Moving to Nikon...

Alright...as Canon as failed to produce a camera that will replace my 1ds3 I'm almost certain I will be moving to Nikon and the D800.

My thought was the 14-24 of course as it seems most landscape 'togs are using it on their canon bodies. However the thought of not being able to use a cpl...especially in the tropics worries me.

That being said what are people's thoughts on the 16-35 nikon?

Also the Zeiss 15mm looks like it will be released though wicked expensive (but allow filters?).

Currently I have the 16-35, 24-70, 70-200...pretty standard.

So basically my question is of those that use the 14-24 has anyone found a way to use a cpl? Is the 16-35 a dumb move just for the filter reason?

Any other random advice?

Thanks all!

Aaron

You may want to look at something like the Cokin P system:

http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/820605-REG/Cokin_CZ160_Z_Pro_Linear_Polarizer_160.html

Okay particular filter is expensive and a linear polarizer to boot, but if you don't need autofocus, it might work.

What that filter is is a 4"x4" piece of glass held to the lens by a filter holder, along the lines of what a large format shooter would use. There are other, less expensive alternatives but this is the first example I found at B&H. It is at least a direction to investigate.

Hi Aaron, I don't have a cannon system, but the problem is probably the large curvature of the lens restricting the use of conventional filters. I have used the Coken filter system in this case with my wide angel Nikon lenses. Another way I have gotten around the problem is to use a lens adapter to a larger size filter, This does two thing for you. First it moves the filter further from the lens to clear the interference and using the larger size filter you reduce any vignette. I hope this helps some. Pete

Yes, the bulbous lens is the issue...looking to see people's real world experiences. There is the LEE SW that fits the lens which could be outfitted with a linear (not circular) polarizer and then a gnd...just curious if the sharpness difference is that great from the 16-35 (which wouldnt require all the shanangins)

Thanks!

You can never call the use of a 16-35 a dumb move! Of course, I may have a personal bias, here.

The linear distortion issue is easily corrected in post.
Here is a good checklist from Thomas Hogan:

http://forums.dpreview.com/forums/read.asp?forum=1021&message=38113906

Have you not heard of the Canon 1DX? !!!!! Sounds to me like you've just decided to move to Nikon and that's fine, but don't say it's because Canon has not come out with anything to replace/upgrade the 1Ds Mk III. Even the new 5D Mark III will be stiff competition for the D800 and the 1DX will likely put it away. Don't fall prey to megapixel madness - there's more to a quality image than how many pixels can be crammed on a sensor.

I am on the list for the 1Dx, but yes Nikon's annoucement gave me pause too. "cpl"? are we talking putting a circular polarizer on a wide angle lens? I've tried that and the effect is too varied across the image.... is it not?
Excuse my ignorance please.

Mark

If you do any night photography, you might want to wait and see how the high iso compares between the D800 and the 5D3. Honestly, I'm not convinced those extra megapixels will do any good anyways, seeing as the only glass that would be able to stand up to that kind of resolution are the best fixed primes at their optimal apertures.

Owning the 14-24 and the 16-35 (for Canon) I can say it's a huge improvement, though I have not plunked down the $600 or so for the polarizer setup for the 14-24. At the moment, when I need filters I turn back to my 16-35.

Personally I would never use cpl on anything wider than 24mm (FF) because the very nature of polarisation would render the effect uneven across the field. I would definitely consider the Nikor 14-24 if there was a sensible filter option. it would be a very good night lens for me, but I cannot justify the cost for such restricted use.

I have no wish to switch to Nikon, thanks, very satisfied with the 5D2, an excellent full frame camera with great low light capabilities.

Tony - when shooting green wet foliage, like in the tropics, a polarizer is a must. Doesn't matter how wide the lens is. It's only with things like the sky and large flat expanses of water that you get uneven effects.

Floris, that is a fair point... of course there are many applications for polarisation and your application actually helps not being across the field.

Thanks Floris for jumping in on both sides. I'm planning on waiting til real world samples start being posted. Also would probably go to the Zeiss 15mm which would be wide enough and hold 95mm filters of which B+W makes one.

The 1dx is a sports camera, not a landscape camera btw...

Time will tell. Easier not to switch but then again gear can always be bought and sold :)

Thanks!
aF

As a high res print maker, I'll be moving to Nikon too. I'm pissed Canon did not seriously step up in resolution. I'll go with the 14-24 and the polarizer kit.

For what it's worth I will offer two perspectives.

First of all, I think it would be wise to wait before making the jump from Canon to Nikon. I have read rumors of a high resolution camera in the works from Canon (5DX) that would compete with the D800 in terms of its megapixel count. I have also read rumors that Canon is in the process of upgrading some of their wide-angle lenses. I think it would be wise to wait and see what comes of this rumor. I find it hard to believe that Canon would be willing to give up significant market share to Nikon.

Having said that, I am a Nikon shooter and have been shooting a D700 since 2009. Besides the excellent build quality and "fit and finish" that the Nikon bodies offer, they also have excellent image quality. I prefer working with the RAW files from the D700 compared to the Canon bodies that I have used (20D and original 5D - which are admittedly older generation bodies). I think they offer more flexibility in terms of processing. The noise performance is well documented, but I am also amazed at the latitude to recover highlight and shadow detail (which is always a challenge for landscape images). Straight out of the camera the D700 files appear to be softer than Canon files but take well to sharpening and render a crisp image (my understanding is that this is due to the strong AA filter on the D700). Obviously I haven't shot with a D800 but I would expect the same overall quality combined with improved dynamic range (based on what I have read online from photographers who tested the D800) as well as the detail that 36 mp offers.

Hmmm, I would wait to see some field reviews of nature photographers from all those new cameras coming out Aaron. I just have the feeling many Nikon shooters might move to Canon.

I'll be getting a D800 w/14-24mm lens and most probably the filter kit for the 14-24 from fotodiox.com. There are two ND filters, a CP filter and a UV filter currently available. There are now also 95mm Ziess filters for the new 15mm lens. Probably won't be using the CP for skies, but certainly for rainforest and streams to cut surface glare. Will have to see how the filters perform on skies... there may be some benefit from using a partial effect from certain angles. I did consider the 16-35, but I don't like it's distortion, even when it's corrected in raw. Some people don't mind it and even like it, so it's a personal choice. Good luck.

I'm waiting for real world results to come back but as with Mark, with the biz we are in, mp's are necessary for the largest, cleanest print possible.

@david - really really interesting...nice find. there's no vig at 14mm w/ that filter set?? very good to know. could just handhold the grads then in front if needed. also does the cpl stack up with the B+W? hmmm

Hey Arron. Time will tell if vignetting will be a problem. I don't have the camera or the filters yet, so we'll just have to see. Yeah, hand-holding the grads would then be pretty easy in front of the screw-in filters. I find that far easier than using those horrible drop-in slots on some other systems. I should be getting the first D800 to come in to Brisbane, so when I get the filters I'll let you know if there is a vignetting problem with them and how the CPL stacks up. I haven't used the B+W CPL, but have used the Nikon CPL, which was fantastic, and the B+W solid ND's. Not long now!

Hello Aaron, I preordered a D800E the morning it was introduced. I was a former Nikon guy and always preferred the feel. No AA filter+14-24+36mp for me it was a no brainer. The 14-24 was big for me (not too big on the adapter).To get a quality 14mm on Canon $2500 and it's fixed. Google Jim Brandenburg d800, there is a video of him being interviewed, he's had one since the summer. I might keep the 5d2 plus 24TSII however.

@david - look forward to hearing your thoughts!!

@todd - think i'm going to do the d800 + *15mm purely b/c it can take filters. absolute must for me, plus the reviews of the 15mm to the 14-24 were close but distortion was a bad downfall it seemed. though we're probably getting close to splitting hairs. just trying to produce the best possible product for my client is all. let's wait and see what david says in a month or so :)

Thanks!

Aaron, You cannot go wrong with Zeiss, I currently have the 21. I was looking forward to having 14-17-21-24 all in one, but there are always tradeoffs.

All of you Canon shooters that plan on switching to Nikon for the big jump in resolution. What will you do when Canon leap frogs Nikon again, switch back? and then back to Nikon, there and back again and again? If I had a 5D2, and always shot Canon, I don't think I'd switch. Sooner or later(probably sooner) Canon will counter Nikon with something big in resolution. In the meantime, I'd just stitch if I needed bigger prints. It would sure save ya'll a lot of cabbage. I've shot the same D200( that's 10, count 'em 10 megapixels) If the D200 was 21 mp's I don't know if I'd even be considering it. Also the 18-70 dx 3.5/5.6 lens for 6 years. I'd have upgraded sooner, but Nikon just did not offer the perfect camera for me, and i can't afford to upgrade every time a new body is offered. So I waited, and waited, and waited. And Finally the D800 while not fulfilling everything on my dream/wish list for a new camera, is the best thing going in my price range. So now I'm finally going to make the jump to some better gear. But still staying faithful to the one I started with. If Canon has always kept you happy, I'd be a little patient and stick with them. If you feel they have somehow failed you, then come over to Nikon and let them fail you as well!!!!!!!

Chris

To play devils advocate to the "think before you switch crowd", consider this:

- Aaron wants a better wide angle lens
- he wants to upgrade his body

If he decided he wants the 14-24, and the d800 is actually cheaper than canon's new body's, then by switching to Nikon he is saving himself the cost of the 14-24 adapter and the difference in the body prices. This is actually a pretty significant chunk of change.

He can then sell off his current canon lens lineup and current bodies and use the procedes plus the savings from the adapter / body price difference to buy the equivalent Nikon lenses and probably come close to breaking even on the deal.

That said, it is a ton of hassle and time to sell your used gear, which is my most prized asset. I plan on sticking with the 5dii. Since I am not actively trying to feed myself through photography, upgrading every other generation is the fastest I am willing to go.

The good thing is that there are a ton of good options these days!

Thanks everyone for the feedback.

To summarize; I'm aware that what I do and my market is very niche. 36mp is way too much for 99% of photographers. And the hassle of switching is going to suck. However...I need to put out the best possible product for my collectors. And as things accelerate the ability to crop to 1:3 even and print 90" will be a huge boon. (I can print >60" with 21mp).

Either the 5d3 or the d800 will be a big jump from the 1ds (embarrassing to canon) so the debate is is the higher iso of the 5d3 worth sticking with than switching to nikon for the extra MP. In my mind...yes. I only really need 128000 to be relatively clean. Some of my best sellers are with the 1ds3 at 1600 or 3200 and printed large.

The issue with the wide angle actually leads to me to the new zeiss 15mm b/c it still accepts filters which is really important for me, and is crazy sharp.

I'm waiting still for side by side comparisons of both cameras before I make my final decision but always appreciate the discourse and opinions!!

Aaron

in case anyone is interested, on the topic of filters for the 14-24, i have found that the hitech 10 stop ND filter with the LEE filter system awful reflections throughout the image. the only solution is to drape the entire back of the filter with a black blanket or towel to prevent any light from entering in from behind -- even then i find the 'solution' to be inadequate as its not practical in the field. examples can be seen here https://plus.google.com/photos/100275369366064591159/albums/5712908849950814097?banner=pwa

that said, david i appreciate your note on the fotodiox adapter and may try to give it a go!

on that note