Re: The Nikon D3 makes everyone's life better, even mine!!!

"Tony Polson" <docnews2011@[EMAIL PROTECTED]
> wrote in message 
news:f9q5t35juqddjfrufq4hhcipls05e4p7ko@[EMAIL PROTECTED]
> TH O <tho@[EMAIL PROTECTED]
> wrote:
>
>>And best of all, Nikon has introduced planned obsolescence into its
>>line. We used to be able to use manual focus lenses on all cameras but
>>now you need an $1800 camera or better (D300) since Nikon has removed
>>metering and aperture coupling ability from lower end bodies. Which
>>means that now the customers are more likely to buy new lenses. With the
>>D40/D40x/D60, half of the autofocus lenses won't AF on the bodies, so it
>>further limits the available used lenses, makes many AF lenses obsolete,
>>and leads customers towards new lenses.
>
>
> Nikon has been doing this for years.  I was very disappointed indeed
> when the Nikon N80/F80 did not offer metering with AIS lenses.  Within
> a short time, the only Nikon SLR body options for a photographer
> expecting to meter with AIS lenses started with the F100, at a price
> not unadjacent to the equivalent value of today's $1800.
>
> So this is nothing new.  What Nikon did was to improve their lenses
> incrementally.  First AI, then AIS, then AF (in two attempts), then
> AF-D, then AI-P, then AF-S, and now VR.  Somewhere in there was AF-P
> also.  So Nikon offered some backward compatibility, but not the sort
> of near-total compatibility that the Canon EF mount has offered.
>
> However, let us not forget that Canon abandoned its loyal FL and FD
> customer base (and largely alienated it) with the introduction of the
> EF mount.  At least Nikon has avoided that, going for step by step
> changes that keep most Nikon users on board rather than Canon's one
> step change that turned off a whole community of loyal fans.
>

I wouldn't go quite that far.

I was an avid Canon shooter prior to the introduction of the auto-focus EF

lenses, happily running around with two Canon bodies that used the FD type

lens system.

But, when Canon introduced the new EF system, it also came out with bodies

like the A2 that added a great deal of functionality, better metering,
ETTL 
flash accessories, and built-in power-drives with great performance. 
Upgrading to the newer cameras wasn't simply a change in lens mounts, it
was 
a whole-sale overhaul of the entire system at a reasonable cost.  None of
my 
acquaintences were the least bit upset with the company.

Take Care,
Dudley