I currently have a D3400. It is my first venture into digital. I did not want to spend thousands to find out what I wanted in digital. This was the right step for me as I am finding out what I do and do not like in digital. I knew I wanted to stay with Nikon as I have a lot of film camera lenses that I do use with this camera. Those lenses will only work manually on this camera, but I often find myself going manual even with digital AF lenses to get the shot I want. I have not been happy with the speed of the lenses that seem to be acceptable in the digital world. I had a 1.4 50mm on my F2 and a 1.2 on my Canon EF. I loved both of those cameras and I just shot a roll of black and white through the old F2 last week. I did just get a AF 50mm 1.4 for the D3400 but have not been out with it yet. That may take care of my speed, low light and depth of field issues. I know this camera will teach me what I want in my next camera and I'm hoping to get some great insight from people here with a lot more digital experience than myself. I like many of the options in digital. I can do many things with the camera that I had to do in the darkroom prior to digital and I have not had a darkroom for many years now. I'm not crazy about the auto focusing. Ideally I want the old split screen manual focusing screen for when I don't want auto focusing. I also want more focal points that 'lock in" when I use auto focusing. Too often I focus on a subject and as I snap the picture it refocuses to something completely different. I would also like more frames per second to catch flapping wings and stuff like that. I am happy with the shutter speeds and ISO range of this camera. I have been experimenting with low light night shots and I have not gotten the results I am looking for, but that may be me and not the limits of the camera. I have been shooting everything in JPG and I am planning to experiment in RAW format. Does Nikon offer something that takes care of these issues without going straight to the top? I still have a bunch to learn. I primarily take nature pictures. I use both long telephoto lenses and close up macro lenses.

I currently have a D3400. It is my first venture into digital. I did not want to spend thousands to find out what I wanted in digital. This was the right step for me as I am finding out what I do and do not like in digital. I knew I wanted to stay with Nikon as I have a lot of film camera lenses that I do use with this camera. Those lenses will only work manually on this camera, but I often find myself going manual even with digital AF lenses to get the shot I want. I have not been happy with the speed of the lenses that seem to be acceptable in the digital world. I had a 1.4 50mm on my F2 and a 1.2 on my Canon EF. I loved both of those cameras and I just shot a roll of black and white through the old F2 last week. I did just get a AF 50mm 1.4 for the D3400 but have not been out with it yet. That may take care of my speed, low light and depth of field issues. I know this camera will teach me what I want in my next camera and I'm hoping to get some great insight from people here with a lot more digital experience than myself. I like many of the options in digital. I can do many things with the camera that I had to do in the darkroom prior to digital and I have not had a darkroom for many years now. I'm not crazy about the auto focusing. Ideally I want the old split screen manual focusing screen for when I don't want auto focusing. I also want more focal points that 'lock in" when I use auto focusing. Too often I focus on a subject and as I snap the picture it refocuses to something completely different. I would also like more frames per second to catch flapping wings and stuff like that. I am happy with the shutter speeds and ISO range of this camera. I have been experimenting with low light night shots and I have not gotten the results I am looking for, but that may be me and not the limits of the camera. I have been shooting everything in JPG and I am planning to experiment in RAW format. Does Nikon offer something that takes care of these issues without going straight to the top? I still have a bunch to learn. I primarily take nature pictures. I use both long telephoto lenses and close up macro lenses.

I currently have a D3400. It is my first venture into digital. I did not want to spend thousands to find out what I wanted in digital. This was the right step for me as I am finding out what I do and do not like in digital. I knew I wanted to stay with Nikon as I have a lot of film camera lenses that I do use with this camera. Those lenses will only work manually on this camera, but I often find myself going manual even with digital AF lenses to get the shot I want. I have not been happy with the speed of the lenses that seem to be acceptable in the digital world. I had a 1.4 50mm on my F2 and a 1.2 on my Canon EF. I loved both of those cameras and I just shot a roll of black and white through the old F2 last week. I did just get a AF 50mm 1.4 for the D3400 but have not been out with it yet. That may take care of my speed, low light and depth of field issues. I know this camera will teach me what I want in my next camera and I'm hoping to get some great insight from people here with a lot more digital experience than myself. I like many of the options in digital. I can do many things with the camera that I had to do in the darkroom prior to digital and I have not had a darkroom for many years now. I'm not crazy about the auto focusing. Ideally I want the old split screen manual focusing screen for when I don't want auto focusing. I also want more focal points that 'lock in" when I use auto focusing. Too often I focus on a subject and as I snap the picture it refocuses to something completely different. I would also like more frames per second to catch flapping wings and stuff like that. I am happy with the shutter speeds and ISO range of this camera. I have been experimenting with low light night shots and I have not gotten the results I am looking for, but that may be me and not the limits of the camera. I have been shooting everything in JPG and I am planning to experiment in RAW format. Does Nikon offer something that takes care of these issues without going straight to the top? I still have a bunch to learn. I primarily take nature pictures. I use both long telephoto lenses and close up macro lenses.

What you want is a camera with an EVF...that way you can zoom in and confirm the focus (like using a split screen), or use focus peaking. That all said...you're out of luck with nikon and for the most part canon, since they don't really make decent mirrorless cameras, which is the only way you're going to get those features. Look at a Sony A6500 or A7Rii, Fuji XT-2, Olympus EM5ii or EM10ii or EM1ii, or Panasonic Gx8 or Gx85. What I absolutely love about mine is being able to use the touch screen to focus and capture the image (if I want

1. Keep the camera you have and learn how to use it the best way you can.

2. Buy and read the excellent Secrets To The Nikon Autofocus System by Steve Perry, he's a member here. The pennies it costs is a far better investment than the cost of any other camera you'll be recommended. http://backcountrygallery.com/secrets-nikon-autofocus-system/

3. Get Stunning Digital Photography by Tony Northrup.

4. When you know how to handle your D3400 - then look for optional equipment.

A good photographer can take stunning pictures with any camera. A bad photographer can't take good pictures no matter the camera.

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A photographer went to a socialite party in New York. As he entered the front door, the host said ‘I love your pictures – they’re wonderful; you must have a fantastic camera.’ 
~
He said nothing until dinner was finished, then:
~
‘That was a wonderful dinner; you must have a terrific stove.'

I'd probably look at the Df first. It has the retro look and feel of the old film cameras, is full frame, and will feel familiar — if that is what you want.

Beyond that, if you want speed, the D500 is Nikon's sports and wildlife camera. If you want plenty of megapixels for printing huge landscapes, there's the D810.

If you carefully examine every manufacturer's camera line-up, you'll see they each cater to four or five key niches. Each brand does that differently. So it is helpful to sit down with a legal pad and list all the attributes of your photography that you consider important. Then list what you do, and don't want in a camera. Then look for a system that does as much of what you want as is possible.

You'll get a lot of highly opinionated advice here. Some of it is gold, and some of it is fertilizer. But ultimately, you have to buy what works for you. Unless you have a huge wad of cash, the key to doing that correctly is to get fiercely analytical for a while.

Oh, and if you're going to spend a lot, go to LensRentals.com or BorrowLenses.com and rent what you might want to buy for a week. Try it out on your kind of photography.