Will the real D100 replacement please stand up!

[Sycamoe]

Has anybody heard rumblings about the REAL D100 replacment?! The

D70 is a wonder for the money but I want all that and a bag of chips-

-er, I mean a REAL viewfinder. We know they have to do it or the

D20 will eat their lunch. I'm thinking about a $1600 camera with

kit lens, $1200 body only, with release sometime next year.

Somebody go slap around a Nikon engineer or ply them with drinks to

get the early info.

[eric friedemann]

Harry, it has been more than two years since Canon introduced the 1Ds. Canon now has four DSLRs with more than six middling megapixels of resolution. Nikon still has none.

 

Nikon will supposedly have its DSLR line updated by the end of 2005. But right now, Nikon is busy producing F6 film bodies to meet the booming demand for $2,500 35mm pro SLR/grip combos. :-O

[ellis_vener_photography]

How large do you normally print your images Harry?

 

The D2X will be out in January, The D70 outsells the digital rebel, yes there is probably a

successor to the D100 on the way -- possibly to be announced in February at the big

trade show then. If Nikon can do with that hypothetical camera what they did with the D70

announce with quick public availability then you'll see it n shelves shortly there after.

 

if you want to pay for a couple of first class tckets, accomodations in the hotel that was

the setting for "Lost in Translation' and an equally good entertainment budget I'll be happy

to talk to Nikon execs and engineers in Japan.

 

In the meantime Eric should consider buying a faster computer, more RAM, HDD storage

and a better monitor like the now discontinued Sony Artisan.

[hsksla_ddygff]

whats the rush, i am afraid we are getting pixel-addiction, expecting a new camera every 18 months, i dont believe nikon plays with the same marketing fervor as canon.

[eric friedemann]

"In the meantime Eric should consider buying a faster computer, more RAM, HDD storage and a better monitor like the now discontinued Sony Artisan."

 

 

Should I have any idea what this means?

[cappoldt]

Eric, I think it means that the poster of the question was asking about the potential release of a Nikon with a better viewfinder than the D70's, here in the forum dedicated to Nikon-related topics. He was not asking about how great you thought Canon was doing in comparison to Nikon re megapixels, making your response at the very least...way off-topic and inappropriate. Just a guess, but distilled, that's the gist.

[eric friedemann]

O.k., let's talk viewfinders. A few weeks ago, I spent some time at my store A-Bing the finders on the D70 and D100 as compared to the finder on the Canon 20D with lenses on the bodies of similar focal length and aperture. I saw no particular difference in brightness or magnification as between the two finders.

 

 

In fact, I spent some time comparing the D70 finder to the D2h finder, again with lenses of the same aperture and focal length. The D2h finder is somewhat brighter and produces a somewhat larger image. However, the D2h finder (presumably the same finder we'll see on the D2x) certainly doesn't produce as big or bright an image as even an F100, which I also had on hand for comparison.

 

 

I'm actually more interested in seeing a production version of the Fuji S3. It will supposedly have a reworked finder- different and better than the D100, it will have a mode that mimics color negative film and the $2,500 price is intriguing.

[ShunCheung]

Eric, but the Fuji S3 is yet another 6MP DSLR. Worse yet, it is still based on the N80 with that Multi-CAM 900 AF module. The fact that Fuji announced the S3 in February 2004 (PMA 2004) and there is still no production model when PMA 2005 is just around the corner is, unfortunately, a very bad sign. I am wondering what kind of problems Fuji is facing. And $2500 for a 6MP DSLR based on the N80, at the end of 2004 into 2005, well ....

[arnabdas]

Real D100 replacement is EOS 20D.

[Richard Williams]

There's a current thread on this below:<br>

<a href="http://www.photo.net/bboard/q-and-a-fetch-msg?msg_id=00AIa2">http://www.photo.net/bboard/q-and-a-fetch-msg?msg_id=00AIa2</a><br>

[eric friedemann]

Shun, my understanding is that the S3 will have higher resolution than current 6MP DSLRs due to the configuration of its sensor.:

 

 

http://www.dpreview.com/articles/fujifilms3pro/

 

 

However, I'd want to shoot with a production S3 and compare its viewfinder, resolution and tonal range to my current D100s before plunking down $2.5K for one. Unfortunately, I've not seen a preview of the S3 that contains an output comparison with other cameras.

[marshall]

<I>Real D100 replacement is EOS 20D.</I>

<P>

For some, but as a stand-alone statement I'll just assume you're making a joke. The alternative is either rude or unhelpful, so like I said, I'll assume you're making a joke....

[larry_s1]

12 mp vs 6 mp? The best I could figure is that unadjusted it is 12 but if you want to increase the dynamic range the pixel info is taken from more than one pixel reducing the file size. Something like averaging a high and low pixel. It is no longer two pixels.

 

I couldn't get a good answer from Fuji an the Photo show at Javitz.

[miles escow]

I am getting really sick and tired of Canon users coming to the Nikon forum and posting things like "Real D100 replacement is EOS 20D". <p>Grow up!<p> We are all very happy that you like your new camera, but please stop preaching, you are treating the Nikon/Canon debate like a holy war. Maybe we have our reasons for using Nikon cameras, just as you have yours for using Canon. Most people don't have money flowing out of their ears so changing between systems is not an option.

<p>

I don't look at the Canon forums, I have better ways to spend my time and I gain nothing from trying to convince Canon users to switch.<p>

 

Now to try and be of some help... Harry I hear you. Wait for spring to see what Nikon announces. I am sure that they have been listening to feedback on the D70 and they are no doubt just as interested as Canon in growing their market share.<p> Wierdly a French photo magazine was carrying some rumours of D200 / D50 / D90 cameras, the better ones with a resolution of 8 MP at least. Nothing official though. There seems to be no rumours at all of a full size sensor camera which is diappointing though.

[dmanthree]

Shun,

 

There are rumors flying about dead CCDs in the old Fuji S2 models, It seems that a large number of users are experiencing CCDs that show black lines, then half gone, then dead. Fuji, from what I read, is telling users that the most inexpensive fix is to ditch the camera and get a new one. If this is true, then the S3 is DOA, when you consider that it's very overpriced, underpowered, and, well, still vaporware.

 

I believe the old/new axiom still applies: Canon does it faster, but Nikon does it better. I'll wait for the Nikon that's right for me.

[jluebke]

<p>Um, if I'm not mistaken, Arnab is a D70 user. <i>It was a joke</i> -- and even if he had been a trolling Canon user, he certainly got what he wanted out of you.</p>

 

<p>Personally, I'm sick and tired of the whole DSLR rumor mill. I mean, <b>come on!</b> Some of the folks here spend so much time hypothesizing, fantasizing, and debating the merits and/or features of the next hypothetical camera that I don't think it's possible that they could have enough time to take pictures with the cameras they already own. It's just another symptom of the <i>on-demand real-time drive-thru instant gratification society</i> we live in.</p>

 

<p>I don't own a DSLR right now, because there isn't one with the right specs at the right price for me. I'm not impatient about it -- of course I'd love to have a DSLR, but since I'm committed to the Nikon system I'd rather see their engineers take their time and get it right. Canon is obviously trying to churn out new models as fast as they can in order to flood the market and erode Nikon's share. They know that digital is the hot, "Gotta have" technology, and they are banking on the impatience and rashness of consumers to jump at the next shiny object dangled in front of them.</p>

 

<p><b>You want to buy a <i>McCamera</i>?</b> Go buy the next Canon, I'm sure it'll be great for you, and it will be here in 4-6 weeks. Personally, I'd rather wait.</p>

 

<p>I hate to tell you this, but ALL good things in this world take time. From the Grand Canyon to Mount Rushmore to the Pyramids at Giza, none were created overnight. Fine cuisine takes time and practice, as do great works of art. Brahms worked on his first symphony off and on for 14 years before publishing it. Anything hastily created will be just as hastily forgotten. There are no exceptions to this rule.</p>

 

<p>If you can prove me wrong, I will gladly buy and have your choice of pizza delivered to you. Guaranteed in 30 minutes or less or it's free. ;-)</p>

[arnabdas]

Thanks Jon, yes I indeed meant it as a joke (though it might even be true for some as Marshall said -- especially those who havenot entered any camera "system" yet)

 

BTW besides being a D70 user I'm a very happy FM3A user too :^)

[eric_m4]

I'm not really hung up on the 'Megapixel Arms Race', but I do wish Nikon would keep up so they could offer the same amount of features that other companies offer. Like being able to shoot black & white and using black & white filters built into the camera. I know you can greyscale it in photoshop but that's like saying you can shoot film and make adjustments later in photoshop. The point is that there are many more features to look forward to besides file size. And that's where Nikon lags behind.

[chris_chow]

The general consensus seems to be that the D70 is really nice except the viewfinder.

 

I tried the Pentax *istDS the other day and the viewfinder is way better than the D70's, with glass prism, 0.95 magification and 95% coverage. Pentax can do it for a US$900 kit.

[fv]

I heard so much about the D70 viewfinder that I made my mind before buying it, and I bought it for over reasons.

 

I'm very please with the viewfinder, for me not so bad compared to my old EOS600, and the AF is so great even in very low light that I only touch the focusing ring to freeze the focus on a subject when moving.

 

Much to much crazy discussions on the forums, just try one for real ( not at the store ).

 

BTW : when not powered by a charged battery, the D70 viewfinder is all dark ( guess you get the minimum aperture when not powered on )

 

Francois

[charlie_johnson1]

Here is a better idea. Show the chumps at Nikon that the consumer is BOSS. Go on Ebay and slap down a bid on a tried and true Nikon D1 or its upgrades the D1H and D1X. Or head down to B&H and shell out for the current D2H or wait for the D2X coming out in January. I got my D1 off Ebay and am very happy with it. Still have my original N4004s and am still thinking about getting a F4s one of these days. All the lenses I have will work on any of them. Shoot, I can even get my dads Nikkor AIS lenses for his Nikormat FTNs out if I want to and use them. He has some others as well, like his Vivitar 135 f/2.8, Cosina 37-70 f/2.8 and Albinar 70-210 f/4. Unless you just have to have the latest Nikon toy on the block, save yourself some misery and buy something tried, true, and well built.

[berg_na]

Since we're just talking about hearsays, rumors, and scuttlebutts, my unreliable sources tell me that there's an improved D70 in the works...<div></div>

[Sycamoe]

GOOD DEBATE! I do hate the Nikon/Canon thing too however. I work with a photo biz parnter who uses Canon and he's forever nagging at this. I'm going to slap him over the head with his new Canon...which he's getting as soon as he sells his 10D. He's going to something more in the $3000 to $5000 price range. Well, duh! If I had $5000 I wouldn't have any dilemma.

 

Fact is they both make great cameras, Canon is probably a bit ahead (though not at the $1000 to $1200 price point, Rebel vs. D70. The D70 is clearly ahead in speed if nothing else.)

 

I love my old lenses and even if I have to manually meter (for nature stuff) I will keep using them in the digital era unless I can ever afford to replace them with the same quality in modern lenses. That would be a huge investment for me in any brand. So I'll wait and stick with Nikon unless they fall off the horse altogether in this race.