niteman3d Loc: South Central Pennsylvania, USA

I mentally questioned Paul's estimate on the cost of the D3500 vs the more high-end Nikons. I should know better than to question him. With the D3500 at $520, the D850 is just about 4x the cost of the D3500 (which has a kit lens and none on the D850). The D6 is 10x more and still no lens included. These are refurbished prices on the Nikon USA site.

Being a Nikon fanboy for many years now, I don't think I'm curable... so any of you folks suffering under the burden of owning Nikon "junk", keep me in mind as I will ease your pain. I'd be willing to pay well above junk prices for some of them. For instance, I'll relieve you of the burden of a Z7ii for $1500 if in pristine condition (same goes for a D850). I'd be willing to splurge on a Z8 and might go as much as $2000.

They've got more on the way (maybe), some fodder for the hate mill:

https://www.nikon-rumors.com/nikon-z9h-rumored-to-be-announced-in-2024-for-olympics/#:~:text=With%20the%20Tokyo%20Olympics%20postponed%20until%202021%2C%20Nikon,professional%20photographers%20ahead%20of%20the%202024%20Paris%20Olympics.

Architect1776 Loc: In my mind

D850's are not part of the discussion nor over 70% of the responses related to the question.

agillot

Dont know , still stuck with an early D300 , a real work horse .

Architect1776 Loc: In my mind

ronpier Loc: Poland Ohio

So true. I have used my d3400 for seven years along with my other DSLRs. Great images, wonderful colors. Light and great for travel. Have shot fireworks and other low light situations with excellent results. With a good lens it is a nice tool.

coullone Loc: Paynesville, Victoria, Australia

I have a D3400 and I prefer it over my Canon RP.
It is quicker to use and the 'Plastic' 18-55mm lens is better than the Canon 24-105 F4.7-F7.1 which I would call very ordinary. Taken 720 on D3400 and only 250 on RP this year.
Also have the 'kit' zoom tele to 300mm which I very rarely use (not this year at all).
I honestly can not tell which camera I used up to 40 x 60 cm prints. The Canon RF 50mm F/1.8 is actually the sharpest lens I have which I use if I expect to have large prints - a 90 x 120 cm allowed every one of 60 people to be easily identified at an event I photographed for the local Men's Shed.
That is my tuppence worth!

coullone Loc: Paynesville, Victoria, Australia

Because they still do the job that's why

coullone Loc: Paynesville, Victoria, Australia

Or Canon, or Sony or Pentax, or Leica or ...

rangel28

The Nikon D3300 was my first digital interchangable lens camera. I got some great photos from this camera; the sensor in particular produced wonderful colors (I think Nikon used the same sensor on the D7200, also a great camera).

As you noted the D3300 does not have much in the way of cutomizable buttons, which you would expect with an entry level camera, as most people buying these cameras wouldn't know or undertand the benefits of using a Function button, and many of these customers set the camera to "Auto" and never look back. I had the benefit of shooting with film cameras back in the 1980s, so I was able to work around issues like this, but to me the lack of customizaton was a major negative for me.

I believe Nikon made the decision to discontinue the D3000 and D5000 series because of the small margins they made with every sale. I know they sold a bunch of these cameras at places like Costco and Walmart, making a small profit on each one. Mirrorless cameras, with fewer moving parts, are probably less expensive to manufacturer and the margins are greater on cameras in the Z series, especially the Z7 to Z9. Essentially, Nikon's bean counters probably made the decision that moving high number of lower priced cameras to average consumers, who will probably only use the kit lenses that came with their camera and never buy another lens, are not as lucrative as serious amateurs, prosumers, and pros, who will buy many more lenses. Their strategy seems to working for now.

robertjerl Loc: Corona, California

Most of the people going on about difficulties etc. and how advanced or not a camera is should just say a prayer of thanks that they aren't still using "Wet Plate" cameras. In fact most of them would probably break down crying if restricted to dry sheet film models.

40 years ago I traded my 4x5 to another teacher who had a weekend and summer portrait studio using sheet film models because his business gimmick was being an old style Hollywood portrait studio. I got an enlarger and accesories in return that allowed me to print poster size prints that I used in the classroom to teach history and geography.

After I went digital I gave that one to a young guy from Mexico (visiting his Aunt next door to us) who was leaving the studio run by his dad and uncle to open his own in the next town down the highway and it was the same model enlarger he learned on/was used to. He saw it while I was cleaning the garage and had it sitting on the driveway and asled of I would sell it. I was going to take it to Good Will, so I gave it to him after finding out why he wanted it.

therwol Loc: USA

I think that the Nikon D3xxx series served a purpose at the time they were introduced. This was before cell phone photography really took off. Just like the Canon AE-1 of the film era, they were mass marketed and introduced a lot of people to a new way of doing things. Many in this thread report taking fine pictures with them.

And by the way, I still have a 4x5 Crown Graphic and an Omega D2 enlarger set up for both 35mm and 4x5. I will never go back to using them, but someday I will try to find someone interested in having them. Goodwill would probably scrap the enlarger and sell the camera as a table ornament. The trouble with the enlarger is that the shipping cost to anywhere would be far more than it's worth. It's rather heavy.

Bohica Loc: SE Coast of NC

For film, has always been my FM2n, followed by my F2. When I feel lazy, F3 or N90s, when feeling nostalgic, Nikkormat FTN, FT2, oe EL

niteman3d Loc: South Central Pennsylvania, USA

Just got a sale notice from Nikon on refurbished (2 days only) that offers the D3500 for $350 plus tax. It looks like that includes the 18-55 kit lens as well.

Bohica Loc: SE Coast of NC

Same boat I have a D3 and C400 with burnt out bulbs. Bulbs are probably about the same value as the enlargers, and lost all my film carriers fir both. Will probably go to landfill when my descendants clean out my storage locker

Bohica Loc: SE Coast of NC

They sell used on FB Market place in EX condition and low shutter count for around $140