Something to consider

[YesDear]

If you are in the market for a dslr above the base models I wanted to remind those looking that with the pending release of the new Nikon's that there are already a great number of D300 and D300s on the secondary market. Both are still amazing cameras technology wise and the D300s is very close to the hard to find D7000.

I am seeing the bodies going for 800-1000 on many secondary sales sites.

Get a lightly used body and buy a lens or two and you will be better off than a lower grade camera.

Just a thought for consideration.

 

[Marlton Mom]

I think this is excellent advice!

Before the announcement of the impending release of Nikon's latest models, trying to find used D300 and D300s was next to impossible.

One of the ways to determine a possible life expectancy of a camera, and conversely how much it was used, is to determine shutter actuations. Nikon hides this info, but by using software available on the web, you can analyze this information.

Using the site http://www.myshuttercount.com/ you simply upload a raw or jpeg file to this site taken with the camera in question and it will determine the number of shutter actuations that is hidden in the exposure data.

This site here: http://www.olegkikin.com/shutterlife/ will assist you by providing data on the life expectancy of various camera models using shutter actuation data over the life span of the camera.

Using these two tools is a good way to assess whether that used camera you are considering is a good buy or a goodbye.

~Marlton Mom

 

[NLD]

 

[Experiment_626]

One of the ways to determine a possible life expectancy of a camera, and conversely how much it was used, is to determine shutter actuations.

True. I got a real deal when I bought my like-new D300 on eBay. Had fewer than 1400 actuations when I tested it and it has performed beautifully for me. IIRC, the D300 (and almost certainly the D300s as well) is rated for 150K actuations.

Wanted to point out, though, that some people may get the idea that life of the shutter equals the life of the camera, for all practical purposes. However, I believe that as repairs go, replacing a shutter is actually not that big a deal, relatively speaking -- can be done for around $300, I think, on a D300. YMMV.

SSB