“Master, she has 87,000 frames - is this normal?”

It is with this question that every second conversation in our service begins. A man found a carcass on Avito, seller honestly showed the mileage - and now the buyer is faced with a choice: to take it or not? Let's figure it out once and for all these numbers really mean.

Up to 30,000 frames - practically a new camera

For most Nikon DSLRs, the declared resource starts from 100,000 frames. It's like a car with 15,000 km mileage - We changed the oil a couple of times and went on vacation. MechanicsI didn’t even have time to feel the load.

Carcasses with such mileage only come to the workshop for matrix cleaning, and even then rarely. All springs, dampers and slats are in factory condition. Feel free to take it - if, of course, the rest of the mechanics are in order.

30,000 – 80,000 frames - the “golden mean”

This is where the best deal on the secondary market lies. The camera has already been “tested”: the firmware is stable, initial The factory backlash in the mechanisms has been selected, the mirror unit has gotten used to it. It is at this mileage that the carcasses work like real ones. watch.

When they bring me a Nikon D750 with 65,000 frames, I sometimes envy the future buyer - he has at least 100 more ahead of him 000 frames of high-quality shutter operation.

80,000 – 150,000 frames – workhorse

This range is where what I call the “respect zone” begins. These are cameras that filmed weddings, reports and studio portraits. The mechanics are healthy, but the first traces of use are already noticeable: the shutter button is a little softer, perhaps slight oiling of the matrix.

For amateur and semi-professional models such as D7200 or D610, this is alreadymore than half way. Take it - but with bargaining. A 20–25% discount from the market price is quite justified.

150,000 – 250,000 frames - a specialist’s assessment is required

This is where the interesting area begins. For expensive professional carcasses (D800, D850, D4) this is still the middle of their life - they were designed for 300,000+. But the D5600 or D3400 already has thisbeyond the warranty period.

There is a nuance: a lot depends on the mode of operation. D800 with 180,000 shots from the studio (single shooting, shutter speed 1/200, studio light) is a different camera in condition than the D800 with 180,000 from the report (burst shooting at 8 fps in frost).

Over 250,000 frames - only for professionals and experts

Recently a Nikon D4 with 512,000 frames was brought to me for inspection. The carcass worked like new - because reporting flagships are literally created for such loads. But buying a D5500 or D5600 in this condition is already another story.

Table: what does mileage mean for a specific model

Mileage	Amateur (D3xxx, D5xxx)	Semi-professional (D610, D750, D7xxx)	Prof (D800, D850, D4, D5)
Up to 30,000	Almost new	Almost new	Almost new
30,000 – 80,000	Excellent condition	Excellent condition	Excellent condition
80,000 – 150,000	Norma, bargain	good	good
150,000 – 250,000	High risk	Bargain hard	Norm
Over 250,000	Don't take	Only for replacing the shutter	Have it assessed by a specialist