Two camera bodies: same or different?

[Stacey_K]

These are what I use for event photography now. Mainly use the D4 and have the "gripped with a D3 battery" D700 as my backup. I have a D800, but I use it almost exclusively as my landscape camera. The skin tones from the D4 and D700 are just that good!

 

[Nikon33]

Good idea. The D800 is too slow for events. Terrific for landscapes.

 

[richiebee]

I enjoy the combination of D850 and D500 because they have the same button layout. Not so fun D610/D500 or D850/D610... I do all combinations depending on what I'm doing, but it certainly takes a little more brain power to add the D610 with its different layout.

 

[scott54b]

I have a D850, D750, and D500. My main camera is the D850. I use the D500 when I am going out to take pictures of wildlife. I use the D750 when I am trying to learn how to do something new. I do like the fact that the D850 and D500 have the same dial and control setup but I still like using the D750 to.

 

[m_black]

For a while I had a D4s and D800. I thought “best of both worlds. High res and high sensitivity. But in the end I found it was too much of a discrepancy shooting one event with two bodies. There was very obviously a resolution disparity. And sometimes I wished Image A was taken with Camera B and vice versa. Doing wedding albums I sometimes came across the warning for “image resolution too low”. Later replaced the d4s with the D750 and the difference between 24 & 36 was less obvious.

 

[PerL]

For those of you who need to go somewhere with two bodies, do you like to have both bodies the same, or to have each offering something different?

When you have the bodies the same, the ergonomics are the same, and the workflow can be very nearly the same even if shooting different lenses.

When you have different bodies you can still have one as potential backup to the other but it's not completely like-for-like. You could have a 12MP body for rapid shooting and a 36MP body for when you anticipate cropping more, for example.

Do you even keep a backup that is behind the curve nowadays, just because it is cheap, as a third camera perhaps? Or is your third camera that one that offers something a bit different? For instance you might feel obliged to have a 1:1 backup for full frame but like to have a DX around for daylight shooting.

Pro - 2x same body because it is serious.

Entusiast - 2 different bodies because it is fun.

 

[fishy wishy]

For a while I had a D4s and D800. I thought “best of both worlds. High res and high sensitivity. But in the end I found it was too much of a discrepancy shooting one event with two bodies. There was very obviously a resolution disparity.

Yes. Although it wasn't so much the high resolution of high v low MP that got me, it was the rate high MP got through storage space and the longer processing time when batched. Add to that that the pro brick is designed to output tidy files SOOC and didn't always need post processing, so I realised the high MP ones were "high maintenance". I had to ask if I had the time or the inclination to deal with thousands of high MP files at a time.

And sometimes I wished Image A was taken with Camera B and vice versa. Doing wedding albums I sometimes came across the warning for “image resolution too low”. Later replaced the d4s with the D750 and the difference between 24 & 36 was less obvious.

 

[calson]

Nikon finally got it right with the D5/D850/D500 cameras where the important controls used when shooting have a similar orientation. I have not issues when switching between these 3 cameras. This is not the case with all the other Nikon cameras where Nikon's product managers were clueless about a photographer having more than one camera and control layouts seemed arbitrary.

It does depend in part on the type of shooting one is doing. I have no problem with a different body for landscape or studio photography as any slowdown due to looking for controls is not important. Very different with event, sports, or wildlife photography where one can miss important shots while fiddling with the camera. Having the ISO button on opposite sides of the different camera models was a major PITA.

 

[Hansa Yindee]

.

I know this is an FX question but I do use D300

bodies in a very unforgiving jungle environment.

For 10+ years I've constantly shot wild primates

under a triple canopy jungle come rain or shine.

My one D1x worked fine but finally the battery

issues became to much. If money wasn't an

issue I'd carry a couple D5's. Point is I'd like

having the camera bodies being the same

so there's no fumbling around as wildlife

is so quick to change directions leaving

you no time to second guess the camera.

This is my experience based on real life

situations in a brutal jungle .......;-)

.

[ATTACH alt="My "Mobile Jungle Office" , 12 yr old 125cc Honda, homemade sidecar ..;-)"]2030400[/ATTACH]
My "Mobile Jungle Office" , 12 yr old 125cc Honda, homemade sidecar ..;-)

-

--
Jon in Thailand
http://www.flickr.com/photos/af2899/
.

 

[Nikonparrothead]

My first FX camera was a D700. I supplemented that with a used D3s (basically similar but different). When I made that decision I first rented a D600 but wasn’t wild about the focus point spread.

I eventually sold the D700 to finance a Df (still not wild about the focus points, which is the same as the D600/610 but I wanted the chip).

When the Df was in the shop, I rented a D750 as a backup for an assignment a couple years back. It was better for me than the Df/D600/610 system.

I found myself using the D3s more than the Df but have a few nits with it too. This past summer I picked up a D750 and have been quite happy with it.

i know you don’t want one but the focusing system does change the shooting experience.

 

[Mackiesback]

It's a decent poll for once.

Since I shoot for fun, any time I bring a second camera it is for different applications. I never simply do a backup.

Sometimes the 2nd "body" is merely a Coolpix A, if that counts.

 

[Rexgig0]

It's a decent poll for once.

Since I shoot for fun, any time I bring a second camera it is for different applications. I never simply do a backup.

Sometimes the 2nd "body" is merely a Coolpix A, if that counts.

Yes, a Nikon A counts. It is very un-coolpixian. ;-) Serious APS-C sensor, excellent optic, no AA filter, “adult” hot shoe, pro-like metal body, “Made In Japan;” what’s not to like?

 

[Mackiesback]

It's a decent poll for once.

Since I shoot for fun, any time I bring a second camera it is for different applications. I never simply do a backup.

Sometimes the 2nd "body" is merely a Coolpix A, if that counts.

Yes, a Nikon A counts. It is very un-coolpixian. ;-) Serious APS-C sensor, excellent optic, no AA filter, “adult” hot shoe, pro-like metal body, “Made In Japan;” what’s not to like?

I like it so much, I own three. The first one I got for $295 from B&H near mint with 4k actuations on it. Decided I liked it so much and that Nikon would never make a replacement, so I bought a silver one online. Turned out to be a grey market cam I learned when I tried to send it to Nikon for sensor cleaning, so I loaned it to a friend for a trip and haven't seen it in a year.

Stumbled on one here recently that a guy was selling for $300 that had less than 100 actuations, also silver. Basically brand new, couldn't pass it up. Probably be shooting with these until you cant get batteries anymore.

Anyway, sorry for the sidebar.....

 

[Nikonparrothead]

I don't use my Coolpix A nearly as much as I should.

 

[Rich Rosen]

Traditionally, it was desirable to have two of the exact same body, with different lenses attached for different perspectives, or to have a backup in case of issues with the first. That way the change from one body to another is seamless, and requires less thought on settings, since both can be preset the same way. But in the current world, differences in perspective can also be achieved with the cameras used, and still have an almost seamless transition with the presets...or not. I am referring to the sensor sizes in cameras, and the menu settings chosen. Currently I use the D810, and the D500 in tandem, with one serving as my primary and the other as my specialist. Either can do primary duty, depending on the event or subject Im shooting. Both are very similar in user interface, although if I upgraded to the D850, its user interface would be even more similar to the D500.

 

[CBR1100XX]

It depends on the situation. Sometimes having an FX/DX body is a great combo as I'll let more range from my lenses. Though I might be getting a second FX one for when it's going to be very low light.

It is much easier for me now that both bodies have the same ergonomics VS my old D700/7100 combo. Also the output of the D750/7200 is very similar so I can effectively edit them the same way and at most just apply different noise reduction settings.

 

[bjn70]

I've only done this once- I had very different bodies but it was not a problem (D300 and D7200). For upcoming travel I'm trying to decide on a second body to pair with my D750. I have arguments for going with D7200, D7500, D610, D750 and D810. I haven't made a decision yet. It doesn't help that I'm having difficult with the savings and the used market is not cooperating. I'm doing a lot of searching and while I've seen prices on a few models coming down, I'm finding very poor selections on the used market.

 

[PHXAZCRAIG]

I often carry two bodies, especially if shooting primes. Over the years, I've always had a first camera, and a second, with the second being demoted on purchase of a new body.

So I've done D200, D300, D700, D800e, D810, D850 mixes. I've also carried two underwater cameras at times, one for me, one for the wife. There was only one time I had identical cameras, and it was very convenient in the post-processing. Made for a change in how I named my files though, to avoid duplications. I have a naming scheme that starts with a date and ends with a camera name. I was able to come up with a naming token to discriminate between the identical camera models.

All my bodies have similar button locations, but when there is a little change, it can drive you nuts for years. Like the zoom buttons swapping positions, or the ISO/Mode button swapping.

The least convenient mix was one DX and one FX camera. That just never paired well for me because the lens swaps were problematic. For years I shot the D300 only for wildlife, and the D700 for everything else.

A surprising problem combination for me was the D700 and D800e. While I loved the 8fps I was getting from the D700, the D800e's sensor is so much better I just quit shooting the D700. Plus the battery changes (both cameras gripped with big batteries) really burned me, and I didn't want to carry two different (and large) chargers.

I only carry two bodies to shoot at the same time, so I generally want smooth lens transitions which only happens within the same sensor size. But I could see a DX/FX mix on a specialized trip, like a safari, depending on the lens options.

 

[fishy wishy]

The inconsistency of Nikon controls through the generations is rather an ergonomic mess, much more so than shooting on Canon gives you with professional and semi-professional cameras. About the only thing Nikon decided to keep this decade was the focus mode change with the eccentric button next to the lens, or at least it felt that way. The first time I came across this I had no manual, took some figuring out.

It can be quite hard to resist the temptation to do something different with a second body.

 

[PHXAZCRAIG]

It can be quite hard to resist the temptation to do something different with a second body.

As the owner of a $3500 dive housing for my D810, I decry the meddling with shape and buttons between camera versions. It becomes prohibitively expensive to upgrade camera gear for underwater shooting.