D7000 Upgrade?

TAC

TAC

New member
I'm sure I won't get too many opinions on this. lol

I’m looking to upgrade from my Nikon D7000 and would appreciate some advice from those who have used these bodies.

The cameras I’m considering are:
  • D7500
  • D500
  • D810
  • D850
I’m not especially interested in moving to a Z body right now because I have several older F-mount AF/AF-D lenses and I’d prefer to retain autofocus without adapters or replacing a bunch of lenses.

I also have a number of DX lenses, including a Nikon 12-24mm f/4 DX, Tamron 17-50mm f/2.8 DX, and Nikon 18-200mm DX VR, so staying with DX has some appeal.

On the other hand, I also have several FX lenses, including:
  • Nikon 24mm f/2.8 AF
  • Nikon 35mm f/2 AF
  • Nikon 50mm f/1.4D
  • Nikon 50mm f/1.8 AF
  • Nikon 24-85mm AF-S
  • Nikon 70-200mm f/2.8 AF-S VR
So moving to FX is also a realistic option.

One feature I really like is a built-in flash, which gives the D7500 and D810 an advantage for me. However, I also like the much better autofocus systems in the D500 and D850.

Body size matters somewhat, but I don’t consider the D500 too large. The D850/D810 size is probably about as large as I’d want to go.

My photography is mostly general photography, family, travel, landscapes, and occasional action rather than dedicated sports or bird photography.

Given this lens collection, would you recommend staying DX with the D7500 or D500, or moving to FX with the D810 or D850?

I’d especially be interested in hearing from anyone who has owned or compared two or more of these bodies.

Thanks,
Tom
 
BF Hammer

BF Hammer

Senior Member
I think a D850 is overkill for your needs. But if you were a wildlife and birding person, that would be the choice.

Might consider a D780 as your full frame upgrade. It really is a feature continuation from the D7000 series and a natural path to take. It was the last generation of DSLR and came after the D850 and about the same time as D500.

I make the case for full frame by being able to shoot wider angle with more available lenses. A 24-120mm lens is far less exotic to find than a 16mm wide DX lens.
 
Clovishound

Clovishound

Senior Member
While I agree with BF that a D850 is likely overkill, it does have the advantage of a 46 MP sensor. That means that you could use your DX lenses and still have approximately the same resolution as that lens on a crop frame body. When you use the FX lenses, you will have the advantage of the higher resolution. The D850 is a beast of a camera that was made for professional use and abuse. If you are going to stick with DSLR for a while, I think this camera is most likely to survive longer term.

The D850 is currently on sale for $2000. Nikon currently only sells the D850, D7500 and D780 new.

Full disclosure, the only DSLR I have owned is a D3400. I do own a full frame 24MP Nikon and 46 MP Nikon. The extra resolution of the 46MP sensor comes in really handy when you need to crop heavily.

I made the switch to mirrorless several years ago, and never regretted it. Of course, I didn't have much in the way of DSLR lenses, so it wasn't a big issue. I did use a 200-500 FX lens with an adapter for several years. They work quite well with mirrorless cameras, although the Z lenses are generally superior in most ways. Newer designs, and a larger mount make a difference, although it's not a quantum leap.
 
tonye

tonye

New member
Hi TAC,
You have some really nice glass in your collection, especially the FX . I know it's old but have you considered the D600/610 don't know your budget but i use a D600.
You get FX, 24mp, built in AF drive motor and AFS, built in flash, U1 & U2 setup, Duel SD Cards, the list just goes on and on and on and on, worth watching a couple of reviews on the net. Its also quite compact for an FX body.
Just my thoughts. Unless you crop a lot or print big you don't really need more than 24mp. Have a look, hope this helps.
 
A

Aussie_Dave

New member
A friend of mine who bought my D5600 last year also bought a near new D7500 as he wanted a weather sealed camera for damp weather, it's a great unit, I had a play with it when he brought it down to show me and I really liked the feel of it. As the 7500 is DX you can use all the lenses you have. The D7500 only has one card slot, if you need 2 card slots you can get those with the D7200 but unless you're a pro user, I wouldn't bother, I've never had a card fail on me yet. The Z5ii that I upgraded to has 2. I think you'd be happy with the D7500, it's a solid unit.
 
nikonbill

nikonbill

Senior Member
Contributor
From a D500 and D850 owner (also have a D7200).

The handling of the D500 and D850 are very similar. Both built to last, and feel very similar. Slight front fn button feel (slightly higher on the 850).

Clovishound made a great point on lens usage for the 850. The full frame high mp sensor makes a large difference in landscapes. A DX shot would be the size of an image from the D7500.

Your desire for built in flash pulls me back to the D7500. It's a bit smaller and lighter, if traveling is a big part for you it does make sense. Auto focus is much limproved over your D7000. The cost is a lot lower as a plus. It is certainly a capable choice.

The 850 would really add a lot of capabilities. The full frame sensor was a much more noticeable change than I expected. As an example, I do bird photography and when there is not much other than the subject in the frame the D500 and the D850 do about the same job (just my opinion). However if there is a scene where there is more happening, the D850 really shines. This is why I think you would appreciate it for landscapes.

Only you can decide, I hope my observations help. Good luck in your choice
 
B

benhasajeep

New member
You can get a refurbished D7500 from Nikonusa right now for $560! A couple weeks ago I ordered one for $500. I have D600, D800, and D850 for a while now. Just bought Z8. But still wanted the D7500 for its ability to still use old screwdriver AF. It's smaller and lighter than the big guys, and being a crop sensor all the lenses are 1.5x their focal range. But I plan to carry it and lighter DX lenses on my work trips.
 
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