New Camera, Recommendations?

[BrokenolMarine]

My Nikon D3100 has taken thousands of great pics, but the shutter release has become unreliable. I took the advice of some folks online, and carefully cleaned the contacts between the body and lens, and it will work for a bit, then fail again. I kept a DSLR to take pics for my charity and woodworking, and so I could pop on a long lens for outdoor shots when kayaking.... I'd like to keep that option.

My kindle fire takes great pics, but downloading them is a pain. The software keeps wanting to save them to Amazon's cloud... not. I can email them to myself, but I suspect that gets them saved too.

I'm looking for a decent DSLR that will take a crisp clear picture. I doubt I will be shooting action shots, but do want to be able to swap lenses.

Thoughts.

[ESquared]

I have a barely used (<200 shots) Nikon D700 body (full-frame) that I know I'll never use. No idea what it's worth, but if that's of interest, send me a PM and we can work something out. Love my Nikon gear, but "overbought" in this case a few years back...

[Mags]

I've had 3 generations of Canon Rebel over the last 25 years or so. Only replaced them as the technology advanced in the camera body. The original long and short lenses of the first camera I still use with the latest. I've been very happy with the picture quality, resolution and reliability of the cameras.

[BrokenolMarine]

Thanks guys. Pm'd e2

[Redthies]

Any update? I’d definitely stick with Nikon as you already have the glass for that.

[BrokenolMarine]

Yes...
I swapped pm's back and forth with esquared about the nikon he had... read the reviews, watched the you tube vids, and he offered a great price. It should arrive Monday. It is WAY more camera than I need, pro level, but who knows what the future will bring. I may find I need a really (really) good camera.

I have taken some really good pics in the past with cameras no where near this quality. A D40 then a D3100. My current lenses will work, and if I get into it more, I can upgrade my lenses.

(Oooh, another rabbit hole to fall into.)

[ESquared]

I've been tracking your new camera and Monday's the day!

When you're ready to go down the glass rabbit hole, let me know!

The bad news (for you) is that glass doesn't depreciate like camera bodies. Glass is glass and doesn't get leapfrogged like the tech that goes into cameras.

Depending on where you end up with the D700, I might have something you're interested in...

[BrokenolMarine]

If my lenses work well, I'll stick with those.
Ah... for now.

[BrokenolMarine]

I have to be at the V.A. most of the day. Miss T will be home to sign for the package.
Torture.

[Redthies]

It’s nice to see some Nikon guys here, and great you guys made a deal. I’ve got a few Nikon boat anchors that I paid a LOT of money for in the film days. F4s, FM2 both with external drives, Nikonos underwater etc etc. At least all the ED glass I bought still worksjust fine;) I’m presently shooting with an old D200 I picked up used. It’s all the body I need (although video capabilities would be awesome) and it’s basically worthless now so I’m going keep using it until it dies. Then maybe I’ll find a deal like you guys just made?

[BrokenolMarine]

I started taking pics in high school with film cameras, and have shot all my life. Never really had the time or money to really pursue the hobby as others were at the front of the pack. I just tried to keep a "decent" camera handy. I had a couple pros over the years tell me I had a "good eye" and luck. A wicked combination according to one.

I have been lucky, but also patient in the past when shooting nature. I would sit in the garden for hours waiting for the right shot. With the stress of work and family, I found it very calming.

Later I kept a good camera combo on hand for kayak fishing trips. If the fish weren't biting, there was usually something to shoot, and a good camera in the woodshop... that goes without saying.

[BrokenolMarine]

These days, the DSL has a huge advantage. You can shoot hundreds of pics, bracketing the image you want with multiple shots. For every image you shoot, and keep, you can delete ten, or twenty. You can crop and adjust as well. I love it.

[ESquared]

These days, the DSL has a huge advantage. You can shoot hundreds of pics, bracketing the image you want with multiple shots. For every image you shoot, and keep, you can delete ten, or twenty. You can crop and adjust as well. I love it.

Yep, so flexible, and, like you, such a far cry from my original 35mm days with film in a Pentax camera!

The ability to just hit "Delete" allows you to just keep shooting, and the odds are that there's a good on in there somewhere, or at least one that's editable enough to do something with.

I got hooked when I lived in the PacNW, probably one of the most photogenic places in the world. Trouble was, i was never able to focus (pun intended) on one specific area, since I liked it all: landscape, wildlife, architecture, action/sports. I just dabbled instead of deep-diving.

Then I moved back to MIssouri, which is nice, but it's no Columbia River Gorge...

[dave77]

I like my Canon 70D but you got a nice deal getting that D700. I had looked it up when ESquared first posted about it but didn't realize it had a full frame sensor. I have a nice Tamron lens but have never been really happy with some of results I get using it with my APS camera.

Tony Northrup mentioned in one of his videos that while they worked it was not uncommon for a really nice lens designed for a full frame to not be quite so good on a smaller sensor camera.

Also I had known that you have to multiply the lens length by 1.6 when using it on a APS camera but you also have to multiply the f-stop rating. So if you think your getting a f2.8 it's actually going to be more like a f4.5.

[dave77]

These days, the DSL has a huge advantage. You can shoot hundreds of pics, bracketing the image you want with multiple shots. For every image you shoot, and keep, you can delete ten, or twenty. You can crop and adjust as well. I love it.

I was talking to wedding photographer and he said that back in the film days he would have to somewhat limit the number of shots he took. With digital he said he would literally take 1000's of shots at a wedding.

Also, the higher end Canons (and I assume it's the same for Nikons) have the ability to save each photo to 2 cards so you will still have your photos if something was to corrupt one of your cards.

[BrokenolMarine]

I like my Canon 70D but you got a nice deal getting that D700. I had looked it up when ESquared first posted about it but didn't realize it had a full frame sensor. I have a nice Tamron lens but have never been really happy with some of results I get using it with my APS camera.

Tony Northrup mentioned in one of his videos that while they worked it was not uncommon for a really nice lens designed for a full frame to not be quite so good on a smaller sensor camera.

Also I had known that you have to multiply the lens length by 1.6 when using it on a APS camera but you also have to multiply the f-stop rating. So if you think your getting a f2.8 it's actually going to be more like a f4.5.

As a hacker, I never really learned much about the various settings on the cameras... I used auto as much as I could and shot above and below the recommended settings to get the various effects I was looking for. Way back when I had to pay for prints, I learned to look at negatives and decide which ones MIGHT turn out, and I printed a LOT of stuff on slide stock, then used the slides to pick out prints.

A friend owned a huge farm, and it was the subject of a lot of my time as a teen. My place got a lot of my attention, as did the water.

hummingbird moth pic virginia wildlife pic.jpg

This pic was chosen as the PIC of the month for the Department of Game and Inland Fisheries....
Patience and Luck...

butterfly 01.JPG

This is another Garden shot...
a favorite.

turtles sample.jpg

I love these turtles from a kayak fishing trip. The colors, the reflection. The fact that the kayak allowed me to float in close and never disturb them.

[dave77]

Really like the hummingbird and turtle photos. Looks like you have depth of field settings figured out. I mostly shoot in aperture priority for depth of field control unless I know I need a faster shutter speed.

I know what you mean about camera settings. I had the 400+ page PDF manual for my 70D printed and I've still not managed to go through the whole thing. Everytime I pick it up I learn something new about my camera, now remembering it all is a different story.

[BrokenolMarine]

The new camera does a good job. Still raining here, but a sample shot taken in the shop.

test shot.jpg

This is a shot of two Black Walnut logs that I ran thru the Carter Band Saw Mill. It Safely allows you to put two 90 degree sides on logs, then run them against the fence on the band saw and cut them into planks to use later as you see fit. sharp clear pic...

[BrokenolMarine]

Finally got a sunny day....
Here is a shot of the back yard, looking across from the corner of the back of the wood shop toward the berm on the range.

back yard.jpg

Love the new camera!

[ESquared]

Very nice. What lens?