Looking for something more portable on a budget

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dieselnutjob

Senior Member
Hi.
I bought my D750 with the 24-120 f4 about four years ago, and I really enjoy it.
Prior to that I had a D3100 with the 18-55 kit which I then passed down to my daughter.
She now has a D700 so the 3100 is surplus to requirements.
I also have Sony Nex-6 with the tiny PZ 16-50 which I bought cheaply to play with. The idea with that was that it's small enough to carry around all the time.
The problem (I think) is that technology has moved on and now my smartphone takes sharper photos than the NEX-6.

I want to keep the D750 for special occasions, but, if I'm out for the day for some other reason I just find it a bit big and heavy.

So I have some options.

Firstly I'm going to sell the D3100. I still have the box for it and it's in good condition, but the low light performance is just too poor and it won't work with my AF-D lenses. I'm thinking now before Christmas would be a good time to stick it on ebay.

So I could keep the Nex-6 and buy a better lens for it. But then it will loose the pocketability. I'm not sure if it will actually make it much better. I believe that it has a D7000 sensor.

I could also sell the Nex-6 and maybe buy a used D7200 and either carry a couple of primes around (I've got an AF-D 28mm and a 50mm f1.4) or get an 18-55DX VR2.

The idea of a well worn cheap used D7200 that I could carry around and not care if it takes a knock or a scratch kind of appeals. Maybe I wouldn't even bother with a case. My daughter and me could share it as a backup if either of us need to do something important. It would also give my 70-300 a bit more reach.

or maybe it's the 24-120 f4 that's the problem. It's a brilliant walk around, do it all lens, but it is a bit big and heavy. Used 24-85 VR lenses are cheap and pretty good. Is that going to make it more portable?

If I'm used to a D750 is a D7200 going to disappoint? is a 24-85 really much smaller and lighter than the 24-120?

I'm missing good shots because I just don't carry a camera around enough.
 
Fred Kingston

Fred Kingston

Senior Member
With a concerted effort and plan, you can sell ALL that junk on eBay, and convert ALL of that to cash... sufficient to buy a new Z camera (Used w/warranty) with a pancake lens and the combination is new technology that total weight and portability that is 1/3 of any combination of camera/lens that you can construct out of all that junk... creating a system that you could actually use every time you walked out the door...

Seriously...
 
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dieselnutjob

Senior Member
I compared a ZF with Z mount 24-120 F4 with my D750.
It was exactly the same size.
I would need £3000 to buy that rig.
I really, really like the ZF, but I can't afford it, and it's no smaller.
Having played with a ZF I'm not really interested in a Z5 or Z6.
 
Fred Kingston

Fred Kingston

Senior Member
I bought a Z7II w/24-200 z f4, a 24-70 f4, and a TTartisan 50mm f2 for less than $3000 US... I sold a Nikkormat Ftn, D300, D750, and D850 for $3k, and a bunch of D series lens and F mount lenses for another $3k... Those 4 pieces cover the entire dozen or lenses and bodies... Any combination of the Z7II and a lens weighs less than 1/2 of just one of the lenses I sold.
 
BF Hammer

BF Hammer

Senior Member
Have you outright rejected DX format Z mount bodies? Z50 is a more compact option and the ZFc even loses the extra grip area. I would say it would still be an upgrade to some beater D7200.
 
TwistedThrottle

TwistedThrottle

Senior Member
Cant go wrong with FX mirrorless, buy used if you want a deal. I wouldn't invest in DX mirrorless, (not for an only body anyways)- the IBIS in FX mirrorless is too valuable not to have. If low light is important to you, I'd be looking at the newer sensors/processors, not the old stuff that's generations old by this point.
 
BF Hammer

BF Hammer

Senior Member
Rereading the thread, I'm not sure there will be a right answer for you. You tried a ZF out and because of that any lesser system is not a consideration. I have had the D750 and a D7000 at the same time, the sizes are very close to each other. A D7200 would be also of similar size. Now we would have to talk D3400 for compact, but again, far from being a ZF.

Compromise is in order here.

Personally I keep a 13 year old Lumix point-n-shoot with a superzoom type lens around for my compact carry needs. My Z5 with 24-70 f/4 lens actually is the most compact interchangeable lens camera I have owned to date. The Z24-70mm even collapses to a shorter length when not shooting photos.
 
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dieselnutjob

Senior Member
There's some interesting points in your answers thanks.

I hadn't really considered a Z50. Maybe I should. Compared to a D7200 I'll get what one or two stops better performance in low light? and a bigger viewfinder.

The Z24-70 sounds interesting too.

I went out this evening to a "light show" at Kew Gardens with the D750. I just took a 28 and 50 prime, and yes it's way more portable. Swapping lenses is a bit of a pain but not the end of the world.

I think for now I should sell off what I don't need or like and try and live with the D750. It's one of the smaller and lighter full frame DSLRs I think, and see where to go from there. Maybe next year they'll be more used ZFc or even Z5s around.
 
lightcapture

lightcapture

New member
dieselnutjob said:
I went out this evening to a "light show" at Kew Gardens with the D750. I just took a 28 and 50 prime, and yes it's way more portable. Swapping lenses is a bit of a pain but not the end of the world.

I think for now I should sell off what I don't need or like and try and live with the D750. It's one of the smaller and lighter full frame DSLRs I think, and see where to go from there. Maybe next year they'll be more used ZFc or even Z5s around.
Click to expand...
All I have is a D750, 24G, 35G, and 70-300E. It's a nice simple system w/ good lenses. I usually go out w/ the 35mm to keep it small and simple, unless I have a specific purpose in mind.
I likewise would like a smaller camera for a travel camera, but can't decide...plus good cameras are so expensive (Leica Q3 drool).
So I keep with what I have as well.
 
Last edited:
Danno

Danno

Senior Member
dieselnutjob said:
There's some interesting points in your answers thanks.

I hadn't really considered a Z50. Maybe I should. Compared to a D7200 I'll get what one or two stops better performance in low light? and a bigger viewfinder.

The Z24-70 sounds interesting too.

I went out this evening to a "light show" at Kew Gardens with the D750. I just took a 28 and 50 prime, and yes it's way more portable. Swapping lenses is a bit of a pain but not the end of the world.

I think for now I should sell off what I don't need or like and try and live with the D750. It's one of the smaller and lighter full frame DSLRs I think, and see where to go from there. Maybe next year they'll be more used ZFc or even Z5s around.
Click to expand...
Just to throw in one more option… Z6II with 24-70f4 new is $2200. It is lighter than the Zf you mentioned. It has a 24.5 megapixel sensor which will give you low light performance a bit better than the D750 and better than Z50.

KEH is a cheaper. From what yo describe it could be a good rig.
 
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dieselnutjob

Senior Member
well I went a bit rogue on you folks.

I noticed that the 24-85mm f3.5-4.5 VR is getting really cheap now. So I bought one on MPB as I can return it if I don't like it.

I like it.

So I always considered the D3100 to be quite a small camera. Here's the D750 vs the D3100:-

20231124_092039 by dieselnutjob, on Flickr

Not so much difference really.

ok on the height front there's more difference:-

20231124_092315 by dieselnutjob, on Flickr

I also tried the 18-55 DX on the D750. You're not supposed to use DX lenses on an FX body right? The interesting thing is that it doesn't vignette above about 24mm.
I'll have to try the more collapsible 18-55 VR2.

I'm still gonna sell the Nex-6 and the D3100 and then wait to see what happens next year with prices. Maybe Df prices will come down once more people get a ZF. I'd like to try one.
 
Peter7100

Peter7100

Senior Member
dieselnutjob said:
well I went a bit rogue on you folks.

I noticed that the 24-85mm f3.5-4.5 VR is getting really cheap now. So I bought one on MPB as I can return it if I don't like it.

I like it.

So I always considered the D3100 to be quite a small camera. Here's the D750 vs the D3100:-

20231124_092039 by dieselnutjob, on Flickr

Not so much difference really.

ok on the height front there's more difference:-

20231124_092315 by dieselnutjob, on Flickr

I also tried the 18-55 DX on the D750. You're not supposed to use DX lenses on an FX body right? The interesting thing is that it doesn't vignette above about 24mm.
I'll have to try the more collapsible 18-55 VR2.

I'm still gonna sell the Nex-6 and the D3100 and then wait to see what happens next year with prices. Maybe Df prices will come down once more people get a ZF. I'd like to try one.
Click to expand...
''You're not supposed to use DX lenses on an FX body right?'' - You can use then but as you say there is likely to be some vignette up to a certain focal length.

This is the Tokina 11-16 @16mm of a Full Frame and I have no concerns using it at this focal length on FF.
Fog5.jpg
 
lightcapture

lightcapture

New member
dieselnutjob said:
well I went a bit rogue on you folks.

I noticed that the 24-85mm f3.5-4.5 VR is getting really cheap now. So I bought one on MPB as I can return it if I don't like it.

I like it.

So I always considered the D3100 to be quite a small camera. Here's the D750 vs the D3100:-

20231124_092039 by dieselnutjob, on Flickr

Not so much difference really.

ok on the height front there's more difference:-

20231124_092315 by dieselnutjob, on Fli
Click to expand...
Your D750/24-85 is a nice kit. Definitely more chunky but worth it. Your D3100/18-55 kit would be nice for a travel camera, but I'd miss the 24mm equivalent wide.
 
Woodyg3

Woodyg3

Senior Member
Contributor
I like solutions that don't involve spending big piles of cash. :) The D750 is a very capable camera that can serve you well for years to come. :)
 
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