cencored wrote:
Well I thought I'd update this old thread of mine, now that we are a few months after photokina and still no sign of a D400
Have your recommendations changed when it comes to a cropped frame camera? Is the D7100 still the best bang for buck? Should I wait til Feb to see if a D7200 is getting released?
Cheers,
Kajo
IMO, the d7100 is the best DX camera that Nikon offers. If you can get refurbs down under, I'd suggest taking a look at that. NikonUSA has been offering good prices and discounts lately, so maybe NikonOZ is doing the same. Of course, used prices are continuing to fall, on all models, so if you can't get a refurb, a good used body should be available for a very good price.
As for a d400, there are still no rumors, at least that I've seen. Nikon Rumors usually has the best rumors and they even have one today, found at this link. But, the rumor is about a d7200, which has specs that would be in line with a d7100 refresh. That's not all that exciting to this old d300 user.
TooManyShots wrote:
D300 sealing is bad. Mine died shooting a bike race for 4 hours, out in a consistent heavy downpour. My D7000 survived. You will be fine either with a D7000 or D7100.
These things apparently vary a lot. My D300 has survived countless tropical rainstorms through the years, always with the 80-200 AF-S mounted. Weather sealing means nothing if the lens isn't weather sealed as well. One weak point I've found is the rubber flap covering the contacts on the left side. It fits very tightly on my D300 but not so tight on my D700, so I don't use the latter on rainy days so much.
I agree with Jorgen about the rubber flap. The flap on my 300 closes and stays closed. We have had problems with my wife's camera flap all the time. You really have to be sure it is closed and check it again and again. She loves her 300 and will not change. Mine is still used for back up work and as a camera that is always in the car. I moved 'up' to a refurbed 7000. Love it.
I'm not trying to troll, as I don't own the system any more, but has the OP considered swapping systems? Would that even be considered?
I know Canon just FINALLY revealed their 7D2, so everyone at Nikon is awaiting the D300 replacement, but those two are not the only game it town when it comes to weather-tough cameras and lenses.
An Olympus E-M1 with the 12-40 and 40-150 Pro lenses would fare pretty darn well.
So would an Pentax K3 (or whatever the heck their current high end body is) and their lineup of WR lenses.
You'd get more resolution (only 16MP on the Olympus side), more dynamic range, and (generally speaking) more company development in the sector you're shooting now -- toughened crop sensor.
Avoid both for sports though -- AF still isn't there yet.
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Sorta how I approach my final (supposedly) system stop - A7. I needed thin DOF capability, low light, not so much AF, and small size overall. A7 hadn't been much on my radar prior to then, but once I sorted out my wants and needs, it was a natural (but not perfect) fit.
Thanks for the comments guys. And it looks like I'm still on track with my decision for a D7100. they're going very cheap now. What I will do is wait for Feb to see if the D7200 has any must-have features and then probably go for either it or a D7100.
And no, I would never switch to Canons. There is a whole bunch of things I don't like about them and personally think that Nikons are far superior in more than just one way.
I've been running workshops for many years and have always struggled with the cameras of Canon shooters... Of course you can take great images with either system though.
With the new firmware update and the current body grip pricing the Sony a77m2 is a no brainer for wildlife keeping the good sensor....at least till a d400 ever comes..
I think a D300 replacement has now finally arrived with the D7200!
I can barely believe it. How long did I have to wait for it?
It's not a perfect replacement but it's probably as close as I'll get.
