Just bought a Nikon D80 with 97,000 shutter actuations!

<p>Hey guys! I just bought a used Nikon D80 off ebay for 375$ and it happens to have 97,000 shutter actuations! Unfortunately the camera is a no return. The camera itself is in amazing shape though. There are no scratches on the LCD, and the body is in great shape. All the functions work fine too. But the high shutter count is making me skeptical. I was thinking about sending it into Adorama so they could check it out and give me a quote on how much they'd pay me for it. What do you guys think? Should I keep it? Or should I send it in and buy a newer but still used Nikon D80? I know 97,000 is pretty high. Should I be worried about it though?</p>

<p>-thanks!</p>

<p>the d80 is rated for 100,000 cycles, which doesnt mean that it wont go for a few thousand or ten thousand more. but 97k??? good gravy, that's a lot.</p>

<p>I wouldn't be able to sell that D80 in good conscience without revealing the number of actuations to any prospective buyer. Are you positive about that number? I would try to confirm the figure using different software. </p>

<p>i called nikon and they said its rated at 150,000 cycles, unless they told me wrong haha. But i was in fact very surprised by the 97,000 shutter actuation because the camera really is in pristine condition. It looks practically new.<br>

And Robert, I would send it in to Adorama and they would check it out, run whatever test they need to and offer me a quote. That quote is based of what they feel the camera is worth. They will actually see the camera and test it and such. If they believe its a high value camera then they will offer me a higher price.<br>

And i used Opanda iexif. Do you recommend any other software to use? Besides photoshop. For some reason my photoshop wont say the actuation number. </p>

<p>150k? not baad at all.</p>

<p>About two years ago I sold my D80 for $400 and it had some around 2000 clicks on it.<br>

97K is a lot and if it were me I would wonder if each time I pressed the shutter it would be it's last.<br>

$375 is a little steep for camera with so many clicks on it. I do not think you can sell it for the price you bought it and if you do make sure you let the buyer know the milage. I got a D200 from PNet member with 3400 clicks for $500 sometimes its good to look here and see what's available.</p>

<p>thanks a bunch kris! I think im still going to send it to Adorama and let them check it out and offer me a quote. If they give me around 300 or 350 do you think i should take it and and put in a little bit more money and buy another d80 with less clicks? Nikon said that fixing a shutter cost around 150$ and that includes shipping. I dont know if i wanna sell this one or just keep it, considering this one is in pristine condition, aside from the shutter count. </p>

<p>You can get an idea what a company would pay for the camera by checking online at keh.com. My guess is that since they sell the camera for about $450 - $550 that the best you can expect is $250 - and given the high shutter count probably not more than $200 - you will get a lot less than you expect. I would not send the camera to adorama - you'll be paying twice for shipping and they can't tell you either if the shutter will fail tomorrow or in two years. Just use it and if the shutter fails, either send it to Nikon to have it fixed or junk it then. Since you state yourself that the camera looks good and seems to function properly - so use it and stop worrying.</p>

<p>thanks dieter! but adorama actually pays for all shipping expenses. i also talked to them on the phone and they said the average offer for a d80 is 350$. but thats average, so it could be less and it could be more. but if i send it in and i dont accept their offer they still send it back for free.</p>

<p>Instead of worrying about what might happen, why not just use it and enjoy it. There is no way to tell how long any camera will last. If you are a casual shooter, the camera's shutter could last you many, many, many years. Keep in mind that shutters of newer cameras can and do fail and others can last well in excess of their official manufacturer's rating. What if... you sell the camera, buy one with 10,000 actuations and then the shutter fails on that newer body - it could happen.</p>

<p>Since you bought the camera on eBay, the camera is eligible for Square Trade extended warranty. For about $35, you can buy a 1 year warranty and if eligible, you may be able to buy a 2 year warranty for about $18 more. Start taking pictures!</p>

<p>Check out <a href="00Nu42">this thread</a>, van do. I don't understand how the body could look so good after so much use.</p>

<p>Given that you say the D80 is rated for 150,000 actuations and Nikon will repair it if it breaks for only $150.00, I would just keep the camera especially since cosmetically it is "pristine". You will likely get your money's worth out of it.</p>

 

<blockquote>

<p>Since you bought the camera on eBay, the camera is eligible for Square Trade extended warranty. For about $35, you can buy a 1 year warranty and if eligible, you may be able to buy a 2 year warranty for about $18 more. Start taking pictures!</p>

</blockquote>

<p>Interesting information, Elliot. I learn something every day here on photonet.</p>

<p>wow, thanks a lot elliot! i didnt look to much into Square Trade warranties. I have actually never heard of Square Trade extended warranties. Can you tell me a little bit more about them? That would be really helpful!! :)<br>

-thanks!!!</p>

<p>If the camera is in a good condition other than that, I'd keep it.<br>

The no of clicks, whether it is 100,000 or 150,000 is comparable to the MTBF - Main time between failures. If you'd look at the average TV, the MTBF would be somewhere between 5 - 7 years. I got a TV here that is 15 years old and works fine.<br>

The no of clicks is what is should do at a minimum! Could do double as well, if you're lucky...</p>

<p> </p>

<p>thanks for the input dennis :)<br>

i think i might keep it and buy a warranty like elliot said!</p>

<p>Also Elliot, what does the square trade warranty cover and how much does it cover? Is it a full warranty?</p>

<p>Check it out here: http://www.squaretrade.com/pages/learn-more-warranty-buyer<br>

Believe for a $375 purchase, the 1-year premium is $50 though. Also, if I remember correctly, the first 60 days after the purchase aren't covered. IMHO, save the money and pay the $150 repair fee if/when the shutter fails.</p>

<p>Wow, $375? You got conned.</p>

<p>I wouldn't pay more than $200 for a D80 with that much mileage.</p>

<p>D80 rated for 150K cycles? That's good to know, I didn't think shutter design was as durable as the newer models (D3000, D5000 and D90) that are only rated for 100K. I just turned past 20K recently on my D80. I am now stoked!</p>

<p>According to dpreview -<br>

<a href="http://www.dpreview.com/reviews/nikond90/page2.asp">http://www.dpreview.com/reviews/nikond90/page2.asp</a><br>

shutter life is 100k. But that is MTBF as stated. Only the elves know when a camera will go legs up, and they ain't talking. Be wary of figures ... 'mean' means that for every camera that died @ 50K, another camera had to go to 150K to give a mean of 100k (over simplified a tad, but true). I always shop for the 150K camera at Honest Paul's Used Car Mart and Photo Emporium.<br>

:o) <br>

Jim</p>

<p>Van Do, the Square Trade warranty covers EVERYTHING with no deducible. I buy warranties on all my electronics purchases and have had to make a couple of claims, the most recently about a month ago. I had to ship the item to them at THEIR expense (they sent a prepaid shipping label) and within a week I received a refund IN FULL after numerous emails tracking and explaining the whole process. I strongly recommend them.</p>

<p>There are numerous offers offered by Square Trade that give discounts off on their warranties. They typically Here are a list of current codes:</p>

<p><a href="http://www.retailmenot.com/view/squaretrade.com">http://www.retailmenot.com/view/squaretrade.com</a></p>

<p>If you use the code CUPID today (Feb 9th), you will save 30% off their regular price. You can always easily get 10% off codes and usually 20% off is also readily available. They offer 30% (and sometimes 35% off) on 'special' occasions. </p>

<p>You can purchase their warranty at www.squaretrade.com .</p>

<p>Although cameras are very reliable, you never know when a camera is going to fail. Or if its shutter is going to fail before or exceed the manufacturer's stated life. After 1 1/2 years of ownership and 96,000 actuations, the shutter on my D3 failed last weekend - if you recall, the D3 is rated for 300k actuations. Thank goodness for extended warranties because you never know...</p>

<p>Epp, the OP was obviously not aware of how many actuations were on the camera. Most auctions on eBay do not list the shutter count. It is always a good idea to ask. Since the body is in excellent condition, the owner obviously took very good care of it. Nikon cameras are typically very reliable. A small additional investment in an extended warranty will buy a lot of peace of mind!</p>

<p>Enjoy your new camera and be sure to post some shots in the weekly Wednesday Pic thread of the Nikon form.</p>

<p>Found discount code at square trade.</p>

<p>Today 02/09/2010 only 30% off up to $40 on Warranties @ Square Trade with code: <strong>CUPID</strong> <br /> <br /> After that it's only 20% till the 2/14/10<br /> <br /> Works on everything, even eBay items. (unlike other coupons Thirty30 etc.)<br /> <br /> <a rel="nofollow" href="http://slickdeals.net/?sdtid=1856461&u2=http://www.SquareTrade.com" target="_blank">www.SquareTrade.com</a></p>

<p>not sure about it's validity and kind of warranty you are looking for... may be it helps.</p>

<p>Generally speaking, extended warranties are among the worst purchases for the consumers. Only a small portion of the premium is used to fix the products under warranty while the seller pockets most of the premium as profit. I would buy them only if you want to make someone else wealthy.</p>

<p>Consumer Reports has more information about why extended warranties are bad deals: <a href="http://www.consumerreports.org/cro/money/news/november-2006/why-you-dont-need-an-extended-warranty-11-06/overview/extended-warranty-11-06.htm">http://www.consumerreports.org/cro/money/news/november-2006/why-you-dont-need-an-extended-warranty-11-06/overview/extended-warranty-11-06.htm</a></p>

<p>Van Do,<br>

Could your Opanda software have an error? It would be a shame to return a mint camera for nothing. The D80 was released 3-1/2 years ago. 97,000 actuations would mean, for example:</p>

<p>- If used for work, 14 photos every hour of every workday for 3-1/2 yrs.(at 2000hrs/yr)<br>

- If used for hobby on weekends, 530 photos every weekend for 3-1/2 yrs. </p>

<p>And no wear, even on the shutter button? I know its possible but just sayin'</p>

<p> </p>

<p>I would use the camera until it fails. Then either get it fixed or buy a new body. I agree with Shun about extended warranties. Do your research and buy well the first time and you will probably not have a failure.</p>

<p>WOW! That's the equivalent to 2694 rolls of 35mm film ;)</p>