Nikon have lost the plot

[LongLensPhotography]

Just buy the Fuji 50mp medium format thing. You keep your equipment a long time so overall costs through the life of the gear won’t be so bad

Like for like replacement of lenses would be hard and would cost me a small house. Sadly I have to pass until the day I run a real physical studio and a gallery.

 

[nandbytes]

This is a slightly funny tangent. I still happily wear the Animal watch I bought around 2000 for £25. Yes, I've had a couple of slightly more interesting watches since, but could never imagine investing real money in something like that - it seems so trivial.

Some people actually invest in watches and make money out of it. But what we are discussing isn't an investment (or would make for a terrible one). It's simply an indulgence in a luxury item or jewellery.

 

[SFTPhotography]

Like for like replacement of lenses would be hard and would cost me a small house. Sadly I have to pass until the day I run a real physical studio and a gallery.

Grey import, used etc.

You’d have to sell all your 35mm stuff and pair back overall but it’s probably not that bad - and the lenses really are very special.

 

[ancient_mariner]

Some people actually invest in watches and make money out of it. But what we are discussing isn't an investment (or would make for a terrible one). It's simply an indulgence in a luxury item or jewellery.

I know. For me, there's a justification in some camera gear because it does something 'special' but watches.....

I do understand the pleasure in owning something of beauty and fine engineering, but I find the value in something like that lacking, especially in the light of comments about Rolex et all.

 

[nandbytes]

I know. For me, there's a justification in some camera gear because it does something 'special' but watches.....

At the same time, I have my watch on me a lot more than my camera gear.
I don't have silly expensive watches but I don't wear really cheap ones either. Same with my camera gear, it's not the cheapest or the most expensive.

 

[decigallen]

Prices roughly adjusted for inflation based on BofE calculations

2008: D700 £2599 = £3500 in 2020
2008: D3x £5500 = £7600 in 2020
2009: D3s £4200 = £5535 in 2020

It's also worth taking into account that the pound was significanly stronger in 2007 and 2008 (around 2:1 on the dollar). The D780, at £2200 is cheaper, in real terms, than the D700 was. I'm sure the D6 will be around the D3s inflation price and certainly less than the D3x. The spiritual successor to the D3x is the significantly cheaper D850.

 

[twist]

Prices roughly adjusted for inflation based on BofE calculations

2008: D700 £2599 = £3500 in 2020
2008: D3x £5500 = £7600 in 2020
2009: D3s £4200 = £5535 in 2020

It's also worth taking into account that the pound was significanly stronger in 2007 and 2008 (around 2:1 on the dollar). The D780, at £2200 is cheaper, in real terms, than the D700 was. I'm sure the D6 will be around the D3s inflation price and certainly less than the D3x. The spiritual successor to the D3x is the significantly cheaper D850.

But the D780 is not a true D700 replacement, just like the d750 its a bit more of a consumer camera, the D700 was a lower MP version of the current D850.

 

[Lensflare]

As for watches, I have a Citizen eco-drive chronometer; I've owned it for over 3 years, the crystal glass face has not got a single scratch on it despite me wearing it each day for work. It's solar powered so doesn't need the battery changing and it connects to the atomic clock in the early hours of each morning to set the time, so it's never more than a second out, and it automatically adjusts when the hour goes back or forward and sorts the date out each month, even during a leap year.

It should have been £400 but I shopped around and paid £299 for it brand new and boxed, and I think it's been worth every penny of that to me, even if it broke tomorrow. To put that in perspective, could you even get a Rolex Oyster or Omega Seamaster serviced at an authorised dealers for £299? Also, how accurate is your Omega, Rolex, Tag Heuer, Patek Philippe, etc? I have a friend who likes and owns some 'premium brand' watches and he tells me it's not about the accuracy... but it should be really, shouldn't it... after all, what use is a watch unless it tells the right time? It would be better off as a non runner, wouldn't it... at least it would be spot on twice a day then!

Each to their own, if I was a multi millionaire then I'd probably buy a Rolex Oyster Perpetual Day Date for 'best'. However, if what's been said here is correct, I doubt it would be a new one from an authorised dealer, as I never pay full asking price for any premium product, and I don't intend to break the habit of a lifetime for a watch, no matter how pretty and sparkly it might be.

You won't be getting one then. There is no discount, gray imports or parallel trading, buying used will mean you pay a premium, not get a discount!

 

[markyboy.1967]

I do have a collection of nice watches now but each and every piece i buy then i buy new and with a good discount. The minimum i look for is 20% discount and have had 40% but then a few i have had to walk away from as the deal wasnt correct- i will happily pay the £9-£10k for a watch if its new and the original price was £13-£15k. Imagine going into a camera shop and buying at that sort of discount. Maybe Nikon should price the 120-300 at £14k so if i can get it at £9.5k i can feel i got a bargain.

 

[nandbytes]

But the D780 is not a true D700 replacement, just like the d750 its a bit more of a consumer camera, the D700 was a lower MP version of the current D850.

To compete with canon they went down the route of cheap FF i.e. D6xx and expensive FF i.e. D8XX. Then realised people wanted a middle ground so they released a D750, so they got IQ of D6XX with AF from D8XX. Then they lost the plot when they decided to make D780 the new D6XX but with higher price tag.

 

[holty]

I’ve got a lovely Breitling hardly wear it, wearing my Apple Watch most of the time. Seems silly really doesn’t it

i just look at my i-phone !!

 

[Mr Badger]

You won't be getting one then. There is no discount, gray imports or parallel trading, buying used will mean you pay a premium, not get a discount!

You've obviously never seen me haggling! There's always a legitimate deal to be done somewhere with somebody, as Mark above appears to testify.

 

[decigallen]

But the D780 is not a true D700 replacement, just like the d750 its a bit more of a consumer camera, the D700 was a lower MP version of the current D850.

For the majority of D700 users, the D750 was the ideal replacement. Regardless, the D780 is significantly cheaper than the D700 price with inflation. The D870, should it arrive, won't be much more than £3500 if it is that.

 

[twist]

For the majority of D700 users, the D750 was the ideal replacement. Regardless, the D780 is significantly cheaper than the D700 price with inflation. The D870, should it arrive, won't be much more than £3500 if it is that.

The D780 falls inline with d610/d750, there's no point in trying to value it the same as a d700.

 

[Mozziephotography]

D700 - love it

 

[Richard_E.]

Alternatively, if you're not in a hurry to add to your lens collection, it should be possible to pick up a more reasonably priced preowned example within six to twelve months ?

 

[SFTPhotography]

I do have a collection of nice watches now but each and every piece i buy then i buy new and with a good discount. The minimum i look for is 20% discount and have had 40% but then a few i have had to walk away from as the deal wasnt correct- i will happily pay the £9-£10k for a watch if its new and the original price was £13-£15k. Imagine going into a camera shop and buying at that sort of discount. Maybe Nikon should price the 120-300 at £14k so if i can get it at £9.5k i can feel i got a bargain.

True - I’d be more up for getting a trip of d850s if there was 40% to be saved

 

[Stu Meech]

what nikon 70-300 do you call a pro lens ?
i think there all consumer / hobbyist quality

I didn't call any 70-300 a pro lens. I referred to the 70-300 as the pile it high, sell it cheap lens. The pro lens I referred to was the 120-300 of which this thread is about...

 

[holty]

my mistake mate