Nikon D7500 or D610 with DX lens

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Name
Barry
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Hi,

My son is 14 and has caught the photography bug badly. He's quickly upgraded from Panasonic TZ90, Panasonic FZ82, Nikon D3300 and he's wanting to upgrade again for Christmas to either Nikon D7500 or Nikon D610.

We can afford the following as a Christmas Present

Nikon D7500 Grey Import £559 E-infinity
Nikon D610 secondhand for about £500 with 12 months warranty

He has the following lens at the minute

AF-P 18-55mm
AF-P 70-300mm

He takes mainly photos of Commercial Planes and occasional landscape and nighttime photography.

He referees so he would have to use DX lens with the D610 for a while until he saved up. Would 12MP really be so bad and what FX lens should we aim for?. He will of course have his existing kit to sell which should yield £350-400 towards lens.

I do believe it would want to jump to Full frame in the near future so wonder if I should opt for the D610

Which option would you chose and why? Am I missing any other options for about £500??

Thanks

Barry
 
I think the first question would need to be why ?

What does his d3300 not do or what limitations does it have that’s causing a problem ?
The d3300 is capable of exceptional images

or is it just a case of wanting something new for the sake of having it ?
 
I agree the D3300 is a really good camera, however he keeps comparing to my D7200 with the same lens which he prefers. It's the focusing speed that is really noticeable to him especially during evening shots around aircraft. He has a very good eye for photography and is always getting compliments on his work. His work has been used by the RAF.

He is funding all the recent upgrades from his own pocket and its a very serious hobby for him.
 
I haven't owned or used a D7500 but I did own a D610 (albeit briefly) and was impressed with the image quality it gave. If your son likes taking airplane shots will be be able to get the results he wants without the extra range provided by the DX crop?

You have a PM :)
 
Your son may never be satisfied with your decision. A camera is such a 'personal' choice. Advice about which is the better camera is useless. More importantly which camera (if either at all) feels best in his hands is the better question. You can't answer that nor can anyone else. I'd give him a check for the amount you can afford and send him on his way. Let him make the choice. It really is his to make.
 
My eldest is 16 and I bought him a d3100 when he was 11. As he shot motorsport, he outgrew it and so 18 months or so ago I bought him a d3400.

In the last year, we’ve become more involved with car clubs/drives and so my son has been using my d500 for rolling shots and my d600 for detail shots. His d3400 has hardly come out of his camera bag - infact, I think the weekend’s Wales Rally was the first time I’d seen him use his own camera in 12 months.

The newer “semi pro” crop sensors are great, even with high ISO, so if your son can save more a DX camera may be a better bet if reach is required.
 
If he is going to upgrade in the near future anyway I would suggest he waits and invests in a setup which he will be happy with for years to come. It seems like a waste to buy an incremental upgrade to a D7200 or D610 if he's going to say "oh the focus and IQ on the Sony A9 is amazing" in a year or two....but that's just my opinion.

Like some one said before...understanding why he feels the need to upgrade then buying a specific camera for those needs is the way to go.
 
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Reach is important... What DX camera would be the better if we save more???
 
Reach is important... What DX camera would be the better if we save more???
D500

At the same time DSLRs are on way out and as suggested above if in two years time you feel like going to mirrorless, you might as well save some money and do that now
 
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If he is going to upgrade in the near future anyway I would suggest he waits and invests in a setup which he will be happy with for years to come. It seems like a waste to buy an incremental upgrade to a D7200 or D610 if he's going to say "oh the focus and IQ on the Sony A9 is amazing" in a year or two....but that's just my opinion.

OP seems to be more interested in getting good value for his money over having the latest and greatest like A9.
 
It's the focusing speed that is really noticeable to him especially during evening shots around aircraft.

The D7500’s autofocus is one of Nikon’s best. It’s the DX version of the old flagship D4s’s autofocus, so it shouldn’t be a surprise that it works so well. Only the D500, D850, and D5 have a higher-end system, as of March 2018. It’s also the same autofocus system you’ll find in the earlier D7200 – and, back in our D7200 review, John Sherman said the D7200’s keeper rate was higher than he found with the D810 or the D4s.
Photography Life

The D7500 is very light to use and an extremely capable camera, if he likes your D7200 he will likely love the D7500, (a D7200+).
 
OP seems to be more interested in getting good value for his money over having the latest and greatest like A9.

Point taken, but the A9 was just an example. Based on OPs post his son has already upgraded through 2 cameras and is now moving onto his 4th camera - personally I would not take that approach but horses for courses :)
 
i would go d7500 then, its almost a D500 its pretty much most terms, D500 would be slightly better but probably looking £750 used, £1k new, but the 7500 bar build quality and a few other bits is almost the same.

i havent used a D7500 but spec wise its almost the same and the D500 and its AF and such is exceptional.
 
Hi... Thanks all.

Have ordered a Nikon D7500 from E-Infinity as I have used them before.

He's also keeping the D3300 as a second body...
Like I said, I haven’t used the 7500, but all comparisons put it in line with the D500.

I went from a D5100 to D500 and it was night and day, AF speed/lock was/is phenomenal, I’m sure he’ll love it.
200-500 next :tumbleweed:
 
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