All,

i don;t know if this is the right forum to post this, but I suppose the moderators will move it if need be.
Recently I purchased a Oly E-P3 for a trip. Lugging my SLR gear, even with just 1 50 attached seemed to be an issue. I know it shouldn't be..but it was, I think a weight and size issue more than anything while traveling. The size had stopped me from using my beloved D700 that I had been married too for two years.
Anyway,traveling with the little E was quite a game changer and unfortunately i can;t stand to own gear I don;t use. So I believe it is time to sell/trade as I have a Oly OM-D on order.
In fact, my D800 had come in and for the moment at least, I passed, with some remorse of course just knowing it was going to be a fantastic camera. But I also know I don;t want to deal with the huge files it will put out. I realize i am giving up some things for now while saying goodbye to a SLR but every time I leave the house I have the little E with me. And you know what they say..."I missed 100% of the pictures I didn't take".I think my subjects have taken on more of a static rather than action format from the past also.
Anyway, i have been a member of this board off and on for years and I wanted to thank all of you for your help and knowledge through the years. the aspects of photography I learned here I am taking with me.
I may try to at least just keep the D700, 50 and a few pieces of glass and sell the rest depending on funds, but whatever happens I just wanted to say I love this forum.

Keep shooting!!!!

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Wow...I hope I did not offend you guys...and gals.

Over 250 views and not one person suggested to at least hold my D700 for a while or wish me well if I left.

I did sell my 24-70 this weekend to a pro who needed it and was very nice.

Surely thought someone would ahve some thoughts...

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Hi John,

Enjoy your new gear and have fun shooting!

I did not have a D700 but I would like to have a D800

Stephanie

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Visit my Nikonians gallery.

Stephanie,

Thank you! I appreciate the thoughts.

Keep Shooting!!!!

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Visit my Nikonians gallery.

It's a cold world out there
Bye

Bob

>Over 250 views and not one person suggested to at least hold
>my D700 for a while or wish me well if I left.

Do you need somebody to convince you to stay?.. If Oly pays your everyday needs - use it! Missing Nikon? Keep a manual film body with a prime, and shoot a roll of slides once a while, just for pure pleasure of the process itself.

Vladimir
Russian Nikonian in Switzerland

I am sure you did not offend anyone. Your decision is an entirely personal one and it is probably something that most people felt that they really couldn't offer very much in the way of an intelligent comment or reply.

I bought the E-P3 to take on business trips when I don't want to carry a large camera. It has come in very handy, taking photos of client groups I am working with, process maps on the wall, etc. It is very handy as a small camera. I am going to Russia in June for a week, entirely for business, and I am debating whether or not to bring the EP3 or my D800. Having never been there before, I am a bit leery about carry the expensive camera.

I think we each have different needs at different times. It may very well be that for you, at this time, divesting yourself of large cameras and enjoying the convenience of the EP3 is exactly the right decision... for you.

Best wishes.

Larry Miller, Annapolis, MD
D700/D800
http://www.pbase.com/lmmiller9
http://lmmillerphotography.smugmug.com/

John, I am going through a similar process. I also have an Oly OM-D E-M5 on pre-order. I have some health and age issues which mean that carrying two/three Nikons and lenses has become a real problem.

I will be keeping much of my gear for wildlife and sport which m34 is just not up to at this point. I can normally get close enough with my jeep for wildlife minimizing any walking/carrying When I shoot sport I have lots of young guys more than willing to help with the gear. It is the walkabout shooting that gets me. I've even tried the D40x with one lens and my preferred is the D700 with one/two lenses.

I have one camera with me at all times , 'just in case' . I am looking forward to a smaller system.

If finances permit, I would definitely hold on to the D700 and at least one of your favorite lenses. See how m43 works for you. The strength of m43 for me is size. I am pretty sure that I am not going to be happy with dof, bokeh, subject isolation but I shall see . At the moment m43 has a reasonable selection of lenses but not many top notch.

It would also be nice to see you remain on the forum .

I have to make a final decision on the D800 today or tomorrow but think I will be holding off for the moment.

The best of luck, shooting and fun no matter which way you go!
Cheers,
Tom

T.D.Hardin
http://taja.smugmug.com/
http://images.nikonians.org/galleries/showgallery.php/cat/500/ppuser/165169

I'd be happy to take any free working dslr hehehe

Whew...
Thanks all....I was missing getting a few thoughts.

I have always been a Nikon lover...since forever. Just maybe I will pick up a F3 and a prime again...great idea.

I have found that while traveling I just kept condensing my bag, it never seemed light enough. i used to do a lot of action shooting and my subjects have changed. I print usually at 8 1/2 x 11..at the most 13 x19. I also realize after many years as long as you have some decent equipment, all things created equal, it's the photographer not the gear. I would rather have mediocre gear any day and have great talent...

I am not so much a pixel peeper as just the enjoyment of a beautiful created image. I want to "make photographs" not just "take pictures".

I have always felt this forum was very positive...so I believe I will mostly remain a member.

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I have just started to look at a smaller system to possibly build s range of lighter gear for when I don't want to carry my D700 and am curious why you'd pick the olympus system over say the Nikon V1, if it was even around when you bought. Was it price, specs, you just happened to try the system or it was highly recommended. I probably will just pick up a P7100 since I like the camera.However I have thought i should check out some mirror less options. I have a number of systems I don't use, but its not worth selling so I use them for more specialize occasions such as biking/cycling etc.

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>say the Nikon V1... I probably will just pick up a P7100

V1 is very interesting little system camera, but its buried-deep-in-menus controls drive me carsy. P7100 is controlled directly like a DSLR but has no interchangeable lens option. If they make a P7100-like Nikon 1 body, I'll take one immediately.

Vladimir
Russian Nikonian in Switzerland

Hello,

I played with the V1 and was very close to getting it. the focus system is incredible and fast and I thought the idea of using my already purchased Nikon glass was a plus.

Why I went with the Oly was:
1. I come from back in the film days of the 70's. The Oly to me was very retro looking (of which the OM-D will be even more so) and i immediately liked the look.
2. the Oly felt better in my hands.
3. the touch screen focusing is very fast, in fact, I rather enjoy this rather than having to move the focus points like we do with our SLR's.
4. I purchased the external viewfinder, called a VF-2. resolution is very good.
5. Oly had a wider range and had just come out with some very fast primes like the 12 2.0 and 45 1.8 that were getting great reviews.Adapters are everywhere to use Nikon or other manufacture's glass.
6. Overall package to me just felt better, kind of like buying a car. I like the looks of that one and knew i would carry it with me more than the V1.

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Thanks for the information. Helps me in consideration of systems. Best of luck with your new system.

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Best of luck. If I did not shoot Nikon, it would be Oly's for me

Personally, and based on your description, I would go ahead and sell the D700 and remaining lenses. I don't like keeping gear I don't shoot either and in theory you can always reacquire it used for approx. same price you sell it for now. Plus I think the D700 will decline in price over time whereas right now there is definitely a shortage of them!

The new Oly stuff looks very interesting.

Best regards, SteveK

'A camera is an instrument that teaches people how to see without a camera.' -- Dorothea Lange
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Hi John

I hate to be the one to dash your plans, but I don't think that switching to the OM-D is going to add anything to your experience in terms of size, weight or quality, but it will definitely help deplete your bank account for no good reason as far as I can see.

Here are the specs on the OM-D:

4.8" x 3.5" x 1.7" Weighs 15oz. - 16.1mp 4/3 sensor

Price with a 12-50 lens $1,300.00.

Here are the specs on the D3100 (and probably the new D3200):

4.9" x 3.8" x 3.0" Weighs 16oz. - 14.2 mp DX sensor (probably more on the D3200)

Price with an 18-55 lens $550.00.

The 18-55 is a spectacular lens for the price - I don't know much about the IQ specs of the Oly lenses, but I would be surprised if they were even close.

So, for the extra inch in depth, I think that you are making a big mistake. On the other hand, you don't have a huge investment in Nikkor lenses, and I don't think that any of them will autofocus on the D3100/3200, so maybe it will work out for you.

Best of luck.

jP

Thanks for the thoughts JP...

My investment in lenses, though not huge, is only good stuff...
24-70...$2000 Sold to a pro last weekend
17-35...$1500
16FE....$750 I got in the islands

A few others I am keeping no matter what like my 50 1.4 and some older glass. No DX in the stable anymore though.

Will check out the 3100 specs in more detail and then fondle one next time the store. One aspect that has been fun with the E-p3 has been the use of adapters and using any glass on the thing. Makes for a fun and creative day.

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Going light is everyone's dream, but who wants to admit to it? I've also got a D700 and a D7000 but when I went to Kenya on business a few weeks ago I just took the D60 and the 18-200mm, figuring I may not even get a chance to use it. But the pictures I took at Nairobi National Park on a Sunday morning outing are some of the best I have ever taken. Who cares if the .nef files are "only" 10mpx?

I sometimes think the Fuji X-pro 1 is what I should really be lugging around.

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William,

i played with one of those the other day. felt pretty good and the 35 1.4 was nice. Focus a tad slow after being used to your DSLR', nowhere near as fast as my E-p3 but the image quality is said to be, and from what I have seen, exceptional. Quite a few people with static subjects will pick that up for the IQ alone I think.

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John

I wasn't suggesting that you should buy a D3100 or a D3200, just that if size and weight was the reason that you were moving on, that there were other options. If you are going to keep your D700 then all of your lenses would work with both cameras. Also, the thought of using adapters sounds like a total nightmare to me. Why would you want to do that? I think that the Oly and Panasonic 4/3 cameras look very "cute," but I bought a GF-1 and thought that the IQ was terrible. So, at least with a D3100 or D3200 all of the lenses would work just fine, you just wouldn't be able to autofocus with a couple of them, and if you have some really old lenses, you couldn't meter either, but that is the case with all of the adapters anyway. Maybe you should look at the V1, at least it uses your Nikkor lenses with the FT-1.

jP