Which should i choose?

joeinmiami · February 18, 2011

Hello there:

My present camera is a Nikon D80 that, so far, has serve me well. Since I am getting more experience in digital photography I am considering graduating to a more advance, but not necessarily professional, camera.

I have been looking a the d300s, but this is a 2 1/2 year old design, taking into consideration how fast the technology moves, it may be close to being obsolete.

Then there is the D700, but I ask myself, do I really want a full frame camera?

The biggest problem I have with a full frame is that it will reduce the effective range of my telephoto lenses. And I do like to use them as often as possible.

I really do not care about taking movies with the camera, but if it has that ability, so much the better. It would be nice if the camera has a movable preview screen

So my question is: Which camera should I consider among ALL the cameras made by NIKON? My present budget is around $2,000

I know that answering this question may be difficult because the number of available cameras from Nikon and the preferences from the different users, but any help will be appreciated.

Thanks in advance

Joe :scratch

ziggy53 · February 18, 2011

joeinmiami wrote: »

... I have been looking a the d300s, but this is a 2 1/2 year old design, taking into consideration how fast the technology moves, it may be close to being obsolete. ...

The Nikon D300s is still a very modern camera and, if it has the desired feature set and quality, should not be discounted. The D7000 has the latest Nikon imaging technology and it's a very desirable price point. Either would be a major upgrade from the D80.

angevin1 · February 18, 2011

Hey Joe!

Fortunately you got a decent budget with tons of latitude.

I'd vote with Ziggy53. Nothing at all wrong with the D300s model if that is what you need. and yet the latest makes sense due to it being: the latest; D7000. One idea too is to go down to your local Camera Shop and hand hold a few of these jewels, just to see.

I will toss the D700 into the ring because you mention on your Website shooting since you were 15. And one thing that I sorely missed on crop cams was the full frame (like a 35mm film cam). And of course, I got that back with the D700.

Qarik · February 18, 2011

it sounds like the d7000 would be great upgrade for you.

borrowlenses.com · February 18, 2011

I'm with Qarik -- have you considered the D7000?

basflt · February 18, 2011

agree with ^^^^
i did actually bought the D7000 last week , and i like it , so far

not more advanced , just better , improved

ThatCanonGuy · February 18, 2011

The D7000 is in the same line as the D80, just newer. The D300s is a step up. Just a piece of info. And no, the 300s is not too old. When it came out, it was a really good camera. It has not changed since.

Qarik · February 18, 2011

ThatCanonGuy wrote: »

The D7000 is in the same line as the D80, just newer. The D300s is a step up. Just a piece of info. And no, the 300s is not too old. When it came out, it was a really good camera. It has not changed since.

Sorry but the D7000 is quantum leap over the D80..not "just newer". The image sensor alone is best crop sensor in the market wrt to ISO performance. You get 6M more pixels and 2 more more stops of clean ISO over the D80. The AF module is much faster (doble the FPS), more accurate, more robust with more focal points over a larger spread. You also get a metal body vs plastic, 1080p video with AF if you care for it, new image processor, etc.

ThatCanonGuy · February 18, 2011

I know. It's like a 30D, or maybe even 40D, vs a 10D. But I'm just saying the 300s is higher in the lineup.

joeinmiami · February 21, 2011

I was out of town this weekend, that is why I did not responded sooner.

I was unaware of the D7000. I believed to be a entry level camera that is why I did not look at it that much, but, after all the responses, I went back to do some research on it.

Ken Rockwell claims is the best camera Nikon has on the market as of this time, but he did mention that it may have a connectivity issue with third party lenses and he mentioned Sigma in particular. My prefer telephoto lens is the Sigma Bigma. Does any one has notice a connectivity problem between this camera and Sigma lenses?.
Most of the reviews are very positive on the D7000, however I found a couple of web sites were they claim that photos coming out of this camera tend to be on the soft side. Being picky about sharpness, I am a bit worry. Is this true?

Again, thanks again on the great responses I have gotten so far.

Joe

ziggy53 · February 21, 2011

Our own user "Daniel Gin" (username: "dangin") from Chicago has posted some samples that you might take a look at:

http://photos.dangin.com/Reviews/D7000/14277488_68qFn#1056001149_2addd

Matthew Saville · February 24, 2011

I recently tested a D7000 side by side with a D700, and have used the D300 for years as well as Nikon's older 10 MP sensor. (D80, D200)

I have to say, the D7000 has an amazing sensor. Sharpness is great even on some of my older lenses that you would think are cutting it close with resolving power.

I would buy the D7000 hands-down if I were a hobbyist or serious photographer. I am especially happy about the addition of a built in intervalometer, (for time lapse shooting) and a few other things. It is not just an update or upgrade from the D80 / D90 lineup, it is definitely a quantum leap when you consider some of the more advanced and obscure specifications. (Oh, I remembered another thing! Dual card slots! Even the 7D doesn't have dual card slots!) Anyways it's such a big leap, that you wonder if they'll ever make a D300s replacement!

HOWEVER, as a full-time professional I kinda don't like the slightly more amateur control layout and customization. Yes, the camera is VERY capable and powerful, and the buttons etc. are just a preference thing. I just want all my cameras to have their buttons and controls be as similar as possible.

Therefore, I'm waiting to see if a D400 ever comes; THAT would be a DX camera that I definitely buy for professional use along side a D700 etc. Like I said the D7000 is such a quantum leap that you almost wonder if a D400 is even in development now, but I am hoping so.

But yeah, as a hobbyist or serious shooter who isn't already accustomed to the exact layout of the professional controls, the D7000 is simply an AMAZING camera. I would get it hands-down as opposed to the D300s. I'd only, only buy the D300s if it needed to be used professionally as a backup to a D700 or other camera, because of where the controls are etc. Otherwise, the D7000 is high-performance enough for most anything.

=Matt=

jonh68 · February 24, 2011

ThatCanonGuy wrote: »

I know. It's like a 30D, or maybe even 40D, vs a 10D. But I'm just saying the 300s is higher in the lineup.

It may be higher up on the charts and have a higher price, but many reviewers rate the d7000 as the better camera. I wouldn't get a d300s over a d7000. I would either wait for the d400 or get the d7000.

chrisjohnson · February 24, 2011

jonh68 wrote: »

It may be higher up on the charts and have a higher price, but many reviewers rate the d7000 as the better camera. I wouldn't get a d300s over a d7000. I would either wait for the d400 or get the d7000.

I used a D7000 a couple of weeks ago. Fantastic kit - state of the art in this class, as far as I can see, and well within your budget.

Which should i choose?

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