Upgrade to Nikon D3100. Help!

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tufty

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I'm considering upgrading my D3100. Any suggestions?

Currently my main use is for nature with a Sigma 150-600 but I dabble with 35mm prime, 10-20 etc. I'm very much a rookie!

Would a D7200 or D7500 be a good enough upgrade? Priority is quality of photos rather than whizzy features such as bluetooth or Wi-Fi.

A D500 looks a great match in every way apart from budget? I'll be looking at 2nd hand and need to keep the budget low!

Thanks in advance.
 
If you want to stay with a crop sensor DSLR, I'd recommend the D7200.
I bought one a couple of years ago, and like it.
Cost is likely to be £350 -400 from a dealer with warranty.

I ruled out the D7500, as it has only one SD card slot & would cost considerably more.
The D500 is also a good choice, but also rather more expensive on the s/h market.
 
What aspects of quality does the D3100 fail to deliver? A camera with a better focusing system might help youiss fewer shots, one with better high ISO management might give cleaner pictures using the long lens.

A D7200 will likely give better manual control, but may not improve perceived image quality. Research carefully.

If you want to stay with cropped, a D500 is likely the best bet.
 
Just echoing the others, the D500 is a great body for action work. AF and IQ are both good.

GC
 
Either D7200 or D7500 would be a significant upgrade on the D3100. Both are 'advanced' cameras and have the front dial.

The D7200 has 2 card slots vs the D7500's 1. The D7500 has a tilting screen whereas the d7200's is fixed.

Both AFAIK have an AF motor meaning you can use any AF/AFD 'screwdriver' lenses but I'm guessing that doesn't matter much as the D3100 doesn't have a motor.

For landscape there might be a marginal argument for the D7200's extra pixels over the later camera. I don't think it would make much practical difference..

The 7200 seems to be cheaper used than the 7500.

Full disclosure, I haven't used either but those would be the points that mattered to me and I'd probably go for the D7200 if it was £200 cheaper.

The D500 is clearly a good camera, but it is both bigger and more expensive still and doesn't have a built in flash if that matters.
 
First off - thanks for all the replies. I do appreciate it.

I struggle to get pin sharp focus on fast moving stuff. And when I do the results are just a bit lack lustre. I do get some shots out of the long lens that I'm quite happy with but I need really good light.

I do think the ISO of the D3100 is perhaps letting me down or maybe it's the photographer.

I think the way forward for me is to get a D7200. They are a lot cheaper than the D500 which I think I would prefer but I don't want to spend that much at the moment.

I'll feedback how I get on.
 
tufty said:
I do think the ISO of the D3100 is perhaps letting me down
Click to expand...

See if you can find some comparative reviews of the D3100 and 7200 for noise/high ISO and focus performance. My suspicion is there will be little difference, although for your sake I'd be happy to be proved wrong.
 
I can't add a useful answer, camera gear simply isn't my thing, but perhaps someone could help with a related question?

I'm thinking about getting a D7200, mainly for video, but will it work with my FX lenses (used on my D700 & D3)? It's one thing spending money on an extra body, but buying extra lenses would be a step too far for someone who hates spending money:)
 
Garry; yes, the D7200 will work just fine with FX lenses - the only downside is that they're heavier than their Dx counterparts since they cover a larger image circle. An upside to that is that they don't give any vignetting on Dx bodies.
 
I have both the D7200 and the D7500 - I use them for action shots of human beans :D and they are spot on for me.
 
Nod said:
Garry; yes, the D7200 will work just fine with FX lenses - the only downside is that they're heavier than their Dx counterparts since they cover a larger image circle. An upside to that is that they don't give any vignetting on Dx bodies.
Click to expand...
Well, I bought a very little-used D7200 and I'm delighted with the image quality, have also bought a sunshade for it, https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/255268766718, essential in bright sunlight, and have ordered an external mic. I have several decent FX lenses, and my 17-35mm is particularly useful for my needs so far. I already have a point and shoot Samsung HMX-F80, which is now a second or rostrum camera, it has its benefits but the Nikon improvement to image quality is amazing.
 
Hmmm just been down this route , I have been using Olympus mirrorless for several years , but recently got the urge to get a dslr again just for a change of gear and to get the grey matter working .. I initially went for a used d300s and a Tamron 70-300vr total cost £105 for camera £113 for lens .. I found the 12 mp sensor lacking when you had to crop .. so sent it back and got a d7500 ,nice camera but it was faulty so went back the first day ( from WEX) and I have now bought a d500 it’s a dream to use and I have posted a few initial shots from it ..
Whatever you end up with do buy from somewhere like Wex that has good customer service helpline and no quibble returns policy ..even if others seem cheaper
 
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