pnomanikon
Senior Member
Greetings! I am retired military and a long-time hobbyist/amateur photographer. I am in a real quandary about buying a new camera and would appreciate your advice. I do a mix of travel, landscape, and occasional action like air shows and wildlife. Except for a few family snapshots, 99% of them are only used online on my website, not printed. I do want to expand into RAW, HDR, birds, and night-time photography.
I have a Nikon D3100 (along with 55-300 and 18-140 zooms) which is OK for general travel photography, but seems to lack some features I would like, such as HDR and bracketing. I also have a Nikon Coolpix L830 for easy family snapshots, and I have been very pleased with general travel photos, and it does well inside with no flash.
A few years ago, I bought a D7200. Just weeks after buying it, my father died and I spent most of the next 2 years taking care of my mother as she battled cancer. Then she passed and I spent a year cleaning out 60 years of "stuff" from their house and our old farm. Needless to say, the camera collected dust to the point where I sold it.
In the short time I used the D7200, it had many nice features. The weight was probably the only negative factor. The complexity frustrated me, but that was because I only had limited time to actually study the manual.
Now I am retired and have time to learn the complexities of a modern camera. I've narrowed it down to four or five choices, but now am at a total impasse.
Here are my choices along with Pros/Cons of each, according to what I've read online. I would appreciate feedback and input from those who have actually used these cameras or have insight into them. Thank you!!!
Nikon D-7500
Pro: Rugged, weather sealed; Expeed 5 sensor; Good battery life (900-1000); shutter rated at 150K; 5EV bracketing; AF fine-tuning; HDR
Con: Weight!; Only 1 SD card (I want 2 so I can do RAW separately, like the D7200); 51 focus points but only 15 are cross-type; price went up about $300 from the D-7200 but seems de-contented; almost 4 year old tech.
Nikon D-500 (Wow! - great reviews and performance)
Pro: Rugged, weather sealed; Expeed 5 sensor; very fast and accurate 153 focus points with 99 cross-type!!; 2 SD card slots; HDR and 5EV bracketing; can use my existing lenses; Great battery life (1200+); Shutter rated at 200K; night lighting on buttons; DX so my current lenses work
Con: Even heavier than the D7200! Ugh!; No built in flash, but small used flash is cheap; almost 5 year old tech (but, it's proven!); Price is at my very upper limit $1,500 (US)
Nikon D-5600 (My son has one and it is nice)
Pro: Lightweight and easy to carry all day!; Price only $600; flippy screen; good battery life (800+); built in HDR and built in flash; works with my DX lenses
Con: Not weather sealed; only 1 SD card slot; worry about breaking flippy screen; 39 focus points but only 9 are cross-type; shutter rated at 100K; Older Expeed 4 sensor
Nikon Z5 Mirrorless **** EDIT: I WAS INFORMED THIS IS FX, SO I MAY CONSIDER Z50 ***
Pro: lightweight!! ; 273 focus points; Released in 2020 so new technology; weather sealed
Con: Battery life (only 300-400); At $1,300 it is just slightly less than the proven D500 and I still have to buy a $250 adapter to use my existing Nikon lenses; no built in flash
Canon 90D (Can I say the "C" word on this forum?? LOL)
Pro: Rugged, weather sealed; 33MP sensor (vs 21MP on D7500); 45 cross-type focus sensors; Bracketing and HDR; Outstanding battery life (1,800!!); only 1-year old technology; built in flash
Con: Only 1 card slot; have to sell all my Nikon gear and buy Canon lenses so I'm looking at over $2,000 (US), I could buy the D500 for less overall
SUMMARY
I really like the performance and features of the D500, but am worried about the weight. I have had 2 surgeries on my right elbow and one on my right shoulder. I do use the Coolpix L830 for just casual outings when the photos will be used just for emails or my website blog postings.
The D7500 seems like they are charging $300 more than the D7200 for less features.
The D5600 seems nice and lightweight (I've looked at my son's briefly). I do go out in light rain/snow/dust and would worry about weather sealing. I'm worried, too, about breaking off the flippy screen.
Thanks for reading this LOOOOONNNNG post. Whew! Let the advice begin. LOL
.
I have a Nikon D3100 (along with 55-300 and 18-140 zooms) which is OK for general travel photography, but seems to lack some features I would like, such as HDR and bracketing. I also have a Nikon Coolpix L830 for easy family snapshots, and I have been very pleased with general travel photos, and it does well inside with no flash.
A few years ago, I bought a D7200. Just weeks after buying it, my father died and I spent most of the next 2 years taking care of my mother as she battled cancer. Then she passed and I spent a year cleaning out 60 years of "stuff" from their house and our old farm. Needless to say, the camera collected dust to the point where I sold it.
In the short time I used the D7200, it had many nice features. The weight was probably the only negative factor. The complexity frustrated me, but that was because I only had limited time to actually study the manual.
Now I am retired and have time to learn the complexities of a modern camera. I've narrowed it down to four or five choices, but now am at a total impasse.
Here are my choices along with Pros/Cons of each, according to what I've read online. I would appreciate feedback and input from those who have actually used these cameras or have insight into them. Thank you!!!
Nikon D-7500
Pro: Rugged, weather sealed; Expeed 5 sensor; Good battery life (900-1000); shutter rated at 150K; 5EV bracketing; AF fine-tuning; HDR
Con: Weight!; Only 1 SD card (I want 2 so I can do RAW separately, like the D7200); 51 focus points but only 15 are cross-type; price went up about $300 from the D-7200 but seems de-contented; almost 4 year old tech.
Nikon D-500 (Wow! - great reviews and performance)
Pro: Rugged, weather sealed; Expeed 5 sensor; very fast and accurate 153 focus points with 99 cross-type!!; 2 SD card slots; HDR and 5EV bracketing; can use my existing lenses; Great battery life (1200+); Shutter rated at 200K; night lighting on buttons; DX so my current lenses work
Con: Even heavier than the D7200! Ugh!; No built in flash, but small used flash is cheap; almost 5 year old tech (but, it's proven!); Price is at my very upper limit $1,500 (US)
Nikon D-5600 (My son has one and it is nice)
Pro: Lightweight and easy to carry all day!; Price only $600; flippy screen; good battery life (800+); built in HDR and built in flash; works with my DX lenses
Con: Not weather sealed; only 1 SD card slot; worry about breaking flippy screen; 39 focus points but only 9 are cross-type; shutter rated at 100K; Older Expeed 4 sensor
Nikon Z5 Mirrorless **** EDIT: I WAS INFORMED THIS IS FX, SO I MAY CONSIDER Z50 ***
Pro: lightweight!! ; 273 focus points; Released in 2020 so new technology; weather sealed
Con: Battery life (only 300-400); At $1,300 it is just slightly less than the proven D500 and I still have to buy a $250 adapter to use my existing Nikon lenses; no built in flash
Canon 90D (Can I say the "C" word on this forum?? LOL)
Pro: Rugged, weather sealed; 33MP sensor (vs 21MP on D7500); 45 cross-type focus sensors; Bracketing and HDR; Outstanding battery life (1,800!!); only 1-year old technology; built in flash
Con: Only 1 card slot; have to sell all my Nikon gear and buy Canon lenses so I'm looking at over $2,000 (US), I could buy the D500 for less overall
SUMMARY
I really like the performance and features of the D500, but am worried about the weight. I have had 2 surgeries on my right elbow and one on my right shoulder. I do use the Coolpix L830 for just casual outings when the photos will be used just for emails or my website blog postings.
The D7500 seems like they are charging $300 more than the D7200 for less features.
The D5600 seems nice and lightweight (I've looked at my son's briefly). I do go out in light rain/snow/dust and would worry about weather sealing. I'm worried, too, about breaking off the flippy screen.
Thanks for reading this LOOOOONNNNG post. Whew! Let the advice begin. LOL
.
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