Back when I was in college I took a black and white photography class. Out of all the classes I took, I think this was one of my favorites. There is something inherently rewarding about capturing a moment in time. I took a lot of pictures that semester. Some were good, some not so much, but even though I wasn’t the best photographer, I really had a good time. It was fun to develop my own film, even though getting it on the spool could be a nightmare. I loved putting a piece of white paper into the developing solution and watching the picture appear as though by magic. Of course now we mostly use digital cameras…

I own a Nikon D50. I purchased this camera back in 2005 shortly after my grandmother passed away. I wanted a good camera to take pictures of my son who had just been born and decided the D50 would be the best one for that purpose. It has served me well since then. I have taken almost 600 pictures of Tripp, pictures of family gatherings, and pictures of the Houston airshow. I have used it to study composition and to take some macro photos. In fact, my wife like the pictures os much, she wants to get into photography. I am still not the best photographer, but it is something I want to continue to learn and do. With this in mind, I set out to find another camera to use as my primary camera so I could let my wife start to learn with the D50.

I can be brand loyal from time to time and really wanted a Nikon even though I only have 2 lenses for the D50. I have the Nikon 18-55 that came in a kit with the camera and a Sigma 70-300 macro that I purchased later. However, I am not above changing brands if I find something I like better. I had heard a lot about the new Canon 5D Mark II and so I decided to start here. I looked at the specs and read a lot of reviews, but most seem to focus on the new video capabilities. The best review I read was at Ken Rockwell’s site. If you are interested in photography, I highly suggest that you check out his site. He has a lot of great reviews on cameras and lenses. Anyway, I looked at the 5D Mk2, but it just really seemed a bit too much, plus I have heard that it is better at portraits and landscapes than moving objects. I decided to keep it as an option, but kept looking.

The next camera I checked out was the new Nikon D300s. It is so new that it isn’t even out yet. What drew me to this one was that it had 720p recording if I wanted it, a good sensor, and it is Nikon’s top of the line DX model. The D300s is a very cool camera. I am really impressed with its features. I like the quality of the images and videos I have seen from those lucky enough to have been given pre-release models. I also like that I will be able to shoot video if I care to. The price isn’t bad either. The only think I am worried about is if I should stay with the DX sensor or move to the FX sensor.

This led me to the Nikon D700. Since it is a full frame sensor, I can use some of the widest lenses available, which will be cool, plus I don’t have to worry about the crop factor. When I buy new lenses the D50 can use them with no problem and they should be future proof. The D700 doesn’t have the video capability though, but in all honesty, I will be getting a new video camera anyway so that’s not a deal breaker. The features and specs are excellent. Then again, it has been out a little while, so it could be updated at any time. Such is the world with electronic devices.

I really don’t know what to do. Both the D300s and the D700 are excellent cameras. I know I would be happy with either one, but there really is not a clear cut winner, so I have to make a choice. I really hate when this happens. Well, who knows what I’m going to do. Right now I’m leaning toward the D700, but the D300s keeps nagging me. I guess we will find out in a couple of weeks when I make up my mind. Until then, I’ll keep shooting with the D50.