Digital SLR Reviews Blog

Posts Tagged ‘D700’

Panasonic Lumix DMC G1 12 1MP Digital SLR Camera with Lumix G Vario 14 45 mm f 3 5 5 6 ASPH Mega OIS Lens Black

The Panasonic Lumix G1 is the world’s first camera to employ the new Micro Four Thirds System standard. Together with an innovative mirror-less structure that also dramatically downsizes the camera body, the LUMIX G Micro System achieves a dramatic portability and ease of use by an adoption of electronic Full-time Live View Finder instead of conventional optical viewfinder. Despite the G1’s ultra-compact design, it comes fully equipped with features that assure outstanding ease of use, made possible by the contrast AF system. The G1 also boasts iA (Intelligent Auto) mode, a feature that took the world by storm in Lumix digital compact cameras. iA mode brings together a full range of functions – led by AF Tracking , Face Detection, Intelligent ISO Control and Intelligent Exposure – that together let users take strikingly beautiful photos with maximum ease every time they shoot. The G1 breaks new ground in styling too, overturning SLR camera conventions by giving users a variety of body colors to choose from. For people who have been hesitant about moving up to an SLR camera, the G1 is a perfect fit. It is a small, sophisticated, easy-to-use camera that will greatly expand any user’s photographic capabilities.

User Ratings and Reviews

5 Stars Great travel camera
Before I go on I should mention I also have a Nikon d700 which is a pretty fancy camera costing about five times as much as the G1 if you include appropriate lenses. When compared to the d700 you can see the G1 doesnt have the same sort of brick like construction quality, it is much more plasticy and doesnt have as many controls to hand. The upside of this is that its about 1/2 of the weight of the d700 with lens and in fact a large part of my decision to buy the G1 was because of its small size.

When I compared it to cameras at the more compact end such as the “super zooms” I found the G1 had a physically larger sensor and better picture quality. There was also a real lens up front with ability to change lenses. Also, superior access to deeper parameters like ISO, white balance, focus and exposure modes easily. The downside here is the G1 costs a bit more than similar “super zoom”, though I am amazed at the differences in prices sellers are asking for it. I paid about 20% more than my girlfriends top of the range compact which I felt was worth it.

So I wanted something much lighter than my d700 but still with lots of ability to fiddle with parameters. I have not been disappointed in this camera, its great fun to use. Setting of most functions require only one or two button presses and scroll of the wheel. I love the small size and reduced weight. Although the electronic viewfinder sacrifices some naturalness you get used to it pretty quick and it has the ability to do things you cant with a SLR viewfinder. These include ability to preview the effects of changes to aperture and shutter speed which is great for lower light shooting. You can also see how much image blurring will occur with slower shutter speeds, and also preview depth of field. When travelling in dodgy places I also feel less self conscious pulling this camera out in public, and feel less likely to get mugged!

Ive noticed some reviewers have marked this camera down as being too complex and I feel this is not a fault of the camera. It would be different if the camera were poorly laid out but its not, one button press will give you access to a whole range of parameters, its hard to fault. Little things are annoying like when you want to delete a photo you have to press the delete button then press a scroll right button to choose ‘yes” and then press a “menu set” button to confirm. So thats 3 different buttons. On my d700 you just press the delete button, get asked OK? and then press again. Much less finger moving around. These little details are what distinguish higher end cameras but this is a minor quibble.

More obscure parameters need more button pressing but this camera is no worse than even the d700. If you are not interested in learning about what goes into a photograph then I would agree the ability to tweak settings will be unnecessary and intimidating and you would be better off with a more preset oriented camera. Then again, the G1 has about 8 scene presets, so at minimum you can just point and shoot. This is good when you want to hand your camera over to a non-camera friendly stranger or friend to use without baffling them.

To sum up, this camera was a compromise for me between the high end picture quality of my d700 and the need for something more lightweight, compact and less obtrusive, but still with enough sophistication to allow tweaking and user input into the photo.

5 Stars A near perfect mix of portability and image quality
I’ve had my G1 for three months, and there isn’t much I can add to the other 5-star reviews. It’s a very solid camera that is easy to carry and easy to use. It takes great pictures. It has three excellent kit lenses to choose from, and it can use hundreds of great lenses from the days of film that are now very inexpensive and easily available.

I have both kit zooms and 3 legacy primes. I’m particularly impressed by the performance of the zooms, which are both exceptionally good for such moderately priced lenses.

All in all, I highly recommend this camera (or its sibling, the GH1, if you need video) to anyone who is moving up from a fixed lens camera and to anyone who is tired of lugging the weight of a full frame dSLR around.

One note: I’ve noticed that several reviewers cited poor high-ISO performance as a drawback. While literally true – a less than full frame sensor is at a technical disadvantage with respect to noise – I’ve found that this is much less of a problem than I expected. Part of the reason is that Panasonic took a deliberately conservative approach to setting ISO levels, unlike Canon, Olympus, and others who have exaggerated their ISO numbers. For this reason, a G1 image shot at what Panny calls “ISO 800″ is essentially identical in exposure to what many dSLRs produce when set at what those other companies call “ISO 1600.” The amount of light hitting the sensor is the same in both cases, and therefore the amount of noise is quite similar.

Thus it is important to compare the noise in an ISO 800 shot from the G1 with the noise from most other popular cameras set at 1600, and so on at every other ISO increment. (Certain Nikons are an exception, as they are closer to the Panasonic definitions of ISO than the inflated Canon/Olympus definition.)

After all, it’s the actual exposure settings that matter, not the labels the camera makers put on the ISO. If two cameras shoot the same scene with the same aperture and the same shutter speed, the two exposures will be the same. It doesn’t matter that one camera is set at ISO 200 and the other is set at ISO 400, the amount of light reaching both sensors is the same.

What this means in practical terms is that the G-1’s TRUE low light performance is one full stop better than most people expect if they just go by the ISO settings.

5 Stars Panasonic Lumix G1 Review
The Panasonic Lumix DMC-G1 12.1MP Digital Camera with Lumix G Vario 14-45 mm f/3.5-5.6 ASPH Mega OIS Lens (Blue) is certainly small. Its a very handy Camera to travel around with.

The picture quality is good..

Rarely are photos taken in ISO 800.. after which the noise starts creeping in.

The Live View Finder is superb. Though at low light.. it is almost unusable..

I am happy with the purchase.

5 Stars Lumix G1 a great camera for dads
I am a photography novice, my experience with cameras is mostly confined to chasing my two kids around with a point and shoot. I was accustomed to getting blurry, noisy, and dark pictures of my family with my Canon PowerShot. I made a list of the things I wanted in a new family camera.

1. Great image quality! Not good, not fair, but great image quality indoors as well as outdoors.

2. Relatively compact size. I was looking very seriously at the Canon PowerShot SX1IS, and the PowerShot G10

3. Ease of use. I don’t have time to fiddle with settings and take six exposures of the same scene to get a good shot.

4. Speed. My kids can’t hold still, its like an invisible gnome is following them around with a cattle prod.

5. Price. I can’t afford the moon. I needed to keep this purchase well under $1000.

I have had the Lumix G1 for about a month now, and I LOVE it. It fits all 5 of my requirements nicely.

1. The G1 takes great pictures. I have tried it outdoors and indoors, I am very happy with the results.

2. I was a little worried about its size at first, but in comparison with a full size SLR, the G1 is tiny.

3. I can hand this camera to my wife, leave the camera on iauto and she is fine using it.

4. I can actually focus on my kids now. I take this camera to the park all the time and get great shots.

5. The street price is about $650 for this camera. Well within my budget.

Particular features I like:

1. Grip. This camera is easy to hold for me and my giant hands. Its small for an SLR, but not so small that I might accidentally swallow it or something either. Its very easy to carry around. It also has a rubbery coating on the body which gives it a nice sheen, as well as added grip.

2. The swing-out LCD viewfinder. Makes taking shots from low angles really easy. I also like that the camera knows when I am looking through the eye piece and turns the LCD off.

3. The intelligent auto feature detects when a face is present, or when a subject is moving and adjusts settings for you–fast.

4. The interface is easy to get around in. I can actually switch settings on this camera without a degree in engineering.

5. My wife isn’t put off by it. She feels very comfortable picking it up and taking pictures with it.

In the end, this camera takes great shots. It is easy to learn, and very easy to carry around. I would recommend it to any dad who is looking for SLR quality pictures without the bulk and complication of use those kinds of cameras generally offer.

5 Stars excellent camera
Ijust can’t stop loving it. The functionalities and the look are just so facinating. If I were to buy a camera again, I will surely go for it.

Buy/More Info

Nikon MB D10 Multi Power Battery Pack for Nikon D300 and D700 Digital SLR Cameras

MBD 10 For NIkon D300 Digital Camera includes MS-D10EN for use with EN-EL3e battery (sold separately)

User Ratings and Reviews

5 Stars Nikon MB-D10 Review
I love it. Great quality from Nikon as always. I love the option to change battery types (I use the EN-EL3e) and also like the option to shoot in the vertical orientation as it has the shutter release button, 2 dials like on the camera and the thumb wheel (the thumb wheel is kind of small for my taste). It doesn’t add as much weight to the camera as I originally thought it would. Although it does make the camera a bit bulkier. Kind of makes it look and feel like a D3. It takes some time getting used to using the button, dial and thumb wheel.

4 Stars Likin’ it so far
I’ve had now four dslr’s (Canon XT, 30D, 40D and Nikon D300) and only the first two were gripped. I really didn’t use the grips and they would really get in the way when “bagging” my camera. Plus, I bought one of those camdapters, so I didn’t need the grip to hook up my hand strap. The 10% of the time I shot portrait didn’t really bother me, so moving the hand up top was no big deal.

Till I shot a wedding.

I bought the MB-D10 shortly after. It’s built well, fits perfectly (unlike the one for my 30D) and works excellent. Well, except for one thing, but I’ll get to that.

Pluses: Better multi-controller, second AF button and shutter button, more battery life, better balance with heavy lenses. As compared to the Canon grip, it’s smaller, too.

Cons: Shutter button is way sensitive (no gap between half-press and full-press), heavy, same issue in bagging the camera. As compared to the Canon grip, the fact that it doesn’t replace the internal battery means you might have to remove/replace the grip just to change batteries. In practice, that’s not really any kind of problem as the D300 battery lasts for around 1000 shots!

I love using a gripped body. Just feels better balanced, especially with a 28-70 or 70-300 out front. It will, however, weigh on your neck a bit more. The grip is well-built, but that means it adds some weight. I love having the portrait shutter button, but I do find (and have seen other reviews saying the same) the shutter button to be ultra sensitive. Since I use the AF-On button for AF, no problem there, but sometimes it fires before VR gets up and running fully.

I’m torn between liking the size and shape and wishing it went up into the grip of the body. I like the size, it fits into a bag alone easier, but it means you still have a battery in the grip of the body, which means if the grip battery dies and it uses the body battery (or if you select to use the body battery first), you must remove the grip to get at your body battery. A trade-off to be sure.

Personally, the pros outweigh the cons. I’ll be keeping this grip. Plus it will migrate to a D700 when/if I finally get one!

4 Stars Excellent conditions, but not compete
The grip is in excellent conditions and work ok, but are missing some items, that was present in the original package.

Items missing:

MS-D10EN holder for EN-EL3 batteries;

Contact cap;

Holder case.

5 Stars Another GREAT accessory for someone on the go
When I bought my D700 I also purchased the MB-D10. I’m from the film camera days and learned the value of these battery packs are two-fold. First, it’s another place to pack more power. Second, it provides a second shutter release when you’re shooting vertically. Because the MB-D10 is made for the D300 and D700, it also offers a second set of main and sub-command dials conveniently located near the second shutter release, making vertical shots easier on the photographer. With this accessory, I can spend more time looking through the viewfinder and not having to look at the camera back. The MB-D10 is nice because it accommodates different types of batteries, although I prefer to work with multiple EN-EL3e batteries. But it’s always nice to know you can throw in some AA batteries in a pinch!

5 Stars Just works right!
This adds great balance and handling to the D300S, esp. with larger or longer lenses. Costs much more than the cheap clones, but it just works right. Fits perfectly, no flex, no squeak. Just use the battery in here, forget taking it on and off to access a battery in the camera itself; carry the spare battery in your pocket or camera bag.

If you depend on your gear on the job, then don’t skimp on the accessories. Use the real thing. Something cheaper suddenly becomes lots more expensive if it fails when you need it.

Lee Krohn Photography, LLC

Manchester, Vermont

Buy/More Info

Nikon MH 18a Quick Battery Charger for the EN EL3e Battery compatible with Nikon D80 D200 D300 and D700 Digital SLR Cameras

Can be used to recharge EN-EL3a and EN-EL3 batteries / Can fully recharge an exhausted battery in approximately 120 minutes

User Ratings and Reviews

5 Stars Ok Battery Charger
This Battery Charger is OK for the specific battery that it is made for. However, there are other battery chargers that re-charge numerous types of batteries(e.g. Quantaray Battery Charger from Ritz Camera).

3 Stars Questionable quality
I broke my original Nikon charger by dropping it about five feet onto a concrete sidewalk. No visible damage, but it would not work after that. No complaints at this point and I ordered a new one. It arrived and worked fine for a week or two. Then it began to exhibit comnnection problems. Found the contacts where the battery met the charger were weak. Finally bought a Torx screwdriver and opened the cover. The contacts were fastened to the housing with a small spot of glue that pulled away from the housing. I reglued it but was sure it will not hold. Filled the mostly empty part of the housing with foam rubber and reassembled. Works fine now with the foam rubber holding the contacts in the proper position, but you should not have to redesign a new charger.

4 Stars Very Quick
The battery charger does what it is supposed to do! It is relatively quick and compact. If you have more than one camera bag (like me) get one for each and you will NEVER be caught out of town without it!!!

5 Stars Nikon Battery Charger
Purchased as a spare, in addition to the one which came with the camera, to keep in my bag at all times. Prompt service. Good product.

5 Stars Works Great
This charger works great. Just the same as the charger its replacing. It takes about an hour to charge the batteries for my D200, which is plenty fast enough.

Buy/More Info

Opteka 35x HD Super Wide Angle Panoramic Macro Fisheye Lens for Nikon D700 D300 D200 D100 D90 D80 D70 D60 D50 D40 D40x D2HS D2XS series

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Opteka HD 0 20X Professional Super AF Fisheye Lens for Nikon D40 D40x D5000 D50 D60 D70 D70s D80 D90 D100 D200 D300 and D700 Digital SLR

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