Nikon lures back prominent photographer
Michael Reichmann of the Luminous Landscape switched from Nikon to Canon about 10 years ago. Now he's letting Nikon back in the fold.
- Shankland covered the tech industry for more than 25 years and was a science writer for five years before that. He has deep expertise in microprocessors, digital photography, computer hardware and software, internet standards, web technology, and more.
One data point does not a statistical trend make, but Michael Reichmann is a pretty high-profile data point in the fight for SLR camera market share.
The photographer, instructor, and author of the Luminous Landscape Web site switched from Nikon to Canon in the late 1990s. But he said Monday he's resumed buying Nikon gear again, though not switched completely back.
"I had few regrets at the switch (to Canon) through the first seven years of this decade and the move to digital because it's my opinion that with its full-frame sensors and superior high-ISO noise capabilities, Canon had a clear edge," Reichmann said. "But with the introduction of the D300 and D3 a few months ago, I now believe that Nikon is back in the game--big time!"
That's a pretty strong endorsement, but bear one caveat in mind here: Reichmann, who also shoots with medium-format Hasselblad and Phase One gear and with high-cachet Leica cameras, isn't a typical photographer with a typical equipment budget. Most of us in the SLR realm think carefully about buying a single lens, much less multiple lenses, lens bodies, filters, flashes, and other accessories.
Reichmann said he just bought a D300 and several lenses and will shoot with it regularly. And when a higher-resolution full-frame cousin to the D3 arrives, he'll buy that, too.
"I feel that there is now going to be a huge resurgence in use of Nikon gear by pros and amateurs alike, and as a teacher and a writer it is appropriate for me to become much more familiar with what this platform now has to offer," he said.