Photographer here looking to upgrade

bonniesmith · Nov 8, 2011

I am looking to upgrade my camera. I have the nikon d3100 and I have noticed its got a lag big time! I have missed several shots this year because of it. What camera would you suggest to upgrade to. I have been looking at the nikon d7000 . I work in high dust and low light arenas at times and need something that can shoot around that. I want to stay nikon as I have several lenses already.

MTVision · Nov 8, 2011

D7000 is a great camera. What do you mean by lag? Shutter lag?

bonniesmith · Nov 8, 2011

In my d3100 yes. It will shoot maybe 2 or 3 frames then it just freezes up! I have talked to nikon about it and they said that they dont feel its a camera problem. I am shooting with a nikon 55-200 vr af lens.

this photo was shot by doing 4 in a row. I couldnt get it to take it any other way. It would hang up and not take the pic.

MLeeK · Nov 8, 2011

It's not the camera, it's the memory card. The camera can shoot an unlimited number of frames consecutively in jpeg mode. The problem is that your memory card isn't a class fast enough to keep up with it. You won't find relief with a new camera until you change the memory cards you are using.

bonniesmith · Nov 8, 2011

Ok the card is a class 10. What should I get then? I am also looking into a bigger zoom. I am finding myself always maxed on the lens I am currently using.

MLeeK · Nov 8, 2011

What brand card are you using? A lot of the knock offs CLAIM to be a class 10 and they aren't... If it came with a kit I'd try buying a GOOD memory card.

What lens are you using?
I would be using my 70-200 f/2.8 OS for shooting this, personally. It's going to be the lowest light lens you can get in a zoom; it's a fixed aperture-no more changing as you zoom and it's going to be sharper than any of the consumer zooms on the market.
Considering you are shooting Nikon the #1 choice would be the 70-200 f/2.8 VR at somewhere around $2400 or so.
Second choice the older 80-200 f/2.8 if you can find one.
Third choice the Sigma 70-200 f/2.8 OS at $1400
4th the Sigma 70-200 NON OS version at about $1000
Last Tamron 70-200 f/2.8. I'd hesitate to choose this if you are shooting a sport. The focus is slow as it is a macro capable lens. I have both this one and the Sigma OS version. The OS version of the sigma is probably as low as I'd go, but I do have a friend shooting with the non OS version of the Sigma for sports and it's working well for her. I have shot sports with the Tamron, but definitely felt the slow focus at times.

bonniesmith · Nov 8, 2011

The cards I have are lexar cards all class 10. I bought them seperately. The lens I am using is the Nikon 55-200 vr. I am looking at getting the new 70-300 vr . The lag isnt the only issue I am having. I have noticed the color is just dull with this camera. My d40 had way better color turnout than this d3100. This is an unedited photo. To me the photo just isnt clear enough or have enough color.

MLeeK · Nov 8, 2011

The cards should be fine then and you should be able to shoot consecutively with no freezing. Are you shooting raw?
That image is beautiful on the colors. there's nothing washed out about it. Perhaps actually a bit dark on the rider and background, but otherwise? the colors are great. Lens does effect color rendition as well, so that may be a consideration.
I am definitely not against you upgrading bodies by any means. I wouldn't have gone from the D40 to the D3100... IMO the D3100 is a glorified point and shoot camera.
I sure wouldn't go with another entry level camera. The D5100 is much better for an entry level cam, but the D7000 would be my minimum choice if you are going to upgrade bodies and actually feel like you have made a step up.

Ideally for what you're talking I'd go with the D7000 and the Sigma 70-200 f/2.8 OS. Sigma lenses contain Nikkor Glass... expect the quality to be EXTREMELY close to that of the Nikon version.

bonniesmith · Nov 8, 2011

Thanks alot! It may just be me. I bought the d3100 because thats what I thought was a good step up at the time. :/ Boy did I learn a lesson that way! The d7000 is within my budget. My next questions is does megapixels matter when your looking at the d7000 compared to the d3's I am just concerned with dropping in megapixels. I want the best bang for my buck ya know.

MLeeK · Nov 8, 2011

Ahh, the megapixel myth. No. Megapixels don't matter. Billboards were printed with 2 and 3 MP cameras. For more information The Megapixel Myth

The D3 and D3s are only 12.1 MP and if I had to choose between those an the D7000? It'd be a D3 all the way. It's a full frame sensor. Much better handling in low light/high ISO situations. Faster frames per second. Higher ISO capability. Better focus system...

bonniesmith · Nov 8, 2011

So an ideal set up would be d3 with a sigma lens?

MLeeK · Nov 8, 2011

IDEALLY it would be the Canon 1DX with the Canon 400mm f/2.8L IS USM II-even for a former nikon shooter, but I assumed you were keeping within a budget. If you are going to stick to Nikon then the IDEAL nikon setup would be the D3s with the Nikon 200-400 f/4G ED VR lens... second would be the Nikon 300mm f.2.8G ED VR II. THIRD would be the 70-200G ED VR II... THEN the Sigma 70-200 f/2.8 OS. And to toss the lenses you are playing with now cuz they won't work on a full frame camera. So you might as well go with that 1DX if the budget is unlimited!

bonniesmith · Nov 9, 2011

Are you saying the zoom lens I have now wont work on a d3 camera? I have been looking at the canon cameras as well. But figured since I have so many nikon lenses I would stay nikon. I have a ways to go before I will pro but I am getting there. I want great pics that make people say wow! And I am just not seeing that with what I have now. Thank you for all your help!

MLeeK · Nov 9, 2011

If you go full frame there are several lenses that won't work, they are consumer lenses and manufactured for the bodies that consumers would purchase with a mind to keeping them affordable while giving good quality. They are the DX lenses-which is your 55-200 and the 18-55 that you probably have.

If you are thinking about switching camera brands it's an option to sell everything you have and invest in something else, but you are familiar with Nikon. If you are going full frame? you aren't married to Nikon at all because your lenses won't work on Nikon. If you are seriously considering the D3s? I'd probably go with that over Canon because it's what you know. You're talking $5200 camera only and all new lenses. If you are considering the D3 you're looking at used about $3500 and all new lenses.
If you are thinking the D300s you can use your lenses and we're talking an investment around $1700 in the camera. You would have to ask the Nikon shooters which they'd go with between the D7000 and D300s because I am not that familiar with the D300s to compare it.
If you were really considering the D3X I'd switch to the Canon 1DX. It's at about $8000 body for the D3X and I believe Canon announced the 1DX coming in the same price range with an IMPRESSIVE set of new features. If you're dropping 10 grand? buy the best on the market and as of today, the 1DX is it.
Jumping from a D3100 to a D3? That's huge. There is no auto when you get up there. There are priority modes, but you need to know what you are doing too. Honestly? I'd be looking at the D7000 or the D300s. We have also skipped the D700 which falls in at $2500 or somewhere around there and means new lenses.
MUCH of what you aren't seeing is coming from things you probably still need to learn, however you would actually SEE an improvement by significant jump just from to the D5100.

pdq5oh · Nov 20, 2011

The lag you're experiencing is most likely a too small buffer. Your camera will only buffer so many images than it needs to dump them to the card. I shoot sports with a D7000 and have all class 10 cards. I've found the SanDisk Extreme Pro card I got recently much faster. I now look at download speed in Mb/s. These cards are 45 Mb/s. The D300s has a better focus system and faster burst capability. The D7000 has better low light capability. The D700 is a combination of both with a full frame sensor and even better low light capability than the D7000. Honestly, I don't think a D7000 with a battery grip for less than a D300s would be a bad choice for what you're doing. A 70-200 VR lens is what I use for my stuff. I use a 1.7 converter when I have enough light. I'll have a Sigma 120-300 2.8 or Nikon 300 2.8 next season. You may want to look at the Sigma 120-300 for your use. The newest version with OS is getting some excellent reviews. Images I've seen with it are making it hard to resist. On a crop sensor body it may well be the ideal football lens for me.
Another thing that'll improve your photos will be a faster lens. You can shoot at 2.8 and blur the background more. This will give you better separation of subject and background. Something to consider.