Update: I received a call this morning from Kelly at Showcase Camera and went down and picked up the 70-200mm f/2.8 AF-S VR II. I went out this evening and shot some low light, really slow shutter speed, images with the lens mounted on a D3x and was blown away by the image quality. Believe all the hype. This lens is an instant classic and very glad I was able to get my hands on one despite the premium price for being an early adopter. All I can say is WOW!!!! I am going to love having this focal length back in the arsenal.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
I admit it, I am a gear (kit) junkie. I love Nikon cameras and lenses; what's not to love? A few years back the Nikon D3 surprised a bunch of folks, but it made those of us with a ton of sweet Nikkor glass ecstatic. For years we viewed the Canon DSLRs with ample respect and even more envy. My D2x was a fantastic tool, until the lights went down and the ISO went up; then it wasn't such a fantastic tool anymore. The Nikon D3 changed all that overnight.
Since the fall of 2007 I stopped fearing the dark when I started shooting the D3; low light became my friend and no longer a nemesis. The Nikon D3 empowered many Nikon shooters to shoot at very high ISO without fear; wow those were heady days.
Today, my two D3 bodies are my workhorses. When I need a great shot in low light, as much as I love my D3x - and I really do, the D3 is the body I grab. With a native ISO range of 200 to 6400, the ability to shoot usable images at 6400 and clean images at 3200, its full frame sensor and gorgeous image quality it literally changed my approach to low light photography at weddings and events.
Time marches on, and in the very near future the Nikon D3s will be hitting the streets; I am currently number three on the list at Showcase Camera. As a wedding photographer that makes a living in dimly lit sanctuaries and candle lit reception halls, my interest was immediately piqued when I heard about the imminent release of the D3s. To be honest, Nikon did an exceptional job of clamping down the normal leaks that precede the release of new equipment. My initial reaction was, "Why all the fuss? What's wrong with the D3?"
I suspected that the D3s would be a "happy to glad" kind of model. Some minor refinements, but nothing extraordinary; something more akin to the release of the D2xs, nice, but not compelling. But I was wrong, man, oh man, is this new beast from the east sweet! While still more evolutionary, than revolutionary, the D3s is indeed noteworthy. A new and improved sensor with even better low light capability, but more importantly, astounding image clarity and quality at very high ISO. Finally, integrated sensor cleaning, HD video and stereo audio, but the news that made me sit up and beg for buttermilk (I hate buttermilk, for the record) was a report from Marcus Bell where he reports, and I quote, "After two days I’m just astounded at the quality. Shooting at ISO 12800 the quality really was a noticeable improvement. In comparison, I believe the D3S at ISO 12800 is equivalent to ISO 3200 on the D3 and D700."
Wow, that blew me away. Not only has the native ISO range on the new D3s been extended from 6400 to 12800 and images at that ISO approximate the quality of ISO 3200 on the D3, which are very clean - I often shoot at that ISO in low light with very good results, the camera's maximum ISO has now been extended to an astounding, insane, ISO 102400. That's right, it's not a typo, 102,400; we're approaching the ability to shoot with digital sensors that can approximate night vision devices. How cool is that?
So I am all in on the D3s and I cannot wait to shoot this new camera. In the interest of full disclosure, Canon is soon to release its own new pro body DSLR, the Mark IV, that has an equivalent ISO range. Don't you love competition? You bet I do. It doesn't take a GED to predict that there will be some incredible works of art that skilled shooters will produce with these glorious new tools. No doubt, the my camera can beat up your camera discussions will soon propagate in many of the forums, but who cares, all us Nikon and Canon shooters are the winners.
More good news. The lens you see above is the new Nikkor 70-200mm f/2.8 AF-S VR II and she's a real beauty. For a wedding photographer, this focal range is where most of the action occurs during an event. It's the "go to" lens in any wedding photographer's camera bag. I own the current Nikkor 70-200mm f/2.8 AF-S VR and it is an incredible lens on a DX sensor, but on the D3, D3x or D700 it just doesn't make muster. The lens is soft in the corners and vignettes badly on the full frame sensor of one of those cameras mentioned above. Nikon knew it and went to work on a new version that would address the issues.
Cliff Mautner has been testing the lens with phenomenal results for some weeks now. The lens has the next generation Vibration Resistance (VR) technology that allow for a 4 stop improvement in shutter speed. According to Cliff, and verified in his posted sample images, the lens is incredibly sharp at extremely low shutter speeds while being hand held. I don't want to steal Cliff's thunder; trust me, you want to follow the link to his blog and look at the comparison images.
I am number six on the list at Showcase Camera for one of these beauties; I am hoping that Nikon ships enough in the first release to make it down to me on the list. If not, then I will wait, impatiently to be sure, for this sweet piece of glass. I have been bugging Kelly every week, God bless her for putting up with me, but this is a lens that will give me back a tool that I have been sorely missing for quite some time.
Well, enough about gear for now. Just wanted to share the very good news; although, this will put a dent in my checking account to be sure. I honestly can't wait to spend this money so I can start creating some great images with the new gear.
Recent Comments