Camera upgrade
- Thread starter Dsiner
- Start date
It's so easy to spend someone else's money... 
The more money you are ready to spend, the more upgrade you are going to get. You can shop in a real store which has good sales staff. Discussing with a person with the camera in hand would probably give you more for your money than just advice from strangers on the Net.
Your preference about weight, size and needs are more important than MY opinion as far as you should be concerned. So get to a store, handle different models, ask for their pros & cons, see how much you are ready to spend. Just watch out so that you don't end up over spending, with the wishful thinking that a better camera will let you take better pictures. This road can be costly, very costly and you might end up with something you don't need.
Good luck.
The more money you are ready to spend, the more upgrade you are going to get. You can shop in a real store which has good sales staff. Discussing with a person with the camera in hand would probably give you more for your money than just advice from strangers on the Net.
Your preference about weight, size and needs are more important than MY opinion as far as you should be concerned. So get to a store, handle different models, ask for their pros & cons, see how much you are ready to spend. Just watch out so that you don't end up over spending, with the wishful thinking that a better camera will let you take better pictures. This road can be costly, very costly and you might end up with something you don't need.
Good luck.
Sorry, ya I guess If forgot a few details. I've had the D3200 for several years, never used it much. Got back into it this year. I only have some basic lenses for it, 18-55 kit lens and a 55-300. So, the banker(wife) says I can upgrade, budget around 5k for camera and lenses. I am wanting to do landscape, some macro and in the future maybe some astro night stuff. Planning trips to places like Bryce Canyon and Arches along with Hawaii next year. I am just wondering if I should go the FX route or just stick with the 3200 and get some really good lenses.
Fred Kingston
Senior Member
D500
Danno
Senior Member
I would upgrade the body at least to a D7100 or D7200. That would give you $3500-4000 for good glass. FX is good for landscape but there are good wide angle lens for DX... But that's my 2 cents. I would make all the glass FX though for the next new body
Sent from my SM-T530NU using Tapatalk
Sent from my SM-T530NU using Tapatalk
This right here is the correct answer. If the camera can get you by with great images, and you are fine with it. Keep it. No need to spend on another body, unless there is something about the camera that is holding you back. If you shoot in full auto mode, or keep things in one of the auto settings (ie A, P, S) then the camera is doing most of the work and you will probably feel better expanding on your lens collection.
Do keep in mind that that there is one thing that will outlast a better body... and that is glass.
I recently upgraded to a D7100 from a D3300 and have no regrets. The camera shops online have some killer deals if ya look hard enough. I have no doubts this camera will serve me well for a couple of years before I upgrade again. Now I am going to concentrate on good glass. I got spoiled on a borrowed 2.8 70-200 not to long ago, so that will be my next big purchase.
For now I'm debating a couple of older ais nikkor micro lenses vs a couple of newer Sigma macros...
$5k will get you a heck of a set up though.
For now I'm debating a couple of older ais nikkor micro lenses vs a couple of newer Sigma macros...
$5k will get you a heck of a set up though.
Well said,
Don Kuykendall_RIP
RIP :(
The two lenses you have are probably your weak link if you move up to a new DX camera. I had those two when I moved from the D5100 to the D7100. The shots actually looked better on the D5100. I upgraded to better glass and the results on the D7100 were so much better with the upgraded glass.
The D7100/D7200 has a lot of advantages over the D3#00 series like better access to change settings and one I really like is the weather sealing. I did not worry about getting caught out in the rain with my D7100. (Not water proof but weather resistant) I also like being able to change settings without having to dig into the menu system for everything.
I shot in Zion, Bryce, Red Canyon, Canyonlands, Arches and the Grand Canyon September 2015 with my D7100. For that trip I used my Tokina 11-16 a lot. You really need a wide angle for those areas. If you want to see a lot of these photos you can see them on my Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/dkuykendall/photos_albums. That will give you a real world look at that camera. Lenses used would be the Nikon 18-140, Nikon 70-300 and the Tokina 11-16
The D7100/D7200 has a lot of advantages over the D3#00 series like better access to change settings and one I really like is the weather sealing. I did not worry about getting caught out in the rain with my D7100. (Not water proof but weather resistant) I also like being able to change settings without having to dig into the menu system for everything.
I shot in Zion, Bryce, Red Canyon, Canyonlands, Arches and the Grand Canyon September 2015 with my D7100. For that trip I used my Tokina 11-16 a lot. You really need a wide angle for those areas. If you want to see a lot of these photos you can see them on my Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/dkuykendall/photos_albums. That will give you a real world look at that camera. Lenses used would be the Nikon 18-140, Nikon 70-300 and the Tokina 11-16
Blade Canyon
Senior Member
If you see some Facebook "likes" from strangers, I'm one of them.
Don Kuykendall_RIP
RIP :(
You can always friend me. Do PM me to tell me your real name so I know who you are. LOL
Dave?
Blade Canyon
Senior Member
Hah, I don't even use my real name on Facebook. As a working professional, I don't want someone looking me up and seeing all the fun goofy stuff that gets posted on FB or anywhere else. If someone looks hard enough, they can figure out who I really am, but there's no point to making it easy.
I'm going to be the odd person here and suggest a D610 with a wide angle (FX glass). That will help cover a lot of your landscape stuff. You mentioned some astro night stuff. The low light capabilities of the D610 will really help prevent so much noise that you'd get from your existing body and even from some of the other more expensive DX bodies.
Tamron's 24-70mm f/2.8 with VR (whatever term they call it) would work quite well for some of your landscape desires. Nikon's 70-300mm f/4.5-5.6 VR is another stellar lens that won't break the budget. Both of these are FX glass. Then you can decide on which macro lens and possibly a wider prime for your astro night work. Even a 14mm Rokinon lens would fit the bill for that.
EDIT: And I suggest selling the 2 lenses you currently own to add a little more to the budget. Perhaps keep your current body as a back up.
Tamron's 24-70mm f/2.8 with VR (whatever term they call it) would work quite well for some of your landscape desires. Nikon's 70-300mm f/4.5-5.6 VR is another stellar lens that won't break the budget. Both of these are FX glass. Then you can decide on which macro lens and possibly a wider prime for your astro night work. Even a 14mm Rokinon lens would fit the bill for that.
EDIT: And I suggest selling the 2 lenses you currently own to add a little more to the budget.
Perhaps keep your current body as a back up.
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Greetings from Oregon.
Get the camera that best fits your hand, your eye, and your wallet. (It might be that you already own it, although the D5500 and the D7100/D7200, and a great many others, all offer upgrades.) But good glass is a must for whatever body you want to attach it to, so give some real consideration to the lenses that you choose as well the camera body you ultimately decide on.
You also can find a great deal of online help by running comparisons of one Nikon vs. another, paying particular attention to the Pros and Cons of each model to determine the one that checks off the most boxes on your wish list.
Get the camera that best fits your hand, your eye, and your wallet. (It might be that you already own it, although the D5500 and the D7100/D7200, and a great many others, all offer upgrades.) But good glass is a must for whatever body you want to attach it to, so give some real consideration to the lenses that you choose as well the camera body you ultimately decide on.
You also can find a great deal of online help by running comparisons of one Nikon vs. another, paying particular attention to the Pros and Cons of each model to determine the one that checks off the most boxes on your wish list.