DSLR's Dead?

[Wandering Man]

DSLR isn't dead but on life support. Don't want mirrorless.

I have a preference for Nikon manual focus glass. I have two directions I am considering with bodies. One, ditch the DX and buy a full frame DSLR. Two, quit digital and just learn to print B&W. Leaning towards the latter. I can develop B&W film already. Not real good at it but time will fix that. Always wanted a darkroom now I have a second bathroom I never use anyways. Biggest problem is a well with lots of dissolved iron particulate. Don't know I I can make it clean enough.

Maybe a reverse osmosis filter system would work for you.

 

[Wandering Man]

Your 150-600 may or may not work with the FTZ adapter on a mirrorless nikon body. It all depends on how new it is. I had a Tamron 150-600 gen 1 that would not and there was no way to update the firmware in the lens. Also, are your AF-S lenses for DX or full frame? If they are DX then they are designed for APS-C crop frame and not full frame like a D850/Z5. They will work but will not use more than 1/2 the available pixels.

It really depends on how much money you are willing to spend before I could make any kind of a recommendation. For around $1300 you can get a new Z50 ii with a 16-50 and 50-250mm lens kit that will satisfy most if not all your needs. https://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/1862841-REG/nikon_z50_ii_mirrorless_camera.html. You could add a FTZ adapter to this rig. https://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/1862841-REG/nikon_z50_ii_mirrorless_camera.html that will let you use your current lenses (maybe as the jury is still out on the 150-600) I own a Z50, a Z5, and a D850. I can honestly say that I could make do with the Z50 and not miss a shot.

Well, since I rarely use the Sigma, that probably wouldn’t be a problem, since I intend to keep the D5500. (Wife wants it!)

 

[snowbear127 58]

Wlii a lens on a d5500 even work on a d750? Whole thing with camera's is going straight to hell. Wish I were sure film would last. Then I could go back to my Nikon FM and the company]s could stick their latest and greatest where the sun don't shine!

Yes. The D750 switches to “crop mode” by default when it senses the DX lens.

 

[MartinCrabtree120 14]

Maybe a reverse osmosis filter system would work for you.

Research has shown they have an "overflow" which wastes a lot of water. While my well produces sufficient volume I cannot be certain it always will.

 

[Don Fischer]

I've got a Nikon D5500, which I bought in 2015, and upgrade from my old Minolta X700. It took a long time for me to upgrade from film to digital. Now I see that the trend is toward mirrorless. One of the things I regretted when I did the last upgrade was having to give up my lenses. I'd had some of those lenses since 1974, when I bought my first SLR, a Minolta SRT101.

I am still not extremely knowledgeable about working with the D5500, but get by. During our vacation this year, I decided there might be an advantage to carrying two cameras with different lenses (please disadvise me of this notion if it is wrong).

So, I've started investigating my next purchase. I've been looking at the Nikon Z6 III. I've also been looking at the price, and wondering how many new lenses I'd have to buy. I currently have four lenses for the D5500, 3 are Nikon AF-S's and one is the huge Sigma 150 - 600.

Last night, it occurred to me that I could probably get the D850 for less money, and not have the lens dilemma.

I'd like to hear your predictions about the future of photography and any advice.

For what its worth, I'm now in my 70's, so probably won't need a camera to take me much beyond 15 to 20 years.

Ya know you don't have to give up even one thing. Did your od camera satify you? So what's the problem if it did? You decided to do an up grade you actually knew nothing about and now your pretty much lost! I remember when I ud graded from my Nikon FM to a Nikon F5. I was completely lost. Went from my Nikon D70 t0 a Nikon D7000, lost again. every time most of us up grade we actually back ourselves up some! camera company's got you scrambling trying to keep up with teknowledgy just to take a picture! I got photo's I really liked with my Nikon FM but had to start pretty much all over when i went to a D70! Suddenly I couldn't get what pleased me any more. Finally got there and upgraded to D7000 and lost my balance again! I started with a Voigtlander camera and got photo's I liked without all the hassle of having to learn new stuff. I am not a pro and maybe, just maybe for them that's important, not for me though. I doubt I'll ever really upgrade again, I just want to take nice pictures. I tried using a Canon camera one time instead of my Nikon and what a disaster. Nothing seemed to fit with the Canon but end of the day was simply used to the Nikon, both cameras did nothing more than take pictures!

 

[petrochemist128 153]

Not clunky at all, you simply mount the FTZ II adapter on the Z body of your choosing and attach your F-mount lenses as you would on an F-mount camera body. If you don't own any Z less then simply leave it attached to the camera. The advantages of a Z-mount body, say a Z5 II or Z6 III are significant over an older F-mount body.

Not only can Nikon lenses be adapted to the Z bodies (or other mirrorless bodies) but just about all other SLR & rangefinder lenses can too. Yes the more distant mounts will need manual control but with my Sony A7ii thats no issue at all, and not much on my older mirrorless bodies that predate peaking. The J1 is the only mirrorless camera I have where adapting is awkward - because Nikon disallows aperture priority if it can't talk to the lens - which is not an issue for Sony, Pentax, Panasonic...

 

[cupic]

I still have D500 D750 D700 D4 and a Z6 so the F mount lens will do both so Dslr is alive and doing well

 

[Tartness909410 3]

I have a Pentax K20D and a K5ii, you just can't beat the feel of a old school DSLR

 

[greybeard45 17]

At this point in time I am shooting a Nikon D850 and D500. In my opinion and others they are the best dSLRs ever made. And, I have also owned and sold a Nikon Z50 and a Z5 mirrorless. The IQ from those mirrorless was excellent but I prefer the OVF over a EVF and the focusing was too slow for me. With that said, as great as my 2 dSLRs may be, there video performance is pretty dismal compared to an entry level mirrorless and with each new generation EVFs get better and focusing get faster and more accurate. So, in my humble opinion, the dSLR will go the way of the rangefinder and TLR but, I will probably not move on from what I am presently shooting.

 

[Wandering Man]

Well, I’m on a journey, and I may have ended back where I started.

The Z6III is far enough out of me budget without enough benefit for me that I started researching an upgrade from my D5500 to the D850.

The D850 is still a bit of a stretch. And if I’m honest with myself it packs more features than my skill level can appreciate.

Soooo, I will probably settle for finding an upgrade to my kit lens, using my 40mm macro lens more and immersing myself back into learning more about my D5500.

I’ll wait and see where that leads me before making a jump to something more sophisticated.

I’m retired and in my 70’s now, so that jump may never be made.

 

[MartinCrabtree120 14]

I'm sure the Nikon Z cameras are fine instruments. I just cannot buy a bunch of new glass for what I consider an incremental improvement. Before anyone mentions it I don't care for adaptors. I have a bunch of F mount glass that I spent a few years gathering. I'm old as well and am very pleased with what I have and refuse to participate in the more/better syndrome.

 

[RScottie125 39]

I am using a Canon T7 Rebel. So far I have not felt too limited by its features or lack of.

I did want to attach an external microphone for video but, alas, it has no jack Jack.

I have been looking at the Canon 90d as a possible good upgrade that will allow use of all the same lenses. I will likely keep the Rebel as a backup or as a way to have two lenses ready if I am at an event or something and need a quick change.

I certainly hope DSLR's are not dead!

 

[Tartness909410 3]

Well, I’m on a journey, and I may have ended back where I started.

The Z6III is far enough out of me budget without enough benefit for me that I started researching an upgrade from my D5500 to the D850.

The D850 is still a bit of a stretch. And if I’m honest with myself it packs more features than my skill level can appreciate.

Soooo, I will probably settle for finding an upgrade to my kit lens, using my 40mm macro lens more and immersing myself back into learning more about my D5500.

I’ll wait and see where that leads me before making a jump to something more sophisticated.

I’m retired and in my 70’s now, so that jump may never be made.

It's true what they say about spending money on good quality glass rather than an expensive camera body. I am lucky with my Pentax K5ii body which was cheap and came with some excellent performing lenses too and it's all I need. I'm 67 in January and loving my photography even more these days

 

[TJMcG124 7]

I just recently gave my D2X to a grandchild who wants to study photography and needed a camera. It was my only camera for more than 20 years, until I thought I'd give mirrorless a try and bought a Z50. I went from a professional 12 MP camera to a 21 MP entry-level, and the difference was enough to convince me that mirrorless was the way to go. I wondered about full frame and if there was even more to be had, so I got a Z7. After about 2 years, I traded the Z50 for a Z50 II and the Z7 for a Z8, and I'm set for life. I still have an FM, a couple of vintage F-mount lenses, and the rest is Z glass. I'll be 83 soon, and I think that my camera purchasing days are over.

 

[Wandering Man]

I just recently gave my D2X to a grandchild who wants to study photography and needed a camera. It was my only camera for more than 20 years, until I thought I'd give mirrorless a try and bought a Z50. I went from a professional 12 MP camera to a 21 MP entry-level, and the difference was enough to convince me that mirrorless was the way to go. I wondered about full frame and if there was even more to be had, so I got a Z7. After about 2 years, I traded the Z50 for a Z50 II and the Z7 for a Z8, and I'm set for life. I still have an FM, a couple of vintage F-mount lenses, and the rest is Z glass. I'll be 83 soon, and I think that my camera purchasing days are over.

Thanks for the insight. I am probably still more undecided than I want to admit. I think I’ve found myself in a bubble with all information coming in showing a trend towards moving back to DSLRs.

Learning that something close to 90% of all camera sales are mirrorless and no camera manufacturers are making DSLRs is deflating.

Nikon plans to terminate support for their DSLRs in 2030? It feels like a dead end.

On the other hand, film is still being made and sold …