Digital BW, The Print

Kodak's body "redesign" is not really an N80. Not like you can take a
plastic injection mold and use a magnesium alloy, eh?

And, not the plastic.  Look, Nikon came out with the N90 which quickly
became a pro second or third body.  Initially, they classed it as amateur
and wouldn't fix it at NPS.  Once a BUNCH of newspapers and wire services
started using them, it was an NPS repairable item.  In fact, one wire
service photog used two N90s during the Gulf War, saying that the F5
wouldn't hold up against that weather.

It IS a feature issue. The 1/180-sec. flash sync was a large issue, since
you couldn't sync-sun at 200 or 400 ISO.  

The shutter is "tinny" compared to the bigger brothers. The shutter on the
D1-series "flies" incredibly faster than an F5, according to the repair
guys.  It HAS to be beefier to do that.

I don't think it would be fair to compare the Kodak "redesign" to an N80.  I
am sure they did more than just changed the body composition.  Let's face
it, Kodak has two choices in a pro body --if that's the market they are
after-- Nikon or Canon, because the lenses are there.

My guess is Kodak will never get their market share back, on the pro side,
now that Nikon  and Canon are major players. The beauty for us is they can
drive prices down. 

I would LOVE to see an F100 become digital!! I think it is the ideal mix in
ruggedness and price.

/r,

Seth


=
=Is it the features or the plastic body that you object to?
=
=I ask because the Kodak 14n has a Kodak-designed F80 body redone in 
=magnesium alloy :-)
=