It is a beautiful thing, but really it would be on my wife’s list. I am just the repair person. 
2 Likes
@jkopel i know its not fair 
but hey!
This is my favorite from the metal shop
its a 5’x8’ acorn table, machined flat top and all sorts of hold downs and stops with it, best deal ever on eBay:-) also the heavyest thing I have ever bought from eBay over 3500lbs!
@bridget WOW that’s nice, but it makes my fingers cringe
19 Likes
Never saw anything like that, but immediately recognize the utility of it! Looks old school.
@bridget, your studio is a work of art in itself.
@jkopel, yes the Foredom is a favorite for it’s versatility and longevity.
@cynd11, that’s a sexy little handpiece! The portability is wonderful!
@MikeH, never saw that scale of equipment in a private home!
@bdm, great story! An honored guest, given the best there was to offer. Very Japanese. 
6 Likes
Looks like both of those are the D800. Very jealous!
The modern successor to your D50 would be either the D3XXX or D5XXX series (Nikon’s consumer models). That lineup looks more complicated than it is since Nikon keeps old models around as cheaper options. A step up in control complexity would be the D7XXX series (enthusiast), and if you want to break the bank you could jump to the D500 (pro). Those are all APS-C (aka DX) cameras, so any lenses you have would work with them (barring a couple caveats with old film lenses). If you want to get into full frame (like @lairdknox’s D800) that’s a whole other ballgame.
Also don’t feel like you have to buy new. I picked up a D7000 used about a year ago, and I don’t really miss the features between it and the D7200. Especially since I could put the difference into lenses/flashes/etc. Like I mentioned above, a hybrid option is to pick up one of the older models new. Nikon’s expected to come out with a D7300 sometime this year, so you could wait and see if the price comes down on the D7100/D7200 (if those are the models that interest you). Otherwise take a look at the D3XXX and D5XXX lineup and see what looks good.
3 Likes
For some reason the foredom makes my teeth ache. Hmmm
4 Likes
As an added note, bhphotovideo.com has lots of used gear for sale online and they have ratings for the level of wear and tear, and prices adjusted to reflect it. I get the majority of my photo gear through them as I dont have any local shops to work with.
The move to digital has had an interesting impact on the photography gear market. It’s driven digital sensor development and Software/Firmware, and photographers have become obsessed with specs and getting the latest and greatest, thus dropping buckets of money into the camera manufacturer’s laps.
Dirty little secret is, you can save a boatload of money if you go for a 10 or 15 year old digital camera body and you’ll be completely happy with it. Or, if you go for an older higher end PRO digital body, you’ll be thrilled with the capability and still save a lot of money. Think of it like this: cameras have been dang good for 30-50 years and longer. Now? They’re all pretty much awesome and you can’t go wrong with even a 10yr old digital SLR.
7 Likes
With digital I think 4 or 5 years old for sure, 10 is pushing it. KEH and Adorama are good sources too for used equipment.
I just “replaced” my D200 with a D500 at xmas time and the difference between the cameras is amazing. I’m keeping the D200 because the D500 won’t take the 1 lens I keep the crop frame sensors around for. Solution will be to buy the newer lens, but that wasn’t something I expected since that lens works with my newer full frame DSLR. I was already in love with the D500 so I didn’t send it back.
I was going to buy a D800 the year before, but I didn’t really need it so I invested in a laser thingy instead 
.
4 Likes
I’ll second that 10 is pushing it, but the point is bang on. Also, to make a massive generalization, spending money on good lenses has a bigger impact on image quality than the body. Upgrading a D50 to a D3400 or something is probably a big enough and cheap enough jump to be worth it, but upgrading from consumer zooms can have a pretty impressive impact too.
Edit: For the other Canucks out there, Henry’s has a decent used section too. Definitely price compare, though- used gear can have a pretty wide price range for essentially the same thing. And if you’re comfortable with doing so you can haggle a bit if you’re buying it in person.
5 Likes
My cnc mill. Still unclear whether or not the glowforge will take its place… maybe… probably not.
2 Likes
The 1100 was worth all the hassles of the move. I’ve had several projects that used all of it’s X/Y/Z capacity.
5 Likes
Good lenses also hold their value if someone is the type to trade or sell gear in exchange for other gear. You might find a decent deal on used lenses once in a while but for the most part, used lenses are not as drastically discounted as other gear like camera bodies.
The only issues I see with a 10 year old camera body are the wear and tear on the shutter and mirror mechanisms, both of which have a rated lifespan, and both of which Nikon and Canon will gladly service good as new. Busy motorsports photographers will burn through those 300,000 shutter actuations on an annual basis!
4 Likes
I’m jealous
2 Likes
I can’t say I have a favorite tool in the shop. My coffee roaster is in the shop, love it, would that qualify? Also my other GF, the GrainFather brewing system, that’s also right up there.
I upgraded from a Nikon D50 to 7100 a couple years ago. The difference was huge, plus my low light capabilities have increased. I suppose I could have also, as has been suggested, invested in a less expensive model and higher end glass. I do like the ability to control multiple flashes that (if I remember correctly) the lower end models don’t offer.
1 Like
I bet your coffee roaster in your shop smells fantastic. 
1 Like
THANKS so much for the info! If you don’t mind I’d like to hit you up for a little advice when I’m ready to pull the trigger.
I’m with you. I totally agree with that. For me I end up drowning as I look at used Nikons because of the bagillion of different model numbers over the years. Also, B&H is awesome. I highly recommend to anybody buying just about any electronics. They’re a pleasure to deal with. No games, no BS, just good equipment at good prices, with good customer service.
Sure thing! Like I said, I went through the same thing a year ago so it’s still relatively fresh.
2 Likes
The B&H store is also pretty cool to visit if you are in NYC.
2 Likes
Adorama also has a pretty good used selection.
Bodies are largely just bodies in the end. You might get an extra shot or 2 in continuous modes. You might get a little better high-ISO performance, etc.
Glass is huge.
But even more important, in my opinion, is 1) learning the tool, because it’s just a tool to get you towards an end result, and 2) having it be comfortable. Nothing worse to me than a camera that doesn’t feel comfortable in my hands. If you have a local camera shop, it’s usually worth it to go down and just see how it feels to use.
3 Likes
love B&H. Visiting their store in NY is on my to-do list if I ever make it to the Big Apple. I’ve had a couple of friends make it, they always make me jealous talking about it when they get back. Problem is, I doubt my pocket book would make it out alive 
1 Like
All of you photographers out there, The last time I invested in a good camera was A Cannon EOS 630 with a technical back. It sits on a shelf and I don’t know what I should do with it. Any ideas?
2 Likes