Andre, you need to learn to use the ReQuote button
Pick up the phone...they either don't know how to obtain shutter count, they aren't allowed to
or just don't care about that #. It's not really part of a retailers selling vocabulary. My buddy
just got a refurb with 151K clicks it was back in the box before you could sneeze. What a
waste of shipping there and back. This all could have been avoided, if that info was supplied.
OP: sorry, this really got OT in a hurry 'nother reason for buying NEW unless you know/trust seller.
Andre Labonte wrote:
They won't tell you! That's like a used car dealer not telling you the milage.
That isn't quite correct.
Several months ago while searching for a D700, I called Roberts Camera in Indianapolis regarding factory refurbished units. They were kind enough to unpack one, check and report back the actuation #. Likewise, when I spoke to Adorama, they had no issues with me showing up at the brick & mortar shop on off-peak hours, laptop and memory card in-hand to check a few used or refurb'd units for shutter clicks.
Sent you a PM yesterday. Mine is for sale here and is in great shape with just over 20,000 clicks. They are rated for 300,000 so it's barely broken in. It has been sold.
Thanks, yes I received it. Nice camera! I'm still weighing my options. I'm not sure that the D3 is the camera I should buy, but I'm sure that I would like it if I did. The F6 is still working great for me, and Velvia 50 is still available, so I'll probably continue to use it till its gone for now. I've noticed most landscapers are using the D700, D800, 5D type cameras. However John Shaw did use the D3 for quite a while, now he uses the D4 and D800E. Are the D700 and D800 built as well as a D3, or an F6 for that matter?
trenchmonkey wrote:
Andre, you need to learn to use the button
Pick up the phone...they either don't know how to obtain shutter count, they aren't allowed to
or just don't care about that #. It's not really part of a retailers selling vocabulary. My buddy
just got a refurb with 151K clicks it was back in the box before you could sneeze. What a
waste of shipping there and back. This all could have been avoided, if that info was supplied.
OP: sorry, this really got OT in a hurry 'nother reason for buying NEW unless you know/trust seller.
I've bought a D300 and D700 from Adorama, both of which they had no issue giving me the shutter count on.
They do take the shutter count into consideration when rating a camera. They also sometimes completely blow the rating/price in favor of the buyer
Trenchmonkey is correct - KEH will NOT tell you the shutter count. Believe me, I asked a salesperson when I called about one of their higher rated used D700 bodies back in November 2012 - I was told that shutter count was not important. IMHO shutter count is analogous to mileage put on a car but of course it all depends on how hard the camera was used. Now, perhaps other reseller/retailers will divulge shutter count but KEH won't - they rate camera bodies based on appearance as mentioned above.
jphendren wrote:
... I'm not sure that the D3 is the camera I should buy, but I'm sure that I would like it if I did. The F6 is still working great for me, and Velvia 50 is still available, so I'll probably continue to use it till its gone for now. I've noticed most landscapers are using the D700, D800, 5D type cameras. However John Shaw did use the D3 for quite a while, now he uses the D4 and D800E. Are the D700 and D800 built as well as a D3, or an F6 for that matter?
The D3 has that pro feel that the others lack. Even though they are built well they are not tanks like the D3 is. You'll need to try each because they each have different hand grips.
Also, the D3 is the only one without a built in sensor cleaning feature. For me that would be an important omission. Dust on the sensor is much more prevalent than it was with film, simply because if there was nay dust in a film camera it usually only affected one frame. With digital it will affect every photo with mid to small apertures (the extra DOF reveals the dust spots more clearly than for the large apertures).
In case you are not aware, the D700 uses exactly the same sensor and AF hardware as the D3 but it has less computing power to drive it.
If you are mostly shooting on a tripod then the smaller grip of the D600 is less of an issue than it might be if you were shooting hand-held. I found it uncomfortably small. I believe the D600 uses different accessories to what the D800 and D3 and D700 use, such as remote release cable, viewfinder accessories, etc. They all use different batteries and chargers.
If you cannot afford the D800 then I recommend the D600 not only for the higher pixel count but for the greater dynamic range at low ISO. This can be very useful in landscape shots that involve dark shaded areas as well as well-lit areas. It is very satisfying to pull out usable details from those dark areas with minimal noise.
jphendren wrote:
I shoot nature landscapes, think Galen Rowell and John Shaw, although nowhere near as good . I currently shoot an F5 and F6, so prefer the feel/controls of pro bodies. I owned a D70 back in 2004, and it felt like a plastic toy. So I returned it for a D2h, and loved that camera, but the DX sensor and corresponding loss of field of view sent me back to my beloved F5 in 2009. I am still quite happy with my film SLR's, they do the job beautifully, but finding/buying, and processing E-6 film is getting harder. So I am planning for the day that I will have to hang up my babies. I can print beautiful 13x19's off of 35mm slide film, maybe larger (Galen Rowell did), but am unsure if 12MP is enough to replace Fujichrome Velvia 50's shoes. I prefer film workflow, I hate using photoshop, etc. I prefer looking at chromes on my light table. But I realize that films days are numbered.
Anyways, the D3 seems like a sweet camera that can do what my F6 can do, with similar build and ergonomics. The D2h was nowhere near as good as an F6....Show more →
Never EVER hang up the film That is crazy talk
Here is my experiences. I shot with a Canon 1Ds for 3 or so years. Thing was a beast - but bullet proof. I sold that last May and bought a Nikon F5 and F100. I went with the F5 for MLU, as the F100 lacks it, but if I did it again, I would probably get the F100 if I could get the price right.
I used the F5 for 5 months until it died on me. Power button wouldn't work, so I sold it (full disclosure, of course ) Ironically, i noticed this the day I bought my D700. Someone told me that is what I get for bringing the girlfriend home to meet the wife, lol.
I really, REALLY took my time and did a ton of research on the D3 and D700. I bought mine in October, and got a smoking deal on the D700. For me, the $500-600 difference between a mint D700 and a high mileage D3 wasn't worth it. Remember, I used the pro bodies for years, and the D700 feels like an EOS 1V. Super well built, don't feel like i need to baby it.
It is worth mentioning that I do NOT use AF that much, as I shoot landscapes (people use AF for landscapes? ) and only have MF lens. And also the D3 doesn't have the sensor cleaner deal to get rid of the dust. The 1Ds was such a huge dust magnet, and that also played into the decision. No fun spending 30 minutes on cloning - and cleaning didn't do much, as it would re-appear soon.
NathanHamler wrote:
.i'm looking for a d700 now, and most i see with 100k on the shutter people want $1,400-1,500... People get offended when i offer $1,100...
Look at how much they're going for on Amazon, subtract 4% seller's fees. Do the same with E-Bay completed listings, subtract 9% seller's fees. Add the fact that sellers don't want to waste their time with low-ballers.
I am leaning toward the D700. I currently own a Nikon F5 and Nikon F6, as well as an EOS-1V. I have been using the F6 since 2009 or 2010, I can't remember exactly. Today I dug out the F5 and wore it around my neck, mounted it on the tripod, etc.... Too heavy! I guess that I've become use the smaller, lighter F6. I do landscapes, shooting from a tripod with a cable release, so speed is not really a factor for me. I also rarely use AF, mostly shoot at the hyperfocal distance. I think that the D700 may be just the ticket. I notice that Galen Rowell was using the F100 toward the end of his life, and my style is the same, I have to hike to get the shot a lot of times, so weight is a factor. Back in 2000 I owned an F5 along with all of the f/2.8 AF-S zooms (28-70, 80-200, 300mm f/4), I dumped them and now use a small 28-70mm f/3.5-4.5 zoom due to its smaller size and weight. My 80-200mm is now the f/4 AI-S version, much smaller and lighter, and has hyperfocal marks on the barrel. I use to own a Canon 5D, along with a 1Ds Mark II, and both of them constantly had dust on the sensors, pain in the butt. I love that my F6 never has this issue . I believe that if Galen were alive today, he would be shooting an F6, or a D700/800, possibly a D600. KEH has a EX+ D700 for $1,599 today, I'm seriously considering it. I love my F6 though, I feel it is the perfect landscaper's camera. Small, light, and built like a D3, fully weather sealed, and full frame. I will continue to use it until there is no more Velvia 50.
Remember that it doesn't matter what camera a great photographer uses - especially with film. I could have gotten that shot with a canon eos rebel x or Nikon N65. Lens, lighting and composition make the biggest difference. I don't think I have ever bought a camera or lens based on who uses them :-)
f.hayek wrote:
KEH and others (Adorama, B&H, etc) never mention actuation #'s but refer to cosmetic appearance when grading. A less meaningful metric when a pro body is considered. Shoot sports and 200k clicks on a clean body is not unreasonable.
There is a reason....we have something like 26 - 27,000 used items in the warehouse at any given time. The majority of sales go through without customers requesting a shutter count. If we were to provide this for every unit on sale we'd need to factor in the time it takes, which in turn would increase the price of the units.
However, we always do our best to provide this info when requested, as quickly as possible
trenchmonkey wrote:
They won't tell you, neither will Adorama or B&H
Can't speak for any other retailer, but if you request a shutter count from the Adorama used department and it's refused, please let me know!!! (or just request via me)
Jason_Brook wrote:
I've bought a D300 and D700 from Adorama, both of which they had no issue giving me the shutter count on.
They do take the shutter count into consideration when rating a camera. They also sometimes completely blow the rating/price in favor of the buyer
For sure; we have no problem giving the shutter count; we can also send at a couple of pictures of the unit! You only need email me with the SKU# > [email protected]
Helen Oster
Adorama Camera Customer Service Ambassador
D3 is great, if you can get decent price. Tho D700 isnt exactly far behind (near identical and for landscapes its maybe even better).
1Ds MK3 is worth thinking too, except you will need to fight with DR a bit. If you are locked in Nikon gear, its not much of use tho (unless you love manual focus and no VR/IS).
Film is great, especially if you dont mind lugging bit of heavy hardware. 6x7 camera can do amazing stuff in right hands. There are even some "lightweight" options like Mamiya 7 and similar. I wouldnt hang film, cause we dont have subsitute for 6x7 and larger yet. Plus even if we did, it would be crazy expensive like is most MFDBs.
I ended up buying a LN- D3 from KEH. I received the camera yesterday and it is like new, not a mark on it. It came in the original gold box; all in all I'm very happy with this camera. The camera even smells new. I had a D800 for a couple of days, but returned it due to it smelling like cigarette smoke. The D3 is a much nicer camera in my opinion, feels great in the hands. I realize that it is older, and not as sophisticated as the D800 however. But it is miles ahead of any DSLR I've had in the past (Canon 5D, 1Ds II, D2H). How difficult is it to determine shutter actuations?
That's like a used car dealer not telling you the milage.
'nother reason for buying NEW unless you know/trust seller. 
IMHO shutter count is analogous to mileage put on a car but of course it all depends on how hard the camera was used. Now, perhaps other reseller/retailers will divulge shutter count but KEH won't - they rate camera bodies based on appearance as mentioned above. 
That is crazy talk