The most advanced Nikon camera ever created is right around the corner. But does anyone care?
Nikon recently teased the new D6, the successor to their $6,500 sports DSLR, the D5. Although we don't know the camera's exact specs or price yet, most people are expecting a standard upgrade with slightly more megapixels, ISO performance, focusing, and hopefully better shooting performance.
But even if the D6 is the greatest DSLR ever made, how many photographers are actually excited to buy it? This genre of camera is so expensive and so finely tuned for sports photographers that the average shooter probably will never consider it. And with mirrorless cameras taking over the industry, do DSLRs in general feel like old technology?
In the video above, Patrick and I have a conversation about the Nikon D6, its potential features, and the quickly shifting photography market.
remember dropping my D4S from the top of cage, bounced off the perch, the catwalk, onto the cement floor of the event center, .... someone grabbed it, handed it to me, I strapped it back on, and continued shooting, ....... TANK, .... dropped a few D(n) over the years, only twice have i had to send the lens in for repair, but never the camera body, .... can't wait to get my hands on the D6. Glad others aren't interested because sometimes, even with NPS priority, you have a wait until round two
Stupid article with a title that makes no sense. sigh.
Too bad mirrorless cameras don't feel like a DSLR. I have both and the DSLR behavior just feels right, it feels better in my hand and it feels better as I shoot.
As for "flagship" products like the upcoming D6 they serve two purposes similar to car mfr's that race. Yes bragging rights is one of the reasons but it also helps to push product development that will filter down into the lower product lines For Nikon it's been the EXCEED Processors and Auto Focus that filters down primarily.
As for low ISO performance I'm not sure there's much of a need for something similar to Kodachrome 25 ASA (which I use to shoot). I used it then because of fine grain, color saturation and the warmth of the film (slide actually). It also meant you were lugging around a tripod in order to shoot on a regular basis because of your shutter speed. Yes, you could push the film if you needed to but you had to push it for the entire roll. Sports Photographers typically shoot with poor lighting especially at night, so having a camera that performs well at hi ISO is more important than low ISO because of the shutter speed you need to freeze the action.
There sure a lot of strong opinions on a camera that hasn't even been released yet, nevermind the fact no one even knows the specs either.
Ha ha ha.... I thought the same thing when I read the title of the blog....
Fstoppers, the blog nobody cares about.
And yet you are here reading and responding to our articles. Thank you for caring!
At least wait till the specs are out to shill for Sony Lee.
It is not even announced and FS guys already pushing feeds with it and any clickable titles to the top of SEO rankings ... like they did not care about it haha... and they do, since once it is announced the links to purchase it from their own FS site linked to BH, Adorama, Amazon etc... will be here before the dust settles down after the announcing speech...haha... it is called a business practise and selling you without selling haha... but we are here reading it so we do care Patrick+Lee about D6 :)... not that much about the video bait around it , but we live in free country so keep it coming... Happy shooting guys.
Would someone mind explaining how the D5 could be a better choice than the A9? Not being facetious, I just don't understand why people say that the D5 is the sport king when the Sony A9 exists. The A9 has more megapixels, is a faster camera, and has a ridiculous AF system. Plus the D5 has an audacious price tag of 6 grand. What is the D5s edge?
People have Nikon F lenses, it’s simple.
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As the best editing teacher (newspapers/journalism - remember those?) I ever had said, "Never us a $25 dollar word when a $5.00 word will work just as well. RIP John Bremner from the University of Kansas.
That seems to be the same amount of caring I have for wholly inexperienced speculation about a product not a single person has any experience with. This site has once again proven why I take them about 50% seriously at best.
Meh.
"But even if the D6 is the greatest DSLR ever made, how many photographers are actually excited to buy it? This genre of camera is so expensive and so finely tuned for sports photographers that the average shooter probably will never consider it."
And how is this exactly different in respect to D5, D4s, D4 and so on? It was always the top line of Nikon cameras and a lot of people were talking about them but few owned and used them because they were not affordable for those average shooters.
The Nikon F6 was better than the F4 but nobody bought the F6 because it was built when DSLRs got good.
I don't feel it's a fair comparison. Transition from analog to digital was a dramatic change for professional photographers. Virtually every aspect of work was improved. Instant preview, capacity of storage medium, cost of storage medium, ease and time of post processing, time of product delivery to the client, etc. In 2004 F6 may have been the most advanced film camera but D2H or D2X were offering entirely different world of possibilities so any pro that kept investing in film gear was simply insane.
But this is not the case with D6 and mirrorless cameras. If some professionals decide to pick mirrorless over D6 they will probably have some very particular reasons for that. As of today, there is no clear advantage for all photographers out there to abandon DSLR and jump onto mirrorless boat.
vaporware !!
I believe that the majority of people who work the D4/D5 today will be as interested in the D6 as they were in their current camera. The only caveat being that the D5 is still the best camera for sports and demanding situations and that it's so good that many people are happy enough with their current tool.
Not for that bloody price!
The article essentially identifies the buyers of this body in one sentence. ‘This genre of camera is so expensive and so finely tuned for sports photographers that the average shooter probably will never consider it‘. Existing Nikon pros and advanced Nikon shooters with glass will buy it. The “average shooter” will go mirrorless. It’s a no brainer.
Amazing, up until they got soaked by a wave, two Nikon D850 shooters suddenly become just another pair of Sony Fanboys. Cameras are tools, it is irrelevant what hardware you are using, the eye behind the viewfinder makes all the difference.
Meh - an article or video I don't care about.
My guess is, Nikon did more market research than you did and concluded that yes, lots and lots of people will care about it.
The price of this kind of camera makes it unreachable and/or unsuitable for at least 95% of all photographers. The weight makes in unpractical for 98% of all photographers. It is a tool for a tiny amount of the market.
So all in all, for the biggest part of the photography market, this camera is rather unimportant.
It is the car equivalent of a Bugatti Veyron. Most people will not ever see one in their entire lives and the cost of one service at the garage is more than most people earn in a year.
It seems that Nikon wants is a new model for the Olympic. Put the Z6 in the D6 body, and keep those flagship features. The form of the DSLR is what is most important to me. The companies are starting to get that by providing more grip area on the right side, but they're still trying to keep it compact, when the heft The EVF has caught up to the OVF in effectiveness. There isn't a need anymore for a mirror. There would be so much more room inside that would allow cooler which will help components last longer.