Pro Spec DSLR, Older Ones.......

[Knikki]

I seem to have a thing about buying older Pro Spec DSLRs.

Yes I'm aware of the Pro's and Con's for such machines but I do like using them.

So, Shutter Count?

Now I don't mind getting a camera with 100K - 200K clicks on it, I have a couple and they work fine.

BUT once they start getting to the 300K - 400K+ range, is it worth considering even if the camera is cheap?

Or I am just waiting for some catastrophic fail, making the camera "uneconomical to repair"?

Thoughts?

 

[Faldrax]

I seem to have a thing about buying older Pro Spec DSLRs.

Yes I'm aware of the Pro's and Con's for such machines but I do like using them.

So, Shutter Count?

Now I don't mind getting a camera with 100K - 200K clicks on it, I have a couple and they work fine.

BUT once they start getting to the 300K - 400K+ range, is it worth considering even if the camera is cheap?

Or I am just waiting for some catastrophic fail, making the camera "uneconomical to repair"?

Thoughts?

I guess it depends on how cheap they are, and how many clicks you do.
If you do, say, 25k clicks a year, a camera that costs £200 and lasts 50k clicks would be the same as renting for £100/year - a complete bargain!
If you shoot a lot more, it cost £500, thne fails after 5k clicks (in the middle of a big days shooting), then it would be less appealing.

 

[f/1.2]

Shutter replacement isnlt that expensive really especially on older bodies, couple of hundred quid.

 

[Willenium]

I bought a pro DSLR with 278k+ shutter count in 2021. Factory rating is 300k but they're known for going well past that. I figured for the amount of use it'll get, it should last many years yet. I think it's probably on about 280-281k now and still working well

 

[welshwizard645]

Think of it also in terms of rolls of film - a camera that has taken 275k shots would equate to around 7500 films in 35mm film terms, how much does it cost to buy and develop film nowadays? So I think of something like a 300k D3 at around £500 or less isn't such a huge gamble...

 

[Nod]

Depends how "cheap" cheap is! Any shutter can fail at pretty much any time, as can any electronic device but either can also carry on well past it's expected lifespan. If you like a gamble, go for it!

 

[paulmck]

I like shooting with the older pro DLSRs as well but for me it's more about the overall condition of them rather than the shutter count, although I appreciate the two are usually linked. I recently picked up a very nice Nikon D4S which will be 7 years old now, so it could fail at any point, even though it only has 2,000 clicks on it. But I'd rather pay a bit extra for one in nice condition. Strange as I also like film cameras in black that show a bit of brassing.

 

[stickytape]

I like shooting with the older pro DLSRs as well but for me it's more about the overall condition of them rather than the shutter count, although I appreciate the two are usually linked. I recently picked up a very nice Nikon D4S which will be 7 years old now, so it could fail at any point, even though it only has 2,000 clicks on it. But I'd rather pay a bit extra for one in nice condition. Strange as I also like film cameras in black that show a bit of brassing.

Join the club. My all time favorites are the Kodak DCS line, namely the Pro SLR N and the DCS 760 from 2001 and 2004

 

[James J]

I wouldn’t think twice about getting something like a D3S or D4 with a high shutter count. They actually set the build quality standards for me to look at newer stuff with, especially when it comes to weather sealing.

Ultimately it depends on what you are shooting. The big pro bodies still have respectable FPS and their battery life puts any mirrorless camera barring the Z9 to shame

 

[AndrewFlannigan]

I keep thinking about adding a second D600 body to my Tamron lens outfit.

Then I think what an extra 850 grams in my camera bag would do to my shoulder muscles...

 

[Knikki]

Join the club. My all time favorites are the Kodak DCS line, namely the Pro SLR N and the DCS 760 from 2001 and 2004

I picked up a Canon 1D the other year all 4Mb CCD goodness and I love using it.

I have looked for the Kodak machines but they are rare and I think the batteries these days are not great.

 

[Knikki]

I keep thinking about adding a second D600 body to my Tamron lens outfit.

Then I think what an extra 850 grams in my camera bag would do to my shoulder muscles...

Know what you mean, I now use the car as a "camera bag".

 

[fujilover]

its hit or miss, you can get a good one or a total stinker regardless of shutter count.

the buttons can be squishy, the joysticks can be worn out, the viewfinders can be filthy, the batteries worn out, the lcd screens can be damaged, the lens mounts can be not quite right and a long list of other things.

you get a lot more bad luck the cheaper and the higher shutter count in general but there are also well looked after ones.

as for breaking shutters on pro bodies, i have never managed it and i have owned loads of them

 

[swanseamale47]

I picked up a Canon 1D the other year all 4Mb CCD goodness and I love using it.

I have looked for the Kodak machines but they are rare and I think the batteries these days are not great.

They were great in the studio or with lots of light. Rubbish in low light though. Mind they were solid and fun to use..... until you went for a 10 mil;es walk with one.

 

[Willenium]

I think as long as you're sensible, do the right research and consider general condition then you should be ok (i.e don't get fed BS like the D3S being made from brittle plastic )