Nikon D820 Specs (rumor)

[Bjørn Rørslett]

The next "improvement" likely is removal of the aperture follower even on FX models. It is an inevitable step in future development of Nikon DSLRs. Sorry but true. Only upcoming pro-calibre models can hope for continuing backwards compatibility.

[Ilkka Nissilä]

The next "improvement" likely is removal of the aperture follower even on FX models. It is an inevitable step in future development of Nikon DSLRs. Sorry but true. Only upcoming pro-calibre models can hope for continuing backwards compatibility.

If they do that then there is no sense in using F mount products when the AF era compatibility contains dozens of footnotes of incompatibilities. There is a system by another manufacturer with basically a spotless compatibility record since the beginning of AF era. To me it is important that body choice and lens choice are independent and intechangeable. I don't mind one switch in a lifetime if necessary. For pre-Ai to Ai Nikon provided a conversion service. They have not provided a CPU modification service. No, a dremel hack job is not what I am looking for but something that Nikon guarantees to work and be supported for the foreseeable future.

The purchase of expensive photography equipment makes only sense if the company supports it properly after purchase instead of making a mess of it.

[Bjørn Rørslett]

Nikon follow their own logic. For better or worse.

[David H. Hartman]

For pre-Ai to Ai Nikon provided a conversion service. They have not provided a CPU modification service. No, a dremel hack job is not what I am looking for but something that Nikon guarantees to work and be supported for the foreseeable future.

I would like this but how do you lock the aperture for AF/AF-D type compatibility? This alone probably stopped Nikon.

Using the aperture control ring would fix the above problem. It's a simple custom setting way.

I wonder if a contact block could hold the CPU. I'd think they could be made small enough now, maybe not. Probably will never happen due to small demand for CPU modified AI/AIS lenses. 

The purchase of expensive photography equipment makes only sense if the company supports it properly after purchase instead of making a mess of it.

I think Nikon has done pretty well to this point but I have a bad feeling about today and for the future. The lack of a switch to detect an AF/AF-D type lens set to minimum aperture bothers me where the lack of a meter coupling lever on the camera body I accept as I agree few who buy this camera will want it. Were I to buy a D7500 as a camera to carry always I'd want to use my small AF-D lenses like the AF 35-105/3.5-4.5D or AF 28-70/3.5-4.5D. Lack of small AF/AF-D support and or small, discrete AF-S, G lenses is a deal breaker for me.

For those who want to use AI and AIS lenses on the D7500 there is manual exposure and a hand held light meter. My first camera was a Nikkormat FTn but I had an opportunity to get a used Nikon FT and convert it to a Nikon F meterless with a standard prism. I got a 105/2.5 Nikkor-P in the deal and I liked the Nikon F better than the Nikkormat FTn.

If new users are going to rough it and go without AF then they should be up to roughing it and using a hand held meter.

Dave Hartman

[Bjørn Rørslett]

For long blocks, I use a tiny CPU print that sits entirely inside the block. However, that approach won't work for most wide-angle lenses unless one is prepared to to a massive surgery on the bayonet and pins inside.

Probably won't be too difficult to manufacture an equivalent small CPU assembly for the short blocks mandatory for the wide lenses. However, I stopped any further development as demand for CPUs has fallen over the last years and it is no longer economically feasible to set wheels in motion again. I'm just selling off my inventory.

[Roland Vink]

They will not do that [stop down metering] as long as there is an aperture linkage present (and the lens is not E, for which this 'feature' would be easy to implement). The reasons are complex yet quite understandable if you are familiar with the Nikon way of thinking.

The Nikon FA implemented a type of stop-down metering. This was the first Nikon camera to offer Program and Shutter Priority modes, in which the camera needs to set the aperture automatically (rather than the photographer setting the aperture manually). It does this by pressing the aperture stop-down lever a precise amount. This works with AI-S lenses because they have  linear stop-down action - pressing the stop-down lever a given amount closes the aperture to a predictable setting.

AI lenses don't have the linear stop down action so pressing the lever results in an unpredictable aperture, which may cause over or under exposure. The FA gets around this by taking a second meter reading after the lens is stopped down, and adjusting the shutter speed to compensate if the aperture has not stopped down as expected.

So my point is, Nikon could implement stop-down metering with modern cameras if they wanted, it would be technically possible one way or another if they put their mind to it.

[Asle F]

I would like this but how do you lock the aperture for AF/AF-D type compatibility? This alone probably stopped Nikon.

There is no need to lock the aperture ring. Setting it to the smallest aperture is all the camera needs, and all it know about. It worked that  way with AI/AIS-lenses on FA in P and S, and still works this way with current DSLRs with   cpu-lenses with aperture ring.

[Bjørn Rørslett]

Roland: of course Nikon is in a position to permit stop-down metering on their cameras. That has been the case for a long time, but it is not relevant. Nikon explicitly wants to prevent the users from conducting this kind of metering by a logic I have elaborated before and won't repeat. A twisted logic, true, yet it from their perspective has sufficient merits to overcome the potential drawbacks.

This kind of metering will probably be a breeze on an all-E camera with matching E lenses. However, not convinced it will be offered even then as it is a technologically inferior method of metering (seem from their perspective, again).

No need to flog the poor dead metering horse any longer. It is literally dead as far as Nikon is concerned.

[Frank Fremerey]

My "problem" is that virtually all my manual lenses for F-mount have been CPU-modified Thus difficult for me to evaluate the behaviour on other systems.

Nikon silently wish for the aperture follower to disappear. The 'G' lenses were a first move in that direction and the introduction of 'E' technology takes this change a big leap further. I think we end up with the acclaimed backwards compatibility only being fully supported by the 'pro' calibre camera models. Their marketing department, however, can safely advertise 'compatibility' as long as one can attach virtually all F-mount lenses to any Nikon DSLR.

I have no problem with that, as long as Nikon keeps developing and marketing new "PRO" grade cameras.

The D500 is graded pro, although she is quite affordable

[pluton]

If new users are going to rough it and go without AF then they should be up to roughing it and using a hand held meter.

Dave Hartman

Ha Ha...and if the sun is out you can guess the exposure to well within the latitude of raw capture.  I used to do it with Kodachrome 25!

[David H. Hartman]

Ha Ha...and if the sun is out you can guess the exposure to well within the latitude of raw capture.  I used to do it with Kodachrome 25!

I remember on a backpacking trip using a humble Gossen Pilot light meter and the Sunny f/16 rules on Kodachrome II or 25 and getting identical exposure due to clear skys and sunny midday conditions. I replaced the Gossen Pilot with a LunaPro when I was able. I had just bought and traded to get a Nikon F with standard no meter prism and 105/2.5 Nikkor-P and the budget only allowed the simple Gossen Pilot.

Dave

Where I live if the sun is out midday the sunny f/16 rules work quite well. The further north one lives the more problems the seasons will toss at you. I've done almost all of my photography over the years at the latitudes of southern to northern California. I've strayed no further north a than Maine and south about 200 miles (320 Kilometers) into Baja California.

[chambeshi]

Latest rumour that meets hopes of many Nikonians

https://nikonrumors.com/2017/05/16/rumors-update-the-nikon-d820-will-have-the-same-af-system-as-the-d5.aspx/#more-112231

[Ilkka Nissilä]

I remember on a backpacking trip using a humble Gossen Pilot light meter and the Sunny f/16 rules on Kodachrome II or 25 and getting identical exposure due to clear skys and sunny midday conditions.

I would argue that midday sun at a high angle with open sky is far from ideal lighting for photography and one would be best to avoid such conditions (especially when photographing people). People are squinting, sweating, and the hard point light source kind of light makes one's skin look gritty. Shooting against the light is better but even then I would argue that some cloud coverage improves the photographs immensely. Thankfully contrasty sunlight without any diffusive cloud coverage is quite unusual where I live. 

Nowadays one can easily make photographs in beautiful, even if it is dim, light.

[paul_k]

I would argue that midday sun at a high angle with open sky is far from ideal lighting for photography and one would be best to avoid such conditions (especially when photographing people). People are squinting, sweating, and the hard point light source kind of light makes one's skin look gritty.

Whenever taking pictures of people' I always heed  the advise given in Noel Coward's "Mad dogs and Englishman'