larryepage Loc: North Texas area

I don't give specific equipment upgrade advice, but I faced the "real" need for an update/upgrade a year and a half or so ago and will share my what and how.

I tend to use equipment for a long time. It was a pretty big deal for me when I finally upgraded from my trusted D200 to a nice used D300. Then a need arose to move from DX to FX in order to get better wide angle performance and to get enhanced low light performance. Both of these needs were aimed at significantly improving my limited light photography and better preparing for a night sky workshop that my wife gave me as a birthday gift. All but two of my lenses were already nice FX models (this had been an intentional choice through the years), so lens availability was no impediment to the format change, and the price of the D810 had just been lowered as the D850 was coming out, so the choice worked out pretty nicely. A 14-24mm f2.8 completed my upgrade, and I have prints and photos, some posted on this site, that verify what I was able to do that I could not have done without the equipment update. An important consideration was that the controls and menus on the D810 are very similar to those on the D300 (and D200), which was very important, because I access them a lot.

There are lots of folks here who will say that your equipment does not matter. If you simply use your camera as a "camera obscura" to capture unmodified images which are all expected to be post processed before printing or posting, then I will agree that almost any camera with appropriate sensor range and resolution will do the job for you. But if you use camera adjustments to provide a more finished starting point for your post processing, or if you want to have the option of creating nice JPEGs or TIFFs out of the camera, then you will find that the newer models have tons of adjustments that will be beneficial. I have not used a D5500, so I don't know in detail what its capabilities are or how hard it is to access parameters that you might want to change. You will have to figure out where you are right now.

My D300 is still a fine camera, and I still use it quite a bit. But there are situations in which the D810 can capture images that are unattainable to me with the D300...shutter won't go fast enough, ISO won't go high enough, etc. There are lots of other new functions on it also...like Highlight Weighted Metering, which I've come to use a lot.

The final chapter of the story (at least for now) is that I came to a point where a second full frame body was necessary. I was torn between buying a second D810 (now discontinued, but still available at the time) or a D850. I decided on the D850. It has a several new features and functions above the D810. Some are really attractive. But I found that it really did not (at least for me) come anywhere close to measuring up to the marketing hype and groundswell support from the masses. It's a nice camera, and I'll hang on to it. In fact, I've set the D810 aside for the moment and am pushing myself to use the D850 to build better familiarity. But so far, the D810 is still my favorite. I don't yet use a lot of the new features, and I do not at all like the new locations of some significantly relocated controls from where they have been for many years and many camera models. So the elation that accompanied the purchase of the D810 was not replicated with the D850...it's just a nice, useful additional camera body.

Do your research. The shopping is part of the fun. Keep in mind that after 6 months or so, whatever you select will become just the camera you use every day (hopefully). So choose with care and have fun.

broncomaniac Loc: Lynchburg, VA

Unless it's THIS one...

https://www.ebay.com/itm/Nikon-D7200-body-from-japan/113233254972?hash=item1a5d3a5a3c:g:6L0AAOSwYxdbjrPs:rk:99:pf:0

whwiden

I like the d7200 and d7500 for the extra controls that make shooting quicker and easier. In most cases, your camera will take pictures of equally quality. You would enhance basic picture quality with a better lens. The exception is focus acquisition and speed. The d7200 is better. The d7500 better still. More advanced focus mechanism and higher shot per second for action.

swartfort Loc: Evansville, IN

It is my understanding that the 7200 and your current camera have the same sensor and focus system. The 7500 shares the same sensor and processor as the d500. If the upgrade you seek is in the functionality of controls, the 7200 would work great. If you want significant technology upgrades as well, the I would suggest the 7500. That is all assuming that you intend to stay with a cropped sensor body....

IDguy Loc: Idaho

Actually shooting is quicker and easier on the D5500 using the touch screen. Much better than randomly placed unlighted buttons and unreadable green screen as on the earlier D7xxxs. Then there is the fully articulated LCD.

The D7500 at least has a touch screen...but just tilting and still heavier and pricier.

whwiden

I use the U1 and U2 settings a great deal. Prefer to have a front and back control wheel. On D7500 in particular, faster frame rate, group focus and better focus tracking are handy. But the d5600 is a fine camera.

larryepage Loc: North Texas area

Articulating screens are a great operational convenience, but according to the owner of my local repair shop, they account for close to half of the repairs that he does now.

Jandjeby14

Thanks so much for all the helpful comments. More than I expected! They were helpful. Maybe it is a GAS attack! John

miked46 Loc: Winter Springs, Florida

I guess, if I was there, I would upgrade to the D7500

Nikon1201

For me the D850 is too heavy . I wanted a full frame and opted for a D610 , to me the pictures are just as good .

billnikon Loc: Pennsylvania/Ohio/Florida/Maui/Oregon/Vermont

If you want to take a step forward, it's not the CAMERA that delivers the images. It's the LENS. Unless you want to step up to better glass, it will not make a difference.

mizzee Loc: Boston,Ma

I would go d500. That way you’re stepping up and you’ll still get maximum effect from your 18-400.

srt101fan

very reasonable advice....

larryepage Loc: North Texas area

I agree with this statement, but the camera makes a difference also. Most of us, when changing our strategy or direction, cannot afford to change everything at once...something has to come first. For those whose process is built around post processing, it may make sense for the lenses to come first, because as long as the camera functions and captures the necessary range of exposure values, there may not be much initial impact with a new camera body. But for those whose process involves knowing and really using preprocessing to set an optimum starting point, or who use their images either directly out of camera or almost directly out of camera, or for those whose cameras are several generations old, it may make sense to start with the camera. That way, by the time we have learned the new functions and how to best use them, we will have been able to set enough money aside for the first of our new lenses to continue seeing improvement.

In my case, I decided early on to purchase full frame lenses to use on my DX bodies, so did not face a particularly tough decision when the time came a couple of years ago to complete the shift. But I also decided to keep my DX system and have bought an additional DX zoom (18-200mm) and a used FX wide angle (18-35mm) to dedicate to my DX equipment bag.

camerapapi Loc: Miami, Fl.

If you like the Nikon D5500 why change? Is the present camera lacking features you need in your photography? If so a replacement with the features you need is a good update.