Always the latest and the greatest?

[armando_m]

I feel the itch of NAS coming on big time, but then rationality steps in and slaps me round the head and I realise that there is nothing about the D5 that I can't live without, especially the price!   

anyway, I think an FX camera with the D5 sensor and AF module with the D810 body style shouldn't be to far into the future

[armando_m]

... Usually I find that I really learn to use my cameras after a couple of years of intense use...

I did find myself in that situation , it is pleasing to pick up the camera and know exactly how to make it do what you are intending it to do,

It does take me time to reach such level of confidence, than I start screwing up, and need to pay attention again, to fell confident again, the cycle repeats endlessly

[Gary]

Sometimes I shoot film with a 30 y/o old camera.  (Old camera but new medium ... Okay not quite apples to apples.)

For me, it is all about capturing the exceptional image. Better hardware, typically, makes that capture easier and increases consistency. For what I shoot and how I shoot ... and for most of us, after a certain baseline of IQ, better hardware does very little if anything in contributing to the success value of an image.

Presently, my main cameras are Fuji's @ 16mp. (Yes, there are many factors other than MP's that affect IQ ... But I'm just addressing MP's for now just to keep it simple. But life and photography are never simple.) Generally, I find 16mp sufficient for my needs as I don't print larger than 16x13. I don't shoot much landscape or architecture, mainly people doing stuff, from Streets to Sports to Theatre. For me, at 16mp, image impact (composition/timing/lighting) has a significantly greater impact on success than image quality.

But I think 4mp is a bit below that said baseline.

[Frank Fremerey]

I have no car acqusition drive in me. If I had 200.000 excess I might get a Tesla.

For my car requirements the Golf3 does everything I need and the Golf7 has several disadvantages
spare part price and unnecessary electronics to begin with....

For the price of a D5 body .... 7000€ .... I can buy a whole Fuji or Sony or Olympus sytem with many lenses.

I could also think into the Tele Direction or invite my Kids to visit Gary or let some professionals built a new
Website plus direct mailing to acquire new food photo customers....

In the end it is about the decision what I want to achieve.

[Tristin]

If I hadn't gone on a lengthy hiatus and sold all my gear, I'd still have my 5d (the original) assuming it still worked.  Though I wouldn't trade my D750 for 4 5ds now hehe!  I suspect I'll be using my D750 until it departs from this world.

As for recommending cameras to new users, I've done that recently.  Get their budget and what they need it to do, find the best combo to fit the constraints.  For my friend it turned out to be an Olympus E-M5 with a fast 20mm and a couple kit level zooms.  Performed spectacularly on his SE Asia trek and fit his budget.

[Frank Fremerey]

Tristin. Yes. A hammer for one purpose, a wrench for another .... Cluedo...

[Mike G]

Armando, I think you may well be right, and hopefully the hated pop up flash will disappear! I think it significant it has gone from the D500!

[Akira]

Armando, I think you may well be right, and hopefully the hated pop up flash will disappear! I think it significant it has gone from the D500!

Given the high-ISO performance of current digital cameras in general, the integrated flashes should be one of the least necessary item.  Now that Nikon finally incorporated the radio controled speedlight system, there should be even less need for the integrated flash for general purposes.

[elsa hoffmann]

Does the onboard flash really bother anyone?
It doesn't bother me at all. In fact I forget there was one on the D800
P mode bothers me more - I have to scroll past it all the time.

[Bjørn Rørslett]

"P" is for professional, Elsa

The pop-up flash is a two-edged sword. On occasion might be useful, however it weakens the camera construction all the time. I have solved the pop-up flash issue on the few of my cameras having it by glueing it permanently with liberal amounts of epoxy.

[stenrasmussen]

"P" is for professional, Elsa

The pop-up flash is a two-edged sword. On occasion might be useful, however it weakens the camera construction all the time. I have solved the pop-up flash issue on the few of my cameras having it by glueing it permanently with liberal amounts of epoxy.

The Fierce Epoxy Bear has a point.

[Øivind Tøien]

... Now that Nikon finally incorporated the radio controled speedlight system, there should be even less need for the integrated flash for general purposes.

Correct me if I am wrong but, but as far as I understand a D500 will not communicate with an SB-5000 by itself. I think it needs the WR-R10 plus an adapter for the 10-pin port ($150-$200 total). Not sure about the SB5000 side. Thus built in commander, IR or RF is in effect "lost". (Why hasn't the WR-R10 functionality been incorporated into the body?) I wonder how much that device is going to interfere with an L-bracket.

That said, getting a better viewfinder might be a good trade off.

[MILLIREHM]

I see it similar to Bjørn
it is unvavorable to the mechanical quality and may be subject to unwanted triggering the flashes unlock mechanism

but there are situations where no other flash is available and it comes handy (dont want to throw away my radioless cls flashes BTW)
High ISO does not replace flash under all circumstances (fill in flash, highlights in the eyes), built in flash is of limited use but sometimes better than nothing

[elsa hoffmann]

"P" is for professional, Elsa

I thought it meant Portrait....

[MILLIREHM]

I thought it meant Portrait....

No it means Picture of course