- Location
- Switzerland
- Name
- Matt
Some background: When photography went digital, I had trouble adjusting; I tried some of the earlier cameras, but neither results nor handling were convincing. I had been a Nikon shooter for most of my film days, and the likes of the F-801s (N8008s in the US, if I recall right) and later the FM3a (what a camera!) had left me with a clear picture what good photographic tools should work and feel like. When Nikon began producing DSLRs, however, they were far out of reach for me at first, and I also found the APS-C sized sensors a problem because they would render some of my preferred lenses and focal lengths practically useless, but I finally succumbed and went with a D90 (including the 16-85mm zoom at first, I later added the 35mm DX). It turned out to be a very, very good camera for my needs, if a bit chunky (but still smaller than the F-801s!) - so even if I still didn't click with digital in the way I had done with film, it worked, and very convincingly, at that.
So well, in fact, that I really saw no reason to upgrade to the more sophisticated, but also bigger and somewhat clumsier D7*** series. Don't get me wrong, they're fantastic cameras, but they're also huge beasts considering the fact that they're still APS-C cameras, as Nikon themselves showed with their "lesser" series, the D3*** and D5***.
Anyhow, the D3*** are so far dumped down that I never considered them - they were good cameras of the D40* variety, but no functional match for the D90. So even if they were smaller, they weren't worth considering (and for really small, I had discovered in the meantime).
For a long time, I had thought of the D5*** in much the same way - but then along came the D5500. It's the smallest of the D5*** series to date, but it handles extremely well due to a nice combination of sufficiently accessible classical controls and a very snappy touchscreen interface (way better than what I'm used to from my cameras, actually - though the one of the Panasonic GX80 comes close) - it felt so convincing that I added it to my kit in spite of the fact that it competes with the E-M10, then my small sophisticated camera of choice (in fact, paired with the 12-40mm zoom, it still is - in spite of everything the D5500 and the GX80 offer).
The D5500, for me, does so many things right that it rekindled my interest in APS-C type cameras even though I still find very competent and useful (especially when it comes to its performance/weight ratio) and also acquired a D750 in the meantime as a do-it-all DSLR, so have plenty of other options available.
But here's the thing: The D5500 still doesn't replace the D90 for me! What I'd like is a camera that builds on the strengths of the D5500, but adds that things that still make the D90 a very enjoyable - and sometimes even superior - camera in use.
Here's what I'd like to see in a D6000 (that'll never be, of course):
M.
So well, in fact, that I really saw no reason to upgrade to the more sophisticated, but also bigger and somewhat clumsier D7*** series. Don't get me wrong, they're fantastic cameras, but they're also huge beasts considering the fact that they're still APS-C cameras, as Nikon themselves showed with their "lesser" series, the D3*** and D5***.
Anyhow, the D3*** are so far dumped down that I never considered them - they were good cameras of the D40* variety, but no functional match for the D90. So even if they were smaller, they weren't worth considering (and for really small, I had discovered in the meantime).
For a long time, I had thought of the D5*** in much the same way - but then along came the D5500. It's the smallest of the D5*** series to date, but it handles extremely well due to a nice combination of sufficiently accessible classical controls and a very snappy touchscreen interface (way better than what I'm used to from my cameras, actually - though the one of the Panasonic GX80 comes close) - it felt so convincing that I added it to my kit in spite of the fact that it competes with the E-M10, then my small sophisticated camera of choice (in fact, paired with the 12-40mm zoom, it still is - in spite of everything the D5500 and the GX80 offer).
The D5500, for me, does so many things right that it rekindled my interest in APS-C type cameras even though I still find very competent and useful (especially when it comes to its performance/weight ratio) and also acquired a D750 in the meantime as a do-it-all DSLR, so have plenty of other options available.
But here's the thing: The D5500 still doesn't replace the D90 for me! What I'd like is a camera that builds on the strengths of the D5500, but adds that things that still make the D90 a very enjoyable - and sometimes even superior - camera in use.
Here's what I'd like to see in a D6000 (that'll never be, of course):
- Keep as close as possible to the basic body design of the D5500, but ...
- Add the pentaprism viewfinder of the D90 - it's more than adequate and clearly better than the pentamirror on the D5500, even if it's no match to the D7200's one.
- Add dual control wheels like on the D90 - the D5500 offers good single wheel control, but it's still slower and more awkward than on the D90.
- Add a function button that can be pressed with your right middle finger - that's a real boon and wouldn't need a lot of space.
- Add a small top display (look at the D750 for clues); since the mode dial most probably can't be moved to a different spot, dump it - the touchscreen can take care of its functionality, and boy, would it make the camera look sleek
- Add another function button so that there are three of them - or even better, make the drive button customisable and add its functionality to the touchscreen if need be.
- Make more functionality available to customise the Fn button(s), like one-step spot metering (I still can't believe it's not assignable to the Fn button on the D5500!).
- A bit over the top, but very nice to have: Add the D7200's AF module - or don't, if that's your actual point of differentiation ...
- Now for some minor stuff in my book: Add in-camera charging via USB (I don't prefer this method, but it's nice to have it available).
- Add a headphone jack - the D5500 is actually good enough at video to deserve that.
- Add better video controls - see above.
- Add a bit more buffer depth.
- Add weather sealing (unrealistic to the extreme, I know).
M.