An era is ending

[pierces]

Nikon has stated that it will still sell and support DSLRs but has not denied the report from Japan's leader in financial news that they have ceased development of new DSLR cameras and are instead focusing on the mirrorless segment. It may be a bit longer for Canon to announce the same since they are far more diversified than Nikon and their DSLR user base is stronger, but the writing is starting to appear on the wall. Has anybody noticed the flood of new models and lenses from CaNikon since the Associated Press and Britain's largest press agency switched to Sony's mirrorless cameras? For that matter, did anybody notice that both companies have released major mirrorless product lines after years spent touting the advantages of DSLRs over mirrorless? 

 

Technology moves along but older tech tends to stay around until the dollars dry up. I still remember all the scoffing directed at the "newfangled" digital cameras back in the late '90s when film was still king. It looks like the improvements in the clarity and response time in electronic viewfinders and the advantages of sensor-based autofocus are impacting DSLR sales much like the improvements in resolution, low-light sensitivity and dynamic range in digital imaging had on film cameras.  

 

Time moves on and so does technology...often with a lot of kicking and screaming.

 

 

Dave

 

 

[GUT2407]

Yep a bit like the death of film, or even the near death of medium format, it will be missed by some, but a small percentage I expect.

 

[pierces]

More writing on the wall.

 

Not too long after Nikon announced the end of DSLR model development, Canon's CEO stated that the EOS-1D X Mark III (released in 2020) will be their last flagship DSLR.

 

I don't think this means that every DSLR option on the market will just go "poof" and disappear. Unless there's an explosion of demand for high-end cameras prompting the manufacturers to switch manufacturing priorities or entry level mirrorless kits drop significantly, the production of current DSLR models will continue for some time to satisfy the existing and future demand for entry level "real" cameras. A large percentage of DSLR kit buyers never expand beyond the two kit zooms and are perfectly happy with them. Why not? They take great photos in Program mode and offer all the other modes for those who want to tackle more challenging situations. The market for entry level kits isn't as strong as it was (darned super-phones) but it still exists. As for the higher end DSLRs, pros with a lot of legacy-mount glass without the budget to swap them for their mirrorless counterparts will want replacements available if their DSLR body dies.

 

The extinction of the DSLR isn't going to happen tomorrow, but the relentless march of technology is pushing it along the path to the endangered species list.

 

 

Dave

[GUT2407]

Yep, things keep changing in the world of photography, sometimes the changes are slow, sometimes fast, some changes last, others fade as fast as they come. When I look back on my life in photography so much has changed, but the essentials remain, composition, focus and exposure.

[BoozinCroozin]

10 hours ago, GUT2407 said:

but the essentials remain, composition, focus and exposure.

Ansel Adams had the near most basic of technology for photography. People still cannot recreate his work.

[pierces]

1 hour ago, BoozinCroozin said:

Ansel Adams had the near most basic of technology for photography. People still cannot recreate his work.

 

Ansel Adams was a good photographer. The images he captured in the field were good solid exposures. He understood his equipment, understood light and chose his compositions well. That wasn't enough for him, so he developed the Zone System to optimize exposing the negative using precise metering and filters in the field and then judicious use of burning and dodging (terms still used in digital manipulation) to further control the exposure in the darkroom while creating the print. The ability to visualize the potential of an image and then applying that vision to the final print through complex manipulation was what made him great. His Zone System did High Dynamic Range photography with film decades before HDR became a menu option on your camera or phone.

 

While I think that there are some contemporary landscape photographers that produce great images that are on par with Adams, the images he produced with the technology available at the time put him in a class by himself. The GOAT of landscape photography?

 

 

Dave

[pierces]

12 hours ago, GUT2407 said:

... but the essentials remain, composition, focus and exposure.

 

Agreed, with a few caveats...

 

Since I got my first package of prints back from the roll of 126 film I dropped off at Gemmel's Pharmacy sometime in 1966, I have had a wish list of things I wanted a camera to do to make photography more about finding the image and less about avoiding technical flubs. Autofocus and exposure are covered now, but how long before we can just wave the camera around until the "best composition" recognition algorithm triggers a beep, the autozoom fine tunes and the camera fires off 20 exposures to blend into a perfect shot?

 

For me, that's when the fun dies. I won't be buying that camera and if it is an option on the camera I want, it had better have an "off" switch.

 

 

Progress is good. Not all progress is good. Both statements are true.

 

Dave

 

 

 

[GUT2407]

9 hours ago, pierces said:

 

Agreed, with a few caveats...

 

Since I got my first package of prints back from the roll of 126 film I dropped off at Gemmel's Pharmacy sometime in 1966, I have had a wish list of things I wanted a camera to do to make photography more about finding the image and less about avoiding technical flubs. Autofocus and exposure are covered now, but how long before we can just wave the camera around until the "best composition" recognition algorithm triggers a beep, the autozoom fine tunes and the camera fires off 20 exposures to blend into a perfect shot?

 

For me, that's when the fun dies. I won't be buying that camera and if it is an option on the camera I want, it had better have an "off" switch.

 

 

Progress is good. Not all progress is good. Both statements are true.

 

Dave

 

 

 

I would largely agree. Save to say that as things stand now,

 

Auto focus, I was late moving to it, is great as my site fails, but there as still time I move to manual focus, usually to make best of DoF when lighting limits my f.Stops. This happens way less with digital where I can manipulate the ISO.

 

Auto exposure is another where knowing that while the Camera is giving me a “Grey Card”  reading that may not be ideal for the shot 

 

When I started in photography as a serious hobby, with my first SLR, my mentor insisted I Be able to guess the exposure even when not shooting. A skill that stood by me for many a year.

 

your comment about shooting off multiple shots and creating the composition also  cries out a massive plus and minus of digital, you can shoot as many shots as you like.

[pierces]

11 hours ago, GUT2407 said:

I would largely agree. Save to say that as things stand now,

 

Auto focus, I was late moving to it, is great as my site fails, but there as still time I move to manual focus, usually to make best of DoF when lighting limits my f.Stops. This happens way less with digital where I can manipulate the ISO.

 

Auto exposure is another where knowing that while the Camera is giving me a “Grey Card”  reading that may not be ideal for the shot 

 

When I started in photography as a serious hobby, with my first SLR, my mentor insisted I Be able to guess the exposure even when not shooting. A skill that stood by me for many a year.

 

your comment about shooting off multiple shots and creating the composition also  cries out a massive plus and minus of digital, you can shoot as many shots as you like.

 

Great comments! The off-topic part of this thread is getting to be better than the actual topic! 🙂

 

To clarify, I use the auto-stuff regularly but not exclusively.

 

Most of the time (when not shooting people) I set the AF to DMF so I can refine focus as needed if the main subject is complicated or AF-resistant. With people, I have recently come to the conclusion that Eye-AF is one of the best things to come out of tech in a long time.  

 

The "Grey Card" average is something that many people overlook and someone reading this will thank you for pointing it out after they Google it. I still use autoexposure with Aperture Priority but set the area to center-weighted with the AE-lock button set to spot. If a scene is complicated, I can lock on to what I want to be the exposure baseline to override the meter's default.

 

"...cries out a massive plus and minus of digital, you can shoot as many shots as you like."

 

Amen. The best thing about digital is that you can take virtually unlimited shots with no financial impact. The worst thing about digital is that since you can take virtually unlimited shots with no financial impact, you tend to. I actually don't SPAM the shutter button outside of the grandkids' sports or a frenetic pet, but I have easily deleted 100x more 2nd, 3rd or 4th "just in case" shots than I have ever used. 

 

I still maintain that it is a great time to be a photographer. "P" mode is now magical and the tools if you want to dive in deep are better than ever.

 

Dave

 

 

[AL3XCruise]

On 8/15/2022 at 10:19 AM, pierces said:

As for the higher end DSLRs, pros with a lot of legacy-mount glass without the budget to swap them for their mirrorless counterparts will want replacements available if their DSLR body dies.

Canon made the smart move of supporting legacy glass quite well, with most lenses performing as good or better on mirrorless bodies than they did on DSLRs.  It gave up some potential revenue, but made the barrier of switching to other brands (most notably Sony) much bigger.

 

There are a handful of reasons some photographers still want DSLRs.  The two I've heard most are battery life and physical size/layout.  Mirrorless are improving with battery performance, and it seems most photographer's are willing to carry an extra battery if needed.  Still, certain photographers or situations desire maximum endurance.

 

There are also some photographers that like larger cameras. Given the majority of the market seems to want smaller and lighter, I doubt we are going to see mirrorless units get bigger.  If you favor the ergonomics of a larger camera, a DSLR is going to be worth investigating.

 

Other early issues, like EVFs vs optical viewfinders, seem to be going away with the advancement of tech.  

 

On 8/17/2022 at 9:23 AM, pierces said:

I still maintain that it is a great time to be a photographer.

Its hard to argue with that, at least if you are a serious amateur or pro.  Point and shoot fans may not have as much to look forward too!

 

[GUT2407]

I think Canon learnt a big lesson from the change fr9m FD to Autofocus. 

[Ben2travel]

On 8/15/2022 at 10:19 AM, pierces said:

 

 

I don't think this means that every DSLR option on the market will just go "poof" and disappear.

I don’t know. I have been looking for something to replace by current Nikon 5300 and there seem to be very few options out there without moving to a full frame model.

[ski ww]

I received a D7500 for Christmas two years ago & could not justify getting a new camera. This one takes great pictures, has video.  I'm still trying to figure out all the bells & whistles on this one. Would I take better pictures with a new format??? I'm a picture taker not a photographer. I'm very happy with what I have. I'll save my money and take a cruise instead & shot pictures for my memories with what I have. 

[Ben2travel]

8 hours ago, ski ww said:

I received a D7500 for Christmas two years ago & could not justify getting a new camera. This one takes great pictures, has video.  I'm still trying to figure out all the bells & whistles on this one. Would I take better pictures with a new format??? I'm a picture taker not a photographer. I'm very happy with what I have. I'll save my money and take a cruise instead & shot pictures for my memories with what I have. 

If you are very happy with it, then that;s all that counts.

[Host Bonjour]

On 8/21/2022 at 7:47 AM, ski ww said:

I received a D7500 for Christmas two years ago & could not justify getting a new camera.

 

That's an amazing camera, you don't need anything new now! You'll be able to work with it for a long time. Again, the camera companies will be supporting the models, too many out there for them to abandon without creating a lot of furor, just not developing new ones in the line. Nothing to worry about, you'll be able to use it for a long time. 

 

Also, important to keep in mind that many, many photographers still shoot on film and use older equipment (old medium and large format cameras, polaroid!) and processes for any number of reasons. We see it all the time in exhibitions and it's wonderful. Wet process collodion, silver gelatin, pinhole cameras, tin type, and more. We even had a project which included images shot on a toy/hobby camera. (I had to look up what that was!)

 

Last Friday for World Photography Day I went to a free Fujifilm event in the city and held a medium format camera of theirs... surprisingly light, and not crazy expensive (compared to a Hasselblad) but still not so much in budget, though maybe a used one at some point. Quite nice and an unexpected surprise.

 

Anyway, look for these events if you live near a city, or know of a cool camera shop! There were events in LA, Austin, and NYC. There are lots of photography centers and orgs around the country, and globally, that host exhibitions and events, with workshops and talks that are free and interesting. Always remember, google is your friend 😉 

[firsttimer1971]

I'll be going on a 31-day South America Cruise next year and I have a D7500 which I really like. But I wanted a second camera just in case something might happen. 

 

So I looked at alternatives like mirrorless or a D7200 as backup but in the end, I decided on buying a second-hand D7500 body.  I just love this camera, the quality, options, battery life, size and weight (I have arthritis, so I don't like small cameras with tiny buttons/switches). And now I will be able to use a DSLR for hopefully many years.

[Herschel Dirtwater]

On 8/26/2022 at 1:27 PM, firsttimer1971 said:

but in the end, I decided on buying a second-hand D7500 body.  I just love this camera, the quality, options, battery life, size and weight (I have arthritis, so I don't like small cameras with tiny buttons/switches). And now I will be able to use a DSLR for hopefully many years.

I bought the D7500 a couple years ago and love it.  I'm sailing in November and I think I'm going to buy an all-in-one lens so I don't have to bring my entire bag o' equipment.  In a couple of years, I might look into mirrorless, but for now I'll stick with my 'ancient' tech. 😁

[firsttimer1971]

Yeah, i know how you feel. I'm sailing in november 2023 and I already have a list of the equipment I want to take with me, and the list keeps changing on a weekly basis.

 

So what all-in-one lens are you thinking about? I have a Tamron 18-400mm which I must admit is not the sharpest lens, but it is such a handy lens to take along with me when I am just taking holiday snap shots. Should I have to make a decision again I would probably buy the Nikon 18-300 because of the better quality and VR. But overall I am glad to have an all-in-one lens. 

[Paul S]

On 8/25/2022 at 1:16 AM, Host Bonjour said:

Last Friday for World Photography Day I went to a free Fujifilm event in the city and held a medium format camera of theirs... surprisingly light, and not crazy expensive (compared to a Hasselblad) but still not so much in budget, though maybe a used one at some point. Quite nice and an unexpected surprise.

 

I'm heavily invested in Fuji X mirrorless range - bought my first in 2015 for a 3 week tour of India and Nepal when I thought carting round my Nikon D300 and lenses would be rather demanding Now on my 4th Fuji X body plus a range  of their high end prime and zoom lenses, though as my kit has expanded I lug around more weight now than I would have then with my Nikon equipment!  I recently purchased the X-H2S (plus battery grip), which is an amazing camera, 40 fps, and fastest autofocus in its class including AI recognition of subject types. I would have liked to move up to the Fuji medium format cameras, but it's not so much the cost of the body alone, more the cost of lenses on top.

[firsttimer1971]

10 hours ago, Paul S said:

 I would have liked to move up to the Fuji medium format cameras, but it's not so much the cost of the body alone, more the cost of lenses on top.

 

That's the main "problem": once you go down a certain path you are essentially stuck with it unless you have deep pockets. Most of my lenses are DX/Crop-lenses so switching to Full Frame would mean not just a new body but also replacing most of my lenses and I just don't want to spend that kind of money again. 

[DJMtravels11]

I crossed over to the the dark side with a Nikon Z6II, with a native 24-200 lens. It's been fab. Fun to learn how to use. Weight is down from my D500. With the adapter I can use my existing Nikon lenses, although the 24-200 will take care of 90% of my shots.

It's the first FX camera I have owned but it can also shoot as a DX, 1X1 and 16X9. Maybe they all do that but it's opened up a new world for me.

We're on the 23 WC and I look forward to new places and new photo opportunities. 

[Nikon1957]

On 8/26/2022 at 1:27 PM, firsttimer1971 said:

I'll be going on a 31-day South America Cruise next year and I have a D7500 which I really like. But I wanted a second camera just in case something might happen. 

 

So I looked at alternatives like mirrorless or a D7200 as backup but in the end, I decided on buying a second-hand D7500 body.  I just love this camera, the quality, options, battery life, size and weight (I have arthritis, so I don't like small cameras with tiny buttons/switches). And now I will be able to use a DSLR for hopefully many years.

That just makes a whole bunch of sense! If you like the camera, and use it, you will have familiarity with it and there will be no fumbles or issues if you have to use the backup. Also, you could use different lenses on the same body.

[dwc13]

Smartphone photography is unmatched in terms of convenience and sharing. The captured images are easily good enough for the overwhelming majority of people under most circumstances. Sure, there are special occasions such where a DSLR or mirrorless camera and their myriad of interchangeable lenses and accessories might still be the tool of choice. And there are hobbyists, traditionalists, and talented artists who can discern, appreciate and demand the differences between the technologies. Even so, it's only a matter of time before 20x optical zoom and more capable sensors become a reality, making smartphone photography that much better. 

 

On our just completed cruise, I brought along my Panasonic Lumix DX-85 m43, a small mirrorless camera I've had for a several years. At the time, I was also considering Sony a6xxx series but ultimately weight and cost considerations won out. Never even considered buying a DSLR even though I had a Minolta SLR back in the day. Too bulky, way too expensive, and a daunting learning curve are all reasons given to explain the demise of the DSLR. After recent announcements from Nikon and Canon, it seems DSLRs will soon be going the way of DOS computer programs. Anyone recall what happened to WordPerfect, Lotus 1-2-3, or dBASE decades earlier?

 

I have generally been pleased with the DX-85 even though I don't know what I don't know. Fair to say when it comes to photography, I'm probably a hack compared to many on CC but that's okay. A large capacity SD card and Photoshop Elements come in handy and if they fail, there's always the delete button. I brought along the DX-85 solely because it has a compatible 14-140mm lens with OIS. That's something my smartphone just can't come close to matching. But even on recent trips to several national parks, I found myself taking fewer pictures with the DX-85, instead reaching for my Galaxy S10 for its convenience and definitely good enough factor. This time on the cruise, it was the iPhone 12 Pro that took the vast majority of pictures for the same reasons. Oh, and messaging a few pictures with former co-workers who haven't retired. 

[firsttimer1971]

2 hours ago, dwc13 said:

Smartphone photography is unmatched in terms of convenience and sharing.

 

Agreed, as has been said "the best camera is the one that's with you" and nothing can beat the smartphone in that aspect. But it will be a long time before I stop taking my DSLR with me on a trip and only rely on my smartphone. 

[pierces]

More names fading into the past...

 

Kenko Tokina just announced that as of yesterday, they will be ending customer service and repairs on Konica Minolta cameras and light meters 17 years after the last KM camera was produced. 

 

17 years...that went by fast!

 

I may have to dig out my old Maxxum 7D and make a tech-as-art shadowbox out of it.

 

I wonder who will be next?

 

Dave