ScottinPollock

Been planning to write an article on this for quite some time. Instead, I posted a video that should hopefully answer any questions you may have.

https://youtu.be/W8gOFNRy_9Y

If you have opened an issue with Nikon within the warranty period, you're covered... regardless of delays in shipping/delivery.

An early morning vistor... experimented on with DxO FilmPak (Ilford HPS 800 with sepia/selenium)

The stupidity and strangeness that is Nikon, at least for the entry-level models. It is a good thing for the future that Snapbridge seems to be a parenthesis in Nikon history.

Unfortunately, it isn't just SnapBridge. I remember buying what I think was Nikon's first WiFi enabled camera, a nifty little shirt pocketable P&S. On OS X it required an app that used a proprietary kernel extension to communicate with the camera. 6 months later when the next version of OS X shipped (and changed the kext architecture) their app was dead in the water, and they never bothered to address the issue.

A proprietary kext to connect over 802.11g. Wow!

I stand corrected.

Bluetooth is all that is necessary for shutter release (without liveView), and preferred over wifi to conserve power. And, the considerably higher bandwidth of wifi is much better suited for file transfer.

So Nikon decided to include BT, but use it only for file transfer? Wow! Just... wow!

It works with SnapBridge over BlueTooth.
 
I remember something about the removal of the infraRed receiver from this camera... turns out it was just the one on the back. So the ML-L3 will also work, provided you can point it at the front of the camera

I believe your only option is your phone via SnapBridge.

It is a genuine noname Chinese lens hood with "HB-N106" printed on it.

 

Well... you takes ya chances on Chinese hoods on the 'Bay. I have purchased several which did not fit properly. The good news is the seller will usually refund your money to avoid negative feedback. Then I just try another vendor 'till I get one that is right.

The D3500 will have better image quality and lower noise, but at the cost of sensor cleaning, acc. terminal, audio in, and support for the ML-L3 remote.

 

If you can, look for the D3300, which maintains the above features (they were pulled from the D3400) and has better image quality and lower noise.

It's not just the camera store... take a look at the pricing of any OEM (Nikon, Canon, Etc.) accessory such as lens hoods, flash, remote shutter release, etc. They are just crazy.

Thankfully, the Chinese third party market has really hit its stride with the help of eBay and the web. All of my accessories are Chinese (Godox, Benro, Yongnuo, SmallRig) and I find it works easily as well as the major brands... all at dimes on the dollar.

I like an "L" bracket so I don't have to flip the head over 90° to shoot portrait. I can use it with a nodal rail so I can avoid parallax when shooting panos.

 

There are scads of Chinese made arca-swiss plates, clamps, and brackets on eBay that cost next to nothing and are of surprisingly good quality.

You have a camera with two DX kit lenses... and are considering another with 2 more kit lenses. That is not a path most follow... which is more like 1.) kit, 2.) better glass, 3.) better body.

The problem with auto focus may be as simple as cleaning the contacts on the camera and lenses. But I would ask the same as Snorky... what in your current setup is preventing you from getting the shots you desire? If the answer is "nothing" then I would wait until you discover "something" so you know what gear to strengthen.

And if you think you may even consider a FF body in the future, I would not recommend buying any more DX glass.

It could be that Serif took care to compensate them adequately
as it is a cool feature for v. 1.7.

Except you don't need AP to access the site. It is free and open to all. Here is an example download from the site from a browser.

Nicole... I have seen some amazing astro photos from M43 with something like the Laowa 7.5mm f2, so it is definitely possible. I just don't know if there are extra hoops those photogs have to jump through to get them. 

 

The best M43 forums I have come across are at www.mu-43.com. Not quite as well mannered as our group here, but strides above DPR. There are a number of showcase threads there. Obviously the pics aren't displayed full rez, but many users link to Flickr where larger images can be seen. Drop in and have a look.