"Old digital" cameras ?

[C Webb]

Hello,
In viewing many pictures here on Camel, I see that the majority are being made with the newest, latest and most expensive equipment available. I don't remember when I saw a posted photograph info. say it was made with and an "Old" top of the line professional camera! Is no one using the masterpieces of the past from Canon and
Nikon? I realize I am leaving out a number of other manufactures who had their own
masterpices however I am only interested in fullframe equipment specifically designed for professiona photographers. Where are all of the old EOS 1 D cameras from just a few years ago. I see many old cameras listed on ebay etc. at prices far less than they were when they were introduced at. Does anybody see them as a bargin, buy and use them? Most any of the old pro cameras in my mind should display more quality than say a consumer rated small frame camera.

Just wondering,
C Webb

[nutwithacamera]

Actually the crop body cameras today equal or exceed what full-frame DSLRs were doing a few years ago.

Compare the 1Ds to the Canon 50D and D90 and you'll see: Compare cameras

I do see them as a great bargain though, but mainly in terms of the advanced functionality they offer you along with the ruggedness.

When Nikon releases a D400 in a year or two, I'm expecting that it will be on a par with the D3 and D700 of today as far as image quality and sensitivity.

[C Webb]

nutwithacamera,
Thanks for your thoughts and the "compare camera" link. The link gives
a lot of information, however it fails to answer my question concerning "is anyone
on Camel still using one of the former top of the line cameras. Since they are
prominently advertised for sale on ebay. Seems strange to me that folks would
pay a $ 1000.00 or more for one, then use it for a paper weight ?

Again thanks for your info
C Webb

[Mike_PEAT]

It depends on what *you* define as an "old camera"...for instance my main dSLR first came out in '04 (and now orphaned by the manufacturer), but have been using electronic still cameras from '89.

One of my older cameras I still use is my 640x480 JamCam, actually I have two of them mounted on a metal bar that I use for 3D photography (since the cameras were so cheap, although I may replace them one of these days with higher resolution).

[nutwithacamera]

Originally Posted by c_dwebb@msn.com

"is anyone
on Camel still using one of the former top of the line cameras. Since they are
prominently advertised for sale on ebay. Seems strange to me that folks would
pay a $ 1000.00 or more for one, then use it for a paper weight ?

A lot of people that buy the older gear don't post online. Some forums in particular have become so elitist that unless you have the latest and greatest gear it's like you don't even have the right to exist there.

An example is Nikon's excellent 17-55mm f/2.8 professional crop body zoom lens, equivalent to Canon's EF-S 17-55/2.8IS only better built and minus the stabilization. Since Nikon's new full-frame digital offerings have come out, people have been flooding the used market with this lens. They do sell. But for the hundreds that have been sold, it's truly a rare sighting to see someone come online announcing their used eBay purchased of a Nikon 17-55. Just goes to illustrate that there's a very large 'silent majority' of people out there using DSLRs and nice lenses that don't bother to post online. The vast majority of Nikon's DSLR sales are D80/D90 and lower level bodys, yet you go on some internet forums and the vast majority online on those forums are using equipment beyond that.

So where have all the Nikon 17-55 lenses gone? Probably the same place the old Canon EOS 1D's have gone. To people who happily buy them and don't need the latest and greatest equipment, and whom also don't necessarily post online.

That's my guess.

[kohr2000]

I'm one of those. I replace my 50D with the 1D Mark II and the 1Ds and have almost never use the 50D anymore. Although I did use it to make this photo.

[JDArt]

Originally Posted by c_dwebb@msn.com

I don't remember when I saw a posted photograph info. say it was made with and an "Old" top of the line professional camera! Is no one using the masterpieces of the past from Canon and
Nikon? C Webb

I continue to post images taken with the "old" D1X.



The camera is rarely the limiting factor.

[DAVE PROUTY]

The only DSLR's I have are the Fuji S2's. They still produce great photographs. If I could upgrade, I would. However, not for better resolution, but for better power consumption. Some features of newer cameras intrigue me, but I shoot manually most of the time. Power is a problem for me on the S2. It's the only real problem I have with the camera body. More megapixels or dynamic range would be nice, but not a big hangup for me. Good images come from my camera. What more can one ask for? A better power situation with my S2's would be very satisfying. Rechargable AA's work but seem to run out too quickly. I have several of them, and get by. But a better solution would be nice. Even a Quantum Battery QB1C runs out too fast.

Anyway, my S2's are still a good camera for me. I'll keep the two I have till they stop working. Hopefully for a good long while.

[xxloverxx]

I have 2 DSLRs: Nikon D50 and Fuji S3 Pro (2005 and 2003 respectively) - I would use the S3 Pro but it gave up when I was in Alaska a few months ago, so now I either shoot the D50 or my film cameras.

I do prefer film, but a lot of my best photos were made on a D50, which is:
1) not even the greatest camera at the time of release
2) certainly not a great camera now
but 3) small, light and usable

[xxloverxx]

Originally Posted by DAVE PROUTY

The only DSLR's I have are the Fuji S2's. They still produce great photographs. If I could upgrade, I would. However, not for better resolution, but for better power consumption. Some features of newer cameras intrigue me, but I shoot manually most of the time. Power is a problem for me on the S2. It's the only real problem I have with the camera body. More megapixels or dynamic range would be nice, but not a big hangup for me. Good images come from my camera. What more can one ask for? A better power situation with my S2's would be very satisfying. Rechargable AA's work but seem to run out too quickly. I have several of them, and get by. But a better solution would be nice. Even a Quantum Battery QB1C runs out too fast.

Anyway, my S2's are still a good camera for me. I'll keep the two I have till they stop working. Hopefully for a good long while.

Ever find them a bit slow? My S3 Pro was painfully slow even with a reasonably-fast CF card. Reviewing images was hell (so eventually I stopped doing that, which is a good thing but still…)
And yes, handling the batteries is insanely difficult, especially on the street (I have changed batteries standing up with no surface to put the camera on before but it wasn't easy)

[DAVE PROUTY]

With the buffer in the camera, even for the occasional traditional style wedding work I do, they are fast enough for me. I know the S3 was terrible for review, especially when shooting RAW! The S2 would skip over images pretty quickly compared to the S3. The images from the S3 were indeed better in dynamic range then the S2, but it was much harder to chimp on. The S5 did away with AA's all together and that was a disappointment in my eyes, but they last a good long time.

Since the release of Nikon's D300, Fuji would not be my choice of DSLR anymore, regardless of the termination of the PRO line. The features, image quality, and speed of writing to media from Nikon's newest line of bodies just puts anything Fuji has put out to shame. And I am a fan of FUJI! But any new camera body in my future will most likely be Nikon. I would go Canon, but since getting lenses for my S2's I'd rather not start completely over... AGAIN! My 35mm outfit was an AE-1 with a few lenses, so I was a Canon guy in my film days.

As for changing batteries, the best way to handle the problem is tohave multiple battery holders preloaded. Carry a few in your jacket pocket and you can swap them pretty quick and easy.

[StinkyDaddy]

I use 20D's every day. I've been thinking about buying a new body, just haven't gotten around to it.

Have Fun,
Wm.

[xxloverxx]

Originally Posted by DAVE PROUTY

With the buffer in the camera, even for the occasional traditional style wedding work I do, they are fast enough for me. I know the S3 was terrible for review, especially when shooting RAW! The S2 would skip over images pretty quickly compared to the S3. The images from the S3 were indeed better in dynamic range then the S2, but it was much harder to chimp on. The S5 did away with AA's all together and that was a disappointment in my eyes, but they last a good long time.

Since the release of Nikon's D300, Fuji would not be my choice of DSLR anymore, regardless of the termination of the PRO line. The features, image quality, and speed of writing to media from Nikon's newest line of bodies just puts anything Fuji has put out to shame. And I am a fan of FUJI! But any new camera body in my future will most likely be Nikon. I would go Canon, but since getting lenses for my S2's I'd rather not start completely over... AGAIN! My 35mm outfit was an AE-1 with a few lenses, so I was a Canon guy in my film days.

As for changing batteries, the best way to handle the problem is tohave multiple battery holders preloaded. Carry a few in your jacket pocket and you can swap them pretty quick and easy.

My S3 Pro gave me an "Err" halfway through my cruise in Alaska, thankfully we had a backup D50 and a couple film bodies back in Vancouver. I haven't been able to fix it; tried everything people on the forums suggest.

[dmthompson]

I just uploaded a photo taken with my "old" D50. I think it came out well. Its in the portraits section. Its nice to have the latest and greatest but not necessary for most of what you shoot.
Dwight

[RussTKD]

Originally Posted by StinkyDaddy

I use 20D's every day. I've been thinking about buying a new body, just haven't gotten around to it.

Have Fun,
Wm.

I'm the same way. My 20D hangs out on my desk and gets 10-20 shots a day when I'm home and the pictures are consistently good. I keep thinking about an upgrade, but it's hard to justify when I get good results now with my "old" camera.

That said, I think a 50D is going to end up under the tree this year.

[TonyK]

Not sure my Canon 20D is the latest and greatest out there. It does what I need and delivers a solid image.

Here is a sample from last Sunday taken with the 20D and a Tamron 28-75 F2.8. I used Bibble Pro 4 to convert the RAW to full sized JPG and then PS CS3 with BWStyler to get the B&W version.

[TonyK]

Got my 20D right after they came out and while I look at the 50D and 7D, just have not felt good enough about them, or bad enough about the 20D, to invest that much money.

With good in-camera cropping and shooting RAW, I can get up to 16x20 prints without too much trouble.

Originally Posted by RussTKD

I'm the same way. My 20D hangs out on my desk and gets 10-20 shots a day when I'm home and the pictures are consistently good. I keep thinking about an upgrade, but it's hard to justify when I get good results now with my "old" camera.

That said, I think a 50D is going to end up under the tree this year.

[richardpcrowe]

Older cameras still produce the quality imagery that they did when new. In fact, the Canon 1D series has far better focusing than any of the new 1.6x cameras except, perhaps, for the new Canon 7D.

I still use a Canon D60 which has been converted to full-time infrared use and I still use a Canon 10D as a backup camera. These were top-line 1.6x cameras when they were released

Cameras don't automatically stop producing good imagery because the manufacturer has replaced them with newer models.

[moxi1]

Hi there,
I would assume many of the buyers of pro cameras are just that Professionals who most likely have to keep up with technology to compete in their business.
That might be one of the reasons.

Cheers Moxi1

[Rense]

still shoot with my Canon Powershot S50, kodak V610.
My 20D is indeed a backup camera.