Upgrading...

DCerezo · Jan 30, 2013

Ok, I have a D5000 currently and I feel I've outgrown it. Using the camera in manual mode is just torturous cause its a slow menu driven process... That said, I'm looking at either the D600 or the D7000. Money is not the dilemma here (well not entirely). See, I have DX lenses. The kit lens 18-55mm, 55-200mm, and 35mm prime which I just got today

. I plan on keeping the D5000 as a bang around/back up body. I don't mind ending my DX lens collection there ans diving into FX. My thing is that I plan to start using the new body to take on side work. Nothing major at first, portraits, events, tagging along for wedding. Mainly apprenticeship stuff but I want something good that I'm not going to outgrow anytime soon. So, D7000 or D600. If I do go for the D600 ill be getting just the body and the 50mm f/1.8... Any advice is welcome!!!!!

pixmedic · Jan 30, 2013

If you don't mind replacing lenses i would get the D600. you will get better overall performance.
that being said, theres nothing wrong with the D7000. it is a very capable camera.
you dont have any expensive DX glass, so that isnt an issue.

cwcaesar · Jan 30, 2013

The D600 and the 50mm is a really good place to start. I have the D600 and upgraded from the D7000. I really would like to have one of each as the operation of either is identical. D600 is full frame and that is the biggest difference. It also has the Expeed 3 processing and better dynamic range. It was worth it to me to upgrade.

That being said, the D7000 is a really great camera. You already have lenses that are optimized for DX (although you can use them on the D600 in DX mode). The D7000 has been dropping in price and you could probably pick up a used one for a pretty good price and have enough left over for some better glass. If you wait till the successor replaces it, you may get yourself a very good deal.

I think that you can't go wrong with either camera...you just have to decide whether the full frame benefits are worth it to you. Good luck!

DCerezo · Jan 30, 2013

@Cwcaesar... Have you tried the DX lenses on your D600? Are they really that bad? Not that I don't plan on stepping up my glass game if I get the D600 but it would be nice to be able to use my 55-200mm on the D600 if I had to in certain shooting situations.

ph0enix · Jan 30, 2013

DCerezo said:
@Cwcaesar... Have you tried the DX lenses on your D600? Are they really that bad? Not that I don't plan on stepping up my glass game if I get the D600 but it would be nice to be able to use my 55-200mm on the D600 if I had to in certain shooting situations.

In crop mode your field of view will be similar to what you see with the D5000 and the photos will be 10MP, not 24.

goodguy · Jan 30, 2013

I love my D7000 but if money ws not an issue I would get the D600 in a heart beat.
The D7000 is an amazing camera with no serious fault but a Full Frame is a Full Frame :hail:

DCerezo · Jan 30, 2013

Yea I know this but since I don't have the gear to test like Cwcaesar has I figured I'd ask cause he has all the equipment to know if there's a dramatic difference in image quality.

cwcaesar · Jan 30, 2013

Like Phoenix said, you can still use your DX lenses on the D600. It will revert to 'DX Mode', meaning that it only uses the area of the sensor that is the same area as a DX sensor. So effectively, when using DX glass, you have a 10MP D7000. Not that 10MP is bad by any stretch. Plus you still get the 'reach' of DX (1.5 x field of view). When you use the 50mm f/1.8, you will be using all 24MP on the sensor and not just 10MP in the central area.

If you plan to NEVER buy an FX lens, I would say that the D600 is a bit of a waste. You would have higher resolution from the D7000. However, if you EVER plan on getting some FX glass, you will be very well served with the D600. FYI, the 50mm f/1,8 that you referenced earlier is an FX lens...so I would think that the D600 would work for you. Plus the 50mm makes a nice portrait lens on a crop body, so I would get this either way. In 6 months or a year you can add some nicer glass and you will have the camera that can handle it.

I hope this made sense.

DCerezo · Jan 30, 2013

@cwcaesar... I have all intentions of purchasing FX lenses if I go D600. I was just wondering about significant image quality loss when shooting DX lenses on the fx body. I'm not mr. Moneybags so I'm gonna start with the 50mm and use my other DX lenses if I really need to. It takes time to gather the proper glass

cwcaesar · Jan 30, 2013

I understand that finances dictate; I am not knocking you. Please don't take it like that.

Over a D5000, you will probably see quite an improvement, even with the DX kit lenses. The lenses that I have are by no means 'pro'. They are basically the rough equivalent to your DX lenses, only they are for FX. I have never personally used the DX lenses on my D600. I only own one and it is for sale (12-24mm f/4), and I haven't had the need to go that wide with the full frame camera.

My advice is this...if you are even considering full frame, go for it. I don't think that you will regret it. Once you do put some FX glass on it, you will be using the whole sensor and your field of view will open up. With the DX glass, you probably can't crop your images in post as much (as you are only getting a 10MP image) but that in itself could have its advantages, i.e. you won't fill your buffer as quickly, and the files take up less storage space. I believe this will be where you will see the biggest difference in image quality; only when cropping tightly. That being said, you will be fetting the 1.5X magnification effect and won't need to crop as tightly as you would with FX glass.

Many will tell you to get glass first, and then get a nicer body, but I did it backwards. I was planning to save for a 70-200mm, but the price drop on the D600 right before Christmas changed that. $600 off of the MSRP, basically giving you the kit lens for free, is something I couldn't pass up. The Credit Card is still smoking from that one. lol I do plan to get some pro glass in the next year or two, but I am doing fine with the lower quality FX glass.

I hope that I answered your question somewhere in there.