D7200 or D800?

[gckless]

I like the bokeh on the Sigma more than the Nikon 200-500 (from the examples I see). I will have to make that decision sometime next year, not looking forward to it.

From what I've seen, they're damn close, but I think I agree with you. Good news is, by next year, there should be enough people that have shot with both that the decision shouldn't be as hard. Opinions will be formed, weaknesses will be apparent.

I'm guessing most dedicated lenses are going to give you sharper results in most cases versus using a TC.

Also no harm in waiting to go to FX if the DX you have is doing the job. Every time they release the next generation of camera, all of the older stuff comes down in price.

That is true. Typically when I spend money I try to get the best I can so I spend less often. Or at least that's what I tell myself at the time lol.

I'm no fanboy, but I shoot on occasion side by side with a guy who uses a Canon 7d2, me using a d7200. One is no better than the other at high iso. Here the jpeg settings on each camera can give vastly different results, but I've seen both raw files at high iso, it be hard pushed to say one is better than the other

Well, it could have just been the photo he showed me. I'm glad you squashed that idea though

Every lens test I've seen says the Sport is a decent amount sharper than the Contemporary. Question is if I would notice that difference on a D7200.

well like i said this is from someones mouth who owned the lens and said its not worth the extra money as the contemporary is amazing for its price and we are now comparing the same photos between the contemporary of R14 000 and a 600 F4 of nearly R200 000 and the photos we are seeing the quality is amazing compared to that expensive lens...

I'm with you, I hesitate to go above ISO800 with the D7200. I can tell you the D800 handles noise much better. It also translates poor user technique much more.

is the difference like night and day between the two cameras as I'm really needing that extra iso performance

I can't tell you if it will be worth it for you, but I can tell you it's clearly visible. Noise is much smoother, and the photo holds together better at high ISO on the D800. Still has nice color and DR in it, where the D7200 (or any crop really) kinda falls apart.




Thanks for the help folks. I went to the local camera shop, and they had both that I'm trying to decide between, the Siggy 150-600 Sports and the Nikkor 200-500. I didn't put them on a camera body, but they were nice enough to unpack them from their boxes and let me hold them. First impressions, just from holding them:

Sigma:
- Big. The thing is heavy, noticeably heavier than the Nikon. This is just at 150mm. As you zoom out, there's a lot of weight at the end of the lens that travels with the extending portion of the lens, and it extends farther than the Nikon. This makes it seem much heavier, as the weight is now farther from where you're holding it. This lens would be tough to handhold for any decent length of time, a monopod is basically mandatory. This is really my only gripe about this lens.
- Built well. Zoom rings were tougher to turn than the Nikon. Not to say it was hard, I just don't know how else to describe it lol. Everything was smooth and had a good range on the zoom ring. Definitely don't have to re-grip going from 150mm to 600mm.
- The lack of a hard lens cap sorta bothers me, but I guess that's how most large lenses are.

Nikon:
- Still big, but feels so much lighter than the Sigma. I could handhold this for a while. Feels good in the hand.
- Zoom ring range is horrid. Going from 200m to 500mm is a 180* turn of the ring, which basically requires you to turn, shift your hand, then finish. Honestly, besides this issue, the Nikon feels so much better.
- Hard lens cap

So, both have their pitfalls. The Sigma is heavy and requires a monopod basically at all times. The Nikon's zoom ring range is terrible. Guess I just need to decide which shortcoming I want to accept.

 

[gckless]

Well folks, decided to definitely stay with the D7200 for now. With the addition of the D500 to Nikon's lineup, I think I'll be ok staying with APS-C for a while, though I am going to purchase FF glass from now on.

I did also decide on the Nikon 200-500, I picked it up yesterday locally. Nice lens for sure, only thing I am not a fan of is the previously mentioned zoom ring range, but I'll get over it. Also looking at a 70-200mm f/2.8, but that will be later, unfortunately.

Thanks!