Help with upgrade quandary

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JRSS

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Jonathan
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Hello all, I'm just after a bit of advice or someone to listen to my wittering.

I'm a procrastinator by nature and find making decisions difficult.

I'm thinking of changing/upgrading my current set up which consists of nikon d90 and a load of dx lenses.

It hasn't been used alot recently due to me not really wanting to carry it all round with me, mainly due to physical issues (back and shoulders) but also due to carrying loads of gubbins for the kids when they were young.

The kids are now older and need less gear with them so I'm starting to think about photography again.

Basically I have 2 choices.
Change it all for something smaller more light weight and easier to carry or get a newer dslr like the 7200 and persevere with the current set up.

Also if I go for a newer mirrorless set up, which one?

Currently leaning towards the panasonic g9 (but I'm not sure that's going to be that much smaller than my current dslr?)

I have looked at the smaller ones (gx9 etc) but I'm not convinced that I won't miss the slr styling.

There is also the nikon z50, but the dx z lens selection looks a bit limited but I think I could use my current lenses with the adaptor.

My favoured subjects for photos are steam trains, landscapes and family snaps. I would also like to get into birds/wildlife, hence my thinking about the g9.

Part of me thinks that my d90 is so old that anything new is going to be a massive step up quality wise?

The current camera shortage issues are not helping my decision making either.

Any thoughts or advice would be greatly appreciated.
 
I can't offer much advice in the way of the Nikon systems but I do have a G9 as does my daughter. I love it, probably more so than my S5. The body may not be the smallest but the lenses make all the difference size / weight wise.

I'm sure those far more knowledgeable than I am will add more value to the discussion for you. But as far as the G9 goes, I think it's fab.
 
Adamcski said:
I can't offer much advice in the way of the Nikon systems but I do have a G9 as does my daughter. I love it, probably more so than my S5. The body may not be the smallest but the lenses make all the difference size / weight wise.

I'm sure those far more knowledgeable than I am will add more value to the discussion for you. But as far as the G9 goes, I think it's fab.
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Yup. With Micro Four Thirds you need to look at individual lenses to see any savings in bulk and weight. I have some Olympus f1.8 primes and they're tiny as are the Panasonic 14, 20mm and 14-45mm zoom lenses I have. Even the Panasonic 45-150mm is small when compared to the DSLR equivalents.

I have the RF style GX80 and GX9 and I'm happy with the evf in the corner. These days I use the even smaller GM5 more.
 
Stay with your current setup for the mo, limit yourself to a max of 2 lenses on a trip, you'll benefit from the restrictions with your composition etc and wont be lugging everything with you

Then if your using the D90 more, look to upgrade or if the kits still not getting used as much as you'd like, you've not splashed out a fortune.
 
I have the Z50 with the 16-50 and 50-250 kit lenses. With the 16-50 attached it is very lightweight and a lot smaller than any DX DSLR combo.
I also have a Z7 with a range of full frame lenses.
The Z50 is excellent for its size . The 2 kit lenses are also very good and cover a wide range. I see plenty of bird images on the American forum shot with the 50-250.
The FTZ adapter along with the Z50 means you can use all of your F mount lenses as before and you will find the AF more accurate.
More Z DX lenses are on the way - a 12-28 and a 24mm are on the roadmap.
Also the 28mm and 40mm full frame lenses are small and light and can be used with the Z50. (any Nikon Z lens can)
Your D90 body weighs 700gms with battery - the Z50 weighs 450gms with battery, the D7200 weighs 765gms.

I suggest you handle a Z50 with the 16-50 lens attached. If you want improved quality with lighter weight this is it.
 
JRSS said:
Hello all, I'm just after a bit of advice or someone to listen to my wittering.

I'm a procrastinator by nature and find making decisions difficult.

I'm thinking of changing/upgrading my current set up which consists of nikon d90 and a load of dx lenses.

It hasn't been used alot recently due to me not really wanting to carry it all round with me, mainly due to physical issues (back and shoulders) but also due to carrying loads of gubbins for the kids when they were young.

The kids are now older and need less gear with them so I'm starting to think about photography again.

Basically I have 2 choices.
Change it all for something smaller more light weight and easier to carry or get a newer dslr like the 7200 and persevere with the current set up.

Also if I go for a newer mirrorless set up, which one?

Currently leaning towards the panasonic g9 (but I'm not sure that's going to be that much smaller than my current dslr?)

I have looked at the smaller ones (gx9 etc) but I'm not convinced that I won't miss the slr styling.

There is also the nikon z50, but the dx z lens selection looks a bit limited but I think I could use my current lenses with the adaptor.

My favoured subjects for photos are steam trains, landscapes and family snaps. I would also like to get into birds/wildlife, hence my thinking about the g9.

Part of me thinks that my d90 is so old that anything new is going to be a massive step up quality wise?

The current camera shortage issues are not helping my decision making either.

Any thoughts or advice would be greatly appreciated.
Click to expand...
If size and weight is stopping you from using your kit then I think getting a new DSLR would be a bad idea as you'd be faced with the same problem you have now. Micro 4/3 can certainly save weight, but without knowing what lenses you have it's hard to say how much by as there's obviously less of a difference between DX and M4/3 than there is between FF and m4/3.

Have you considered one of the higher end bridge cameras?
 
IMHO - Given that you currently have 'a load of DX lenses' I would suggest you look at the Nikon D7500 (check compatibility of each lens) to keep your initial investment to a minimum. I have the D7500 and it is very good for wildlife in particular. If you find your taking more and more pictures (which you will I am sure) then you can look at changing marque and updating all your kit. A used D7500 should cost you around £800 from reputable dealers and will most likely get a good trade-in if and when.
 
I suggest you get your hands on anything you are thinking of buying. I have an Olympus EM5iii as a small easy to carry set up, it's very good, does everything I want and I use it quite a lot but it is small and a bit fiddly compared to a larger body so it's not my go-to camera. My go-to is a Sony A7Riii which is a bit larger but the buttons fall nicely under my fingers where I expect them to be.

So my recommendation would be to at least go to a shop and handle them and even better hire or borrow a body for a day or two and just see how it works for you.
 
Thanks for all the replies so far, plenty of opinions to procrastinate over further.

My current lenses are;
18 to 105 kit lens
Tamron 17 - 50 2.8
Nikon 70 to 300 vr
Nifty 50
Tokina 100mm macro lens
Tokina 11 - 16 2.8
Sigma 24 - 70 2.8

As well as a speedlight and filters etc.

It just seems a lot of kit to give up on and trade in.
 
JRSS said:
Thanks for all the replies so far, plenty of opinions to procrastinate over further.

My current lenses are;
18 to 105 kit lens
Tamron 17 - 50 2.8
Nikon 70 to 300 vr
Nifty 50
Tokina 100mm macro lens
Tokina 11 - 16 2.8
Sigma 24 - 70 2.8

As well as a speedlight and filters etc.

It just seems a lot of kit to give up on and trade in.
Click to expand...
Just buy a z50 and FTZ and use them all.
 
If your shoulder and back issues are permanent, full frame and in Canon's case Ef L series lens or RF lenses are going to be heavy. Some of the new Canon RF lenses are really heavy. They are not alone. As has been mentioned, Canon do a test 'drive' - a couple of days free - and I think Olympus still do it too- TEST and WOW. I run both of these systems. I also have a friend whoo had all the big birding lenses who produced outstanding images. He now is considering adding the OM 1 to his EM1-X and lenses. He still has Canon but ditched he big lenses for a 400 DOii - I need to use a support for his but I have shoulder issues too. You might also consider using a reputable dealer for used kit, especially if you decide to go in and handle them in a shop - we need those shops to survive. Anyway, when I wanted a lighter set up, I thought I would get the Fujii or the Sony. I did not like them in my hands and was captivated by the Olympus. It also has some useful features. If there is no urgency, perhaps just put your smallest lens on your Nikon and make yourself go out and shoot with it in your local area. It doesn't matter what you shoot - just scheduling it and doing it - like an assignment, might just get that spark going again. Good luck!
 
JRSS said:
Thanks for all the replies so far, plenty of opinions to procrastinate over further.

My current lenses are;
18 to 105 kit lens
Tamron 17 - 50 2.8
Nikon 70 to 300 vr
Nifty 50
Tokina 100mm macro lens
Tokina 11 - 16 2.8
Sigma 24 - 70 2.8

As well as a speedlight and filters etc.

It just seems a lot of kit to give up on and trade in.
Click to expand...

You've got some good lenses in that mix. Suggest looking at D7200 or D7500 and limit what you take out with you. The 18-105 is by all accounts a good lens, the Tamron is highly-regarded, the 70-300 I suspect is FX... The only 'superfluous' lens in that outfit would be the Sigma.
 
The problem is that you have a decent collection of lenses, my first thought would be to use what you have but limit what you take out with you on a trial basis. If the weight is still an issue then yes M 4/3 would certainly help in the weight reduction dept.
 
JRSS said:
Thanks for all the replies so far, plenty of opinions to procrastinate over further.

My current lenses are;
18 to 105 kit lens
Tamron 17 - 50 2.8
Nikon 70 to 300 vr
Nifty 50
Tokina 100mm macro lens
Tokina 11 - 16 2.8
Sigma 24 - 70 2.8

As well as a speedlight and filters etc.

It just seems a lot of kit to give up on and trade in.
Click to expand...
I assume you don’t take all that lot out with you every time and just take one or two lenses as necessary?
 
M4/3 will help with weight reduction against DSLRs. But, as has been said, it's the lenses which help the most. Also excellent advice is to try a setup before you commit yourself. Technically there's probably not a bad camera out there, but only you can decide if they are ergonomically suited.
 
Got rid of all my heavy Nikon kit and got an Olympus E-M5 Mk3 and some small Olympus & Sigma lenses ... joy to wander around now. :)
 
Remember M43 has a smaller sensor than your DSLR options and Z50.
 
Peter123 said:
Remember M43 has a smaller sensor than your DSLR options and Z50.
Click to expand...

Whilst that is true some newer MFT kit may give improved image quality compared to older DSLR kit and may also offer wider bulk and weight saving lens options over newer APS-C mirrorless systems and then there's the question of the additional abilities that mirrorless brings. I think that the abilities that mirrorless cameras bring are well worth considering when thinking about mirrorless v DSLR's.
 
So, a bit of an update...

After a lot of indecision I finally decided to trade in my d90 and all the lenses and get something smaller and easier to carry. So while I wait for my final valuation having sent my gear to wex the procrastination continues.

I had decided to get a panasonic g9 but I just have this nagging doubt that it's quite an old camera and will it be outdated / replaced by a newer model soon after I buy one? Although all the reviews say what a good camera it is and I could get 600mm equivalent reach fairly cheaply.

So having read a million reviews and watched hundreds of YouTube videos, been thoroughly confused by a million different abbreviations and coupled with what's available I have come to a decision between 3, the panasonic g9, the fuji xs10 and the olympus omd em1 mk3

Obviously the fuji is a newer camera but with it being apsc rather than mft getting longer than 300mm reach gets expensive and heavy, but will the bigger sensor and better image quality be worth it? Plus I would have to buy new so would have to wait for the longer lens as funds allow.

The olympus has similar lens availability as the panasonic but being a bit newer is a bit more expensive. Some reviews seem to rate it better than the g9.

So thoughts anyone on the choice between the xs10, the olympus omd em1 mk 3 and the g9? (Other than to shut up wittering and get something bought)
 
As the OM 1 camera has been recently launched many owners of EM1x and EM mark 3 have upgraded therefore there a plenty of low mileage models around to choose from As a Oly user the overall system is so versatile and I have found the features on board the camera are excellent a very usable for the applications they have been designed for

No such thing as the perfect camera but mirrorless is here to stay M4/3 is really good despite the haters (everyone has a opinion on what they consider is the best system no such system exsists that provides perfection) I came from 30 years Canon use and wanted less weight to carry so my choice was based around mainly this The pro lenses by Olympus are really excellent and in the world of lens purchase are very good value in my opinion.

Never easy to change systems but a thumbs up from me for Oly
 
It's all preference but as you're asking my preference is for Olympus, always been happy with them.
 
snerkler said:
It's all preference but as you're asking my preference is for Olympus, always been happy with them.
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I'm the complete opposite and always choose Panasonic.
Prefer the handling, physically and find the menus much more user friendly.
Might be jinxing my own gear here, but also seems more reliable too.
 
tijuana taxi said:
I'm the complete opposite and always choose Panasonic.
Prefer the handling, physically and find the menus much more user friendly.
Might be jinxing my own gear here, but also seems more reliable too.
Click to expand...
Never had any reliability issues with Olly (y) Handling is clearly personal but the EM1 bodies have always felt great to me, second only to the Nikon Z7 for me.
 
snerkler said:
Never had any reliability issues with Olly (y) Handling is clearly personal but the EM1 bodies have always felt great to me, second only to the Nikon Z7 for me.
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Reckon you have been lucky, failing strap lugs, rear dial failure and grips peeling off.
Add in shutter shock that needed a firmware fix and even the latest camera appears to have a few glitches.
I'm not anti Olympus, in fact I own an E-M1 ii, but prefer the G9 most of the time.
Also had an E-M1 iii for a short while, but didn't think it was worth the extra over the ii given the price difference.
 
They are likely all good cameras, your best bet is to get to a shop and try them out for yourself.

If you are shooting stills, I would also consider the Fuji X-T30, which is likey cheaper than the X-S10.
 
For me it’s olympus all the way I have the 1-mkiii had it for around 9 months still finding new things that it can do .. the G9 while a good camera doesn’t get the online support that olympus does ..
And has been said elsewhere there are lots of cheap ish used ones around at the moment .
 
Peter123 said:
you need to handle them to see what suits you.
Click to expand...
Very true, E-M1 ii/iii feel quite different to the G9, again I prefer the latter.
Forgot to mention it also has a top LCD, for some people that's quite important.
 
Craikeybaby said:
They are likely all good cameras, your best bet is to get to a shop and try them out for yourself.

If you are shooting stills, I would also consider the Fuji X-T30, which is likey cheaper than the X-S10.
Click to expand...
The Xt-30 isn't weather sealed which may or may not be an issue (y)
 
It was a toss-up between an E-M1ii and a G9 when I was recently choosing. I was on of the first users in the UK of the G1 back in the day. And again, one of the first for the E-M1i. Unfortunately I was unable to handle a G9, but had more recent experience of Olympus (I was coming from Sony and Nikon). So I chose the Oly. But I would still like to try a G9. Good and not-so-good points for both.
 
tijuana taxi said:
Very true, E-M1 ii/iii feel quite different to the G9, again I prefer the latter.
Forgot to mention it also has a top LCD, for some people that's quite important.
Click to expand...
I always thought I'd miss the top LCD but I don't, I know some find it useful though (y)
 
Another big difference between the two is the EVF, another good reason to try them both.
 
tijuana taxi said:
Another big difference between the two is the EVF, another good reason to try them both.
Click to expand...
I had a G9 for a couple of weeks before returning it the deal breaker for me was actually the EVF ,it’s not as adjustable as the oly ones and I found it was difficult to actually pick out b.i.f in messy backgrounds .. in all other respects it was o.k .. I find the the oly to be more adjustable especially if you wear specs
 
the black fox said:
I had a G9 for a couple of weeks before returning it the deal breaker for me was actually the EVF ,it’s not as adjustable as the oly ones and I found it was difficult to actually pick out b.i.f in messy backgrounds .. in all other respects it was o.k .. I find the the oly to be more adjustable especially if you wear specs
Click to expand...
Again its all very subjective, I find the G9 evf much clearer and considerably bigger too with three different choices of size.
Another one of those things that disappointed me with the E-M1 iii was it had exactly the same evf as the older Mk ii.
 
Thanks again for all your input. I have now received my trade in credit, although it is some what lower than I hoped, so guess I need to make a trip to my local wex.

Are there any particular pitfalls I should be aware of buying used?

Do manufactures still allow you to update firmware on second hand cameras? Or is support like that reserved for original owners?
 
I did firmware updates on s/h EM-1 ii, no problem. I don't see how the manufacturer would know the difference.
 
For almost everything except Olympus, firmware updates are done by downloading a file and copying it to an SD card. The download sites don't check whether you've even got the camera.
 
Manufacturers allow firmware updates by the model not new or s/h, some only allow the latest firmware update and you may find that really old cameras might not have an official download link.
 
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