Food for thought: I spoke to a friend who is a professional photog specializing in automobile work takes pictures all over North America and Europe, everywhere from Monterey to Le...

bobforman Loc: Anacortes, Washington State

I spoke to a friend who is a professional photog specializing in automobile work takes pictures all over North America and Europe, everywhere from Monterey to Le Mans. He does promotional work for car sales and spreads for major car club events. He shoots Nikon. I asked (assumingly) if he was using a D5. He came back that he's still using his D3 which must have hundreds of thousands of actuations. It's making me reconsider trading my D3s for something more exotic.

wide2tele Loc: Australia

bobforman wrote:

I spoke to a friend who is a professional photog specializing in automobile work takes pictures all over North America and Europe, everywhere from Monterey to Le Mans. He does promotional work for car sales and spreads for major car club events. He shoots Nikon. I asked (assumingly) if he was using a D5. He came back that he's still using his D3 which must have hundreds of thousands of actuations. It's making me reconsider trading my D3s for something more exotic.

Well there is real world and internet world. They are quite different.

Anyone with D3's, you're crazy to get rid of them imo.

Haydon

Sounds to me like you have a bad case of GAS. BTW many professionals are the last ones to get new gear. It's only when their gear is no longer capable of doing the job will they buy. They see their gear as a tool only.

John N Loc: HP14 3QF Stokenchurch, UK

Unless you've got a VALID reason to replace it, why bother?

Wallen Loc: Middle Earth

bobforman wrote:

I spoke to a friend who is a professional photog specializing in automobile work takes pictures all over North America and Europe, everywhere from Monterey to Le Mans. He does promotional work for car sales and spreads for major car club events. He shoots Nikon. I asked (assumingly) if he was using a D5. He came back that he's still using his D3 which must have hundreds of thousands of actuations. It's making me reconsider trading my D3s for something more exotic.

That's because they are tools.
Like a work boot that someone wears everyday, the longer they are used, the more they fit into the workflow and become predictable, comfortable, faster & easier to use. Almost a natural appendage to oneself.

Therefore, only when they break, or when the user find a limit where another tool is required, will they be replaced.

Where I work, we still have a D7000 and a D90 in use. Externally, they are pretty worn out and the battery cover is only kept closed by tape. But since it can still do the job, it's still on the line.

Personally, I own a D7200 and a D610. They still do a fine job that I'm planning to get another pair. They are a great deal now with all the manufacturers going for the mirrorless.

camerapapi Loc: Miami, Fl.

A few years back I was at the Miami Metro Zoo snapping a few shots with a Nikon D2H when all of a sudden someone behind me said "that is a great cameras." When I turned around that person was Ron Magill, Zoo Director and Nikon Ambassador. He stopped by and we talked about photography. He has just returned from India where he was shooting tigers. He was using a D3 and he showed me a picture of a tiger he shot at ISO 12,800 if memory does not fail. At the time an image at 1600 ISO showed lots of noise but this one looked very clean to me. He was very enthusiastic about the camera and that image. I was too!

If an old camera is still serving the owner for its intended use I do not see any reasons, except for burning money, to get an update and the D3 is still an excellent professional tool.

BebuLamar

bobforman wrote:

I spoke to a friend who is a professional photog specializing in automobile work takes pictures all over North America and Europe, everywhere from Monterey to Le Mans. He does promotional work for car sales and spreads for major car club events. He shoots Nikon. I asked (assumingly) if he was using a D5. He came back that he's still using his D3 which must have hundreds of thousands of actuations. It's making me reconsider trading my D3s for something more exotic.

Are you a pro? If not that is the reason why you want better camera. He is a pro and his D3 didn't break yet and it does the job fine. Obviously whoever he shoots for doesn't require more pixels than previously. So why spend the money which wouldn't bring him more money in return.
But if you're not a pro, shooting is for fun and a new camera would provide you a more fun than an old one so there the reason to upgrade.

traderjohn Loc: New York City

bobforman wrote:

I spoke to a friend who is a professional photog specializing in automobile work takes pictures all over North America and Europe, everywhere from Monterey to Le Mans. He does promotional work for car sales and spreads for major car club events. He shoots Nikon. I asked (assumingly) if he was using a D5. He came back that he's still using his D3 which must have hundreds of thousands of actuations. It's making me reconsider trading my D3s for something more exotic.

I think some people with cameras are like leaves before the wind. Always want over need.

CHG_CANON Loc: the Windy City

Everyone's heart has a secret nerve that responds to the touch of a new camera.

BebuLamar

traderjohn wrote:

I think some people with cameras are like leaves before the wind. Always want over need.

Well if need over want then I would never buy a camera. I don't need a camera.

uhaas2009

Do you know how it is when a camera fails? My first dslr started to fail with 80k shutter count 6 years old and not worth to fix....

CHG_CANON Loc: the Windy City

uhaas2009 wrote:

Do you know how it is when a camera fails? My first dslr started to fail with 80k shutter count 6 years old and not worth to fix....

The pro-models are rated to 400,000, and now 500,000 for the latest mirrorless. Entry-level was initially 25K then moved up to 50K for the current versions. The middle-tier between the two extremes are typically 150K.

BebuLamar

CHG_CANON wrote:

The pro-models are rated to 400,000, and now 500,000 for the latest mirrorless. Entry-level was initially 25K then moved up to 50K for the current versions. The middle-tier between the two extremes are typically 150K.

I wonder how many is the Nikon Z9 rated for?

CHG_CANON Loc: the Windy City

BebuLamar wrote:

I wonder how many is the Nikon Z9 rated for?

Without a mechanical shutter, that is either a 0-rated shutter life or infinity, depending on how you see these types of numbers.

Thomas902 Loc: Washington DC

"...he's still using his D3..." Epic piece of kit... Have seen many advertised in "Good Condition" on mpb with well over 200,000 clicks... It is an ideal tool for those who are actually "working" commercial shooters...

btw, love my D3... it always gets the job done...
Back in the day (before digital) I cut my teeth shooting for a stock agency which demanded only "Chromes" i.e. Kodachrome. You always did post and cropping In Camera, period! I never forgot those years and to this day still crop in camera if at all possible. See below...

Cheers!

Nikon D3 *Count the Keepers' eye lashes on the Download

(Download)

NYC colleague shot with a Nikon D3 (holding an F3)

(Download)