Nikon needs to fire someone

I had a dream that my D300 broke.

Before I tell you about that, let me tell you what will happen when I break my iPhone.

I see it clearly in my mind. I knock my 3Gs off the table, I reach for it, grasping the air. I almost make it but it slips from my palm like a wet bar of soap. Landing on the floor, I hear the audible crack as the screen fractures in to a dozen pieces. I swear loudly. Probably the f word. I take a deep breath. I compose myself. I smile. I’ve wanted a 4s for a while and now I have an excuse to upgrade. Apple understands me; it’s given my cloud a silver lining.

Back to Nikon.

I got my first DSLR in 2006. Back then Nikon made 3 types of cameras, the point-n-shoot, the prosumer DSLR, and the professional DSLR. Feeling better than a point-n-shoot, but neither rich nor talented enough for a professional, I opted for the prosumer line. The range was simple, at the bottom was the D50, at the top the D300. I bought a 50. One year later, either through ego or growing talent, I upgraded to a 300.

It was Apple easy.

As soon as I purchased the 300, they came our with the D300s. No biggie. Every time you invest in tech the calendar beats you. That’s the idea, as soon as you’re ready to upgrade the industry has given you something to move to. Thanks to Apple’s careful management, I know I need a 4s. I also know, that if I don’t upgrade in the next few months, I’ll need a 5.

And so to my dream. In real life my D300 is already so damaged that the last time it got it cleaned they recommended that I send it back to Thailand for professional dis-assembly. In my dream, I push it further and sadly, it fails. I now need a new one.

It should be easy right? Nikon make 3 types of camera, the point-n-shoot, the prosumer and the professional. I feel better than a point-n-shot, not good enough for the professional, so I need a prosumer. The current flagship is the D800.

Except it’s slower than my current camera (frame rate), and is full frame rather than my current 1.6 crop frame.

Don’t get me wrong, I’m happy to upgrade to full frame – I hear it’s the future. But why would I buy a camera that’s slower than my 5 year old 300?

Ok, so the top of the range is off the list.

What’s left?

I’ve no idea. Is the D7000 the new D300? Or is the D700 the new D300?

Maybe I should just say frack it and buy the top of the line professional camera, the D4. Oh wait, it’s got less megapixels than the D800.

Nikon needs to fire someone.

What gives with this stupid naming convention?

Nikon needs to fire someone. Did I say that already?

I’m almost ready to buy a new camera and yet I’m having nightmares about it.

I love Nikon and I love Apple. Apple have made it clear I need an iPhone 4s and a 5. Nikon are giving me nightmares.

Nikon needs to fire someone.

Is it any easier for you Canon guys?

[Credit: image taken from billshrink.com]

Posted

May 16, 2012

Ramblings

PhotoshopScaresMe

Tags:

4s, apple, biggie, broken, camera frame, canon, careful management, d3, d300, d300s, d4, d50, d700, d7000, d800, d88, deep breath, dozen pieces, dslr, ego, ep, excuse, f word, fail, fire, flagship, frame rate, iphone, last time, love, me, night, nightmare, nikon, upgrade, wet bar

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6 responses to “Nikon needs to fire someone”

Eric Harness

May 16, 2012

Andy Wait for the D600. There are a number of rumors that there will be a D400 and a D600. Nikon said that the D800 is a “New Type of Camera” for a different type of Photographer. I hope they are right cause I would like more choice too. I want to upgrade to the D800 but I don’t thing the frame rate and the ISO suits my needs. Oh I will see you on the other side of an iPhone 5 too.

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Steven

May 22, 2012

Of course it’s easier for the Canon people. Canon keeps their model numbers (mostly) meaningful. Single digit models are the “pro” end. Double digit denote the “prosumer” and triple digit models (or anything with a “name”) are the tom-dick-and harry line. Oh, and the “lower” the number the more expensive (I mean powerful) the camera is. Except they landed on 1 and now have to go with “Mark N” and “Marky Mark” and several other “Marks” to tell them apart.

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1. Patricia
  
  June 27, 2012
  
  You are willing to spend over $ 2,000 on a cmaera, and yet are stuck because you can’t decide which to buy based on megapixels!? How big are you blowing up these photos? 12 is a lot of megapixels. You can blow up a 12 megapixel photo really big. The megapixels should be the last thing you worry about. How much noise at high ISO’s does each cmaera have? The Canon goes down to 50 ISO, the nikon only 100. Does that make a difference to you? Wildlife and landscapes are both often done in bright light. A lower ISO might be an advantage. The Canon also doesn’t have a built-in-flash. Does that matter to you? Will you be using an off-camera flash, when flash is necessary? Do you are if the cmaera can shoot video? Do you want to do any of your wildlife shots in actual motion? Or is that an unnecessary extravagance you wouldn’t use? Is weight an issue at all? Will you be backpacking with this cmaera to get better backcountry shots? These are things I would ask yourself not how many megapixels you want.
  
  Reply
  1. Enrico
    
    July 2, 2012
    
    The amount of pixel and pixel size/pitch is important and more important is how the camera handles the smaller pixel.
    The first hand experience with the D800 compared to D700:
    yes the D800 is a little bit less light sensetive but really only noticable when comparing with D700
    The big advantage of the D800 is really the more and smaller pixel for any type of picture you take (from landscape to astrophotography) because you have sharper and more detailed picture even when scaled down to web resolution of 900×600 !
    The D7000 has the same pixel size but half the pixel of the D800 because of the sensore size, I don’t know how the D7000 compares to the D800.
    
    Reply
Enrico

May 25, 2012

I have a D700 and used the high frame rate very seldom so upgrading to D800 where I have sharper pictures and video was a no brainer to me. Btw I would have ordered the D800 also if it had only 20Mpixel.
If you go with full frame you have to buy new lenses which not only cost more but are also heavier. That pretty much leaves with staying with the camera you have and wait for something that exactly replaces the D300s or you go with the D7000 (has 6frames per sec). The light sensitivity will be lower with the D7000 comapred to the D300s with the smaller pixel size but not sure how important is that to you and much that is noticeable.
Btw. the pixel size of the D800 and D7000 is pretty much the same.

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Nikon Needs to Fire someone Part 2 #Photoshopscaresme

November 4, 2013

[…] posted before about how I’d fire someone at Nikon given half the chance because their product lineup makes […]

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Nikon needs to fire someone

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