Nikon D800 Reviews Make Me Consider

The reviews of the Nikon D800 are truly fantastic. The sheer detail possible from the $2,999 camera is making me reconsider my aversion to entering any new system. Obviously, it only makes me reconsider -it's not enough to cause me to make the plunge- but just considering it is a pretty big deal for one of the biggest photo curmudgeons on Earth.

Obviously, the thing stopping me is that Sony hasn't yet announced their horse in the race. That, combined with the conservative limp-dickery of Nikon in the V1/J1 and the outright arrogance of Canon don't exactly instill positive feelings in me about either company.

That doesn't mean that I don't love traditional photographic principles, though. I've used both the Sony A77 and a comparable viewfinder on the Canon 7D, or the very bright viewfinder in the Sony A900, and I still prefer the basics. What I don't prefer is a camera company (Nikon and Canon) not including features seen in cheaper cameras because they have shunted these features into different categories for no other reason than differentiation and the opportunity to squeeze more money from their customer base.

The biggest feature that's rumored to be in the works at Sony that makes me wait is the ability to move the mirror on upcoming SLT cameras. For those who are not retarded, like me, the slight loss in sharpness and ISO performance caused by the SLT mirror is of little concern, but I am not like you. I am an idiot.

The D800 simply nails the tradtional principles so well, that it's lacking in a groundbreaking philosophical or technological push just seems less important. I'm still going to wait, but Nikon did good. I think that they should be recognized for that.