A Simple Nikon camera - If you build it I will come!

<p>I long for a simple, high quality basic Nikon with a couple of modern features that do not get in the way of the joy of photography. TTL Flash, Matrix Metering and Analog Controls. Basically a Digital Nikon FMD (Think Leica M9). <br>

A minimalist camera. (You know a camera without a 300 page manual).<br>

Any Takers?</p>

 

Simplicity ended in 1979 with the introduction of the Intel 8088 microprocessor. It's been a love/hate affair for me ever since. That goes for all things not just cameras.

<p>Charles, I'm with ya'. Pro-build, pro quality images, but less fuss. Frankly, I don't use a lot of features on my cameras (well, maybe 75%). Self timer, motor drive, A,M,P,S modes, etc. Maybe it would shoot NEF only. It would be super cool with a winder though, in the same satisfying way you can still pull a slot machine arm, but you can do the same thing by pushing a button<g>.</p>

<p>Nikon D40? :P</p>

<p>The Nikon P6000 is a pretty great simple Nikon digital camera. I bought one to supplement my D300 on trips and on days when I don't want to go out with a big heavy camera. Image quality is superb in my opinion, and it is light as a feather.</p>

<p>What you want describes pretty much the Canon G11. Hot flash shoe, dials instead of menues, matrix metering, RAW, a good lens and even a swivel screen.</p>

<p>Yes, I would be interested.</p>

<p>I think we are on the same page here.....before I went Nikon, I always wanted a Pentax K1000 that takes digital pictures!- Yes, I really did dream about that!</p>

<p>i think i have two of those. non-nikon though: olympus C-5050 and C-5060 :-)</p>

<p>Get a D300/D700. Set the camera up the way you like it then tape over the rear LCD and Menu button, switch to M mode, and choose an ISO. You only need to do this once.</p>

<p>Mount an AI prime. Use the analogue controls on the lens, the thumb wheel for the shutter, and ignore everything else :-)</p>

<p>I wouldn't have much interest in this kind of camera, just as I have no real interest in going back to using a typewriter. Yes, these things have a simplicity and elegance to them, but as Richard notes, it's pretty easy to set the camera up once the way you want it and not bother to change anything afterward, whereas it is unlikely a more limited interface will satisfy more than a very small niche.<br>

The m4/3rds cameras are a nice compromise, I think, between a camera with a lot of customization and a fairly simple UI. Yes, the manual is 150 pages (the same as my Nikon D80), but you don't need to read it in order to use the camera, just to make the best use of it. And, with a $60 adapter, you can attach MF lenses to it from just about any manufacturer around, including Nikon. I'm using my almost-never-in-use Nikkor 50 1.8 as a portrait lens on the G1. Along with the kit lens, the whole package fits into a very small camera bag, and the image quality is quite good, even at relatively high ISOs.</p>

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<p>Simplicity ended in 1979 with the introduction of the Intel 8088 microprocessor. It's been a love/hate affair for me ever since. That goes for all things not just cameras.</p>

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<p>Blasphemy!!! Rockwell R6500 series changed the day, especially the venerable 6502.</p>

<p>Am I dating myself?!?!?</p>

<p>Keep using the FM2N, and get a good scanner...</p>

<p>I think the point was starting with a junk free/basic camera. Not buying a Jeep Grand Cherokee and trying to make it into an ordinary Cherokee - my best example. I like the idea of buying a film scanner and using the film camera. </p>

<p>Juergen, I think the G11 is close, but I picked one up the other day to look at it, and thought the finder was just dismal. But that is exactly what I would be thinking of... but maybe with interchangeable lenses.</p>

<p>I don't quite understand what kind of camera the OP is envisioning. The D40 has analog controls - but isn't what I would consider a professional build (like one responder desired). Take away the control dial - and you loose access to all G lenses. Take away the AF module so you are limited to manual focus only - not necessarily fun with AF lenses and many MF lenses don't work that well on digital (but of course a library a la M9 could be build into the camera to allow for distortion and CA correction). Trim down the processor to not allow JPEG - you'd loose the histogram in the process too. Don't have an LCD display in the back? What exactly does that digital FMD entail? FX? The price would likely be north of that for the D700 - so one might as well get that one and turn off AF and set the camera to manual. What part of the so "crippled" D700 would then be different from the envisioned FMD and <em>get in the way of the joy of photography</em> ?</p>

<p>D700 without pentaprism, mirror box and movie capability, and the resolution of D3X. Great for landscapes.</p>

<p>I agree with Richard Williams and David B. I think the complexity of modern cameras is overstated in practise. Yes there are many features available, but it is equally true that many of them are altered only 5% of the time.</p>

<p>95% of the time, once one's preferences are set up, its still a matter of a handful of decisions (and a corresponding handful of dial-turns and button presses). So bottom line for me is that I hardly see modern DSLR image-taking as being suffocated with complexity.</p>

<p>The Canon G10 or G11 could fit the bill, IF they had a better viewfinder. In reality, of course, they can be quite serviceable and make great pictures. The new Olympus Pen camera is somewhat interesting with its 17mm (35mm equivalent) lens and really excellent accessory viewfinder, but in normal operation with the zoom it's really just another LCD-based advanced point and shoot. I'd love it if someone would make a serious competitor to the Leica M9.</p>

<p>I think I remember seeing a digital equivalent of the old Brownie box cameras a few years back. Just take it outside, look through a finder and press the shutter release. No muss no fuss just picture taking at its least complicated level. As I recall they were very cheap to buy. Demand must not have been very strong though because there is nothing like that on the market now. I would imagine demand for your dream camera would be about the same. After Nikon sold out the first production run of ten they could close the factory.</p>

<p>I like my cameras the way that they are. I started with a Nikon F and have been thru every generation of camera since then. The new features grow on you slowly as the are introduced.<br>

When I go back to one of the older cameras, I start to look for them.<br>

there was the Mf, auto focus debate. took a while for me to try auto focus, I now use it 99 percent of the time. Better metering, more focus points,. Lets not even go to Film vs Digital.<br>

Love the old cameras and still use them a bit, but don't take my new ones away.</p>

<p>i would love for nikon to build a 15-18mp 24x36mm rangefinder camera with an M mount. for this, i would pay $4000. but they would have to keep all of their gimmicky crap off of it.</p>

<p><em>I long for a simple, high quality basic Nikon with a couple of modern features that do not get in the way of the joy of photography.</em></p>

<p>Deciding not to use features you don't want to use doesn't exactly qualify as taking away your "joy". </p>

Less is more, If I could trade in my digital slr today for a new Nikon FM3A, a decent filmscanner, and a roll of Velvia, I'd do it in a heartbeat.pith

<p>D300s/D700...</p>

<p>The "couple of modern features" are easily within reach, while the rest does not need to distract you using these wonderful machines!</p>