I need your advice

[eliev]

I used a Nikon F100 and F5 for the past few years. Last October, I bought a used M7 and 50mm Summicron. I recently sold the F5.

I love everything about my Leica. Image quality is fantastic, and its small size means I no longer have to carry a heavy camera bag. My pictures have significantly improved since I switched back to film five years ago. I believe that my rangefinder has also helped me improve due to its unobtrusive size and the fact that I can bring it anywhere I go.

Although I am not a professional photographer, my pictures have occasionally been featured in books and magazines.

Recently, I was asked to take a few portraits for a book. I used my F100 and Tri-X. The client was surprised I was "still" using film but was very happy with the results. The photographs were published.

I am starting to wonder whether I should invest in a DSLR. Although I love using film and especially my rangefinder, I don't want to decline potential business simply because I have "obsolete" equipment. I have a Nikon D60 which is a little too basic for semi-pro photography. Also, I still have a number of Nikon lenses which I am no longer using as often.

I was looking at the Nikon D7100 and it looks terrific. Shooting with the higher ISO offered by current digital cameras would definitely be a plus. Then again, one of the reasons I decided to shoot a film rangefinder is because I was tired of planned obsolescence and the constant need to upgrade.

Assuming I have a budget of about 1000 euros (I have been saving) should I:

1) Keep my F100, the Nikon lenses and
a. Invest in Leica lenses
b. Invest in Nikon lenses
c. Buy a D7100

2) Sell the F100 and
a. Keep the lenses and buy a D7100
b. Sell the Nikon lenses and invest in Leica lenses

(or buy a Brompton, which is another story!)

I know I should be considering a digital rangefinder, but I can't justify the price, and I have Nikon lenses which I have to do something with. The Nikon lenses I own are not worth much, so I would probably still not be able to afford a digital rangefinder if I sold them.

Thanks for your help!

 

[Never Satisfied]

Hello.
Perhaps buy an older spec pro / semi pro digital like a d700?

Your 1000 Euro budget will buy more if you don't need the absolute latest and greatest?

Cheers Andrew.

 

[mugent]

There is only a constant need to upgrade because the manufacturers want you to think that.

 

[segedi]

I might be wrong about this, but will the newest Nikon offerings still take older glass? Or are you stuck having to use the latest electronically controlled aperture lenses? Something to consider seeing as you have older lenses to use. And more reason to get a D700 besides the cost savings - and it being a capable camera. I think you can still swap the focusing screen in that. Not sure about the latest.

 

[eliev]

All three of you have made excellent points.

Never Satisfied : Good idea. For some reason, although I have always bought used film equipment, I have never felt comfortable buying used digital. Maybe I should start.

Mugent: I totally agree, although my 10-year-old M7 and any lenses I buy will probably outlive the D7100 in terms of actual life span, not just marketing life span

Segedi: the D7100 is compatible with all the lenses I own. Don't know about the focusing screen.

 

[v_roma]

I want to say D700 as well. It will allow you to use your Nikon lenses without cropping, it has amazing dynamic range and low noise (even by today's standards). It is only 12MP, which I never found to be a problem but if you need very large prints or heavy cropping, I suppose it might be a limitation.

EDIT: The D700 will confirm focus when using manual focus lenses through a green dot at the bottom of the viewfinder. If I recall correctly, it also has arrows/triangles to the right and left of the dot to let you know which way to adjust focus.

 

[eliev]

OK, it sounds like a D700 is the way to go. 12 MP should be enough. All of my lenses are autofocus, but that is good to know. I believe even the D60 does the green dot thing.

 

[Sejanus.Aelianus]

I only ever bought one digital camera new, my first. It's a Coolpix 990 and I still use it occasionally. Yep, all 3.4MP of it. It was capable of producing good shots then and it still is. Since then, I've bought various digital cameras, all used and they all work just fine.

I really think you're in a position to have your cake and eat it, here. Buy a D200 body (I recent got one for well under £200) and use your existing Nikkors. Six months or a year down the road, look at where you are, think again.

The really good news?

Do it that way and you can buy the Brompton too!

😀

 

[hepcat]

Use what you've got and buy the Brompton. It will give you years of joy and it doesn't have planned obsolescence. I was just looking at Bromptons again myself, but I've found a Bike Friday NWT that caught my fancy.

I've been in your position with equipment several times, and you seldom do well financially with reselling any digital equipment. Leica holds its resale the best, probably. If you shop well you can pick up an M8 body for close to your budget. As a short-term strategy, if you can buy a digi Nikon that works for you, do it. As a long-term strategy, if you find that the rangefinder world suits your style, build on your M7 outfit. Buying digital used is smart. I've two digital M bodies now and one film body, lenses from 28mm to 135mm, and only have about cost of a new M9P body and one new lens in my whole kit. You can do even better if you don't need the large aperture glass I have; three of my lenses are f/1.5 or faster, and five of the eight are CV. Doing that, you only have to maintain one set of lenses and accessories that fit both film and digital, and the operation of the bodies is similar enough that you don't have to think about what you're doing with which system... you pick your gear up and go make images. It's simple... and quite liberating.

 

[peterm1]

I am not quite sure what you are asking. If you are asking should you buy a D7100, I would probably say hell, yes if that's the camera you like. It specs and user reviews certainly suggest its an extremely competent camera.

You mention semi pro photography. For all intents and purposes you can't really do semi pro photography these days without some kind of digital camera for a whole bunch of reasons that I wont elaborate on here. Keep and use your film cameras for those days when you just want to shoot for fun if that's what floats your boat. (Unless you are into an esoteric branch of art photography in a semi pro way that relies on film as some people are)

Having said that I really dont think buying a digital SLR means you need to buy into the "whole planned obsolescence thing". Cameras and especially lenses do not magically become unusable after a couple of years so there is no reason to upgrade if you do not want to. In fact most photographers upgrade for that reason - because they want to, not because they need to. I shoot Nikon DSLRs in addition to Leica and I have some very old Nikon lenses - including some pre AI manual focus lenses from the 1960s and 1970s (that have been converted to AI) that I still regularly use on DSLRs as they perform well and as with Leica glass have characteristics that more modern glass does not. i.e. They may lack some of the technical / clinical crispness of some modern glass but can render nicely. For me thats part of the fun of shooting DSLRs.

Others are giving you advice on which DSLR is best. So I suppose I should say something about that. I have not owned a D7100 so must rely on research for my view of it - as noted above it sounds excellent. But for my part I can only say that I buy almost all of my cameras second hand once its been on the market for a few years - in fact usually once the next model has come out and the early adopters are upgrading. That way its much cheaper and I have the advantage of absolutely knowing the pluses and minuses of a camera I buy based on squillions of other peoples' experience. I bought a D700 and love it great image quality. Its still not exactly a cheap camera but unless you need the 36 megapixels of a D800 (or the video capabilities that consumer cameras have) its still one of the best options in the Nikon world.

 

[thegman]

Are you actually losing work because you're using film?

If no, then just keep using film.

If yes, then I guess just get a used DSLR or whatever. I think anything made in the past few years is good enough for 99% of purposes. I don't think there is any need to spend 1000 euros, you can get used full-frame for less than that now.

 

[noisycheese]

Getting a used D700 would be a good way to go. If memory serves me correctly, the D700 is compatible with all older Nikon lenses, even manual focus lenses. You are not limited to the Nikon "G" series lenses.

That having been said, film and film cameras are not obsolete by any stretch of the imagination.

Film cameras do not produce an instantaneously viewable image as digital cameras do. They do take some time to get a digitally usable image - you have to develop the film then scan it. That is the drawback to film - the results are not instantly viewable.

In today's tech addicted world, that may equate to "obsolete" in some uninformed minds when it is really nothing more than not catering to the demand for instant gratification that is so prevalent today.

With a good quality scanner like the Epson V700 or V750, film will easily produce scans that are more than up to the job of being published in a book or magazine.

 

[eliev]

Wow, this is great. Thanks everyone!

To clarify, I agree that planned obsolescence is just marketing and that there is no need to upgrade every time a new model comes out. I was just considering different options in terms of financial decisions. It seems like my best option is to buy an older DSLR and continue using my Nikon lenses, while adding to my Leica kit whenever possible. I got carried away reading the D7100 specs, but I sure anything better than a D90 would be more than enough, not to mention cheaper.

I am not currently losing work because I use film. I work with people who don't mind that I use film. However, switching to digital might open new possibilities.

Another thought: one of the main reasons I switched to rangefinders was to streamline my camera equipment. Maybe I should just start looking for a nice Brompton instead...

Then again, I could use a 28mm...

UPDATE: Just spotted a 250 euro D200 in perfect condition. For 1k less than the D7100, looks like I can indeed have my cake and eat it!

 

[rpsawin]

Wow, this is great. Thanks everyone!

To clarify, I agree that planned obsolescence is just marketing and that there is no need to upgrade every time a new model comes out. I was just considering different options in terms of financial decisions. It seems like my best option is to buy an older DSLR and continue using my Nikon lenses, while adding to my Leica kit whenever possible. I got carried away reading the D7100 specs, but I sure anything better than a D90 would be more than enough, not to mention cheaper.

I am not currently losing work because I use film. I work with people who don't mind that I use film. However, switching to digital might open new possibilities.

Another thought: one of the main reasons I switched to rangefinders was to streamline my camera equipment. Maybe I should just start looking for a nice Brompton instead...

Then again, I could use a 28mm...

UPDATE: Just spotted a 250 euro D200 in perfect condition. For 1k less than the D7100, looks like I can indeed have my cake and eat it!

Digital cameras are consumer electronics items. Just look back on what happened with computers/life cycles and you will see the what is in store for you if you attempt to "stay current".

I have two digital cameras; a D700 and an M8. They are both excellent cameras and very capable picture takers...as are my MP, M2 and F3hp. I am interested in photography and creating images. Frankly, I have been shooting only film since December and really enjoying it.

 

[shadowfox]

Wow, this is great. Thanks everyone!
I am not currently losing work because I use film. I work with people who don't mind that I use film. However, switching to digital might open new possibilities.

Sounds like you're trying to get more clients.
I'd go for full-frame cameras.

Either a Canon 5D or a Nikon D700 would still secure your digital paid work for many years to come. And these days these excellent cameras are within your budget.

 

[sepiareverb]

Get an M8 and pitch the mirror slap.

If you like the M7 the M8 (or M9 if that could happen) will be right in sync.

I shot Nikon for years, and swapped a bunch of Nikon stuff for an M7/50 Summicron kit seven years ago and can count on one hand the number of times I've used an SLR or dSLR since. And three of those times were shooting video in the last six months.

 

[Franz Elmar]

Why be like everyone else?

Using film should be a marketing advantage in a sophisticated city like Paris. Keep the current gear and maybe add more resources to your film activities.

Emphasize that you still use film!

That said, I use two older Nikon D300 cameras along with several film cameras. I use the digital cameras for warming people up, experimenting, and obligations where I do not want to spend time and money on film, i.e. ugly people getting married, crying babies, running dogs. They are good for test shots and I if I need to use flash, then I like digital because I can tell whether it is exposed correctly. The 2007 cameras are still sufficient quality for anything other than professional sports photography. Having two moderately priced Nikon bodies provides a back-up and saves changing lenses. Because they have the smaller sensor I use the 24, 35, and 50mm primes and enjoy having a compact digital kit that suits my needs for less than $1500 USd total.

As for the Nikon versus Leica, it is wonderful to have a nice Leica with your favorite focal length lens. But for back-up and for longer or wider focal lengths, then Nikon is a respectable economic choice.

 

[David Hughes]

Hi,

Do they come to you because they've seen your work and like it?

If so, I don't think you need worry about digital as obviously they don't. That suggests buy more Leica lenses...

OTOH, a lot expect digital and a CD/DVD of 000's of pictures. Do you want to go down that path?

Regards, David