Upgrade Advice Please

Amy B

Amy B

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Amy
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Hi everyone,

I just wondered if I could get a little advice in regards to a camera upgrade please. I've owned my D40x for more years than I care to remember and its served me well as a starter SLR. I had it refurbed in 2011, but I now feel like its too basic me. I would have perhaps upgraded before now, but I've been out of photography due to a few years illness. I'm a bit of a general photographer and don't need a camera for a specific job, its a hobby I carry out in my spare time. I've got up to around £800 to play with, and ive been looking at the D7100 or D7200. Both portas and Hdew seem to be the cheapest. Is it best to go body only and buy a separate lens, or go for the bundle with the 18-105mm or 18-140mm? If I was to go body only, which lens would you suggest? I have a AF-S Nikkor 35mm f/1.8G lens which I love using, which I'm guessing is compatible with the 7100/7200, I believe I read somewhere though that it will be equal to a 50mm though?

Sorry for so many questions!

Amy
 
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Your 35mm is already equivalent to 50mm when you use it on your D40x. The D7xxx cameras have the same size sensor, known as APS-C, as the D40x so nothing will change. What lenses do you have at the moment apart from the 35mm?

I think the D7100 or D7200 are good choices but consider buying used to get a decent lens choice. It's always worth checking the classified section here as used copies come up quite regularly. One thing you will really notice is the improvement in the viewfinder compared with the D40x.
I'd go for a lens starting from 16mm rather than 18mm as I do use that extra wide-angle effect so would be looking at a 16-85mm or 16-80mm. If your style of photography doesn't need it then I'd suggest the 18-140mm for the extra reach at the telephoto end and you may well get a better deal new going for a package rather than buying separately.
 
Jonathan is correct.

There are two sizes of Nikon sensors; Full Frame (FF), which is equivalent to the old film standard of 35mm film (a sensor measuring approx 36x24mm or thereabouts), and APS-C or Crop Frame sensor which is smaller. This produces a magnification effect on the image of approx x1.5, hence why a 35mm lens becomes actually 52.5mm which for practical purposes is regarded as 50mm.

All explained here:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Full-frame_digital_SLR
 
If your choosing between the D7100 and D7200,ask your self do i need the advantages of the D7200,i had had both and unless you need high buffer capacity,high iso capability,and faster lock on focus in lower light the D7100 is a great camera and more money for lenses.
 
the only thing i would say is as you seem to keep your cameras a while id look at the newer 7200, it is a bit more £ but over the ownership period its not a whole lot.
 
I upgraded from a D40x to D7100 and was delighted to do so. Ended up selling the 35mm f1.8g to fund a Sigma 17-50mm f2.8...was a fantastic combo tbh and only sold it on to shift to Fuji for the size and weight savings etc.

Would thoroughly recommend both :)
 
Thanks for all your replies and help.

Ahh thats good to know that nothing with change with the 35mm and it will be compatible, I've rarely had it off my D40x.I also have the kit 18mm-55mm 1:3.5-5.6GII ED and a 55mm-200mm 1:4-5.6G ED. I really do like the idea of a 16mm start lens, however the price is just a little bit too much for me at the moment. I'm not someone to get rid of things unless its necessary, so I would probably keep whatever camera I purchase for 7 to 8 years or so going on how long I've had my D40x. Thanks for the suggestion of a D800, having a look secondhand, the ones I've seen still seem a little highly priced for my budget.

Maybe I'm having a stupid moment, but when buying as a bundle why is the 18 -140mm bundle more expensive than the 18 - 105mm on the D7200, but the other way round on the D7100?

I'm pleased that both the 7100 and 7200 have such good reviews, so whichever one I go for, it sounds like i'll be getting something pretty good :)
 
be aware if you went for the d800 it would change how your 35mm would behave, as you mentioned it would lose that crop factor, it is also significantly bigger and its heavier
 
Amy B said:
Maybe I'm having a stupid moment, but when buying as a bundle why is the 18 -140mm bundle more expensive than the 18 - 105mm on the D7200, but the other way round on the D7100?
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I suspect it's down to marketing so there's probably no rational explanation.

All your current lenses will work perfectly on the D7100 or D7200 but won't get the best out of the sensor. So you could start with a body-only deal and take your time selecting lenses.
 
niko said:
be aware if you went for the d800 it would change how your 35mm would behave, as you mentioned it would lose that crop factor, it is also significantly bigger and its heavier
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Actually it wouldn't as the 35mm will be the DX version and would force the D800 into DX mode as would all of Amy's lenses. I think a D800 would be a poor choice, not just because of the size, because it forces Amy to buy more expensive FX lenses.
 
Snapsh0t said:
Actually it wouldn't as the 35mm will be the DX version and would force the D800 into DX mode as would all of Amy's lenses. I think a D800 would be a poor choice, not just because of the size, because it forces Amy to buy more expensive FX lenses.
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interesting i didn't realize it did that.
 
Well, I think you'll see a massive step up from your old camera to a modern one. The sensor performance will be night and day - this isn't about megapixels per se, but about how it can capture greater detail in varying light levels, especially recover shadows. Secondly, the autofocus performance should be a LOAD better - you'll have the choice of more autofocus points, so you can compose your shot more easily and quickly and it should be far, far quicker to lock autofocus. Its ability to shoot in darker conditions and still leave you with useable images is not to be sniffed at either.

The fact you'll get all of this with your existing lenses and not HAVE to replace anything makes it a no brainer for me. I'd actually recommend upgrading your body to say a 7200 and then seeing what you want to do with new lenses after a few months of playing. You might find you "go prime" or want the flexibility of a better zoom.

I think the D800 is the wrong choice as it doesn't offer that benefit - you'd have to replace everything and it will weigh twice as much!
 
Just a few thoughts.

My brother bought a D5500 + 18-140 lens back at Christmas, and he has been very unimpressed with image quality from the 18-140 considering how expensive it was. Big zoom ranges tend to compromise image quality.

Last couple of holidays I've used a really good 16-80 as my walk-about zoom, and found that's covered pretty much all the bases I needed. If the Nikon version is also good then it's worth spending a bit extra on that to have a lens you can trust to always deliver, instead of one where there are always doubts about image quality.

FF gear is heavy as suggested, and you'd need a reason for wanting to go that way, plus lenses seem another step up in cost.
 
My only comment would be that it seems clear that you prefer to shoot with a prime, which is an area with limited scope for development on Nikon DX.
 
Snapsh0t said:
Actually it wouldn't as the 35mm will be the DX version and would force the D800 into DX mode as would all of Amy's lenses. I think a D800 would be a poor choice, not just because of the size, because it forces Amy to buy more expensive FX lenses.
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.........and it would produce huge files. Does Amy have the computing power to deal with them. Would she need them?
 
Thanks for your input and advice everyone. I don't think the D800 is for me, its a bit too expensive, and I feel the cost of additional lenses, the weight and such is just a bit too much and therefore doesn't really make it a viable option for me.

I think seeing as my lenses are all compatible with the 7200, buying body only and then keeping an eye out for lenses that take my fancy seems like a good idea. I do like the idea of a 16 - 80 so might be able to find one secondhand at a reasonable price.

Right, now to take the plunge and actually make the purchase!!

Thanks again everyone
 
Not a Nikon user but I would try them out see which you like then decide. You may want to change ships
 
shreds said:
Jonathan is correct.

There are two sizes of Nikon sensors; Full Frame (FF), which is equivalent to the old film standard of 35mm film (a sensor measuring approx 36x24mm or thereabouts), and APS-C or Crop Frame sensor which is smaller. This produces a magnification effect on the image of approx x1.5, hence why a 35mm lens becomes actually 52.5mm which for practical purposes is regarded as 50mm.
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Not quite. The focal length and 'magnification' remain the same. The field of view changes in line with the crop factor.
 
MartynK said:
Not quite. The focal length and 'magnification' remain the same. The field of view changes in line with the crop factor.
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You're both correct. The magnification of the image on the sensor is the same on both formats, but when you view an image from a crop sensor it will appear to have been taken with a narrower angle of view and therefore to be cropped and enlarged compared to the same lens of a full frame sensor. Worth noting that depth of field is unchanged between the different sensor formats, so a 50mm lens will offer the same depth of field with both sensors. This can be used to advantage. If you want a greater depth of field for a given angle of view then crop (or M43 even moreso) can help provide that, while if you want a shallower depth of field then FF can help with that.
 
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