Forgot how nice a pro body is...

Rico said:
I used a 1Ds for ten years as my studio camera (and still have it) but upgraded to a Nikon D3X. These bodies are certainly large, heavy, and reassuring to handle. I would not, however, take one on vacation. :) My choice for a pro-grade film camera is the Contax RTS III which also has a vertical grip and 5fps motor drive integrated—not bad for 1990.
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I agree about not taking them on vacation. I do not have pro bodies but I use a D700 with pro lenses and while its less than a D3 etc its just got too heavy for long trips. Or I have got older. One or the other. Still I love to use it and the lenses around my home city but lugging 10 kilos of assorted camera and lenses on holidays and then around a foreign city is no joke. I always have to come back and book into my physiotherapist for 3 months afterwards.

For this reason I recently bought a second hand Sony NEX 7 which admittedly only has an APS sized sensor but has two times the megapixel count of my Nikon and much the same dynamic range if not better. When matched with my Leica M lenses it makes a nice light camera kit for holidays.

Having said all of that the nice feeling of using really top grade kit is unsurpassed. I must admit that when I bought my Leica M8 it was off putting as my primary gripe was that Leica film Ms felt every bit the pro camera while the digital M felt like a cheaper knock off especially in how it "felt" in use - the sound, the shutter feel etc. This after all is a prime reason for anteing up all that extra cash. Same for those who buy a BMW or Mercedes often. Its not so much the status symbol as the way they feel.
 
I went from a Leica M4 to the Digital M8 when they first became available. My feelings at the time were that it was just not the same solid pro feel as my film Leica. I persevered and eventually got comfortable with the M8. Now ten years later I have a M 240 in my bag and the amazing thing is I feel about the M8 as I did about my M4! I guess it just takes time to get used to a camera. It is a very personal and intimate machine. The final product is really dependent on you and the machine interface which takes time. As far as a professional feeling camera, do you need to get paid to feel your equipment is professional?
 
Re earlier comments about the weight of the D5 - its true - it feels lighter than the numbers say it is. The biggest downside to bodies of that type is cost - and ultimate resolution compared to the 36mp sensor cameras.
 
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