Friday, June 29, 2007

Why I buy Nikon over other camera makes

  1. Nikon is one of the only camera manufacturers to have retained a common lens mounting system throughout all these years, the venerable F-Mount (ever since 1959 with the Nikon F. For more info click http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/F-mount). I would stick to Nikon for this reason alone. This means I can use lenses dating back to the 1980s such as the E-series 75-150mm f3.5 on my 3-year old D70 (yes, of course you will lose metering but who cares with the ability to preview shots instantaneously). Which makes a huge difference in preserving the longevity of your system.
  2. Nikon is one of the only camera manufacturers that still innovates and produces great film SLRs such as the F6. The legacy of photography is film. All photographers should remember this.
  3. Nikon is the one of the only camera manufacturers who still persists in innovating with their products. As an example, check out the Nikon SU-800 and SB-R200 Macro Flash system (available as a set as the R1C1 http://www.nikonusa.com/template.php?cat=1&grp=4&productNr=4803) which replaced the slightly clunky Sb-29s.

Fourth Gen BMW M3

This is the concept model of the new M3 coming out in 2007/2008. Well. Officially this is a concept but in reality, the production model is nearly identical.


Looking at the shape of the car, I would guess the first reaction for most BMW-petrolheads would be to welcome the move by the designer to make this M3 much more distinctive looking compared to the standard 3-series coupe. According to BMW, only stuff like the doors and some inconsequential stuff like the petrol filler cap are the same as the coupe.


That being said, this M3 looks like a lame duck. The power bulge on the bonnet is too big and conspicuous and to be absolutely frank - it still does look too similar to the standard 3-series coupe. Seems like all they changed were the wing mirrors - these are ugly!, and the body kit, and the quad exhaust at the back. The basic E92 3-series coupe is not as elegant looking as the previous E46 version. Whereas the E46 looked taut and lean, the E92 basically looks fat and has weird proportions. It shows a basic lack of good ideas at BMW and dont get me started about the cabriolet version.

Don't get me wrong - I love Beemers. But something has gone wrong with the design team at BMW and my advice for all potential M3 owners is to get a Audi RS4 and enjoy that car for 7 years until BMW get their act together.