This could be the choice for bushwalking photographers...

[wayno]

The Canon G1 X is out in some shops. I just bought the last one in a shop in Auckland...
walking on the queen charlotte walkway in the Marlborough sounds from Sunday, will have some photos when i get back...

[photohiker]

The Canon G1 X is out in some shops. I just bought the last one in a shop in Auckland...
walking on the queen charlotte walkway in the Marlborough sounds from Sunday, will have some photos when i get back...

Look forward to seeing them.

Somewhat disappointed you didn't wait for the D800E

[wayno]

The Canon G1 X is out in some shops. I just bought the last one in a shop in Auckland...
walking on the queen charlotte walkway in the Marlborough sounds from Sunday, will have some photos when i get back...

Look forward to seeing them.

Somewhat disappointed you didn't wait for the D800E

I"m not..... you can have the weight and bulk

[photohiker]

I"m not..... you can have the weight and bulk

Me? nah. I'm a Canon kinda guy, but I'm going Fuji

Tasadam on the other hand will probably go D800 or something even heavier...

[gayet]

What Going Fuji? What has happened Michael?

But then you have slipped a Panasonic in there at some point haven't you?

[photohiker]

What Going Fuji? What has happened Michael?

But then you have slipped a Panasonic in there at some point haven't you?

Oh, yea. I still have and use the Panasonic. It has reminded me that if you don't have your camera with you, you can't get the photo.

What has happened is that my ~7 year old camera has basically more than met its match in terms of resolution, Dynamic Range, High Iso Noise etc, etc, with a package that weighs much, much less. That's something I really wished to happen with m43, but I have to say the speed of development there has not been as fast as hoped. If it jumps ahead, I'll be ready, I have the lenses, just waiting for the right m43 camera.

Meantime, for my needs, I can't see the point of going ultra high MP like the D800 or nextgen 5DmkIII so I think it's time to head in another direction, and the Fuji X-Pro1 looks like it to me. I guess I'll find out soon enough

Mind you, I'll be keeping the old girl, it just won't get carried on multiday bushwalks any more. Still a great camera.

[wayno]

i was after the canon because of photostitch, makes taking panoramas easier and you can still control how wide you make the panoramas.
I"ve got a nikon D300s but rarely use it, was only taking it on the most scenic trips. got an nex, but wasnt that impressed with the panoramics it was taking, it was having a lot of trouble getting the exposure right and the stitching looked messy, in a lot of cases, way too rough, depending on the subject matter.
i got a G12 but the g1 x is a big improvement in image quality, enough to mean i can sell my other cameras. the D300s is still king for quality, putting those images on a big screen LED TV is like having a crystal clear window to look at, but i'm more interested in the panoramic shots now, i'm willing to trade a bit of quality and not have to tote the D300 around, you really want to be taking a lot of photos in great scenery to warrant carrying it on multi day trips... I usually end up with a sore neck on those trips....

[Buddy]

Got a D800 on order from Walch's. Coming from a Pentax 67, had to be something special to make me go digital. This is it! Already have a raft of Nikon glass, so just got to acquire a super wide zoom to suit FX, and it's all good.

[phan_TOM]

Me? nah. I'm a Canon kinda guy, but I'm going Fuji...

Me too and me too... well from the initial reviews coming out regarding the Fuji XP1 I'd like one anyway (unless *ahem* someones currently looking for a 40D at a reasonable price to fund the change over ). Be nice not to have to lug so much weight/size around and get a significant increase in IQ at the same time. If it's not going to be necessary to use a behemoth to capture high quality prints then I can't think of a reason to carry one...

Those fast primes look sweet too not to mention reasonably priced and apparently they are bringing out a couple of zooms for it later in the year, a wide angle and a 70-200 equivalent, I'm wonder how fast they will be? It'll be interesting to watch it unfold.

From the look of some of the pictures its got impressive IQ, ISO 6400 looks easily as good as ISO 400 from my 40D which is impressive indeed and even the shot taken at ISO 25600 (!) seems perfectly acceptable. It will be interesting to watch some of the reviewers opinion on the removal of the AA filter and its effect on resolution/IQ, some are already comparing it to full frame cameras.

Heres a couple of reviews that I found this morning.

http://www.luminous-landscape.com/revie ... view.shtml

http://holyfstop.blogspot.com.au/2012/0 ... .html#more

[photohiker]

Me? nah. I'm a Canon kinda guy, but I'm going Fuji...

Me too and me too...

[...]

Heres a couple of reviews that I found this morning.

http://www.luminous-landscape.com/revie ... view.shtml

http://holyfstop.blogspot.com.au/2012/0 ... .html#more

Yep, there's a few good reviews coming out as Fuji release their embargo now that the camera is actually released in most parts, if not actually available so much...

Something there has not been much of is landscape shots, but I found this one of a character using the camera in the wilds of Northern Island. Some magic shots in there:

http://www.flixelpix.com/featured/x-pro ... otography/

Another non-landscape photog using the XPro1 like a sharp knife is one Zach Arias, also some stunning shots in his blog:

http://zackarias.com/blog/

Should be available here in Aus later this month. Got my order in...

[wayno]

G1X rocks

I"ve got more panoramics, i havent sorted out yet
to me this looks like the output from an SLR camera, i'm not that easily impressed having owned a D300s, but the G1x put out photos that came close to it in quality.

[tandata]

I am going with what has been suggested earlier, and that is the new Olympus OM-D E-M5.

To be honest here I am only just getting back in to this hiking business for the first time since leaving Scouts almost 10 years ago, and on top of that I am not greatly familiar with different cameras (except the M43 line) and photography..

I have an Olympus PEN E-P1 right now, and I think it is a terrific camera, but what I think I would want or need in a camera I take hiking is weather sealing and a reasonably small form factor -- and that's the E-M5. I broke my very first P&S back in 2003 because I took it down to the beach and it got some grains of sand stuck in the lens mechanism. Gah, $550 camera down the drain. Ever since then I have never taken a camera to the beach because it is not weather sealed. And Olympus has claimed that the E-M5 has the same level of weather sealing as their Pro DSLRs.

[photohiker]

Well, the Fuji XPro1 turned up the other day.

It's challenging, there is a lot of difference between my Canon DSLR and the Fuji, but the final image quality is awesome. I think I'll keep it.



More examples on my Zenfolio XPro1 Samples Gallery

These are just jpeg output out of the camera with minimal PP - the RAW files are not yet supported by Lightroom.

[Nuts]

seems to have some chromatic aberration around those leaves, especially in the centre??

(jj awesomely rich colour)

[Buddy]

Picking up a D800 next week from Walch's. Very exciting ! Been waiting for something in 35mm DSLR to equal my Pentax 67II-looks like it's here. Woohoo!

[tasadam]

Picking up a D800 next week from Walch's. Very exciting ! Been waiting for something in 35mm DSLR to equal my Pentax 67II-looks like it's here. Woohoo!

Congrats!
My choice would be the D800e.
Thinking I might get it as a backup to the medium format when I go down that path.

[phan_TOM]

My choice would be the D800e.
Thinking I might get it as a backup to the medium format when I go down that path.

I'm wondering if you're going to need to bother with medium format at all after reading a couple of reviews of the new Nikon.

I have a Canon, I like it a lot and would considering getting another one day such as the 5D mkII or whatever is equivalent at the time but sorry Canon you have been blown out of the water this time. I'm not generally a fan of any particular brand eg holden/ford (both crap) mac/pc (both crap) etc but I would seriously think about ditching the Canon for one of these. How can you compete with that at that price!?

Mind blowing DR & IQ (if you've got the glass) but it also sounds like it is fully sorted from a users perspective (handling, button layout etc) not to mention the fact that it has almost any feature you can think of... intervalometer, time lapse HD movie, HDR, etc etc

Wonder how much a kidney goes for these days? I could probably get away with one lung too... and I'm right handed so the left one is practically useless, I could sell my good eye...

[wildlight]

...I use a carbon fibre manfrotto tripod, which weighs about 800grams...

*sigh*
How many $$$$$?

Sorry NNW, only revisited this thread just now, months after the original post.

It ( the tripod ) cost some insane amount of money- more than a "non" carbon-fibre model. I bought some glass the same day- a 14-24mm f2.8 and a host of CF cards (16GB)- so it was a mighty big dent on the cheque book.

The 'pod was around the $600 mark- ticketed at $789- but after discount, it was just over $600 somewhere. "light as", would be nice if it was a smidge taller- but I'm not complaining.

A good set of legs (tripod) really makes the difference when going for maximum image sharpness. With a tiny chip camera, sometimes it's better to release on a timer, or use the little electronic "off-camera" button release.

Most of the light weight pods have a load limit- and a minimal one at that. Not something I'd recommend for wildlife guys with 400mm lenses on full-frame DSLRs.

There was one model 100gms lighter than the one I bought, but the guy looked at me and said "I am NOT selling you one of these..." so I figured 100gms extra and a working tripod, was better than 100gms lighter and "heading for the bin back home".

As I recall seeing somewhere- you use a small compact at times. 2 weeks ago I bumbled onto an idea of a super-light mono pod, with 2 trekking poles and a velcro strap- now THERE"S a mother of an ultra-light tripod. Fiddly in some terrain- but eventually adjustable with patience from the user.

Worth pursuing.

Safe Steps

WildLight

[Buddy]

Picking up a D800 next week from Walch's. Very exciting ! Been waiting for something in 35mm DSLR to equal my Pentax 67II-looks like it's here. Woohoo!

Congrats!
My choice would be the D800e.

Why? For the tiny extra sharpness, there is significant (to me) extra work involved, both when taking the image and post-production. Also, the 800e exhibits a bias towards shooting RAW only and will give a moire effect in certain conditions that has to be edited out. Have a look at Nikon's USA site for a comparison,quite interesting.

[tasadam]

Why? For the tiny extra sharpness, there is significant (to me) extra work involved, both when taking the image and post-production. Also, the 800e exhibits a bias towards shooting RAW only and will give a moire effect in certain conditions that has to be edited out. Have a look at Nikon's USA site for a comparison,quite interesting.

As a wilderness photographer, moire won't often be encountered, and if it is I would use the D700.
I shoot RAW + basic JPG. The jpg is used as a guide only, to see which RAW images I should take a closer look at (taking the time to process).
I have studied many reviews & samples from lots of websites including the good suggestion you make.
To me, it's about maximising image quality - which is why I'm still looking closely at 80 megapixel medium format.
But, owning good Nikon glass already, this new beast seems like fun for now.

[wayno]

rather you than me with a heafty beast like that.....

[wayno]

canon to launch mirrorless cameras with slr quality

http://photorumors.com/2012/04/28/canon-promisses-new-cameras-with-image-quality-that-approaches-dslrs/

[wayno]

http://photorumors.com/2010/06/09/canon-aps-h-1-3x-mirrorless/

Canon APS-H 1.3x mirrorless

[photohiker]

http://photorumors.com/2010/06/09/canon-aps-h-1-3x-mirrorless/

Canon APS-H 1.3x mirrorless

I kinda doubt it, but would be great to see. Reality is that the bigger the format, the bigger the lenses required to cover the sensor.

The ball is now firmly in Canon's court to come up with a Mirrorless Interchangeable Lens system. They will be the last major into the game.

[tsangpo]

That second link is from a couple of years ago, seems like it was just a rumour.

It will be interesting when the first lot of 135 mirrorless cameras come out, and potentially after that MF if they can get performing CMOS sensors that big.

[biggbird]

My D300 has recently died, and I'm looking very hard at a D800E. As was mentioned in someone's post above, moire is unlikely to be an issue often in nature, and is correctable via PP anyway. For an extra $300, why not get a significant amount more detail and resolving power in your shots?

Either way, the E or non-E version is undoubtedly more than I need, but it just seems that given the type of stuff I want to be doing with them, doesn't make much sense to not go with the E.

As for it being heavy to lug around... Well, that's just the price of reliability and quality, as far as I'm concerned

[biggbird]

Well, I eventually settled on a plain D800... Now just to go and give it a test next weekend!

[wildernesswanderer]

I'm a professional wedding and portrait photographer that has also shot landscapes for the last 15 yeas. I have shot from 35mm to 4x5 (the 4x5 used to cost $10 a shot, made you think long and hard before you released the shutter) and to give my perspective of the Nikon D800 or Medium Format.
First of all if you are shooting nature the moire effect will never be a issue. Moire comes up in repeating patterns, like a suit on a groom for instance. Moire is easily controlled in Lightroom. All Medium Format digital cameras do not have a AA filter and no one has ever complained about the moire on them. In fact Moire is easily controlled before you shoot. It takes a repeating pattern to be the exact correct distance from the camera sensor to get the effect. Move the camera a little closer or further away and the effect disappears. Its how you shoot fashion with a MF digital camera.
So for me even though I shoot subjects that the moire should be easy to get I have never got the effect just because I can move myself a fraction to get rid of it. The D800E camera produces much sharper results than the standard D800 and I prefer it over the standard one because of that.
Also to compare the D800E with a MF camera is a little unfair. both two very different cameras. But if you were to look at it compaired to say a Phase One which I have shot with the D800E produces a slightly less detailed with less dynamic range image. How slight, it's pretty close but the price of $3500 for the D800E as to $25000 for a Phase One, most will never pick the difference in the files. Its the same as the Leica S2, more SLR type camera than the Phase and one hell of a good camera to shoot with once you get around Leica's stupid menu. Nick Rains shoots with the Leica and again at $27000 for the body and then $5000+ a lens it would want to be good. It's not till you print a MF file against something like the D800E that you can pick the difference.
One thing about the D800 though, to get the best performance out of the camera you must be using Nikons top pro lenses, All my lenses are the new Nano coated lenses and all their pro stuff. I have seen reports on the net of people complaining that the camera isn't as good as it should be, my images aren't sharp and all then you see them with a 24-120 lens on the body. Sorry waste of time doing it. My slowest lens is a 2.8, I prefer the 1.4 lenses I have. Buy a pro lens if you buy this camera and it will blow you away.

I was looking at the Fuji camera, certainly cheaper than a M9 but it's a dog. I would have used it for ceremony photo's but the AF is so slow I can focus a M9 faster. Still would be a nice hiking camera instead of my kit.

[biggbird]

^800E may have been better for me in the end, being that I do mostly landscape (walking) and urban stuff, and hence am not exposed to as many opportunities for moire as others, but for the price difference (which was significant enough for me as a student!), I'm happy with the plain 800 . More than happy, in fact!

Had a few chances to try it out over the past few weeks since it arrived:


099 by bigggbird, on Flickr


091 by bigggbird, on Flickr


026 by bigggbird, on Flickr


114 by bigggbird, on Flickr


098 by bigggbird, on Flickr

I think I am definitely the limiting factor in my photography, and will probably never outgrow the capabilities of this camera! Will upgrade eventually, no doubt, as that is the nature of things, but very very happy with it

[tasadam]

I think I am definitely the limiting factor in my photography

I have a D800e in the family, yes they are great.
There is a bigger limiting factor in your photography than you, it is the ability to post-process the image.

Here are 3 quick corrections from one of your images (hope you don't mind) -
Chromatic Aberration removed,
Lens distortion corrected,
Noise reduction applied.

Then a bit of a fiddle with the brightness, contrast, then the orange channel to bring it back to the way it looked in your photo.

Before

d800a.jpg (53.65 KiB) Viewed 26501 times

After

d800b.jpg (39.1 KiB) Viewed 26501 times

Hope it helps.