D750 upgrade... to what?

[Prunesquallor]

The difference in performance specs among the Expeed 7 24MP cameras is negligible. I’m a retro junkie, so it was the Zf for me. If I didn’t care about that, then knowing what I know today, I would go with your budget kit.

Z5II with 24-120mm, 40mm Z and/or 28mm Z would be a fantastic travel kit.

In fact, I would just try to find a place to handle the Z5II and Z6III and choose which one felt better, Get the 24-120—without a doubt the most useful lens I have ever owned. You can work out the primes later. Don’t forget an SB-500, if you don’t have one already.

p.s., the D750 was my last DSLR, too. Great camera, but you will LOVE the Z system.

 

[skyrunr]

Thanks for your replies. I remain undecided for now. Nikon's current camera line up is devilishly intertwined in terms of features. You get the best viewfinder on mid range model, for simple features such as illuminated buttons you have to pay premium for top of the range model, and the low end model has more features than it has the right to have at that price point.

Yeah, I'm still not crazy about losing features and switches (muscle memory) I had (still have) from my D500. I'm getting better results with the safety of the live view, full area AF, and I REALLY enjoy shooting without image review on. I owned the D750 as well, even bought another copy during Covid, and I grabbed my Z50 more often than the D750. (That 2019 firmware update was pretty nice and helped with WB.)

The Z6III's viewfinder isn't much different than the others, unless you shoot HEIF+HLG. It really shouldn't be a major deciding factor. Especially after my trying and using several Sony EVF's for a year. I had no issues with Canon's EVF.

I found that the top display isn't needed as much with the more detailed and somewhat customizable EVF. You can use the monitor on the darkest setting as well. The Z50II has no right having the features it has as well, and the layout also matches my Z6III.

My current thoughts are:

1) Let' go with Z8 - ultimate camera that will last me a decade. I don't think there will be a new sensor or any substantial upgrades in the next generation. It has all the features I need and leaves nothing to be desired. The only downside is a bit of extra weight that I will have to live with and I will have to limit the initial glass to go with it to 24-120 and Viltrox 16mm f1.8 and delay the portrait lens a little longer.

2) It may be better idea to save on camera and spend on glass. The Z5ii has most of the features I need the 14-24s is suddenly within reach. I am not sure about the 112mm filters, but the quality of this lens cannot be denied. Last year I got my hands on 50mm 1.2 and it was surreal! There is something indescribable about these 1.2 lenses. I know that if you shoot at f1.2 all the time it gets a bit cliché, but hey, it gives you creative freedom and distinct look.

3) None of the above is currently available where I live. Z8 is out of stock and Z5ii ETA remains to be confirmed. The Z6iii on the other hand is in stock, discounted and comes in kit with 24-120. My problem is that with Z6iii I am paying extra for all the video features that I don't use. I might occasionally attempt a 4K video, but I don't think I need all the Log's and whatnot.

It is a great camera that just happens to have video features. As much as I'd like a rangefinder without an LCD (for cost & weight savings,) this is the way things are going. I think it is why the Z6III is larger than the Z6/Z7, but it is a nice size overall. Not as bulky as an S5II. I paid full price for it and have no regrets. I subscribe to the camera (memories) in your hands today theory as well. The Z6III brought be back to Nikon.

4) Keeping the D750 is an option for now. I keep checking for a good second hand 58mm f1.4, but haven't seen a good one in a while. The problem is I don't like the G version of 24-120. The Z version on the other hand is the lens I desire very much for my travels. Same with UWA, the 14-24g or 16-35 are not going to cut it. May be Tamron 15-35, but again no screw in filters and that weight... Also I might keep the D750 for a full spectrum conversion and get a Rokinon/Samyiang MF UWA purely for astrophotography.

That sounds like fun, good call!

 

[Rene Gr]

Thanks for your replies. I remain undecided for now. Nikon's current camera line up is devilishly intertwined in terms of features. You get the best viewfinder on mid range model, for simple features such as illuminated buttons you have to pay premium for top of the range model, and the low end model has more features than it has the right to have at that price point.

That's right. To keep the Z5 II price on "entry level", some compromises had to be done. I often wished I could configure my camera. But I can configure the glass that I need and is within my budget (the amount I am willing to spend on gear).

You could reconsider if you really need the 14-24. I have the 14-30 f/4 and it is already very good. I don't need a faster wide angle. And if, I'd select the 20mm f/1.8.

The Z8/Z9 are pro solutions for sport events and birding in my eyes. The Z7 is for landscapes. The Z5 is for people like me who just need an entry level camera. For everybody else, the Z6 sounds just right.

 

[BasilG]

The Z8/Z9 are pro solutions for sport events and birding in my eyes. The Z7 is for landscapes. The Z5 is for people like me who just need an entry level camera. For everybody else, the Z6 sounds just right.

The thing about the Z8 is that it does everything really well. Its AF will easily track my kiddo running around or fighter jets buzzing past, and at the same time, it has all the resolution I would want for landscapes (plus that resolution also helps with cropping when shooting aviation).

I could probably get all of that by combining e.g. a Z7 and a Z5II/Z6III, but then I would need to bring two cameras on trips that have a bit of everything. And the all-electronic shutter of the Z8 allows me not to worry about shutter life while shooting lots of frames of things that move. So, even though it is expensive and a bit larger, I would not dismiss the Z8 as a pro-only solution.

 

[George 68]

The Z8/Z9 are pro solutions for sport events and birding in my eyes. The Z7 is for landscapes. The Z5 is for people like me who just need an entry level camera. For everybody else, the Z6 sounds just right.

The thing about the Z8 is that it does everything really well. Its AF will easily track my kiddo running around or fighter jets buzzing past, and at the same time, it has all the resolution I would want for landscapes (plus that resolution also helps with cropping when shooting aviation).

I could probably get all of that by combining e.g. a Z7 and a Z5II/Z6III, but then I would need to bring two cameras on trips that have a bit of everything.

or as sure as eggs are eggs you’d have the wrong one with you or to hand . I tried this with a D810 and D500 for a while and sold them both and bought the D850 I should have just upgraded to in the first place.

And the all-electronic shutter of the Z8 allows me not to worry about shutter life while shooting lots of frames of things that move. So, even though it is expensive and a bit larger, I would not dismiss the Z8 as a pro-only solution.

 

[skyrunr]

or as sure as eggs are eggs you’d have the wrong one with you or to hand . I tried this with a D810 and D500 for a while and sold them both and bought the D850 I should have just upgraded to in the first place.

I had the Z7II and Z50 for a while, and it was MUCH easier to carry both. I could even mount them on a single shoulder harness. I kept a wide lens on the DX body and a longer lens on the DX body. This ease of transport took a step down with the Z6III Z50II combo, but I also feel less compromised with the Z50II. There is even less compromise between the Z8/Z6III/Z5II, and even the Z50II. For landscapes, content aware fill, and up-sampling further reduce that compromise by a significant margin.

I don't question having two Z50II's versus the Z6III for what and how I shoot, and the savings isn't large enough between the Z6III and Z5II to worry about it. It will be interesting to see how hot the Z5II is on the streets.

 

[AZ Indie]

I made the jump a while ago from D750's to Nikon Morrorless, and trust me when I say that THERE IS a learning curve. I half-in/half-outted the lens deal, and ultimately ended up selling off all of my F-mount stuff. Mirrorless is the way.

If you can swing it financially, I'd hold on to what you have/know, and dip your toe into the mirrorless world by getting a Z5ii and [pick your lens] either the Z40/2 or Z24-70/4S. That will give you a decent taste into Nikon 2025's offerings. I can not recommend any Z series body that uses Expeed 6 at this point, it's a tech-driven platform and the newer cameras [Expeed 7] just trounce the old stuff. Give it a dabble, and given the newness of the Z5ii, if you hate it you can sell it off for 85-90% of what you bought into it for.

Nikon Z's are solid, nothing scary other than spending the dough...

 

[sirhawkeye64]

Hi folks,

I believe the time has come for an upgrade of my trusty D750 and I am seeking some advice from more experienced members of this forum as to what camera and lens can replace my current set up.

You need to know I am not a full-time professional photog nor I wish to become one. Photography is my hobby and needs to be fun. I do sell some of my better landscape photos and this helps me to finance acquisition of the new gear. I had a bit of a success with astro and low light photography and also experimenting with long exposures. Most of my landscape photos involve travelling, walking, hiking and hauling my full frame camera to less accessible places. I also take a lot of photos of my kids. While the landscape photos make me some money, it's the family photos that are priceless for me.

My current set up is a d750 + tamron 17-35mm f2.8-4.0 + tamron 85mm f1.8. No issues with the camera other than the AF could be better. My wife can't handle it. The wide angle had been knocked and there is a bit of a wiggle in the front element and the portrait prime is heavy for f1.8 lens. Planning to sell the whole kit except for 77 & 67mm filters.

Here comes my wish list, but I understand some of these specs are contradicting each other:

Camera:

- better AF with 3D tracking and eye detection,

- IBIS,

- smaller and less weight, planning to use Smallrig base plate compatible with Arca Swiss tripod,

- ISO 64, clean high ISO images, high-res sensor - all upgrades are welcome although not necessary dal breakers

- top screen, sensor shield, illuminated buttons - again, nice to have, but is it worth the cost?

Lens:

1x UWA starting at min. 17mm, ideally f2.8 and nice sunstars

1x general zoom lens (I am 99% decided to go with 24-120)

1x portrait prime around 50 or 85mm (might add 35mm later)

I have done my research, read the reviews and came up with two options:

Budget: Z5ii + NISI/LAowa UWA MF prime + 24-120 + 40 f2.0

Middle ground: Z6iii + 14-30 + 24-120 + 85 f1.8

Aspirational: Z8 + 14-24 + 24-120 + 50 f1.2

This will not make sense at first, as these combos are wildly different in price and features. My budget allows for the Z6iii combo and that's most likely all that I need, but I can't help myself but to think what if I mixed things up and got one top tier item be it a camera or a lens? I will have to stretch the budget and / or save on other items, but would it be worth it? And where would the extra money spent make the biggest difference?

I would very much appreciate your insightful advice

I would say don't spend all of your money on the body, even if your budget allows for a Z6 III or Z8. I'd say skimp a bit on the camera (so get a Z5 II) and more lenses and build your kit up. Based on what you said, it sounds like you don't shoot much action/wildlife if any, so the benefits of the Z6 III or z8 are less IMO. Plus the Z5 II doesn't need CFE cards either so that can save you some money too.

The Z6 III is a nice middle ground if you do decide to maybe shoot some wildlife, but if not, the Z5 II is the way to go here (in my opinion).

I used my Zf extensively for travel over the past year and it never missed a beat and the image quality is very good along with the AF (given it's specs obviously it's not a Z6 III or Z8), so I expected the Z5 II is the same (as they are basically the same camera internals in different bodies). And the fact I don't need to travel with CFE cards and an extra reader is nice too.

--
PLEASE NOTE: I usually unsubscribe from forums and comments after a period of time, so if I do not respond, that is likely the reason. Feel free to PM me if you have a questions or need clarification about a comment I made.

 

[Larry_T]

I made the switch from a D750 to the Z6iii. I'm curious what is your biggest learning curve? For me it is the AF, so many options. I mostly shoot AF-S, wide area (small), focus and recompose. I am still learning to use AF-C and 3D tracking. I use the EVF exclusively. What were your biggest adjustments?

 

[shuncheung]

I have done my research, read the reviews and came up with two options:

Budget: Z5ii + NISI/LAowa UWA MF prime + 24-120 + 40 f2.0

Middle ground: Z6iii + 14-30 + 24-120 + 85 f1.8

Aspirational: Z8 + 14-24 + 24-120 + 50 f1.2

Every Nikon FX Z body has IBIS, such that as long as you stick with FX, you'll have IBIS, but that feature has also gradually improved over time so that the newer bodies are perhaps better.

But your biggest upgrade will be in the native Z lenses. Do get the 24-120mm/f4 S and perhaps the 14-30mm/f4 S and then find a camera around it to meet your budget. The 85mm/f1.8 S is nice, so is the 14-24mm/f2.8 S but that is a pretty big lens, so is any f1.2 Z S lens.

If 24MP is sufficient, I would go with the Z6iii but you'll need to get some CFexpress Type B card and most likely a card reader. I would go with the Z8 if you need 45MP and the weight doesn't bother you. (And the Z8's weight and even the Z9's weight doesn't bother me, but your mileage may be different.)

 

[monte12345]

Nikon may have created the Perfect do it all camera of all time. Basically it's a Home Run. That balance of Price, Features, and Capability for the Z5 II is going to make it an extremely popular Camera. So much so that Nikon may have difficulty keeping up with demand for this camera. Hopefully closing down the Z6 II production line will free enough manufacturing capacity to allow Nikon to meet the demand for the Z5 II. Heck I find myself interested in spite of the fact that I own it's twin, the Zf.

 

[shuncheung]

Nikon may have created the Perfect do it all camera of all time. Basically it's a Home Run. That balance of Price, Features, and Capability for the Z5 II is going to make it an extremely popular Camera. So much so that Nikon may have difficulty keeping up with demand for this camera. Hopefully closing down the Z6 II production line will free enough manufacturing capacity to allow Nikon to meet the demand for the Z5 II. Heck I find myself interested in spite of the fact that I own it's twin, the Zf.

The Z5ii certainly looks good on paper (or on the computer/phone monitor), but it is not out in consumer's hands yet. It may become very popular, but I would wait a bit until reviews of the early production units are available. The Z5ii has the same old sensor as the Z6, Z6ii and Zf. It is fine for non-action, i.e. not sports, not wildlife type photography, and the OP doesn't seem to use long lenses. The Z5ii could be a very suitable camera for the OP, but I would wait a bit before recommending it.

Personally, I would rather have a CFexpress card slot, but that is just me. The Z5 and Z5ii both have dual SD card slots and no CFexpress.

In the US, the Z5ii's introduction price is high, probably due to the uncertainty about tariffs.

 

[maestro55]

I still have and use my D750 when speed, latest AF, big buffer, or video are not required, which is a of the time… It is still a superb, less complex image-maker with good lenses under all sorts of static and low light conditions. My original Z6 performs equally well or better in many, but not in all ways. Most Z lenses are undeniably better than F mount counterparts if you have very high IQ standards, but adapting the better F lenses will still produce pro quality results on Z bodies.

For a long time I had a DX body and the 16-80 lens for street, hiking, and travel. The Z50ii could be amazing in that role except for the lack of a similar FF equivalent. For now it’s my main bird & wildlife tool when paired with telephotos. I miss the top panel display a little bit, am not a fan of articulating rear screens, but the AF, speed, and low weight make it a lot of fun.

It seems that the Z6iii with 24-120 would suit you extremely well for a long time unless you really want extra pixels for higher resolution or longer reach by cropping with shorter lenses.

No doubt, a Z8 wouldn’t disappoint you unless the size and extra $$$ ‘weighs’ too heavily on your shoulders and wallet as you add your preferred Z lenses.

Nikon has a lot of options, especially if you can mix it up with older and newer bodies for specific purposes while adapting to both older and newer control layouts. That said, any FF Expeed 7 body will be a huge AF, video, and feature improvement over the D750. IQ upgrades with the better Z lenses will depend on specific circumstances; your D750 sensor is still competitive in static low light conditions.

 

[skyrunr]

...The Z5ii could be a very suitable camera for the OP, but I would wait a bit before recommending it.

It should more than likely equal the Z50II, and many of the specs are better, so I'd say it is a pretty safe bet. Just tossing Expeed7 in an existing Z5/Z7/DX body might have been adequate.

Personally, I would rather have a CFexpress card slot, but that is just me. The Z5 and Z5ii both have dual SD card slots and no CFexpress.

I only needed CFE for a 45mp sensor instant file transfers. It wasn't a game changer on my D500 with the late firmware update either. I use UHS-II (Delkin Power cards) are more than enough for 24mp and capturing video. Some of the CFE-B's (Sandisk) run pretty hot anyway. It is too bad CFE-A wasn't more popular, because two of those slots would fit in most cameras. Not to mention Sony's dual slot feature.

Otherwise CFE-A is the new MemoryStick. (UGH)

In the US, the Z5ii's introduction price is high, probably due to the uncertainty about tariffs.

I thought the $1699 was set before tariffs. I wonder if tariff's are avoided when buying refurbished or used products. You'd be wasting your time if you tried to apply any logic or speculation moving forward. Something to keep an eye on though, or a great excuse to travel somewhere to buy gear.

 

[shuncheung]

Personally, I would rather have a CFexpress card slot, but that is just me. The Z5 and Z5ii both have dual SD card slots and no CFexpress.

I only needed CFE for a 45mp sensor instant file transfers. It wasn't a game changer on my D500 with the late firmware update either. I use UHS-II (Delkin Power cards) are more than enough for 24mp and capturing video. Some of the CFE-B's (Sandisk) run pretty hot anyway. It is too bad CFE-A wasn't more popular, because two of those slots would fit in most cameras. Not to mention Sony's dual slot feature.

The D500 is a 20MP camera and maxes at 10 fps. However, even the fastest SD card (UHS-ii, 300 MB/sec, and the specs for SD has not changed for over a decade, not since the D500 was introduced back in 2016) could not keep up. Eventually I only used XQD cards on the D500 as SD was a clear bottleneck, or one can write RAW onto XQD/CFexpress and only JPEG on the SD.

In any case, it looks like the OP doesn't shoot 20 fps so that SD may be just fine. I simply don't think SD are reliable enough and I have had various issues. Just recently an old SD card became incompatible with my Z8 for a while but seems OK after reformatting.

Otherwise CFE-A is the new MemoryStick. (UGH)

CFexpress Type A have evolved into a Sony-only type. Just like memory stick, no other company uses it. But that is another topic.

In the US, the Z5ii's introduction price is high, probably due to the uncertainty about tariffs.

I thought the $1699 was set before tariffs. I wonder if tariff's are avoided when buying refurbished or used products. You'd be wasting your time if you tried to apply any logic or speculation moving forward. Something to keep an eye on though, or a great excuse to travel somewhere to buy gear.

$1699 for the Z5ii was set after the current president took office and it was clear new tariffs were coming. That price is higher than the initial $1400 price for the Z5 and way higher than the $1000 price the Z5 has been sold since its first year. Without tariffs, one would assume the Z5 will be priced similarly as the predecessor it replaces.

For a while the Z6iii was discounted to $2200 in the US but is now back to $2500. Potentially the Z5ii could be discounted to $1200, $1300, although I kind of doubt that it will go down to $999 as the Z5 has over and over. Due to the tariff uncertainty, I am afraid that a lot of prices are up in the air.

 

[AZ Indie]

I made the switch from a D750 to the Z6iii. I'm curious what is your biggest learning curve? For me it is the AF, so many options. I mostly shoot AF-S, wide area (small), focus and recompose. I am still learning to use AF-C and 3D tracking. I use the EVF exclusively. What were your biggest adjustments?

So I switched from 2x D750's and a D810 to two Z6ii's when the Z6ii's first came out -I refused to be an early adopter on Nikon mirrorless as the crowd was split on efficacy, and I run a business, so.... I ultimately made the decision to move over before the bottom dropped out on resale value and figured [wrongly] that by version-ii they had it figured out... they did not.

I can't say with enough vitriol how much I hated my Z6ii's. I later on added a third body, an open box Z6. Way better camera. The Z6ii's were a major disappointment and they never made it right [unlike the original Z6/7, which they basically equalled the 'ii's with a nice firmware upgrade --still own my original Z6!]. Paint me as a hater, but I spend actual $$$'s sorting it out and have the stories to back it up. Also note, I'm 80/20 video over stills now, so your mileage may vary.

Anyway, my biggest learning curve was multifaceted, one being the Z lenses just broke all my legacy F-mounts through superior design, IQ, and how AF worked with the better Z bodies. It was not inherently 1:1 understandable upfront, and took me a bit to break older learned habits, but over dozens of shoots it became readily apparent.. In time and practice/execution, I learned that the new system is very much superior, but being an old-guard shooter [Nikon since way back, like 1990], it was a personal challenge to accept at first. But again, the new system is very much where you need to be in 2025.

 

[camelguy]

I don't think your list really contradicts itself. The things that stand out to me from your wish list are your desire for better AF, and for a body on the smaller side. It's also important that nowhere did you say you wanted or needed more megapixels.

So, those things really eliminate the Z8 from the equation. Any of these three bodies will have better AF than the D750. The Z8 is bigger and more expensive than the others, and while there are other features that do make it a 'more perfect' camera, the z6iii and the z5ii (probably) are not too far behind.

I think the z6iii is probably the most direct lateral move, with numerous improvements, from the D750. But you might be just as happy with the z5ii. Personally, if I was looking at both, I'd still choose the z6iii, because it has some extra features over the z5ii that matter to me - they might not matter to you. One thing I'd keep in mind is that one of the hardest adjustments to make from D to Z is going from OVF to EVF - it's just a different experience. The EVF of the z6iii is much better than the one that was on the z6ii - I have no idea how it compares to what'll be on the z5ii, but I'd suggest paying attention to how similar or different they are.

 

[MJ_Photo38]

I can't say with enough vitriol how much I hated my Z6ii's. I later on added a third body, an open box Z6. Way better camera. The Z6ii's were a major disappointment and they never made it right [unlike the original Z6/7, which they basically equalled the 'ii's with a nice firmware upgrade --still own my original Z6!]. Paint me as a hater, but I spend actual $$$'s sorting it out and have the stories to back it up. Also note, I'm 80/20 video over stills now, so your mileage may vary.

I must say, I'm quite surprised by this. My understanding is that the Z6II had some firmware advancements over the Z6, and the Z6 was brought up to speed (kinda) through firmware (still missing some stuff, like some focus modes, cropped 4K60 etc), but overall the performance would be similar.

So if those two cameras are so close, how would the Z6 be a better camera than the Z6II? Did the Z6II have a weird firmware that made it buggy? I never heard about it, so I'm quite confused.

I own a Z6, and the price to performance ratio of that body is much better than the much more expensive Z6II even today, it that the sole reason why you don't like it over the Z6?

 

[MJ_Photo38]

Nikon may have created the Perfect do it all camera of all time. Basically it's a Home Run. That balance of Price, Features, and Capability for the Z5 II is going to make it an extremely popular Camera. So much so that Nikon may have difficulty keeping up with demand for this camera. Hopefully closing down the Z6 II production line will free enough manufacturing capacity to allow Nikon to meet the demand for the Z5 II. Heck I find myself interested in spite of the fact that I own it's twin, the Zf.

The Z5ii certainly looks good on paper (or on the computer/phone monitor), but it is not out in consumer's hands yet. It may become very popular, but I would wait a bit until reviews of the early production units are available.

As far as I know, all the reviews that got out already from journalists and camera reviewers were on final firmware. They were all able to test the autofocus properly, as well as the images (not that we needed it, it's basically a Zf, both for IQ and performance, which is known commodity at this point).

The Z5ii has the same old sensor as the Z6, Z6ii and Zf. It is fine for non-action, i.e. not sports, not wildlife type photography, and the OP doesn't seem to use long lenses. The Z5ii could be a very suitable camera for the OP, but I would wait a bit before recommending it.

I'm sorry what? since when is that sensor not suitable for action stuff? I have done plenty with my Z6 without a hitch.

Sure, don't use electronic shutter with fast moving subjects, but electronic shutter doesn't provide any burst rate benefit over electronic (unless you shoot JPEG... but at this point this is much faster 8bit readout that removes the rolling shutter issue) so why bother.

With a pretty large buffer, and 11fps RAW, the Z5II is more than capable of shooting sports and action.

Personally, I would rather have a CFexpress card slot, but that is just me. The Z5 and Z5ii both have dual SD card slots and no CFexpress.

Could be a benefit to not have to deal with more expensive cards and card readers, though. Personally, I like the CFXB card in my Z6, but I also see that a single 128GB card cost more than all of my SD cards combined.

Besides, it's really a consideration if you shoot very long bursts, the Z5II has a buffer that's deep enough to not really suffer from the lack of cards faster than a UHS-II V60 or V90. Generally the very cheap V60 cards are enough when it comes to photography.

And for people that don't shoot action, the ability to have dual memory slots to either have a backup, or sort out the RAWs and JPEGs on different cards is a pretty neat feature. I know I enjoyed it quite a lot when I was using dual slot cameras.

In the US, the Z5ii's introduction price is high, probably due to the uncertainty about tariffs.

It's still a good price for what the camera offers. It's a faster, more accurate Lumix S5II for about the same price. Nikon did good on that release imho.

 

[AZ Indie]

Cost to benefit ratio. Z6>Z6ii in my use cases. But the Z6iii has been a phenomenal camera, still impressive coming up on almost a year now.