Nikon D3

[HowlinWolf]

In an article in the current Nikon Pro magazine, I see that Andy Rouse is quite taken by the Nikon D3 and Nikkor 200-400mm f/4 zoom. He says that on one shoot, he shot all morning at ISO 2000 and above, yet still got 75% of his images accepted by "two of the most picky wildlife agents in the world"!

HW

[Chris_Johnstone]

Yep, the reviews all point to a great product from Nikon. I think Rouse is a really sensible photographer and he's quite honest in his opinions about gear. If he thinks he'll get a better result from a specific setup then he'll use it. It's not a question about being loyal to a brand. I own Canon gear simply because it was what I first used. I have no doubt I could get the same images with the similar Nikon gear etc...

Obviously, you can swap between them at the drop of a hat but if you had both setups theoretically you should be able to close your eyes and choose and get a good quality result either way (At least with Nikon and Canon).

Chris

[Hobjob]

I wonder if he even had to pay for his new gear -- it is quite a coup for Nikon.

Wish I was that good

[eeyore]

Originally Posted by Hobjob

I wonder if he even had to pay for his new gear -- it is quite a coup for Nikon.

Wish I was that good

Just to clarify andy definitely did pay for his new gear - apparently he spent over £30k - there is no substance whatsoever to the rumours that abound on some internet sites about him being paid to change etc.

[Tormentil]

The old cynic in me finds it hard to believe a pro would swap allegiance to another brand, without some sort of renumeration.

[LoveT]

Originally Posted by eeyore

Just to clarify andy definitely did pay for his new gear - apparently he spent over £30k - there is no substance whatsoever to the rumours that abound on some internet sites about him being paid to change etc.

Rouse - my maiden name. There the similarity ends unfortunately . Just wish I had a fraction of his talent, opportunities, camera gear, money etc. etc.

Thea

[eeyore]

Originally Posted by Tormentil

The old cynic in me finds it hard to believe a pro would swap allegiance to another brand, without some sort of renumeration.

I dont really see why - to a pro the camera is just a tool - they use whatever does the job at hand best. Amateurs tend to have to be brand loyal due to the need to build up a stock of lenses etc over time but for a succesful pro like rouse this isnt an issue - his buisness would have the cashflow to finance the switch and such expenditure would be a tax deductible buisness expense.

he has also made such changes before - originally he was a canon film user - then he swapped to pentax 645 on account of metering problems with the canon 1v , then he swapped back to canon when digital came out (in the early days canon were well in the lead)

long story short on his current switch is that he wasnt happy with the foccusing performance of the 1Dmk3 and was very impressed with the nikon d3 both in foccusing and in its high iso performance which was precicesly what he needed for his gorilla trip - thus the change (not a total change as he has kept his 1dsmk2 for high MP file work , the D3 being only 12MP).

if in the future canon come back to the top of the field i'm sure he would change back - likewise if/when medium format digital becomes a usable reality for wildlife we might see him swap to mamiya or back to pentax or wherever else gives him the best possible images

[stephen p]

Originally Posted by eeyore

I dont really see why - to a pro the camera is just a tool - they use whatever does the job at hand best. Amateurs tend to have to be brand loyal due to the need to build up a stock of lenses etc over time but for a succesful pro like rouse this isnt an issue - his buisness would have the cashflow to finance the switch and such expenditure would be a tax deductible buisness expense.

he has also made such changes before - originally he was a canon film user - then he swapped to pentax 645 on account of metering problems with the canon 1v , then he swapped back to canon when digital came out (in the early days canon were well in the lead)

long story short on his current switch is that he wasnt happy with the foccusing performance of the 1Dmk3 and was very impressed with the nikon d3 both in foccusing and in its high iso performance which was precicesly what he needed for his gorilla trip - thus the change (not a total change as he has kept his 1dsmk2 for high MP file work , the D3 being only 12MP).

if in the future canon come back to the top of the field i'm sure he would change back - likewise if/when medium format digital becomes a usable reality for wildlife we might see him swap to mamiya or back to pentax or wherever else gives him the best possible images

Totally agree with you eeyore.

It's a shame Andy has got so much stick for going to Nikon. Its a disgrace really, we should all be focusing on the amazing photographs he takes not that he's changed from one company to another.

[Toby]

If I was starting out i'd take a long hard look at the Nikon D3 but being a macro buff there is no Nikkor equivalent of the MPE65. Someone with his earnings is not going to need financial incentives to change brands although having said that i've seen some very rich successful tennis players change racket manufacturers at the end of a contract and then watch their performance slide.

[Chris_Johnstone]

I find (in the amateur world) that comparing gear is something people are prone to and I'm no exception. I find it difficult not to look over someone's shoulder to check out their lens or body to see if it's newer/more expensice than my own and I'm guessing a few others here are the same. When I began taking photos I thought the key to the best shots was expensice gear and to an extent it's true. Photographing a fast-moving subject is easier and often more successful when using a camera that offers a high rate of frames per second. But in honesty the extent to which gear contribute is marginal next to preparation and knowing your subject (especially in wildlife photography).

It's natural to compare equipment. If you're in the market to upgrade, the best reviews are from users. It's when you think that because someone has a setup 'inferior' to yours you should be taking better photos than they are then things are a bit skewed.

As an amateur, I try to keep up with the times and buy the best I can afford, not the best possible on the market. However, if your livelihood and income depend on your photographs and you have the money to do so, using the best possible equipment seems perfectly fine to me, be it Pentax, Nikon, Canon etc... That seems to be what Rouse has done. I doubt he's signed an agreement with any company. I know he's sponsored by Warehouse but I've never heard him having any (legal) ties to photographic brands.

It's an interesting subject.

Chris