which body on a tight budget?

[timbo59]

Back in my younger days, I used to be able to afford to buy each new top of the line film camera from Nikon - I still have my two favourites, the F3 and F5 - the latter of which I still use. With family and other commitments these days its impossible to keep that kind of thing up, especially as the top end digital equivalents are about 4 times the price of their film-based forebears in real terms. So my first digital, about ten years ago, was a D70 and I've worked that sucker into the ground. I'm looking to replace it but am still on a very tight budget, and I was thinking of going two ways. One was to just pick up a decent D200 with low actuations for $150 - $200. The other was to try and stretch the budget out to about $400 - $450 and either pick up a D2x body or a D5200. The D200 is still a nice camera in a solid body and is pretty cheap for what you get. The D2x is still a fine pro camera, even more rock solid than the D200, and has the added side benefit of being another in the long line of Nikon pro cameras, which I used to like collecting - at one point I had every pro film camera from the F1 through to the F5. The D5200 obviously has more advances to offer in technical terms.

I should point out that much as I've used the D70 as a modern day Polaroid of sorts to set up my film work, I've still often achieved pretty good results with it on its own via the fact that I'm not one for over-sized prints, and even in those situations I'm pretty adept at creating mosaics of landscapes and abstracts that more than compensate in size for the D70's relatively small file sizes by today's standards. So the file sizes of the D200 and D2x, while dwarfed by the 24 - 36 meg output being produced by their more modern counterparts, don't bother me overmuch. Same again for the improved quality of the upper ISO's, because I rarely need to reach for such stellar numbers with my work. So bear all that in mind when rendering a view.

Thanks

 

[goodguy]

The issue with the D200 is not the file size but the technology of its sensor, its old, old, old!!!
Dynamic Range and Low Light Performance is poor.
I have same sensor in my Nikon D60, nice sensor but only in good lighting condition, its pretty much useless above 800ISO while you will get better picture from the D5200 at 6400ISO.
Let go of the past and get the D5200 or even the D3200 which is cheaper but still a HUGE jump from the D200 or D70

 

[MOREGONE]

For 400-450 I'd imagine you could get a D7000 and have a great camera.

they start at $397 on KEH and I am sure you could find a local seller in better condition for the same or close.

NIKON D7000 DIGITAL CAMERA BODY {16.2 M/P} - KEH Camera

There are 2 on my local Craigslist for $450.

edit - check it out, member @NikonRookie has one listed for $435 shipped
WTS: Nikon D7000, MB-D11 Grip, 16-85mm DX Lens | Photography Forum

 

[jaomul]

I agree with the d7000 being a nice choice. Also the d200 can take very nice shots but more modern sensors are better. A cheap option is the d5100, it had the same 16mp sensor as the d7000, which are both great with dynamic range and iso, however if you own older lenses that require a built in body motor you'll need a camera that drives them , again pointing at a d7000.

 

[timbo59]

Thanks for the replies.

I was probably leaning towards the 5200, though knowing the way I function I also know that the older cameras would work well for me simply because of the way I'm used to shooting. Film technique and habits are so ingrained after 40 odd years of photography that I work to low iso's, narrow light situations, and long exposures via tripod as a matter of course to get the best results - working for decades with classic kodachrome, then Velvia, does that for you! Don't get me wrong, the dynamic range/ISO's of modern digitals is eye-popping, and I can only dream of the kind of photography I could have achieved at concerts and small music venues in the past with that kind of low light ability, instead of relying on uprating ektachrome to silly levels in some situations and having it push-processed.

Throwing the 7000 into the mix is an interesting curve. I didn't think it would fall into the same dollar region, thus I didn't even consider it. Seems it's a case of weighing up the 7000's purer photographic ability, versus the more all-round features of the 5200.

As for the lens situation, not a problem. Most of my glass is compatible with either the 5200 or the 7000, other than the venerable 100 - 500 series 1 Vivitar zoom I sometimes use, or a couple of the classic manual Nikkor wide-angle primes I keep.

 

[goodguy]

D5200 has the better more advanced sensor, the D7000 has the better body and more features.
They both share same AF system
Both good choices.

 

[timbo59]

Well, perhaps this might be the deciding factor. I've never used a camera for its video facilities - I've always kept a separate but aging Sony unit for that purpose when traveling with family. Do I assume that the 7000's is more of an afterthought than the 5200's? From what I read of the 5200, the video capability isn't too bad.

 

[greybeard]

Well, perhaps this might be the deciding factor. I've never used a camera for its video facilities - I've always kept a separate but aging Sony unit for that purpose when traveling with family. Do I assume that the 7000's is more of an afterthought than the 5200's? From what I read of the 5200, the video capability isn't too bad.

I'm not too familiar with the D5200 video but on the D7000 it is nothing to write home about.

 

[coastalconn]

A few other thoughts, what lenses do you have? The D5K/D3K series will not meter with older lenses so everything is straight up manual. They also will not AF with older AF-D style lenses. Also depending on how you shoot, you might not like the single command wheel and the viewfinders are very small. The D200 is still a very capable camera and for the price would be good upgrade over a D70. As others have said the sensor is outdated. The D7000 is a pretty good option as well. If you really like the build of the D200 series, you should consider trying to find a good used D300. I have seen a few in your price range.

 

[cgw]

The oldest Nikon DSLR worth a look is probably the D300(s). Otherwise, the D7000 is probably your camera for its ability to work with AI/AIS and AFD glass, high ISO capability and falling price. It's officially discontinued now and D7100 prices are beginning to slip--possibly in anticipation of a replacement in early 2015--both putting downward pressure on D7000 prices. Wait a bit and see where prices move early next year.

 

[BillM]

I believe there is a D7000 for sale right now in the Buy/Sell section.


WTS: Nikon D7000, MB-D11 Grip, 16-85mm DX Lens | Photography Forum

 

[fotomonkey]

I recently returned to photography after almost a 9-yr hiatus. The D5300 was the body I chose. The 5300 is a fine camera but it does have some deficiencies. As coastalconn mentioned, it won't work with older lenses (at least not with AF) since it doesn't have a motor. It also is more menu-driven with fewer controls. I came from shooting a D2H and D70 and the 5300 just feels like a toy. I recently picked up a D7000 and think it's a phenomenal body. The only caveat is that I haven't compared video between the two but like greybeard said, I've heard the 7000 isn't a very good video platform.

I love the additional controls, the ability to throw a battery grip on for vertical shooting, the ability to use all of my existing lenses, the heft of the magnesium body, etc. The 7000 feels better and more intuitive. However, if you need video, it might not be the right body.

 

[KmH]

You may want to consider features and functions beyond image sensor performance to more completely evaluate what you get for the dollars you spend.

Using flash can compensate for the less capable low light performance the D200 has compared to the D5x00 line.
The D200 has Nikon's built-in Creative Lighting System (CLS) Commander mode that can be used to control and fire off camera flash units. The D5x00 do not have CLS Commander mode.

The D200 has 2 command wheels like the D70 had, and the same external controls layout as a $4000 Nikon D4.
The D5x00 have just 1 command wheel, and requires a lot of menu diving because there are few external controls.
The D5x00 can only do 3 auto exposure brackets (AEB) while the D200 can do from 2 to 9 AEB
There is a Nikon made vertical grip that also holds a second battery for the D200.
Nikon does not make a vertical grip for the D5x00 lineup.

The D200 has a full magnesium alloy metal chassis while the D5x00 are all plastic.

 

[shadowlands]

I just grabbed a clean, low miles, D300 for $289.00 with adorama, with warranty. Couldn't be happier.
I don't like the small body cameras like the D3000's and D5000's, but that's just me.

 

[timbo59]

Okay, picked up a really good deal on Craigslist today for a D7000, and I couldn't be happier. Came with an AF-S Nikkor 55-200mm 1.4-5.6G VR, an AF-S Nikkor 18-55mm 1.35-5.6GII ED, a Nikkor 50mm 1.8 D, MB-D11 battery pack, 3 Sandisk Extreme Plus CF cards (32G, 16G, 8G) and a Nikon camera bag - all for $500!I turned up thinking it was all going to be in crap condition despite the blurb in the post, but no, everything was in virtually as-new condition, and the camera only has about 25k actuations. The seller was an elderly woman who was as sweet as can be, and when I asked her why she was selling off all her gear she showed me her fingers and said they were getting too athritic to handle all the knobs and buttons and just needed to downgrade to something simpler. Her original price was actually $550, but as I counted out all the money to her she just picked up one of the 50's and handed it back to me, saying $500 was just fine! I rang my wife as I got into the car to leave and told her I'd either just received one hell of a good deal or that I was going to get home and find the camera had some serious issues that didn't show up initially. Well, I've thoroughly checked it, and it's working perfectly. So good things do happen sometimes!

So thanks for all the feedback and advice - much appreciated.