Upgrade to D7200 or FX Body?

JoeW

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Okay, here's the deal....I have two D7000 bodies. I've got a pretty significant investment in DX lens (10 the last time I counted). I've got a significant birthday coming up next May and my parents have basically indicated that for next May, they're going to get me a photo trip somewhere exotic (think: Iceland or Botswana or Yellowstone). Anyway, that's a push for me to upgrade my body.

Part of me has me thinking about upgrading to a FX body But realistically, an FX body isn't going to give me FX performance (in terms of color depth and dynamic range) for landscapes or shooting critters from a distance and in poor light if I"m using DX lens.

So now is the time for me to look at a body upgrade decision. I could upgrade to a D7200 and stay with my DX investment. Or I can switch to FX recognizing that I'd be adding FX lens gradually (finances are an issue).

Switching to an FX body and also acquiring several lens isn't an option at this point. So if I went with the FX body, I'd probably be shooting with DX lens for 6 months or a bit longer and then just adding FX options about one a year.

So...what advice do you give? Upgrade to a D7200? Or look at an FX model?

Also, just for background info...I shoot a wide range of subjects from weddings, sports, landscapes, wildlife, people, abstracts. I don't shoot video. fps doesn't matter much to me. Weight and size aren't big factors for me.
 
From reading everything you said in your post of what you shoot and especially the amount of glass you collected of DX and finances are an issue, I think you would be very happy and better off with the D7200 it just makes more sense that can enjoy a wide range of glass straight away. Now speaking from experience with D7200 the Image quality is fantastic. sharp,clear with great color and High ISO are amazing with good exposures. Though I think the D750 has the edge in overall performance the price difference unless you are always going to be shooting in really low light and need wider angle and DOF the D7200 is a good choice. I have a lot of images from it the D7200 I can post if you like.
 
Thanks for the comments. And I figure the first issue is to decide on the D7200 or FX. And if I opt to go the FX route, I've got plenty of options to look at.
 
An interesting situation you find yourself in. The D7000 was not regarded all that highly by many, and has been surpassed quite a bit in sensor performance by FX-sensored Nikons. And speaking of FX Nikons...there are now a number of them on the market, from older models to brand new, built on low-end bodies, mid-level, and flagship bodies (D600 and D610; Df,D700 and D800 and D810; D3,D3s,D3x,D4,D5) so the term "FX Nikon really is not one, single thing.

It's tough to advise you when you say, "10 DX lenses"...with no information on which ones, or which ones you really like to use. Nikon's own brand of DX lenses has some gaps in it, but their lenses for full-frame cameras are numerous, and date back decades, in multiple lines (Ai-Ai-S,AF,AF-D, AF-S, AFS-G, AF-S E), with the newest E-series having electronic diaphragm operation, so cameras made before about 2007 will not work fully with those.

Like ProPilot asks--have you considered the D500 at all? From sources I trust, it has **amazing** autofocus performance, and a VERY good DX size sensor. How about a D800,D800e, or D810? with a DX lens, you'd still have about a 16-million pixel image in DX crop mode. The D600 is available cheaply,second-hand, but it is a sort of inexpensive body, and the viewfinder system is not all that great on it (compared to say a D3s or a D3x or a D4).
 
Far be it from me to tell you what to get. If it were ME, with subjects you identified (landscape, people, weddings) I would definitely go FX. Not hard to pair down your glass either (sell on ebay and replace) but to each his own. FX lenses can be used on both. There are only a couple DX lenses that I still own (a wide, fish eye, 35mm 1.8) the rest FX covers.

Depends on your budget too. You can get a used d600 for like 600-700 and get a free shutter replace and basically have a new camera and spend the other 500 saved on glass vs d7200 (There is a lot of great inexpensive "old" film/fx glass). Or you can almost by a refurbished (lile new) d750 (great camera) for nearly the same. If you can afford new, even comes with a very grip....I said I never needed one....til I used one.

You also say you shoot sports...hard to say fps doesn't matter. Like post above suggested, d500 is pretty sick. Not only fps but low light and focus tracking (same AF as d5). Probably best value wildlife and sports camera offered right now. This would be my pick for only 1 camera.

Unfortunately, your question is one only you can answer. Lots of good stuff out there. Gotta figure out what works best for you.

Good luck.

Sent from my SM-G935V using Tapatalk
 
I seen some price drops or maybe specials on the D500 not to far away from the D750 prices. The D500 is awesome,just holding in your hand it's a beast and the body don't feel like a hallow piece of plastic like the D750 does.Feels like a real rugged camera for the outdoorsmen or women.
 
One of the biggest issues you'll find between DX and FX cameras is literally, "How the cameras shoot," in many real-world situations. I started in 1975 with 25x36mm and film; I began digital in 2001 with the Nikon D1 and its APS-C sensor, and six years and several different APS-C cameras later, I added an FX camera in 2007 with the first-generation Canon 5D and used that and the Nikon D2x together, as a pair, until 2013 when I bought a Nikon D3x. There is a HUGE difference in how you actually shoot things with a DX Nikon or an FX Nikon, or with a 1.6x Canon or a FF Caon camera.

Do you want a camera that has an articulated screen on the back, and that shoots great in Live View mode? Do you need a camera that has a BIG, clear, sharp through the lens viewfinder? Have you used a flagship-level camera like a D3 or D4 series? Or the next-best-thing, a D700 or D810?

Do you want REALLY high resolution, like 36 million pixels and a big,croppable image file? Have you had the chance to see what 24 million pixels on FX can actually do, and how good that is?

From what many suggest, the D800 or D810 is the best all-around camera for image quality. For me, the D3x is the best-made, best-shooting, best-handling camera and a good value at its new, lower used market price,and it shoots in 3:2 aspect FX format, 5:4 aspect format, and in 3:2 aspect DX mode. For sheer low price, the D600 is hard to beat, and is built on the same body you are used to. The D500 is probably the best $1995 camera Nikon has ever made. The D7200 is a good choice, sensor wise but it is still an APS-C sensor, so the lenses perform very differently than the full-frame lenses do.

I dunno....maybe you want two bodies, of the same type? Or one Dx and one FX? Might it be time to check out some cameras if you can, in real life?
 
Yes its good to have hands on with the cameras,When I seen the D500 on the shelf in the camera shop it was kinda of fun the D7200 sitting next to it looked like a tiny D3300, It was like a tall boy next to little boy.LOL
 
I seen some price drops or maybe specials on the D500 not to far away from the D750 prices. The D500 is awesome,just holding in your hand it's a beast and the body don't feel like a hallow piece of plastic like the D750 does.Feels like a real rugged camera for the outdoorsmen or women.
The current "Black Friday" special of the D500 with the grip and a 64 gb Extreme pro for $1800 is one heck of a deal...
 
My 2 cents ... If you have a limited budget which it seems like you do then it's about the D7200 vs D600
With the D600 you have everything a D7200 is PLUS a FX camera. But if you really like the long end (wildlife) then DX is better. If wedding and people are your thing, FX would be better at that price level. FYI, you can save a hundred or more with a refurbished D7200.

The D7200 is a great low option for DX. The D600 is a great option too for FX. I love it, great camera. yes you can use it in DX mode until your expand your lenses and have the FX read (don't for get about lower cost AF-D lenses, I have many). The 750 is like a D600 with a few more bells and whistles. The D500 is all about AF performance and FPS with some good Low Light ability. I may just buy one, test it for a few indoor soccer games, and return it if the ISO isn't up to par and I can pry it from my cold, dead fingers.

For sports, I find myself needed the close end of the focal length a lot. So when I was using DX I was stepping back to get close action. for Indoor I can't really do that. FX works great for indoor and outdoor, no quelms about it.

BTW, like any Pro body the D500 ONLY has PASM modes. Nothing else. So if you like any of the other modes or the Effects things they are not there.

FYI, you'll find the D7200 and D600 slightly larger than your D7000.

I just shot a D500 at all ISO levels in BestBuy. I have yet to review the images.
I'm trying to decide on a D500 or a D5500 for more astrophotography and astro-video work. If money were no object I'd get the D500 .. but since it is ...

I'd also try to use it for long distance photography. Think stuff 7 miles up to the international space station and beyond. I was toying with the idea .. one of my scopes x 2TC plus 1.5crop comes out to roughly 9,000mm equivalent focal length.

So basically .. D500, OEM grip, 64gb extreme pro card, bag from B&H is $1796 this week only. Nikon D500 DSLR Camera (D500 Body) 1559 B&H Photo
D5500 body only $499 or so.
So roughly $1200 difference.

I may have the IR filter removed down the road too so getting a D500 to gut it out makes no sense.
D7200 is considered, but I really need that flippy screen and I wouldn't want to gut it out.
My other cameras are D750, D600 also had D7000.
 
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Thanks again for all of the comments and insights on this. Darrel--I especially appreciate it when you share your insights on gear since you've had to sell all of this stuff. Some information (FWIW)...the lens that I tend to use the most/a default lens is a Nikkor 24-85mm f2.8, the lens I probably use the next most (if that's a phrase) is a Nikkor 50mm f1.4 (I like playing a lot with DoF), I use an 85mm f1.8G for a lot of portrait sessions, and other than a lens baby (I didn't count that in my lens count in the initial post), the one non-Nikkor lens that gets usage is a Sigma 70-200mm f2.8.
 
With the strong likelihood of holiday discounts around the corner, the D7200 seems the obvious answer. It's still glued to the price/quality/features sweet spot for DX or FX. Take the savings and put it toward storage/archive media and/or a laptop upgrade. Travel always costs more than anticipated, so extra $$$ comes in handy. You're set for lenses. In the end, experiences matter more than gear with travel.
 
Isn't the Nikkor 24-85mm f2.8 an FX lens? I could be mistaken.

While the D500 is no doubt a fantastic camera, it doesn't appear you need it's feature set, and it's also not FX. IMO, you're looking at either a D7200 (the lower price option) or a FX body. The D7200 is a good upgrade from a D7000, I made the same jump. I have a lot of photos on the D7200 if you want some samples.

Another thing you want to think about while travelling is weight. The FX body itself isn't really noticeably heavier in a backpack, but how many lenses are you going to have to take just for that? And will you also have to take the DX body and those lenses? That can add up to a lot, and your trip's not going to be much fun if your shoulders and back are constantly hurting. I've done some longer trips, and even though I consider myself to be in pretty good shape, it starts to wear on you.

If I were you, I'd pick up a D7200, save some cash, and keep the current system. Unless you can live with only taking the FX body and whatever lenses you may have for that at the time. If you think you also need to take the DX, stick with that body solely for now. IMO.
 

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