Vive La Difference

Staff · Issue 24, May/Jun 2005 · pp. 36–40

Products mentioned: Nikon D2X, Nikon D100, Subal Housing, Nikon Coolscan 5000, UR Pro CY filter, Subtronic Alpha, Inon Z220

In the last issue of UWP I wrote a first impressions review of the new Nikon D2X and said I’d report in my field experience in this issue. In short, the camera is superb and its image quality exceeds that of all other Nikon digitals and also the best slide film, and by quite a margin once that film has been scanned. On a personal level, the D2X means I no longer have a reason to expose film. For me the digital debate, the question of whether digital is as good as film, is concluded. That said, I always thought that the digital debate was barking up the wrong tree. People seemed far too concerned about taking exactly the same shot on film and digital and seeing how each performed. Instead we should accept both are now capable of producing excellent quality results. More importantly we must learn that digital IS different from film. Understanding and then exploiting the differences offered…