Edit: Since you are indeed acknowledging that in a few years the technology will reach a point where you will find high ISOs useful, just wait until then to buy a Nikon. In the meantime, if they don't keep pushing the boundaries with their current products, they won't get there. I'm not sure why you were so adamantly critical of the current product. You don't get there overnight, and each evolutionary phase gets us another step closer to....the next evolutionary phase. There really is no end to this concept. When is good enough... good enough? When capability increases, the demand for even better capability increases. We see it in computing. We'll see it in photography as film slips further and further into the past. And I like film... I really do.
Of course they have to keep pushing it, but do it internally in their labs and only release to the public when it is actually usable There's all this hype over the internet that this camera will do some silly high ISO, when in fact it is a nothing feature.
My criticism of the D3s stems from the fact that 720p video is, well, behind the times, and that I really hate their 's' upgrade policy with minor 'features'. As a note, I use Canon and Nikon kit (oh, and Leica and 'blad), so I'm not being partisan either. I think Canon balls things up too.
Of course they have to keep pushing it, but do it internally in their labs and only release to the public when it is actually usable There's all this hype over the internet that this camera will do some silly high ISO, when in fact it is a nothing feature.
My criticism of the D3s stems from the fact that 720p video is, well, behind the times, and that I really hate their 's' upgrade policy with minor 'features'. As a note, I use Canon and Nikon kit (oh, and Leica and 'blad), so I'm not being partisan either. I think Canon balls things up too.
Ah... another feature-rich camera I can't afford... Can we critique ocean-going yachts next?
Do you actually use all of that Canikcablad kit? Or are you just some doctor or lawyer who can afford a bundle of camera gear only to sit it in his open room and do extensive "noise tests" and sharpness tests?
And so on and so forth
Do I use the kit? Yes. I work as a photographer (not a doctor or lawyer or whatever) I couldn't give a crap about 400% crops either. I use a Canon setup for personal work, journalism/press, Nikon for medical imaging, Leica when I want to shoot film and 'blad for medium format. As for a "noise test" - if you can see the noise from across the room, then, well, it's pretty obvious.
As for the 720p mode, yes, video has a point in the modern world - I've used it. However, it would have cost Nikon precisely nothing to enable 1080p on the camera - the chip is capable of it, the camera has enough processing power. However, they artificially cripple a professional level body to try and (possibly) drive sales of the much more expensive D3Xs (if one launches). I can get why you'd only have 720p on a D300s, or D90, but on a pro camera? Canon at least have the decency to push 1080p down the range. After all, products don't exist in a vacuum - they have to be compared to their competitors.
Note, I wasn't bashing the functionality of video at any point. You seem to have your own personal bee in your bonnet about that one.
My criticism of the D3s stems from the fact that 720p video is, well, behind the times, and that I really hate their 's' upgrade policy with minor 'features'. As a note, I use Canon and Nikon kit (oh, and Leica and 'blad), so I'm not being partisan either. I think Canon balls things up too.
For some reason, I can't believe you're a journalist and you are taking a crap on the improved ISO performance.
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Very interested to check out how you juggle that Canikcablad system!!
Improved ISO performance is good. Pushing the numbers upwards just because you can is pointless. We have no evidence currently if there has been a step up in noise levels at, say, ISO 3,200 with the D3s over the D3. It could be exactly the same, and all that has happened is that a new number gets shoved on the end of the range.
720p is enough. Hell, 4mp is enough for print...so why are we all using 10mp+ systems these days? If we play the "good enough" mentality, we'll be in the stone ages. You can down-scale 1080p to whatever format you want for web use, but you'll struggle to upscale if it is needed.
I can send you a copy of some medical work, but I cannot publish online for confidentiality reasons. Drop me your email and I can squirt a few mid-res images over to you. Medical is generally studio based macro, or flash in operating theatres.
I'll upload some pj work shortly.
Hell, most TV stations don't even broadcast in 1080p. And i'm surely not going to make a film for Blu-Ray distro with a D3s, D300s or a Canon 5d mk II. Again, I have specific tools for that job. Of course, I wouldn't hesitate to do a video for my paper on my 300s, and I'm sure the real PJ's who get their hands on the D3 won't hesitate either.
Some recent PR/press work for the local rag. HRH The Queen, and two members of hospital staff in their environment. Then two press-line music shots. I don't sports - I don't personally like them, which means I can't really get into the whole thing, plus there's a local team who cover most events anyway. General gist anyway.
Not quite, although we're going in circles here...
D3s should have 1080p, because it is capable of doing it, wouldn't cost any extra and the competition are doing it on their mid-level cameras. The function would be there, and would be high quality (well, rolling shutter dependant).
Your user can then customise their output. Don't want 1080p (your reasoning for that *is* sound, and valid for some people), then you can just simply select 720p and pump it out at that. The 1080p will be there if you ever need it, and you might at some time. I generally shoot at 1080p these days, although 720p is there if required (like I'm running low on card space).
As for the ISO stuff - I'll just stick to the "why bother putting expansion on" - and this applies to Canon and Nikon both. The camera has its natural ISO range...and then you push it too damn high with expansion and ruin the results. I can see that we want to be at the point where ISO <silly number> is usable - shooting in the dark would be great - but we're not there yet. They should ship the camera able to go to whatever the ISO range is without expansion.
EDIT: Critique!
The big black area is the roof of the stage - I purposely exposed to not get detail in there, aiming for block colour.
Disembodied hand is a fair cop - I was literally ontop of HRH at that time and couldn't move an inch. That was taken on a 16mm lens, APS-H sensor. The pic of the radiographer seems to have been chewed a bit on the way up on here, not sure what's happened. Makeup would be a luxury
on top of the queen? rawr! did she enjoy?
your reasoning for wanting 1080p is justified. that said, i understand nikon's reasoning for putting it in at 720. They were working on the high ISO performance!
And if you take a look at the gallery on their site, it's impressive at 12800. Your critique of the reasoning behind putting expansion on, I get. But i'd rather hold Nikon's feet to the fire for some of the other stupid things they do. (I mean, if you're going to put mini-HDMI, include the damn cable guys!) They surely have their share of issues as a company. Most do.
But at the same token, I'm blown away by what they've accomplished in the past few years in terms of ISO. I couldn't put my D2h above 800 or else I had a grain fest and I can shoot my lowly D300s at 7fps with more accurate AI AND I can use ISO 3200. The thought of grabbing a D3s and getting quality 128000 files is droolworthy. The addition of 720p HD video recording? Like sugary sprinkles on top.
I mean, good lord:
Exactly.<-- pops some popcorn and pulls up a chair....
I mean, good lord:
Not quite, although we're going in circles here...
D3s should have 1080p, because it is capable of doing it, wouldn't cost any extra and the competition are doing it on their mid-level cameras. The function would be there, and would be high quality (well, rolling shutter dependant).
Your user can then customise their output. Don't want 1080p (your reasoning for that *is* sound, and valid for some people), then you can just simply select 720p and pump it out at that. The 1080p will be there if you ever need it, and you might at some time. I generally shoot at 1080p these days, although 720p is there if required (like I'm running low on card space).
As for the ISO stuff - I'll just stick to the "why bother putting expansion on" - and this applies to Canon and Nikon both. The camera has its natural ISO range...and then you push it too damn high with expansion and ruin the results. I can see that we want to be at the point where ISO <silly number> is usable - shooting in the dark would be great - but we're not there yet. They should ship the camera able to go to whatever the ISO range is without expansion.
Actually, you're sort of arguing with yourself here... if the D3s is "capable" of expanding it's ISO range, much like a photographer would have pushed film in the old days, then why not make it available? You can always limit your output, or dial down and stay in the acceptable range for yourself, just like with the video reasoning where you want the 1080p option, even if it's not that useful in practical use.
So, actually we're talking about two different things - video and High ISO performance. I have no problem with your point about dialing down your output on the vid to 720, but maintaining the capability of 1080p if it's there. (I still don't quite see the need of 1080p video in a DSLR when it's still a Blu-ray thing for the most part, and even 720p video looks great on a 63" Samsung 1080p plasma tv - but that really isn't that much of an issue for me - if they can offer it, then they should give folks the option.) I'm not sure why you have a issue with Nikon making it possible for some of us (those who see it as useful... ) being able to "expand" or "push" our ISOs for whatever purpose suits us. Kind of two sides of the same coin, don't you think?
Anyway, this has been a fun, and lively discussion. I appreciate you're contributions to this... it does make one think a bit...
Nikon may have paid for a photodocumentary of street hookers and birds? (Hell, I would!)
I probably am arguing with myself a little - I generally don't think things through *this* thoroughly, in a cohesive fashion. I'd probably say that offering quality 1080p is a little different to offering a barely/if at all usable feature of ISO expansion.
I'm glad people are having fun though - I'll freely admit to being more argumentative and prone to exaggeration on here just to generate talk. When Canon release the 1DIV (a little bird has told me next week at the London Pro Event which I'll be at) I will no doubt be annoyed at them for doing something stupid too.