Dan Allen Cameras & Lenses
Cameras & Lenses
Here is a tabular history of the cameras and lenses that I have owned. My progression looks like this:
- 1974-1983: film cameras (Canon, Leica, Nikon)
- 1987-1997: autofocus film cameras (Canon, Nikon)
- 1998-2002: ultimate Canon EOS-1 outfit, the last of film
- 2000-2003: first simple digital point & shoots (Kodak, Canon)
- 2004-2007: first digital SLRs (Nikon)
- 2008-2018: next digital SLR (Canon)
- 2008-2025: Apple iPhones used more than DSLRs
- 2018-2025: added a Nikon digital SLR (now in both camps)
- 2021-2025: added a Canon mirrorless camera & lenses (now in three camps!)
Dan Allen's Camera and Lens History
Canon EF July 9, 1974 to 1981
Minox 35EL 1978 to 1981
Leica M2 1981
Canon New F-1 1982
Leica R3 1983
Canon EOS 650 Mar 1987 to Dec 1988
Nikon N8008 Nov 9, 1988 to Nov 1989
Canon EOS RT Dec 1989 to Jan 1991
Canon T90 May 7, 1990 to Jan 1991
Nikon N6006 Nov 27, 1990 to Mar 1992
Canon EOS Elan Dec 24, 1991 to the present (a film camera if needed)
Canon EOS-1N May 16, 1998 to Aug 15, 2002
Kodak DC-280 Dec 6, 1999 to Jun 23, 2001
Pentax 6x7 II Mar 20, 2000 to Aug 15, 2002
Kodak DC-4800 Mar 7, 2001 to Nov 1, 2003
Canon PowerShot G3 Nov 6, 2002 to Apr 12, 2009
Nikon D70 Apr 29, 2004 to May 30, 2008
Canon PowerShot S410 Apr 12, 2005 to May 8, 2005
Canon PowerShot S500 May 27, 2005 to Sep 10, 2007
Nikon D200 Nov 14, 2006 to May 30, 2008
Canon PowerShot SD870 Sep 11, 2007 to Apr 21, 2009
Apple iPhone Feb 27, 2008 to Sep 8, 2010 (retired)
Canon EOS 40D Jun 19, 2008 to the present (still use it once in a while)
Panasonic Lumix TZ5 Apr 22, 2009 to Dec 27, 2009 (retired)
Panasonic Lumix ZS3 Dec 30, 2009 to Jul 5, 2012 (retired)
Apple iPhone 4 Sep 8, 2010 to Oct 15, 2011 (retired)
Nikon FM2 Aug 2, 2011 to the present (my father's film camera)
Apple iPhone 4S Oct 15, 2011 to Sep 23, 2014 (retired)
Panasonic Lumix ZS10 Jul 23, 2012 to Dec 12, 2016 (dust on the sensor precludes using it any more)
GoPro Hero 3 Black Ed Mar 28, 2014 to the present (the worst UI of any modern product; I hate using it!)
Apple iPhone 6 Sep 23, 2014 to Feb 22, 2018 (retired)
Nikon W300 Dec 25, 2017 to the present (batteries often dead, rarely used)
Apple iPhone 7 Plus Feb 22, 2018 to Sep 24, 2019 (still use it rarely)
Nikon D3400 Jul 8, 2018 to the present (great images, small viewfinder)
Apple iPhone 11 Pro Sep 24, 2019 to the present (most used)
Canon EOS R May 4, 2021 to the present (excellent colors, beautiful large viewfinder & screen; horrible AF)
15mm f/2.8 Fisheye Canon FD - 1974 to 1981
15mm f/2.8 Fisheye Canon EF - Jan 11, 2000 to Aug 15, 2002
24mm f/2.8 Canon FD - 1974 to 1981
28mm f/2.8 Canon FD - 2: 1974; May 7, 1990 to Jan 1991
28mm f/2.8 Elmarit Leica R - 1983
35mm f/1.8 G Nikon AF-S DX - May 5, 2020 to present
35mm f/1.8 IS Macro STM Canon RF - Dec 24, 2021 to present
35mm f/2.0 Summicron Leica M - 1981
35mm f/2.8 Canon FD - 1982
45mm f/2.8 TS-E Canon EF - May 14, 1998 to Aug 15, 2002
50mm f/1.4 Canon FD - 2: 1982; May 7, 1990 to Jan 1991
50mm f/1.4 Summilux Leica M - 1981
50mm f/1.4 D Nikon AF - April 29, 2004 to May 30, 2008
50mm f/1.8 Canon EF - 2: 1987-1988; Jul 1, 1992 to present
50mm f/1.8 Nikon AI - 2011 to present
50mm f/1.8 STM Canon RF - May 4, 2021 to present
50mm f/3.5 Macro Canon FD - 1974 to 1981
55mm f/4.0 Pentax 67 - Mar 30, 2000 to Aug 15, 2002
60mm f/2.8 Micro Nikon AF - Nov 27, 1990 to 1992
60mm f/2.8 Macro Canon EF-S - 2008 to present (Jun 19, 2008?)
85mm f/1.2 L Canon FD - May 7, 1990 to Jan 1991
85mm f/1.8 USM Canon EF - May 16, 1998 to present (AF died 8/2016)
85mm f/1.8 Nikon AF - 2: Nov 9, 1988 to 1989; Mar 19, 1991 to 1992
85mm f/1.8 Canon FD - 1974 to 1981
85mm f/2.8 PC Micro Nikon AI - Aug 30, 2005 to May 30, 2008 (stops down to f/45!)
90mm f/2.0 Summicron Leica R - 1983
90mm f/2.8 Elmar Leica M - 1981
100mm f/2.0 USM Canon EF - Apr 14, 1992 to 1998
100mm f/2.8 Canon FD - 1974 to 1975
105mm f/2.4 Pentax 67 - Mar 20, 2000 to Aug 15, 2002
135mm f/2.0 L USM Canon EF - April 27, 2021 to present
300mm f/2.8 L USM Canon EF - 2: Mar 9, 1999 to Aug 15, 2002; Jun 10, 2024 to present (flourite!)
300mm f/4.0 ED-IF Nikon AF - May 8, 1989 to 1992
300mm f/5.6 Canon FD - 1982
450mm f/8 Soligor FD - 1974 to 1981
500mm f/8 Mirror Tamron FD - 1988 to 1990
12-24mm f/4.0G ED Nikon AF-S DX - Nov 7, 2006 to May 30, 2008
17-35mm f/2.8 L USM Canon EF - May 4, 2000 to Aug 15, 2002
17-55mm f/2.8 USM Canon EF-S - Jun 19, 2008 to present
18-55mm f/3.5-5.6G VR Nikon AF-P DX - Jul 18, 2018 to present
18-70mm f/3.5-4.5G ED Nikon AF-S DX - Apr 29, 2004 to May 30, 2008
18-200mm f/3.5-5.6G ED VR Nikon AF-S DX - 2006 to May 30, 2008
18-300mm f/3.5-6.3G ED VR Nikon AF-S DX - Apr 30, 2025 to present
20-35mm f/3.5-4.5 USM Canon EF - Jul 11, 1996 to May 26, 2000
24-50mm f/3.3-4.5 Nikon AF - Nov 9, 1988 to 1992
24-105mm f/4.0 L IS USM Canon RF - May 4, 2021 to present
28-70mm f/2.8 L USM Canon EF - May 17, 2000 to Aug 15, 2002
28-70mm f/3.5-4.5 II Canon EF - Dec 21, 1989 to Jan 1991
28-80mm f/3.5-5.6 USM Canon EF - Dec 24, 1991 to present
35-70mm f/3.3-4.5 Nikon AF - Dec 1, 1990 to 1992
35-105mm f/3.5-4.5 Canon EF - Dec 1989 to Jan 1991
35-135mm f/3.5-4.5 Nikon AF - May 8, 1989 to 1992
50-135mm f/3.5 Canon FD - May 30, 1990 to Jan 1991
50-135mm f/3.5 Nikon AI - 2011 to present
55-200mm f/4-5.6G ED VR II Nikon AF-S DX - Jul 18, 2018 to present
55-250mm f/4.5-5.6 IS Canon EF-S - Jun 19, 2008 to present
70-200mm f/2.8L USM Canon EF - Jun 29, 1996 to Aug 15, 2002
70-300mm f/4.5-5.6D ED Nikon AF - Apr 29, 2004 to May 30, 2008
75-300mm f/4.5-5.6 Nikon AF - Dec 1, 1990 to 1992
100-300mm f/5.6 L Canon EF - 2: 1989 to 1991; Apr 30, 2021 to present (flourite!)
100-400mm f/5.6-8 IS Canon RF - May 20, 2022 to present
Camera and Lens Usage by Year
From most to least used, by year: Shots Taken 1999 135 : Kodak DC 280 Shots Taken 2000 1398 : Kodak DC 280 Shots Taken 2001 2914 : Kodak DC 4800 Shots Taken 2002 1906 : Kodak DC 4800 387 : Canon G3 Shots Taken 2003 2910 : Canon G3 Shots Taken 2004 2910 : Canon G3 1031 : Nikon AF-S DX 18-70mm f/3.5-4.5G IF-ED 456 : Nikon AF 70-300mm f/4-5.6D ED 133 : Nikon AF 50mm f/1.4D Shots Taken 2005 1615 : Nikon AF-S DX 18-70mm f/3.5-4.5G IF-ED 554 : Canon G3 318 : Nikon AF 70-300mm f/4-5.6D ED 281 : Nikon AF-S DX VR 18-200mm f/3.5-5.6G IF-ED 165 : Nikon PC Micro 85mm f/2.8D 39 : Nikon AF 50mm f/1.4D Shots Taken 2006 2532 : Nikon AF-S DX VR 18-200mm f/3.5-5.6G IF-ED 156 : Canon G3 140 : Nikon AF 50mm f/1.4D 84 : Nikon AF 70-300mm f/4-5.6D ED 75 : Nikon AF-S DX 12-24mm f/4G IF-ED 48 : Nikon PC Micro 85mm f/2.8D 3 : Nikon AF-S DX 18-70mm f/3.5-4.5G IF-ED Shots Taken 2007 1926 : Canon SD870 1094 : Nikon AF-S DX VR 18-200mm f/3.5-5.6G IF-ED 892 : Nikon AF-S DX 12-24mm f/4G IF-ED 416 : Nikon AF-S DX 17-55mm f/2.8G IF-ED 402 : Canon G3 173 : Nikon AF-S DX 18-70mm f/3.5-4.5G IF-ED 110 : Nikon AF 70-300mm f/4-5.6D ED 86 : Nikon AF 50mm f/1.4D 50 : Nikon PC Micro 85mm f/2.8D Shots Taken 2008 3853 : Canon SD870 909 : Canon EF-S 55-250mm f/4-5.6 IS 832 : Canon EF-S 17-55mm f/2.8 IS USM 654 : Apple iPhone 448 : Nikon AF-S DX 17-55mm f/2.8G IF-ED 210 : Canon EF-S 60mm f/2.8 Macro USM 170 : Nikon AF-S DX 12-24mm f/4G IF-ED 53 : Canon EF 50mm f/1.8 50 : Nikon AF-S DX VR 18-200mm f/3.5-5.6G IF-ED 43 : Nikon AF 70-300mm f/4-5.6D ED 31 : Canon EF 28-80mm f/3.5-5.6 USM 14 : Canon EF 85mm f/1.8 USM 1 : Nikon AF 50mm f/1.4D 1 : Nikon PC Micro 85mm f/2.8D Shots Taken 2009 6000 : Panasonic TZ5 415 : Apple iPhone 411 : Canon EF-S 17-55mm f/2.8 IS USM 382 : Canon EF-S 55-250mm f/4-5.6 IS 133 : Canon SD870 66 : Canon EF-S 60mm f/2.8 Macro USM 36 : Panasonic ZS3 Shots Taken 2010 3724 : Panasonic ZS3 1213 : Apple iPhone 4 466 : Apple iPhone 223 : Canon EF-S 55-250mm f/4-5.6 IS 201 : Canon EF-S 17-55mm f/2.8 IS USM 45 : Canon EF-S 60mm f/2.8 Macro USM 15 : Canon EF 50mm f/1.8 Shots Taken 2011 2795 : Panasonic ZS3 2601 : Apple iPhone 4 1089 : Apple iPhone 4S 45 : Canon EF-S 55-250mm f/4-5.6 IS 41 : Canon EF 50mm f/1.8 31 : Canon EF-S 17-55mm f/2.8 IS USM 4 : Canon EF-S 60mm f/2.8 Macro USM Shots Taken 2012 4184 : Apple iPhone 4S 3662 : Panasonic ZS10 1022 : Panasonic ZS3 132 : Canon EF-S 55-250mm f/4-5.6 IS 34 : Canon EF-S 17-55mm f/2.8 IS USM 4 : Canon EF 50mm f/1.8 Shots Taken 2013 2892 : Apple iPhone 4S 1679 : Panasonic ZS10 233 : Canon EF-S 17-55mm f/2.8 IS USM 103 : Canon EF-S 55-250mm f/4-5.6 IS Shots Taken 2014 2340 : Apple iPhone 4S 1065 : Panasonic ZS10 661 : Apple iPhone 6 13 : Canon EF-S 55-250mm f/4-5.6 IS 9 : Canon EF-S 17-55mm f/2.8 IS USM 1 : Canon EF-S 60mm f/2.8 Macro USM Shots Taken 2015 2642 : Apple iPhone 6 655 : Panasonic ZS10 186 : Canon EF-S 55-250mm f/4-5.6 IS 63 : Canon EF-S 60mm f/2.8 Macro USM 45 : Canon EF-S 17-55mm f/2.8 IS USM 9 : Canon EF 50mm f/1.8 4 : Canon EF 85mm f/1.8 USM 1 : Canon EF 28-80mm f/3.5-5.6 USM Shots Taken 2016 2571 : Apple iPhone 6 705 : Panasonic ZS10 696 : Canon EF-S 55-250mm f/4-5.6 IS 130 : Canon EF-S 17-55mm f/2.8 IS USM 21 : Canon EF-S 60mm f/2.8 Macro USM 18 : Canon EF 28-80mm f/3.5-5.6 USM 13 : Canon EF 50mm f/1.8 7 : Canon EF 85mm f/1.8 USM Shots Taken 2017 2790 : Apple iPhone 6 326 : Canon EF-S 55-250mm f/4-5.6 IS 99 : Canon EF-S 17-55mm f/2.8 IS USM 93 : Nikon W300 9 : Canon EF-S 60mm f/2.8 Macro USM 9 : Canon EF 50mm f/1.8 Shots Taken 2018 2436 : Apple iPhone 7 Plus 1026 : Nikon AF-S DX 55-200mm f/4-5.6G ED VR II 550 : Nikon W300 488 : Nikon AF-P DX 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6G VR 144 : Apple iPhone 6 23 : Canon EF-S 55-250mm f/4-5.6 IS 10 : Apple iPad Air 8 : Canon EF-S 17-55mm f/2.8 IS USM Shots Taken 2019 1960 : Apple iPhone 11 Pro 1696 : Apple iPhone 7 Plus 365 : Nikon AF-P DX 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6G VR 121 : Nikon W300 47 : Nikon AF-S DX 55-200mm f/4-5.6G ED VR II 39 : Apple iPad Pro 18 : Canon EF-S 17-55mm f/2.8 IS USM 2 : Canon EF-S 60mm f/2.8 Macro USM Shots Taken 2020 2665 : Apple iPhone 11 Pro 163 : Nikon AF-S DX 35mm f/1.8G 112 : Nikon AF-S DX 55-200mm f/4-5.6G ED VR II 50 : Nikon AF-P DX 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6G 39 : Nikon W300 16 : Apple iPhone 7 Plus 4 : Apple iPad Pro Shots Taken 2021 2003 : Apple iPhone 11 Pro 557 : Canon RF 24-105mm f/4L IS USM 182 : Nikon AF-P DX 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6G 73 : Nikon AF-S DX 55-200mm f/4-5.6G ED VR II 52 : Canon RF 50mm f/1.8 STM 42 : Nikon W300 31 : Canon RF 35mm f/1.8 Macro IS STM 27 : Canon EF 135mm f/2L USM 26 : Canon EF 100-300mm f/5.6L 23 : Canon EF-S 17-55mm f/2.8 IS USM 21 : Nikon AF-S DX 35mm f/1.8G 16 : Apple iPhone 7 Plus 10 : Apple iPad Pro 10 : Canon EF-S 55-250mm f/4-5.6 IS 1 : Canon EF 85mm f/1.8 USM Shots Taken 2022 1672 : Apple iPhone 11 Pro 301 : Canon RF 24-105mm f/4L IS USM 166 : Canon RF 35mm f/1.8 Macro IS STM 92 : Canon RF 100-400mm f/5.6-8 IS USM 69 : Nikon AF-S DX 55-200mm f/4-5.6G ED VR II 39 : Nikon W300 27 : Canon EF 135mm f/2L USM 17 : Canon EF 100-300mm f/5.6L 8 : Nikon AF-S DX 35mm f/1.8G 6 : Canon EF-S 55-250mm f/4-5.6 IS 4 : Canon EF-S 17-55mm f/2.8 IS USM 3 : Canon RF 50mm f/1.8 STM Shots Taken 2023 1656 : Apple iPhone 11 Pro 541 : Canon RF 24-105mm f4L IS USM 466 : Nikon AF-P DX 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6G 270 : Canon RF 35mm f/1.8 Macro IS STM 239 : Canon RF 100-400mm f/5.6-8 IS USM 130 : Canon EF 135mm f/2L USM 70 : Canon RF 50mm f/1.8 STM 60 : Canon EF 100-300mm f/5.6L 22 : Nikon W300 7 : Nikon AF-S DX 55-200mm f/4-5.6G ED VR II 4 : Canon EF-S 60mm f/2.8 Macro USM 1 : Canon EF-S 17-55mm f/2.8 IS USM Shots Taken 2024 1479 : Canon RF 35mm f/1.8 Macro IS STM 1245 : Apple iPhone 11 Pro 512 : Canon RF 24-105mm f/4L IS USM 338 : Canon RF 100-400mm f/5.6-8 IS USM 158 : Nikon W300 89 : AF-P DX Nikkor 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6G 81 : Canon RF 50mm f/1.8 STM 52 : Canon EF 135mm f/2L USM 26 : Canon EF-S 17-55mm f/2.8 IS USM 22 : Nikon AF-S DX 35mm f/1.8G 21 : Canon EF-S 60mm f/2.8 Macro USM 12 : Canon EF 100-300mm f/5.6L 10 : Canon EF 300mm f/2.8L USM Shots Taken 2025 390 : Apple iPhone 11 Pro 362 : Canon RF 35mm f/1.8 Macro IS STM 153 : Canon RF 24-105mm f/4L IS USM 102 : AF-P DX Nikkor 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6G 86 : AF-S DX Nikkor 18-300mm f/3.5-6.3G ED VR 25 : Canon EF 135mm f/2L USM 17 : AF-S DX Nikkor 35mm f/1.8G 11 : Canon RF 50mm f/1.8 STM 9 : Nikon W300 Note to self - these stats generated by: cd ~/Docs/Picts/Digital ls 2025*/iPhone11_* | wc ls 2025*/NikonW* | wc exiftool 2025*/NikonD* | grep 'Lens ID' | topten -c exiftool 2025*/Canon* | grep 'Lens ID' | topten -c
Camera Reflections
August 6, 2024 Thoughts
42 years ago I had a New Canon F-1 for a year. It is probably the best built camera I have ever owned. It was amazing. I only had it for a year because it was so expensive I really could not afford it while I was at college, so I had to sell it.For that one year, I had a camera outfit with these three lenses:
- FD 35mm f/2.8
- FD 50mm f/1.4
- FD 300mm f/5.6
In the spirit of that, I am now really enjoying my RF lenses:
- RF 35mm f/1.8 IS Macro STM
- RF 50mm f/1.8 STM
- RF 24-105mm f/4L IS USM
- RF 100-400mm f/5.6-8 IS USM
Compared to my old FD 35mm, the RF 35/1.8 has many improvements: it is faster (f/1.8 vs f/2.8), has a maximum magnification of 0.5 rather than 0.13, and with its IS can be hand held down to half a second! However, it is quite a bit larger and heavier (305 grams vs 165 grams.) Overall, the RF lens is a very nice upgrade as a successor to the FD 35.
The RF 50mm f/1.8 is so small, and it delivers terrific image quality when shooting at f/5.6-8. I could do without it now that I know how versatile the RF 35 is.
The RF 24-105 is heavy. Picture quality is quite good. The range is useful, but I had it to do over, I would follow Ken Rockwell's advice and get the RF 24-240 instead, for its longer range.
The RF 100-400 continues to impress. Not only is the lens small and light for what it is, but the results are gorgeous. It does have 1 UD element and 1 aspheric element, which formerly would have given it an L rating. It is slow, but with moderate ISO values it is fine for normal sunny days handheld due to its image stabilization (IS) feature. I do not think a 70-200 lens would be very fun to use after using this, because 300-400mm is so much better than 200mm for so many subjects.
The FD 300mm f/5.6 weighed 635 grams, and the new RF 100-400? It weighs exactly 635 grams too! The FD was a stop faster, while the RF has a full telephoto zoom range, and a UD element as well, so it is a great successor.
This month I bought on eBay a used Canon EF 300mm f/2.8L USM for $1400. What a beautiful lens! I have not got a chance to use it much yet, but it is so large and heavy that it makes the RF 100-400mm really look that much more amazing.
In fact, I could get by quite well with just two lenses:
- RF 35mm f/1.8 IS Macro STM
- RF 100-400mm f/5.6-8 IS USM
Photo Viewing
I do my serious photo reviewing and editing on my Apple iMac 27". Its display
is remarkable, with 5120 x 2880 pixels. My iPhone 11 Pro images are 4032 x 3024
pixels, so they are not very sharp on this screen. My Canon EOS R images are
6720 x 4480 pixels, so they look nice and crisp on this screen. A Canon EOS R5
has 8192 x 5464 pixels, so that would give more room for zooming & cropping,
while a Hasselblad X2D 100C would have 11656 x 8742 pixels. Now we're talking!
Until Apple upgrades the iMac 27" - perhaps an iMac 30" with an M4 Pro? - I am content with my Intel iMac 27".
Feb 3, 2023 Thoughts
I now have a decent EOS R system, with four native RF lenses:- RF 35mm f/1.8 IS Macro
- RF 50mm f/1.8 STM
- RF 24-105mm f/4L IS
- RF 100-400mm f/5.6-8 IS
I do not want to like the RF 100-400 due to its being so slow, but it turns in such nice results! It is small and light, and I think it really does an excellent job.
My iPhone 11 Pro continues to get used the most due to its always being with me, and it often gets better closeup photos than my Macro lenses. I have yet to great a great photo with my EF-S 60mm f/2.8 Macro, but I need to work more with it.
July 8, 2021 Thoughts
Tomorrow will be 47 years since I bought my first camera, a Canon EF. It was a great camera. A few months ago I bought into Canon's new mirrorless system, buying a Canon EOS R. I got two RF lenses: an RF 50mm f/1.8 STM, and the RF 24-105mm f/4L IS USM. The 24-105 is really a terrific lens. I also got the EF/RF adapter, so I can use my eight EF lenses.I was really quite saddened earlier this year when I learned of great lenses being discontinued, such as the EF 135mm f/2.0L USM, so I bought one. The EF 300mm f/2.8L IS is also gone, and the Nikon AF-S 200mm f/2, both phenomenal lenses. No modern replacements have been announced, which might mean the era of fast large glass is also over. The EF and AF-S worlds are dying. Sigh.
So I am moving into the mirrorless age. I will need a long-tele at some point, perhaps the RF 100-500mm, but I can use another recent aquisition, a used EF 100-300mm f/5.6L in the meantime.
November 30, 2019 Thoughts
On my recent trip to Germany, I took 233 pictures with my new Nikon D3400. Only 25 of these were with the long zoom, the other 208 being with the 27-83mm. (These are 35mm equivalents.) I took 1,101 pictures with my new iPhone 11 Pro.The Nikon photos are better when there is a lot of light, but the iPhone 11 Pro is terrific in low-light now, and while its three cameras offer 14mm f/2.4, 26mm f/1.8, and 52mm f/2.0, it can also digitally zoom to 270mm. There is a lot of noise in the zoomed shots. The ultra-wide 14mm is not very sharp outside of the center. The 26mm and 52mm however are really quite good. I wish the iPhone had an optical 300mm rather than the 14mm.
The handwriting is on the wall for DSLRs as smartphone cameras get better and better. The crux of the issue is that DSLRs are too big and cumbersome. Canon & Nikon need to make a small multi-lens camera that blows away the iPhone. 12 megapixels are not enough for me. The Nikon's 24 megapixel images look a lot sharper on my 5K monitor. My dream would be a camera with 24mm f/2.0, 50mm f/1.4, 100mm f/2.0, and 300mm f/5.6.
July 18, 2018 Thoughts
For once in my life I decided to try and take a budget approach. After reading Ken Rockwell's pages about cameras, I decided to get back into Nikon, so today I got for $698 a Nikon D3400 with two zoom lenses for my trip to Australia. The Nikon AF-S DX 55-200mm f/4-5.6G ED VR II is so small and light for an 82-300mm zoom. It will be great for wildlife. The Nikon AF-P DX 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6G VR is a 27-82mm with great macro capabilities, an all-arounder.The 6000 x 4000 pixel (24 megapixel) images are nice!
2017 Thoughts
I have enjoyed using different kinds of cameras over the years. I think the best quality camera gear ever made was Canon in the early 1980s, with their F-1n and T-90 cameras, and FD lenses. Their mid-1970s FL-F lenses were phenomenal: the FL-F 300mm f/5.6 FLOURITE and FL-F 500mm f/5.6 FLOURITE were so solid.If I could have a cost no-object current system, I'd have:
- Canon EOS 5D Mark IV ($3500)
- EF 35mm f/1.4L II USM ($1800)
- EF 50mm f/1.2L USM ($1350)
- EF 85mm f/1.2L II USM ($1900)
- EF 16-35mm f/4.0L IS USM ($1000)
- EF 24-105mm f/4.0L IS II USM ($1100)
- EF 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6L IS II USM ($2000)
- EF 24mm f/3.5L TS-E ($1900)
- EF 45mm f/2.8 TS-E ($1400)
- EF 90mm f/2.8 TS-E ($1400)
That is a $17,350 camera outfit! However, this is too expensive for my real needs, so I am considering a different outfit:
- Canon EOS 80D ($1200)
- EF 50mm f/1.8 STM (80mm equivalent, $125)
- EF 85mm f/1.8 USM (136mm equivalent, $380, already own)
- EF 70-300mm f/4.0-5.6 IS II USM (112-480mm equivalent, $550)
- EF-S 24mm f/2.8 IS STM (38mm equivalent, $150)
- EF-S 60mm f/2.8 Macro USM (96mm equivalent, $385, already own)
- EF-S 10-18mm f/4.5-5.6 IS STM (16-29mm equivalent, $280)
- EF-S 17-55mm f/2.8 IS USM (27-88mm equivalent, $1030, already own)
- EF-S 18-135mm f/3.5-5.6 IS USM (29-216mm equivalent, $600)
That is $2,905 out of pocket, or a total of $4,700. Perhaps still too much, but better. This would upgrade my 8 year old EOS 40D camera nicely, but adding 3 more EF-S lenses that will not work with a full-frame body like the 5D may not be the best route. If I don't plan to do much video work, then many of these lenses are not needed. The EF-S 10-18, EF-S 24mm, EF 50/f1.8 STM, and EF-S 18-135 lenses offer silent focusing which is useful for video work. Utilizing what I already have leaves a modestly upgraded outfit:
- Canon EOS 80D ($1200)
- EF 50mm f/1.8 (80mm equivalent, $70, already own)
- EF 85mm f/1.8 USM (136mm equivalent, $380, already own)
- EF 28-80mm f/3.5-4.5 USM (45-128mm equivalent, $200, already own)
- EF-S 24mm f/2.8 IS STM (38mm equivalent, $150)
- EF-S 60mm f/2.8 Macro USM (96mm equivalent, $385, already own)
- EF-S 17-55mm f/2.8 IS USM (27-88mm equivalent, $1030, already own)
- EF-S 55-250mm f/4.0-5.6 IS (88-400mm equivalent, $250, already own)
This requires an outlay of only $1,350 and I have the basics covered, to wit:
- Scenics handled by EF-S 17-55mm f/2.8 IS USM
- Wildlife handled by EF-S 55-250mm f/4.0-5.6 IS
- Still life work handled by EF-S 24mm f/2.8 IS STM
- Macro work handled by EF-S 60mm f/2.8 Macro USM
- Portraits handled by EF 50mm f/1.8
The rest of this web page is here for historical context. It was written in 2001-2003.
Digital Camera Recommendations
By Dan AllenBackground
I have been a photographer since 1974. I have owned many different Canon, Nikon, and Leica cameras. I have been using computers since 1975. Having digital photos has been something that I have wanted for many years, but the number one problem for me has been image quality. Digital cameras for the first many years were terrible. They are now in the decent to interesting range. Soon they will dominate film, and then film will be only part of history, like reel-to-reel and cassette tape recorders are now.In 1999 I owned an amazing Canon EOS-1n system with the following lenses:
- EF 15mm f/2.8 USM Fisheye
- EF 45mm f/2.8 TS
- EF 50mm f/1.8
- EF 85mm f/1.8 USM
- EF 300mm f/2.8 L USM
- EF 17-35mm f/2.8 L USM
- EF 28-70mm f/2.8 L USM
- EF 70-200mm f/2.8 L USM
But I do not shoot film anymore! I sold the Canon outfit and the 6x7 in August of 2002, and I've gone digital.
Scanners
I have two flat bed scanners (a Canon FB630U and a HP ScanJet 5p) and a Canon CanoScan FS-2710 35mm film scanner. This last scanner allows me to scan in 35mm slides and negatives at 2710 pixels per inch, much better than the 600-1200 pixels per inch that the flatbed scanners allow. More importantly slide scanners support a wider gamma range (range of film densities) so they keep a larger gradient of tones.Note: pixels per inch (PPI), lines per inch (LPI), and dots per inch (DPI) are sometimes treated the same, but othertimes they are very different. See this article for more info. A line of resolution generally requires 2X the number of pixels.Example: Kodachrome delivers 4000 lines of resolution vertically in 24mm, the height of a 35mm slide.
4000 lines / 24mm = 166 lines / mm resolution
166 lines / mm * 2 pixels / line = 333 pixels / mm required to scan for printing
333 pixels / mm * 25.4 mm / inch = 8466 pixels / inch required to scan a slide accurately
Do you want to see a large 1494 x 1024 pixel JPEG (256KB) which gives you a taste of what a slide scanner can achieve? Click here. (It is a picture of the Endeavour replica ship that I took with my EOS-1 and EF 300mm f/2.8L.) The actual uncompressed image with 36-bit color is a file over 50 MB in size!Note:Kodachrome 25 was discontinued in December 2001.
2016 Note: now – decades later – a 1494 x 1024 pixel image seems tiny. How times change...
Click here for more information on how to process and publish digital photos.
What to look for in a digital camera
Here are the things I look for in a digital camera:- Sharpness - according to Popular Photography, the highest resolution that they have seen a good 35mm camera and lens produce is 77 lines per mm; normal conditions render about 60 lines per mm. This is our standard or benchmark. A 4 MP (megapixel or millions of pixels) camera delivers about 27 lines per mm, thus they still have a ways to go to catch up to 35mm cameras. The 4,000 ppi (pixels per inch) slide scanners deliver 60 lines per mm, so one can get 35mm quality into a computer by taking slides with a good SLR and then scanning those slides.
- Lens range - digital cameras have lens focal lengths that do not match 35mm lens due to the difference in film and sensor sizes. Image sensors on digital cameras are all smaller than 35mm and thus for an equivalent angle of coverage, digital cameras use shorter focal lengths. This makes wide angle lenses hard to find in digital cameras, but telephoto lengths abound.
- Exposure - many digital cameras have little or no ability to change the exposure, so if you are in a backlit situation, you may be out of luck. The better cameras allow you to make changes, and because digital cameras have little LCD displays on them, you can see if the picture came out right after you take the photo! Digital cameras are truly going to make Polaroid go out of its traditional business. (Polaroid is now making very good film scanners so they are trying to transition to digital as well.)
- Shutter release - pro photographers are used to taking up to 5 frames per second. Digital cameras have been much slower, especially in the time between pressing the trigger and taking the photo. Good 35mm cameras are in the 50 millisecond range, but most digital cameras are at the 1 second range! This makes for many missed photos. Another annoyance is how long digital cameras take to turn on--most are 5-10 seconds, which is way to long for those occasions where you need to grab a quick shot before it is gone.
- Battery life - like all other electronic marvels, digital cameras need lots of energy. This means that batteries are a consideration. Many digital cameras cannot last longer than an hour of active shooting!
My First Digital Camera
After considering digital, I eventually bought a 2 megapixel (MP) camera, a Kodak DC-280.
I paid $750 in December of 1999.
When they stopped making it in early 2001 they sold for $350. How does it stack up to my five points?
- Sharpness - with 2.0 MP (mega-pixels), the DC-280 took images sharp enough to print out nice looking 4x6s and 5x7s. Images came out at 1760 x 1168 pixels, or about 500 KB per compressed JPEG image.
- Lens range - although just barely acceptable by 35mm standards, the DC-280 had a zoom that was equivalent to a 30mm to 60mm lens on a 35mm camera. This at least gives you the standard 35mm and 50mm lengths that are so useful. It turns out that for digital cameras of this era in the under $1,000 price range, no other camera went as wide. This was a great feature for scenics, interior shots, etc. It is a bit slow (f/3.0-3.8), but the lens was okay overall.
- Exposure - the automatic exposure mode was very good. It was very rare that I needed to change the exposure. When I did, however, manual override of exposures was a hassle, but it could be done through the menus on the back.
- Shutter release - there was a huge delay between pressing the trigger and when the picture was taken, about 1.8 seconds or 1.4 seconds for the autofocus, and 0.4 seconds for the shutter delay. That's 400 ms! For fast moving things like airplanes, cats, and kids, I missed more photos than I would have liked. This is the camera's weakest point. Time to first photo was about 5.3 seconds, also too long.
- Battery life - the battery life was fairly short. It used 4 AA batteries, which you had to continually take in and out of the camera to charge in an external charger. Second weakest point of the camera.
My Second Digital Camera
My second digital camera was the champagne colored Kodak DC-4800. I paid $500 after a $100 Kodak rebate. Let's see how
it stacked up:
- Sharpness - with 3.1 MP, the DC-3400 has 50% more pixels and gives slightly sharper photos than the DC-280, but not that much because the pixels needed go as the square (length x width = area).
- Lens range - the equivalent of a 28-84mm f/2.8-4.5 lens is not to be found in any other digital camera under $1,000. The Canon G1 is a nice camera, but it doesn't go wider than 34mm! The top of the line Nikon CoolPix cameras zoom out to a whopping 38 mm. Yawn. Only an expensive Canon D30 or Nikon D1 with a 17mm lens ($3500+) can zoom out to a 28mm lens! This in itself means game over -- every other camera loses if you do scenics, interiors, or other photography that needs any sort of a wide angle, and were only talking 28mm here, not the 17mm - 24mm super wide angles that are very common on SLRs.
- Exposure - a very good meter, with two great features for changing the exposure: a handy exposure compensation dial, for dialing in more or less light, and an aperture priority dial allowing you to set the f/stop at f/2.8, f/5.6, and f/8. This allows you to easily specify, for example, that the camera use the highest possible shutter speed (use f/2.8), or to give lots of depth of field (f/8). This is a big step forward, and few digital cameras under $1,000 have a feature like this that is so easy to use.
- Shutter release - from turning on the camera to the first shot takes 4.4 seconds, a bit faster than the DC-280. By comparison the near $1,000 Canon G1 takes 9.4 seconds! The total shutter and autofocus lag time is 0.9 seconds, twice as fast as the DC-280, but still too slow. To go much faster you need to go to a pro digital camera, like the aformentioned Canon D30 or Nikon D1. It does have a good shutter speed range, from 1/1000th of a second to 16 seconds.
- Battery life - the battery situation is much better than the DC-280. It uses a lithium-ion pack that resides in the camera. One can plug the camera into the external charger without having to remove the batteries. The lithium batteries also last much longer, giving me on one charge 2-3 average days of shooting when traveling. This is much better than the other cameras.
Summary
The DC-4800 was better than the already decent DC-280 in every way. For $500, it was the best buy on the market and the camera to beat. For an in-depth look at the DC-4800, click here. The camera has now been discontinued and no new Kodak camera has the wide angle lens and range of features that this does. Kodak is out of the digital camera game for me.
My Third Digital Camera
In November of 2002 I got a new camera. The DC-4800 was great, but I wanted a stronger flash, better close up photography,
an intervalometer, panoramic photo stiching, a faster lens, and higher quality photos. All of this and more came in Canon's
third generation Canon PowerShot G3, a 4 megapixel camera. Let's see how it does.
- Sharpness - with 4 MP, the G3 is superb. Images are 2272 by 1704 pixels, about 1 MB per photo. A 256 MB card holds 221 photos.
- Lens range - well, it has a 7.2-28.8mm zoom, which is 34-140mm in 35mm format. I miss the wider angle of the DC-4800, but the telephoto end is nice. I wish it had an equivalent range of 24-120mm.
- Exposure - excellent exposures, and the best flexibility yet: program, shutter preferred, aperture preferred, full manual, exposure compensation, and more. It has an f/2 lens, which allows for indoor shots without a flash. The built-in flash is very powerful, much better than previous cameras. Not much more I could ask for here.
- Shutter release - wakes up in 4.2 seconds, it is often held up by the autofocusing, but unlike any digital camera I've had, this G3 has manual focusing! This allows the release to be instant because it removes the wait from autofocus. It does have a good shutter speed range, from 1/2000th of a second to 15 seconds.
- Battery life - the rechargable lithium pack gives 500 photos on a charge. I've never had it come close to running out. Greatly improved from my first camera.
Pro Gear
If money is no object, buy a Canon EOS-1Ds ($9,000). Here is how it compares:
- Sharpness - 11 megapixel! 4064 by 2704 pixel images require 4 MB each to store, but they are sharp!
- Exposure - based on the Canon EOS-1, which is to say, perfection.
- Lens range - comes with no fixed built-in lens, but accepts the whole line of Canon lenses, from 14mm wide angle to 1200mm telephoto. Unlike all other digial SLRs, this new Canon EOS-1Ds has no image multiplier - the camera is a true 35mm digital camera, so all of Canon's 35mm lenses work the same as if on a regular Canon EOS-1.
- Shutter release - Camera comes alive in 1.2 seconds. 1/8000 of a second to 30 seconds, 3 frames per second, with a 10 frame burst ability, 87ms blackout per shot. Wow.
- Battery life - A NiMH pack powers the camera for about 600 shots per charge.
