MDM Posted July 29 Share Posted July 29 4 minutes ago, NYCat said: This is an image that has sold on Alamy and was taken with the D80 and 18-135 lens. I believe it was the "kit lens" so not the greatest. My wildlife pics at that time were taken with the D300 and 80-400 lens. Also a lens that was not highly thought of but the images sell. Maremma Sheepdog at work. I realize it would be better to have a more capable camera but the D80 served me well. Paulette Sure. My Canon 20D served me well for a while as well as it was state of the art when I bought it and no doubt the D80 can be used to take decent shots. But would you actually submit that image now? It's a nice shot but it looks soft to me on the dog. Obviously it would have to be viewed at 100% to be sure. As we all know, the fact that something passed QC doesn't mean it was actually checked. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NYCat Posted July 29 Share Posted July 29 3 minutes ago, MDM said: Sure. My Canon 20D served me well for a while as well as it was state of the art when I bought it and no doubt the D80 can be used to take decent shots. But would you actually submit that image now? It's a nice shot but it looks soft to me on the dog. Obviously it would have to be viewed at 100% to be sure. As we all know, the fact that something passed QC doesn't mean it was actually checked. You are miles ahead of me in your technical knowledge and the cameras you use. I do check all my images at 100% so I can be reasonably certain it was sharp enough. I hope I am not misleading anyone but I am sharing my experience in hopes it will be helpful. I've never been able to afford the very best in camera and lenses and yet I do have regular sales. Paulette 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
M.Chapman Posted July 29 Share Posted July 29 (edited) 27 minutes ago, MDM said: It's a risk anyway buying any secondhand camera moreover because it might be difficult to impossible to return it from Georgia. . So I'm just weighing up the odds of getting a decent camera based on age and the probability of getting something in good working order with that very small budget. The D80 is old so if it was me I would go for the newer machine based on that probability. Also I think 24MP gives a higher degree of future proofing as well as comfort in cropping. I don't believe it is excessive at all. Anyway that is what I would go for myself with that budget if it's possible to find one at the right price. That's about it really. Yes it's frustrating. I can see there are quite a few good D3200s available from very reputable secondhand dealers (Wex, MPB etc.). But they won't ship outside the UK, and even if they did I've no idea what shipping and import duty to Georgia might be, and if there's a problem it would have to be shipped back. I think the OP has now had enough advice and now needs to search locally. Mark Edited July 29 by M.Chapman Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MDM Posted July 29 Share Posted July 29 4 minutes ago, NYCat said: You are miles ahead of me in your technical knowledge and the cameras you use. I do check all my images at 100% so I can be reasonably certain it was sharp enough. I hope I am not misleading anyone but I am sharing my experience in hopes it will be helpful. I've never been able to afford the very best in camera and lenses and yet I do have regular sales. Paulette Sure. But we are talking technical here in terms of what camera and lens combo would be best for passing Alamy QC, not sales. That is an entirely different issue and I would pass that on to others if that was the original question. No doubt there are many images that would have sold if they passed Alamy QC which are languishing on hard drives somewhere because they were never submitted in case they would fail. I know I have a lot of older images that I never submitted for that reason. I've explained now several times why I would choose from the cameras I've mentioned rather than very old cameras with low MP counts - mainly age and likely usage but none of that is a given. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MDM Posted July 29 Share Posted July 29 (edited) 2 minutes ago, M.Chapman said: Yes it's frustrating. I can see there are quite a few good D3200s available from very reputable secondhand dealers (Wex, MPB etc.). But they won't ship outside the UK, and even if they did I've no idea what shipping and import duty might be, and if there's a problem it would have to be shipped back. I think the OP now had enough advice and now needs to search locally. Mark Yes there was a suitable one in Cornwall from a private seller who is highly rated and seems to ship all over the world but didn't include Georgia for some reason. Maybe there is an extra issue involved to do with customs or something of that nature. Edited July 29 by MDM Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NYCat Posted July 29 Share Posted July 29 I hope Dionis can find the best possible camera within his budget. I would suggest that a better lens might improve the results on the D80. The sales I've had on that image probably has to do with showing the dog doing what it is bred to do. A portrait probably wouldn't sell as well. Paulette Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
M.Chapman Posted July 30 Share Posted July 30 Here's a thought. I wonder if any Alamy forum members have an old DSLR camera and lens they no longer use/want, which they know can pass Alamy QC, that they would be be happy to sell for around $200 (cash in advance) and ship to Dionis in Georgia? Mark 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MDM Posted July 30 Share Posted July 30 The thought had crossed my mind. I'm afraid I no longer have any DSLRs. Last one in the house went last year as part of a trade-in. In addition I was just looking at the cost of DPD to Georgia and it is over £80. There might be cheaper couriers but then there is the red tape - customs stuff etc would need to be completed. Not sure how that would work. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mr Standfast Posted July 30 Share Posted July 30 Dionis, can you please tell us a bit about youself? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
M.Chapman Posted July 30 Share Posted July 30 (edited) 1 hour ago, MDM said: The thought had crossed my mind. I'm afraid I no longer have any DSLRs. Last one in the house went last year as part of a trade-in. In addition I was just looking at the cost of DPD to Georgia and it is over £80. There might be cheaper couriers but then there is the red tape - customs stuff etc would need to be completed. Not sure how that would work. Royal Mail International Tracked to Georgia for a small parcel up to 2kg with insurance up to £250 appears to be £23.85. I believe there will be a customs form to complete stating nature of goods and value, but no idea who pays duty or how much it is. Mark Edited July 30 by M.Chapman Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dionis Posted July 31 Author Share Posted July 31 Thank you all very much for taking care of me) 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dionis Posted July 31 Author Share Posted July 31 10 hours ago, M.Chapman said: Here's a thought. I wonder if any Alamy forum members have an old DSLR camera and lens they no longer use/want, which they know can pass Alamy QC, that they would be be happy to sell for around $200 (cash in advance) and ship to Dionis in Georgia? Mark Mark, I think the problem is solved. I managed to find a suitable item in my country in Georgia. This is the "metatechnic" store, which is located in Tbilisi. (I live in Borjomi). The downside is that when I called the specified store, they told me that this item was used, but on the store’s website I did not find any detailed description of the specified item (the same description as on eBay) And besides, at the moment in time in the specified store there is only Nikon d3200, and not d3400 (as in the promotional video) And now the problem is that if I decide to buy this product, then when purchasing I will need to check the quality of this product myself. And I don’t really know how to do this. But I hope that the specified store will still provide a warranty document. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dionis Posted July 31 Author Share Posted July 31 9 hours ago, Mr Standfast said: Dionis, can you please tell us a bit about youself? Thank you for your interest in me. I am 51 years old, I have not been married, I have no children. I live in my father’s house (he died in 2020). My mother lives in the house with me. I can’t leave her because of her age and illness. We live in the city of Borjomi. Here's a little about me. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rebecca Ore Posted July 31 Share Posted July 31 10 hours ago, Dionis said: Mark, I think the problem is solved. I managed to find a suitable item in my country in Georgia. This is the "metatechnic" store, which is located in Tbilisi. (I live in Borjomi). The downside is that when I called the specified store, they told me that this item was used, but on the store’s website I did not find any detailed description of the specified item (the same description as on eBay) And besides, at the moment in time in the specified store there is only Nikon d3200, and not d3400 (as in the promotional video) And now the problem is that if I decide to buy this product, then when purchasing I will need to check the quality of this product myself. And I don’t really know how to do this. But I hope that the specified store will still provide a warranty document. Most reputable camera stores will provide a short warranty -- expect 30 to 90 days (when I sell phones on, I agree to refund the purchase price if they fail in two months, and paid half the cost of putting in a new battery without asking for the second payment. Take an SD card or whatever medium the camera uses (look up the model on Wikipedia and B&H for technical specs) and take a few pictures. Look over the body for scuffs and cracks (dents in metal bodies, but that's more likely to have a plastic body_. Is the automatic exposure working, also the autofocus (I don't believe you can use any manual focus lenses on the D3### series cameras. What comes with the camera? You want the kit lens, a charger, and body and lens caps. Buy an extra battery while you're in the store. If you can look at the photo files on a computer, you can see more. Take small light and see what the lens looks like. Scratches? Fungus. (Google to see what a lens with fungus will look like. Don't buy if the lens has a heavy load of fungus. Ask for a steep discount if there's any fungus, or just don't buy. A relatively new model DSLR crop frame camera often gets used as a trade in for a full frame camera. The series you're looking at is not likely to be used as a pro's camera so that's not a factor. Shutter count should be less than 20,000 for that camera. I've had two cameras with less than 1,000, and one of those had an intermittant shutter fault which ended up being a shutter failure. If you get a short term warranty, use the camera a lot in the first week or two to see if anything seems off. Any misfires with the shutter could be a first sign of a serious problem. Test vigorously while any warranty is in effect. If at all possible, go to the store to purchase the camera. Also, accessories that aren't critical but make life more comfortable: used camera bag that doesn't look too special (don' store the camera in this at home, put the camera a drawer or cabinet with more air circulation. If the shop has any used Manfrotto tripods, consider one of those if you want to do still lifes, landscapes with great depth of field, or dusk or night shooting. Not critical for most daylight shooting. Here's the Wikipedia page in English for the 3200: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nikon_D3200 Sounds like it was a very competent camera in its day. I think Mark knows more about it. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MDM Posted July 31 Share Posted July 31 1 hour ago, Rebecca Ore said: Most reputable camera stores will provide a short warranty -- expect 30 to 90 days (when I sell phones on, I agree to refund the purchase price if they fail in two months, and paid half the cost of putting in a new battery without asking for the second payment. Take an SD card or whatever medium the camera uses (look up the model on Wikipedia and B&H for technical specs) and take a few pictures. Look over the body for scuffs and cracks (dents in metal bodies, but that's more likely to have a plastic body_. Is the automatic exposure working, also the autofocus (I don't believe you can use any manual focus lenses on the D3### series cameras. What comes with the camera? You want the kit lens, a charger, and body and lens caps. Buy an extra battery while you're in the store. If you can look at the photo files on a computer, you can see more. Take small light and see what the lens looks like. Scratches? Fungus. (Google to see what a lens with fungus will look like. Don't buy if the lens has a heavy load of fungus. Ask for a steep discount if there's any fungus, or just don't buy. A relatively new model DSLR crop frame camera often gets used as a trade in for a full frame camera. The series you're looking at is not likely to be used as a pro's camera so that's not a factor. Shutter count should be less than 20,000 for that camera. I've had two cameras with less than 1,000, and one of those had an intermittant shutter fault which ended up being a shutter failure. If you get a short term warranty, use the camera a lot in the first week or two to see if anything seems off. Any misfires with the shutter could be a first sign of a serious problem. Test vigorously while any warranty is in effect. If at all possible, go to the store to purchase the camera. Also, accessories that aren't critical but make life more comfortable: used camera bag that doesn't look too special (don' store the camera in this at home, put the camera a drawer or cabinet with more air circulation. If the shop has any used Manfrotto tripods, consider one of those if you want to do still lifes, landscapes with great depth of field, or dusk or night shooting. Not critical for most daylight shooting. Here's the Wikipedia page in English for the 3200: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nikon_D3200 Sounds like it was a very competent camera in its day. I think Mark knows more about it. I would definitely not buy a lens with fungus. It might spread to the sensor for one thing and would probably ruin image quality. So far I have never had a lens with fungus thankfully. Georgia has a continental climate, very hot and dry in summer and very cold in winter so hopefully fungus will not be a problem. It is going to be very difficult for Dionis to test a camera with no experience so he will have to trust the seller and rely on a warranty if there is an issue. It's about 150km from Borjoni to Tbilisi so getting it in person would be wise if possible. It's me who has experience with the D3300 and D3400 as I bought them for my son (for his 18th birthday in 2015) and wife. They are consumer cameras although I recall Phil Robinson saying that he used to have D33nn series cameras that he used for news photography. I think they are great entry level cameras and would still suggest Nikon if the copy he has found is good. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dionis Posted July 31 Author Share Posted July 31 1 hour ago, Rebecca Ore said: Most reputable camera stores will provide a short warranty -- expect 30 to 90 days (when I sell phones on, I agree to refund the purchase price if they fail in two months, and paid half the cost of putting in a new battery without asking for the second payment. Take an SD card or whatever medium the camera uses (look up the model on Wikipedia and B&H for technical specs) and take a few pictures. Look over the body for scuffs and cracks (dents in metal bodies, but that's more likely to have a plastic body_. Is the automatic exposure working, also the autofocus (I don't believe you can use any manual focus lenses on the D3### series cameras. What comes with the camera? You want the kit lens, a charger, and body and lens caps. Buy an extra battery while you're in the store. If you can look at the photo files on a computer, you can see more. Take small light and see what the lens looks like. Scratches? Fungus. (Google to see what a lens with fungus will look like. Don't buy if the lens has a heavy load of fungus. Ask for a steep discount if there's any fungus, or just don't buy. A relatively new model DSLR crop frame camera often gets used as a trade in for a full frame camera. The series you're looking at is not likely to be used as a pro's camera so that's not a factor. Shutter count should be less than 20,000 for that camera. I've had two cameras with less than 1,000, and one of those had an intermittant shutter fault which ended up being a shutter failure. If you get a short term warranty, use the camera a lot in the first week or two to see if anything seems off. Any misfires with the shutter could be a first sign of a serious problem. Test vigorously while any warranty is in effect. If at all possible, go to the store to purchase the camera. Also, accessories that aren't critical but make life more comfortable: used camera bag that doesn't look too special (don' store the camera in this at home, put the camera a drawer or cabinet with more air circulation. If the shop has any used Manfrotto tripods, consider one of those if you want to do still lifes, landscapes with great depth of field, or dusk or night shooting. Not critical for most daylight shooting. Here's the Wikipedia page in English for the 3200: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nikon_D3200 Sounds like it was a very competent camera in its day. I think Mark knows more about it. Thanks for the advice Rebecca. If I decide to buy this D3200 camera, I will try to test it, in accordance with what you wrote to me. I hope I can do everything right. Following your advice, I already watched a video of what a lens with fungus looks like. If the fungus cannot be removed from the lenses or cleaned, then it is really better to follow the advice of MDM and not buy a camera with fungus at all. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dionis Posted July 31 Author Share Posted July 31 18 minutes ago, MDM said: It is going to be very difficult for Dionis to test a camera with no experience so he will have to trust the seller and rely on a warranty if there is an issue. It's about 150km from Borjoni to Tbilisi so getting it in person would be wise if possible. It is necessary. If I buy this camera, I will definitely go to Tbilisi. By minibus I can get there in an hour or an hour and a half. In the afternoon I will return home to Borjomi. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dionis Posted July 31 Author Share Posted July 31 I forgot to write the price. In Metatechnic (Tbilisi), this camera costs 450 georgian lari, which is approximately $166 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
IKuzmin Posted July 31 Share Posted July 31 13 hours ago, Dionis said: 23 hours ago, Mr Standfast said: Dionis, can you please tell us a bit about youself? Thank you for your interest in me. I am 51 years old, I have not been married, I have no children. I live in my father’s house (he died in 2020). My mother lives in the house with me. I can’t leave her because of her age and illness. We live in the city of Borjomi. Here's a little about me Dionis... Borjomi... You? https://www.youtube.com/@dionis73dvalishvili/featured https://www.linkedin.com/in/dionis-dvalishvili-0719ab292/ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rebecca Ore Posted July 31 Share Posted July 31 52 minutes ago, Dionis said: Thanks for the advice Rebecca. If I decide to buy this D3200 camera, I will try to test it, in accordance with what you wrote to me. I hope I can do everything right. Following your advice, I already watched a video of what a lens with fungus looks like. If the fungus cannot be removed from the lenses or cleaned, then it is really better to follow the advice of MDM and not buy a camera with fungus at all. That's the wisest move. Cleaning a lens is only worth doing on a high end lens, and then only with the proper tools. If you have to hire it done, it won't be cheap and sometimes the fungus has pitted the lens. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dionis Posted July 31 Author Share Posted July 31 25 minutes ago, IKuzmin said: Dionis... Borjomi... You? https://www.youtube.com/@dionis73dvalishvili/featured https://www.linkedin.com/in/dionis-dvalishvili-0719ab292/ Yes I am) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dionis Posted July 31 Author Share Posted July 31 17 minutes ago, Rebecca Ore said: That's the wisest move. Cleaning a lens is only worth doing on a high end lens, and then only with the proper tools. If you have to hire it done, it won't be cheap and sometimes the fungus has pitted the lens. Ok Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chuck Nacke Posted July 31 Share Posted July 31 Have not read the entire thread, but one word of advice about buying cameras on eBay; Buy the Four-Square warrantee. Over the years I've bought many DSLRs on eBay and am still using two of them (D800s). Every time I've bought a DSLR on eBay I bought the warrantee, and when the body needed repair, I had a check in my hand before my service people had finished the repair. On another note, for an inexpensive DSLR I would consider the FUJI S5. Alamy just licensed another one of my images that was shot with one of my S5s. Chuck Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dionis Posted July 31 Author Share Posted July 31 21 minutes ago, Chuck Nacke said: Have not read the entire thread, but one word of advice about buying cameras on eBay; Buy the Four-Square warrantee. Over the years I've bought many DSLRs on eBay and am still using two of them (D800s). Every time I've bought a DSLR on eBay I bought the warrantee, and when the body needed repair, I had a check in my hand before my service people had finished the repair. On another note, for an inexpensive DSLR I would consider the FUJI S5. Alamy just licensed another one of my images that was shot with one of my S5s. Chuck Thank you Chuck) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MDM Posted July 31 Share Posted July 31 3 hours ago, Dionis said: It is necessary. If I buy this camera, I will definitely go to Tbilisi. By minibus I can get there in an hour or an hour and a half. In the afternoon I will return home to Borjomi. Enjoy the trip Dionis - both to Tbilisi and the rest of your photography journey. I had a quick look at your YouTube channel and you definitely have an eye for a picture - some of the flower stills and the shots of the pup are great. I hope you manage to get yourself a decent camera in good condition. By the way, forget the camera that Chuck mentioned. It is old and is only 6MP which is just barely enough to pass Alamy QC. Chuck is an expert photographer and I'm betting that he took that picture he sold a long time ago. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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