Nikon to Canon?

OnTheFly7 · Aug 3, 2014

Are there others out there who are wondering what Nikon is thinking, or not thinking with regards to their frame rates and new bodies?

It seems as though there have been a lot of folks looking for a new body with a FPS in that 7-9 range, for quite a long time. Everything coming out is either 5 or 6 FPS. Lets face it, not everyone can or wants to drop $6k-$7k for the D4S. I would love to, however I can not justify it at this time, as I am just starting a business.

I am tempted to get the older D300s.

What are your thoughts?

hamlet · Aug 3, 2014

My d3200 can fire off 13 shots in continues mode.

KmH · Aug 3, 2014

But over a period of time longer than 1 second.
FPS = frames per second.

hamlet · Aug 3, 2014

You mean how many shots per second? Let me check. I am getting 4 shots for each second. After 13 shots there is a delay of 1 second.

manaheim · Aug 3, 2014

I've been wondering what Nikon has been thinking since the release of the D800 and the D4.

Derrel · Aug 3, 2014

The real-world value of high frame rate is wildly overestimated by most people. And today, buying a D300s? Umm, no. You do not mention what kind of business you are thinking about starting, but I can say that 4 to 5 frames per second is actually adequate for most subject matter. Even at 8.2 FPS, it's difficult to just spray and pray and magically get great shots; it's better to shoot when the timing is RIGHT, and fire off one good frame, rather than one almost-the-right-time and then seven duds...

Sure, high frame rate can give you a second shot on split-second sports, where there is by the way only ONE, single really best moment, but if the firing rate is at say 10 fps, you can mis-time the first frame, and maybe get a second usable frame; note, I am talking about one,single best moment, and a single, second shot as an almost-best...that's about the way it really shakes out. Not talking about 10-frame 1-second bursts, but ONE, single frame where things have come together, either you nail it then, OR you're a bit too early, or you're a tad bit late...that is about the only way an 8- to 9- to 10-fps camera can help you out on action work. It's better to shoot ONE single good frame than 7 or 8 so-so frames.

Of MUCH bigger concern to me is BUFFER depth and write-to-card speed!!! Not frame rate, but how long can I keep plugging away at say, 4 FPS!!! Now that is the real issue.But the general public does like its high firing rate. But the D300s sensor...no...no way...I will never go back to that generation's performance. It's just NOT good enough; the new Nikons, with the 24 million to 36 million pixel sensors...those are better than what Canon can offer for those who need high image quality at an affordable price.

I'm not interested in a 16 MP D4 or D4s...I want the 24- or 36-MP FX quality images more so than anything. I want the ability to throw away 50% of a frame and still have a good frame; that is what the 24- to 36-MOP sensors do. BIG crop-abilkity. That is more important to me than firing rate.

NOBODY has a CLUE what Nikon is thinking these days. They have never,ever told people what they are planning. But the camera business is constricting, severely, so...they sell a crap-ton of D3xxx and D5xxx bodies, both current models, and also new old stock NOS, at heavy discount. The camera biz is not catering to the $1699 body crowd any longer; they want touy to go FF, or buy the mid- and entry level stuff. The Canon 7D has stood since 2009, unchanged and UN-IMPROVED with a great body but a sensor that is significantly inferior to that in a $399 NIKON. Canon has belched out 5,6 DX bodies with the same outdated 2008-era sensor that premiered in the 7D in 2009; what the hell is Canon thinking? ABout the same thing Nikon is, I think!

runnah · Aug 3, 2014

My thoughts are if you want high frame rate you have to pay for it. The d4 & 1dx are specially designed to have fps and have different components to achieve this. The 5d and d800 are aimed more at the landscape model crowd and it shows as they have high mp.

manaheim · Aug 3, 2014

I should probably point out that I shoot soccer games with a sluggish D800 and it works more than fine. (To Derrel's point)

runnah · Aug 3, 2014

manaheim said:
I should probably point out that I shoot soccer games with a sluggish D800 and it works more than fine. (To Derrel's point)

Having shot sports a dozen or so times I can really see where the high frame rate comes into play. I kept finding myself getting shots that would have been great if they had been taken slightly sooner or later.

But toting a 7k camera around to HS soccer games could be seen as overkill.

OnTheFly7 · Aug 3, 2014

I shoot some landscape, I shoot some wildlife, I shoot a ton of "field" shots when fly fishing and waterfowl hunting and I am getting more and more into shooting rodeo events.

I completely agree that the frame rate of the D4s is over kill for what I need, however, I would like something in that 8fps range. I fully agree that timing is more important and I learned that very quickly with rodeo. In shooting those events, it is all about positioning and anticipating the shot. Once I figured that out, my usable shot percentage increased greatly.

Right now I am shooting a D800 and it is a darn nice camera. For rodeo events I shoot crop and it has proven very good. Perhaps, I am simply looking for an excuse to get a second body to utilize for action shooting, while keeping the D800 on hand for "still" shots.
I grew up around Nikon, I've owned nothing but Nikon, my optics for hunting are Nikon and I really do not see myself going to Canon.

May be I'm just ranting!

runnah · Aug 3, 2014

OnTheFly7 said:
I shoot some landscape, I shoot some wildlife, I shoot a ton of "field" shots when fly fishing and waterfowl hunting and I am getting more and more into shooting rodeo events. I completely agree that the frame rate of the D4s is over kill for what I need, however, I would like something in that 8fps range. I fully agree that timing is more important and I learned that very quickly with rodeo. In shooting those events, it is all about positioning and anticipating the shot. Once I figured that out, my usable shot percentage increased greatly. Right now I am shooting a D800 and it is a darn nice camera. For rodeo events I shoot crop and it has proven very good. Perhaps, I am simply looking for an excuse to get a second body to utilize for action shooting, while keeping the D800 on hand for "still" shots. I grew up around Nikon, I've owned nothing but Nikon, my optics for hunting are Nikon and I really do not see myself going to Canon. May be I'm just ranting!

Like I said the differences in the design of the d800 and d4s are very different. I think if nikon made a camera to fit in between the two it might not be attractive enough to either camp because it would be full of compromises.

DarkShadow · Aug 3, 2014

It's nice to have the Fast FPS and the buffer to go along but How many really need all that. For example my Canon 6D does 4.5 FPS but the buffer goes for quite sometime. I got a Sparrow in flight and quite a few other birds with the 6D and the 4.5 FPS speed was all I needed to capture a fast bird without the need of extra frames. Good technique and focus is what its all about for me and I don't find I need extra frames of identical shots but just a few to capture a few different positions but that's just me. IMO the Extra machine gun speeds is more of a cool factor then anything else.

I think it depends and if your lively hood depends on huge buffers and ripping fast frame rates then shell out the big bucks or live with it no matter if it's Nikon or Canon.

hamlet · Aug 3, 2014

runnah said:
My thoughts are if you want high frame rate you have to pay for it. The d4 & 1dx are specially designed to have fps and have different components to achieve this. The 5d and d800 are aimed more at the landscape model crowd and it shows as they have high mp.

Definitely. Each camera is a different tool designed for different purposes, but with a little breathing room so you can do unintended things with it well, but not great like if you were to use a d4 for sports for example. The d800 to me is really a studio camera or for commercial use, that is how i see it was made to do.

hamlet · Aug 3, 2014

DarkShadow said:
It nice to have the Fast FPS and the buffer to go along but How many really need all that. For example my Canon 6D does 4.5 FPS but the buffer goes for quite sometime. I got a Sparrow in flight with the 6D and the FPS speed was plenty to capture a fast bird with the need of extra frame rate. Good technique and focus is what its all about for me. I did need extra frames of a identical shot but just a few to capture a few different position.

If you were a photographer during the fifa games you would need a camera like the d4. There were an insane amount of expensive gear with lenses the size of a mans torso. That was what i was paying attention to 50% of the time.

http://www.fifa.com/worldcup/videos...tographers-at-the-fifa-world-cup-2402120.html