NikoDoby said:
Don't worry bmxdad and jonny. I'm on the phone right now trying to convince Nikon to get this camera made! Right after the engineers get Pete his pro flash with a built-in cooling fan and that 6mp $1000 full frame ;^)

Thanks, but right now overheating is not much of a problem, and don't forget that the flash should also be weather proof, your idea if I recall

Pete

I am right hearty - every camera that has failed me has been a point & shoot. That's a fact :^)

I have no idea why you think an Olympus point & shoot is better in harsh conditions than a properly sealed SLR but OK. Have you ever used an Olympus Stylus? I have and it's an OK camera in good lighting but image quality wise its nowhere near a DSLR especially if you're 10m underwater!

I don't care if Olympus makes a camera that fits on my key chain and I can use it as a hammer to build a house. If it's slower than paint drying and the pictures it takes are only slightly better then a Diana F+ lens then I'll pass thank you very much ;^)

Oh yeah and let's just ignore the fact that Olympus uses xD memory cards!

NikoDoby said:
I don't mean to keep disagreeing with you hearty but from my experiences all the cameras that have failed me throughout the years have been point & shoots! None of the Nikon SLR gear I have used in snow,rain,dust,humidity, or dropped have had any problems whatsoever!

I use to use an Olympus E-10/20 and that was a fixed lens "DSLR". It was very prone to malfuntions! Although the lens was 4X zoom range and F/2-2.4 it was still frustrating to only have one lens available for such an expensive 4/5mp camera ($2000USD!)

You can disagree all you like Niko.. :-) doesnt mean you are right :-) LOL
sorry, couldn't help myself .. :-) .. ok to address the issue at hand. The little oly "Tough" design is one of the solutions that is possible(and be affordable) because it is not limited by the need of the FMount. so its much smaller than a DSLR. Tts so well sealed and built that can handle fairly harsh environments regularly. Which DSLR can go in 10M of seawater?

Don't worry bmxdad and jonny. I'm on the phone right now trying to convince Nikon to get this camera made! Right after the engineers get Pete his pro flash with a built-in cooling fan and that 6mp $1000 full frame ;^)

Here I was whining about riding my bike in 21 F (-5ish C). Remind me not to live in Alberta anytime soon. There's some snow coming tonight and then this weekend we get some more. It should make for some good photos. I like all of yours on the PAD thread. If I had to choose one lens to use it would be that little 50—I can tell you're liking it, too.

Offtopic again. Sensor something interchangeable something something think it will ever happen.

jonnyapple said:
Pete, I would love one. Could you let Nikon know? Thanks.

Yes I will, but I was trying to get Niko to help me out, he has better connections

How is the weather down your way, man I am sick and tired of our cold weather, right now it is minus 32 C (app minus 27 F). It is going to get warmer later this week

Pete

Pete, I would love one. Could you let Nikon know? Thanks.

8^D

Oh hearty but I do agree with you that alpha is one crazy kid! ;^)

I don't mean to keep disagreeing with you hearty but from my experiences all the cameras that have failed me throughout the years have been point & shoots! None of the Nikon SLR gear I have used in snow,rain,dust,humidity, or dropped have had any problems whatsoever!

I use to use an Olympus E-10/20 and that was a fixed lens "DSLR". It was very prone to malfuntions! Although the lens was 4X zoom range and F/2-2.4 it was still frustrating to only have one lens available for such an expensive 4/5mp camera ($2000USD!)

lol! crazy kid!

I'd take my D300 anywhere and that's final!

lol, true but think of the price difference. and the size an convenience. You can also get a housing for the little oly and then it could go where the nikonos can. but the nikonos cant go where the oly can.. you wouldn't be taking the nikonos to your xmas party or birth day bash will you .. we.. nikodoby might but thats him .. :-)

the oly is also good on ski trips and deserts with sand storms... wouldnt take most slrs to those places..

NikoDoby said:
But hearty the Nikon Nikonos cameras have interchangeable lenses and they're waaay tougher than any Olympus point & shoot that's for sure!

That's what I thought too! But I figured I must be missing something there!

heartyfisher said:
Alpha, when you grow up what do you want to be? you could be the designer of the modular camera !! :-)

A lot of people ask me that question. I tell them I don't know.

But I'll tell you guys. I want to be a photographer.

But I don't tell anyone because this could just be simply a childish dream of mine. When I grow up and come to my senses, I may think differently. There will be a lot more factors at play too—the amount of stress/excitement I want in my life, who I want to spend my life with, whether or not I need a good excuse to get the D5 ;^)

So, honestly, I have no idea. But my current dream is to become a photographer. I do not know if it will happen that way though.

But hearty the Nikon Nikonos cameras have interchangeable lenses and they're waaay tougher than any Olympus point & shoot that's for sure!

Alpha, when you grow up what do you want to be? you could be the designer of the modular camera !! :-)

NikoDoby said:
What about a Nikon/Hasselblad partnership? They have always been friends (more or less) so why not a true partnership in something like this? Hmmm...

This could be very interesting!

heartyfisher said:
So many things !!

Oh! Right.

alphanikonrex said:
My brother loves watching those!

But my question is, what do SLRs compromise over P&Ss to get interchangeable lenses?

So many things !!
* Fully water proof cameras like the olympus Tough series.
* Funny shapes like the old coolpix where the body and lens can twist in different directions.
* Super Zooms where the lens element can get close to the sensor without the mirror in between.
* Compact lenses where elements fold away into the body when not in use eg pentax.
* SLR Like. ep1? but no mirror.
* Still to come ?? anti shake where the whole lens framework is moved and not only the VR elements.
* Body movement sensors where you can tap the side of the camera to view the next picture.
* must be more stuff but that off the top of my head.

PS : Integration with Phones.

What about a Nikon/Hasselblad partnership? They have always been friends (more or less) so why not a true partnership in something like this? Hmmm...

Blast Red! Let's see what Nikon can do!

In three years RED has given plenty of promises but only "One" camera! So I wouldn't exactly say they are the leaders in inovation.
Modular design has been with Hasselblad for decades.

heartyfisher said:
And yes if you wanted to you could easily change car engines. the interfaces are well defined in that mature market. Have you see the "junkyard wars" tv shows?

My brother loves watching those!

But my question is, what do SLRs compromise over P&Ss to get interchangeable lenses?

Electronics can be made moisture proof. just seal it in a heat resistant plastic. The major issue is where the break in functionality is and the interfaces between modules. What makes a module?

If you think about it currently there are 2 modules. The Lenses and the bodies. An interface (the FMount) is well defined and standardised. this standardisation provides both freedom and restrictions(compare slr with P&S). Where else are we going to draw the line? the technology is still too volatile for anyone to draw lines around modules and then define an interface that will lock them into a framework. I dont think there are clear boundaries for each module at the moment. although its getting close I think, may take another 5-10 years.

And yes if you wanted to you could easily change car engines. the interfaces are well defined in that mature market. Have you see the "junkyard wars" tv shows?

I think this technology wont come from nikon or canon too much to gain from the status quo. It will need some upstart new innovative company to get it going. Red? or some other still unknown company (olympus? hmm... probably not, but they could).

NikoDoby said:
Not the same thing. A film door is already protected from light intrusion. If moisture gets to the film it's no big deal (usually) But any kind of moisture will fry electronics.

Okay, I gotcha.

alphanikonrex said:
Another reason to switch back to the good old F's. *Sigh* Nikon, when's the F7 coming?

I just want a modern day FM2. Is that too much to ask for?