Replacing Aging Camera Gear

[jdalphin92]

I've recently found an interest in photography again as my new job offers tons of time off.  With that, I'm looking to replace my aging gear.  I've rocked a Nikon D60 and Nikon D300 for years and years and it desperately needs to be replaced.  I've passed through some big box stores recently and have really wanted to get some on hand experience with the Sony lineup of mirrorless cameras.  I have zero experience with mirrorless cameras, but I'm considering the switch as I've heard some impressive things about them and I like their compact size.  Switching from one brand to another or even switching to a different style of camera isn't a big issue as all of my gear is dated and DX lenses.  Should I consider the mirrorless market, or just replace what I have with a newer body?  

[badreg]

Budget? An A7III is my recommendation for someone who is starting out fresh, and needs a generalist camera. Mirrorless is great, but you should definitely go and handle one before buying one. DSLRs are more bulky, but they're not going away any time soon due to the better battery life and ergonomics.

[jdalphin92]

3 minutes ago, badreg said:

Budget? An A7III is my recommendation for someone who is starting out fresh, and needs a generalist camera. Mirrorless is great, but you should definitely go and handle one before buying one. DSLRs are more bulky, but they're not going away any time soon due to the better battery life and ergonomics.

I've looked into the A7iii, read great things about it and absolutely love the video footage that comes out of them (which is another reason I want to start budgeting to pick up new camera gear).  I'm just unsure about actually making the move.  I've loved my Nikon gear and shot on many other Nikon products, but switching is an idea.  Is the A7iii worth it over say a mid level D500 or a used D800?  I don't do any kind of professional content as my skills are no where near that good.  It's more so a hobby than anything.

[cc143]

You could try renting out some gear before you spend thousands of dollars. You could also look at nikon's DX lineup alowing you to use your current glass, provided its worth it, the d500 is a great camera. 

 

Also, other than the a7iii, the fuji xt3 is a great option,and don't be fooled by the aps-c sensor, its a great performer as far as mirrorless systems go, with great lens options. 

 

I would also still consider the dslr route, so many are selling prices have really come down, you could get a d850 and a couple of G2 Tamron lenses or older D series nikkors for much lower than what you'd pay for the Sony equivalents, same goes for the Canon 5d4, both objectively very capable cameras, the d850 might be the best current camera around, while the 5d4, although dated in performance has the advantage of the EF system around it. 

[badreg]

13 hours ago, jdalphin92 said:

I've looked into the A7iii, read great things about it and absolutely love the video footage that comes out of them (which is another reason I want to start budgeting to pick up new camera gear).  I'm just unsure about actually making the move.  I've loved my Nikon gear and shot on many other Nikon products, but switching is an idea.  Is the A7iii worth it over say a mid level D500 or a used D800?  I don't do any kind of professional content as my skills are no where near that good.  It's more so a hobby than anything.

If it's purely a hobby and you're considering a D500, then a APS-C system like the Fuji XT line makes a lot of sense. It's more compact and the entire lens system is built around APS-C. I wouldn't go into the Sony, Nikon or Canon ecosystems unless you are committed to full frame.

 

And how cheap you can get away with depends on what you want to shoot and what you see yourself doing in the future. While there are certain genres of photography that are heavily dependent on equipment, the vast majority is not. Professional grade equipment does not necessarily superior image quality over consumer grade stuff. What you get is more robustness and reliability and ease of support and replacement if something breaks. As an amateur, those factors don't really apply to you, so keep that in mind.

[YellowJersey]

What's your budget? That would really narrow things down.

 

My picks would be:

DSLR (full frame) Nikon D850 w/ a few Sigma Art or Tamron G2 lenses
DSLR (APS-C) Nikon D500
Mirrorless (full frame) Sony A7III
Mirrorless (APS-C) Fuji XT-3

[jdalphin92]

On 1/8/2019 at 8:48 PM, YellowJersey said:

What's your budget? That would really narrow things down.

 

My picks would be:

DSLR (full frame) Nikon D850 w/ a few Sigma Art or Tamron G2 lenses
DSLR (APS-C) Nikon D500
Mirrorless (full frame) Sony A7III
Mirrorless (APS-C) Fuji XT-3

Probably in the 2k range.  

On 1/8/2019 at 9:49 AM, cc143 said:

You could try renting out some gear before you spend thousands of dollars. You could also look at nikon's DX lineup alowing you to use your current glass, provided its worth it, the d500 is a great camera. 

 

Also, other than the a7iii, the fuji xt3 is a great option,and don't be fooled by the aps-c sensor, its a great performer as far as mirrorless systems go, with great lens options. 

 

I would also still consider the dslr route, so many are selling prices have really come down, you could get a d850 and a couple of G2 Tamron lenses or older D series nikkors for much lower than what you'd pay for the Sony equivalents, same goes for the Canon 5d4, both objectively very capable cameras, the d850 might be the best current camera around, while the 5d4, although dated in performance has the advantage of the EF system around it. 

I'm more familiar with the dSLR route as that is what I've shot with for the past 10 years or so.  

 

I had completely forgotten that Nikon had just released their mirrorless options.  The only thing I don't like about the Z6/Z7 is that they completely redesigned the lens mount and in order for the older style F mounts to fit, you have to buy a nearly 300 dollar mount which would make the assortment of glass that I already have work with the new Z mount.  With that in mind, is the Z6/Z7 worth considering or looking for a used Dx/Fx Nikon body and spending the remaining cash on new lenses?

[YellowJersey]

52 minutes ago, jdalphin92 said:

Probably in the 2k range.  

I'm more familiar with the dSLR route as that is what I've shot with for the past 10 years or so.  

 

I had completely forgotten that Nikon had just released their mirrorless options.  The only thing I don't like about the Z6/Z7 is that they completely redesigned the lens mount and in order for the older style F mounts to fit, you have to buy a nearly 300 dollar mount which would make the assortment of glass that I already have work with the new Z mount.  With that in mind, is the Z6/Z7 worth considering or looking for a used Dx/Fx Nikon body and spending the remaining cash on new lenses?

 I'm not crazy about the Z6 or Z7. While they're impressive, I'd wait until the system has matured a bit and more lenses are out.

Benefits of DSLR:

-tend to be more robust and durable with better weather sealing

-less sensor cleaning

-better battery life
-more extensive lens options due to mature lens lineup
-Nikon DSLR 3D tracking continuous autofocus

Benefits of mirrorless:

-can see your exposure in-viewfinder

-smaller/lighter cameras and lenses (though some lenses offer minimal weight savings)

-no autofocus microadjustments required

-USB charging (on some models)
-in-body image stablisation

 

 Your budget excludes the D850, but the D500, A7III, and XT3 are still on the table.

 What's your application? What do you shoot?
 

[cc143]

12 hours ago, jdalphin92 said:

Probably in the 2k range.  

I'm more familiar with the dSLR route as that is what I've shot with for the past 10 years or so.  

 

I had completely forgotten that Nikon had just released their mirrorless options.  The only thing I don't like about the Z6/Z7 is that they completely redesigned the lens mount and in order for the older style F mounts to fit, you have to buy a nearly 300 dollar mount which would make the assortment of glass that I already have work with the new Z mount.  With that in mind, is the Z6/Z7 worth considering or looking for a used Dx/Fx Nikon body and spending the remaining cash on new lenses?

Well true, but at the same time, the writing is on the wal, the F mount is dying. With that in mind, you have to consider that given near as native performance of the z6/7 with the adapter, and an F mount lens, you have the added benefit of being able to buy z mount lenses down the line which you wouldn't have with a dslr. See the point. 

 

So if you just consider the adapter part of the cost of the camera, then its another story. In that sense, the Z mount is a benefit rather than drawback of the z6/z7 and the lack of the ability to use z lenses on a nikon dslr is indeed a drawback. 

10 hours ago, YellowJersey said:

 snip

 

People get caught up in the mirrorless vs dslr thing way too much. The question you should be asking is if it is a  better camera. 

 

I can see my exposure in the viewfinder of my dlsr as well, its called a lightmeter and its been around for ages. I can't frame with an evf or see action in fast changing light or a bunch of other stuff. An evf is an issue for the style of shooting of many, and many will not be able to adjust. It is subjective. I am having loads of trouble myself. I find that I get a lot more keeper images when using my 5d vs my xt2 and a lot of it has to do with the use of the evf and that fact that I've been using an ovf for 15 years. And its not a matter of adjusting any more, I've been using an evf for the past 2-3 years. It can be a drawback for some. 

 

That is good in some situations. In others, you ahve cameras that are harder to hold and work. Most dslrs fit in your hand like a glove, even the best thought out mirrorless cameras don't and if you do make it so that it does, what you end up with is often a DSLR. Even the new Canon and Nikon, which are large and made by companies with years of experience still don't compare with the "ease of use" of my 5d, on which everything is just where you expect it. 

 

Fair. 

 

The last 2 are not exclusive benefits of a mirrorless camera in that they can be done on a DSLR as well. Pentax had IBIS on one of their bodies and usb charging is not always optimal in that it can damage your camera and batteries and b not restricted to mirrorless use, its just that its not really necessary for a dslr since the battery lasts for ever anyway. If you just carry a spare, you have no need for usb charging. 

 

Finally, the z6, z and eos r could be better that is true. It is also true that they are not the best option for everyone. It is also true that they are a great option for many and do have distinct advantages over the competition i.e. Sony and Fuji. 

[jdalphin92]

On 1/13/2019 at 9:52 PM, YellowJersey said:

 I'm not crazy about the Z6 or Z7. While they're impressive, I'd wait until the system has matured a bit and more lenses are out.

Benefits of DSLR:

-tend to be more robust and durable with better weather sealing

-less sensor cleaning

-better battery life
-more extensive lens options due to mature lens lineup
-Nikon DSLR 3D tracking continuous autofocus

Benefits of mirrorless:

-can see your exposure in-viewfinder

-smaller/lighter cameras and lenses (though some lenses offer minimal weight savings)

-no autofocus microadjustments required

-USB charging (on some models)
-in-body image stablisation

 

 Your budget excludes the D850, but the D500, A7III, and XT3 are still on the table.

 What's your application? What do you shoot?
 

I'm wanting to get back into photographing drag racing, sports, and in my spare time when I'm feeling adventurous and want to go for a hike, nature.

[cc143]

What sort of sports do you shoot? 

 

The d500 is a great deal for a sports camera and does pretty well in low light as well. Its a dslr, which means the entire kit will b bigger and heavier, which may be suboptimal for hiking, but at the same time, the ergonomics and handling are much better than anything mirrorless systems have to offer for fast action. If you picked that up, a wideangle for aps-c and soething like a tamron 70-200mm G2 you'd be set.

 

Then again, the xt3 is smaller and dinkier with worse battery life, but it shoots very fast has a deep enough buffer, amazing glass, does video excellently... its a jack of all trades. 

 

That coupled with a 10-24mm and maybe something like a 50-140mm will give you less reach, but is certainly a great contender and will be smaller and lighter as well, which has the benefit that you can use a smaller tripod as well. The caveat is I'd personally go with the kit with the 18-55mm since its an excellent lens and really makes sense to buy as a kit. 

 

EDIT: I have just remembered that Nikon is rumoured to be releasing a d760 this year as well as a followup to the d750. I'm not aware of its rumoured specs, but can imageine it will be adequate for sports even since you can really make do with 7-8 fps. Even more importantly if they do, given the state of the market it is probably going to flop. Given the pattern of used prices of the 6d mk2, which was somewhat of a commercial flop as well, if you were to wait until a month or 2 after its release you could be able to pick up quite a bargain. 

[YellowJersey]

4 hours ago, jdalphin92 said:

I'm wanting to get back into photographing drag racing, sports, and in my spare time when I'm feeling adventurous and want to go for a hike, nature.

I'm with cc143 on this one. The D500 is probably the best one to look at along with a Tamron G2 70-200 2.8.

 But I'd encourage you to have a play with various cameras in store or by renting, if possible. There's always a subjective element to shooting with a particular camera and while one camera may objectively on paper seem like the best fit, sometimes there's just something about one camera or another that makes it just feel better.