The Nikon D4 owners thread =)

Once you go FF, you'll never go back to crop if you can help it. I just picked up a second FF body just so I can keep a prime on one FF, and a light-weight wide/mid zoom on the other FF.

Yeah, I went dueling 5D MKIIs just because I was always frustrated by not having a prime lens for the shot I wanted when I was also using a zoom for most of the other shots during prime shooting opportunities (and didn't want to swap lenses all day long), so life's short, and gotta make the best of it, with less compromises...

I will have to check into double-strap options.

I am starting to consider a FF body, too, as the prices of the Canon 5DMkII keep dropping. My plan would be to keep my 7D as a second body for the wildlife / telephoto shots, and use the 5D for landscapes. For ultra-wide angle, I would probably stick with using the 10-22mm on the 7D, since I do not really shoot much UWA anyway. This setup would allow me to avoid changing lenses in most situations when we are traveling.

Anyone interested in buying a Canon EFS 17-55mm f/2.8 IS lens?

I would really love to have a D4. But, $6,000 is a little rich for my blood. I guess I'll just have to keep living with my D7000............

With my move to FF completely, it pains me to have to sell off my Canon 17-55mm IS F/2.8 lens as well (looks like the going price is about $800).

The Canon 5D MKII is a FF deal right now (even with the MKIII on the horizon), I like my 5D MKII just fine, and they can be had used for $1700-$2100 depending on shutter count and condition. I almost went with a 7D for a 2nd body, but in the end, I just like having to deal with FF bodies, and not worrying about the crop factor and dealing with EF-S lenses anymore. EF all the way, bay-bee!!!

Holy thread hi-jack! Sorry! Hah!

I am considering the 5DMK2 plus 24-105mmL "kit" lens for $2,799 at Amazon. I have almost $300 in Amazon gift credits right now, which really brings the price down. The 24-105mm would work on my 7D, too. My only two EFS lenses are the 17-55mm (which I would probably sell) and the 10-22mm, which I would keep for the occasional UWA shot. When carrying two bodies, having the 24-105mm on the 5D and 10-22mm on the 7D would provide a very nice UWA to short telephoto focal range. Exchange the 10-22 for either my 70-200mm f/4 IS or 100-400mm on the 7D, and I also get great range from wide angle to super telephoto.

I would probably eventually replace the 50mm f/1.8 (which I never use on my crop body) with the f/1.4 version for use on the 5D, as I do use the 28mm f/1.8 lens quite a bit on the 7D. I really dislike the AF performance of the 50mm f/1.8, but haven't bothered to do anything about it, since I do not use that focal length much when using prime lenses on a crop sensor anyway.

Giving up the 7D is not an option for me. The auto focus system and crop sensor are features I really use when photographing wildlife. I occasionally shoot some ice hockey, too, but that's not a big consideration, since it's just playing around.

Sorry about the hijack, too. Now back to your regularly scheduled drool-fest over Sam's dream camera.

The D4 looks good, Sam. Any thoughts on the Canon 1D X?

Have the 5DMkii myself but waiting for new lens announcements... Would love the 135 f/2 but I feel a new version may be due soon...

Joe

 

 

I own a D700, so no terrible urge yet to upgrade. But I find the D800 fascinating.

(And the D4 as well!)

 

I suppose Canon users will now start looking out for a Mk III release.

 

 

Cees

My friend told me that the release date for the D4 got pushed back a month (to mid-March).

I have a canon at the moment but I seriously might upgrade to this nikon, anyone read any reviews about it, I am assuming actually someone has tried it despite its pushed back release date. loos nice and compact and I think nikon is a really reliable brand, guessing there might be a bit of competition to get our hands on the first ones! I am not great with photograpghy though, does anyone know what lenses are best etc? I wouldnt be using it professionally, just for family holidays etc

A $6,000 camera body is probably overkill if you are not an advanced amateur (like Sam) or a professional.

But $3000 isn't overkill, necessarily, for a non-professional. The D800-body is just below that amount.

 

 

Cees

True, but Stanley's post seemed to indicate he was interested in the D4.

I think we're both trying to send the same signal to Stanley. 

 

 

Cees

I won't be buying a used D700 - I already own one.  

 

Yet - you could combine three pixels of a D800 and get a D700 picture but now with three genuine colour components. It's a real improvement if it works properly and, as I said, it will be interesting to see how it works out in practice.

(BTW, I don't think the 2nd-hand price of a D700 will drop impressively very soon.)

 

And to better judge some of the comments we're already getting on the 'net: don't forget about the grapes hanging out of reach!

 

 

Cees

Ha, ha, yes.

Probably too much inventory here and there in need to get sold.

 

 

Cees

Yeah, Scott Kelby got his.......... https://plus.google.com/?hl=en#105256156026694816333/posts

I'm sure you're going to be very happy with that baby!

 

Although I gave myself some time to decide when (and with what) I would replace my D700 with, fate (or Freud possibly   ) has forced my hand.

 

Last week we were on a short cruise vacation, involving  boarding from Baltimore. When we got out of the taxi on the pier, my wife was paying the taxi driver and I was forced to jump out quickly to handle the porter who started to unload our suitcases from the trunk.

 

While I was explaining him where they had to go, etc., show him a copy of the label he would have to print - he asked me to copy the number on it myself - my wife got out also and the taxi drove away. Only a few moments later he was totally out of sight, when I realized my D700 was still on the back seat.

 

No need to tell you that no one remembered any number or name (the hotel when called could name the company to us, but the taxi company claimed to have no contact with their drivers during the working day).

 

So, I could have bought it back that evening, I guess, on eBay, from either the ahem x-honest taxi driver or else the equally honest next customer.  

 

The only good news was the fact that I changed the CF-card just before leaving the hotel, so all my photos, except two rather inconsequential ones, were in my pocket.

I had to buy a D3100 in Key-West to even be able to make a few more photos. It will probably be a nice present to my daughter later.

 

So, now about those D4, D800, D800E cameras....

 

 

Cees

 

 

PS: In Nassau, Bahamas, in a bookshop, a big "funny" sign caught our attention, saying:

 

Finders Keepers

Losers Weepers.

 

Ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, so funny!   

C.