Unable to connect my Nikon D3500 with my laptop

stellagomez

New member
Hello everyone,

I've been facing a frustrating issue lately with my old Nikon camera. It simply refuses to connect to my laptop, and I'm at my wit's end trying to figure out a solution. So, I've decided it's time for an upgrade! I'm seeking recommendations for a new camera that can connect seamlessly with my Intel laptop. I would greatly appreciate any suggestions or personal experiences you can share.

Here's some context: My current camera, the Nikon D3500, has served me well over the years. However, when I try to connect it to my laptop, it fails to establish a stable connection. I've tried different cables, checked for driver updates, and even contacted Nikon's support team, but the issue persists. Hence, I'm in dire need of a new camera that offers reliable connectivity with my Intel arc laptop.

I primarily use my camera for photography as a hobby, capturing various subjects and exploring different genres. So, I'm open to suggestions for any type of camera that can connect smoothly to my laptop. Whether it's a DSLR, mirrorless, or even a compact camera, I'm interested in hearing about your experiences and recommendations.

If you've had success connecting your camera to an Intel laptop, please share the make and model, along with any tips or steps you followed to establish a seamless connection. It would be incredibly helpful to know which brands or specific models are known for their compatibility with Intel laptops.

Additionally, if you've come across any features or functionalities in a camera that enhance the overall photography experience, feel free to highlight those as well. As I'm in the market for an upgrade, I'm open to exploring new possibilities and expanding my creative horizons.

Thank you all in advance for your assistance and insights. I'm looking forward to your recommendations and experiences with cameras that connect smoothly to Intel laptops.
 

Bikerbrent

Senior Member
Welcome aboard stellagomez, enjoy the ride. We look forward to seeing more posts and samples of your work.

You might also want to consider introducing yourself on New Member Introductions.

Someone will be along shortly to help you out.
 

Fred Kingston

Senior Member
I wish I had an adequate answer for your question regarding Nikon cameras and connectivity. The only worthwhile solution in my opinion is to take the SD memory card out of the camera and plug into a $12 SD USB card reader that's plugged into your computer. Simple, cheap and guaranteed to work... certainly less expensive than buying a new camera...

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Clovishound

Senior Member
I'm with Fred on this one, unless you just want a newer camera. I have a D3400, and have never had any trouble connecting to my PC. It sounds like some kind of issue with the camera itself, as it should be seamless after installing the drivers. I have downloaded photos from the memory card via both a card reader and a card slot in my PC computer. Unless there is a problem with the files being written on the card in the camera, it should work fine.

If you want to upgrade, and there are many reasons for that, I would suggest you give a look at the mirrorless line. There are many advantages of the mirrorless system, and all the manufacturers are switching their focus to mirrorless. In fact, Nikon has announced it will no longer be developing new DSLR cameras. They continue to make and sell DSLRs and FX mount lenses, but won't be developing anything new in the DSLR world. Depending on your budget, the only caveat to that might be to look at the D850. It is currently on sale for $2500. That may be beyond your budget, but if not, it is a smoking deal IMO. Despite the many advantages of mirrorless, the D850 is an extremely durable, capable, professional grade camera that should give you many years of great service.

If you decide to go with mirrorless, there are a lot of choices, and advantages. The AF systems on the newer mirrorless are excellent. The electronic viewfinders give you something of a preview of exposure, and can quickly alert you to the need to adjust your exposure. All of the full frame Nikon mirrorless have In Body Image Stabilization. This means you will have excellent vibration reduction regardless of whether the lens you mount is VR or not.

I bought a Z5 last year and hate to go back to my old D3400. I keep it as a backup, but it has seen little use since I upgraded. Keep in mind that if you upgrade to a full frame sensor camera, you probably won't want to use your DX lenses from the D3400 you have. They will work on the full frame cameras, but you will be only using half the sensor. If all you have are the kit lenses like the 18-55 and 70-300, you will definitely notice it as an upgrade in both resolution and build quality with most any full frame lens you replace them with.

One downside to the Z system is the lack of affordable long tele lenses. This is changing, and you always have the option of using an FTZ adapter and mounting an F mount lens to your Z camera. I did this with my 200-500 Nikkor, and it works quite well. Some of the independents are making their lenses in the Z mount.

Good luck with whatever you decide.
 

BF Hammer

Senior Member
If your only reason to connect your laptop to the camera is to transfer the photos, then I agree that the best way to do that is to forget the cable and use a SD card reader. Laptop PC's normally have a SD card reader already built-in to the the hardware these days. At least the last 3 laptops I have bought did.

Now if you are doing tethered photography and you must control the camera from the PC, then yes that is an issue. My last 2 laptops have been from Lenovo, and I have used a USB cable and DigiCamControl to control a D7000, D750, and a Z5 with both. Actually the current Lenovo can control the Z5 with bluetooth, WiFi, and by the USB. But I never bother transferring photos that way, I just eject the SD from the camera and insert to the card reader of the computer.
 
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