Nikon Lens Discontinued (Page 4): Artcameraman, At 76, I find your post very encouraging ! I have assumed I could keep lugging my camera and the rest that goes with it. I haven't...

mausernut01 Loc: Columbus Montana

Artcameraman wrote:

At 80 I find myself shooting with a digitized 4X5" view camera and a Fuji GX680 with various digital and 4X5" and 120/220 backs. Yes, my back is killing me but I'll do it till they close the lid over me.

Artcameraman, At 76, I find your post very encouraging ! I have assumed I could keep lugging my camera and the rest that goes with it. I haven't thought about how long I can do that, but I will always remember your statement!
I also will do it until they close the lid over me!!

Thanks,
Ken

larryepage Loc: North Texas area

User ID wrote:

Unfortunately there isnt any "National Association of Fixers of Olde Stuff" to publish a list. Youre pretty much stuck with Google and seeking references on forums. Try asking KEH who they use, and then ask that shop who else they would recommend when needed.

The closest parallel I can recall to what User ID is talking about is when Madison Hardware in Manhattan was the place to buy obscure repair parts for Lionel trains. Lou and Carl Shure owned and ran it, and it was rumored that they were somehow related to Joshua Lionel Cowan. When his company considered repair parts to be obsolete, the remnant inventory was sold to the Shures at Madison. That ended when they retired in the late 1980s and sold everything (several truckloads) to Richard Kughn, who had bought Lionel and moved it to Detroit a few years earlier.

Harry13

mwsilvers wrote:

What does age have to do with it? I am 75 and recently, (and happily), moved to a Nikon Z mirrorless camera with Z lenses. I am very pleased I did.

OK kid, spend your money! I'm 91 and I ain't moving to anything. My current gear does what I want/need so why should I spend $$ at my age? Makes no sense on any level. Now, if I was 35....

Harry PS BTW, the best picture I ever took (imho) was with a 35mm Nikon. Do I still shoot 35mm? Of course not. Or Nikon? Nope, switched to Canon when I moved to digital. Why? The answer is lost in the mists of time! :-)

boba_from_pa

I thought that I also ready within the month that Nikon is discontinuing the D500 camera as well. To me, that is hard to believe because to many it is the best crop sensor camera for wildlife

therwol Loc: USA

boba_from_pa wrote:

I thought that I also ready within the month that Nikon is discontinuing the D500 camera as well. To me, that is hard to believe because to many it is the best crop sensor camera for wildlife

Already done. There may still be a few new ones floating around, but I'm not sure about that.

User ID

boba_from_pa wrote:

I thought that I also ready within the month that Nikon is discontinuing the D500 camera as well. To me, that is hard to believe because to many it is the best crop sensor camera for wildlife

The UHH persoective on what products are popular is meaningless outside of UHH or any similar bubble.

DaveyDitzer Loc: Western PA

tiphareth51 wrote:

Having waited for a very long time with no estimat... (show quote)

Almost a year ago I bought my D850 for about 2500 bucks so I don't think the current sale is a cause for concern. I'm 78 and with 4 bodies I think my own "shutter count" is going to be less than those of my cameras!

joecichjr Loc: Chicago S. Suburbs, Illinois, USA

Thomas902 wrote:

"A friend of mine has a camera that she purchased as a refurbished 14 years ago and it is still going strong."
Exactly luvmypets... Likewise my Nikon D3x was a refurb... And it still is paying the bills over a decade later...
In fact all four of my Nikon "Pro" level bodies are Refurbs from Nikon USA.

My clients have zero concern about my "Kit" they only care about my deliverables... Word!

Man

Another great shot with another dream for a model 🏆🧿🏆🧿🏆

niteman3d Loc: South Central Pennsylvania, USA

If it weren't for used, refurb, and open box, I'd have no equipment... including computers. So yes, you can largely keep going long after the manufacturer closes the door on something. One word of caution... scarce items like the Nikkor CX 70-300 for the Nikon 1 series can get really expensive with time. The other thing to look for is someone to service older equipment (not always easy with Nikon). BTW, from the stats I can glean with searching, camera sales skyrocketed in the early 21st century and have now settled back to 1999 levels, so who knows where it's all headed?

Architect1776 Loc: In my mind

tiphareth51 wrote:

Having waited for a very long time with no estimat... (show quote)

DSLR lenses will be available for decades even if discontinued.
So no worries regardless of brand.
I have purchased a few discontinued lenses and no regrets as they work perfectly and work 100% perfectly on the new mirrorless cameras.
Even DSLRs in good used condition will be around for 2-3 decades at least.

therwol Loc: USA

Architect1776 wrote:

Even DSLRs in good used condition will be around for 2-3 decades at least.

In 2-3 decades, present day DSLRs will seem like antiques. They'll be in those glass cases in antique stores where you now find film cameras in horrible condition selling for way more than they're worth. But we do live in the present and only know what we know now. DSLRs are still a reasonable choice for some people.

Architect1776 Loc: In my mind

therwol wrote:

In 2-3 decades, present day DSLRs will seem like antiques. They'll be in those glass cases in antique stores where you now find film cameras in horrible condition selling for way more than they're worth. But we do live in the present and only know what we know now. DSLRs are still a reasonable choice for some people.

And you really believe that?
View cameras are still relatively popular.
40 year old SLRs are actually having a resurgence.
What ever you say.

larryepage Loc: North Texas area

boba_from_pa wrote:

I thought that I also ready within the month that Nikon is discontinuing the D500 camera as well. To me, that is hard to believe because to many it is the best crop sensor camera for wildlife

Actually, it is the best crop sensor camera for anything you might want to use it for.

I have two of them. I'll be taking them along with my D850 on a railroad photography trip next month. No wildlife is expected.

By the way, I've already tested both D500s. They work beautifully, despite being old, discontinued models. Just to make certain, I'll run them through a few additional performance verifications before I leave.

Thomas902 Loc: Washington DC

"...40 year old SLRs are actually having a resurgence..." Architect1776 speaks with autherity here...
I just sold one of my Nikon FE 35mm SLR's with an AI 50mm f/1.8 Nikkor last autumn for a $125 plus shipping cost to another UHH photographer who was elated to find one it perfect condition... All system functioned flawlessly.

It certainly helped to find an interested buyer by have this aspiring Beauty & Fashion Model showcasing it... As well as having our studio's hair stylist (formerly with VOGUE NYC) craft her tresses... An yes I did her makeup for this session... Her mom loved the deliverables and book us again for another session the following year.

I still marvel over the remarkable degree of craftsmanship latent in vintage Nikkors... precision brass and flawless design... and silky smooth focusing helicoils. I view Nikon's latest plastic offerings from china as a sad substitute for the stellar kit produced in Japan during the mid to late 1980's up to 2000 as the "Gold Standard"...

Yes the sensor tech is a wonderful blessing which freed me from my darkroom dungeon however current optics haven't raised the bar significantly... and certainly not worth the going prices in my humble estimation..

Hope this might be food for thought...

Nikon FE 35mm SLR's with an AI 50mm f/1.8 Nikkor

(Download)

BebuLamar

therwol wrote:

In 2-3 decades, present day DSLRs will seem like antiques. They'll be in those glass cases in antique stores where you now find film cameras in horrible condition selling for way more than they're worth. But we do live in the present and only know what we know now. DSLRs are still a reasonable choice for some people.

Horrible condition? I have many film cameras in great condition.