upgrading camera

[damien]

Hi im looking to upgrade my camera, I have a nikon D80 which i brought secound hand about 2 years, Im looking at the nikon d7000 as its in my price range, Any advice on this matter would be grateful as im not clued up on camera equipment as some of you

thnaks

[dubaiphil]

Hi Damien

Some people like to jump up to the latest camera body as soon as it comes out while others prefer to wait for a second generation to come out before moving up. The D7000 is 2 generations newer then the D80.

You'll notice that the D7000 will autofocus better, feel slightly better built in your hands, will be much higher resolution and have significantly better capabilities in lower light.

You haven't mentioned if you have invested in many Nikon lenses - if you have then it may be wiser to stay with Nikon but if not then don't discount Canon models either.

[Mike Buckley]

Damien,

You'll get more helpful responses if you explain the primary type and conditions of photography that you have been doing and what, if anything, you would hope to change about that as a result of getting a new camera. Also explain the situations in which the D80 does not meet your needs, if any.

I uograded from a D80 to a D7000 and I'll offer the most important differences that I've experienced:
Far more accurate Auto White Balance
Far less noise at higher ISO
Live View (especially helpful for using a tripod)
Electronic horizon for leveling the camera
Saving certain user settings in U1 and U2 allowing instant recall rather than having to change menu items
My Menu allows you to store the settings you change the most often; no more going through all the menus to get to them.
Save all the settings onto a memory card. Load all the settings from the memory card.
Two card slots (I use the first one for storing and loading the settings mentioned immediately above but there are other uses.)
Auto ISO allows 1/4000 shutter speed (much, much lower on the D80)
Display camera info on the rear LCD rather than being limited to the small display on the top
Automatic bracketing of exposure, Active D-Lighting, White Balance, etc.

[damien]

Hi Damien

Some people like to jump up to the latest camera body as soon as it comes out while others prefer to wait for a second generation to come out before moving up. The D7000 is 2 generations newer then the D80.

You'll notice that the D7000 will autofocus better, feel slightly better built in your hands, will be much higher resolution and have significantly better capabilities in lower light.

You haven't mentioned if you have invested in many Nikon lenses - if you have then it may be wiser to stay with Nikon but if not then don't discount Canon models either.

hi,

i have a few lenses not so much nikon but sigma and tameron, i have the nikon 70 300, 50mm and couple more, i was toying with moving to canon but in the long run it wil cost me more money, but as i brought the the d80 2nd hand to see if i could get into photography i thought its time to treat myself to a new one, but wasnt to sure if i was doing it just for the sake of spending money, I would like to take photos of icehockey this year and think the the d80 wouldnt be up to the low light as the d80 becomes very noisey over 800, I also understand that i need to buy a new lense as well but i feel the camera needs to be replace first , i can always rent a lens before buying it,

id like to thank you for such a good reply in telling me the generations betweent the 2 as i dont understand allt he techinical side of the camera's

[Mike Buckley]

There will be two main advantages of the D7000 for shooting hockey. One is that it can shoot up to 6 frames per second. The other is that you can shoot at higher ISO and also get less noise. If the lighting conditions are poor where you shoot hockey, you will get images using the D7000 that are not possible using the D80.

[Dave Humphries]

hi,

i have a few lenses not so much nikon but sigma and tameron, i have the nikon 70 300, 50mm and couple more, i was toying with moving to canon but in the long run it wil cost me more money, but as i brought the the d80 2nd hand to see if i could get into photography i thought its time to treat myself to a new one, but wasnt to sure if i was doing it just for the sake of spending money

HI Damien,

To clarify; all your lenses (i.e. about 6), even the Sigma and Tamron will need replacing if you switch to Canon - or any other brand.

You assumption is correct, it just isn't worth going there, it'll cost more money and the benefit will be minimal - the differences between one brand's features over another are miniscule compared to the skill of the photographer, so even if you need to improve the quality of one or two lenses in your line up, the 70-300mm and 50mm will be fine 'forever' if looked after.

If you only had 2 lenses, a kit and a Sigma/Tamron, the loss wouldn't be so great, but even then, if you're used to the way a Nikon works, switching to Canon is another thing to have to learn again. I bought a Canon P&S and even the simple stuff like downloading and reviewing pictures is a major PITA compared to using Nikon ViewNX2.

I would say exactly the same to a Canon person thinking of swapping to Nikon, stick with what you know, the grass on the other side only looks greener, the reality is a whole heap of stuff to re-learn and when that's done, I gather you'll end up wishing there was a brand in the middle with bits from both camps. In other words, it win some. lose some and a nagging feeling it wasn't worth swapping.

All that said, I haven't actually swapped DSLR brands (and never will), but maybe Phil has and did find it worthwhile, I certainly know he's a darn good photographer from what he's posted here.

I think two generations does make it worth upgrading your body. I have a D5000 = trimmed D90, so I am a generation ahead of you and don't see me upgrading to a D5100 unless a good deal comes along, I'll wait until the D5200, or a D7100 (with a tilty screen) comes out

Cheers,

[dubaiphil]

Thanks for your kind words, Dave. I've always been with Nikon - I say always, but that's just with a D90 and then D700.

Where I live Canon is the dominant brand. Nikon's pricing is more expensive than anywhere else in the world, which doesn't help. However, what convinced me when I bought my D90 was how it felt in my hand, the ergonomics and menu system. Moving from the D80 to D7000 and Damien will have that continuity, discounting a few button redesigns, but I don't know if he's tried a Canon alternative.

Damien - you will notice a massive difference in lower light as Mike said.

[damien]

Dave, I was only thinking about going to canon but as i said it would just be too expensive to replace what ive got, hence the reason i only want to upgrade the body, the main reason i want to change body is that i went along to a wedding shoot with a good friend and he was getting better images with the iso being able to go alot higher with alot less noise, Now i now im no professional, that why i asked if it was worth it and what i have read so far it looks like it could help me progress with photography that i would like to attempt, like ice hockey i can see it would be a advantage to have the iso higher as the lighting is poop in most rinks, I know the camera doesnt make you a good photographer but it can help you progress dont you think?

[Polar01]

Damien: I use the D7000 upgraded from the D70 to D90 now the D7000, I found a world of difference all for the better, with the D7000. I have to beleive that it is me that is getting better images, not the camera, however it is like a woodcarver using dull tools as to using sharpe tools, same carver better tools the work lools better. You will not be disapointed with the D7000.

Cheers:

Allan

[damien]

Hi Allan

thanks for your input, so far what i have read on here its seems a good idea, i played with one in the shop a while back and it felt good in my hands, so i will get one at the end of the month when i get paid,

[Manfred M]

The D80 is about six years old and is rather obsolete as the technology has moved ahead in leaps and bounds. While there are a number of excellent previous postings explain some of the updated technology, nothing beat the improvements in the sensors. Higher resolution, higher dynamic range and lower noise are the most important changes that have occurred since the D80 came out.

I personally would wait a few weeks to see if you want to take the plunge now or see what new models are introduced at Photokina, the large international imaging show that starts on Sept 18. Camera manufacturers often use that venue to introduce new models. It would be worthwhile seeing if anything of interest is introduced by Nikon. Rumours are that at least one new DSLR will be introduced at the show (D600).

[Mike Buckley]

Damien,

Though I think I indicated that I'm thrilled after having upgraded from the D80 to the D7000, it might be helpful for you to understand that I have retained my objectivity. There are actually two things about the D7000 that I don't like as much as the D80. The first one is that the histograms are smaller despite that the LCD is larger. The second issue is that it's not possible to custom name folders; it's only possible to change the number assigned to the folder name.

[Scott Stephen]

The D80 is about six years old and is rather obsolete as the technology has moved ahead in leaps and bounds. While there are a number of excellent previous postings explain some of the updated technology, nothing beat the improvements in the sensors. Higher resolution, higher dynamic range and lower noise are the most important changes that have occurred since the D80 came out.

I personally would wait a few weeks to see if you want to take the plunge now or see what new models are introduced at Photokina, the large international imaging show that starts on Sept 18. Camera manufacturers often use that venue to introduce new models. It would be worthwhile seeing if anything of interest is introduced by Nikon. Rumours are that at least one new DSLR will be introduced at the show (D600).

Even if your budget target won't be for the very latest greatest model, the appearance of a new model often triggers a fire sale on the now-existing models.