Let's get more Nikon specific

As I said in my other page, I'm a Nikon shooter. Have been for years. This page covers some basic information about the current Nikon line up. 

Let’s get more Nikon specific

Now you’ve had hands on the cameras and decided Nikon is a good fit. What model should you choose? Nikon has been at this business for a LOT of years. Longer than most of us here have been around. Let’s start at the (recent) beginning. I’m going to go as far back as the D3x00 and D5x00 series bodies. This will cover us back to over 10 years ago. There are older Nikon DSLRs out there, but that would just make this unnecessarily complicated. As I mentioned previously, all of the Nikon DSLR (D-series) cameras use the Nikon F-mount for their lenses. (As opposed to the new Z-mount on the Nikon mirrorless lineup.)

The Nikon DX (APS-C) Bodies

Nikon’s DX series includes the D3x00, D5x00, D7x00 cameras, as well as the professional D500. There is also one Z-series mirrorless, the Z50.

Nikon D3x00 series

The D3x00 series are Nikon’s entry level DSLR camera bodies. The series started with the D3000. The main focus of this series is to keep the cost low while getting you into a Nikon camera. Many of the internal components, such as image sensors, are shared with the D5x00 series. To save cost, some unnecessary features are not built in, such as WiFi and a touch-sensitive screen.

This series has come a long way on features and image quality in the last 10 years. The current model is the D3500, but anything from the D3300 or newer is a great place to start. The older (D3200 and previous) bodies do not support the latest generation (AF-P) lenses and have much lower resolution sensors, so I don’t recommend them unless they are super cheap. The D3300 and later sport a 24 megapixel (MP) class sensor and can shoot up to 5 frames per second (fps). I’ll mention a few other features as I compare this with the next model. 

There are a couple of specific features that are missing from the D3500 that I think are worth mentioning. The D3500 does not have a microphone port. If you are going to use a DSLR for video, it is generally recommended to use an external microphone. The in-body microphone will pick up the focus motor noise from even the quietest lens. The other feature this is missing is an intervalometer. This allows for things like time lapse. If interval photography is something you know you’ll do, jump to the D5x00 series or higher.

Nikon D5x00 series

The D5x000 series is what Nikon calls the “advanced entry-level” body. The D5200 and newer bodies also use a 24 MP APS-C type sensor. In fact, the image sensor on the D3500 and D5600 is the same, which means the image quality will be the same. There are a number of added features with the D5x00 series. If you are going to use any of these features, consider this series over the D3x00. These are specifically from the D5600, but will be similar in older models.

• 39 vs 11 focus points. This means that you have more options when choosing what the camera is focused on when using auto-focus. (You won’t always want the focus in the center, so more options is a good thing.)
• Built-in WiFi. This allows more functionality with the SnapBridge app, including remote Live View, not just remote shutter. 
• The back screen is touch sensitive and fully articulating. The fully articulating screen is something I miss and wish that Nikon would bring it to the higher end bodies. The higher bodies only tilt their screens.
• It has a microphone port.
• It can create timelapse movies without any additional hardware.

I had a D5600 for about 2 years before I upgraded. I only sold it because with my other camera bodies, it just sat on the shelf.

Nikon D7x00 series

The D7x00 series is Nikon’s “prosumer” or enthusiast camera. It brings a number of features from the professional series bodies without so many that it becomes a professional model. The current model, the D7500, shares the same image sensor and image processor as the professional D500 body without the sticker-shock. It also shares the same auto-focus system, though with less focus points. This is one of my current camera bodies. Unlike the D3x00 and D5x00 series, upgrading here will have an impact on image quality especially in low-light. The D7100 and D7200 are also worth looking at, especially if you’re coming from the older (D90, D100, D200, etc.) DX bodies. 

One thing a lot of people will catch here is the D7500 has a 21 MP sensor, where the D35/5600 have a 24 MP sensor. It’s true. There’s more resolution on the lower-end cameras, but the 21 MP in the D7500 is a noticeably better sensor. The latest Nikon flagship body, the D6, also has a (very different) 21MP sensor. In a $6500 body. Higher resolution doesn’t always mean better image quality. 

A few other specific features you get with a D7500 here are:

• Secondary control wheel. This is VERY useful when you are manually changing settings like ISO and white balance frequently.
• Higher Max ISO. This means you get better low-light performance.
• 51 focus points.
• Faster top shutter speed (1/8000th D7500 vs. 1/4000th D5600)
• 8 fps continuous shooting vs. 5 fps
• Weather sealed body
• In-body auto-focus motor. Other than the control wheel, I think this is the most important upgrade. This feature allows the body to use older lenses. There are too many lenses to get into specific compatibility. In general any Nikon/Nikkor lens made in the last 20-25 years should be fully compatible.

The D7100 and D7200 have similar specs. One thing Nikon dropped with the D7500 that people dislike is the older bodies had dual card slots like the FX bodies.

Nikon D500

The D500 is the flagship of the Nikon DX line. It is considered a professional camera and comes at a professional price. I’m not going to write too much on this one, because if you’re really looking at a D500 you probably know a lot more about photography than I do. This body is a great example of something I mentioned before. If you aren’t going to use a feature, don’t pay for it. If you’ve got the budget for a D500 and think you’ll use the extras vs the D7500, this is the cream of the crop. You pretty much get more of everything I’ve mentioned previously. More auto-focus points, more fps continuous, 2 storage slots, etc. I never considered this body because it’s out of my budget and as “advanced” of a user as I am, I wouldn’t come close to pushing this camera’s capabilities.

Nikon Z50 Mirrorless

The last entry in the Nikon DX line is also the newest, the Z50 mirrorless. This is also one that I own. It’s my everyday, take everywhere camera. When it comes to image quality the Z50 is on-par with the D7500. But it’s nearly half the weight and significantly smaller than a D7500. The 16-50mm lens Nikon designed for the Z50 is top notch and it’s also very lightweight and compact. While it doesn’t fit as easily in my coat pocket as the a6000 did, it blows the a6000 out of the water in every regard. I’ve read more than one article by pro photographers that have fallen in love with the Z50 as their secondary and dedicated travel camera. That really says a lot about this camera.

Some other technical advantages you’ll see if you compare specifications between the D7500 and Z50 include:

• 209 focus points compared to 51. This is inherent to mirrorless vs. DSLR. The auto-focus system with mirrorless works very differently than DSLR. I would say the D7500 still beats it on focus speed, but not by a lot.
• 11 fps continuous vs. 8 fps.
• Electronic viewfinder vs. optical. Again, this is inherent to mirrorless. Some consider an EVF a disadvantage not an advantage. But mostly it’s personal preference. 
• Uses the new Nikon Z-mount for lenses. This is both an advantage and disadvantage. One advantage is that Z lenses are generally smaller and lighter than equivalent F lenses. There are several other very technical advantages, but I think are out of the scope of this. The disadvantage is that there are only a few Z lenses out today. They are however all top quality lenses. I should also note that you can also use the Nikon FTZ adapter to mount F-mount lenses on a Z-mount body. I recommend buying the FTZ even though I think it’s over-priced. 

My Z50 has definitely become a favorite of mine. It hasn’t replaced my other bodies 100% yet. I still like the optical viewfinders better. But if I could only take 1 camera with me somewhere, this would be the one. (Along with a couple of extra batteries.)

The Nikon FX (full-frame) Bodies

The Nikon FX bodies do not get updated as often as the DX bodies. I think this is mostly because the DX are marketed towards consumers who are used to quick upgrades. When you look back at the last 2-3 updates on the DX lines, it’s all feature changes. The imaging hasn’t changed in 5 or more years. Since the FX lines don’t get updated as often, I’m going to stick with the current models only. 

D610

The D610 is Nikon’s “entry-level” FX body. I put that in quotes because it’s hard to call it entry level. Just like it’s DX cousin, what makes this entry-level is having features removed to save cost. Here are some of the D610’s feature highlights.

• 24.3 MP full-frame sensor
• 6fps continuous shooting
• Dual-card slots
• Weather sealed
• Built in flash
• 39 focus points with 9 cross type points

One glaring feature that’s missing is any wireless connectivity. The good news is you can fix that with an adapter for $50. Even though this is the oldest model Nikon still sells new, it holds its own nicely.

D750

The D750 is Nikon’s enthusiast or prosumer FX body. That puts it somewhere between advanced entry-level and professional, similar to the D7500 in the DX line. But I feel like that sells it a little short. Of all the camera’s in the Nikon lineup, the D750 is the one that everyone compares everything else to. That goes for comparing with other brands as well. When you compare the D750 and the D610, you’ll see a lot of things that match up. Here are a few upgrades compared to the D610.

• Built-in wireless
• Higher max ISO (12,800 compared to 6400)
• 51 focus points with 15 cross type points
• Longer battery life
• Tilting rear screen

The D750 has found its way into many professional photographers bags as well as hobby photographers. It’s probably the most commonly recommended Nikon camera there is today.

D780

I mentioned the D780 previously. It is one of the newest additions to the Nikon family. The D780 is the replacement for the D750, but it’s a little bit more than that. The D780 is the first Nikon DSLR body that has borrowed innovations that were developed for mirrorless. The sensor in the D780 is the same or very closely related to the Z6. This brings a number of improvements. Auto focusing is improved. Video and Live View are significantly improved. There are a slew of other improvements, but they get rather technical. In the end, the D780 is a unique camera right now. In many ways it compares more directly with a Z6 than it does as an upgrade to a D750. If you don’t have a bunch of F-mount glass, it might be a better plan to go to a Z6. Here are a few specific upgrades from the D750.

• Higher Max ISO (51,200 vs 12,800)
• Faster shutter speed (1/8000 vs 1/4000)
• Touch sensitive tilt screen
• 4K video

D850

Just like the D500, if you’re seriously considering a D850, you probably know more than I do, so I’ll keep this short. The D850 is the top of the Nikon semi-pro line. Personally I’d call it a professional model. The biggest difference between the D750/D780 and the D850 is the sensor resolution. The D850 comes in at 45.7 megapixels. Now as I’ve said before, more megapixels doesn’t automatically make it better. But this is an upgrade from a D750. The level of detail you’ll get with a D850 is only rivaled by the Z7. One reason to jump to a D850 is if you plan to do a lot of extra-large (poster size) print work. On the other hand, all this detail comes at a cost. You’ll often hear people talk about how huge the D850 files are and how much horsepower it takes to work with them.

Z5 Mirrorless

The newest addition to the Nikon lineup is the Z5 FX mirrorless body. I bought one to replace my D610. Just like the D610, it's considered "entry-level" only because it has features removed to make it less expensive. It's actually a very nice camera. I'd put it right on par with the D7500 for the bang for the buck award. First, I'll talk about the two places the Z6 has a clear advantage. The Z5 is not as good at shooting video as a Z6. Specifically with a 4K video it gets cropped by 1.7x. (Note, this also applies to 4K timelapses.) This means that you get a fraction of the field of view that you would shooting 1080p. The other clear advantage you get with a Z6 is continuous frames per second rate. The Z5 is limited to 4.5fps vs. the Z6 at 12fps. I rarely ever shoot more than a handful of continuous shots, so this isn't a huge issue for me. If you're shooting sports and wildlife, it could be a deal breaker. For wildlife, I'd actually suggest the Z50 over a Z6. The APS-C crop factor is helpful and 11fps for half the price is on point.

Now that we've covered the few things that the Z5 compromises on, let's talk about all the things the Z5 is good at. The Z5 shares the same EXPEED6 image processor as the Z6 and Z7, but has a slightly different sensor. It's 24MP just like the Z6. The difference is it's not the backside-illuminated style sensor. Basically this means that the Z6 will have better image quality vs. the Z5 at the high end of the ISO range. But the difference is not huge. After processing the NEF files through LR or other software, the difference will be difficult to see. One of the biggest complaints people have with the Z6 and Z7 is the use of the XQD card and that it only has one card slot. The Z5 sports dual SD/SDHC/SHXC card slots. It has a 273 point hybrid AF system with face and eye-detect. Field reviews are putting the Z5's AF system among the best on the market. The new EN-EL15C battery allows the camera to be externally powered and charged while using the camera. This is the first Nikon to allow this. I do a lot of nightscapes and timelapses, so I'm really liking this feature. It also keeps the 1/8000th maximum shutter speed you see on the higher end of the Nikon lineup. The Z5 also picks up in-body image stabilization (IBIS) like the Z6 and Z7 have had. IBIS is serves a similar function to VR in lenses. Also important to note, the Z5 does not have a built-in flash. Which isn't necessarily a bad thing. An external flash is a good thing to have and not very expensive.

Z6

The Z6 is one of the Nikon mirrorless bodies. We already talked about the differences between DSLR and mirrorless, so I won’t repeat them. The Z6 compares best with the D750 and D780 from the DSLR line. It has a 24MP sensor, can record 4K video and has the latest EXPEED6 image processor. The Z6 is highly recommended if you’re going to be doing a lot of video work, even over the Z7. One of the most talked about features the Z6 has vs. all other Nikons (except the Z7) is the in-body image stabilization. This is similar to vibration reduction (aka optical image stabilization) in the lens. But IBIS is also one of those features that is a personal preference. Some people love it, some people think it’s a waste. My answer is, it’s probably nice to have, but we’ve been taking photos without it for a very long time. Another advantage the Z6 will have vs. the D750/D780/D850 is its 12FPS continuous shooting. 

Z7

The Z6 and Z7 are basically the same camera. The biggest technical difference is the Z7 has a 45MP sensor. The other difference is that the Z7 is nearly twice the price. 

Conclusion

I hope this has been a helpful read for you. I’ve enjoyed writing it. Photography is an adventure. It’s a fantastic hobby because there’s always more to learn. It can also become a very expensive hobby because there’s always something more to buy. But as I’ve said before, the difference between a decent snapshot and a great photograph is the person behind the lens, not the gear. 

Now get out there, get shooting and above all, HAVE FUN!