It has been a while since I did a blog post but will try to be more consistent.
For quite some time I have been unimpressed with where camera manufacturers are going with their new cameras and lenses. Yes, the lenses are exceptionally sharp, and the sensors only add to this sharpness. FOR ME, and maybe I am alone in this, a photograph that is, for want of a better word, sterile, meaning ultra-sharp and crystal clear, having a high-definition feel, is a photograph without a feeling, without depth.
I good friend of mine has a Nikon Z8 and a staple of Z-mount lenses. I have been able to shoot with it to some degree, and I have to say, I would miss the sweet sound of a shutter opening and closing during the recording of an image, especially since I also still shoot film and my favourite camera is my Pentax 67 MLU, I love the sound of the slap of that shutter.
Yes, the modern cameras and lenses provide excellent image quality, but I am not ready to give up on some imperfection, that is, less sharpness, in an image. I do not knock those who has chosen to move to mirrorless, everyone should shoot with what they want to shoot with, without judgement.
My most favourite digital camera and lens combo right now is my Nikon D850 with a Nikon 17-35mm f2.8D, a lens that Nikon introduced in 2001 and produced for almost 20 years, until it was replaced by the 16-35mm f4. It is an all-metal lens and is heavy but feels so comfortable on the D850. It is a sharp lens, even at f2.8, although it does lose a little sharpness wide open. What I particularly love about this lens is that if offers great contrast and I can use it interchangeably with my Nikon 35mm SLR film cameras. The old lens also allows for some lens flare where the newer lenses have Nano Crystal coatings that effectively kill any lens flair. To me lens flair, when I decide to use gives me freedom to use flair as an artistic choice.
As it stands, I am still a DLSR user and for now I will keep it that way as I see no reason to change. I have never been one to chase technology and I still believe the key element in sharp images resides with the lens rather than the camera body, although mirrorless is changing this balance.
The attached images were shot with the Nikon 17-35mm on the Nikon D850
