Camera for Bike Trip to Arctic Circle

[Bigguy136]

Hi,
I keep reading about camera selection here and I'm close to buying a Nikon D3400. I'm taking a motorcycle ride to Prudhoe Bay, Alaska then over to Inuvik, Northwest Territories, CA along the Dempster Hyw. and want to get some wonderful daytime nature photos. I was also looking at the D3300 but the price difference is ~$40 so I figured I would go with the newer model. Am I looking at the right camera? I'm also bringing a quick point and shoot camera so having a bigger camera that needs more care is okay.
I was looking on-line and found the factory referbs for $100 less with a 90 day warranty. Is this something to do or stay away from the referbs?
It the camera is worth it, I'm good with $600 but would like to stay more in the $400 price point.

Thanks for any wisdom you have on this. BG

 

[Designer]

Nikon factory refurbished is a good choice. Yes, you can save some money that way. Make sure it comes with a lens. Please attach a link to the deal so we can see the deal.

 

[weepete]

Yup, the D3400 is a good choice for that budget.

 

[table1349]

This covers all the bases. In fact is makes sense as a helmet is required in Canada for all riders.

 

[dunfly]

I have purchased a lot of Nikon refurbished stuff, sometimes direct from Nikon and sometimes through the REPUTABLE online sellers. I have never had a problem. Notice I capitalized REPUTABLE. There are only three I would use (although there may be more), Cameta, B&H, and Adorama. The D3400 is a good choice, but if you are buying the kit with the 70-300 zoom included, keep in mind that the 70-300 usually packaged with the kit does not have vibration reduction. If you are concerned about the 90 day warrantee, I think Cameta has a 3 year extended warrantee for about $40.

 

[mdruziak]

Not to derail your Nikon thought, but what about a micro 4/3 system? You can bring the body and 3-4 lenses in the same amount of space the Nikon body and 1 lens takes. (Assuming you have limited space on your motorcycle)

 

[Bigguy136]

Nikon factory refurbished is a good choice. Yes, you can save some money that way. Make sure it comes with a lens. Please attach a link to the deal so we can see the deal.

Thanks for all feedback.

I'll see what kinds of deals are at the other online stores dunfly recommended but the store I'm looking at is Beach Camera. Here are the links
BeachCamera.com - Nikon D3400 24.2 MP DSLR Camera w/ AF-P DX 18-55mm VR Lens Kit (Red) Refurbished
BeachCamera.com - Nikon Refurbished D3400 24.2MP DSLR Camera with AF-P 18-55mm VR and 70-300mm Lenses

 

[Bigguy136]

I guess it was time to get something. With the advice of dunfly, I went to Adorama and got the Nikon D3400 refurb with both lenses for $470, no tax, free 2 day shipping and a Nikon 90 day warranty/ 1 year USA warranty. I'm assuming that is USA markets will honor the 1 year Nikon warranty.
I also needed memory and a 12V DC charger/ extra battery. Below are what I got.
Thanks again for all of the help and advise.
Nikon D3400
Amazon.com: Lexar Professional 1000x 64GB SDXC UHS-II/U3 Card with Image Rescue 5 Software (LSD64GCRBNA1000): Computers & Accessories
Amazon.com: Powerextra 2 Pack Replacement Battery and Charger for Nikon EN-EL14, EN-EL14a and Nikon D3100, D3200, D3300, D3400, D5100, D5200, D5300, D5500, DF, Coolpix P7000, P7100, P7700, P7800 DSLR Cameras: Cell Phones & Accessories

 

[Derrel]

Sweet setup! Now, when it gets there, make sure to read the manual it comes with, and check out the operation, and familiarize yourself with the camera. The D3400 is not "that complicated"a camera, yet still, it's good to familiarize oneself with a new camera, and to check out the nuances, and so on. Make sure you take plenty of memory cards for the trip, and a good system to keep them in a secure place after they have been exposed.

 

[Destin]

and a good system to keep them in a secure place after they have been exposed.

@Derrel youre letting those film roots shine through again my friend

 

[Derrel]

and a good system to keep them in a secure place after they have been exposed.

@Derrel youre letting those film roots shine through again my friend

As inexpensive as SD memory cards are, I am subtly advocating that the OP use them as if they were exposed film, and KEEPING the images on the cards until he returns home, hopefully as a backup to an on-site harddrive download, or at the very least, as his only copy of his "captures" on their original memory cards. And also be keeping them secure, I also mean not losing them, and not having them get stolen or lost or misplaced. A fellow I know recernly lost two rather large CF cards of an event he shot, and he felt that the photos he had shot were really, really good ones. Quite a tragedy to shoot well, and then to lose two memory cards!

 

[dxqcanada2]

Batteries !!! lots and lots of Batteries !!!

 

[table1349]

Batteries !!! lots and lots of Batteries !!!

I don't know about that. Remember when we were kids and had those headlights on our bikes with the little generator that sat against the tire? If you took one of those and modified it you could probably make a mobile charger that would keep the batteries you had charged while you rode. Of course your biker buddies might laugh at that thing attached to a motorcycle.

 

[Bigguy136]

Thanks for all the help! I feel good about what I bought and without you guys, I would have bought something else.
I'm bringing a Windows tablet and thumb drives for extra storage. I also ordered 2 extra batteries and a 12V DC charger. I have a 12V 20 amp line for charging purposes.
Now I need to read the manual and start practicing when my camera shows up. Yes, more questions I'm sure