I hated the early digital cameras. Battery life was awful and the shutters were so slow.
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What makes a great picture?
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The new batteries are insanely good though. Sony seems to have found something that works.
Consumer class cameras had horrible shutter lag.
Pro cameras like the Nikon D1 still had the bad battery life(they are NiMH batteries) but the shutter lag was on par with the best film cameras of the day. The D1 was heavily based on the F5 with some of the improvements from the F100 added in. Also, autofocus with big screwdriver focusing lenses is insane because these use some of the largest and most powerful motors fitted for this purpose(as Nikon has transitioned more to integral focus motors, the in-body motors have lost some grunt even if the AF engine driving them is good).
The D1 series are also interesting in that even though they have a focal plane shutter, at speeds higher than the oficial flash sync speed the shutter speed is changed by "pulsing" the CCD on and off. That means that they sync at any speed, all the way up to I think 1/4000 or whatever the max shutter speed is.
The latter makes a bit of a fun toy too as you don't necessarily think about the pulse duration of your flash, but depending on exactly how it's made it can be maybe 1/2000 or maybe 1/500. My Normans on full power are about 1/750 seconds. With a D1, I can actually sort of measure that. Generally, with studio flashes in particular, we assume that all other light is insignificant to the output of the strobes(which in most cases is a valid assumption-again in a studio) and that, for a given ISO and holding the strobe output constant, exposure is only governed by the aperture. With a D1 and my studio flashes, I can actually see the exposure decrease if I increase the shutter speed above 1/500.
And so canon and Nikon. All these batteries are made from the same materials, and probably from independent manufacturers. The difference is that since mirrorless cameras use more battery power than DSLR cameras, the battery is made of a higher capacity. For example, the battery of my Canon R6 has a capacity of 2130mAh (16Wh), while the 5DII's battery has a capacity of 1800mAh.
Now, since the external dimensions and electrical contacts are the same on both batteries, I can use the batteries of my 7D and 5DII cameras to power the R6, but only for a shorter period of time. I could also use the R6 battery to power my 5DII for extended periods of time over the lesser capacity 5DII battery.
Mirrorless cameras, regardless of brand, use a lot of battery power over DSLR cameras because all functions, screens, and even the viewfinder, need electrical power. The viewfinder of a DSLR camera can still be used without battery power. When photographing wildlife outdoors, oftentimes I want to look through the viewfinder before taking photos. This is very simple to do with my 7D or 5DII, but not possible to do with the R6 unless I power it.
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The Nikon Coolpix served as my gateway to the realm of digital imaging..... I started out with the first one (Coolpix 900) and of course didn't really trust it and still continued to shoot anything "important" with my "real" camera, my Nikon SLR (N90s, I think?). Nonetheless I was intrigued by the Coolpix and its fascinating and delightfully portable styling, plus the potential in the whole digital imaging thing..... As time went on I progressed through a series of Coolpixes while more and more my SLR and its lenses sat in the cabinet.... Then one day I was out shooting with the Coolpix 8800 (I think that was the one), which had begun in its body shape to look more like a "real" camera but of course really wasn't quite the same as an SLR or as one of the emerging DSLRs.
Years later I still remember standing outside staring at the subject I wanted to shoot and being frustrated as heck because the camera wasn't responding the way I felt it should -- the way an SLR would. It couldn't -- it wasn't an SLR or a DSLR. The very next day I went to the camera shop and came home with a Nikon D70. That was the end of the Coolpixes for me! And also the end of my SLRs, as I eagerly embraced the enhanced new world being offered by the D70 and its successors.....
A few days later I was sitting out on my deck reviewing the menu and the settings in my new D70 and all of a sudden there was smoke drifting past and it was coming from either the nearby street or the community swimming pool/clubhouse. I ran out my front door, clutching my D70, and sure enough, there was a truck on fire on the street. I jumped into photojournalism mode and happily fired away, thrilled at how responsive the D70 was, and well, that was literally my baptism of fire with the D70 and DSLRs.....
Since then, I've moved through DSLRs and now am shooting with mirrorless gear and loving the way the technology has made some things easier while others seem more complex. As long as the final result is what one wants, that is what is important.
Years later I still remember standing outside staring at the subject I wanted to shoot and being frustrated as heck because the camera wasn't responding the way I felt it should -- the way an SLR would. It couldn't -- it wasn't an SLR or a DSLR. The very next day I went to the camera shop and came home with a Nikon D70. That was the end of the Coolpixes for me! And also the end of my SLRs, as I eagerly embraced the enhanced new world being offered by the D70 and its successors.....
A few days later I was sitting out on my deck reviewing the menu and the settings in my new D70 and all of a sudden there was smoke drifting past and it was coming from either the nearby street or the community swimming pool/clubhouse. I ran out my front door, clutching my D70, and sure enough, there was a truck on fire on the street. I jumped into photojournalism mode and happily fired away, thrilled at how responsive the D70 was, and well, that was literally my baptism of fire with the D70 and DSLRs.....
Since then, I've moved through DSLRs and now am shooting with mirrorless gear and loving the way the technology has made some things easier while others seem more complex. As long as the final result is what one wants, that is what is important.
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I know my E-10 is no way comparable to modern digital cameras, but at the time I bought it was perfect for me. Having used SLRs since college in the early sixties, the E-10 felt like an old friend. My first SLR was a Miranda, then I got a Topcon, next was Nikon F along with a Hasselblad 500 and a Super Wide C (phenomenal camera). Family requirements made me sell the Hasselblads, The Nikon F was stolen, replaced it with a Nikon FM. Still have the E-10. Nikon and several lenses sit a box in storage, probably sell those too if anybody is interested.
What makes a great picture?
Back the early days of digital cameras, I bought a Nikon CoolPix because had good luch with Nikon film cameras. I hated it, cost me $900 and I ended up giving it away to my younger son. I tried to take pictures of my grand children, by the time the shutter released, they had left the room...
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Along those same lines...
My D800 and D810 shipped with EN-EL15 batteries, which are rated at 1900mAh.
The EN-EL15 has been Nikon's go-to for "prosumer" DSLRs for a while. Offhand, the D600/610, D750 and 780, D500, D7000, 7100, 7200, and 7500 all use it. There's probably a few others. It's a great battery. It's the replacement for the EN-EL3e that Nikon used for years(back to the D200, and the EN-EL3 of the same form factor goes to the D100). The EN-EL3e was used up through the D700 and some other cameras of that age, but apparently couldn't be used anymore because it has exposed contacts which are no longer allowed in Japan(or at least that's what I've heard).
Nikon has updated the EN-EL15 a few times. The D850 shipped with an EN-El15A, the first mirrorless bodies the EN-El15b, and now EN-EL15c is the current generation. The latter is in the ballpark of 2200mAh, so it's seemingly similar to the Canon battery you mention.
A few of my EN-EL15s are reaching EOL, so I have bought a couple of EN-EL15c batteries in the last few months. Their life in the D800/D810 is INSANE. Granted I'm comparing to some well-used EN-EL15s, but even my newest and best ones show a noticeably shorter life than the "c" revision. It's worth mentioning too that I don't specifically buy EN-EL15cs, it's just that if I walk into the camera store and ask for an EN-EL15, that's what they're going to hand me unless they have a spare in their used case.
BTW, the D500 had a known issue with some older EN-EL15s draining really quickly. There were/are two revisions of the EN-EL15, and the older one was the problem. When I bought my D500, I had two of the older ones, and Nikon did exchange them for new batteries.
Good points! Yes, it has been a good thing for camera manufacturers to allow for the use the interchange of batteries throughout several camera models. The mirrorless cameras need higher capacity batteries, but one can also use them on some of the DSLR cameras. Another good idea was for Nikon and Canon to design and produce lens adapters that allow for the use of older lenses with their respective mirrorless cameras.
I am still using two Canon DSLR cameras along a mirrorless one (R6), and have also been using all my Canon lenses adapted to the mirrorless camera. I have only purchased one lens that's designed for the Canon mirrorless cameras (RF 100-500mm L), and don't have the need to buy any more lenses.
My old Olympus E-10
I really enjoy this camera, it's big and heavy but I really like the ability to see exactly what I am shooting and more precise focusing, and no hesitation when I press the button.
I really enjoy this camera, it's big and heavy but I really like the ability to see exactly what I am shooting and more precise focusing, and no hesitation when I press the button.
That E-10 reminds me a lot of a film camera I had years ago which was an Olympus "bridge" camera, and I loved that thing. No longer have it, and don't recall its model number, but in its day I really appreciated the flexibility it offered for traveling, in particular, since I could shoot varying focal lengths without needing to swap out lenses. I remember buying it a day or so before going to Florida to meet up with friends to do a Disney cruise and then Disney World. I read the camera manual on the plane, made a few adjustments and thankfully the camera was pretty intuitive to use!
That was a memorable trip in so many ways. I remember at Disney World dropping back behind my friends from time to time to fire off some shots and of course I took photos of their little girls with the various Disney characters. At the airport on the way home I suddenly realized I didn't have all the completed rolls of exposed film that I'd carefully put into a plastic baggie for inspection at TSA, as they couldn't go through the x-ray machine. Fortunately after a panicked search I found the three missing stray rolls on the floor near the chair in which I'd sat down to put things back into my bag. Whew!
Ah, those were the days.... Nowadays there is so much more to be mindful of when going through TSA and security checkpoints, more gear about which to be concerned: laptops, iPhones, iPads, digital cameras.....
That was a memorable trip in so many ways. I remember at Disney World dropping back behind my friends from time to time to fire off some shots and of course I took photos of their little girls with the various Disney characters. At the airport on the way home I suddenly realized I didn't have all the completed rolls of exposed film that I'd carefully put into a plastic baggie for inspection at TSA, as they couldn't go through the x-ray machine. Fortunately after a panicked search I found the three missing stray rolls on the floor near the chair in which I'd sat down to put things back into my bag. Whew!
Ah, those were the days.... Nowadays there is so much more to be mindful of when going through TSA and security checkpoints, more gear about which to be concerned: laptops, iPhones, iPads, digital cameras.....
Watched a great segment on CBS Sunday Morning about Richard Drew and his life time of great photographs as a photojournalist covering 9/11. You need to turn off any ad blockers temporarily.
7 min Photographer Richard Drew's "Falling Man"
7 min Photographer Richard Drew's "Falling Man"
He used Sony equipment. In one scene he is helping a young man identify his fiancé by her dress as she fell from one of the towers. He was scrolling through pictures on his laptop so I don’t think it was a film camera. I don’t remember Sony being a big name in pro film cameras.
I don't think he used a film camera on September 2011, but a DSLR on burst mode.
Edited: Now, back in
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Wow what a camera. But the drawback is the bulk. My Powershot is nice and light.
this was interesting and heartbreaking. my husband and i were engaged at the time (married November 2001) and he worked in the World Trade Center then but was traveling that day. Their company suffered a huge loss as they were on the 88th floor of one of the buildings.
I liked the answer that the photographer gave: "a photograph makes you want to keep looking." (or something close, I didn't rewatch it to get the exact wording.)
Why Pros Go Digital from the NYT in October 2001
a good overview of what cameras were available and being used then, although no mention of Richard Drew.
a good overview of what cameras were available and being used then, although no mention of Richard Drew.
In the video he talks about going back to his office and immediately going through his photographs on his lap top. Couldn't be film. But I have no idea what camera he was using at the time. In the video, you can see he currently using Sony.
9/11’s Iconic ‘Falling Man’
Photographer Richard Drew on his iconic image of a man free-falling from the World Trade Center on 9/11.