Do you still use an "obsolete" camera?

[Jack Dahlgren]

The Df thread on this site inspired me to upgrade a few months ago from a D200 to a Df and add a few more AI and pre-AI lenses to my bag. This forum is the epitome of obsolescence.

[Pistnbroke]

my D3300 became obsolete at 810 clicks when the 3.5mm jack broke off in the mic socket ...no parts available....

[PKS]

Well….I just joined NG and at 50, I am very late to begin my journey in photography. Wish I had started much earlier, however, I am a few months in and digital scares the heck out of me. I am not particularly savvy with computers or software and have little experience. I began with a Nikkormat FTN and a few lenses shooting black & white. Sending out to the Darkroom in CA with so so results thus far. Mostly my kids and their activities and sports.

I just ordered a Nikon D2h from KEH. Why? Not sure except that I plan to use the 4 Nikkor lenses I already own. They are AI converted. I happened to come across Bjorn's old site by accident and read his D2h review and old lenses. Figured I would give it a go but I have to say, I love the simplicity of the Nikkormat.

So my first digital camera will be an obsolete one.

Cheers

PKS

[Bjørn Rørslett]

The D2H was an excellent camera for its time and still capable of delivering fine results. I keep one around for shooting documentary stuff for studio work.

I feel confident you will enjoy the D2H.

[PKS]

Thanks Bjorn. I sure hope so. What is the best way to keep the D2h nearly as simple as a nikkormat? Perhaps a foolish idea? I have no plans for any AF lenses. I like to manually focus and hope to do so with my older lenses and the D2h. It should arrive sometime this week.

[MILLIREHM]

Nikkormat FTN is a good camera to start, at least it was my start too long years ago. In Principle you can use any digital body a bit like a nikkormat, just use manual lenses and M mode - with a Nikkormat you dont need to consider white-balance though.

[PKS]

I have enjoyed using the FTN. It is a fun and simple piece of equipment. The D2H came today. It is in excellent condition. 990 clicks on the shutter. So……White Balance. I do plan to shoot manual with manual lenses. I have no other lenses anyway. Did not need to consider that with BW film. Is there an optimal setting for white balance? Indoor vs outdoor? I really would like to keep everything to a minimum. Aperture, shutter, ASA and White Balance. Nothing more and focus on composition unless I am shooting my kids who never stop moving….

[Bjørn Rørslett]

Use 'Auto' w/B and keep ISO settings below 800.

For the lenses, set camera either to M or A (using P or S modes will default to A with manual non-CPU lenses) and use it as any old Nikon in terms of finding a proper exposure.

Do note any lens should be AI/Ais or AI-modified in order to mount on the D2H.

[PKS]

Thanks Bjorn. The lenses are properly modified. I will start playing a bit this week using auto WB. I did notice that you can adjust the WB through the Kelvin button. Any advantage to that or does the AWB work just as well regardless of light?

Paul

[Erik Lund]

Auto WB works just fine, will you be shooting Raw files or JPG files?

[PKS]

This is my first digital experience so I guess I will mess with both. I have no knowledge of post production but do have access to an old copy of capture NX2 I was given. However, I am not particularly savvy with computers.

[Akira]

Hi, PKS, welcome to NG (NikonGear)!

D2H was my first digital SLR camera, too, and I decided to purchase one after having read Bjørn's review in his classic website.

I enjoyed using D2H very much.  It is a great camera whose responsiveness is still comparable to that of current higher-end DSLRs.  On the other hand, it is a lot simpler to operate "thanks to" the fact that it doesn't have either live view or video functions.  Hope you enjoy it!

[Frank Fremerey]

This is my first digital experience so I guess I will mess with both. I have no knowledge of post production but do have access to an old copy of capture NX2 I was given. However, I am not particularly savvy with computers.

Capture NX-2 is a very nice but very complicated and very slow and instable program I did use for many years.

Currently Nikon offers a much nicer program called "Capture NX-D" that works much better for me, works also for newer cameras (should you one day decide to change to a fresh horse), is regularly updated and supports all Nikon DSLRs made to date, also your D2H.

You can download the program together with the very good browser program called "View NX-i" from the Nikon USA site here:

http://downloadcenter.nikonimglib.com/en/products/261/VCNXSP.html


Welcome to our forum!!!

[PKS]

Please let me know if I am no longer in the proper forum as I have further questions on this D2h and digital in general. The menus are a bit overwhelming….I have left everything alone for now. Adjusting only ISO, Shutter and Aperture as with my Nikkormat. What affect or impact on the image rendering happens when you change some of these in camera settings? Jpeg or Raw?

In addition, there seems to be an ERR after the first shutter actuation. After a bit of online research, the D2h is plagued with this issue. However, true to what has been reported, it goes away and stays away until you shut off the camera. I guess some owners have gone nearly a quarter of a million actuations with the issue.

Paul

[Bjørn Rørslett]

You might launch a separate thread on the D2H, perhaps? Put it in the Camera board.

Menus are mainly used to set up the camera, so once it is functional the way you need, there will be a minimum of diving into menus. I may add this is a tell-tale sign of a 'pro' camera.