Old44

One solution, if you wan to stay with Nikon, is the D5500 o D5600 -- both quite small and light. They aren't full frame but very good little cameras and you can use your Nikon lenses.

sroc

I too shoot wildlife my kit is the Olympus OMD EM1 Mark iii and the 100-400mm Lens (with lens hood, tripod ring, 1.4x teleconverter, 2 PD plates, a Cotton Carrier hand strap and a PD wrist strap) the kit comes in at 2.158 Kg/4.71 lbs. I can easily carry this on my daily 6 mi nature trail hikes (I am 73). Not sure how a FF kit would compare weight wise. Do you have the specs on a similar kit?

Eric Bornstein Loc: Toronto Canada

I shoot with a Nikon Z6 and I have two Z lenses covering focal lengths of 14 to 70.
The Z lenses are reasonably light and compact. The camera is not only lighter but also it is smaller than the D500 which apparently is the DSLR equivalent. You will receive and have already have in the above comments other people’s
endorsements

jerryc41 Loc: Catskill Mts of NY

Your D750 on eBay will bring a good price. Recent sales -
https://www.ebay.com/sch/i.html?_from=R40&_nkw=nikon+d750&_sacat=0&rt=nc&LH_Sold=1&LH_Complete=1

The simplest solution would be a good all-in-one compact with a good zoom range. Google will help you refine your search.

https://www.digitalcameraworld.com/buying-guides/the-10-best-compact-cameras
https://www.dpreview.com/reviews/buying-guide-best-compact-zoom-cameras
https://www.pcmag.com/article2/0,2817,2401971,00.asp
https://www.techradar.com/news/best-compact-camera

zug55 Loc: Naivasha, Kenya, and Austin, Texas

I would try to do two things.The first is downsize the system to help you hold the camera more steadily. Mirrorless cameras, like the new Sony A7C are a bit smaller and lighter, but full-frame lenses still are heavy. So I would look at an APS-C or Micro 4/3 system.

The second is to get a camera with in-body stabilization. These systems have become really good at reducing the impact of camera shake. The Sony A6600 has one--you could pair that with a 18-135mm lens, also stabilized. I believe that there also are Micro 4/3 cameras that are stabilized.

Good luck, and keep shooting!

SteveLoker Loc: Fort Worth, TX

Great idea with the stringpod! I often find my rig getting a little unstable when doing video at shooting range classes. I've been doing something similar with my neck strap but this just may be a better option.
Just had both knees replaced, #1 last week, #2 yesterday, so I'll have some time on my hands to tryout things like this. And i I just might be able to make this part of my physical therapy.

Schoee Loc: Europe

Yes, D750 is 1005 grams according to Nikon website with battery and memory card, D5600 is 465 grams with battery and card. So a saving of 540 grams is pretty good.

CO

When I got the rope for mine at the hardware store, they put a heat gun to the ends of the rope to melt the nylon a little. It keeps the strands from unraveling. You can also tie a knot at the end.

dbjazz Loc: Long Island, NY

I switched to mirror-less (Panasonic Lumix) three years ago, and I couldn't be happier. Panasonic bodies and lenses are both stabilized and designed to work in concert with one another; you can also use any brand micro 4/3 lenses, and your load is generally reduced by half. What a pleasure.

imagemeister Loc: mid east Florida

https://www.uglyhedgehog.com/t-236741-1.html
.

Bultaco Loc: Aiken, SC

I would go to the nearest camera shop, see what's comfortable. Only you can decide.

CHuckle's Loc: Lockhart, Texas

Ironic, I was just about to suggest same thing however to make a loop to create a triangle. I used that setup for quite a while. Works great. I found I would let fall straight and step on both like your example or triangular for a little more stability.

larryepage Loc: North Texas area

Just evaluate carefully. These two cameras are nothing at all alike. Make certain that you are going to be ok with the completely different user interface, single command dial, and necessity of using the menus for just about any adjustment.

Dossile

I love Micro 4/3 when weight is an issue. My hands were too big for a Panasonic GX9, but it takes great images and is feather light. I shoot the DC G9 which is still very light and is more substantive in my hands. You wouldn’t go wrong with either. The lens selection is extensive with high quality options. The image stabilization truly opens up 2 additional stops. Either will last you into your late 90’s.

dragoncello

A lot of good options out there, but since you mention Olympus and since I'm close to your situation (a young 77 in my case) I'll add to the positive reviews of Olympus. About 5 years ago, I switched from Canon and have never looked back. Way lighter, and the in-body stabilization is jaw-dropping. I rarely think of a tripod or monopod any more, since I can often hand hold for a second, sometimes more. And that's with the e-m10 mark ii. The newer versions claim to provide even greater stability. Another consideration (which I gather any mirrorless will provide) is focus peaking. I figured this would be a gimmick until I tried it. If I'm in a museum, for example, and want to take a photo of an object protected by a glass case, the camera focuses on the glass. All I have to do is turn the lens, the edges of the in-focus area light up yellow (the color I chose), and when the object I want to photograph is in focus, I trip the shutter. You can do the same isolating a bird through a tangle of branches. With my failing eyes, I could never nail focus that well with an SLR--and probably never could have. If I were in the market now (and I'm desperately trying to resist the GAS attack), I'd opt for the e-m5 mark iii--most of the features of the e-m1 mark ii including weather proofing at about half the weight, 2.6 vs. 5.1 pounds. On sale through the month for $999. Finally, they have a lot of well-reviewed Pro lenses, but a few years back I took a flyer on the 25 mm 1.8 that Olympus offered refurbished for $200. Couldn't be happier with it. Much sharper than my old Canon 50 mm 1.4 and impossibly small at about 2.5 inch diameter, 1.5 inches long, and less than 5 ounces. The light weight lenses are the other, and maybe biggest, selling point of the micro 4/3 systems.