upgrade from Nikon D80 to what?

Smiffster · 29 Nov 2014

Hi folks, I have to move this on, having been on here or hours, looking at old threads about equipment. I have a Nikon D80 and 28-300 3.5 lens, all purchased about 6-8 years ago. Dont have a lot of money to spend on kit regularly, (as you can guess). I dont print or look at photos much bigger than 8*10 or slightly larger. and have a 19" screen.

Now willing to spend some ready for holidays and snapping at the family. so my question is really, would you think a seconodhand D7100 and another lens, or stick with what I have, and buy another lens? My main thing is to get some nice shots of the children, and mostly they are indoors!

I get defeated by the low light often, and this is one of my bug bears. I enjoy going out taking landscape, but am realy not tht good at it, and dont know where to go from here.
Any comments welcome.

kenm · 29 Nov 2014

S/H D7000 has decent high ISO for around 350 pounds around here and would be a decent upgrade in every way. Get a 35mm f1.8 prime for children indoors... You could have some fun comparing the prime lens with the zoom for landscapes and your findings could influence your future choice of lenses.

Nawty · 29 Nov 2014

Yeah, first thing would be to get the 35mm f/1.8 which you can pick up cheaply, that might be all you need.

If not then I think a used D7000 is the best bang per buck you can find - I wouldn't pay the extra for the D7100 and I wouldn't go for a new but lower range model as you are used to the two command dials and size of the D80.

Robert Hofstra · 29 Nov 2014

I would go for extra/ "better" glass.28-300mm looks nice,and is a "all in one" lens. But it has plenty limitations.Go for a second hand 24-70mm 2.8. Get the photo fire light up,and than go for a better/other body.You dont need perse a new body every few year.I work with a D2X a D300 and a D300s.Perhaps the D2x goes for a D3s,but only when the price is right.

Pistnbroke · 29 Nov 2014

keep the lens ,forget the D7000 ...old technology now go for a D7100 either second hand or wait a little longer until the D7200 comes out and prices drop..lots of offers from HDEW etc You dont say which 18-300 or if you have VR but be carefull before you go down that bag of prime lenses route

mike weeks · 29 Nov 2014

Pistnbroke said:
keep the lens ,forget the D7000 ...old technology now go for a D7100 either second hand or wait a little longer until the D7200 comes out and prices drop..lots of offers from HDEW etc

nonsense, the D7000 is a perfectly good camera (I have a couple of these with 28-300 lenses used by my photographers and see no reason to change them) and whilst the D7100 is better you have also been given been given better answers than this

You dont say which 18-300 or if you have VR but be carefull before you go down that bag of prime lenses route

your 28-300 has a maximum aperture of f3.5 so a prime with f1.8 will let in a lot more light however this is at the expense of a narrower depth of field. At the 300mm end it will most likely be only f5.6 so letting in even less light. What it will do though is stop you zooming in which can be the cause of camera shake, needing higher ISO to overcome the camera shake which will degrade quality and there is a big bonus that it tends to teach composition. On both the D80 and the D7000 a 35mm lens will be approximately the equivalent of the normal human field of view, whilst a 50mm prime would make a nice portrait lens.

Mike

Nawty · 29 Nov 2014

mike weeks said:
nonsense

That's what I think every time he posts...

What he needs to do is actually listen to what the OP is trying to achieve and make recommendations against that, not immediately suggest expensive solutions that won't solve the issue (if you did you'd recognise that the OP probably doesn't want to spend loads of money).

Indoors you need FAST glass, that means f/1.8 or faster, any amount of 'new sensor' technology can't make up for that. Also, the shallow depth of field achievable with a fast prime will be beneficial for portraits of the kids.

Stu Meech · 29 Nov 2014

If you are constantly battling against the ISO on your D80 then an upgrade to either the D7000 or D7100 would give you results light years ahead of the D80. Coupled with a 35 1.8 and you could have a good value upgrade that suits the needs of the photos you seem to take.

xraymtb · 30 Nov 2014

If you can afford both (35mm 1.8 and a used D7000) you would gain a lot in terms of low light usability. Either one will help but together they will really outshine your current setup.

Smiffster · 1 Dec 2014

Thank you all very informative. I am oing for thlens 35 mm 1.8 lens (secodhand) before Xmas, and decide on which body after Xms. mny thanks.

badboy1984 · 1 Dec 2014

D7000 + 35mm f1.8 is good combo. I use that alot.

Smiffster · 1 Dec 2014

I bought it, wll be here tomorrow. considering the last thng I bough was 6 years ago, I am excited..! I wonder if I will be able to hold out unil after Xmas for the body 7100...