Which Nikon DSLR?

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CarbonSteel

CarbonSteel

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I have an older Canon EOS DSLR and while it works well, I wanted a Nikon when I bought it, but did not. I am an above average photographer (certainly not a professional), so which
TIA for your thoughts.
 
A refurbished D7500/D7200 is going to be within your budget.

I am not recommending the D3x00/D5x00 series bodies because they lack auto focus fine tuning. AF Fine Tuning helps you calibrate a camera to a lens to eliminate front/back focus issues. This is one of the reasons why I upgraded from D5200 to D7200.

With that said, if you already own some Canon lenses, why not just look into a newer/nicer Canon body (for example EOS 77D)? Canon makes great camears, and I don't think they are any less capable than Nikon.
 
I'm giggling to the moon with my D3200. Body was only $260. You could get some great lenses with the rest of your budget. I got a classic MF Series E 80-200 4.5 for $12 shipped that's sharp as a tack. It shoots video too but lacks image stabilization. The 18-55 kit lens with IS might help with that.
 
Originally Posted by tomcat27
What type of photography? Nature, sports, indoor, outdoor, urban, travel, architecture?

Nature, outdoor, and travel
 
Originally Posted by Quattro Pete
With that said, if you already own some Canon lenses, why not just look into a newer/nicer Canon body (for example EOS 77D)? Canon makes great camears, and I don't think they are any less capable than Nikon.

Probably the most cost effective route, but I really want a Nikon.
 
From a perspective of multiple decades using Nikon gear, don't waste your time with the "kit" and the poor lenses that come with the kit.

Just get the body you can afford, and one good quality lens like the 50mm F1.4 prime lens. This is an inexpensive lens that is incredible in low light (at F1.4) and will give you professional results.
 
Originally Posted by SOHCman
From a perspective of multiple decades using Nikon gear, don't waste your time with the "kit" and the poor lenses that come with the kit.

Just get the body you can afford, and one good quality lens like the 50mm F1.4 prime lens. This is an inexpensive lens that is incredible in low light (at F1.4) and will give you professional results.


Well the standard kit lense is the 18-55 which is a somewhat limited range. Gets decent reviews though, but I stopped using it when I got the 18-105mm, the popular one now is the 18-140mm. The 18-200mm is also popular but a bit more money and some don't like it as it has compromises with that large a range.

The refurbs are also a pretty good deal. I've just been getting the d5x00 line. Usually the refurbs have between 1-1000 pictures on them and when the shutter is good for 100,000+, that's very low mileage for a decent price cut. Sometimes they have decent deals around black friday, but not always.

My main lenses are the 18-105 and the Sigma 10-20mm. Have the 70-300mm, 55-200, 35mm 1.8, and a couple others but those two are the main ones and I hardly ever use the other ones. The external flash is probably the other main item I use.
 
Given your intended use the lenses are more important than the body. I asked because I have shot semi pro and when I started shooting basketball I struggled a bit until I found a sensor that could handle low light without noise. I have shot a ton of varied assignments over the last 6 years putting 100,000 shots on my newest body.
 
This thread is of interest to me because I own and use an ancient Nikon D40. A whopping 6 MP, but it still shoots very good portraits
I'd get a Nikon D7500 for it's 4K capability.
It use to be Canon and Nikon had distinctively different color tones. I don't know if that is still true today or not.
 
Originally Posted by SOHCman


Just get the body you can afford, and one good quality lens like the 50mm F1.4 prime lens.


Certainly can't argue with a 50/1.4 but OP's first interest is nature which to me means fauna which usually means not close..
 
Originally Posted by AZjeff
Originally Posted by SOHCman
Just get the body you can afford, and one good quality lens like the 50mm F1.4 prime lens.
Certainly can't argue with a 50/1.4 but OP's first interest is nature which to me means fauna which usually means not close..
I also take close-ups of plant life. Loving the advice so far!
 
Well if you can wait, go on over to slickdeals.net and set up an alert for Nikon and see what pops up. I think the D7500 now is $899 as a refurb. You could also go full frame if you're really into it. Anyway, I also suggest going over to dpreview.com for more detailed info.

The D40 is still a decent camera, used one for years. Finally ended up giving it away to some kids. For web purposes, a 21 megapixel camera is kinda overkill.
 
There are so many variables with photography equipment that you can drive yourself crazy trying to decide what to get. For the price range you're looking at and intended purposes, I would recommend something like the Nikon D5600 with the 18-140 lens.

The general rule of thumb is to spend more on the glass than on the body. But again, you can drive yourself crazy with all the options and spend a ton of money to boot.

I do recommend against those camera kits with 2 or 3 lenses. While they're not bad glass and you can take surprisingly good photos with them, it's a pain in the backside to carry extra lenses with you in the field. Having to change lenses under adverse conditions is also a pain. I have had to send camera bodies back to Nikon because I changed lens at the wrong time. One "do-it-all" lens saves you from that. Do they have weak spots? Of course! They all do. But the advantage of having just one single item to grab and go is amazing.

1st Rule of Photography: Have a camera. An iPhone in hand beats the professional kit back at the hotel room because it's too heavy.

2nd Rule: Be there. You can't take a picture of the sunset if you're not out there with a camera.

Bottom line- It really doesn't matter what you buy as much as having a camera with you and learning to use what you have.
 
My inclination would be a used/refurbed D600/D610(watch for an oily shutter on the D600) with the 24-85mm f/3.5-4.5 VR lens that's sold kitted with these. I actually use that particular combo a fair bit, even though I use a D800 as my main DSLR.

I am NOT a fan of the D3x00 and D5x00 line of cameras, and I think that an "above average amateur" would have the same dislikes of them that I do. In particular I dislike cameras that don't have a top LCD. The D3300 and D3400(and presumably also the just-announced D3500) lack the "minimum aperture switch" which means that they won't meter at all with lenses that have an aperture ring. That doesn't really matter to a good part of the target market for these cameras.

In the DX(crop sensor) realm, I think that the D7x000 bodies are something of a sweet spot. They will autofocus with all AF lenses(older bodies may have issues with AF-P lenses, and lower end bodies can't autofocus "screwdriver" lenses). The D7000-7200 all will also meter and allow aperture priority with AI and AI-S manual focus lenses(the D7500 doesn't have an AI coupling tab, so can't meter with non-CPU lenses). I'm also not wild about the D7500 because it gets rid of the second card slot.

That's just my two cents, though. I'm not afraid of buying used, and for $1200 I might try to stretch my budget and get a used D800 and 24-85...but then I'm also a full frame nut and likely won't buy another crop sensor camera.
 
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