Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 2005/10/12
[Author Prev] [Author Next] [Thread Prev] [Thread Next] [Author Index] [Topic Index] [Home] [Search]Nathan - You're right, of course, about the lag. In the most recent DSLRs it should be about the same as any current film SLR. But that's only part of the story. Each of the upgrades (larger view screens and full frame in the case of the 5D) were important to me and I would have felt more than a little angry to have spent so much money on the older models when new ones with features I really wanted appeared so soon after I'd made my purchase. There's another reason, too. I really hate carrying a camera bag or even a largish camera. I want a small, simple, easy-to-carry-everywhere camera and all DSLRs are compromises in that regard. I am drawn to them nevertheless by their flexibility and low noise at high ISO performance. The compromises are disappearing at a rapid rate, to judge from the market, so for me waiting a while before making the next step up makes a lot of sense. Besides, my local photo shop does a fine job processing and scanning film and, if I ever really needed fast turnaround, they would happily give me a disc with all my images scanned to a 6 MP level in about an hour. If you are earning your living with a camera, or have different objectives as an amateur, the DSLR would seem the only game in town but, at least for the moment, film is the medium for me. Thanks. Dick >Richard, > >A DSLR like the Canon 20D you were contemplating has no perceptible >shutter lag. I have been shooting with one for most of the past >year, and I cannot think of any image that I have missed because of >that. In fact, I have experienced the opposite: because there was >the idea in the back of my mind that digital=shutter lag, I would >sometimes press the shutter *too early* and a result the moving >object ended up not where I wanted it in the frame--because there I >was compensating for a shutter lag that wasn't there. > >As for the buying and selling, it is entirely up to you. Just >because a new model comes out does not mean that you have to buy it. >I know people who are still shooting with the Canon 1D, and on the >Miranda forum people are still buying and selling older Canon DSLRs >like the D60 or even D30. I just sold my 20D and bought a >second-hand 1D Mark II; in other words, I upgraded to what is in >fact an older model! I did it because I wanted the better focusing, >the ruggedness, and the weather-sealing of the 1D II. And yes, I >knew about the new models like the 5D and 1D Mark II N, but neither >of them had features that would compel me to cough up the extra >money. > >I am sure that 2 or 3 years from now I will still be shooting with >my 1D II. I am also sure that at least 1 and probably 2 new >generations of models will have been released by then. But the >release of a new model does not affect how my pictures look. If it >has compelling features, I might upgrade, but frankly the existing >kit is so good that I cannot really see what those would be. > >Nathan > >Richard S. Taylor wrote: > >> >>My Digilux 2 spends most of its time in the bag now for just this >>reason. I got really tired of trying to figure out ways to work >>around the delays. Having to deal with the noise at high ISO, was >>another big issue. >> >>There's another reason to stay with film, too - at least for me. >>The digital camera market is still far too unstable to allow >>reasonable buying decisions to be made. We're still in the Wild >>West of camera development. >> >>A couple of months ago I was almost ready to plunk down real money >>for either a *istDS (when I was feeling frugal) or a Canon 20D >>(when I felt richer). Just as I was ready to make a decision, up >>comes the preliminary announcement of first the *istDL, then the >>Canon 5D. "Uh, oh," I say to myself, "better wait." >> >>Further, the value of used digital cameras is pretty low and at >>least one camera store here in the Boston area won't even take them >>in trade. I all ready have too much invested in obsolete >>technology with the Digilux 2. The last thing I want to do now is >>spend big-bucks on a camera that will be behind the state of the >>art in 18 months. >> >>The combination of film and commercial scans provides, to my mind >>anyway, the best of both worlds, with inherent archival storage >>thrown in, too boot. >> >>Besides, using film will let me put some miles on my still pretty >>much brand new M7 that was otherwise languishing in the closet. >>The delay between shooting and seeing the result is something I can >>live with. >> >>I've even put my Olympus Stylus Epic back to work. >> > >-- >Nathan Wajsman >Almere, The Netherlands > >General photography: http://www.nathanfoto.com >Seville photography: http://www.fotosevilla.com >Stock photography: http://www.alamy.com/search-results.asp?qt=wajsman >http://myloupe.com/home/found_photographer.php?photographer=507 >Prints for sale: http://www.photodeluge.com > > > >_______________________________________________ >Leica Users Group. >See http://leica-users.org/mailman/listinfo/lug for more information