# Why I would not sell my D7000 and buy the D800?



## adichiru (Apr 29, 2012)

Hello,

The most important things that I need from a camera are:
- as many MP as possible as I shoot wild life quite often and many times I need to crop.
- DX mode (even on an FX camera) in order to have a narrower filed of view for my full frame lenses
- as many fps as possible fir birds and other fast moving animals
- low light performance at least equal to D7000.

I have a D7000 and several DX and FX lenses.

As D800 will give me all of the points mentioned above and much more, is there any reason for which I would not sell my D7000 and maybe all of my DX lenses and buy the D800?
I am aware that D7000 makes a great back-up camera, but I still have the D5000 which should be quite ok for a backup in my case.
Also, don't take into consideration the difference in price.

Thanks,


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## poker_jake (Apr 29, 2012)

adichiru said:
			
		

> Hello,
> 
> The most important things that I need from a camera are:
> - as many MP as possible as I shoot wild life quite often and many times I need to crop.
> ...



Ask yourself why the d7000 is holding you back and you will get your answer. FX is great but know why you want to upgrade.

The extra MPs only matter in print, and you will lose fps.


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## adichiru (Apr 29, 2012)

To be honest the difference in price is holding me back. I said to ignore it in your comments as I want to know if there is any other reason besides money. I could buy a 70-200 f/2.8 + 1.7x or 2x converter and use them on the D7000 or stick with the Sigma 150-500mm which is a very good lens for its price but very slow....

On the other hand, this was the logic when I said some time ago that I will never be able to afford spending so much money on lenses so I bought the nikon 18-200 mm as a "good enough for everything lens" and, although I am not disappointed by that lens as I know now its limitations, I end up having 5 lenses now, 2 of them for FX.


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## Markw (Apr 29, 2012)

Things you will gain from going with the D800:*
Dynamic range* + shadow recovery + Pro-grade AF + FX capability + Pro-grade build quality + Incredible video capabilities + monthsss on the waiting list + etc, etc, etc.

What you will gain from staying with your D7k:
~$2k.

Mark


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## Kerbouchard (Apr 29, 2012)

What lenses do you currently have?  As Mark pointed out, you are basically asking if you should spend 2K on a camera body or another lens.  Knowing what lenses you currently have would help to give a better answer.


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## Mrgiggls (Apr 29, 2012)

I would certainly wait a few months at least.  Hold on to your D7000 and enjoy shooting it.  As long as you keep it in pristine condition you should be able to get a nice chuck-o-change for it for some time yet.   There a some interesting rumors about new bodies right now and waiting to see what Nikon has in store is a good idea imo.  Now...if you were shooting with a much older body, it'd be different obviously but you have a really good body.  Stick with it a while and see what shakes out.


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## Trever1t (Apr 29, 2012)

only one reason (if $ isn't a concern) is availability.


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## Derrel (Apr 29, 2012)

*"There is a fifth Nikon camera beyond that which is known to man. It is a camera with dynamic range as vast as space and as timeless as infinity. It is the middle ground between the overpriced D3x and the amazing D800, between heavy pro camera and 24 megapixel D3200, and it lies between the pit of man's fears of APS-C underperforming  and the summit of the Nikon sensor performance in the D800. This is the dimension of the immediate future. It is an area which we call "The Twilight Zone". --Derrel Serling*

The moral of the mangled Twilight Zone introduction that I wrote above? Hold onto your money and wait a bit. There will be a camera for you, and people like you who do not want or need the D800's feature set, but who are not quite happy with the D7000 as the top-level APS-C camera OR the top-level model at that particular PRICE point. It is clear that the D800 is **the** camera to shoot for in terms of overall sensor performance; the incredible dynamic range AND the amazing 4- to 5-stop shadow recovery abilities of the sensor in the D800--contrasted with the heavy color mottling and disappointing pattern noise that the Canon 5D-III sensor has in its shadows with only a modest shadow "lift" in Lightroom or PS means that the "enthusiast" crowd is now becoming aware of how amazing the new Sony-made, high-MP count sensors really truly are. Even the APS-C sized 24.2 MP sensor in the new D3200 performs well at high ISO levels; head to dPreview and look at the sample images shot with the 24MP D3200...THAT kind of image quality, or higher, is what one can expect from say, a D7100. The D800 "buzz" is going to make many people clamor for higher MP count, APS-C sensor cameras.

Nikon can now offer at retail a 24 megapixel D3200 with a kit zoom lens for $699! I do not think it will be too long before that same sensor--probably with higher-grade, more-expensive electronics, migrates to a D7000 replacement, so that would allow you to get the really DENSE pixel count that APS-C provides, which would be good for narrow-field (telephoto) lenses where the goal is to get as MANY pixels onto a subject, across a narrow lens angle of view. And frankly, UNTIL THIS NEW LINE OF SENSORS, the Exmoor line from Sony, came out--many people felt that 15 to 16 megapixels on APS-C was about the maximum possible MP count until image noise and color richness started to suffer. And that's what we saw with the Canon 7D--loss of color richness, and base-level noise, and dynamic range were pretty noticeable above the base ISO levels. We're seeing the same limits with the Canon 5D-II and 5D-III sensor technology--a lot of just-barely-hidden noise, and banding, in the shadows, which is killing the ability to underexpose a bit to protect the highlights, then "lift" the shadows, to expand apparent dynamic range. I personally thought that 16.2 MP on APS-C was a "wall" that would take much longer to get over, but the newest Sony sensor tech and Nikon electronics have proved that fear dead,dead,dead wrong. What I'm saying is, right now...you ought to be waiting for the NEXT NIKON that uses the newer, higher-MP count sensor tech,probably a 24MP APS-C sensor, that is going to be *specifically designed for people like you and other enthusiasts.*

Nikon works this way: they make the best camera they can make for each market segment. The pro cameras have a 4-year life expectancy. The consumer and enthusiast models, somewhat less of a life span. The consumer priced models sell the most units, then the high-end consumer models, then the serious enthusiast/semi-pro models, then the flagships, which sell the fewest units. Nikon has just updated the serious enthusiast/semi-pro camera segment AND the entry level, with 36- and 24-MP models at good prices. *"Your"* segment seems to be next in line for an update, priced between the D7000 price point, and the $2999 of the D800/D800e.


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## Markw (Apr 29, 2012)

^^
'Nuff said.

Mark


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## greybeard (Apr 29, 2012)

Derrel said:


> *"There is a fifth Nikon camera beyond that which is known to man. It is a camera with dynamic range as vast as space and as timeless as infinity. It is the middle ground between the overpriced D3x and the amazing D800, between heavy pro camera and 24 megapixel D3200, and it lies between the pit of man's fears of APS-C underperforming  and the summit of the Nikon sensor performance in the D800. This is the dimension of the immediate future. It is an area which we call "The Twilight Zone". --Derrel Serling*
> 
> The moral of the mangled Twilight Zone introduction that I wrote above? Hold onto your money and wait a bit. There will be a camera for you, and people like you who do not want or need the D800's feature set, but who are not quite happy with the D7000 as the top-level APS-C camera OR the top-level model at that particular PRICE point. It is clear that the D800 is **the** camera to shoot for in terms of overall sensor performance; the incredible dynamic range AND the amazing 4- to 5-stop shadow recovery abilities of the sensor in the D800--contrasted with the heavy color mottling and disappointing pattern noise that the Canon 5D-III sensor has in its shadows with only a modest shadow "lift" in Lightroom or PS means that the "enthusiast" crowd is now becoming aware of how amazing the new Sony-made, high-MP count sensors really truly are. Even the APS-C sized 24.2 MP sensor in the new D3200 performs well at high ISO levels; head to dPreview and look at the sample images shot with the 24MP D3200...THAT kind of image quality, or higher, is what one can expect from say, a D7100. The D800 "buzz" is going to make many people clamor for higher MP count, APS-C sensor cameras.
> 
> ...




Talk about really nailing it down. ^^^^


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## Nikon_Josh (Apr 29, 2012)

Markw said:


> Things you will gain from going with the D800:*
> Dynamic range* + shadow recovery + Pro-grade AF + FX capability + Pro-grade build quality + Incredible video capabilities + monthsss on the waiting list + etc, etc, etc.
> 
> What you will gain from staying with your D7k:
> ...



I agree with just about all your points Mark, just thought I'd point out though that the D7000 is no slouch when it comes to shadow recovery. As Philip Klinger mentioned, shadow recovery on the D800 reminds him of shadow recovery on the D7000. So basically the advice of enjoying the amazing D7000 you already have and getting a great lens to pair with it for wildlife photography is the better idea.


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## IByte (Apr 29, 2012)

Because you can buy the d800 body and have the d7000 as a kick a$$ back up.


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## gsgary (Apr 29, 2012)

I would wait because there are problems with the D800, a chap at our club is having problems with autofocus with any lens wider than 50mm and there are reports of faulty batteries that could go up in flames


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## brian_f2.8 (Apr 29, 2012)

What do you do with the images? Do you print large scale? If so then yes the D800 will be much better. You can add the grip and you will get 6fps. To be honest, Id rather spend the money on long glass. If you decide in the future you want to upgrade then do it. You can rarely beat a good glass investment.


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## Markw (Apr 29, 2012)

gsgary said:


> I would wait because there are problems with the D800, a chap at our club is having problems with autofocus with any lens wider than 50mm and there are reports of faulty batteries that could go up in flames



This is the first I've heard of such a problem, and the battery is the same as those in the D7000.  So, buying any new battery for the D7k could easily surmount to the same problem.

Mark


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## gsgary (Apr 29, 2012)

Markw said:


> gsgary said:
> 
> 
> > I would wait because there are problems with the D800, a chap at our club is having problems with autofocus with any lens wider than 50mm and there are reports of faulty batteries that could go up in flames
> ...



Some D7000 are being recalled, i checked internet after chap at club was complaining about his D800 and found this
And the Nikon D800 autofocus saga continues (with some comments on specific lens performance)


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## Derrel (Apr 29, 2012)

The battery recall is discussed on Thom Hogan's Nikon Camera, DSLR, Lens, Flash, and Book site. Yes, same battery is used in the D7000 and D800. So, Ming Thein has an out-of-spec ultra-high resolution camera. Or he has an out of spec 24mm f/1.4. ANd he is getting absolutely incredible results with a number of lenses. He cannot tell what the problem is. And the corners are bad on three copies of the 24mm f/1.4 AF-S G on HIS body. Sounds like the he's testing,testing,testing that 24mm f/1.4 lens and it has...some focus shift and or field curvature, so it's bitingly sharp in the center, but the corners are not sharp. Imagine that--the highest-resolution d-slr ever made showing lens performance issues wide-open at the extreme corners on a short wide-angle! Captain Obvious, please report to the internet cafe!!! It's time for you to vent!!!. He reports exceptional results with multiple other Nikkor lenses, but multiple copies of the same lens on his camera show...the same exact type of performance " issues ". Fuc7in' genius.


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## adichiru (Apr 30, 2012)

Thanks all of you for the input.

The FX lenses I have now are the Nikon 105mm f/2.8 macro, Nikon 50mm f/1.4G and Sigma 150-500mm. The DX are 18-200mm, 12-24mm f/4 and 35mm f/1.8.

Anyway the decision have been made with your help: I will not buy the D800 for the moment - I will wait till the end of the year at least and the money that I have will probably go into the 70-200 mm f/2.8 and in the near future the 1.7X or 2.0X converter.

Although the Sigma 150-500mm is a pretty good lens, at least for its price, I would really like to change it with a faster one.
Do I have better options than the 70-200 f/2.8 with 2.0X converter?

Thanks!


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## Aloicious (Apr 30, 2012)

gsgary said:


> I would wait because there are problems with the D800, a chap at our club is having problems with autofocus with any lens wider than 50mm and there are reports of faulty batteries that could go up in flames



perhaps you should get your facts straight. there have been no batteries bursting into flames, and the batteries that are in question are the same ones for the D7000 which the OP already has, as well as several other bodies. the battery recall has absolutely nothing to do with the D800 body whatsoever.
Service Advisory

There have been no autofocus issues that I've seen all the way down to 14mm with my d800, no one else that I know with the D800/D800E has reported any such issues...either your chap got a bad copy, or it's a problem on his part.


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## gsgary (Apr 30, 2012)

Aloicious said:
			
		

> perhaps you should get your facts straight. there have been no batteries bursting into flames, and the batteries that are in question are the same ones for the D7000 which the OP already has, as well as several other bodies. the battery recall has absolutely nothing to do with the D800 body whatsoever.
> Service Advisory
> 
> There have been no autofocus issues that I've seen all the way down to 14mm with my d800, no one else that I know with the D800/D800E has reported any such issues...either your chap got a bad copy, or it's a problem on his part.




There is no way it is a problem on his part, only time will tell


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## Aloicious (Apr 30, 2012)

well, we have no way of knowing that....but if, like you said it isn't a problem with him, then he likely got a bad copy, unfortunately that is how mass production sometimes happens. but the experiences of one person don't make the entire product line bad, perhaps he should contact nikon and discuss a replacement or something, unless he's done something to void the warranty it should be covered.


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