Tuesday, October 28, 2008

NIKON! WHAT ARE YOU DOING?!

Recently watching TV I have been seeing a lot of Nikon commercials. It's that whole series endorsed by Ashton Kutcher. Now at first I liked them, but now I find them more and more annoying(the commerials, not so much the cameras...well maybe some of the cameras). And you know me, I'm constantly trying to protect the sanctity of cameras. 
So when I first see the commercial for the new Nikon D90, it does sound like a good camera, 12 megapixels, the D80's update(I liked the D80), slightly faster, blah, blah, blah. But then they say it has Video Mode that shoots HD movie!! Wait! Say what?! Video mode?! Why on earth would a digital single lens reflex camera need video mode? I'm sorry but that's just not the point of an SLR! Thank goodness this camera isn't high-end. These stupid consumers who want to be just like professionals with their little dSLR's. And now they want stupid video mode? I mean, I love video mode on my little point-and-shoot as much as the next person, but I would not want my camera taking energy and function away from my still shooting. And those who get the D90 to shoot video should be ashamed of themselves. It's like those rich people who buy $8,000 cameras just because they can, even though they don't know how to use it, and their pictures turn out mediocre. As if they thought they could get better pictures just because they have an awesome camera. It makes me want to vomit! j/k But no, seriously if Canon ever thinks of putting video mode in their cameras, I might disown them!! I think I will write them an email....

4 comments:

Abby Clark said...

i love u balls!! :)

The Clarks said...

Hey Clarissa - like your writing. You'd better get to the disowning then. Just wanted to point out that your baby Canon is also guilty, with the new, stellar, and well-loved, 5D MkII, a ridiculously-high-res (21MP), fairly fast (4fps), full-frame dSLR with (hold your breath) full 720p HD VIDEO.

Obviously for a lot of 5D (high pro-sumer to full professional to the yuppity doctor types) users video mode will never get used. Perhaps it is the new live view mode, the feature purists hate and wish wasn't there, the great 'ruin' of dSLR photography as we know it. Now though, those same snobs buy the cameras anyway, and any non-primadonna photographer must admit that live view comes in handy at times.

That said, for many thousands of professional photographers (wedding, commercial, fashion, event, nature, etc.) who often end up presenting images to clients in slideshow/movie format anyway, movie mode (especially HD) may be just the ticket to vault them that much higher than the competition. Imagine a wedding slideshow with high quality moving pictures of candles burning, swimming pools rippling, chocolate fountains flowing, and feet dancing interspersed with photos, and you will have many a crying client. (see this video (although not with the 5D), but this is perfectly attainable for the team (probably not solo) shooter with the 5D/D90. To see what the 5D's video quality is like check out Reverie by Vincent Laforet. Stunning.

A huge perk is the fact that you get SLR-quality lens work practically for free (compared to a pro video setup). The value is incredible. SLR lenses are superb optical quality for video, and the depth-of-field and focus fallout effects one could conceive are mind-blowing.

The point is, for a lot of people this could change the way they work for the better, and for many it will be ignored, the new live view, but they'll buy the cameras anyway.

As for me, the point is moot, until I'm rich, because I've made my investment and am "stuck" with the 12MP 8fps (gasp) Nikon D300. Now if only I had $10,000 to invest in lenses or a second body (maybe even the D90!!!)

I guess this means you're gonna shoot Pentax now? haha Just don't vomit on your Canon!

Best,

your cousin Steve

PS - let's see some pictures!

Abby Q. said...

also balls as i mentioned today maybe it's nice for some people to get best of both worlds if they can only afford 1 camera, ya know? :) but i like your crazy talk haha.

Ball$ said...

true I can see how it would be good for weddings. Haha and I should disown Canon if only I didn't love them so much! I don't shoot weddings anyway (I do almost all outdoors, animals and architecture) though so I don't think I would ever have use for video. And being someone who started photography on a 30-year-old Pentax, I am all about the purity of photography and not so much with these "new hobbyists" who want all the technology. You shouldn't be able to have your cake and eat it too, but apparently now you can! lol I have to get back up to speed with all the SLR models!! I am so out of the loop now that I don't work in a camera store anymore!!