>hey, here's an idea:
>start being an artist
>stop being a gear head
>...just a thought

From the 16th century camera obscura builders, to Daguerre, to Ansel Adams, Edward Weston, etc. have been serious gear heads. Their advancement of the craft, and their support for others through teaching their art, techniques and technical discoveries is what brought us to where we are today.

No one would consider Ansel Adams NOT an artist...yet you would be hard-pressed to find a bigger gearhead or better teacher/author. My suggestion is to follow his lead, and embrace the exploration of the craft, and strive to constantly increase your working vocabulary of technique.

I like to look at the new capabilities (and the study and practice of how to get the most out of them) as the core of photography. My ability to visualize something has not changed in 30 years...but the ability to make that visual thought reality certainly has. Moreover, as a professional doing events, I am now capable of seeing much more of this vision realized at speed, and in real time.

A good example, I have many pictures over the years of dancers during a performance under stage light. To get a sharp image, I would have to try and hit the "apogee" of a move. The point at which motion stops by pause or typically reversal. Not a high percentage shot, some shows I would get but a couple of sharp (no motion blur) ones out of hundreds of burst tries. Typically, I would end up staging these shots with strobes for the program, and shoot in medium format for the posters.

Now, with the D3 I can freeze motion with a high shutter speed, low noise, super 3D focus tracking, great color AND the resolution to hold up at poster size. Took me 2-3 months to get comfy with my settings, etc., but now I get WHOLE BURSTS all sharp of dance movements in stage light. I now have the luxury of picking the best shot for reasons other than just sharpness.

I love what I can do now that I could not a short time before, and I will continue to support and embrace all the good things that are to come. My bottom line...previous cameras were simply incapable of giving me the features that this new technology delivers. It has served to directly increase my artistic freedom.


Sincerely,

K. J. Doyle