D7200 or D5 ... or hold pat?

MaxBlake

Senior Member
Good morning. I'm currently using a D5500 and appreciate its versatility; it's an excellent camera for the money and serves me well. I do quite a bit of landscape and travel photography, am out on the trails and back country quite a bit, as well as moving about in various ports of call, and am thinking about a change to something that is more durable, given my current situation. I was looking hard at the D7200, right up until the time that I started reading about the new D5. Money differences aside, I'd love to hear from the experts on whether the D5 is the wave of the future, or if the D7200 is sufficient for what I'm currently shooting ... or even whether the D5500 is camera enough for my present needs.

Thanks in advance for your time and consideration.
 

Blacktop

Senior Member
Good morning. I'm currently using a D5500 and appreciate its versatility; it's an excellent camera for the money and serves me well. I do quite a bit of landscape and travel photography, am out on the trails and back country quite a bit, as well as moving about in various ports of call, and am thinking about a change to something that is more durable, given my current situation. I was looking hard at the D7200, right up until the time that I started reading about the new D5. Money differences aside, I'd love to hear from the experts on whether the D5 is the wave of the future, or if the D7200 is sufficient for what I'm currently shooting ... or even whether the D5500 is camera enough for my present needs.

Thanks in advance for your time and consideration.

The only problem with the future, that it's not the present. You can never have or wait for anything that is in the future because it will always be the future.
What I'm trying to say is, get what you need or even want and do some shooting. Learn and have fun along the way.

The D7200 will do whatever you need to do and do it very well. Spend the extra 5,000 dollars on lenses if it's burning a hole in your pocket.
 

Horoscope Fish

Senior Member
Good morning. I'm currently using a D5500 and appreciate its versatility; it's an excellent camera for the money and serves me well. I do quite a bit of landscape and travel photography, am out on the trails and back country quite a bit, as well as moving about in various ports of call, and am thinking about a change to something that is more durable, given my current situation. I was looking hard at the D7200, right up until the time that I started reading about the new D5. Money differences aside, I'd love to hear from the experts on whether the D5 is the wave of the future, or if the D7200 is sufficient for what I'm currently shooting ... or even whether the D5500 is camera enough for my present needs.
If your current D5500 is "serving you well" then it would be hard to fathom why you would *need* a D5. Now, if you *want* all that pro-level awesome, and have the scratch, then that's something else altogether. I don't really think the D5 is, "the wave of the future" personally; I think the mirroless format is the wave of the future but that specific technology is advancing so quickly I'm going to give it a few more years, at least, to mature before I even *think* about seriously testing those waters.

The D7200 vs D5500 is a more difficult comparison. If we're comparing durability alone then I'd say there's no contest, really, with the clear winner being the D7200 with it's magnesium alloy body and weather sealing. It also has some other things I really like such as the top-mounted LCD, the internal focus motor, more focus points and dual card slots the D5500 lacks but that doesn't take anything *away* from the D5500.

You don't mention what lenses you use currently but going to a full-frame body like the D5 will mean you're going want/need FX glass. Trust me when I tell you while you CAN use DX glass on an FX body, you're not going to want to. Full-frame bodies "scream" for FX glass. That's just something to consider. There are other options other than the D5 if you do decide you want to go full-frame. Ones that might suit you better overall and save you from spending more than you need which you could then invest in great glass.
 

Blacktop

Senior Member
@MaxBlake. Did you mean the D5 or the D500? After replying to your post I thought about it and realized that you may have made a typo and were asking about the D500.
 

MaxBlake

Senior Member
Excellent points, gentlemen. Thanks. Durability is what is driving me to look at something beyond the D5500. In a controlled environment, it's a terrific camera. Out in the wilds, I tend to baby it.

Nice observation on the lenses, by the way. My current go-to favorite is the Nikon 18-300mm f/3.5-6.3G IF AF-S DX VR lens.[h=1][/h]
 

Whiskeyman

Senior Member
What, exactly, is it that your D5500 isn't doing to keep you happy? What do you specifically need your new camera to do? (For instance, I do a lot of photos in poorly lighted high school sports venues, where high ISO performance is a plus. For that reason, I feel that I can justify a D750 upgrade from my D700.)

It is a big step up, in both price and capability, from the D5500 to the D5. There are many cameras between the two, price wise and capability wise, that may meet your needs and wants, if you are going to buy something new.

WM
 

Woodyg3

Senior Member
Contributor
I think most people would love to have a D5 if money wasn't an issue. I know I would need a few thousand more to arm it with the lenses I would want to go with it. If durability is important, then the D5 is as tough and rugged as you'll find.

Meanwhile, the D7200 is a great camera that is more than reasonably durable and will use the same lenses as the D5500, plus many more older lenses that don't have a built in internal focusing motor. For the price of one good DX lens, you could purchase a D7200 body.

In between these we have the new, yet to be released, D500 that is said to be a pro level camera in terms of build, and should be quite durable. Since very few people have actually seen or held this new camera, much is yet to be learned. If the D5500 is doing well enough for you now, you might want to wait a little while and see how the D500 shapes up. If initial reports are correct, this will be a step up in terms of focus speed and accuracy, and will have better low light image quality. We'll know more in a couple of months. :)
 

MaxBlake

Senior Member
What, exactly, is it that your D5500 isn't doing to keep you happy? ...

My main concern is durability, especially in the outdoors when I'm up and down steep trails or in situations where the camera is likely to swing a bit as I'm climbing from one spot to the next. A ruggedly built camera that will hold up in that type of situation is primarily what is driving me to look. Hope that makes sense.
 

Danno

Senior Member
I chose the D7200 when I upgraded from my D3200 because of the focus points, sealing, and internal focus motor.

The D500 is exciting new camera but I struggle on the price premium. I have had it a little while now and I love it.

Sent from my SCH-I535 using Tapatalk
 

Griso

Senior Member
If money isn't an issue and you want to go FX and you're happy with the extra size/weight of the D5 along with FX lenses, then why not? If money wasn't an issue for me, I'd have a D5. And a D500. But, alas, I don't so it's an easy decision for me :)

It's an interesting thought though:

* a less robust, not weather sealed body that would cost a few hundred £ to replace

or

* a robust, weather sealed body that would cost £5k+ to replace if it fell down that rocky cliff

...that's a bit of conundrum. If I had to stretch to afford the D5, I'd be to terrified to take it out!

But then, if money wasn't an issue, I'd have one for sure, 'cos it's awesome!

I would like to summarise here, but I can't because I'm no longer sure what my point was.
 
Nikon D5 $6,500 plus another $4,000 or $5,000 for glass.

Nikon D7200 $1,000 plus you keep using the lens you have.

The D5500 and the D7200 rank pretty close. With the D7200 you get a more sturdy body and it is weather sealed. Also the focus motor in the body will open things up to use some of the older lenses.

If you do want to move up to FX though then you really might want to look at the D750. It is a lot of camera for the money You would still have to buy new glass for it though.
 

MaxBlake

Senior Member
Terrific points across the board, folks; many thanks for taking the time to provide some perspective. I think that the D7200 is a logical way to go, given the lens situation. It will serve me well, and I can use the money saved on additional glass, perhaps ... or maybe a cruise. ;)
 
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RocketCowboy

Senior Member
I'm late to the thread, but was in a similar situation two years ago after buying the D5300.

First off, I admit I have a HUGE craving for a D5. It's like dreaming about having a Ferrari in the garage, I can't justify why I need it and not real sure I could handle it, but the ego would be happy. :)

I ended up going from the D5300 to the D7100 for durability reasons. I started keeping a list of things I was running into the the D5300 ... trying to shoot in manual without dual command knobs, slower flash sync speed, no Commander mode, no HSS ... etc. The two big pro's for the D5300 for me weren't working out real well either (GPS and Wifi), so that also helped in the decision. It's a different set of criteria with the D5500 and D7200, but ultimately the D7200 will get you more prosumer features while still giving you best results with your current glass.

After I got into the D7100, then I started migrating to better glass that was also FX for future body changes, but at the time just jumping from DX to FX body and all would not have been feasible.

Just my $0.02 worth.
 

hrstrat57

Senior Member
I want a D5

I will likely get a D500 after a good road test (rental demo) to upgrade the DX pairing with my D700.

If however I had a D7200 already my next move (assuming I already have the vertical grip) would be a D750 as a second.

Similar nearly identical layout and 99.9% of my photographic dreams could be achieved.

(unless of course I was the lottery winner in which case a D5/D500 kit would be back on the table)

oh and I like the Nikon Df too....need one of those as well
 

RocketCowboy

Senior Member
If however I had a D7200 already my next move (assuming I already have the vertical grip) would be a D750 as a second.

Similar nearly identical layout and 99.9% of my photographic dreams could be achieved.

If only they both used the same battery grip! :)

The D7x00 and D6x0/D750 are great DX/FX pairs because of the nearly equal layouts.
 

BackdoorArts

Senior Member
If the D5500 is currently enough camera for you then I can see no reason why a move to a D5 is even close to necessary. I've grown out of cameras and not yet made the move to the top of the pyramid.

Assuming you were willing to fork over the price necessary for the D5 then I would give you 3 options, knowing that one of your criteria is a more rugged body.

1. You're shooting DX and likely have DX glass, so if you're going to move up to a professional body then go with the D500. It has all the advantages of the D7200 and then some. Arguably the best crop sensor camera around on release.

2. If you want the advantages that come with FX in addition to the advantages in clarity that come with the removal of the anti-aliasing filter then perhaps a D810 would suit you. More rugged body than the D750 or D610 but not nearly as expensive or complex as the D5. And at 36MP's you can stick your DX lenses on their as you upgrade your glass and still shoot at 16MP's.

3. Get a D750. Less money than the D500 and one of the best low light cameras you can find. And with the $4000 you save over the D5 you can buy a LOT of full frame glass. And it's more of a natural progression from the D5500 you have currently. I've been shooting with one since they came out and no other full frame camera out there has me wanting to trade to it, at any price. It's the perfect fit of form and function for what I do.
 
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