©Meandering Passage - Earl Moore Photography
A North Carolina Mountain Road in the early Fall

I finished photographing the 22 local churches selected for the 2013 calendar of the agency I work for and I’m now in post processing of them to black-and-white as well as removing unavoidable obstructions…signs, power lines, light poles, etc.  It’s a little easier  this year, as only a couple of the churches were on main city streets, with all that brings.

©Meandering Passage - Earl Moore Photography
A rocky NC mountain creek during the early fall.

My deadline for this project is next Monday, which should be obtainable.  I’ve gotten faster and hopefully better since last year.

I’ve used my Nikon D700 in this project and I’ve been enjoying shooting with it again.  I’m not ready to give up the DSLR camera yet even if some of the smaller mirror-less cameras are making a compelling case for it.

As good as the D700 is I would like to upgrade. I’ve dismissed the D800 and it’s 36mp as being simply too much for my needs  but the  D600 seems to hit a sweet spot — lighter and smaller then the D700 but providing superior image quality at a reasonable price — fellow photoblogger Ken Belloseems pleased with his recent purchase of the D600.  I may sell some of my older and

©Meandering Passage - Earl Moore Photography
Fall leaves on asphalt.

seldom used gear and make the jump.

I’ve been back and forth on upgrading the D700 since early February…even had a D800 ordered at one time…perhaps I’ll follow through this time. ;-)

12 Comments

  1. Your fall colors gave me a feeling of warmth and cheer today; currently it’s in the mid-forties and pouring outside!

  2. Hey Earl, the D600 does seem like a great option also. I still think the D700 is a relevant camera these days…but that fever does seem to be burning inside you. :-)

    • Mark, I agree about the D700, probably one of the best all-around digital cameras Nikon ever made, but I’d like the option of a little more resolution — 24 MP sounds like a good balance to me. Yeah, that fever… :-)

  3. I really like these fall color shots, Earl. I just never seem to tire of them.
    The D600 is a fantastic camera and I think you will feel very comfortable with it’s ergonomics as well as the resolution. It’s not as high as the D800 but it handles well and there is a significant price difference. I think you would have to look hard to see much difference in the files from these two cameras. I also think your D700 is a fine camera, built like a tank and you should hold on to it.

    • Thanks, Ken. That D700 is built like a tank and sometimes begins to feel like one after carrying it a few hours. I’ve been spoiled to lighter cameras by the Olympus E-M5. Still, I would keep the D700. I’ve got a lightly used D300 I’ll be looking to sell along with a few lens.

  4. Lovely set of images Earl – like Ken, I never seem to tire of fall and the pictures it inspires.

    The D600 is on my short list of camera needs (needs, not wants, though I’m sure my wife would dispute that!). The only concern I have is for Nikon’s issues with support and such – making people send lenses and cameras to Nikon for repair even for the most minor of issues. They seem to be alienating people instead of doing what they should – embracing customer support. Nevertheless – the D600 will probably be it for me since I’m pretty well invested in Nikon.

    • Thanks, John. I can’t say I “need” this new camera but I do want it. It been a struggle resisting the D800 but the D600 makes more sense for me. Same situation here…I’ve got a lots invested in Nikon lens.

  5. Oh no, another one talks about making the jump. :-) What that means is the possibility of this fever spreading to the rest of us consumers. It seems I have this phase where I google reviews or read about the specs on the D600 but have not pulled the trigger. I’m like you in that the smaller equipment is more attractive to me due to my older aching body. Oh, the temptations!

    • I know, Monte, this “fever” is contagious. By the way…if you need a third D300…I’m your man! ;-)

  6. Congrats on finishing, Earl. It will be interesting to see if you get the D600. I wonder what your thoughts will be as compared to the D700. You will have twice as many pixels to play with. :D

    • It went smoother this year and not as many obstructions to remove. Oh, you never know about that D600…

      Twice as many pixels only means I can crop a little tighter and still retain some detail, I’m pretty sure it doesn’t make photos any better. :-)