[Aroy]

Originally Posted by mohansrides

Some more questions got this group.

How often does one service a DSLR?

Do you guys give yours to a shop for service, or do it yourself?

If you give it out, how much does a general service of the body and a kit lens (18 to 135 mm) cost?

Can anyone point me to a good place for Canon DSLR service in the Powai area in Mumbai?

Thanks

The only mechanical part that needs servicing is the shutter, and that lasts at least for 100,000 activation before needing any service.

Similarly lenses need very little service if any and that too if:
1. You have been shooting in an extremely dusty or in light rain
2. The focus is off

In short, outside the use by professionals, DSLR in amateurs' hand rarely needs servicing unless there is any problem.

. Shutter sticks or misfires at times
. Lense AF is acting up
. Lense movement is not smooth
. Dust has entered the lense or the optical viewer

[Dr.AD]

Hello everyone. This is a great thread with a lot of very useful information. Thanks to all the expert inputs here.

I am a beginner photographer. I was a total novice till last year, but somehow got interested in photography at the beginning of this year. I took some online courses (for beginners) and tried some of those techniques on an old "bridge camera" I had (Sony DSC HX300). Very soon I realized the limitations of that camera. Therefore, to really practice photography, I had to have a DSLR. I did not want to spend a lot since I was not sure if I would really use the camera or whether this would turn out to be a one-time hobby :-)

My main interest is landscape and still photography, and of course, photographing cars in the road trips.

Finally, after some research, I chose Nikon D3500 which I thought was perfect for my needs. From all the reviews, it looked like a great beginner camera for still photography. Where it is poor is in action or high-speed photography. It has a very basic auto-focus system, which is inadequate for high-speed action. However, since my interest was specifically in still photography, this did not matter to me.

I got the two lens kit - Nikon 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6VR and Nikon 70-300mm f4.5-6.3VR along with the D3500 body. Surprisingly, this kit was cheaper in Croma than any online site. It was priced at ₹39,999 in Croma, which was the best deal that time (when I bought this two months ago). For a change (from the usual online shopping), it was a nice experience to actually see the product and handle it, play around with it before deciding to buy. Croma had the product on display and also sealed boxes for sale. I loved the buying experience at Croma!

I have used this camera on a few road trips since last two months, and I am totally loving it. It meets my needs perfectly. I am loving the experience of pure optical viewfinder and the mechanical shutter click, a very simple unadulterated photography experience! I am already addicted to it and now taking this hobby more seriously.

For anyone looking for a beginner DSLR, I would totally recommend this camera without any second thought.

I am still a beginner and thus have not used any advanced features of the camera yet. However, I never used the Automatic mode, and from day one I stayed in the Aperture Priority mode.

I could not resist sharing some of my photos with this camera:

[Hunter3077]

Hi everyone.
I have been using Nikon D3400 for the past few years coupled with 70-300 Nikkor lens and a 150-600 mm Tamron lens. This kit has served me well in all my pursuits so far. I mostly dapple in wildlife and off late I realised I need to upgrade to match my expectations with practicality. I have been thinking of going for a mirror less system as I believe that's where the future is headed to.
Request suggestions for an upgrade within a budget of 1 Lac INR including a substantial lens.
Would I be forced to sell off my present lens or do I have the option of using it with the upgraded system?
I do have the option of retaining the D3400 with the lens set as a second body though.
Thanks

[BaCkSeAtDrIVeR]

Originally Posted by Hunter3077

dapple in wildlife and off late I realised I need to upgrade to match my expectations with practicality. I have been thinking of going for a mirror less system as I believe that's where the future is headed to.

We have a thread on mirrorless cameras.

Some manufacturers provide adapters for using DSLR lenses with their mirrorless models. For others, you may need to get them separately. That said, i feel an upgrade for you will be a full frame body, not just mirrorless.

[Aroy]

Originally Posted by Hunter3077

Hi everyone.
I have been using Nikon D3400 for the past few years coupled with 70-300 Nikkor lens and a 150-600 mm Tamron lens. This kit has served me well in all my pursuits so far. I mostly dapple in wildlife and off late I realised I need to upgrade to match my expectations with practicality. I have been thinking of going for a mirror less system as I believe that's where the future is headed to.
Request suggestions for an upgrade within a budget of 1 Lac INR including a substantial lens.
Would I be forced to sell off my present lens or do I have the option of using it with the upgraded system?
I do have the option of retaining the D3400 with the lens set as a second body though.
Thanks

1. Nikon has adapter for mounting f lenses on z system
https://www.nikon.co.in/en_IN/produc...nt-adapter-ftz

2. I suggest that you retain the D3400 as a second body, as you will not get much for it.

3. Mirrorless cameras consume batteries faster than DSLR, so you will have to invest in spare batteries and an extra charger.

4. Both of your telephoto lenses are fine but the IQ and low light performance could have been better, so you may want to upgrade to either a prime telephoto or the 200-500 zoom.

[ramnath_77]

Originally Posted by Hunter3077

Hi everyone.
I have been using Nikon D3400 for the past few years coupled with 70-300 Nikkor lens and a 150-600 mm Tamron lens. This kit has served me well in all my pursuits so far. I mostly dapple in wildlife and off late I realised I need to upgrade to match my expectations with practicality. I have been thinking of going for a mirror less system as I believe that's where the future is headed to.
Request suggestions for an upgrade within a budget of 1 Lac INR including a substantial lens.
Would I be forced to sell off my present lens or do I have the option of using it with the upgraded system?
I do have the option of retaining the D3400 with the lens set as a second body though.
Thanks

Given that you are mainly into wildlife, the key consideration is reach and lowlight performance (since most of the activity happens early morning and evening). IMHO you could upgrade your body to D7200 (or maybe D7500 if budget permits) and get a Nikon 200-500 which is the best Nikon lens for wildlife on budget. These 2 together might make your wallet lighter by around 1.5lacs. You can also looked for a used 200-500 lens in good condition and save some money.
Personally for me the autofocus speed is extremely important as well. I look at it this way "What use is the camera and lens if it cant lock focus when the subject is into some interesting action while the same combo produces the sharpest image of a still subject"

[BlackPearl]

Originally Posted by Dr.AD

My main interest is landscape and still photography, and of course, photographing cars in the road trips.

I too have the same interests. Took this pics a few weeks back -

Originally Posted by Dr.AD

I could not resist sharing some of my photos with this camera:

Beautiful pictures. Do you take RAW and do post processing?

Originally Posted by Hunter3077

I have been thinking of going for a mirror less system as I believe that's where the future is headed to.

I don't think you need to buy a mirrorless as that is the future. As far as I have studied, DSLR is going to stay. I personally like DSLR more than mirrorless mainly due to the viewfinder and the battery life. For wildlife photography APS-C cameras are good for the additional reach. Nikon D500 is one of the best in that field and it is a professional camera. If you are looking for something less expensive, Nikon 7xxx series is very good and you can use your current lenses.

[Dr.AD]

Originally Posted by BlackPearl

I too have the same interests. Took this pics a few weeks back -

Wow! Awesome picture!

Beautiful pictures. Do you take RAW and do post processing?

Thank you very much. Yes, I shoot in RAW, and then use Lightroom for some edits. I am still new to this, and do only some basic editing in Lightroom. Most of my editing is limited to adjusting the lighting conditions - highlights, shadows and contrast.

I personally like DSLR more than mirrorless mainly due to the viewfinder and the battery life.

I agree 100%. I checked out a few mirrorless cameras too, but loved the simple optical viewfinder of the Nikon D3500 over any mirrorless camera I saw. I love the pure optical and mechanical feel (shutter) of the DSLR.

Maybe in the final results mirrorless and DSLR are comparable. However, it is more enjoyable to take photos using a DSLR than mirrorless. As a hobby for pure joy, DSLRs are great!

[Hunter3077]

I don't think you need to buy a mirrorless as that is the future. As far as I have studied, DSLR is going to stay. I personally like DSLR more than mirrorless mainly due to the viewfinder and the battery life. For wildlife photography APS-C cameras are good for the additional reach. Nikon D500 is one of the best in that field and it is a professional camera. If you are looking for something less expensive, Nikon 7xxx series is very good and you can use your current lenses.

Thanks. Now here is the dilemma. I'm getting a used D500 with 65k shutter count for 55,000 and a used D750 with 50k shutter count for 50,000. Both three years old.
Which one to go for? D500 definitely better in terms of AF and speed for wildlife, while D750 has the benefit of low light performance and of course the full frame. But then my existing DX lenses would fit in seamlessly with the D500.
I am confused!

[Aroy]

Originally Posted by Hunter3077

Thanks. Now here is the dilemma. I'm getting a used D500 with 65k shutter count for 55,000 and a used D750 with 50k shutter count for 50,000. Both three years old.
Which one to go for? D500 definitely better in terms of AF and speed for wildlife, while D750 has the benefit of low light performance and of course the full frame. But then my existing DX lenses would fit in seamlessly with the D500.
I am confused!

It all depends on how much you will shoot. I have completer 1,25,000 on my D3300 in six years, so with my usage I would go for a new body.

In my opinion getting a new D750 makes more sense than a 3 year old, 50K shutter count one. A new D750 retails between 90K and 100K, depending on the site and time. If you wait you may get it for 90K during Diwali sale.

[JMaruru]

Originally Posted by Aroy

In my opinion getting a new D750 makes more sense than a 3 year old, 50K shutter count one.

How do you measure this shutter count?

[kozhissery]

Originally Posted by JMaruru

How do you measure this shutter count?

Usually in the new age cameras, the shutter actuation is stored in the EXIF information of the image.
For Nikon/Canon you can use sites like Camera Shutter Count. Even you can use advanced EXIF viewers which can be searched and download to local PC.

[Aroy]

Originally Posted by kozhissery

Usually in the new age cameras, the shutter actuation is stored in the EXIF information of the image.
For Nikon/Canon you can use sites like Camera Shutter Count. Even you can use advanced EXIF viewers which can be searched and download to local PC.

Works perfectly, I got 141K as shutter count!

[Spaced Out]

Good evening.

I gift my wife the following DSLR camera.

EOS Rebel T2i Digital SLR Kit w/ EF-S/18-55 IS II

I know nothing about cameras (and I copied the specs above from the invoice!) but I have noticed that my wife would like a lens that could zoom a bit more, particularly for wildlife photos.

- What reasonably priced zoom lenses do folks recommend for this camera?

- In my search on this thread, I became aware that one can also rent lenses. Any suggestions for good vendors in the Delhi area? And best practices when renting?

Apologies if this has been addressed elsewhere. Please point me in the right direction.

[nibedk]

Originally Posted by Spaced Out

Good evening.

I gift my wife the following DSLR camera.

EOS Rebel T2i Digital SLR Kit w/ EF-S/18-55 IS II

I know nothing about cameras (and I copied the specs above from the invoice!) but I have noticed that my wife would like a lens that could zoom a bit more, particularly for wildlife photos.

- What reasonably priced zoom lenses do folks recommend for this camera?

- In my search on this thread, I became aware that one can also rent lenses. Any suggestions for good vendors in the Delhi area? And best practices when renting?

Apologies if this has been addressed elsewhere. Please point me in the right direction.

Why a DSLR then? DSLRs are dying breed and its better to go for a mirrorless.

Is she an enthusiast who is taking up photography as a hobbyist.

For everyone else bridge camera are better. You will get good ones from most of the companies. These cameras feel and work like dslrs but are actually fixed lens. Some of them, have huge telephoto range as well. Its more like one stop solution for folks who just want to take good photos.

A beginners DSLR with kit lens is usually worse than a good bridge camera especially in hands of an Amateur.

Get her a bridge or small pocketable one like Sony RX series. Else you may find your DSLR lying in the cupboard after few sessions