Possibly Moving to Nikon

[velvet4269]

I've had my Olympus e500 for many many moon, but it's very, very out of date - meaning it's getting harder & harder to buy lenses and/or accessories for it, my memory card door is now held on with velcro, and the external flash I bought for it (which barely got use) no longer works at all.

Don't get me wrong, I still love my Oly, but I've been increasingly getting frustrated with it's limitations - particularly in low light. I've always been impressed with the manual focus on Nikon's lenses (and that was just the kit lenses). I'm seriously considering making the jump to Nikon, but I don't want to go from a starter camera to a starter camera - if I'm going to do this, I'm going to upgrade as well.

The problem is, I have no idea where to start. Don't get me wrong, I love the idea of a full-frame camera, and am drooling over the D4 and the D800/800e, but I suspect that may be more than what I need as a hobbyist.

[zona5101]

D7000 would be an excellent choice.

[ccting]

+1 for D4,

a) you can use Fx and Dx lenses
b) You can have cropped factor from 1x to 2.7x
c) You can remotely control and view the photo
d) Much better ISO performance than previous models
e) Less limitation compared to other cameras, that can serve you long long time..

[Aegea]

Well, as a hobbyist you don't really "need" anything - this is an issue I wrestle with whenever I want to buy a new lens or something. I guess the real question is, how much are you willing to spend? Bearing in mind the "need" for a whole new set of lenses.

Mmmm - sounds like fun

[sk66]

Originally Posted by ccting

+1 for D4,

ccting, you really should quit giving advice. You have every right to your opinion...but a poorly informed opinion is worse than none at all.

The D4 is not a good choice for most. A D3s/D3/D700 would all be better choices for almost everyone.

OP:
For an experienced hobbyist I would say D7000 or D300s. If you really want FF and believe you will end up there in the end the D700 or D3s. (add a D3 into the mix if you don't mind buying used/refurb)

Don't worry about the latest greatest. My D3 was THE hot sh*t 4 yrs ago and has already been replaced by two models.

[dakwegmo]

Unless you have a massive budget, I would take a serious look at some of the entry level cameras out there. The reason I say this is that you'll also have to buy new lenses as well, and I'd much rather use pro quality lenses on any of Nikon's entry level bodies, than use a mediocre lens on one of the pro bodies. The other option would be to pick up a body that's a generation or two older, like the d90, which would still be an upgrade from your Olympus, but would save you quite a bit over buying the latest greatest.

[TheMoons678]

Originally Posted by dakwegmo

Unless you have a massive budget, I would take a serious look at some of the entry level cameras out there. The reason I say this is that you'll also have to buy new lenses as well, and I'd much rather use pro quality lenses on any of Nikon's entry level bodies, than use a mediocre lens on one of the pro bodies. The other option would be to pick up a body that's a generation or two older, like the d90, which would still be an upgrade from your Olympus, but would save you quite a bit over buying the latest greatest.

+1

Buy used and buy cheap. A D5000 body for $350 used isn't bad, a D80 for $275-325, a D3100 for $350, a D90 body for close to $500. All those could save you some room in your budget for some lenses to get started (if you have a total budget of 500-800).

D5100 could be a great option if you'd like to spend a little more. I love my d7000, but I also loved my older d80 and d90.

[sk66]

I can see the D5100 instead of the D7000....

[ccting]

Originally Posted by sk66

ccting, you really should quit giving advice. You have every right to your opinion...but a poorly informed opinion is worse than none at all.

The D4 is not a good choice for most. A D3s/D3/D700 would all be better choices for almost everyone.

OP:
For an experienced hobbyist I would say D7000 or D300s. If you really want FF and believe you will end up there in the end the D700 or D3s. (add a D3 into the mix if you don't mind buying used/refurb)

Don't worry about the latest greatest. My D3 was THE hot sh*t 4 yrs ago and has already been replaced by two models.

Agree... but i love the latest technology, and i learn photography by receiving your critiques..
I could not agree with SK for D5100.. I would change my D5100 for D3000.. I wander why Nikon..??

Dear SK, can you compare between the following "items" among D5100 vs D3S vs D4
a) ISO performance (ease of use)
b) Lenses Compatibility (Cost efficiency)
c) Remote control & viewing via Laptop / computer (Learning curve & more accurate & instant analysis via big monitor; get instant display on big screen for clients to see)
d) Battery cost and how many hours it can last?
etc

I wander why you replace your D3 with D4?? I wander why you are not getting D5100 instead of D7000 LOL.. I believe the latest is the best (on paper) .. ;D

If i am you, I will buy 2nd D90 or D3000.. ;D. I assure you will regret if you go for D5100. You will know the reasons..later. If i have choice, i shift to Canon instead of Nikon. Reasons: Much cheaper to own more photography equipments, including lenses etc. Currently i throw my D5100 and kit lens into the store, and never use them again. I prefer using D3000 with 50mm f/1.8

[MiraCrisp]

Many have said D7000 and I agree. I would also say D90 if you are looking to save a few bucks.
If you are going full frame, D700 is nice. I'd like to try new D800 but I really do not need such strong movie capabilities or 36mp. A 36mp monster will require a nice hard drive to support processing requirements. Imagine editing a batch of RAW images that you just downloaded from a 36mp camera. Some may need it but I personally do not need D800.