Is this a good deal?
- Thread starter blackstar
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Clovishound
Senior Member
Not displaying. Says I must be logged in.
Fred Kingston
Senior Member
I don't think so.... He's awfully proud of that battery grip because the camera/battery/charger go for $700-$800 all day
It would not be for me but it depends on where you place value. It's a seven year old camera but apparently in pristine condition. Myself, I look for decent cosmetic equipment that is fully functional. I don't care about minor scratches and shiny spots in the finish. As per above I would be looking at B&H, MPB, and Adorama all of which have delivered used equipment exactly as described to me. All three outfits are matriculas about testing used equipment prior to sale. Photo/video equipment like most everything else today devaluates fast and I have to admit really do become better with ease release. It's not just wiz bang glossy "features". Having gone from a D800 to a D850 and now a Z8 the functionality increase is insane. The Z8 is almost full circle from a point and shoot of the 60's in terms of ease of use. Obviously there are a lot more things to program but once you get the hang of the Z8 it's stupid simple. Press the shutter half way and auto ISO keeps the exposure in check with the shutter speed and aperture desired. 14 stops of dynamic range and low noise at high ISO's ensure usable images. 3D face tracking nails the eye of the subject and follows it until you release. It's difficult to miss a shot. I feel like I'm cheating or a rank amateur with an expensive camera. Looking back at the D800, those functions weren't full flushed out yet and were pretty hit and miss. I wish I had some time in with the D500 to comment more competently. It isn't as easy as saying two cameras have eye detection. My daughter has a D3300 and I'm not gifting her my D800 because the D3300 is a better camera for her. Hope all this rambling makes some sense. I know it's a tangential ramble.
If you want the grip and a couple of EN EL18 batteries this is a nice package. For a private sale, I agree with others that the price is steep. A body with 37.000 actuations in good shape will go for $8-900 or so in a private sale, or $1000-1100 at MPB or KEH. The grip and batteries shouldn't add as much to the price as he is asking, IMO. That said, you could always make an offer for less and see what transpires.
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Fred Kingston
Senior Member
Holy Cow... I just noticed that shutter count. He's got more actuations on that camera that I had on my 9 year old D810... He must be one of those "let's see how long I can press the shutter until the battery dies" type spray and pray shooters.
Not really. That's only about 140 shots a week spread out over 5 years. Look at the shutter counts on the used D500 bodies at MPB, and you'll find very few that have this low of a shutter count. The D500 in particular will have been used by a lot of sports and wildlife shooters. I do both of these and my 6 year-old D500 has 360,000 actuations on it. I seldom have a burst longer than 10-12 for things like a bird in flight or key action in sports, but it adds up over time.
Anyway, that's a very low shutter count for a D500 on the used market.
Fred Kingston
Senior Member
My Lightroom Catalogue has every image I've ever pulled a trigger on since 2001, including keepers and non-keepers and film scans and it's right at 30,900...