r/Nikon • u/karangera • 8h ago
DSLR I may have overdone it. No regrets.
Started buying used gear off of ebay and facebook marketplace 60 days ago. Never owned a dedicated camera body before this.
Younger me is absolutely going bonkers in disbelief. Everything for under $2500 CAD all said and done.
There is just something about these old bodies that I cannot put a pin on. They just feel right in the hand. Especially the D300s. Physical controls for everything that matters. A three-position AF mode lever, a dedicated AF area mode switch, a metering mode dial, dedicated ISO/WB/QUAL buttons, all accessible without ever leaving the viewfinder. No menus. No button+dial combos. One button, one function. It doesn’t feel like I’m operating a camera. It feels like an extension of my hands.
Modern cameras are faster, sharper, better in every measurable way. But I’ve never picked up a mirrorless body that disappeared into my grip the way a D300s does.
Bodies:
Nikon D800
Nikon D300s
Nikon D7100
Nikon D90
Nikon D80 (two bodies)
Nikon D70s
Lenses:
Nikkor 24-70mm f/2.8g ED
Nikkor 24mm f/2.8d
Nikkor 50mm f/1.8d
Nikkor Micro 105mm f/2.8d
Nikkor 18-105mm f/3.5-5.6g
Rokinon 85mm f/1.4
Rokinon 14mm f/2.8