What I Shoot With--and WON'T Shoot With

What I Shoot With
The "equipment history" with me is long & varied, to say the least. (I'm only talking about digital at this point, I'm skipping the Nikon N80, EM, FE, Rolleicord 120 TLR in this discussion.) Starting with the Canon Digital Rebel in Nov 2004, followed by the Nikon D50 in September 2005, all the way to the Nikon D5100 I now own, I've been the user of MANY different cameras.

Currently, my DSLR of choice is the Nikon D5100. I chose this model because it has a very modern & capable sensor, the same one used in the very nice Nikon D7000, and has just enough features to differentiate it from the bottom models. I like to shoot in RAW + JPEG mode, and like for the JPEG to be as small as possible, as I always edit the RAW file of the best shots anyway & only use the JPEG as a "preview" image. The entry-level models don't allow you to specify the size or quality of the JPEG as the D5100 does. Also, I like for ISO to be on display in the viewfinder at all times, and the D5100 allows this. I also like to change f-stop increments from 1/3 to 1/2, and again, the entry-level models don't allow this whereas the D5100 does. The D5100 also has "green dot reset," where you can quickly return many settings (ISO, white balance, exposure compensation etc) to their normal values so you don't forget to, say, return ISO from 6400, exposure compensation from +1.5, white balance from fluorescent, and turn off bracketing etc.

The tilt-screen, for me, is somewhat beside the point, the point is getting the latest sensor-technology in a lower-priced body that nonetheless isn't the ABSOLUTE bottom-line. Much the same was the case for me with the D5000 before it, so upgrading to the D5100 (vs the D90 or the D7000) made sense to me.

I also shoot with an Olympus E-PL1 so as to have a camera of quality with me when I don't feel inclined to lug the D5100 (even though the D5100 is actually small for a DSLR). With this model, I sometimes shoot in JPEG mode, as I'm often-times looking for a more "hassle-free" path, and Olympus models have an excellent JPEG engine. However, I will sometimes shoot in RAW mode with it as well.

What will I NOT shoot with? Camera Phones
There has been a recent trend towards "iPhone Photography," and call me a snob, but I won't have anything to do with it. People like to say that since your phone is always with you, it makes sense. I disagree, unless you're a frat boy in college documenting your bar-hopping exploits, such a camera is WOEFULLY inadequate for ANY useful photography. And no, I don't care who has won what Pulitzer Price for an iPhone photo, I still don't do it--and flat-out refuse to. I use the Olympus E-PL1 for such shots, it's still pretty small and WAY better.

Many like to respond "the tool doesn't matter," but I disagree. I agree when this statement is meant to say that you don't have to have the absolute BEST Nikon d-SLR to "rate," that you can take great photos with an entry-level DSLR vs the expensive ones. However, I think you have to draw the line somewhere. After all, would a fine cuisine chef serve someone Chef-Boyardee from a can?

How strongly do I feel about this? If I ran a photo group, I would ban the submission of any photo taken with a camera phone, no matter how good others regarded it as being. As Olympus says, "camera phones are to photography what 3 minute noodles are to cooking."

Ditto D-SLR Video Clips
I also have nothing to do with using a DSLR to shoot video clips. (I use a "palm" camcorder, the Kodak zi8.) I strongly disagree with the inclusion of video-mode, which I derisively term "YouTube" mode, in D-SLRs. Why? To me, it's about priorities and focusing on 1 task at the time, vs being a "jack of all trades/master of none." A DSLR is about uncompromising excellence with taking PHOTOGRAPHS, and I don't want the manufacturers to become distracted into pursuing anything else in such a tool. Let them do that with their point & shoots, and let the Android and iPhone devices of the world do this.

Also, I don't want the ergonomics of the tool compromised. With my D5100 for instance, as excellent as it is, I don't like the "red dot" button near the shutter release being mapped to the YouTube mode. Instead, as the D5100 doesn't have a dedicated ISO button (it can be remapped to the Fn button, which I've done), it would make sense to have this button capable of that setting, which is a STILLS setting (and DSLRs are supposed to be about stills). As it is, this button gets in the way.