matt10nick
New member
I'm looking for some opinions on my next camera purchase. My wife and I currently share a D200 we've been using for the last 6 years. Before that, I had an old 8008s. We've been waiting on a D400, but we finally got tired of waiting and placed an order for a D800. My problem is I'm still not sure I want the D800. I think I might be happier with a D400 / 600 if it ever comes out. By the time I buy the camera and the 28 – 300 mm lens, I will probably spend $2000 more than I would on the theoretical D400. Since I'd get the 800 sooner (hopefully), and get full frame, I think I'm OK with that. But, I want to make sure there's nothing I'm over looking. I'd hate to own a $3000 camera and wish I had bought something cheaper.
Here's some quick info about us and what we do. We want a general purpose SLR, we photograph our life so it's a little of everything. Since we hike a lot, we do a lot nature work. When our kids do sports, we photograph that too. We're both hobbyist, but my wife does occasional work for her company's marking material. We have a pair of preschoolers now that limits our time and options for shooting so big outings with the gear don't happen. The tripod, filters, flashes, etc... stays at home for the most part. We typically carry the body and 1, maybe 2 lenses (mostly the 18-200 and / or the 50 mm). We are generally opportunistic photographers. When we go out, we like to shoot, but we rarely go out specifically to get photos. Our lens collection is somewhat limited. We have a 18-200, 20 mm f2.8, 50 mm f1.8, and a lens baby. I would like an 105 micro and 70 – 200 f2.8 but I can't justify spending that much money on a lens that will only leave the house twice a year. I'll get those when my kids are older.
What we like about the D200 is the solid weather sealed body and easy of changing the settings. The big feature we want in a new camera is higher ISO and better color quality. I know a lot of people don't care about high ISO, but kids and flashes don't always go together.
My biggest concerns with the D800 is weight and the 36 MP. While the D800 doesn't wight much more than the D200, the 28-300 is a ½ lbs heavier than the 18-200. My wife already doesn't like to carry that lens because it's too big. As for the image size, since we rarely print beyond 8x10, 10 MP has been fine for us. We can live with 36 MP as long as it's doesn't hurt the images. My concern is that everyone is saying to put this camera on a tripod. For 99 shots out of 100, we hand hold our camera. I assume that the impact on the image is only evident when you blow it up, and if I print 8x10s, hand held is fine. But, I'd like someone to confirm that. Anything I'm missing or not thinking about? Has anyone heard of any feature in the D400 / D600 that the D800 will lack?
Sorry, this was a long post but I've tried to answer questions I know people will ask.
Here's some quick info about us and what we do. We want a general purpose SLR, we photograph our life so it's a little of everything. Since we hike a lot, we do a lot nature work. When our kids do sports, we photograph that too. We're both hobbyist, but my wife does occasional work for her company's marking material. We have a pair of preschoolers now that limits our time and options for shooting so big outings with the gear don't happen. The tripod, filters, flashes, etc... stays at home for the most part. We typically carry the body and 1, maybe 2 lenses (mostly the 18-200 and / or the 50 mm). We are generally opportunistic photographers. When we go out, we like to shoot, but we rarely go out specifically to get photos. Our lens collection is somewhat limited. We have a 18-200, 20 mm f2.8, 50 mm f1.8, and a lens baby. I would like an 105 micro and 70 – 200 f2.8 but I can't justify spending that much money on a lens that will only leave the house twice a year. I'll get those when my kids are older.
What we like about the D200 is the solid weather sealed body and easy of changing the settings. The big feature we want in a new camera is higher ISO and better color quality. I know a lot of people don't care about high ISO, but kids and flashes don't always go together.
My biggest concerns with the D800 is weight and the 36 MP. While the D800 doesn't wight much more than the D200, the 28-300 is a ½ lbs heavier than the 18-200. My wife already doesn't like to carry that lens because it's too big. As for the image size, since we rarely print beyond 8x10, 10 MP has been fine for us. We can live with 36 MP as long as it's doesn't hurt the images. My concern is that everyone is saying to put this camera on a tripod. For 99 shots out of 100, we hand hold our camera. I assume that the impact on the image is only evident when you blow it up, and if I print 8x10s, hand held is fine. But, I'd like someone to confirm that. Anything I'm missing or not thinking about? Has anyone heard of any feature in the D400 / D600 that the D800 will lack?
Sorry, this was a long post but I've tried to answer questions I know people will ask.