Testing...

 

I didn't study.  Apparently, that is a common dream.  That is not the way my dreams usually go, but I digress.

I have been giving some consideration to a new camera.  Some might think I am overly critical when it comes to camera gear.  That was certainly the case when we were in the studio.  When we first left, I bought Nikon's best digital camera at the time.  It was such a beast to carry around, I didn't use it much... on a shot per cost, it was probably the most expensive camera I had owned.

My focus (pun intended) shifted after that, and I went through a series of small pocket cameras for a few years.  When we were working at the whale watch company, I bought some nicer cameras... things were generally busy at the helm of those boats, so I didn't get to shoot as much as I would have liked.

After that (around 2016), I bought another Nikon DSLR, but certainly not the top of the line.  It was a good buy at Costco with a couple lenses.  This is the camera that we used to take photos of dolphins from our boat in Texas, nice portraits of Rufus in the grass, and some of our travel photos.

By that point, I had begun to shoot videos from the scooters and the occasional music video.  The Nikon didn't get a lot of use after that.

Reading up on the specs of current cameras, this 8 year old Nikon is still relevant.  I did update it with a tele-zoom lens after a couple years with it.  This Nikon focused fast enough that we were able to capture some really fun dolphin photos.

Technology changes a lot in 8 years.  While there are fewer models of cameras being offered currently, the manufacturers have concentrated their efforts on more expensive cameras.  There are very few "point and shoot" small cameras thanks to iPhones (and some of the other phones) upgrading their onboard cameras with each new model.  One article I read said camera sales (by units sold) are down 93% since 2010.

"Yeah, yeah, what does this have to do with testing?"  Thanks for asking.  I got out the Nikon today while Murphy played in the yard.  Apparently, this boy moves faster than dolphins.  ;-)  The auto-focus is slow by today's standards (but it was certainly faster than anything we had used previously).  I shot some close ups, full length, back-lit, in the sun and in the shade.  This Nikon still does an adequate job.

See for yourself...

It has a 20mg sensor, so again, adequate...

It handles the back-lighting OK...

Sun-lit...

Deep shade...

I think he is a handsome lad... but, he is a "mover and a shaker."  If this had been a paid session, I would have earned my money.  ;-)

For full disclosure, every one of these images has had some work done to it: cropping, exposure, color, and contrast.  When people call an imaged "Photoshopped," I can attest that most images have had some level of "enhancement" that has nothing to do with retouching.  This handsome boy doesn't need any retouching.