Going back to a Nikon dSLR but which one??

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ian-83

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Currently have a Panasonic G6 after making the move to 4/3rds about a year ago but still struggling to work well with the camera, finding it too small in the hand and regularly pushing buttons by mistake and affecting settings.So going to go back to a Nikon dSLR. In the past i started with a D3000, then moved to a D300 then a D7000. Going to stick with DX as it's more than enough for me and can't see any benefit of going to full frame for me, plus also cost is an issue. Going to look at getting a D300(s) or a D7000 but unsure which to go for. Mostly going to be used for landscape and transport stuff and the occasional portrait of my little girl as she grows up.

So do I go for the slightly better built D300, with less megapixels but possibly a better autofocus system or go for the D7000 which seems to have a better dynamic range and is newer tech?

Opinions appreciated,
 
For me, from M43 it was easy - the D750, small and light (for DSLR), good AF, good dynamic range, full frame plus a few other bells and whistles which will be more or less important depending on what sort of shots you take.

Edit - sorry you ruled out FX - my bad for not reading it fully.
 
D750 - I love mine
D700 - I still love mine, it just has "it"
D300 - some days it's just worth it, and it always was and will be a very solid body that produces marvellous images at ISO's up to 800

I have a D7100, and have had a D7000 ............ if Nikon had produced a D400 I would not have bothered with the D7xxx
 
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If you've had both the D7000 and D300, why don't you go for the one you preferred the first time around.
 
What do you tend to shoot? Do you need the fps the D300 offers? I still use my D300 for sports over my D800 for its speed. All else being equal though I'd go for a D7x00 model.
 
Boldonian said:
D7000 every time.
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Have you tried a D700 or D750? ...... different league

(if) budget limits the choice would be

used D300
used D700
used/nearly new D610
new D750

from what you, (the OP), have said - go for a used D700 FX ... if you can get a good one for c £500 grab it
 
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grotty said:
If you've had both the D7000 and D300, why don't you go for the one you preferred the first time around.
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Must admit I was wondering the same. You must be better qualified than most to answer this one.

I'm a big fan of the D300 . I think I'd opt for one of those.
 
BillN_33 said:
Have you tried a D700 or D750? ...... different league

(if) budget limits the choice would be

used D300
used D700
used/nearly new D610
new D750

from what you, (the OP), have said - go for a used D700 FX
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I think you may have skim read the OP a little too hastily! ;)
 
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gad-westy said:
I think you may have skim read the OP a little too hastily!
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i went from the D300 to the D7000, then the D7100
then I grabbed a D700 and then a D750

I would have gone as follows - D300 ...... D700 ........ D750 and missed out the D7xxx

i am suggesting, based on my experience, that the OP does the same

cropped sensor ... if I were wanting that I would probably go to Canon

but at the end of the day it is far more important to decide on the lens that you want and then work backwards to the body
 
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D7000 every time, great camera and much better than the D7100 that replaced it. I borrowed a D7100 as a second body for a wedding I shot and the buffer on it is infuriating.

BillN_33 said:
but at the end of the day it is far more important to decide on the lens that you want and then work backwards to the body
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and this. If I was you I'd want a 17-55mm f2.8, great lens especially on a D7000.

Oh and it just so happens I'll be selling my D7000 and 17-55mm shortly....it will be in the classifieds at the weekend after I take some photos of it! Shameless plug I know but I want it to go to a good home.
 
I thought with FX you also had DX - the crop mode on the FX models provides both. I think a good, used D700 would provide years of glorious pictures and the ability to use proper wide angles for the landscape stuff the questioner says he likes to do. FX lenses can be used for DX shooting, you are simply using the sharper, centre portion of the image circle. I think you would get far better value for money with a used D700.

I am still using my old D3 bodies, what are they now, 8 years old? I reckon there is still 5 years in each of them, if not more.
 
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Lensflare said:
I thought with FX you also had DX - the crop mode on the FX models provides both. I think a good, used D700 would provide years of glorious pictures and the ability to use proper wide angles for the landscape stuff the questioner says he likes to do. FX lenses can be used for DX shooting, you are simply using the sharper, centre portion of the image circle. I think you would get far better value for money with a used D700.

I am still using my old D3 bodies, what are they now, 8 years old? I reckon there is still 5 years in each of them, if not more.
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I'd have recommended a D700 too (if it wasn't for the DX stipulation), incredible value for money now.
 
I would say go for the newer model.. I have had both and didn't get on the the D7000, I use mostly a D700 but have my trusty D300.
 
Lets put it this way, there is no way would I part with my D300 it is a great camera even though now I have the D800. I think that says it all
 
You want to stick to DX because of budget and if the build, size, weight and speed of the D300 offer you nothing its a no brainer = D7x00. Consider your budget and pick either the D7000 or D7100, the advantage of the latter being you get that 51 point autofocus system you refer to in your OP as a feature of the D300, but with all the other advancements including image quality Nikon has made in the years between those models. The only thing the D300 holds over the D7100 is build and speed really. Are those important to you?

As an aside, you sound careful not to suggest you 'need' much so it doesn't sound to me like you'd have much reason to consider the D300 over the D7000.
 
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I started out with a D300, then moved up to the D700, then decided FF wasn't for me and ended up with a D7100

For my needs it does pretty much everything as well as, if not better in some cases, than either of my 2 previous bodies (with the exception of the FPS of the D300), so i'd say go for a good used D7100, i think the advantages of the D7100 over the D7000 are pretty decent and worth the extra few quid
 
BillN_33 said:
i went from the D300 to the D7000, then the D7100
then I grabbed a D700 and then a D750

I would have gone as follows - D300 ...... D700 ........ D750 and missed out the D7xxx

i am suggesting, based on my experience, that the OP does the same

cropped sensor ... if I were wanting that I would probably go to Canon

but at the end of the day it is far more important to decide on the lens that you want and then work backwards to the body
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Bill, the OP has clearly stated that they don't want/need FX

As has been suggested above, read the OP again
 
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gad-westy said:
Must admit I was wondering the same. You must be better qualified than most to answer this one.

I'm a big fan of the D300 . I think I'd opt for one of those.
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So would I. It would take a lot to wrench me away from my D300S
 
Definitely a FF sensor for the low light captures… other considerations depend on your budget.
 
Much as I love my Nikon system (FF, so not that relevant to recommend it to the OP), for 1.5x crop kit, the Fuji X system is hard to beat. Not really a budget solution but IMO it provides all the IQ you'll need for the "landscape and transport stuff and the occasional portrait of my little girl as she grows up."
 
Thanks for all the replies.

grotty said:
If you've had both the D7000 and D300, why don't you go for the one you preferred the first time around.
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I liked both bodies that's the problem! They both have there advantages and disadvantages. What one gains over the other loses out somewhere else.

Deckard said:
What do you tend to shoot? Do you need the fps the D300 offers? I still use my D300 for sports over my D800 for its speed. All else being equal though I'd go for a D7x00 model.
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Probably the fastest thing I'll shoot will be at airshows as I live close to Duxford.

gad-westy said:
Must admit I was wondering the same. You must be better qualified than most to answer this one.

I'm a big fan of the D300 . I think I'd opt for one of those.
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The D300 was a great camera and still is but then so is the D7000.

Nod said:
Much as I love my Nikon system (FF, so not that relevant to recommend it to the OP), for 1.5x crop kit, the Fuji X system is hard to beat. Not really a budget solution but IMO it provides all the IQ you'll need for the "landscape and transport stuff and the occasional portrait of my little girl as she grows up."
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I have heard/read people don't rate the Fuji stuff for landscape as the colours they produce aren't as punchy as Nikon/Canon offerings. How do you find they fair. Most examples I seen on here and Flickr seem to be more than enough for me.

As much as I said DX only I never knew D700's could be picked up as low as £500, is very tempting at that price. Specially if I combine it with a nice wide angle like an 18-35 and maybe a 24-120 f4 lens.
 
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