D7200 to mirrorless

[kevinbuckley70]

Following-on from my earlier thread, I have a D7200 and a wide range of Nikon, Sigma and Samyang DX lenses.

The D7200 is a bit long in the tooth, so it seemed that a D500 might be a good upgrade. But I found it's discontinued and quite hard to get new now.

Some have suggested looking at the Z-series. But the information, in the context of my decision process, is quite confusing.

So what would be the 'best' Z-series body to use with my DX lens collection? Primarily I take images not videos. But sometimes I take videos.

Is the Z-series (Z50?) not even worth considering, compared with, for example, getting a used D500? Or seeking out a new D500 whilst I still can?

I also have 2 x D90's which I use for various things with the same set of lenses. So keeping the same lenses, rather than swapping the whole kit bag for something else, is a key factor.

Any opinions are really appreciated.

 

[skyrunr]

It is more complicated than that. I LOVE the D500, but I get better photos from my Z50. The Z50 just isn't as responsive, neither is my Z7II, and from what I have gathered, no other Nikon under $3,000 is. The Z S primes are also bulkier than f-mount primes. In my experience, many of the mirrorless features/benefits need to be disabled to get the most out of your Z. This changed with the Z9.

It really depends what you primarily shoot. You can make a Z50 work for you. It is just a bit trickier, and there's a bit of a learning curve; even for a techie like myself. Wide (L People) is my favorite focusing mode, and the Z50/Z5/Z6/Z7 do not have that mode. Not to mention the Z9's 3D and other modes that haven't trickled down to the II's.

For now, I'd lean towards moving forward with a very capable Z6II (more future proof than a Z6, and a better first time Z experience IMO,) and 24-120F4S. The 24-120F4S is amazing, and better than f2.8 lenses on DX; for most uses. We're hoping to see a Z6III or Z8, but the Z8 may be 60mp, and come along with a premium for that resolution. It doesn't make sense to go mirrorless and not benefit from the superior Z lenses. They really are a game changer; along with the more accurate focusing.

Good luck, and welcome aboard!

 

[kevinbuckley70]

Almost exclusively when travelling I use the 18mm - 200mm Sigma with built in stabilisation. If I jumped to the F6ii, what would be the equivalent (or better) full frame lens?

 

[skyrunr]

Almost exclusively when travelling I use the 18mm - 200mm Sigma with built in stabilisation. If I jumped to the F6ii, what would be the equivalent (or better) full frame lens?

For travel I think you'd be just fine with a Z50 and the two kit lenses which cover from 16-250mm. If you wanted one lens the 18-140DXVR is okay as well as the better 24-200VR if that is wide (also slower aperture at 70+mm) enough for you. You'd have to compare MTF charts with the Sigma. OR NOT, because modern glass is so much better, and you won't need the FTZ/FTZII adapter, which I found to be clunky.

I think everyone should own at least one S prime lens if you get into the Z mirrorless system too, or even one F4S lens.

I'm actually trying the Z30 (see my other thread) today because it has some of the newer features I want more than an EVF. Nikon needs to update the Z50 SOON or offer another APS-C option. Just make sure to get a few spare batteries.

 

[kevinbuckley70]

If I was going to go down the full frame route, I would want something similar to the 18-200 in a single unit. I don't want to carry/swap between two lenses whilst trying to hop out of a canoe or on a long train journey. And this is to complement my other travel camera which is a Sony Cybershot RX100vii. So it's the SERIOUS travel camera, along with my pocket travel camera.

I could, I suppose, then keep the D7200 and two D90's and all the DX lenses for the non-travel stuff.

Although suddenly this is turning into a more serious financial consideration!

 

[Adam-T]

Do you need the best tracking AF out there - if so then get a USED D500 - there are plenty of low mileage ones out there , only the very best tracking mirrorless cams can touch it and that means Z9 or Sony A1 ..

If you don `t then you have a world of choice but would choose a Z6 or Z7 (preferably used for massive savings) before a Z50 as there`s far more native glass, they have IBIS and a top screen, more pixels and lower noise . the Z7 has a Z50 "built in" like the D850 had a D500 built in if you know what I mean..... the Z 24-200 is far better than ANY F mount superzoom regardless of frame size or maker .

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

 

[skyrunr]

If I was going to go down the full frame route, I would want something similar to the 18-200 in a single unit. I don't want to carry/swap between two lenses whilst trying to hop out of a canoe or on a long train journey. And this is to complement my other travel camera which is a Sony Cybershot RX100vii. So it's the SERIOUS travel camera, along with my pocket travel camera.

I could, I suppose, then keep the D7200 and two D90's and all the DX lenses for the non-travel stuff.

Although suddenly this is turning into a more serious financial consideration!

18mm on your D7200 is 27mm (1.5 X crop) on FX. So 24mm is still wider than what you have now on FX. The 14-30F4S is a heck of a lens if you want something wider than your Sony, but you can also stitch two vertical images. It might worth at least trying one from a company (Adorama with the VP360 plan is great,) with a good return policy, or a rental.

 

[Models By Day]

I did something similar, I upgraded from D7100 to Mirrorless

I selected Z7ii mainly for the FX sensor. I figured it was time to upgrade from DX to FX.

The 45mp comes in handy when cropping, mind you that really does not apply that much as I like to crop in camera.

Very impressed with the 24-70 f/4 S Kit lens

Need to get a 200mm+ lens sometime in the future. I also have the Z 85 f/1.8 S

 

[kevinbuckley70]

I just had a quick look at Z7ii versus Z6ii and apart from the sensor resolution, the Z6 looks way better. Is that correct?

 

[capanikon]

Don't buy anything until the "Z 90" comes out.

 

[skyrunr]

I just had a quick look at Z7ii versus Z6ii and apart from the sensor resolution, the Z6 looks way better. Is that correct?

Z7II has more mp's The Z6 has better low ISO sensitivity and performance. With post processing you can balance this out. I prefer the Z7II over the Z6II for the 64 ISO min, more focusing points, you can still shoot DX with a prime for more reach, and it is the same size. Probably overkill for a travel kit, but I like having more than I need more than not having enough.

Also, I was coming from a D500/D7100/D750. The Z6II wasn't as exciting as an upgrade compared to the Z7II. I did try it first, but the FW was very buggy upon release. That has been ironed out. That $1,000 buys a nice S prime lens.

--
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[Adam-T]

I just had a quick look at Z7ii versus Z6ii and apart from the sensor resolution, the Z6 looks way better. Is that correct?

Not really ..

the Z7 has better low ISO performance as it has ISO64 native with a pull to ISO50 - it has no AA filter so even cropped is sharper than the Z6 - AF is much the same except that the 7 has smaller AF points for more accurate pinpoint focussing and more of them .... the 6 is better at high ISOs at pixel level but at equal sizes, they`re pretty much the same ..

the Z6 series are a lot cheaper and have smaller file sizes per crop , thats where the only real advantage is for Stills ....... Video , Dunno - the last time I shot one, it was on an Iphone 6S

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

 

[ZapperVT]

If you primarily shoot action such as birds in flight or sports, I recommend the D500. I bought one used for a very attractive price. These are pro-grade bodies that last forever, so there is no reason to fear the used market.

For travel, walk-around, and family photos, the Z50 offers some nice advantages over the DSLRs, such as WYSIWYG exposure and color in the viewfinder and eye tracking focusing. The tracking is very good for focus and recompose shooting, and for low speed moving subjects. The body is very small and light, and the kit lenses are not only small and light, but really good too. The image quality is better than the D500, despite using a very similar sensor - the high ISO images are cleaner with better color and contrast. It is acceptable but not excellent at action photography. You can continue to use all your F DX lenses on the FTZ.

The Z7/Z7ii is a step up in capability. You get 20Mp with DX lenses, but you now have an excellent high resolution stabilized FF sensor that can really show off the outstanding Z glass. The Z7 is heavily discounted now and is an excellent deal.

I used to have a D810 and a D5600. I bought a Z50 then sold the D5600 - I enjoyed the WYSIWYG electronic viewfinder, the subject recognition AF, and the superior Z lenses, but I continued to use many of my F DX lenses. Then I bought a Z7 and sold the D810. I bought some f/4 Z FX lenses and the Z7 became my main camera. It is a highly capable and versatile platform - excellent IQ but small enough for travel. Then I sold all my F DX lenses. But the Z AF didn't quite perform like I wanted for wildlife so I bought a used D500 to fill that gap. Other than that particular application, I much prefer the Z bodies and lenses.

 

[mosswings]

Your D7200 is a bit long in the tooth but it ain't dead yet, and its focusing still offers advantages over Nikon's mirrorless offerings. I'd say put your decision on hold and revisit around Spring 2023 - the Z6ii and Z7ii are due for replacement, and something better than the Z50 may be coming out (the fabled "Z90").

Even more so than in the DSLR era, Nikon is concentrating its efforts on FX, and relegating DX to the "casual" and vlogger market. A direct replacement of the D7K line is very unlikely and personally I wouldn't be surprised if Nikon's MILC replacement of the D500 is DX mode of a higher speed Z7iii (kind of the Z8 we're talking about).

In other words, Nikon, like all other manufacturers, has moved its product prices significantly upwards to remain profitable on lower volume. Curiously enough, though, they're currently selling a Z 5 at about the price of a Z 50. Screaming deal if you don't need high performance AF or noise levels.

 

[ZapperVT]

Almost exclusively when travelling I use the 18mm - 200mm Sigma with built in stabilisation. If I jumped to the F6ii, what would be the equivalent (or better) full frame lens?

The Z 24-200 is an excellent superzoom. Many say it's the best in its class of mirrorless superzoom lenses, and it is much superior to F mount predecessors.

I use it on the Z7, which has 20Mp in DX mode, so I don't lose reach compared to a DX 18-200.

If you want an APS-C mirrorless superzoom you will soon find out that the lens options are much more limited than they were in DSLRs (especially for Nikon and Canon). For an APS-C superzoom the best option is the Tamron 18-300 in either the Fujifilm X mount or the Sony E mount. It is possible to adapt a Sony E mount lens to the Z mount - ask skyrunr about it. Or just buy a Fuji APS-C body and be done with it. The Fuji X-S10 is a good choice.

 

[briantilley]

Your D7200 is a bit long in the tooth but it ain't dead yet, and its focusing still offers advantages over Nikon's mirrorless offerings.

Only for some types of subject, such as the ubiquitous "birds in flight" - which the OP doesn't say that he photographs. For may subjects, the Z6 and Z7 (even the original models) and the Z5 have more capable and more accurate AF than a D7200.

 

[mosswings]

Your D7200 is a bit long in the tooth but it ain't dead yet, and its focusing still offers advantages over Nikon's mirrorless offerings.

Only for some types of subject, such as the ubiquitous "birds in flight" - which the OP doesn't say that he photographs. For may subjects, the Z6 and Z7 (even the original models) and the Z5 have more capable and more accurate AF than a D7200.

Absolutely. Hence my comment about the Z 5. The question of AF performance always has to be answered situationally, and it's in moving object tracking that the D7K or D500 differentiate themselves.

 

[AlanWatson]

I went from a D7100 to a Z7 II last year, so not so different to your decision.

If you go FF at the same time then there's really only one answer to the 18-200 question: the Z mount 24-200. It's far better than any F mount 18-200, as well as wider on a FF sensor.

I did consider whether to continue to use some of my DX lenses, since the Z7 gave me a similar pixel density to the D7100. My Tokina 11-20 was the one I thought longest about, but decided there was no point paying for a FF sensor and only using 4/9 of it so replaced it with the 14-30 - which even comparing within the DX crop is clearly a better lens. Of course replacing lenses adds to the cost, and in my experience adapted lenses via the FTZ work as well or better than on the DSLR ("or better" because the Z's focus is more consistently accurate).

On Z6 II vs Z7 II, if you are planning on using DX lenses the Z6 will only give you about 10-11MP with the DX crop, though you could add another Z lens for the difference in price between the bodies (but not two). You say that apart from resolution the Z6 looks "much better", but the only advantages I see are that on paper it can focus in lower light levels and its maximum continuous rate is higher - but on the latter do remember that above 5.5fps both go into "slide show" mode, so how useful this is depends on how well you get on with that. Others have listed the advantages of the Z7, so it really depends on what matters for your uses.

I've no personal experience of the DX Z bodies: I decided that Nikon's focus was clearly on FF, and the FF bodies having IBIS was a worthwhile advantage, and this eventually swung my decision to take the step up. Even so, and even with the lower resolution viewfinder and shorter battery life the compactness and portability of the Z50 was very appealing (and it would have been much cheaper as I'd have been able to continue to use all of my lenses!), and I can imagine another life in which I bought that and was very happy with it.

 

[ANAYV]

Following-on from my earlier thread, I have a D7200 and a wide range of Nikon, Sigma and Samyang DX lenses.

The D7200 is a bit long in the tooth, so it seemed that a D500 might be a good upgrade.

Both D7500 and D500 are worthy upgrades. The D7500 did away with dual slots for memory.( I do this as a hobby, and never lost images in the field, so not a need for me)

But I found it's discontinued and quite hard to get new now.

Some have suggested looking at the Z-series. But the information, in the context of my decision process, is quite confusing.

So what would be the 'best' Z-series body to use with my DX lens collection? Primarily I take images not videos. But sometimes I take videos.

Is the Z-series (Z50?) not even worth considering, compared with, for example, getting a used D500?

Well, depends. Will you utilize the features on the D500?

That is, do you shoot moving subjects?

BIF?

Mostly wildlife?

If yes, the D500 is better than your D7200.

But, the Z 50 is also capable. It's AF is more accurate, but for certain conditions, will be slower than a D500. (maybe not slower than your D7200.

Here's a few subjects my Z 50 and Z lens and Sigma lens:




ISO 5000...Sigma 100-400mm at 400mm (600 DX)













Not much movement with these shots...

Or seeking out a new D500 whilst I still can?

What type of shooting do you mainly do?

If mostly landscape and scenics, no need for a fast D500 shooting machine.

Do you need fast fps bursts?

Z 50 can do 11fps, with AF..I think D500 can do 10 (and D7500 can do 8)

Here's a few shots with either Sigma or Z kit lens of BIF:













.

But these are large birds...small , fast erratic birds in flight also possible, but harder:















Even Dragonfly in Flight (harder yet):







If shooting a lot of the latter type of shots, , then the D500 is the better camera.

I also have 2 x D90's which I use for various things

What things?

with the same set of lenses. So keeping the same lenses, rather than swapping the whole kit bag for something else, is a key factor.

Any opinions are really appreciated.

Hope this helps some

ANAYV

 

[kevinbuckley70]

I don't typically shoot fast moving things. The d90's and sometimes the 7200 I do astro timelapse. It would be nice if the big nikon did 4k video for the occasions when I conveniently use it for that.

I'd like the 7200 replacement to be able to geotag images at the point of shooting. The ability to create an in camera hdr image and also save the individual layers as raw for later, more sophisticated processing (the 7200 will only do a hdr jpg).

These are some of the things I'd like.

But if solving some of those prompts me to flip into a full frame, mirrorless, then that might be a nice thing to do!