HallowedHill Loc: Chattanooga, TN

I currently shoot with a Nikon D 50 and have for 11 years. I use the DX lens: AF-S 17-55 f/2.8 G and AF-S 55-300 f/4.5-5.6 G and have been reasonably happy with this. I to date have shot family and friends, travel, landscape and some family sports activities printing nothing over 8 x 10. But I am now retiring and want to expand to include the above subjects and BIF. I was all set to pull the trigger in January or February on a D 750 or D 500 with a AF-S 24-70 f/2.8E VR lens to be followed by a AF-S 70-200 f/2.8E FL ED VF within the next 18 months and ultimately a AF-S 200-500 f/5.6G VR. There is also going to be a new printer in my life that allows for up to 16x24 images. And then..... I read about the Olympus OM D E M-1 MarkII(sigh...GAS). I am 67 and don't shake yet but I know it's coming, and I would like this august body's input on real world experience on going to m4/3s and the current Olympus experience. Years ago I had the original OM-! film camera and absolutely loved it. I've researched enough to know the pros and cons of full frame vs crop vs 4/3. What I realty need is input on from those of you who have used the D 750, the D 500 and the OM D E M-1. Thanks in advance.

bsprague Loc: Lacey, WA, USA

I shouldn't reply because my Nikon experience is limited to film and I've never owned an Olympus. But, I thought it would be fun to "watch" the topic. Nikon has devoted followers but can be surpassed by exuberant Olympus followers! It could be a lively discussion.

My version of being old and retired is M4/3 in the Panasonic flavor with prints to 13x19 on a Canon. I could not be happier.

romanticf16 Loc: Commerce Twp, MI

Have you ever considered a used D300s? It's only 12MP, but can shoot 10 frames RAW with a added battery pac for sports or BIF. Or the FX version, the D700? Instead of the fastest glass, look at the f4 versions of the 70-200 Nikon. Another strong consideration should be the Nikon Df. It is FX; light in weight and has the same processor and chip as a D4 @ 18MP. MT Shooter has written a lot about the Df. Search for some of these posts.

WayneT Loc: Paris, TN

I know you are looking at the higher end cameras but if you want something lighter with more MP's and you can still use your existing lenses, take a look at the d5500. It's lighter, 24MP's, touch LCD screen and has a lot of the same capabilities as the d7200. I have a d7200 myself and I'm 70 and so far I'm doing OK with it but like you I'm waiting for the other shoe to drop.. I also have and old d5000 that I converted to infrared and it's a lot easier to handle than the d7200. The d750 and d500 I believe are both lighter than the 7200 but heavier than the 5500.

HallowedHill Loc: Chattanooga, TN

Thanks for your reply. I considered both the older models and rules them out. I tend to buy and keep as witnessed by the age of my D 50. Technology moves so fast that after 10 or so years you start running out of options and this may be my last camera, so i decided to go with something fairly new. As for the Df, yes I looked at it but I have a wife and we have a grandchild and part of the bargain for this up grade is video ( sigh)

bsprague Loc: Lacey, WA, USA

"part of the bargain for this up grade is video"

Please consider the Panasonic m4/3 choices if video is on the wish list.

sueyeisert Loc: New Jersey

I bought the Olympus EM-5 when it first came out. I really had to study the manual and get info on the Internet. I don't care for all the menus and sub menus. Fuji was recommended to me which is more like using a 35mm camera and has great jpegs. Also the sensor is the same size as the Nikon 7200.

Terry in Indiana Loc: rural Indiana

I bought the D500 this summer and absolutely LOVE IT...took it to Botswana on safari in September, and it performed amazingly!!! Great for outdoors...wildlife and sports especially! I got some fantastic BIF photos as well...the tracking focus is really good!

The only downside, which can be a biggie if it's your only camera, is that there is no pop-up flash. I know it's not the best lighting option anyway, but for random shots of the grandchildren indoors I do use mine a lot in the winter. So make sure you're okay with that if you go the D500 route. It does have great ISO range, but still...I do miss the convenience of the pop-up flash sometimes. I have Nikon's D7100 as well, so that's my indoors camera.

If you can live with the no flash, you'll LOVE the D500!

Skeeter41 Loc: Bonita Springs, FL

I'm 75 and, yes, unsteadiness has become somewhat of a problem. I moved into the 4/3 realm last year with the OMD EM-10 Mark ii with the great 5-axis stabilization. Wow! The stabilization is terrific. I love the camera and have since sold my revered Canon DSLR and accompanying lenses. It's also smaller and a bit lighter. I've come to love the electronic viewfinder. The camera focuses well with virtually no lag time. Image quality is great (I got the 12-40 mm f2.8 lens). The menu is complex, but there is an abundance of online info to help with this. Robin Wong would be one source. I can't speak to the more advanced OMD EM-1, but now that the Mark ii version of that model has been introduced, the price will fall considerably, so that would be another option. Lots of choices out there in the 4/3 world. Plenty of happy Sony, Fuji, and Panasonic users. Good luck!

jerryc41 Loc: Catskill Mts of NY

Can you post the shutter count on your D50? After 11 years, it must be up there.

I use the D750, and I love it. I tried Sony mirrorless/compact cameras and went back to Nikon DSLRs.

Read comparisons and specs, and decide what features are important to you.
(Reviews) https://www.youtube.com/user/TheCameraStoreTV/videos
http://cameras.reviewed.com/
http://camerasize.com/
http://www.imaging-resource.com/IMCOMP/COMPS01.HTM
http://snapsort.com/compare
http://www.dpreview.com/products/compare/cameras?utm_campaign=internal-link&utm_source=mainmenu&utm_medium=text&ref=mainmenu

rmm0605 Loc: Atlanta GA

I had a D750 and loved it. I traded up recently for the D810. The 750 has many amazing pre-sets that set it apart from the other Nikon full-frames. But you may not need or be interested in those. Let's just say it's a terrific full-frame setup.

jmoule

I replaced my Nikon D810 (and a bunch of lenses including a 500mm f/4) with an Olympus OM-D M-1 and several PRO lenses including the 600mm equivalent f/4. I shoot wildlife and wanted to save weight. The internal stabilization is fantastic. I can shoot hand held and consistently get frames as sharp as with a tripod. There is no loss in image quality with 11" X 14" prints.

That's the good news. The bad news is that the menu system was created by Japanese engineers and is quite frustrating. Also, the camera focus can not track rapidly moving animals or birds as well as top of the line Nikon or Canon. The upcoming Mark II model is supposed to fix that but it remains to be seen.

dcampbell52 Loc: Clearwater Fl

Personally (and I will be the first to admit a certain bias), I would stick to upgrading within the Nikon line and keep the D50 as a backup/secondary camera if it still works reasonably well. I have done this with my D70s. It is a reasonable solution and all of your current lenses will work (even if you decide to jump to a full frame Nikon. Be aware though that if you get a D3XXX or D5XXX (meaning any of the D3400 and below or D5500 and below, the cameras will NOT autofocus, so you need to look at the D7XXX line as your entry level. You can get some good prices on the used and or rebuilt D7000 and D7100 bodies. Note that the D7100 camera does NOT use an anti aliasing filter which tends (in my opinion) to make crisper images. AND, the D7100 will work with ALL of your current lenses. In addition, the D7100 has a "self cleaning" sensor which really irritates my wife because she uses my old D70s which has to constantly have the sensor cleaned to reduce sensor dust/dirt spots. She cleans her sensor weekly, I break down and clean my D7100 and D610 sensors once every 6 months or so unless I've been to the beach or somewhere else where there is a lot of blowing dust.

MtnMan Loc: ID

The D500 is surprisingly heavy.

I have a D5300 but if doing today would get the D5500 for its little better low light performance. Its images are the same as 7200 while the D5300 compares to the D7100. But both weigh half as much as D7xxxs and have articulated screen.

The D5300 has GPS and wifi, but I don't use them.

I prefer the D5xxx control method using the active info screen. It is big enough to see without reading glasses and lighted in the dark. The D7xxx system with unlighted buttons and an unreadable green screen annoyed me so I dumped my D7000 after a few months.

The D500 at least has lighted buttons.

I have a D800 and the 200-500 also. They make quite a load together.

I just got a micro 4/3 for air travel: Lumix GM5. It is sweet!

craggycrossers Loc: Robin Hood Country, UK

Hi Jerry - I'm "smilin' from afar" at your "mirrorless" comment - didn't you have one of those "very early" NEX's? In mirrorless terms that was "dark ages", dear fellow ! Time to familiarise yourself with current mirrorless gems, the Fuji X-T2 (my particular favourite), X-Pro2, and, if you're in the micro4/3 camp that new OM something that's being floated around this post ! Greetings from the UK !

My suggestion to the OP, take a good look at Fuji X-Series before making any decision - and closely examine the menu system in comparison to Olympus.

http://www.prophotonut.com/2016/07/07/fuji-x-t2-review-damien-lovegrove/

http://www.dpreview.com/reviews/fujifilm-x-t2

http://www.cameralabs.com/reviews/Fujifilm_XT2/

http://jonasraskphotography.com/2016/07/07/parading-bull-the-fujifilm-x-t2-review/

http://www.digitaltrends.com/digital-camera-reviews/fujifilm-x-t2-review/