Which to go for? D7000 or 5200 ?

[KmH]

Also... Don't over look the fact the D7000 has a built in focus motor giving you a LARGER option of lenses. IMHO, i would never buy a body without the focus motor.

Yeah, also swinging me towards the 7k....will also make lens choice cheaper not having to rely on an AF one...

You don't yet understand the issue.

Nikon makes AF-S lenses that have an auto focus motor right in the lens (-S). Most of Nikon's AF-S lenses are relatively inexpensive consumer grade lenses. Quite a few of the AF-S lenses also have VR (Vibration Reduction) which adds considerably more cost to an AF-S lens than a built-in AF motor does.

Nikon makes older AF designated lenses that auto focus, but there is no auto focus motor in the lens. The lens focus mechanism has to be driven by a motor and screw-drive system that is in the camera.
Most of those older AF designated lenses are still pretty pricey because they are previous generation pro grade lenses.

Additionally, advances in lens glass making/coatings, lens electronics, and lens design have also added to the cost of the newer AF-S lenses when compared to the older AF lenses.

 

[fjrabon]

HOWEVER, the D7000 is a near pro featured camera as KmH pointed out.

The D7000 is nowhere near being a pro featured camera, and I did not imply it was.

The D7000 lacks most of the prosumer grade features, let alone pro grade features.

I'm saying compared to the D5200 it's near pro level.

It lacks a PC port and a fully metal chasis. That's basically it as far as big things. It only will do a 3 bracket, but do pros really need auto bracketing past 3? What else am I missing? You can add a grip if you want that. The buffer is small. Is that it? are those the lacking most pro-sumer grade features' you are talking about? I never said the D7000 was the greatest camera ever, but I also fail to see how it's really far from pro-grade either. It's clearly not pro-grade, but it isn't terribly far either.

And the insistence that things like the 5DIII is a 'pro-sumer' camera doesn't reflect the modern market now. Most pros are shooting what you generally call 'pro-sumer' cameras these days. Honestly I'd be willing to bet that the ratio of pros to consumers are the same for the D3/D4 as they are to the D800. Same on the Canon side. I see MWACs shooting with 1DXs every week and I see pros shooting with 5DIIIs or 7Ds every week.

PC ports are on their way out anyway, it's not going to be long before you have to buy radio triggers if you aren't using some mode of line of sight control. That comes directly from a Norman rep. It's more or less open knowledge amongst the major players (ie camera companies and strobe makers). It's already getting hard to find speedlights that accept PC cables. PC ports/cables will be about as easy to find in 5-10 years as kodachrome is today.

Again, this isn't to say that the D7000 or cameras in its class are 'pro-grade' but that simply the division between pro-grade, 'prosumer and 'consumer' just aren't clear any longer when you look at who uses these cameras. You've got all kinds of consumers using pro-grade, all kinds of pros using consumer grade. 10 years ago, no pro would dare use a consumer rebel and no consumer could afford a pro grade camera. That just ins't true on either end any more once you get past the very most basic unto cameras. And no consumers really use medium format digital.

If you want to call something pure pro-grade, you almost have to talk exclusively about med format. After that it's such a mottled blend of features that there aren't even remotely clear lines.

 

[TheLost]

If you want to call something pure pro-grade

Rule #1!!! (i learned this when i started browsing this forum).. Never call ANY DX camera pro-grade / pro-sumer / pro-anything unless its the D300! You will be flamed and burnt to a crisp.

I always thought the meat-sack behind the camera made the 'pro'... not the equipment. (but shhhhhh... you cant say that here)

 

[TonysTouch]

If you want to call something pure pro-grade

Rule #1!!! (i learned this when i started browsing this forum).. Never call ANY DX camera pro-grade / pro-sumer / pro-anything unless its the D300! You will be flamed and burnt to a crisp.

I always thought the meat-sack behind the camera made the 'pro'... not the equipment. (but shhhhhh... you cant say that here)

It is a well known fact that the camera must have a full magnesium body to be considered "pro-grade". Lol

 

[TheLost]

It is a well known fact that the camera must have a full magnesium body to be considered "pro-grade". Lol

Now that more 'consumer' cameras have magnesium in the body i've heard that the D400 will have a full Adamantium internal structure.

 

[shadowlands]

D7000 all the way!!! AF motor is a must!!! Top LCD!!! Better build....

 

[StandingBear1983]

+1 on D7000