the D610 just feels right to me. So until i grow out of it .. which is probably going to be a long time, i will stick with it. I guess its just the ingrained habit from wanting/waiting for a D400 for so long, that got me to look at the cheap D800E. it kind of feel weird like withdrawal symptoms from D400 NAS that is really no longer there ! and lense wise I am also fully satisfied with the 70-200 F4. the only issue i have now is not having easy access to FOV below 70mm..

Sometime ago I did a profile of the focal lengths I love to shoot at. over 70% was around 170mm. about 20% around 18mm(28mm) and 5% around 70mm.. after that I got my 150mm F2.8 macro and have been very happy with that. sometimes I could just walk around only with that one prime lense! however now I have the 70-200 F4 with VR! I am really very satisfied with that. As it covers 75% of my "eye" and it does it with class ! But, that leaves that 20% for me to fill at 28mm( 18 DX). and the random 5%.

So far my current options with the gear I have are ...
1) use my 18-140 DX when I need to go wide. this is what I am doing most.
2) use my N1 V1 10-30.
3) use my 12-24 F4.
4) use my 35-70 F2.8.. and except that its not wide enough sometimes.

what i feel I am lacking in my setup is
A) not Fast enough sometimes - I have a 50 1.4 AIS but its not AF and its really unsharp at 1.4. still The 35-70F2.8 is fast enough at times. but I don't usually carry the 50 or the 35-70 as I don't shoot those Focal lengths much. similarly the 12-24 is not bright enough in low light without VR.

having to swap lenses for that 20%. thats why I carry my N1V1 .. but its really not a "fast' setup..

The options I am considering.
1) get the 28mm F1.8. -
pro
* Light,
* Fast lense.
* sharpest option.
* its spot on 28mm! my Focal length.
cons
* No VR
* Not wider than 28.. 24mm sometimes is nice

2) 16-35VR F4. seems a great option.
3) 24-70F2.8 VC Tamron. seems a great option too.
4) 18-35 F1.8 Sigma .. no VR
5) Coolpix A - 18mm focal lenght (== 27mm.). I can just whip it out for that 20% shot whenever. its smaller than the N1V1. and you can never have enough toys right ? (no VR)
6) 24-120 F4 VR

I will probably just let it stew for a few more months as I have a working solution for now( carrying the 18-140 and N1V1).. but feel that there should be a better more optimal solution for me.... still I am far from unhappy with my system at the moment.. !!!

sevencrossing

2) 16-35VR F4. seems a great option.

It really is a great lens

for IQ the only lens I have found to beat is the 24 mm f 1.4

manhattanboy

Absolutely, but deciding you need a camera, that does not exist, is not a good thing

Life is too short. Enjoy what you have
Deciding you want something that is not available, or attainable, is counter productive and a waste of time, you do not have

I disagree a little. Shooting with what you have lets you learn what you really want...even if it does not exist. If you are a landscape shooter and the D800/810 with its features works, then you can get it and be happy. But say you are a sports shooter who wants more fps with an unlimited buffer, high resolution pics that can be cropped, an autofocus system that covers corner to corner, then the mythical D400 may be what's desired. I get great pics with the 7100, but personally would love buffer expansion, a quiet continuous shutter mechanism, wifi shooting, and increased resolution, so am hopeful that a 7200 will come out soon.

Ironheart

So far my current options with the gear I have are ...
1) use my 18-140 DX when I need to go wide. this is what I am doing most.
2) use my N1 V1 10-30.
3) use my 12-24 F4.
4) use my 35-70 F2.8.. and except that its not wide enough sometimes.

what i feel I am lacking in my setup is
A) not Fast enough sometimes - I have a 50 1.4 AIS but its not AF and its really unsharp at 1.4. still The 35-70F2.8 is fast enough at times. but I don't usually carry the 50 or the 35-70 as I don't shoot those Focal lengths much. similarly the 12-24 is not bright enough in low light without VR.

having to swap lenses for that 20%. thats why I carry my N1V1 .. but its really not a "fast' setup..

The options I am considering.
1) get the 28mm F1.8. -
pro
* Light,
* Fast lense.
* sharpest option.
* its spot on 28mm! my Focal length.
cons
* No VR
* Not wider than 28.. 24mm sometimes is nice

2) 16-35VR F4. seems a great option.
3) 24-70F2.8 VC Tamron. seems a great option too.
4) 18-35 F1.8 Sigma .. no VR
5) Coolpix A - 18mm focal lenght (== 27mm.). I can just whip it out for that 20% shot whenever. its smaller than the N1V1. and you can never have enough toys right ? (no VR)
6) 24-120 F4 VR

I will probably just let it stew for a few more months as I have a working solution for now( carrying the 18-140 and N1V1).. but feel that there should be a better more optimal solution for me.... still I am far from unhappy with my system at the moment.. !!!

I finally got tired of waiting for the D400 so I bought the Nikon 1 V3 kit and the 6.7-13mm zoom a few weeks ago. I figure CX has all of the same weight/reach advantages of DX only more so. The 6.7-13 will give you 18-35 equiv. though not that fast (3.5-5.6). I'm really considering the 32mm f/1.2 for fast. Did you consider these?

heartyfisher

I am already using my n1v1 10-30. To fill the gap part of the time. However it falls short when evening comes. Which is when I have been using my 18-140. This configuration works for now, but seems to be less than optimal. I have also considered the 24-85 vr but it really does not provide a lot over the 18-140. Yes its fx but iq is on par with that excellent 18-140. With less range. the v3 looks nice iq wise :-) and i was planning to upgrade my v1. however my v1 doubles as a container for my extra battery! lol.

i got tired waiting for the D400 too .. and got the V1 and the D610 ! :-)

spraynpray

@heartyfisher: Nikon really need to put VR3 or 3.5 on the 24-70 f2.8 don't they?

sevencrossing

But say you are a sports shooter who wants more fps with an unlimited buffer, high resolution pics that can be cropped, an autofocus system that covers corner to corner, then the mythical D400 may be what's desired. .

I can just see a sports photographer saying to his picture editor

"Sorry Bill, no pictures today, the camera I need does not exist"

"What Bill? You are making me redundant ?"

spraynpray

Well, there's always the Canon 7D mkII - at least that has rumours!

snakebunk

@sevencrossing: I think you are at the wrong forum if you only want to talk about things that exist, and in the wrong thread if you don't want to talk about the D400.

There is no D400 but there is still a gap in the product line.

sevencrossing

I happy to speculate what, if ,the D400 might be and when in might come out
I might even buy one myself, as I need something lighter than my D800 for Holidays
My hope is for something mirror less
but in the mean time, If need another camera, I am going to buy what is in the shops

proudgeek

I went and looked at Canon Rumors (I swear I was just looking) to see what's being said about the 7D.

What will be announced?
First up, the successor to the EOS 7D will be announced. We’re told that there’s “a lot of the 1D X” in the new camera. As well as some revolutionary sensor technology.

This is very much what I think many here are hoping for (obviously substituting D400 and D4s in there). It would be a shame if Nikon didn't see fit to keep pace.

manhattanboy

what i feel I am lacking in my setup is
A) not Fast enough sometimes - I have a 50 1.4 AIS but its not AF and its really unsharp at 1.4. still The 35-70F2.8 is fast enough at times. but I don't usually carry the 50 or the 35-70 as I don't shoot those Focal lengths much. similarly the 12-24 is not bright enough in low light without VR.

having to swap lenses for that 20%. thats why I carry my N1V1 .. but its really not a "fast' setup..

Look at the 10 2.8 CX lens. It's near your desired focal length (27mm FF equivalent) and is faster than the zooms. Its also super tiny, allowing you to slip the 1v1 into a pocket. Try it out at the store. There's no VR though so keep that in mind. Its my favorite lens for the 1v1 just because of the super tiny size bringing the 1v1 down to compact camera size.

spraynpray

Hey hearty, does your requirement have to be a NIkon? We'd all like one, but as it doesn't exist what about an Olympus? You don't mind a smaller sensor, and they have VR in the body...

donaldejose

"revolutionary sensor technology" Now that is what we would love to see in a D300s replacement and might just justify the wait. BUT whatever "revolutionary sensor technology" appears in a DX body soon would also appear in an FX body and still make the FX more desirable because it has a larger sensor.

manhattanboy

"revolutionary sensor technology" Now that is what we would love to see in a D300s replacement and might just justify the wait. BUT whatever "revolutionary sensor technology" appears in a DX body soon would also appear in an FX body and still make the FX more desirable because it has a larger sensor.

Probably true, but remember that the yields are higher on smaller sensor sizes, so maybe a new "revolutionary sensor technology" will come first to crop and stay there for some time until all of the manufacturing bugs can be worked out where large sensors can be produced with high yields. It might also have the benefit of increasing resolution with existing lenses, as squeezing in any more pixels in the DX sensor past 24mp would really require more stringent lens to allow for the enhanced resolution to be fully appreciated.

PB_PM

"revolutionary sensor technology" Now that is what we would love to see in a D300s replacement and might just justify the wait. BUT whatever "revolutionary sensor technology" appears in a DX body soon would also appear in an FX body and still make the FX more desirable because it has a larger sensor.

...so maybe a new "revolutionary sensor technology" will come first to crop and stay there for some time until all of the manufacturing bugs can be worked out where large sensors can be produced with high yields.

Foveon like sensor isn't revolutionary, they have been around for over 10 years now. Nikon used similar tech in the D2H(s), but didn't carry on the development. Even Sigma's latest cameras with that sensor tech are no match for current generation bayer sensors used in Nikon DX bodies beyond ISO400. Canon will have to do something miraculous to overcome that problem, because Foveon and Sigma have been unable to do that during the past decade.

Would I like to see that tech advance? Yes, but the advantages that technology once held in colour reproduction is still far outweighed by the disadvantages. I think it is more likely that Canon's "revolutionary sensor technology" will just be more phase detect sensors built into the image sensor for better video and liveview auto focus. I think that because without more advanced video features Canon will start to shed users left and right.