How much better is D7100 over D5500 really?

[goodguy]

D7100 Pro's
Most important a better 51 focus point system
Better made body
Weather sealed
Second command dial
In body focus motor
6fps or 7fps in crop mode vs 5 on D5500
100% optical coverage vs 95%
Bigger battery
Minimum focus sensitivity -2ev vs -1ev
Pentaprism vs Pentamirror

Main advantage of D5500
Swivel touch screen

The critical one in my view is the focusing motor. It allows you to use the excellent and now affordable Nikon D lenses. In my view, this one feature makes the lack of it in the 3000 and 5000 series cameras non starters.

No doubt in body focus motor is important but it depends what lenses you have, if you only get G lenses then it makes no difference, if you enjoy a D lens then its a MUST feature, me personally think the 51 AF system is the most important feature, to me AF is key to get the shot more important then anything else.

Different priorities. I do just as well with manual focus.

D7100 Pro's
Most important a better 51 focus point system
Better made body
Weather sealed
Second command dial
In body focus motor
6fps or 7fps in crop mode vs 5 on D5500
100% optical coverage vs 95%
Bigger battery
Minimum focus sensitivity -2ev vs -1ev
Pentaprism vs Pentamirror

Main advantage of D5500
Swivel touch screen

The critical one in my view is the focusing motor. It allows you to use the excellent and now affordable Nikon D lenses. In my view, this one feature makes the lack of it in the 3000 and 5000 series cameras non starters.

No doubt in body focus motor is important but it depends what lenses you have, if you only get G lenses then it makes no difference, if you enjoy a D lens then its a MUST feature, me personally think the 51 AF system is the most important feature, to me AF is key to get the shot more important then anything else.

Different priorities. I do just as well with manual focus.

Totally envious, my old eyes will not let me do any kind of manual focus unless in totally control manner when camera on tripod and subject not moving, my reliance on AF is total thus is the importance I put in the best possible AF I can get and why I will stay away from mirrorless for pro work in the foreseeable future till mirrorless will be as good as DSLR

 

[benhasajeep]

Totally envious, my old eyes will not let me do any kind of manual focus unless in totally control manner when camera on tripod and subject not moving, my reliance on AF is total thus is the importance I put in the best possible AF I can get and why I will stay away from mirrorless for pro work in the foreseeable future till mirrorless will be as good as DSLR

Get a focusing loupe, or loupe hood that fits the monitor. The ones made for movie use has diopters and eyecup. So, no need for glasses either.

I'm trying to find a good one that I can use with my 24mm pc-e lens. Hardest part is picking the one with a decent mount system.

 

[fmw]

D7100 Pro's
Most important a better 51 focus point system
Better made body
Weather sealed
Second command dial
In body focus motor
6fps or 7fps in crop mode vs 5 on D5500
100% optical coverage vs 95%
Bigger battery
Minimum focus sensitivity -2ev vs -1ev
Pentaprism vs Pentamirror

Main advantage of D5500
Swivel touch screen

The critical one in my view is the focusing motor. It allows you to use the excellent and now affordable Nikon D lenses. In my view, this one feature makes the lack of it in the 3000 and 5000 series cameras non starters.

No doubt in body focus motor is important but it depends what lenses you have, if you only get G lenses then it makes no difference, if you enjoy a D lens then its a MUST feature, me personally think the 51 AF system is the most important feature, to me AF is key to get the shot more important then anything else.

Different priorities. I do just as well with manual focus.

D7100 Pro's
Most important a better 51 focus point system
Better made body
Weather sealed
Second command dial
In body focus motor
6fps or 7fps in crop mode vs 5 on D5500
100% optical coverage vs 95%
Bigger battery
Minimum focus sensitivity -2ev vs -1ev
Pentaprism vs Pentamirror

Main advantage of D5500
Swivel touch screen

The critical one in my view is the focusing motor. It allows you to use the excellent and now affordable Nikon D lenses. In my view, this one feature makes the lack of it in the 3000 and 5000 series cameras non starters.

No doubt in body focus motor is important but it depends what lenses you have, if you only get G lenses then it makes no difference, if you enjoy a D lens then its a MUST feature, me personally think the 51 AF system is the most important feature, to me AF is key to get the shot more important then anything else.

Different priorities. I do just as well with manual focus.

Totally envious, my old eyes will not let me do any kind of manual focus unless in totally control manner when camera on tripod and subject not moving, my reliance on AF is total thus is the importance I put in the best possible AF I can get and why I will stay away from mirrorless for pro work in the foreseeable future till mirrorless will be as good as DSLR

D7100 Pro's
Most important a better 51 focus point system
Better made body
Weather sealed
Second command dial
In body focus motor
6fps or 7fps in crop mode vs 5 on D5500
100% optical coverage vs 95%
Bigger battery
Minimum focus sensitivity -2ev vs -1ev
Pentaprism vs Pentamirror

Main advantage of D5500
Swivel touch screen

The critical one in my view is the focusing motor. It allows you to use the excellent and now affordable Nikon D lenses. In my view, this one feature makes the lack of it in the 3000 and 5000 series cameras non starters.

No doubt in body focus motor is important but it depends what lenses you have, if you only get G lenses then it makes no difference, if you enjoy a D lens then its a MUST feature, me personally think the 51 AF system is the most important feature, to me AF is key to get the shot more important then anything else.

Different priorities. I do just as well with manual focus.

D7100 Pro's
Most important a better 51 focus point system
Better made body
Weather sealed
Second command dial
In body focus motor
6fps or 7fps in crop mode vs 5 on D5500
100% optical coverage vs 95%
Bigger battery
Minimum focus sensitivity -2ev vs -1ev
Pentaprism vs Pentamirror

Main advantage of D5500
Swivel touch screen

The critical one in my view is the focusing motor. It allows you to use the excellent and now affordable Nikon D lenses. In my view, this one feature makes the lack of it in the 3000 and 5000 series cameras non starters.

No doubt in body focus motor is important but it depends what lenses you have, if you only get G lenses then it makes no difference, if you enjoy a D lens then its a MUST feature, me personally think the 51 AF system is the most important feature, to me AF is key to get the shot more important then anything else.

Different priorities. I do just as well with manual focus.

Totally envious, my old eyes will not let me do any kind of manual focus unless in totally control manner when camera on tripod and subject not moving, my reliance on AF is total thus is the importance I put in the best possible AF I can get and why I will stay away from mirrorless for pro work in the foreseeable future till mirrorless will be as good as DSLR

Manual focus was easier back when we had split image finders. Even the digital cameras have decent manual focus aids. Nikon has the little digital meter that you center. Fuji has an effective contrast highlight system as well as a less effective digital split image.

For my purposes my mirrorless system is better than any DSLR made. I don't do professional work any longer. There is no need to haul around all that large and heavy gear. The AF, by the way, is really effective and I use it most of the time. But it isn't a deal breaker for me. It is still a lot faster than focusing with a split image finder was back in the day and I got along fine with that for decades. I sold my Nikon system and don't miss it at all.

 

[Solarflare]

The D7000, D7100, D7200 are worlds above the D5x00 line.

The D7500 no longer, though, which IMHO was a very poor decision by Nikon.

 

[darkblue-x]

I always emphasis body over the newest fangled $$$ lens.
Most of my lenses were AF-D lenses for a while as they were affordable to that I could get a wide range 18-35, 24-85, 80-200 and save thousands versus the newest comparable AF-S lenses.
The more advanced features of the better bodies, depending upon what you do, can be very helpful.

For instance, if you do
Landscape or architecturial I don't really see much of an advantage other than the control delay over mirror slap. So not much difference between the D7100 and D5500.

If you do Sports, Bird in Flight or anything more high speed then the added AF points, faster overall response, better viewing, faster AF system is advantageous in many facets of the body itself. D7100 wins for more ease of use once you understand how to use it.

I don't actually find the AF fast...it's slow to show me the points...much slower than my D3300

 

[goodguy]

I always emphasis body over the newest fangled $$$ lens.
Most of my lenses were AF-D lenses for a while as they were affordable to that I could get a wide range 18-35, 24-85, 80-200 and save thousands versus the newest comparable AF-S lenses.
The more advanced features of the better bodies, depending upon what you do, can be very helpful.

For instance, if you do
Landscape or architecturial I don't really see much of an advantage other than the control delay over mirror slap. So not much difference between the D7100 and D5500.

If you do Sports, Bird in Flight or anything more high speed then the added AF points, faster overall response, better viewing, faster AF system is advantageous in many facets of the body itself. D7100 wins for more ease of use once you understand how to use it.

I don't actually find the AF fast...it's slow to show me the points...much slower than my D3300

I own the D3300, used to own the D7100, the D7100 AF is better then the D3300 no doubt about it but the D3300 as long as you use the centre cross type point is plenty fast, still compared to the D7100 there is no contest here.

 

[Designer]

Could someone present an argument as to which one is the better camera (ei. more useful functions, ease of use, features and specs)...?

Since you've already made the purchase, I guess you're looking for validation.

In short, you went from an "entry level" camera to an "enthusiast level" camera. Maybe it's not as easy to use as the D3300 or any of the D5xxx series cameras, but you've got lots more options and controls.

Kind of the difference between driving an automatic transmission compact car to operating a modern agricultural tractor or a combine.

 

[darkblue-x]

Could someone present an argument as to which one is the better camera (ei. more useful functions, ease of use, features and specs)...?

Since you've already made the purchase, I guess you're looking for validation.

In short, you went from an "entry level" camera to an "enthusiast level" camera. Maybe it's not as easy to use as the D3300 or any of the D5xxx series cameras, but you've got lots more options and controls.

Kind of the difference between driving an automatic transmission compact car to operating a modern agricultural tractor or a combine.

Validation/reassurance on my decision.
I had gotten some special feeling the time I held a D5500 (many months back)--Yet I have had a feeling of being unexcited holding the D7100.


I probably just have to give it time. I used to have a much different way to handle workflow:
Adventure, Shoot, View images on computer and write down the image numbers I like, Import to VSCO to then view on VSCO Mobile. And then I would edit my photos through my Cell Phone with VSCO...I was able to get creative and distort my picked photos to my pleasure.

Now I just started using Lightroom and now shoot in NEF only...viewing the images to choose them looks different in Lightroom.
Editing to decide which of my picks I will even use is different and it's difficult to figure out what I want to do and get the result out of the photograph that I want.
When I did a couple of my first edits in Lightroom, I exported the photos into a JPEG after the edit was done, to then get on my phone via Dropbox, and the images don't at all look the same on my phone as the final result in Lightroom.

Been kind of upsetting.

The way that I used to do it had a short ceiling of improvement though so I know in long term the workflow I'm doing now has much more potential for the future.

 

[Designer]

When I did a couple of my first edits in Lightroom, I exported the photos into a JPEG after the edit was done, to then get on my phone via Dropbox, and the images don't at all look the same on my phone as the final result in Lightroom.

Don't expect the images to look the same on an iPhone and your desktop computer display.

 

[Derrel]

Wait,wait,wait!!! STOP shooting NEF-only, and start shooting RAW + JPEG Fine, in say, 12 megapixel size JPEGS. The .NEF files will ***always** be full-sized, 24-megapixel, but you can select the Image Area (size) on the JPEGs.

If you want a faster workflow, then set the camera up RAW+JPEG, 12-megapixel, set in-camera sharpening to like a Plus-2 level, and AUTO Tone curve (contrast), and then pick a Nikon Picture Style from the options...Maybe not standard, but maybe...this way you'll have a sharpened straight out of camera .JPG image to look at, and with sharpoening swet to +2 or +3, you can immediately, easily see out of focus shots, and so on, blurry shots, etc..

How tyou use a modern digital camera depends on HOW you want to "use" the camera's pictures...if the camera is set up right, and allowed to do vingnetting rem,oval, auto-chromatic abeeration removal, automatic noise reduction,and so on. I will tell you this: beginning with the Exmore sensor and the Nikon D3x, Nikon's IN-camera JPEG engine, sharpening, and noise removal routines are VERY good...the High ISO NR is very good. very good.

I've shot the D3x in RAW+JPEG and custom-tweaked the JPEG profile to be very close to what I create after Lightroom processing my NEFS. The camera can now do very good work, but you need to allow them to do so! Use Matrix metering! Set AUTO on Dynamic Range Optimizer, and so on. But--there is no need to feel guilty about shooting a partial-JPEG workflow, especially if you want sRGB, SOOC JPEGS to see on a phone, or web browser, or to e-mail, OR to use to do slide-shows to select the best images in a rapid-fire kill-kil-kil-kill-KEEP-kill-kill-kill-KEEP type of culling process. Edit/cull the clunkers ruthlessly and fast.

Do not let forum people tell you "ONLY RAW is the best way to go." Because, no, for some people ishooting only in RAW mode is NOT the best way to shoot!

 

[benhasajeep]

Wait,wait,wait!!! STOP shooting NEF-only, and start shooting RAW + JPEG Fine, in say, 12 megapixel size JPEGS. The .NEF files will ***always** be full-sized, 24-megapixel, but you can select the Image Area (size) on the JPEGs.


Do not let forum people tell you "ONLY RAW is the best way to go." Because, no, for some people ishooting only in RAW mode is NOT the best way to shoot!

All my camera's no matter if dual card or single card. Are set up to Raw + JPEG Fine. I don't do much high speed shooting. So, I rarely max out the buffer even on a basic camera like the D3300. Probably the only time I did hit the buffer was testing the cameras when I first got them. And maybe testing flash cards.

 

[darkblue-x]

When I did a couple of my first edits in Lightroom, I exported the photos into a JPEG after the edit was done, to then get on my phone via Dropbox, and the images don't at all look the same on my phone as the final result in Lightroom.

Don't expect the images to look the same on an iPhone and your desktop computer display.

There an issue to where the colors are different. Where it looks good on Lightroom laptop, it looks all messed up by color tints on my phone...And when I load it to Instagram and go back to view it from desktop it looks the same way, ruined by weird tints...

 

[KmH]

What type of display does your desktop have? Twisted Nematic (TN), In-Plane Switching (IPS), Parallel Vertical Alignment (PVA)?
Is it the same type display that your phone has?
Are they both calibrated to the same ambient light falling on them each time you view photos?

Is the browser you use 'color aware'?
Color Management & Quality Output: Working with Color from Camera to Display to Print: (The Digital Imaging Masters Series)

How to Calibrate Your Monitor for Photography

 

[astroNikon]

There an issue to where the colors are different. Where it looks good on Lightroom laptop, it looks all messed up by color tints on my phone...And when I load it to Instagram and go back to view it from desktop it looks the same way, ruined by weird tints...

If I recall correctly there are two available Color Spaces in the camera, and in Lightroom (there may be more than 2 in LR).

But the 2 main ones are:
sRGB, and
Adobe RGB

for general web use, etc use "sRGB".
otherwise your color tints, etc may look weird on different devices.

 

[benhasajeep]

I agree on checking what the color spaces are on each device. If you can check them that is.