Legends go to battle

In the comments on Radozhiv, I was asked to write more about my observations, to slightly dilute the dense routine of boring reviews and tests :). Therefore, this post is exactly a 'post' on my blog and does not pretend to be objective.

I give you LIGHT

An article about something legendary, like Prometheus, only from the world of photographic equipment

Now marketers are stuffing a lot of pixels into new 'DSLRs' and mirrorless cameras (gigapixels!), force them to shoot at 100 frames per second and in parallel try to cram in an 8K 120p video recording. For amateur photography, these are useless bells and whistles for which you have to pay big money. And you end up with an awful boring picture. I want to tell you about the old legendary digital SLR cameras that never go out of my head.

Fujifilm FinePix S5 Pro (2006)

This camera uses a unique Fujifilm SuperCCD SR II sensor. IN S5 Pro review you can read everything in detail. Fujifilm FinePix S5 P creates great shots immediately in JPEG, without dancing with a tambourine, without long stretching from RAW. Even for 2022, the camera is very well balanced: professional controls, an excellent magnesium protected body, Live View, support for old optics and a fabulous image.

Fujifilm's FinePix DSLRs use the Nikon F mount, so all Nikon optics (except the newest 'E' and 'AF-P' series lenses) are suitable for them. At Fujifilm FinePix S5 P there is a very good dynamic range, and I like the color reproduction more than on the giant Nikon D850 (at least stand on your head).

Fujifilm FinePix S3 Pro (2004)

This is the predecessor Fujifilm FinePix S5 P with the same sensor (almost the same). Housing from Nikon F80. It is very obsolete, it is cheap, but the output picture is simply gorgeous. Such joy costs about 200-400 USD. For this amount, you get a very good image. Many claim that the image of the Fujifilm FinePix S3 is even better than with S5 Pro... Fujifilm FinePix S3 Pro review can be viewed here.

Nikon D40 (2006)

This is one of the cheapest cameras on the secondary market. In 2017, I bought Nikon D40 for only 70 dollars. It is built on the basis of a 6-megapixel Sony ICX-453-AQ CCD sensor, which creates a very pleasant picture in color. For such a modest cost, you can hardly find a more pleasant and soulful color reproduction. My gallery for this camera here.

Kodak Professional DCS PRO 14n (and its modifications, 2004)

Kodak Professional DCS PRO 14n with Nikon AF Nikkor 50mm 1: 1.4D lens

Kodak Professional DCS PRO 14n with lens Nikon AF Nikkor 50mm 1: 1.4D

14 MP full-frame camera without anti-moire filter. That says it all! Super sharp picture and nice color reproduction. Can use ISO 6 units (six!). Overview here.

Canon EOS 5D (Mark I, 2005)

Canon EOS 5D (Mark I, 2005)

Canon EOS 5D (Mark I, 2005) with lens Canon LENS EF 50mm 1: 1.4

A full-frame camera with nice color, nice white balance. With only about 13 Megapixels, ISO 50 support and a buffer for almost 20 RAW files, shooting and processing on the first stage is enjoyable and easy. It is one of the cheapest and most functional full frame cameras to this day. My photo gallery for this model here. Overview here.

Canon EOS-1DS Mark II (2004)

Top professional full frame camera with nice color. Only about 17 megapixels, support for ISO 50 and a buffer for 11 RAW files. Advanced focusing system, many interesting settings. This is one of the cheapest and most functional full-frame cameras to this day. Overview here.

All these cameras are obsolete. If you use the camera for your own pleasure, leisurely thoughtful shooting, understand the subtleties and use the 'right' lenses, then these disadvantages become damn small compared to the image that you can get from them.

I shot with almost all modern and old cameras of popular brands. And all these cameras are not always comparable in the picture with the cameras presented above. I'm not talking about some abstractions of 'color depth' or 'dynamic range', on paper, modern cameras are a million times better than these ancient elders. But the picture (namely the picture!) in these cameras just bewitching. Many are chasing something exclusive, unusual, non-standard and at the same time cheap - here is a list of old units that can satisfy these requests.

I also suggest taking a look on a full-frame camera with 28 MP for $ 240 :) and in the article 'Nostalgia for 6 MP CCD'.

Comments on this post do not require registration. Anyone can leave a comment. Many different photographic equipment can be found on AliExpress.

Material prepared Arkady Shapoval. Training/Consultations | Youtube | Facebook | Instagram | Twitter | Telegram

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Comments: 200, on the topic: Legends go into battle

  • wolfontyer

    I have a Nikon D40X! And I'm terribly happy about this))) This is a modernized D40 of 10 megapixels! What is more than enough for normal shooting.

    • anonym

      Hey. I'm from 2017, I shoot with a 24 megapixel d3200. In 2016, I similarly thought that 10 would be enough for everything. Revised my beliefs. Bonus: I see which lens is sharp and which is “soap”.

      • Pastor

        24 megapixels is not enough. They will appear at 200 megapixels - it will immediately become clear that the otuses are soapy soap, and elkofixes are only suitable for photographing old ladies on the covered.
        In addition, the d3200 has an anti-flow filter, take the d3300 and then you can make out where the soap is and where the sharpness is.

  • wolfontyer

    Original photo, without correction Raw!

    • Alexey

      the skin is "knocked out", a green strip along the arm, the bokeh is worse than ever, rattling scales.
      what should this photo show ????

      • wolfontyer

        Did you understand what you wrote yourself? I say - kit lens, 18-55 f / 3,5-5,6 !!! Where will the bokeh come from then ??? Raw was not processed! The article is actually about the naturalness of the color rendering of CCD matrices, the lack of "felt-tip".

        • Oleg

          The above green bar looks very natural. In real life, do you see everything that way?

  • wolfontyer

    The lens is whale !!!

  • anonym

    "All three cameras have serious weaknesses: poor battery, slow rate of fire, small display and heavy weight."

    • anonym

      here the D200 was once the third, now not everyone has a lot of weight

      • Arkady Shapoval

        was D1X

        • Michael

          Why did you remove it? More than three cameras, no, no?)))

      • varezhkin

        +1 I don’t remember the fortieth here either.

  • Charles

    Bad battery on the D40? I personally have 750 shots on one battery, and there is also a spare one. For comparison, a professional D200 will give 400 shots on a single battery.

    • Lynx

      and unprofessional D3200 will issue up to 1500

      • Charles

        I run away to the store! ..

    • Victor

      What kind of power? It produces up to 1000 frames from the battery, it is checked.

      • Roman

        It all depends on a whole bunch of parameters. Battery health, compression settings, display usage. If you shoot in series, then you can go for a thousand. GPS and Wi-Fi, which are eating up the battery, didn’t seem to be there yet.

        • Michael

          But there was a devouring matrix. The D200 has a well-known feature - quickly drain the battery

  • Jury

    The legend is ready for battle :)

  • Charles

    Arkady, you write: "It is a pity that the modern titans of camera engineering are stuck on CMOS technology"
    The same is true for Kodak Professional DCS PRO - CMOS.
    The point, I think, is in the approaches of the developers, and not in the type of matrix.

    • Arkady Shapoval

      So what, what is Kodak?

  • Defend522

    I use S5Pro and d7000, it would be difficult to choose one thing. In general, the author is right - the photographer is shooting, not the camera. It doesn't have such a magical "masterpiece" function

  • Novel

    In the settings on modern cameras, you can configure a neutral profile.
    and if it’s equal, it’s enough to learn how to work with color in the editor ..
    and no felt-tip!
    and this is in a landfill, my friend, in a landfill!))
    IMHO)

    • Alexander

      Not everyone who has the opportunity to purchase new models can even be called amateur photographers. At the same time, not all talented photographers know how to make money on photography. For them, used equipment the opportunity to do their favorite hobby. Subjective opinion.

      • B. R. P.

        +1 Very correct opinion.

  • Dmitriy

    Firstly, thanks for the work!
    Secondly, I liked the S5 very much for familiarizing myself with such "inspired" cameras. The D40 felt contrasting and sharp. the S5 has smoother transitions and deeper yellow-orange.

    • Charles

      Slightly different classes of cameras ... the new S5 cost like four forties.

  • anonym

    ABOUT! At last, the first steps appeared here.

    • Charles

      Hallelujah

      • anonym

        For the first time today, the price is out of competition. And by color, management etc.
        Sense of ghouls in the presence of first foot?

        • Paul

          Price difference. Pyatak 200 bucks, you can take a penny for 100. Now there are a couple of pieces on olkh. Naturally, for this money, what a penny, what a fuj will be very gash, with high mileage. And of course, a full frame is a full frame. And the color is something like that ... One color on the monitor, another on the plasma. on paper, just do the third.

  • Pokemon

    Arkady, in the article you probably still need to add something from the Units.
    I am very pleased that I bought S3Pro and S5Pro last year. The shooting process itself and the result are fun. Probably even more than shooting on the Sigma SD-1 Merrill.
    Partly due to the purchase of these Fujas and two Units (1Dsmk2 and 1Dsmk3) I sold the d750, which I regret nothing.

    • Pokemon

      I’ve been looking at Kodak DCS Pro SLR / n for a long time, but probably not in this life.
      And there are a lot of doubts about this model itself.

      • Alexey

        there ergonomics are suitable only for aliens. turns on for a long time. the shot takes even longer. a banal viewing of a film that is steeper than the Kamasutra - the logic of programmers is inexplicable. and RAW converter works fine only on Mac. but the picture is just gorgeous, yes.

  • mamaligadodoc

    With respect!!!

  • witness

    Collect moments not things.
    Collect moments, not things.
    While the whole world is switching from SLR cameras to mirrorless cameras or taking pictures on iPhones, in 2021 I purchased and will photograph with a professional digital SLR camera Canon EOS-1D, which turns 20 (twenty) years old this year, because it was released and entered sale in November 2001.
    It has a unique CCD sensor with a resolution of only 4 megapixels, but it takes excellent "warm, lamp" footage, similar to film. It also has a unique shutter speed of 1/16000 of a second, which even the modern Canon EOS-1DX Mark 3 does not have - there is only 1/8000, and in the modern Canon EOS 6D Mark 2 it is generally 1/4000 of a second.
    This camera can also take 8 frames per second, and it was taken by sports photographers at the 2002 Winter Olympics in Salt Lake City.
    At the time of the release of the camera - it cost $ 8000.
    Autofocus has 45 focusing points and each frame can be made sound annotated using the built-in microphone.
    This camera has no video shooting, no wi-fi, no Live View, but it does beautiful pictures.
    After all, the main thing is to collect moments, not things.
    I will post pictures taken with this camera on my Instagram.
    Let's see what the Legend is capable of 20 years later.
    Collect moments not things ...

    • Seladir

      They repeated the same phrase four times, but in the end you still got a post about the thing. Seriously, in terms of collecting moments, I would bet on someone who has no idea about CCD, CMOS and minimum shutter speeds, who takes pictures with a smartphone, who is always with him, unlike this undoubtedly wonderful brick, but who just makes it so that interesting moments happened in life.
      A link to instu then share?

    • Novel

      Strange logic. You have only now been able to afford a professional 20-year-old camera and praise it for the characteristics that its descendants have. True, in all other characteristics, the descendants of their ancestor are ahead.

      1/16000 is a very dubious advantage that requires extra effort in the manufacture of a shutter that you are unlikely to use. I doubt you have at least 50 / 1.2L, let alone 50 / 1.0L, that would really need such a shutter speed under certain conditions.

      In all other respects ... Well, honestly, “collect moments”, but in the end you have more technical characteristics for each “moment” on your Instagram than the moment itself. There are more frames of the camera itself than frames from it.

      • Victor

        Here you are all laughing, but the man managed to shoot Yuri himself
        Alekseevich, isn't it worth it?

        By the way, about 1/16000. The minimum native iso is 200 for the camera, modern ones may well have 100 or even 64, which at 1/8000 already gives a win over this old man.

        • Novel

          By the way, yes. But to be honest, I reached 8000 well, maybe a couple of times during the whole time. True, I didn’t take pictures of Gagarin either.

        • witness

          And you - do not envy! Yes, I filmed Yuri Alekseevich with her!

          • Victor

            You're just great. Not everyone manages to get their camera through the 33-year gap.

            Unless, of course, Yuri Alekseevich is not your neighbor, and his surname is not Gagarin, but some kind of Morgerstern.

            • Andrei

              Is Morgerstern a surname? Sounds like the name of some incurable disease.

          • Jury

            there is a cool photo in the selection - in which Gagarin and Nikolaev are looking at the footage they just shot on the built-in screen of the film camera :)

  • Arkady Shapoval

    Messages from users "Victor" and "Pokemon" have been removed due to flooding. Thank you for understanding
    UPDATE: for the continuation of the flood, users "Victor" and "Pokemon" / "Dmitry Kostin" were added to the black list

  • Vladislav

    Hello Arkady!
    A small request to you.
    If not difficult, please list outdated DSLR cameras,
    which you have, and do not want to part with them.
    You once wrote that you bought the Nikon D40 again, because you consider it to be taken for the soul.
    In general, in this spirit. I have old cameras, but I don’t want to part with them, in the first place I like it, secondly for the soul, but thirdly, to sell it - it will not work.

    • Novel

      I don't want to part with any of my cameras or lenses. Well, except, perhaps, the very first ones - 1100D / 18-55 DC III, still without a stub. By and large, the technique has reached the level that replacement will be either too expensive or will not give even such advantages.

    • Arkady Shapoval

      From czk I only have Nikon D40, I am not a collector. I advocate the idea that the technique should be used for its intended purpose, even if not by me

      • Vladislav

        Arkady, thanks for the answer.
        But it's not evening yet, maybe someday you will start to keep your favorite cameras and lenses. Nikon d40 was bought again, we read your revelations.
        Probably one of the reasons that you don't leave the cameras is squeezing the entire resource out of the cameras. You're a pro. This is guesswork.
        Thanks anyway for the answer.

        • Arkady Shapoval

          I shoot on it, not for the sake of collection, mileage is about 200.000

          • Victor

            It gives a tasty color out of the box, the only minus (even a couple) is a noisy matrix even on basic ones, and 6MP.

        • Ivan

          Vladislav for a note. Mumbai-based photojournalist Dilish Pareh has a collection of 4 different cameras.

          • B. R. P.

            Judging by the photo, the dude has nowhere to lie down because of this collection)

          • Andrii

            How many FEDs does he have?

            • Novel

              - And beer.
              - What?
              - And what is there?
              - What interests you? We have eight varieties.
              - What interests me? Zhigulevskoe.

          • Vladislav

            No, I only have about a dozen, there is still free space on the couch.
            There was (and now is) at first one good camera Sony A100, purchased in 2013, but now I managed to “get sick, become addicted” by the site of Arkady Shapoval, and off it went. But I stopped at 10 cameras.
            It's very tasty Arkady talks about the fabulous world of photographic equipment, unless you can resist.
            Yes, and you guys are recklessly, many professionally give good advice.
            Something like that…

  • Dmitry Kostin

    Today I amused s / c Copy Moscow (officials for Fuji and Canon).
    I dragged them into the matrix cleaning two Protroyki and one Propeatka, as well as 1Ds_mk2.
    Before that I brought them 1Ds_mk3.
    The master does not say anything about the Units. Fujiki, on the other hand, had a lot of fun.
    I hope they will clean them up.
    It was certainly a shame, but yes, to hell with them. I didn’t drive up to Avilon-Mercedes in a Zaporozhets.
    They didn't take Canon 28-70 / 2.8 L for alignment, assholes - like the lens was taken out of Canon service, we don't do it like 24-70 / 2.8 of the first version. In general, we have a service in Russia, it is something obscene, and almost always. When you ask the master to just do your job and even offer more money, and you almost put it in your pocket. And the funny thing is, almost everywhere. They don't want to work. Lazy as Cubans, by God.

    • Dmitry Kostin

      I am more and more inclined to the seditious idea of ​​selling everything entirely and buying instead of the X-T4 and EOS R / EOS R6 or 1DX mk2-mk3 and that's it to end collecting.

      • wmaker

        Sell ​​everything and buy something like Xiaomi Note 10 PRO - it will be much better. You won't even notice the difference in the video.

        • Dmitry Kostin

          Meaning?
          Moreover, it is removed from the production.

  • Fedor

    22 years old, a bad price, we sit with a 7d boot, sigh from the grain on it and dream of a full frame, because carving out a monthly salary for a full frame, well, that's not at all ...

    • Basil

      Fedor, I am writing with advice, suddenly it will help. 7D is noisy not because of the crop. This is the matrix. She would be so noisy at full frame. In her photo, when magnified, there is no noise, but as if “black worms”. So on 600D, so on 60D and so on 7D. Matrices before it (for example, in 50D) and after it do not have such an effect. I took a 50D and I'm happy. He is not far behind the seven in terms of opportunities, but he wins with a picture.

  • LDS

    In my opinion, Fuji S2 Pro is undeservedly forgotten. This is also a legendary camera, one matrix is ​​a solid know-how. Indescribable colors and shades. I still enjoy using it.

    • Arkady Shapoval

      what is there from the know-how in the s2 pro sensor?

    • LDS

      The know-how is not so much in the sensor, but in the image processing algorithms. In S2 Pro, large pixels in shape and arrangement resemble a honeycomb. Only 6 megapixels, but at the same time the camera produces a high-quality image at 12 megapixels, which is not bad for them now, but for 2002 it's just super. I respect the Fuji engineers who worked in those years and were not afraid to experiment for the sake of photo quality, and not for the sake of marketing. Yes, you know everything.

      I also want to say that the S2 Pro deserves to take its place among the legendary cameras precisely because of its recognizable, memorable film picture, which cannot be confused with anything else. Again, everything is subjective, but I think many photographers who have shot and continue to shoot with this camera will support me in this. The S-Pro series of cameras stood apart from the very beginning, was elite in its own way. There were relatively few such cameras released, but they found their fans. So my opinion S2 Pro is a legendary camera.

      • Master

        Definitely, the S2 Pro has a denser color than the S5 Pro due to the pixel size. Due to the lack of R subpixels and an integrated filter (like a watering can). Therefore, the S2 Pro has the best color reproduction from the S Pro line. But there are 2 main problems. Approximately half of the copies today with non-working matrices or with the wrong BB (green).

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