Some people scoff at the idea of handing over in excess of five Franklins for a “point and shoot” camera – “you can pay half the price and get the same result!” Honestly, that’s almost certainly true. Few of these cameras will allow you to do more than a camera that costs $175; some functions may be easier to use, but most of the difference is in the higher-quality construction, design, and general aesthetics/haptics. A lot of the premium pricing of these cameras is also based on brand name, marketing upon release that advertised these as the best-of-the-best, comparative availability, etc.
Read MoreLeaving Nikon Part One: Why and to Where?
I’ve shot Nikon as my primary system since I left Canon behind in 2012. I’ve owned and used cameras from, as far as I can tell, every current manufacturer save Phase One. Some stuck with me longer than others – I have pretty limited experience with Pentax DSLRs, for example. I’ve never been a brand loyalist in any sense; the idea of that is just silly no matter how you look at it….
Read MoreCurrent State of Sensor Formats
**Note: 99% of this was written before the unfortunate announcement of Olympus selling its camera division. So, that may change or at least affect some of what I’ve opined here.**
Once upon a time, we would see major innovations in sensor technology every other year or so: the shift from CCD to CMOS. The release of the D3 and D700 which, while also being around the time of the “full-frame” sensor explosion*, represented a significant boost in dynamic range, speed, and high ISO capability. There was the advent of full-frame 1080 24p video with the 5D Mark II – arguably the single most influential event in indie cinema history (along with the Arri Alexa). Then came the megapixel race: Nikon released the D800, bumping us past (for 35mm or smaller formats) the 20-24 megapixel ceiling; Sony soon followed with the same resolution in the a7R and the race was on.