First Light on the New Camera
Posted on March 22, 2016 Posted by John Scalzi 33 Comments
I’ve been wanting to step up to a full frame DSLR for a while now, so this week I went ahead and ordered the Nikon D750 (for you Nikon geeks out there, I thought about getting the D810 instead but the D750 has nearly the same set of features for a lot less money, minus some extra resolution I would likely not take advantage of anyway). Right out of the box I decided to snap a few photos. Unfortunately I didn’t switch it over from JPEG to RAW before getting the first few pictures, but even so, what came out of the camera was pretty enough. Here are a couple of shots from this very first set.
So far, so good.
In case you’re wondering what will become of the D5100, it’s now the property of Athena, who has shown interest in and talent for photography. I’m sure she will put it to good use.
I love the 750 – it’s the one I use for most of my portrait shoots. Excellent choice, John. And the picture of Athena is stunning, too!
I love the last photo. Very dramatic with the wind and the black and white.
Is it really that windy there, or are you off to the side with a hair dryer or fan? :-)
At the moment it’s really that windy.
Are those both cats, or same cat, different profile? Looks like Sugar on top, Spice in the second shot. Love the pic of Athena! She’s a beautiful young lady!
Beautiful photos. But then you’ve got beautiful subjects to work with, so adding in a fine camera gives you a huge head start over most folks.
Which 50mm is that? I’m using the 1.8G on my D7100.
It’s the 1.8G.
Sweet–says the Canon guy.
Nice shots!
lucky you, lovely pics……..I agree the last one is very dramatic
Nice shots.
Great minds, or something. Because I am of the Canon clan, about a week ago I gave myself a Canon 5D for my birthday.
I had loaned my previous one (Rebel XTI) to an MFA-seeker for what I thought was a semester. I’ll just leave the story at that.
I didn’t know Athena was a storm-lord. Think she can get us some sunshine in Maryland?
Love the nimbus effect on Sugar. Such striking teenagers (all three).
Very nice, I also have a 750. Got it after I fell into the sea with my previous camera.
I don’t think I’ve seen Spice’s coloring so vividly in any of your previous photos. Good camera!
The D750 is a great upgrade from the D5100 with similar ergonomics. You will have a blast with that! Congratulations! And I’m looking forward to seeing more pretty images from you, John – you have a good eye and a firm grasp on the mechanics of photography. (From a D810 owner.)
I’m still kicking around with my D7100, and I’m pretty much happy with it. I generally follow the practice of buying a camera and then resolutely ignoring news about any new models that come out the next few years. (Worked pretty well last time, as I went from the venerable D300 to the D7100.) But now that I read this of course I weakened and took a look at some of the features and reviews and….. holy crap. Now I want a new camera. Dammit Scalzi.
I see it was nearly as windy in Bradford today as it was in Pogonipville!
Spice certainly has beautiful markings.
@MGS: My magnificent D300 served me for 7 years… and after waiting and waiting and waiting for a D400, I gave up and got a D810 (necessitating replacement of a bunch of lenses). If I had been able to hold out for another year and a half, I could have gotten a D500 without going through the lens scramble. I think the D500 is going to be awesome!
I’ve had two D750 bodies for a year now and love them (one has the Nikon 80-400 lens and the other carries the Nikon 28-300; never time to change lenses for what I do). I got them for shooting reference for my wildlife art. They went with me on my tenth trip to Mongolia last year, replacing two D80s which had served me well, never failed me on six trips to the Land of Blue Skies in all kinds of conditions, including the Gobi wind and dust. But I wanted the full-size sensor, larger image file and the HD video, plus a general upgrade. And. Just. Wow. Looking forward to hearing more about your experience with yours.
Glad to see these! I bought a d750 almost two weeks ago and I still haven’t been able to try it out due to being sick and the weather being bad. Love that lost shot!
That camera is a beauty, and these snapshots are stunning. Hope you two have a long career ahead of you.
Sigh.. I’ll poke along with my Nikon D3200 for now. Great camera for the bargain basement price I paid. LOL
Nice shots
First accessory to buy is a Real Flash. They automatically calculate everything for bounce and fill, which is very nice. Also provide MUCH more light than the built-in. Less of a problem with red-eye, since they are further from the lens.
My first SLR was a Nikon FM-2. For about 15 years I carried a Pentax K-1000. Now I find a Canon Rebel XTi is Good Enough. But I do have a Real Flash for it.
So jealous. I’m ready to upgrade from my D5000 and have been looking at a used D750 (nearly perfect for my usage) or D610 (very close behind). But as my income is at least an order of magnitude behind yours and all I make from photos is a very occasional sale of a print, I’m probably looking at a used D7100 instead.
Anyway, enjoy the new toy and I look forward to seeing your photos!
I got a D750 a couple of months ago and had been thinking how best to start supplementing the kit 24-85. At some point I’ll want a longer lens, but this tipped the balance and I have just bought the 50mm 1.8G. Coming home with it, I suddenly realised that it’s over 20 years since I last had a prime lens – looking forward to relearning some old habits and maybe acquiring some new ones.
Those kittens are turning into cats so quickly.
That daughter is turning into a young adult so quickly.
Nikon D750: a very good camera. I have one sitting on the shelf here. I’ve been using my Polaroid SX-70 more lately, and my other cameras. Not sure if I will keep the Nikon.
…”Equipment is transitory. Photographs endure.” …
Great photos John. Particularly the last one. Very atmospheric. Can’t wait to see some sunset pics with it.
I’m a Canon/Olympus shooter myself but it’s a really great camera, hope you enjoy it. It’s always fun getting to know a new toy and looks like you’re definitely ready to move up to full frame.
I’ve been going in the opposite direction with regards to camera size. Our family trips are starting to involve more air travel than car travel. I’m not that interested in lugging around my Pentax K-5 ii and lenses through the airport. Also, I don’t like being noticed as a “professional photographer” in a tour group, even though my main audience is my family on Facebook. I managed to snag a few quality compact cameras recently (Ricoh GR FTW), and all four still take up less space than the DSLR with one lens.
I completely agree with wiredog above that a quality flash will greatly improve your photography. Learning to shoot with the flash off the camera gives you even better control of the light in your images.
Fantastic shots! I love how bright the whiskers are on the first cat photo. It’s like he has a halo around his face. :)
I have a D300 and love it. Nature photography is one of my hobbies. Have fun with your new camera.