D-SLRs For The Landscape

Choose the best camera for your landscape photography

Nikon D300
The D300 delivers on its promise of terrific image quality. The camera is remarkable at higher ISOs, and its Active D-Lighting preserves detail throughout high-contrast scenes. Another great feature for landscape photography is the 920,000-dot, 3.0-inch LCD monitor with two Live-View modes: Handheld, which employs 51-point phase detection AF; and Tripod, which uses focal-plane contrast-detection AF. You even can route the live image to a laptop monitor and control the camera from the computer using Nikon Camera Control 2 software. You also can focus manually in either Live-View mode.

Picture Control settings let you start with four presets (Standard, Neutral, Vivid or Monochrome) and then modify sharpness, contrast, brightness, color saturation, tone and monochrome filter effects as desired, while Nikon’s new EXPEED processing concept and your choice of 12- or 14-bit A/D conversion result in excellent image quality (in-camera processing is 16-bit). On-demand viewfinder grid lines help you align image elements, while Nikon’s first self-cleaning sensor keeps dust off the sensor assembly.

Features
Sensor: 12.3-megapixel CMOS, 1.5x
LCD: 3 inches/Live View Anti-Dust: High-frequency vibrations
Stabilization: Via VR lenses ISO Range: 200-3200, plus 100 and 6400
Spot Metering: 2%
Estimated Street Price: $1,800

Build quality is excellent, with a strong magnesium-alloy body and enhanced sealing against moisture and dust. Mirror-up mode lets the camera settle down before a tripod-mounted exposure, 2% spot-metering lets you meter individual scenic elements, and a battery capable of up to 3,000 shots per charge means worry-free field operation.
Nikon offers a host of lenses for its D-SLRs, ranging in focal length from a 10.5mm fish-eye (equivalent to 15.75mm on a 35mm camera) and 12-24mm superwide zoom (equivalent to 18-36mm) to a 600mm supertelephoto (equivalent to 900mm), including three 1:1 macro lenses and two manual-focus tilt/shift lenses that provide some of the perspective control capabilities of a view camera.


The dial on the top, left of the camera gives you one-touch control over shooting quality, ISO, white balance and the camera’s drive modes	The selector switch accesses the AF area modes, and the multi-selector allows you to choose an AF point. These are particularly useful when setting up a landscape shot that has critical elements in both foreground and background	The bright, 3-inch LCD monitor features Live-View	The LCD panel on top of the body gives a full readout of settings and is illuminated via the on-off button.

Alternative Landscape D-SLR
Camera: Nikon D3 Sensor: 12.1 MP/FF LCD: 3 inches/Live View Anti-Dust: Vibration Stabilization: With VR lenses ISO: 50-25,600 Spot Metering: 1.5% Estimated Street Price: $5,000

Lineage: The D300 is the successor to the D200, although the latter remains in Nikon’s D-SLR lineup as of this writing. While the D200 is an excellent camera, D300 improvements are numerous, including a 12.3-megapixel CMOS sensor (vs. a 10.2-megapixel CCD in the D200), 3.0-inch 920,000-dot LCD panel with two Live-View modes (vs. a 2.5-inch 230,000-pixel LCD with no Live View), self-cleaning sensor unit, 51 AF points (vs. 11), 6 fps shooting (vs. 5 fps), 100% viewfinder (vs. 95%), EXPEED image processing concept with Scene Recognition System, in-camera retouching features, Active D-Lighting, improved auto white balance and more.

Cool Factor: Ideal for low-light and harshly lit landscapes, the D300 produces very low noise at higher ISOs (it goes to ISO 6400), while Active D-Lighting tames contrasty scenes.

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G - HASSLER makes this comment

Friday, 30 October 2009

Going back to all the 2&1/4 cameras made - - - Still no digital in square format?
Steve Tracy makes this comment

Monday, 07 September 2009

Having used Just a variety of Nikons over the years before switching to the Canon EOS-1V, I still find that I think of focal lengths in a film sense. The EOS-5D Mk11 seems to fit that bill in every way, and when matched to an all-round lens like Canon's 28-300mm L series lens, there seems little need to ever remove the lens from the body unless extreme wide-angle is essential. It's a very fine camera in every way, and I have no complaints thus far. The combination produces stunning landscapes.
Michael makes this comment

Monday, 03 August 2009

I'm a recent convert to...FILM!!...for really good landscapes. In particular, a Pentax 645N (which you can get for ~$400 nowadays in pristine condition) shooting Fuji Velvia 50. North Coast Photo Services produces high-quality scans during processing....love it!
Jim Horne makes this comment

Thursday, 23 July 2009

Article
Cees van Leeuwen makes this comment

Tuesday, 21 July 2009

The 5D MII is a fine camera. It has one rather silly design flaw: The program button has no lock and its position can easily be changed. That happens me often in the heat of the photo-battle. Struggling to find the right position of the clouds' shadows, the ideal formation of the clouds. All of a sudden you see it. You slam the brakes, grab the camera, aim and shoot. A split second later the ideal situation has gone. Then you realize the program button has changed position! It happened when you grabbed the camera. Sh.t is the friendliest way to get rid of your anger.
Jack Nichols makes this comment

Thursday, 16 July 2009

the art of the photograph is in the eye of the photographer. The camera is merely the instrument used to create the image. We each have our preferences and it is always an interesting discussion to compare reasons for those preferences. I presonally prefer Nikon because I have used a Nikon, starting with a Nikon F in the late 60's. The most important characterist for me is for the designed to share a philosophy that the photographer is in control, and Nikon does a great job in that respect.
Corker2 makes this comment

Saturday, 27 June 2009

Yha know, I really don't know what the big deal is about the Nikon & Cannon DSLR Camera's. It's true that the Nikon and Canon Camera's are very good, but I don't have any trouble with my Pentax K100D. It shoots a very good Image and will do more than I will ever use. I can inter-change it with all different types of Lens. I have 4 different Lens now and use them frequently. However, since Pentax has decided to dis-continue the K100D and step up to the K10, the K20 and probably more than what I know, I don't really need a more expensive Camera. What I have is just fine for me. As far as I'm concerned, the Pentax has done an excellent job and I will stay with it, rather than change over to Nikon or Canon.
Jan makes this comment

Friday, 26 June 2009

Not knowing when the article was published, it is remarkable that the Sony A900 is not being mentioned as a camera for suberb landscape photography.
Michael West makes this comment

Friday, 05 June 2009

The Canon 5D MKII is currently the canons top image quality dslr, and I can personally swear by its capabilities as a landscape photographers best friend.
Norwood C(ady) Hazard makes this comment

Wednesday, 27 May 2009

I would add that a fully articulated hi res LCD should be among your criteria for a mid-level landscape/nature ready camera. One with a stiff or lockable hinge so that a Hood viewer, with magnifier, can be mounted on it. Like a Rollei twin-lens with snap-up lens— or going way back, to an Exakta. Which mfg will be the first to offer it? And then an artificial horizon line to compliment the grid lines you've already mentioned.

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D-SLRs For The Landscape

Choose the best camera for your landscape photography

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