Into the Woods

I finally broke down and bought a new camera. Well, not a new camera — an eBay camera. It’s a Nikon D1X, which Nikon stopped making in 2004. They were Nikon’s top of the line and quite expensive when they were new, with a list cost of almost $6,000. But professionals now consider the D1X obsolete, so good ones can now be found on eBay for less than $300.

The camera did not come with a lens. I also bought a lens on eBay. I took a chance on an oddball lens — a 28-200mm zoom lens. It’s a telephoto lens, but it also doubles as a “macro” lens for close-ups. The lens seems to be well suited for nature photography, which is mostly what I do. I haven’t tried it out yet with food photos. That will be a challenge.

My old camera is a Kodak DC265, an early digital point-and-shoot camera from around 1998. It’s a testament to the old Kodak that I’ve been able to use it for this long. But eventually the bad habits of lower-end cameras become unbearable. They shoot whenever they feel like it, rather than when you press the shutter button. It’s impossible to take multiple photos in rapid sequence. You’re stuck with one (sorry) lens.

But the Nikon D1X is a very different story. It’s ready to use the instant you turn it on. When you press the button, it shoots. If you hold the button down, it will take take three pictures per second and keep shooting (essential for action shots). It’s what the professionals all used not too many years ago.

I’m still figuring out the camera, but here are some early test shots.