Beginner Buy older! (Nikon)

tom24

tom24

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For anyone thinking of their first camera(s), I say this after starting c. 18 months ago.

Bargains to be had are the Nikon d300 dx, d700 fx and d7000 dx.

Much better than the d3200 I started with mainly due to usability, all your setting buttons at your fingertips.

Practise is the only way to get your head around settings and all the rest.

It or the body doesn't make or give you a good image always but in my use of the above, when it does come together, it shows you just how good the equipment still is.

I have the above bodies but a d7200 instead of the d7000 now.

I shoot jpeg and that itself is a big difference when loading the older cf card shots to the computer.

Just some musings, I have spent loads in various hobbies and invariably find that older kit is more than a hobbyist needs.

Hope that helps anyone starting out.
 
Most experienced photographers have been giving this advice for years. Enthusiast cameras are easier to 'control', as opposed to being easy to 'use'. Less menu browsing and more buttons.
 
I think i'm getting my head around what capturing an image is about, it's certainly an apprenticeship about how to use the tools in the first instance for sure.
 
I have had the D300 and D700 and three D7xxx's ...... no real complaints about all

I have a D750 and a D810 now

for me the D750 is ideal and at under £1,000 used or £1,400 new is the one to go for and I did sell my 4 month old D7200 for under £500 a few months ago

IQ has improved but especially ISO and AF has made leaps forward

so I would say buy either of those 2 depending on your budget
 
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tom24 said:
For anyone thinking of their first camera(s), I say this after starting c. 18 months ago.

Bargains to be had are the Nikon d300 dx, d700 fx and d7000 dx.

Much better than the d3200 I started with mainly due to usability, all your setting buttons at your fingertips.

Practise is the only way to get your head around settings and all the rest.

It or the body doesn't make or give you a good image always but in my use of the above, when it does come together, it shows you just how good the equipment still is.

I have the above bodies but a d7200 instead of the d7000 now.

I shoot jpeg and that itself is a big difference when loading the older cf card shots to the computer.

Just some musings, I have spent loads in various hobbies and invariably find that older kit is more than a hobbyist needs.

Hope that helps anyone starting out.
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Intrigued as to the JPEG / CF card point? I can't see how that can make a difference (I shoot raw, and sometimes JPEG on both CF and SD, its much of a muchness!), just curious.
 
I meant that the files of the older bodies load much faster on my computer compared to the d7200. (esp flickr)
 
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i concur about the Nikon D300, it was the third nikon version I bought and going to keep even though I have a newer D800. The D300 with a battery pack can do a reasonable FPS for most needs. One thing to watch out for is the rubber hand grip which in my case worked loose due I think to the material absorbing moisture from the hand and poor resin to hold it in place. Easy enough to get replacement on Ebay at fit which is what I did and now no more problems.



New rubber grip in place
 
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realspeed said:
i concur about the Nikon D300, it was the third nikon version I bought and going to keep even though I have a newer D800. The D300 with a battery pack can do a reasonable FPS for most needs. One thing to watch out for is the rubber hand grip which in my case worked loose due I think to the material absorbing moisture from the hand and poor resin to hold it in place. Easy enough to get replacement on Ebay at fit which is what I did and now no more problems.



New rubber grip in place
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I find this strange, as a long time Canon user I always say Nikon's are built better, but I've seen lots of Nikon's with loose grips and have never seen this on any other camera make.

I might revise my view of Nikon build quality
 
tom24 said:
I meant that the files of the older bodies load much faster on my computer compared to the d7200.
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That's down to the resolution and file size. The older files probably use half the data as the newer higher resolution photos.

Of course, you can get fast and slow cards, but that's the same with either CF or SD (or any other card format).
 
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I would say that if you want to get really good photos then an older kit often makes much more sense than the latest camera - depending of course what you want to do - and it's far better to spend the money saved on a first class lens.

Older 8 - 12 MP cameras can be had for very little S/H now and coupled with a quality lens will give excellent results.
.
 
Phil

This has happened on a few Nikon D300 that I have read about. When I removed to old one the resin had gone off and lost its adhesiveness. Just one thing to watch out for and that is there is a small screw right at the end of the inside of the battery area. This is magnatic ( or the one I removed was) and this has to be removed before taking off old grip. Being a magnatic screw makes it easier to put back in. the material used absorbed moisture from the hand and made the grip swell and work loose



I did try and remove the old resin from thebody first but in the end just put the new grip right over it and it hasn't moved since. can't find photos of the old ,must have deleted then or on thne old hard drive somewhere.
 
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odd jim said:
That's down to the resolution and file size. The older files probably use half the data as the newer higher resolution photos.

Of course, you can get fast and slow cards, but that's the same with either CF or SD (or any other card format).
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Images from my D80 loaded on my TV easy, images from the D3300 struggle to load on the same TV. I am lucky if I can get a couple of images out of a dozen, to show up.
 
I never had to take out a screw when I did my grips?..
 
jonbeeza said:
Images from my D80 loaded on my TV easy, images from the D3300 struggle to load on the same TV. I am lucky if I can get a couple of images out of a dozen, to show up.
Click to expand...

On your TV? I'd expect pretty low transfer speeds via a smart tv.
 
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Hi all
Bought myself a D3300 and I must say as a complete novice I love it to bits.
I then recently bought a used D200 ,old I know but wow what an amazing camera to explore and self teach on.
 
A month of having an entry SLR.. It is a NIKON D3100. 18-55mm lens came with it from a friend along with a flash.. Costing £80.00 Enjoying the experience. At present bidding for 55-200mm lens on EBay..
 
I did win the bidding for the 55-200mm. Very pleased with it. Not used much yet but will be very soon.
 
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