kanuck said:
The Canon 24-70mm F4 L is being shipped now as well but it is pricey around $1500. It only weighs 600g! I am certain it will be sharp as a tac just like the spectacular 24-70 Mark II, but the catch is it will probably have strong barrel distortion. Just like Nikon's 16-35mm VR F4. When the 24-70mm F4 Nikkor comes out it will be excellent also but heavier and loads of distortion and pin cushioning I bet.

Earthsea are you referring to the Eye Piece Shutter Lever? They have been on most pro/pro-sumer bodies for quite some time. For example, D700, D300 I believe and of course D3 series. The D800 has better live View I think than the D600 and many other cameras. For example, having the live histogram is huge for me as a landscape shooter, the D600 does not have this.

But I'm not sure why anyone would buy a 24-70 F4 when you could buy a 24-105 F4 for almost half the price.

Granted it has a macro function and it may be weather sealed and lighter, but both are L lenses so they should be built well.

It makes no sense to me...?

earthsea said:
The view finder on my D800 has a shutter mechanisim to block out the light in certain circumstances, I don't use it but you never know when it could come in handy.
It would be great if a similar sort of shutter could be employed to protect the sensor and mirror from dust when changing lenes. As soon as the lens is removed from any DSLR the whole internal workings are exposed to dust no matter how careful you are at changing lenses. Imagine some sort of curtain/shutter at the entry point. The D800 is surely big enough!

When taking long exposure photos either with ND filters in daylight or no filters at night you'd definately want to close that viewfinder cover or be very disappointed once you eventially view your image. Another option would be to keep your finger/hand/face up to the eyepiece and chance moving the entire camera. What happens is light seeps in thru the viewfinder and ruins your image. Been there, done that.

That type of mechanism in front of the sensor would likely require a slightly deeper camera body and bring along more maintenance issues with it.

earthsea said:
The view finder on my D800 has a shutter mechanisim to block out the light in certain circumstances, I don't use it but you never know when it could come in handy.
It would be great if a similar sort of shutter could be employed to protect the sensor and mirror from dust when changing lenes. As soon as the lens is removed from any DSLR the whole internal workings are exposed to dust no matter how careful you are at changing lenses. Imagine some sort of curtain/shutter at the entry point. The D800 is surely big enough!

When using the camera without having your eye to the viewfinder...this is a time to close the eyepiece shutter. Also, I think you will find the eyepiece cannot be removed without closing this shutter which, when closed, prevents trash from entering the prism area. There is a nice 90° angle finder for the D800, Nikon_4752_DR_5_Right_Angle_Viewfinder which is why one might remove this cover. And, FYI, this right angel finder makes architectural and landscape photography much easier. One can stand at the side or above the camera to view.

In view of the complexity of placing another mechanism in front of the sensor, which would require a lot of mechanical room, more moving parts, etc. it would most likely create additional problems and result in more dust being in the area of the sensor. And, it would not prevent dust/dirt from entering into the area between the mirror and the lens, which is always transferred to the sensor area when the mirror is rapidly moved upward during exposure.

> The view finder on my D800 has a shutter mechanisim to block out the light in certain circumstances, I don't use it but you never know when it could come in handy.

Hmm, would be very useful for me, and others possibly, for example, when shooting with a remote or using the intervalometer function.

Can they be retrofitted to the D3100?

;-)

That is/was a joke, FYI.

I agree with kanuck on the revamped 80-400VR even over a new camera body. I am pretty happy with the D7000 for both stills and video. For field use the 70-300VR is EXCELLENT and fast, but a 80-400VR would have more REACH and if it were fast focusing and all of that! I am still leaning towards a D7XXX instead of a D400. WHY? The D300 (and D300s) are in fact not as usable in the field as the D7000. The dynamic range is better, the noise factors are better, the video is far superior.

All of this demand for more weather proofed cameras is questionable. Our field use is tougher than almost anyone in the camera industry. We use Pelican cases, etc. sport housing and/or underwater housings, and some of our work is done with cameras (not Nikon, like GoPro) carefully selected to match our Nikon DSLR for color and resolution if we need camera angles in very dangerous conditions. Using such techniques the amount of armoring on the camera itself becomes more of a moot point. A D7000 is a pretty tough camera. Few camera operators are as tough to the elements as the D7000.

When combined with good cases, care, and judicious camera handling tactics a Nikon DSLR like a D3200, D5100, D90, D7000 are weatherproofed enough. D4s, D800, are built tougher. But they are way more expensive than a D7000 and the cost of a good case, etc. probably is what you might want on them too if you were working in a tough field setting. So my request for the next Nikon would be DX for certain. Whether it is a D400 or a D7XXX I would not care. The D400 is going to come at a premium price. Higher cost to me is NOT what the buyer looks for. The buyers will be looking for cost relative to value. They will want a GREAT bang for their buck. To me the D600 missed that mark due to pretty high price in relation to the crammed in focus points ,etc. And having tested THAT camera in relation to D7000 for our uses made us conclude PASS ON THIS ONE! NIKON better get to DX upgrades very soon. Indeed I think many buyers are not saying this is what they want, but demand. The alternative?? Simply perfect your craft with what we have! But for Nikon that means NO SALE!

The Canon 24-70mm F4 L is being shipped now as well but it is pricey around $1500. It only weighs 600g! I am certain it will be sharp as a tac just like the spectacular 24-70 Mark II, but the catch is it will probably have strong barrel distortion. Just like Nikon's 16-35mm VR F4. When the 24-70mm F4 Nikkor comes out it will be excellent also but heavier and loads of distortion and pin cushioning I bet.

Earthsea are you referring to the Eye Piece Shutter Lever? They have been on most pro/pro-sumer bodies for quite some time. For example, D700, D300 I believe and of course D3 series. The D800 has better live View I think than the D600 and many other cameras. For example, having the live histogram is huge for me as a landscape shooter, the D600 does not have this.

kanuck said:
Yes we might get snuffed here but, if I were you I'd try to save up and bite the bullet on the new 24-70 Mark II if you can. Its so good that its better than primes even except maybe a few Zeiss ZE lenses like the 25mm or 35mm. My brother is very happy with his 16-35 Mark II, and he used the cheap, but fantastic 17-40 which was in his mind a bit sharper even. The 5D Mark III has much better autofocusing now and great noise control. For me though, I like the handling of Nikon, and just shoot two bodies to make sure I am covered for what I do (Landscapes, and public events). I will always prefer Nikon, but I will also never "hate" on Canon because they make excellent products as well.

The 24-70 would be very useful for weddings but it's still quite a bit heavier than the alternatives. Need to hold one if I could find one! Do quite fancy having ultra wide angle in the 16-35 for unusual stage pix. Does your brother find the 16-35 good for video?

I too have a preference for Nikon but they just aren't catering for my needs sadly. If they'd produce something along the lines of a 5D MarkIII in the smaller body I'd definitely buy that along with the D800 in time for more detailed work/cropping. Never going to happen though. It's good that Nikon and Canon keep competing and pushing each other though. Without that competition we'd all be the losers.

The view finder on my D800 has a shutter mechanisim to block out the light in certain circumstances, I don't use it but you never know when it could come in handy.
It would be great if a similar sort of shutter could be employed to protect the sensor and mirror from dust when changing lenes. As soon as the lens is removed from any DSLR the whole internal workings are exposed to dust no matter how careful you are at changing lenses. Imagine some sort of curtain/shutter at the entry point. The D800 is surely big enough!

Yes we might get snuffed here but, if I were you I'd try to save up and bite the bullet on the new 24-70 Mark II if you can. Its so good that its better than primes even except maybe a few Zeiss ZE lenses like the 25mm or 35mm. My brother is very happy with his 16-35 Mark II, and he used the cheap, but fantastic 17-40 which was in his mind a bit sharper even. The 5D Mark III has much better autofocusing now and great noise control. For me though, I like the handling of Nikon, and just shoot two bodies to make sure I am covered for what I do (Landscapes, and public events). I will always prefer Nikon, but I will also never "hate" on Canon because they make excellent products as well.

kanuck said:
No shame there lynne my brother loves the 5D lineup and he is just itching for the Mark 3 especially now that they have produced the new 24-70 Mark II lens. People say its the sharpest midrange zoom ever made. Nikon never makes the all-arounder we all know this. You have to really choose the body that suits your style of shooting. Nikon film bodies were a different story though.

Good to hear that recommendation of the Mark III kanuck. It's a great camera I'm sure. After making do with a "soft" entry level Canon for years I craved that extra sharpness that only Nikon seem to deliver but I think you're right. The D700 was a one-off slip-up by Nikon. Doubt they'll cater for the all-rounder again even though I'd bet they'd make more money if they did than from extra D4 sales. They're just neglecting such a large demand. Canon niggle me the way they cripple certain "basic" functions such as maximum shutter speed on Auto ISO and exposure linked to selected focal point instead of only the centre focal point. Unnecessary. Sure I'll learn to work around these limitations though and appreciate the otherwise flexibility of the Mark III.

Re Canon lenses - I was thinking of the 16-35mm f2.8L II or 24mm f1.4L II alongside the 85mm f1.8 and the 50mm f1.8 or f1.4 (rumoured IS update?) The 24-70mm f2.8L MarkII is an interesting alternative though not sure about the extra cost and weight without IS for video.
(Apologies for going off-topic on this bit)

No shame there lynne my brother loves the 5D lineup and he is just itching for the Mark 3 especially now that they have produced the new 24-70 Mark II lens. People say its the sharpest midrange zoom ever made. Nikon never makes the all-arounder we all know this. You have to really choose the body that suits your style of shooting. Nikon film bodies were a different story though.

JohnT said:
D4 sensor in D800 body, please!!

Here here! With better video quality than the D4, better high ISO video than the D800 and a true quiet shutter. Would be the most popular dslr ever! Been dreaming of a Nikon like this for years but finally giving up. Doubt Nikon will ever do it. They want amateur shooters like me (a growing section of the market) to fork out £6000 for a heavy D4. Not ever going to happen. About to buy a 5D MarkIII soon to get the high ISO stills AND video performance I crave for gigs, weddings etc. Sadly have to forget about that Nikon picture quality and wider functions. I need an all-rounder now. Nikon has abandoned me to Canon alas and left me with no option but to invest in Canon for the long term. No point in waiting any longer.

It seems people have been waiting on the D400 longer than those who waited on the D700 refresh. Oh wait that never did materialize. Personally I'd be very interested in a 80-400mm VR II lens with a new autofocus motor. This could be very useful for my future travel plans once I'm done my damn studies next spring..

None of those modern digital bodies are like the older mechanical bodies. Modern bodies have all the bells and whistles, but lack the powerful simplicity of the older cameras like the FM series.

Tradewind 35 said:
For me the D40 is nothing like as tactile as an FM3a - it is all plasticky and is a squat wee beastie - apart from that however it won't meter with manual lenses so no use. I see there was asimilar thread where people were after a digital F3 - now that would be nice...
Robin

Ok then, the D7000. It meters.

:)

R8R said:
They made that one. It's called the D40.

For me the D40 is nothing like as tactile as an FM3a - it is all plasticky and is a squat wee beastie - apart from that however it won't meter with manual lenses so no use. I see there was asimilar thread where people were after a digital F3 - now that would be nice...
Robin

I want a D7100 to show up, not because I want one, but because I want a D7000 for cheaper.

Say, another $100 off and I'd pull the trigger on one. I know they've been selling for around $950 body only with a lot of goodies, but I don't really need the goodies.

@PaulR - I don't disagree, but I suspect for most on this site - and it is a rumors site after all - gear matters but it's not the "all singing all dancing" auto everything camera we want - it's a more capable tool. I spent years with an all-manual Nikon FM and loved it. When I switched to a DSLR, for about 7 years I shot with a D70 and when I finally upgraded to a D7000 about 2 years ago wondered why I'd waited that long - the better DR, lower noise, faster all around performance - allow me to take shots I couldn't have with the D70. One of my favorite parts of NR, though, is PAD - seeing what others do well is a great way to pick up techniques to try on one's own.

@ PaulR +1

I had to smile when I saw this thread, Why is it, we must have the latest all singing all dancing camera/lenses. If photographers spent more time learning their craft with their current equipment, rather than in front of a computer, then that alone would produce better photographic results, Oh, and it would be a lot cheaper!

After all, I thought it was the photographer who was in charge, not the camera, or are we going into the phase of
Robotic Thinking Cameras/Lenses

Maybe we are!

D400? What, haven't you heard DX is dead? :) I can see why some would want pro or semi-pro body DX, but the 6FPS of my D7000 is enough for me. I'm close to buying a refurb D800, but I'd trade the higher resolution for cleaner high iso. And the photos from a certain D4 owner on PAD say it's a darn good sensor...

I thought we are all waiting for a D400...except those who shoot full frame and crop :-)

D4 sensor in D800 body, please!!

Tradewind 35 said:
Please Mr Nikon (and Mrs Nikon and all the Nikon family) please find an FM3A, take out the film holder and film advance gubbins and pop in some digital bits and bobs so that I can use my manual Nikon lens on a user friendly digital body.

They made that one. It's called the D40.

I want to see a stills only full frame with a rugged weatherproof body, a grip that WASN'T designed for children, 24mp, high ISO capability, native x-sync to 1/320th and built-in Pocketwizard iTTL radio trigger control for speedlights.

I also want to see true weatherproofed lenses. (a la Pentax)

Also, weatherproofed speedlights with built-in Pocketwizard iTTL tranceivers.

Also, a more universal wifi adapter that is compatible with older Nikon bodies, and offers wireless tethering and control with Android devices.

NOW.