d_ponce

<p>I seem to recall reading that about every 2 years Nikon makes an upgrade to some of their cameras. Has anyone, in the know, heard about any potential upgrades to the D810? Time goes so fast, but I realized that it is now almost 2 years old -- I love this camera, but want to hold off selling my back-up D3s and invest in an upgraded D800 series if the word on the street is that a new model may be in the works for 2016. Thanks!</p>

<p>@Errol: I also shoot raw almost exclusively (and love it!) ...except for event photography! :-) High end/destination weddings, or an event that you are going to want to do a lot of post, I could see the benefits - but corporate events, no. High-resolution, non-compressed jpgs work fine -- I give them 300 ppi images, large enough for print - should they need some for publication. But, as others mentioned, most of the images are used on the web. These jpgs are super fine coming from my D810/D3s - I don't think it is worth the extra time it would take in post to shoot raw, unless the client requested it.</p>

<p>Matt: I've had my D810 since shortly after its release -- I guess it's been almost 2 years now! -- and have never experienced anything unusual; certainly nothing like an auto re-set (that would tick me off!) The only thing odd that I experienced with a D Nikon was once on my D3s: the LCD panel just shut off (replaced the battery, although it wasn't low - then it was ok again). I asked Nikon about it -- their response: was I using any 3rd party components (batteries; cards that were not on their approved list) - so that may be something to consider in your situation? It never happened again, so I opted not to send my camera out to be repaired or checked -- and hoped it never happened on a critical shoot (later bought the D810 as back-up; but then found myself grabbing for the D810 most of the time - the D3s became the backup!). Hope that was just a fluke for yours as well!</p>

<p>ok -- I think the problem has been resolved (I hope :-) What an ordeal! Seriously, I have never spent so much time and effort trying to get help from any company like this before. I easily spent the better part of the day trying to find a solution (lucky it was my day off). The number of times that I kept looping in circles - only to find myself in the same place over and over again - was staggering - each link was called something different, but you will end up on the exact same page as 100 times before. The worst part -- and trust me, I have no idea how this happened -- I'm usually quite careful when I navigate sites to make sure I don't sign up for something I don't want -- well, afterwards, when I went into my email I got a message from Adobe thanking me for signing up for the trial version of CC! <br> And getting the real-human was only by 'making up' something from the phone prompts, and even that was easier said than done - if you say you need CS6 help that is the end of the road - although it will tell you to go to adobe.com/get support (the start of the never-ending loop), however. <br> Ok - for any others that have this issue - getting a chat session is the only way to get the swap of the OS version (choose "Other" - if selecting "Photoshop" gets you no where or the never ending loop) - any way that you can get a chat session going is the way to go. They are very nice and go out of their way to be helpful, but a ten minute process literally took almost 2 hours chatting! I can not imagine how that is cost effective for Adobe. In the end, they give you a new serial number and that's it. I did have to ask them to also send the procedure on how to do the new install -- so don't forget to ask for the instructions. I haven't tried it yet (I'm too exhausted to even look at another Adobe site tonight) but it looks like it will work -- again, I hope. Now, the thing about the 'no chat session available' - I do wonder if it had to do with Google Chrome. I have that installed on my new pc and was not able to get a chat session going. When I went to an old pc that uses IE, the chat session was available-- not sure if it was the browser or timing. So, if after I try their procedure I encounter any more issues, I'll keep you posted -- I'll be the miner's canary. :-) good luck and have fun!</p>

<p>I actually got in contact with a real live person at Adobe (and that was a minor miracle - they really do not want to be contacted, that is for sure) - and guess what that real-live person said? I have to use the chat option to make a license swap - seriously!? I explained to her that I had tried that and was not able to get that option every place that I tried, so she walked me through it. You have to wait quite some time, but eventually a message pops up - guess what it says - ready for a laugh: "the 24 hours/7 day a week chat is closed" LOL -- but it hurts to laugh. </p>

<p>@Andrew - Jeff's response to call a rep came two hours after the link was sent - I was following the suggestion -- which seemed like a good one. Again, I could not get a real person no matter how much I tried. If you have a way to do that, it would be greatly appreciated - because that does seem to be the solution, after trying to 'help myself' by going on the Adobe forums, etc.<br> No bad guys here - I'm not blaming anyone, really. I'm just trying to get my programs to work after getting a new computer -- that's all this is really about. I think we've all been there. </p>

<p>ok - I went to the link that Colin provided - after 3+ hours the files are downloaded; clicked on the application file - it spits out a folder called CS6, but not much more (the installation instructions tell you to click on the setup file in windows from the disk -- but that won't work if you don't have the windows disk!).<br> Calling the tech support number leads you back to the 'getsupport' page - because Adobe no longer supports CS6 by phone - then the forum page -- which all postings lead you back to a page that states you must talk to a representative in order to make the swap (I even tried fooling the prompts - hoping to get a real person -- but it just puts you into a perpetual loop, then eventually disconnects - :-). <br> I do have the original CS5 installed on the new pc -- but, of course, the Mac CS6 disk doesn't help on the pc (but I did try -- just in case there was something in the programming). <br> Come to find out, I have another dilemma. I installed LR4 - but it doesn't recognize the NEF files that my D810 (Nikon) creates -- and I will need to upgrade to LR6 to get that! LOL! (but this isn't funny any more). So my objective right now is to try to get CS6 - because I know it recognized my NEF (raw) files. oh my. </p>

<p>Hi Colin -- best that you didn't read all of the thread -- lol --got some 'passionate' folks on this forum - :-)<br> But thank YOU for replying! The link looks like it is exactly what I need -- not sure why I couldn't find it originally, but thank you VERY much for pointing me in the right direction. It looks like it is possible that it is a 3+ hour download -- but I did not want to delay in thanking you while it is doing its thing. If it works, then you're THE man -- if not, I still thank all of you for your contributions and taking the time to provide insightful suggestions. When you are setting up a new computer there are so many things that need to be done -- it is so good to know that when a question arises, there are so many good folks that want to make the process a little easier with their expertise. Thank you! Diane</p>

<p>@Jeff - exactly my point -- I'm tired of monthly leases - internet, cable, you name it - I have enough of them already. I am getting close to retirement age - now I'm looking at the big picture. There won't be any more steady stream of income coming in for a job well done. So perpetual monthly expenditures will have to be widdled down to only the essentials. Your time will come -- unless you are a government employee and will be getting a nice pension that we are paying for. :-)<br> Technicality, Andrew -- true I did not "own" it - whether I read the EULA or not - but the fact is, once I paid for that disc, no one is forcing me to pay for it again. With CC you do not have a choice. I had even heard that if you stop your subscription, everything you had on the cloud is deleted immediately - so you will need to do old-fashioned back-ups anyway. It's still pay me now or pay me later -- in the CC case: forever. <br> I suspect at some point there will no longer be any 'luring' -- but 'no choice' if you want to stay with Adobe (I'm sure LR will be next on the list). But that will just open the doors for competition -- companies who do not mind selling the use of their product on a physical disk/download that you purchase then upgrade for a few dollars more when you want the latest technology. But if you are happy with what you have (and your computer doesn't balk) you're good to go, no one has shackled you into perpetuity. :-) </p>

<p>Looks like Marc lost his virtue -- lol! (I cracked up with your comment, Barry :-) but it looks like the allure was too seductive for you - up-to-date for life for a mere $120 a year - for now - I'm tired of everyone taking 'just a small amount' every month - I'm old school -- if I want something, I want to buy it - not lease it 'forever' and never own it). There's the rub, Howard - contacting a real person...I couldn't find that information doing a cursory look through -- but will try again to see if they offer the swap that you mentioned -- otherwise I'll live with CS5 and learn LR. Thanks, guys!</p>

<p>A few years ago when I saw that Adobe was trying to seduce us into using the cloud - I suspected the standalone version of CS would be a thing of the past, so I purchased CS6 as an upgrade to my CS5 version -- and since they had a good offer if you added LR4 to the bundle, I went for it -- although I had never used LR before. I got frustrated with LR and stopped using it after a few attempts, since CS6 did everything LR did, just a little differently. Rather than try to reteach myself, I just used CS6. <br> My problem, I think, is that at the time I was trying to see what the allure was with Mac's so I had also purchased a Mac - and purchased the Mac version of CS6. Recently, however, I decided that a new computer was in order, I decided to scrap the Mac OS and go back to Windows (see another thread regarding my Mac headaches - lol). Today I trying installing CS6 on the Windows platform because the box said that the system requirements was either a Mac or Windows -- unfortunately, that was not the case. They gave me a Mac only version. I installed my LR4 (and will try again to learn it) as well as the CS5. <br> My question -- has anyone tried to get a swap from Adobe from one platform to another? If so, did they charge you for it? I struggled trying to contact tech support -- so I thought before I waste any more time I thought I'd check with you guys to see if it is even possible. If not, I will focus on using LR -- but I will so miss CS6 (I do like it much more than CS5). Thanks for you input!</p>

<p>@John -- I do love the NEC, but when you go shopping watch for that cable connection. The NEC came with all the cables that you would need -- but in the manual it recommended the Display Port as one of the better options. That port seems to be available in desktops, but not so much in laptops -- except for the Mac. I'm sure there are adapters that would work, but if you just spent big bucks for a high end monitor you want it to work at its best, instead of hobbling it slightly, is my feeling -- but don't take my advice -- I don't know much about the inner workings of such things. :-) I did get the NEC calibrator when I got the monitor, but watching some You Tube videos, the ColorMunki looks like it may have been a more versatile unit. <br> I'm looking forward to the new laptop, but have my fingers-crossed regarding the Win10 -- I've read that some say that CS6 runs fine with Windows10, others say 'no luck'. The laptop manufacturer would not install anything but Win10 (got the Pro version as I usually do for all previous windows OS') but just recommended that it may need to be run in compatibility mode -- which I have found, sometimes works, sometimes not. :-) My other concern is my Epson 3880, since it too is 'old' -- I struggled installing that with the Mac but finally got it to work. <br> But I've gone through this scenario every time I buy a new computer -- since Win3.1 -- ha ha! usually I do not have a problem and can run most everything I own until that peripheral goes obsolete. Another topic, for sure, but this constant need to upgrade 'everything' -- what is going to happen when I retire and income just isn't available for this stuff constantly. This is a whole new dynamic that no generation has ever experienced. I look at my parents, who have no computers or anything more technical than their TV -- they have lived fine without it (but I can tell they do think that some of the stuff would be useful) -- they also do not have to worry about monthly charges for internet, wireless, etc -- that keep going up and up. My generation is the first to be integrated into this and we are getting close to retirement -- what then? For some, there's pensions, but that is also few and far in between, and of course those that made good money and have a nice retirement nest-egg. But, again, what about the middle income worker that did not have a State job -- has something set aside for retirement but not enough to 'live comfortably' but only within their means. Do we walk away from all of this or make the decision to pay the monthly bills and constantly buy the latest upgrade at the expense of other necessities. It is difficult for my generation because we grew up during a time when you kept things 'forever' and began being integrated into 'planned obsolescence' during the time when everything was so cool in our 30's -- of which we now can't live without!<br> I know I got off on a tangent! But this latest purchase and conversation got me thinking about the future -- can I keep going on like this for the next 30 years?</p>

<p>@Daniel: or you could look into getting a job as a photography teacher in a college. I recently met a professor at a community college who not only teaches only the art of film photography but only uses film himself. Although I would have thought the kids now-a-days would have no part in a class like that, he states the kids like it -- and, personally, I think it's great that there is a venue like this for them -- learning and thoroughly understanding photography from a manual SLR is really the way to go. Although I don't miss film at the least (see last post) I definitely am grateful to have used a manual film camera for 20+ years; I love my D3s and D810, but use them only in manual mode -- and still use many lenses purchased back in the 90's -- and love the results. <br> Ok -- come back next year, Daniel -- I'm curious if you are able to go cold-turkey and not look back! wow -- can't even imagine if that was possible for me -- but I hope you find what you were looking for and all the very best in your new life!!</p>

<p>It is amazing to hear from so many 'purists' in the group -- my hat is off to you all! I gave up on film when lab after lab would loose my film and send me someone else's. Went PnS digital for years -- then started to realize DSLR was actually getting better than what film was. Since that time, it has renewed my passion for photography to no end!! The instant gratification is a plus, but the quality is beyond my wildest dreams. I do a lot of event photography and often times will 'polish' up a blemish or two before giving to the client -- when I zoom in, the things that the camera can see at the distance that I am just blows my mind. But what is even more amazing is the post-processing -- for the first time, I 'feel' like an artist. Most of the time, my post is minor, but I can bring out what my heart felt at the time that the shot was taken, like a painter just putting the smallest of dabs on his canvas...it's exhilarating! But, again, I have a ton of respect for your film shooters -- thank you for keeping the art alive.<br> Someday, I'll pull out the old Pentax Spotmatic II and Nikon 90s and offer it for sale -- get my $10 and move on. :-) </p>

<p>I'm with the other's on that: never had a Nikon that under-exposed on it's own. :-) In the "old days" (film) it was a common practice to set your Nikon to 125 when using ASA 100 film, to compensate. My D810 is the first Nikon that I have owned that was spot on when it came to exposure when using manual mode. My first check (after re-setting to the default, in case you accidently set something incorrectly as Sandy suggested); shoot in all manual mode -- you might be quite amazed at the results. :-) </p>

<p>I went through the manual to refresh myself as to what are the minimum requirements for the NEC - clearly the challenge was as I suspected: the cable connection. In order to get optimum performance (non analog) a display port should be used. wow-try finding that in a laptop. My would-be-nice list also included an HDMI port since I'll be also using it as my day-to-day computer, replacing my laptop and mac (I'll send you the specs, Eric, if you're interested :-). The challenge then was to find a laptop with a display port, adequate video RAM, and other things that several of the posters mentioned. Believe it or not, I found only one company that fit the bill -- a gaming computer specialist, CyberPower. I'm not one to impulse shop but the price was right and I could find no other brands that had that port along with robust specs, so I placed the order. It's exciting knowing I'll never have to deal with that stupid mac-- lol! I think it fit the requirements that many of you suggested: Intel® Core™ i7-6700HQ 2.6GHz Turbo 3.5GHz 6MB Cache Processor; 1 TB 7200RPM SATA300; 16GB (8GBx2) DDR4/2133MHz SODIMM-G.SKILL; NVIDIA GeForce GTX 960M 4GB PCIe; and Windows10 Pro (I'm not crazy about getting Windows10, but I probably have little choice when buying new) Sound ok? </p>

<p>Thanks, all, for your very in depth information (some of which I will have to do a google search on -- lol!). I really like the idea of building my own that several of you suggested, and had not thought of that! However, as I contemplated this solution, I decided -- as much as I would like to do that -- I think since the laptop is 5 years old and the mac is 3, I am going to look for a windows laptop that can run the NEC; using it in my computer room when I'm editing (I am running CS6) -- but having the mobility at other times; maybe I'll get a few dollars for the mac -- (anyone want a mini with super low mileage - lol!). <br> Thank you, again -- all -- for taking the time to give me your suggestions and recommendations -- I know they will come very much in handy when I start the decision-making process. Thank you!</p>

<p>@ Charles - I've considered a Dell; do you know that graphics card that that you have? That seems to be a major issue that I will have to investigate. The NEC, if I recall, had not only minimum graphic card requirements to run at its optimum, but cabling as well, which is why I could not hook up my laptop to it -- essentially building the computer around the monitor.<br> @ Peter - The Mac is still up there with the best of them, since I purchased all of the best upgrades that were available at the time. But regarding the Win 10 on the Mac - I have heard that can be problematic? no? But even if it was ok, it isn't only the operating system that is driving me batty, but there just seems to be so many idiosyncrasies about the Mac -- it seems so sensitive to everything. For instance, sometimes I plug in a thumb-drive and it does not recognize it (never had that happen with any PC) - other times it's fine. Then of course, this non-ejecting external drive! How silly is that. Never had that happen on any PC (I've tried all of the USB ports -- sometimes they are fine, sometimes not). I even purchased the year of support and tried to get one-on-one assistance to get the Mac to do just some of the basics that was standard on the Windows -- they were clueless! And had work arounds that were plain crazy. I'm just getting too old to fight the battle -- and too tired to worry, 'will everything work ok this time'. But thank you for the suggestion, Peter! </p>

<p>Welcome, Michael! You won't be disappointed. :-) (hmm...NAS?? so that's what my problem is -- I've had it since the mid 90's but I'd have to say these past 3 or 4 years, it's gotten really bad -- thank you for your diagnosis, Rodeo). <br> Enjoy!!</p>

<p>I use the 70-200 VRII on my D810 and I like it for some applications. It's a heavy muther, for sure! :-) I do find myself grabbing the 24-70 vr, more often than not, however -- but sometimes bigger is better. :-) With the incredible images that the D810 produces, get the best -- is my suggestion. </p>

<p>Ok -- I've about had it with my Mac. <br> Background: I built a top of the line (3 years ago) Mini to go with a high-end NEC (IPS) monitor for my photo-editing. I have a Toshiba (Windows 7) laptop that I use for day-to-day computing, but it does not have the graphics card, speed, etc to run the NEC. <br> Recently I spent the better part of a month inventorying and backing up 5+ years worth of images -- from several 500g external drives onto one 3T external drive, using the Toshiba (but exFAT formatted from the Mac). Since I use the Mac for my photo-editing, I decided to copy the contents of the 3T drive onto another 3T drive for redundancy using the Mac, and then later plan to make a 3rd copy for off-site storage. Since there is a huge amount of files on this drive, it took about 3-5 hours to copy one year's worth of work. Between the drive getting stuck on the last file or not being able to eject (never had this problem with the laptop) -- and many other small, but annoying problems over the past 3 years that I have had with the Mac, I have decided its days are numbered and I want to invest in a good PC that I will connect to the NEC and stop trying to 'love' the Mac -- like so many people do. (sure Windows is not perfect by any means, but the Mac is so beyond annoying - I just don't see the appeal -- and then when I do a search to try to solve my problem, I find tons of people with the same problem -- and no solutions -- just frustrated Mac owners begging Apple to do something! this is discouraging. No I don't want to start a Windows vs. Mac discussion -- my mind is made up, I want to buy a computer with a Windows based OS that can run my NEC monitor)<br> Your suggestions on what to stay clear of and what you really love would be most appreciated!</p>

<p>Bill, I have been more than satisfied with a Leica V-Lux for my ebay shots -- it takes great shots with incredible detail. As another mentioned, once you get your camera, just do a little experimenting with a hand-made light box or table set-up -- although I have found that the pop-up flash works fine in many situations for the things that I have sold. The little Leica does everything that the big boys do (auto, manual, nice zoom extension, fairly close macro work, nice zoom-in to see details and ensure sharpness after the shot, VR, etc) at a reasonable price -- I think I paid about $750 for mine years ago; looks like the latest models go for around a grand. I use pro gear for my photography, but would never part with my Leica as a great point-n-shoot. </p>

<p>Ok, guys -- there has been a lot of stray comments surfacing! hoods, non-VR. :-) :-)<br> As mentioned, the true test with this Nikon lens was going to be when I actually used it in the 'real world' -- which was all of today and last night -- where I had an event to photograph. I have used the Tamron for months in this capacity and have always been more than satisfied with the results in regards to focusing capability, sharpness, etc. <br> But before then, I considered all of those who made comments about the zoom ring of their non VR lenses (sloppy; stiff; noisy...stops!). I pulled them both out of the bag and tried the zoom rings side-by-side: although the Nikkor is very mildly stiffer than the Tamron, they actually were almost identical in feel. I ran it from one end to the other, and felt no hesitation or stopping in any way with the Nikon - it feels very smooth. I then put them close to my ear and both had the same sound -- I would not call it gritty, but it just sounds like two adjacent pieces of metal 'rubbing' -- although, not in a bad way -- just what you would expect to hear with machined parts, with some lubrication in between (I guess, what would I know! :-). I did wonder, could it be that some of the folks who had these 'noisy' Nikkors may have actually bought a grey market lens, but did not realize it (it is not easy to tell-and many retailers do lie about it). <br> Ok, so I get my gear ready for the event and have both 24-70s with me; I planned to only use the Nikkor, unless I 'missed' the Tamron. :-) Except for the location of the zoom ring (as mentioned in my earlier post: it is narrower and located closer to the body, so it is more difficult to use than the Tamron), within a short amount of time, I can honestly say, I could not tell that I was using a different lens. Like the Tamron, the focus was quick, accurate, smooth -- and the details of my subjects, tack sharp. This event was in a catering hall - so the lighting was somewhat low - and, unlike my Nikkor 70-200 VR 2.8, I had no trouble focusing in these conditions - even dark areas, which can be a challenge for my 70-200, at times. After 14 hours of shooting, I was not even tempted to take the Tamron out of the bag. So, back to the original comment -- was the Nikon better than the Tamron (as I was hoping); I can only answer that by saying, I can not tell the difference between them. Both are excellent lenses, except one costs more. :-) </p>

<p>@ Javiar: you won't be disappointed. I hear you about needing/loving the VR -- even with a 'light' lens as these are -- which is why I kept waiting for Nikon. I have seen the Nikon 70-200 2.8 (yes, you need it with that lens) pull some incredibly sharp images in a pinch, when the tripod is not available. <br> @Edward and Thomas: this is a very good point -- something that I wasn't really thinking about, at least not on a conscience level -- but since I intended to sell the Tamron (maybe :-) once the Nikkor came out, I guess it was a consideration. I admit, I'm still using (and loving) many of my 1990's era fixed pro lenses on my digital cameras -- and really would not part with them. And when one of them wasn't happy with the D3s years ago (although I sent it to Nikon to repair, just in case -- I really did not want to give up that lens), I got pretty close to what I paid for it in the 90's -- so they also hold their value and for that reason [and, yes, I did disclose the problem that I had with it on the D3s to the buyer before purchase :-), since Nikon felt the issue was a compatibility issue since the lens was still perfect]. </p>