Fat Gregory Loc: Southern New Jersey

Crap... I'm so jealous with the right camera and such great glass... show me some great shots, Please... I'm so jealous, really!

HelenOster Loc: New York

Refurbs can have simply been pulled from the production line if something appears faulty, or if they haven’t passed the final inspection. Most of the time it is a very minor issue that needs correcting, nevertheless, once it is pulled from the normal flow of production, it gets flagged as a refurbished model, so you may get a unit straight from the factory that has never been used. (I have three myself, and for sure they were all factory-fresh, as it sounds the OP's is)

A refurb may also be an ex-store demo, possibly used in field tests or sales displays, or it may have been ordered in error and returned to the retailer (who can't then sell it as 'new' so it has to be sent back to the manufacturer for refurbishment).

SusanFromVermont Loc: Southwest corner of Vermont

You are going to LOVE the D810, and the lenses you have will not disappoint you. On a DX camera they can only perform as well as the capabilities of the DX camera. On an FX camera their true capabilities are revealed!

Your friend gave you good advice when he suggested you buy good lenses before upgrading the body. My first DSLR was the D7000, purchased 5 years ago. During that 5 years I switched out my DX lenses for FX lenses, bought a great tripod and other peripherals such as filters and remote shutter release. Then last fall, with great discounts around the holidays, I bought the D810. Love it. And you will undoubtedly be surprised that the learning curve will not be all that steep. Some of the controls/buttons are set up differently or located in a different place, but you can find out all those things by going through the manual. For me the steep learning curve was when I got the D7000!

Enjoy.
Susan

Nukepr Loc: Citrus County, FL

Thanks for the encouraging message. I have shot a couple of hundred images today, trying out the camera under different lighting conditions, and as you say, I have found the adjustment easier than I expected. I am finding it easy to navigate and set the camera up for different situations. My first discovery, yesterday, was in formatting a memory card. I was used to the multifunction button from my D5100 and then the D7200 as the OK, and thought there was a problem until I called Nikon support and they told me there was an OK button on the camera. And as you suggest, I am loving it.

SusanFromVermont Loc: Southwest corner of Vermont

Reading the manual with camera in hand can help prevent future problems like that. If you keep it handy when out shooting, you can usually figure out the solutions with a little searching! There is a section in the manual on setting up the camera that is pretty decent as well. I had to adjust to the OK button, too, and the presence of two buttons where there was just one AE/AL on my previous camera. [I use back button focus, so noticed that difference quickly!]

You will really enjoy the D810. [The Nikon 24-70mm f/2.8 is the "workhorse" of my small stable of lenses! Love it. The 300mm f/4 prime is on my wish list along with a few others.]

Susan

Meemz

Congrats!!
Go have fun w/it!! Enjoy 😊

JennT Loc: South Central PA

The Nikon 810 is the best, very best camera I have ever used---been using cameras for 60 years!

FiddleMaker Loc: Merrimac, MA

I am giving some thot to selling/trading my D750 for a D810. But at my age I should be happy with the D750.
I recall back in the early 1950s going by Lake Massabeesic on our way to Lake Winnipesaukee. I always thot it was in Derry but it might well be in Manchester. I should do a Google map.