Hi, and thanks again for your comments and suggestions. Below is a copy of my email to them ; I will gladly let you know what they say
Incidentally, this claim is being handled by an 'Insurance Replacement Specialist', so they probably don't have a real clue about photography, and my all risks policy, on my house contents, is 'new for old'.
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Thank you for your recent email advising me of the replacements for my damaged equipment.
I have to disagree with your choice of camera though. You cannot really compare a Pro DSLR with an Entry Level DSLR from the lower end of the market.
The Fuji S3 Pro is a Professional grade camera, with a superb image quality and the ability to handle a wide dynamic range. This camera is my perfect choice for Portrait, Christening and Wedding photography and even though it was at least 5 years old it stood up to the job. This camera also had an additional shutter button for use when taking pictures in a vertical orientation. One bonus feature was it’s ability to handle any Nikon lens, regardless of their age….
Unfortunately, whilst the Nikon D3100 has a higher MP count and many bells and whistles, it in no way compares to the Fuji.
It’s ability to handle my older non-cpu lenses is severely restricted, there is no option to add a battery pack to allow for vertical shooting and it will not even accept some of my newer lenses and it cannot capture the equivalent dynamic range I expect from my choice of camera….
I am not a Professional photographer (as in I don’t rely on photography for an income) but I am a serious amateur photographer with a number of older and modern lenses which would be rendered obsolete by using the D3100.
I have researched the alternative models and three are suitable…The D700 (but as a Full Frame this cannot be considered due to cost), A D300 (semi Pro) which comes very close to the Fuji’s abilities, and finally the D7000 which is perhaps more ideal, in that it handles image quality and the wide dynamic range almost as the Fuji does, plus it will accept an additional battery pack to allow vertical shooting and allows for many of my non-cpu lenses to be used. Whilst it cannot be considered a Pro camera it does in most cases come very close to it.
I have no problem with the choice of replacement lens, although the price surprised me…
I await your response with interest.
Kindest regards