Which mirrorless is equal or better to Nikon D7500?

Hi,

I have the Nikon D7200 and I want to upgrade.

I was going to get the D7500, but it doesn't seem to be that much of an improvement and I am concerned the D7xxx line may be at its end anyway.

What would be the equivalent Nikon Mirrorless to the D7500 (or something better but in a similar class).

Thanks!

The Z50 is the equivalent camera, it even uses the same sensor ..... the AF will be better on the D7500 as the CAM3500 AF module was superb (as you`ll know having the 7200) and the 7500 has the latest algorithms to drive it but I`d say pretty much everything else apart from native lens selection goes to the Z50 . you can use your DX lenses on the Z50 with a mount adapter too. none of the professional features the D7200 had but the 7500 removed have been reinstated in the Z50 however so don`t expect a full metal jacket and dual card slots .

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** Please ignore the Typos, I'm the world's worst Typist **

AdamT said:

The Z50 is the equivalent camera, it even uses the same sensor ..... the AF will be better on the D7500 as the CAM3500 AF module was superb (as you`ll know having the 7200) and the 7500 has the latest algorithms to drive it but I`d say pretty much everything else apart from native lens selection goes to the Z50 . you can use your DX lenses on the Z50 with a mount adapter too.

Click to expand...

In general, that's true - but specifically in the case of the lenses in the OP's gear list, I'm not so sure.

The Tamron 70-200mm lens that he lists is not compatible with the FTZ adapter on Z cameras, and I'm not sure about the Sigma 17-50mm's compatibility either. In the case of the Nikkor 50mm f/1.8D, whilst it will mount and meter, autofocus will not operate.

Adam-T said:

none of the professional features the D7200 had but the 7500 removed have been reinstated in the Z50 however so don`t expect a full metal jacket and dual card slots .

Click to expand...

briantilley said:

The Tamron 70-200mm lens that he lists is not compatible with the FTZ adapter on Z cameras, and I'm not sure about the Sigma 17-50mm's compatibility either. In the case of the Nikkor 50mm f/1.8D, whilst it will mount and meter, autofocus will not operate.

Click to expand...

I`d hope the sigma 17-50 F2.8 would work, good copies are very usable at F2.8 and its got excellent OIS , its cheap too .....

I never understood why they never updated that lens to "global vision" contemporary - they did with the very patchy 17-70 F2.8-4 OS and the actually not bad optically 18-200 OS-II .. the comtemporary versions work fine on the FTZ (tested on the Z7) .. Tamrons can be flaky I know , i`ve seen reports on youtube showing some of them actually crashing the camera but the Sigmas they tried were OK .

--
** Please ignore the Typos, I'm the world's worst Typist **

Juggernaut122 said:

Hi,
I have the Nikon D7200 and I want to upgrade.
I was going to get the D7500, but it doesn't seem to be that much of an improvement and I am concerned the D7xxx line may be at its end anyway.
What would be the equivalent Nikon Mirrorless to the D7500 (or something better but in a similar class).
Thanks!

Click to expand...

At the moment there are only the Z50 and Zfc mirrorless APS-C cameras, so those two are the closest. They might not be better than the D7200 or D7500 in every way, but it all depends on what improvements you're looking for exactly.

The Sigma 17-50 f/2.8 works fine on the FTZ.

AdamT said:

The Z50 is the equivalent camera, it even uses the same sensor ..... the AF will be better on the D7500 as the CAM3500 AF module was superb (as you`ll know having the 7200) and the 7500 has the latest algorithms to drive it but I`d say pretty much everything else apart from native lens selection goes to the Z50 . you can use your DX lenses on the Z50 with a mount adapter too. none of the professional features the D7200 had but the 7500 removed have been reinstated in the Z50 however so don`t expect a full metal jacket and dual card slots .

Click to expand...

I compared the Z50 and the D7500 and I found the AF to be better for my needs on the Z50. I like and often use the ability to focus almost everywhere in the image, whereas the D7500 is limited to the AF points clustered around the center of the image. I also found the AF tracking to work better for low speed tracking on the Z50 compared to the D7500. It sticks to a subject and follows it around the frame better, so it's useful for lock-on and recompose type shooting. It's maybe not as good for fast things like birds in flight however.

If you can afford it, just jump up to full frame with a Z6/Z6II. The Z lenses are so good and the camera's are really superb. Yes it will cost more when you factor in the memory card and reader but you'll be close to future proof and the Z glass is really great.

Juggernaut122 said:

Hi,
I have the Nikon D7200 and I want to upgrade.
I was going to get the D7500, but it doesn't seem to be that much of an improvement and I am concerned the D7xxx line may be at its end anyway.
What would be the equivalent Nikon Mirrorless to the D7500 (or something better but in a similar class).
Thanks!

Click to expand...

Nikon is very much de-emphasizing the APS-C/DX format in the Z series. In the F mount Nikon supported 4 tiers of DX DSLRs and a fairly wide selection of DX lenses, in the Z mount there are just 2 mid-level bodies and 2 slow but sharp kit lenses and a new 18-140 just announced. In addition there is no sign that Nikon intends to expand the Z DX line anytime soon.

I second another comment that a Z5/Z6/Z6ii would be a better choice. The 24-200mm is a great all-in-one lens, while the 24-70 f/4 is probably the best kit lens ever. The full frame Z bodies are smaller than the DX DSLRs and the f/4 zooms and the 24-200 are also small and light. The Z5 is probably the best deal in mirrorless bodies right now. The FX Z bodies also have more controls and features. The Z50/Zfc are a step down in some regards to the D7200.

AdamT said:

Adam-T said:

The Tamron 70-200mm lens that he lists is not compatible with the FTZ adapter on Z cameras, and I'm not sure about the Sigma 17-50mm's compatibility either. In the case of the Nikkor 50mm f/1.8D, whilst it will mount and meter, autofocus will not operate.

Click to expand...

I`d hope the sigma 17-50 F2.8 would work, good copies are very usable at F2.8 and its got excellent OIS , its cheap too .....

Click to expand...

As far as I know it works on the FTZ, except that OS cannot be turned off.

Adam-T said:

I never understood why they never updated that lens to "global vision" contemporary - they did with the very patchy 17-70 F2.8-4 OS and the actually not bad optically 18-200 OS-II .. the comtemporary versions work fine on the FTZ (tested on the Z7) .. Tamrons can be flaky I know , i`ve seen reports on youtube showing some of them actually crashing the camera but the Sigmas they tried were OK .

Click to expand...

I agree with that last statement. Having both a D7200 and a Z50, I'd say that the Z50 slots in someplace between the D5xxx and D7xxx lines.

But the real question is why do you want to upgrade? What's lacking in what you've got? What do you want to do that you can't do now? What else is it that you're looking for?

DeSch said:

I agree with that last statement. Having both a D7200 and a Z50, I'd say that the Z50 slots in someplace between the D5xxx and D7xxx lines.

But the real question is why do you want to upgrade? What's lacking in what you've got? What do you want to do that you can't do now? What else is it that you're looking for?

Click to expand...

Hi,

I am looking to upgrade for my astrophotography.

I don't want to buy a dedicated astrophotography camera - I just want one camera that will do regular photography plus astrophotography.

I was thinking of going to the D7500 just for the better ISO performance, but figured maybe now was the time to switch to mirrorless (although I am hearing that mirrorless might not be as good for astrophotography, so not sure now).

The improvement from the D7000 to the D7200 was impressive in terms of ISO performance, so I was hoping to get a similar boost with the D7500 from the D7200 (really I wanted whatever was coming after the D7500, but apparently there is nothing coming).

Thanks!

Juggernaut122 said:

DeSch said:

I agree with that last statement. Having both a D7200 and a Z50, I'd say that the Z50 slots in someplace between the D5xxx and D7xxx lines.

But the real question is why do you want to upgrade? What's lacking in what you've got? What do you want to do that you can't do now? What else is it that you're looking for?

Click to expand...

Hi,
I am looking to upgrade for my astrophotography.
I don't want to buy a dedicated astrophotography camera - I just want one camera that will do regular photography plus astrophotography.
I was thinking of going to the D7500 just for the better ISO performance, but figured maybe now was the time to switch to mirrorless (although I am hearing that mirrorless might not be as good for astrophotography, so not sure now).
The improvement from the D7000 to the D7200 was impressive in terms of ISO performance, so I was hoping to get a similar boost with the D7500 from the D7200 (really I wanted whatever was coming after the D7500, but apparently there is nothing coming).
Thanks!

Click to expand...

ISO performance basically stalled after the D7200. If you want to see a big improvement once more, then it might be time to go FX, i.e. double sensor size resulting in double sensitivity. With current discounts, the Z5 comes into the price region of D7500.

See for instance this review, mentioning astrophotography explicitly -- and also limitations regarding fast action and 4K video (compared to e.g. Z6 II -- but you come from D7200):

https://www.slrlounge.com/nikon-z5-review-best-value-full-frame-mirrorless-camera/

There are inexpensive lenses available as well, to keep the overall price down, like the standard kit 24-50/4-6.3. The new 28/2.8 might be interesting too.

that’s more critical than the camera

This said, you have to be more precise in your question. Eg If you do BIFs the Z50 is not ideal (Z6 or may be Z5 would be a lot better). Etc

Ruekon said:

Juggernaut122 said:

DeSch said:

I agree with that last statement. Having both a D7200 and a Z50, I'd say that the Z50 slots in someplace between the D5xxx and D7xxx lines.

But the real question is why do you want to upgrade? What's lacking in what you've got? What do you want to do that you can't do now? What else is it that you're looking for?

Click to expand...

Hi,
I am looking to upgrade for my astrophotography.
I don't want to buy a dedicated astrophotography camera - I just want one camera that will do regular photography plus astrophotography.
I was thinking of going to the D7500 just for the better ISO performance, but figured maybe now was the time to switch to mirrorless (although I am hearing that mirrorless might not be as good for astrophotography, so not sure now).
The improvement from the D7000 to the D7200 was impressive in terms of ISO performance, so I was hoping to get a similar boost with the D7500 from the D7200 (really I wanted whatever was coming after the D7500, but apparently there is nothing coming).
Thanks!

Click to expand...

ISO performance basically stalled after the D7200. If you want to see a big improvement once more, then it might be time to go FX, i.e. double sensor size resulting in double sensitivity. With current discounts, the Z5 comes into the price region of D7500.

See for instance this review, mentioning astrophotography explicitly -- and also limitations regarding fast action and 4K video (compared to e.g. Z6 II -- but you come from D7200):

https://www.slrlounge.com/nikon-z5-review-best-value-full-frame-mirrorless-camera/

There are inexpensive lenses available as well, to keep the overall price down, like the standard kit 24-50/4-6.3. The new 28/2.8 might be interesting too.

Click to expand...

I'd agree that the best course of action, one that eases you into a full mirrorless kit over time, would be to look at a Z5 or a used Z6/z6ii. There's no real advantage to switch from a D7200 to a Z50 if you're searching for better ISO performance - that better high ISO performance is obtained largely through noise reduction. Truely better noise performance across the board requires an increase in sensor size, and large apertured lenses - not found in the Z DX lineup.

AF wise - important if you want a general purpose camera for your astrophotography - all Nikon DSLRs are X-Y feature sensitive, whereas all Nikon mirrorless are only X feature sensitive. This is a consequence of moving the AF sensing onto the main imaging sensor. This can be a little annoying when composing with subjects having mostly horizontal edges, and definitely can affect focus acquisition with subjects like BIF.

Overall, I think it would be better to consider your acquisition in this light rather than as a secondary body. The Z system works best with Z lenses, and once you have a competent FF mirrorless body in hand, the need for a secondary body will fade. Size wise the Z5/6/7 are comparable in size to the D7200 if not a bit smaller. So if you really want to use your DX lenses, it's easy to do so.

Juggernaut122 said:

Hi,
I have the Nikon D7200 and I want to upgrade.
I was going to get the D7500, but it doesn't seem to be that much of an improvement and I am concerned the D7xxx line may be at its end anyway.
What would be the equivalent Nikon Mirrorless to the D7500 (or something better but in a similar class).
Thanks!

Click to expand...

Probably the Z50. It's the nearest sibling as it shares the same resolution (although a different sensor, but otherwise is very similar).

Or you could look at the Zfc if you want the retro style (has some advancements over the Z50 for video, but nothing that I saw that makes it any better/worse for stills as they both share the same internals for the most part). The Zfc and Z50 don't have IBIS though, but all FF Z's do.

I mean outside of APS-C you have a few options, the cheapest being the Z5 or a little more for the Z6 which is a good overall balance for imaging and video depending on what you do, but that is about $400 more than the Z5 (even when on sale). If you don't do video or wildlife/sports, the Z5 can be tolerable with the recent updates.

If you want to do wildlife, and don't want to invest in the Z9, then you're best option is the Z6 II (or the Z6 if you want to save about $600, although the Z6 II will have a longer shelf life and possible more updates in terms of AF over the next 2-4 years than the original Z6).

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(NOTE: If I don't reply to a direct comment in the forums, it's likely I unsubscribed from the thread.)

I don't believe for a minute Nikon is throwing in the towel on DX. They had the most competition and most profit potential in FX. Nor do they have the resources to co produce both FX and DX simultaneously. I fully expect at least four DX cameras when all is said and done. A Z3500, Z7300 yet to come.

sandy b said:

I don't believe for a minute Nikon is throwing in the towel on DX. They had the most competition and most profit potential in FX. Nor do they have the resources to co produce both FX and DX simultaneously. I fully expect at least four DX cameras when all is said and done. A Z3500, Z7300 yet to come.

Click to expand...

They'll likely keep the naming the same at least for the consumer level Z DX bodies, so a Z60 and Z70 likely. They might choose to do something like Z500 for a D500 replacement (the Pro DX line, if they ever do one).

Anything with IBIS. EVF, Better Video, Size & Weight.

I have the luxury of owning both the D7500 and Z50 and they truly are the dynamic duo. They both have their strengths and weaknesses. They have the same sensor but the processor in the Z50 is a generation newer it has some IQ advantages on how it processes highlights and generates jpgs. AF on the D7500 and is pretty much state of the art for a DSLR doing things like face detect and 3D tracking. I would say the 7500 was the go to for AF acquisition and tracking but after this week's firmware update the baby Z is coming into its own.

Handling the 7500 there is nothing like the DSLR in the ability to have the camera wake and shoot in less than a second. Z50 takes a moment to wake and I have missed shots I would have gotten if the 7500 was in my had. But having all the advantages of the mirrorless experience the Z50 is my primary camera, I don't ever take it out without a spare charged battery in my bag or pocket. The killer feature of the Z50 for me is shooting video in the viewfinder and the ability to switch back and forth with a flick of the switch. Also there is no crop when shooting 4k.

I just got my 18-140 and feel like the Z50 has come into its own. Its a revelation in size and general capability.

I am in no hurry to get rid of my 7500 because there are times you can't beat the DSLR experience. I hope they keep them around for a while.

Pete