JaSSon Posted May 28, 2015 Report Share Posted May 28, 2015 I've got a Nikon D60 and two lenses, the kit 18-55VR and a Sigma 18-200, so I'm not terribly invested. I'm traveling to The Grand Canyon and surrounding areas next month, and I'd like to upgrade. I'm currently contemplating the D5200, D5300 or just switching to a Micro four thirds/mirrorless camera. There will be lots of hiking, so the reduced weight of the D5300 or micro camera are appealing. I can grab a refurb D5200 for $350 while a refurb D5300 will run me $500. I don't know enough about the micros to have shopped around at all yet. The D5300 also adds 1080p60(1080p30 is fine for me) video,a slightly larger screen, and built in GPS(meh) and Wi-Fi (useful) all while being more compact and lighter than the D5200. Thoughts on these cameras? Micro 4/3 recommendations? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TTQ B4U Posted May 28, 2015 Report Share Posted May 28, 2015 I wish I had more to offer but I'm not up on the latest 4/3 offerings. They really don't fit my needs nor do I have an interest in investing in the lenses for them as I'm deep elsewhere. That said it sounds like bulk is the biggest concern? What are your main objectives and targets for shooting while out and about? Could you simply invest in a really good alternative camera? I'll chime back in when you share the above. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JaSSon Posted May 28, 2015 Author Report Share Posted May 28, 2015 (edited) I wish I had more to offer but I'm not up on the latest 4/3 offerings. They really don't fit my needs nor do I have an interest in investing in the lenses for them as I'm deep elsewhere. That said it sounds like bulk is the biggest concern? What are your main objectives and targets for shooting while out and about? Could you simply invest in a really good alternative camera? I'll chime back in when you share the above. Alternative camera? Like a P&S super zoom? I've got a decent P&S Panasonic with I think a 10x zoom and a water proof Olympus. We'll be at Arches, Mesa Verde, Grand Canyon, etc so lots of wide open landscapes. We're day hiking and car camping, so no backpacking. I just spent a boat load on camping and hiking supplies, and as such I'm looking to replace my D60 rather than suppliment it. Bulk is a concern, but so is money. Basically I'm wondering if the D5300 is worth the premium it commands over the D5200. I'd also wager to bet that modern 4/3 cameras are higher quality than my aging D60. Edited May 28, 2015 by JaSSon Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TTQ B4U Posted May 28, 2015 Report Share Posted May 28, 2015 Alternative camera? Like a P&S super zoom? I've got a decent P&S Panasonic with I think a 10x zoom and a water proof Olympus. Yes, that's what I was wondering. I just added a nice Sony RX100 III and love it. Great quality pics and video that fit in my pocket. Mainly for outdoor landscapes and wider shots but it will capture the kids nicely too. Sound like you have that. We'll be at Arches, Mesa Verde, Grand Canyon, etc so lots of wide open landscapes. We're day hiking and car camping, so no backpacking. I just spent a boat load on camping and hiking supplies, and as such I'm looking to replace my D60 rather than suppliment it. Gotcha. Sounds like an opportunity to add a nice wide angle lens such as a 10-18mm. Bulk is a concern, but so is money. Basically I'm wondering if the D5300 is worth the premium it commands over the D5200. I'd also wager to bet that modern 4/3 cameras are higher quality than my aging D60. Gotcha. I'm not personally familiar with the Nikon Gear but side by side it looks to be an incremental upgrade. http://www.dpreview.com/products/compare/side-by-side?products=nikon_d5200&products=nikon_d5300 Some key features that I like on it: They removed the anti-aliasing filter, which gives it the edge in terms of resolution. Will be more noticeable if you use good glass.Full and true 1080/60p HD video and I do like articulated screens for video.Better battery life It's definitely a nice upgrade to your D60. That said, especially given your upcoming trip, I still stand by the fact that you'll get a lot of mileage out of a new good lens like a wide angle. I can show you pics from a 13yr old DSLR vs my latest ones you'd be hard pressed to see a difference. Just saying. All depends on how much you like photography. Nikon and Canon have great lens systems and going forward you'll be in good hands. If you do upgrade the body I'd go all out and go 7200. It's a well worth upgrade that you will appreciate. But now I'm spending more of your money Hope my nickles worth helps. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
unfunnyryan Posted May 28, 2015 Report Share Posted May 28, 2015 http://www.ebay.com/itm/Nikon-D5300-DX-Format-DSLR-Camera-w-18-55-VR-55-200-VR-Factory-Refurbished/331562087434?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item4d32a3f40a Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JaSSon Posted May 29, 2015 Author Report Share Posted May 29, 2015 http://www.ebay.com/itm/Nikon-D5300-DX-Format-DSLR-Camera-w-18-55-VR-55-200-VR-Factory-Refurbished/331562087434?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item4d32a3f40a Adorama has it for $70 less Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JaSSon Posted May 29, 2015 Author Report Share Posted May 29, 2015 Gotcha. Sounds like an opportunity to add a nice wide angle lens such as a 10-18mm. I appreciate your input. Could you take a look here and suggest a decent wide angel lens? I've always wanted the 35mm 1.8f lens so I could play with focal ranges, but I think that would be a pretty terrible lens for this trip. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TTQ B4U Posted May 29, 2015 Report Share Posted May 29, 2015 I appreciate your input. Could you take a look here and suggest a decent wide angel lens? I've always wanted the 35mm 1.8f lens so I could play with focal ranges, but I think that would be a pretty terrible lens for this trip. Wide angle wise I'd look at the following groups 10-24mm (4) 10-20mm (2) 12-24mm (4) Perhaps best for this trip would be to rent one of the ones from above to insure it's in fact what you want and if a lens will be the way to go. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wagner Posted May 29, 2015 Report Share Posted May 29, 2015 Wide angle wise I'd look at the following groups 10-24mm (4) 10-20mm (2) 12-24mm (4) Perhaps best for this trip would be to rent one of the ones from above to insure it's in fact what you want and if a lens will be the way to go. I can't stress enough how important it is to rent a lens before you buy it. I saved myself huge money by renting first to see if something was what I wanted before buying it. You can rent locally from Midwest Photo or online. I have done both and been happy with how things went. I try to support Midwest when I can becauase they are local, will give good advice, and have worked with me on prices fo stuff before. I have not used any wide angle stuff yet, my line of work does not justify buying it or renting it, but for what you will be shooting I think it will work. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
macpyro2 Posted May 30, 2015 Report Share Posted May 30, 2015 I have a D5300, love the camera, video is great. I never use GPS or WiFi due to eating up battery and sending large file pictures with wifi takes a while. Going from my last d5000 it was an easy switch plus I got a deal on the 18-140 "kit" lens which is perfect for vacation/ walk around lens. Like Wagner said though rent before you buy lenses. I used to photograph MMA and needed fast low light lenses due to flash restrictions and I would have never found the right lens by buying without renting first. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EROtero Posted June 8, 2015 Report Share Posted June 8, 2015 I appreciate your input. Could you take a look here and suggest a decent wide angel lens? I've always wanted the 35mm 1.8f lens so I could play with focal ranges, but I think that would be a pretty terrible lens for this trip. I do a lot of interior architecture and sports/action photography and have used almost every wide angle lens available in the market. IMHO, the best lens (value/performance) for a Nikon crop camera is the Tokina 11-16mm rivaling the 14-24mm Nikon at a fraction of the price. If your wide angle photos will be controlled, as in on a tripod with a lot of patience, then you can look at some of the manual focus lenses available like the Rokinon 14mm (in my bag right now) or the DX specific Rokinon 16mm. As for the 35mm f1.8, I had the Nikon f1.8 trio a few years back when I still had the D800E and they were all fantastic lenses in their own respect. But remember that a 35mm aperture on a crop sensor is more like a 52.5mm. to get a 24mm aperture like lens you need to get a 16mm aperture lens to compensate for the sensor crop. As others have mentioned, rent before yo buy. I cannot stress this enough. The guys and gals at MWPE are fantastic people to deal with and indeed very knowledgeable. Another thing you can do is take a look at your photos from the past year and compare the apertures at which they were taken. This way you will find what aperture you are using the most and be able to make a better purchasing decision. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JaSSon Posted June 8, 2015 Author Report Share Posted June 8, 2015 The issue with renting is that I'll be gone for two weeks. That's over $200 to rent MWPE's cheapest wide angle lens, which is half the cost of the Tokina mentioned above. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EROtero Posted June 8, 2015 Report Share Posted June 8, 2015 You don't have to wait for your trip to rent. You can rent the lens for this coming weekend, saturday to monday is one day rate. Use it then decide if its what you want for the trip. MPEX may even use the rental fee towards the purchase. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mrs.cos Posted June 9, 2015 Report Share Posted June 9, 2015 MPEX will use your last rental towards purchase of same. Weekends are counted as one day. If you sweet talk Dennis or Dakota they'll give you a deal on rental Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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