Anyone using older digital cameras ?

[Fixcinater]

I still use my Canon 40D. Well, 2nd one since I killed the shutter on the first one I bought in early 2008.

Still makes great prints, even if IQ is not up to the newest standards and I mostly use MF glass on it anyway so AF improvements are moot.

 

[markwatts]

I am also stalled at 12MP Nikon technology: D3s, D700, D300 and D90. I haven't seen files from modern cameras and perhaps it is just as well, but I am very content with mine. When they stop working I will think about updating but not before.

 

[Lss]

My Leica M9 is still going strong have no intentions of changing unless something happens to it.. I bought it used 2+ years ago I think it was introduced in 2009?

It was the introduction of the M9 that really started pushing the M8 prices down, which allowed me to get one. I think it was in 2010 that I made my purchase. It has been my most used camera since then.

I'm pretty sure I will skip the M9 upgrade myself. I might have to reconsider if my M8 died sometime soon. So far, it has however been the most reliable camera I have owned or used.


Edit. Seeing this is in the SLR part of the forum, I still have some old Canon gear, too. All that I have left is as old as the M8 or older. I don't really use much of them anymore.

 

[sevo]

Some of the old digital compacts have been handed down to the children (but they prefer film), and the sub 4MP ones have been retired (less so for pixel count, but these really were icky in terms of handling and image quality), one Canon G5 died the death of the Sony sensor (and was replaced for free with the much inferior successor, which I subconsciously hated enough to drop and inundate it within a year). But all the others I ever bought still are alive and kicking - the D50 sees more use than ever now that it has been converted to IR, and the D90 is still my regular digital for photographing the kids. And the Ricoh GX100 still is a compact favourite of mine - I'd buy another one if it should ever fail...

 

[peterm1]

The oldest I use more or less regularly are my Nikon D200 and a still quite nice Panasonic L1 (4/3 camera). The latter has particular limitations in that the older and smaller sensor has to be used at no more than 400 ISO (Perhaps 800 ISO if the light is good and the exposure is handled with care). But I recently found a lens of that era that I have long lusted after - the 25mm Panasonic Leica Summilux f1.4 (A predecessor to the more recent M4/3 version). It's a crackerjack lens and nice to use although I more often use it on an Olympus M4/3 camera with a 4/3 to M4/3 adapter sim,ply because the sensor of the newer camera is more capable. But when used on the L1 it gives me the extra lens speed to allow me to keep the ISO down to a minimum.

I also have a Nikon D70s but it's a bit quirky now and the card has to be taken out and put back in sometimes to keep it happy - perhaps the result of a touch of corrosion on a contact? Like all cameras of this era the sensor is also lacking compared to anything made in the last 5 years or so.

The biggest impediment to older cameras I find is older batteries. Especially if the camera has not been in regular use for a while. I recently got out a Panasonic LX3 and gave it a run for the first time in about a year. Only to find that one of the batteries has now died. Fortunately I have another. Its a good camera and its only flaw is a short zoom which taps out at 60mm (compared to 90mm for later versions).

Truth is, I seldom buy cameras new. I do occasionally buy new lenses though. But the depreciation is too great on any new cameras so I am happy to buy kit that is at least 3-4 years old when it is still performing well. Viewed this way most of my camera gear is "older".

 

[David Hughes]

Hi,

I had an Olympus C-1400XL from, perhaps, the mid to late 90's and sold it at X'mas during a clear out. I've still got one or two older ones (somewhere) that aren't SLR's that I bought to get the SmartMedia cards. From memory a C-120 and a Fuji A101. You often see them for a couple of pounds in charity shops but the cards are usually missing...

Regards, David

 

[Doug]

I've used Minolta/Sony SLRs and DSLRs for many years, mainly with Minolta lenses. My first serious DSLR was the Minolta Maxxum 7D (AKA, Dynax7), a 6MP camera with simple, efficient ergonomics. I hold on to this camera for its ease of use and fine image quality for web presentation and 8x10 prints. The Sony A-mount and E-mount cameras have gone a long way beyond the Minoltas, but I still like using the Maxxum 7D.

Sounds like me only with a change of brand name to Pentax... I've used Pentax film cameras since the mid-60's, so went with a K100D for my first dSLR. Very simple to use due to few fancy features, and it takes AA batteries (smart choice), but limited now at 6Mp. I have the new Pentax K-1 on order, so I'm not immune to the siren call of the latest thing!

 

[wolves3012]

My newest digital is a Panasonic G2, which I have no need to upgrade to something newer. I still sometimes use a Minolta Z1 (3.2Mp) and regularly use a Nikon P50 (8Mp P&S), it can get very close in close-up mode and is very pocketable. As for film, I plan to start doing my own B&W processing and have a fair selection of RFs and SLRs to choose from, old and "modern".

 

[Axel]

I´ve used some digital camera brands and types since the beginning of digital photography.
One camera that survived until today ist my Fuji S20Pro from 2004.

Compared to actual cameras there is only some disadvantage in speed and focus accurancy and perhaps the lack of a tilting display sometimes.
Its results are still 90% of what I need today

 

[ernstk]

Still using my Leica Digilux 2 and M8

 

[AndersG]

Still using my Canon EOS 30D, that is 10 years old by now (but not my Canon EOS D30, though..).

 

[sc_rufctr]

I still use my R8-DMR regularly. (10 megapixels)



R8-DMR, Leica Macro-Elmarit-R 60mm F/2.8

 

[css9450]

I'm still using my old Nikon D40 and in fact in a lot of ways I prefer it to my newer D7000. Something about the images from that CCD sensor—they just look better to my eyes than the newer CMOS sensors, even if they're only 6MP.

I know the feeling. In sunny daylight, I prefer the results from my D80 and its CCD sensor over my newer cameras, so no matter where I go, the 'ol D80 is there in the bag every time. But it falls short for high ISO and (especially) long exposures, so that's what the D7000 and now the D750 is for. Four minute night exposures with the D80 would just lead to grainy, streaky noisy skies.

 

[squirrel$$$bandit]

I have the new Pentax K-1 on order, so I'm not immune to the siren call of the latest thing!

Please post a thread on it once you get to know it!

 

[jsrockit]

I don't feel the need to, but I like to. I like to photograph handheld in really low light sometimes...so as high ISO and nighttime AF improve, I like to upgrade. We all photograph differently, so I can imagine some don't feel the need to upgrade as much as others. That said, I'm sensitive to ergonomics and there aren't that many digital cameras that feel right to me. My oldest camera is the Nikon Df.

 

[iamzip]

I'm fairly happy with my Rebel XT (350D outside the US). Image quality is still excellent, and the 8 megapixels is enough for my needs. The only things I'm really craving are an ISO above 1600, and maybe video so I wouldn't have to make a choice between a still camera and a camcorder.

 

[Calzone]

Dee,

I shoot a Monochrom and a D3X which has 24 MP.

The only new digital that interests me is the Leica SL. My wish is that Leica makes a monochrom version (SL-M).

BTW I like using a Noct-Nikkor and a 28/1.4 AF-D for the retro looks on the D3X.

Cal

 

[narsuitus]

I still use 3 Fuji S5 digital SLR cameras. Still waiting for someone to produce a dSLR with the S5 image quality and interchangeable viewfinders before I upgrade.

Use a Canon G11 in the studio for close-up and still life images.

Use a Canon G5 when I need to leave a camera unattended in a remote location for a long period of time for timed interval shots.

I use an Olympus E-p1 as a dedicated black & white camera.

I have an old 5mp point & shoot with a 32mb memory card that I use as a "quick & dirty" copy camera.

When someone wants to borrow one of my digital cameras, I give them an old digital point and shoot.


Old Digital Cameras by Narsuitus, on Flickr

 

[willie_901]

Dee asked, "Do you feel a need to keep up with the latest trends and cameras ?"

Only recently I have not felt the urge to upgrade.

I have a Fujifilm X-T1 and a X100T. These meet my needs. While The X-Pro 2 and soon to be announced X-T2 are better cameras. The performance gap has no effect on my work.

I think we have reached a plateau in data stream technologies. While this plateau is certainly temporary, there's not much motivation for me to upgrade. I like using the cameras and I like the lenses' performance. I don't use cropping as a composition tool and a 24 X 36 " print is large enough for me.

If you are making progress on your projects, there the reasons to upgrade are limited.

One reason to upgrade is convenience. An older, heavier, larger DSLR may be less convenient than lighter, smaller (and quieter options). I could never go back to using the D200/300 or 700 I used to own.

I would not be happy using the second generation m4/3 body I sold either. I did not enjoy using that camera and the sensor's signal-to-noise ratio was a handicap.

 

[Gerry M]

Sony R (No X!)1. A bit of a strange beast, but has an exceptional Zeiss Vario Sonnar lens.