Time to upgrade body or glass?

[jomvr]

Hey everyone,

So I've been shooting a lot since I first got my camera and I think I've gotten to the point where I want to upgrade. I currently have a very basic setup that I manage to take off my friend.

I was just wondering if I would benefit from upgrading my lens or body first. I'm planning on either buying a Nikon 5300 or 7100 or buying a Sigma 17-70mm f/2.8-4


My lens doesn't have an auto focus motor in it so I've been learning the hard way with just a prime lens and manual focus.

My current equipment:

• Nikon D60
• Nikon AF NIKKOR 50mm f/1.8D Lens

 

[Derrel]

D7100 is a good value at this late stage in its run!!! price on it has come down since it was the new, top dog; I would look for a good promotion on a D7100.

 

[Alexr25]

What Derrel said.
Plus the D7100 has a focus motor so your 50mm f1.8D will autofocus with that body, the D5300 doesn't so it won't.

 

[DGMPhotography]

Yeah, since your 50mm isn't af-s, you couldn't use it to its full potential on the 5300, like you could with the 7100.

The 17-70 is nice, but I think you can make do, glass-wise, with what you've got, if getting the 7100 is an option.

 

[jomvr]

Thanks guys I've literally spent the whole day just watching reviews and reading a lot of info and I ended up learning a lot.

I still have a few questions though...

I'm definitely on the verge of buying a d7100 but I hear that buying a d700 off ebay is insanely affordable for a full frame camera and is a godly camera to this day. I just wanted to know what you guys think on the d700 vs a brand new d7100.

Also since the d7100 camera is still a crop sensor or dx camera, what affect will using fx lenses have on the d7100 and is it worth buying still? Ive never used an fx lens only dx lens' so I wouldn't know.

 

[Designer]

The D7100 is newer technology than the D700.

I don't think any of the FX lenses are considered FX only, as I'm pretty sure they all work on the DX camera bodies. Except for autofocusing, in some cases.

 

[Patrice]

Also since the d7100 camera is still a crop sensor or dx camera, what affect will using fx lenses have on the d7100 and is it worth buying still? Ive never used an fx lens only dx lens' so I wouldn't know.

Your 50 mm f/1.8D is an 'FX' lens and your D60 is a 'DX' camera, so the 50mm would behave exactly the same on a new D7100 with the added advantage of autofocus.

BTW, the 50 would also work very well on a D700. That's a combo I use a lot.

 

[IronMaskDuval]

I actually have experience with the D7100 + Sigma combo. My sigma was very similar, as it was the 17-70 f/2.8-4.5. The pair worked out great, and I wouldn't hesitate to do it again. Here are some sample photos from the 7100 and Sigma. Buy the new body and keep the optics that you have. If you need more for one reason or another, just rent the more expensive lens for the occasion.

I also had the 50mm but opted to use the 60mm macro instead, because I have a speedlight with me more than 90% of the times, and the 60mm is just so much sharper.

 

[astroNikon]

Any FX lens will work on DX. I own both a d600 and a d7000 and I have all but one FX lens. I use them interchangeable. Both cameras have in-body motors. The only major difference you immediately see is the field of view.

I recommend upgrading the body first too in your instance. you'll love the external controls and more advanced focusing options.

Search around TPF as there are a couple very recent threads about d700 vs d7x00.

 

[Derrel]

The difference is that on an FX sensor, you can use a 24,28,35,50,and 85mm lens as they were originally designed to be used, at the normal distances, and in normal places. For DX, there are very few fast zooms optimized for DX, at least from Nikon. The vast majority of the Nikkor lens lineup is for FX cameras. The DX line has a ton of 18-xx or 18-xxx slow zooms.

Indoors is where the prime lenses in the 50 and 85mm lengths become almost useless on a DX body...to show an 8.47 foot tall field of view with an 85mm lens on DX, the camera must be 34.5 feet distant. The same field of view height on FX Nikon with the same 85mm lens is achieved from 20 feet away.

The Nikkor prime lens series of the new f/1.8 G lenses are 20,24,28,35,50,85,105 VR macro, and that lineup is best utilized on FX.

The difference between a crop-frame camera D7100 and a full-frame camera is mainly in how the LENSES WORK, and how far away you have to stand with some of the critical lenses. The 50mm as short telephoto on DX is NOT, in any way, the same thing as the 85mm as short telephoto on FX.

Same thing with the 70-200 and 70-300 zooms: on FX, those are very handy short-telephoto to longer tele lenses that can be easily used at things like picnics and weddings. On DX, because of the FOV loss of 1.5x, the 70 becomes a very narrow-angle telephoto lens that forces the photographer to constantly step back, in order to capture scenes he sees at 10,15,20 feet. On a DX camera, the 70-300 is exclusively a narrow-angle lens.

There are no Nikkor lenses labelled "FX"; MOST of the Nikkors ever made cover full frame.