Nukepr Loc: Citrus County, FL

I own both the 5100 and 7200, and there is no comparison between the two. The 5100 is a fine camera, but many of the controls require going into the menu, whereas the 7200 has an easier to access control system. Also, the 7200 has a better autofocus system, better low light capability, and better image quality. It has a drive that will operate older lenses, which the 5100 does not. Image quality is not just the more megapixels but also the fact the 7200 does not have an AA filter, which means the image sharpness of the 7200 is better. As far as the 7500 is concerned, I was never tempted by this camera. While the 5100 is a fine camera, the 7200 is a major upgrade, and with sales it can be bought for far less than either the 7500 or the 500.

Jeffcs Loc: Myrtle Beach South Carolina

GOOD glass = somewhat expensive is always preferred over bodies ( rang true in the film days) however in the digital world both are important. If you pare an cheeper lens with a great body you’ll see the imperfections in the lens and vise verse a great lens on a cheep body is almost a waste of money. I’m not sure how the lens your looking at faired with image quality but with such a high zoom range I’m certain that it’s not going to have as good marks as say 3 zooms covering the same focal length! That said it may be a nice vacation lens ( a one lens do all) but not something that I’d use on a daily basis.
Again my personal opinion may vary from others.

SuperFly48 Loc: NE ILLINOIS

Last summer I had the granddaughter with me for six days out in the Pac NW, her first real vacation with flying into Portland, OR and all. Did the OR coast a couple of days and did some of the Cascade Range. Had my D7100 with 18-200 DX VR, got some shots worth enlarging and printing. At the same time I had already been thinking about making the move to an FX Nikon body, specifically the D810 after a trip to the Grand Canyon the year before. Then Nikon announced the D850. OH MY! I had no real FX lenses so spent a lot of time researching FX lenses and trying to decide between a D810 body and a D850 body knowing no matter what, it would require a significant investment. I jumped into the deep end of the pool; I opted to get the D850 body and worry about lenses after the fact. What I did not realize at the time, my old film Nikkor primes were waiting to shine on the D850. I even got delivery from B&H on the D850 in five weeks. I like my pairing and any new lens I get will be FX and used on both bodies. That's my story.

wetreed

The Tamron 18-400 will change your life. I would go that way. The Camera bodies you mentioned do the same thing for the most part. The 18-400 will be a game changer.

starlifter Loc: Towson, MD

I also went from a d500 to the d7200 and never looked back. The d7200 also has 2 card slots where as the d500 only has one. I still have the d5100 but don't like using it after having the 7200. I have had mine since they came out and see no reason to update yet.

jeep_daddy Loc: Prescott AZ

I would buy a popsicle first. Think about it for a while and let us know what your choice is.

olemikey Loc: 6 mile creek, Spacecoast Florida

Go for the lens, you can use it now...if you then decide that you still need the body upgrade, you can do that when you're ready. It's a DX lens, you will be able to use that lens on any of the Nikon DX "crop frame" bodies.

amfoto1 Loc: San Jose, Calif. USA

Normally I'd say lenses first, camera later.... but in this case there's a lot more to be gained upgrading the camera...

D7200 offers a lot of improvement over D5100... not just more megapixels (but that's a 33% increase, too).

BTW, for "scenery and flowers", you might save $200 or so and buy a D7100 instead. Basically it's the same camera as D7200, except with a small buffer so it can't handle long burst of shots at a high frame rate.... which are not something you're likely to ever need for what you say you shoot. You definitely don't need the high speed/fast action performance of the more expensive D7500 or D500, both of which are lower resolution than the D7100/D7200 anyway!

Something you might miss is that your D5100 has an articulated LCD screen.... while both the D7100 and D7200 don't. That can be a nice feature for low angle shooting, such as might be done for flowers. Here the D7200 might be helpful with it's NFC WiFi that allows you to use a smart phone as a remote viewer and controller (D7100 doesn't have that).

https://cameradecision.com/compare/Nikon-D5100-vs-Nikon-D7200
https://www.imaging-resource.com/cameras/nikon/d5100/vs/nikon/d7200/

https://cameradecision.com/compare/Nikon-D7100-vs-Nikon-D7200

The 18-400mm is unlikely to be any improvement over what you've already got. I can't imagine ever needing 300mm, let alone 400mm on an APS-C camera for scenery or flowers!

In fact, for scenery I'd suggest you instead get a Nikkor AF-P 10-20mm VR lens. it would be a much better addition to your kit, expanding your wide angle options instead of adding more telephoto reach that serves no purpose. And since the 10-20mm is one of the most affordable Nikkors made at about $300, you might be able to get both it AND a D7100 (since that camera is about $200 less than a D7200).

jackpinoh Loc: Kettering, OH 45419

Because it is lower resolution than the D7200 and costs more and you don't need the faster AF and frame rate to photograph flowers and scenery.

jackpinoh Loc: Kettering, OH 45419

The 18-400mm lens is not better than the lenses he has, but the D7200 has significantly better resolution and dynamic range.

Wmetcalf Loc: Rogersville, Mo

If I had to make that choice I would go for a good lens before a new body.

ecurb1105

I'd suggest getting a D7200 body first, I never cared for the D7500 ( a gelded D7200 )and the D500 is just overpriced.
Then, if you want a long lens, save up for a Nikon 200-500.

appealnow Loc: Dallas, Texas

I have the Nikon D5300, the 18-55 mm lens, a 35 mm F1.8 and the Nikon 18-300mm F3.5-6.3 (also the Tokina 11-16 wide angle F2.8). Having recently retired I have been getting more serious about my (digital) photography. I bought the D5300 about two years ago and am still learning all the whistles and bells and the various settings in the menu my camera. I would suggest that until you pretty much master the D5100, there's not a lot of reason to "upgrade" to a camera that's more complicated and has more whistles and bells. The super zoom will replace your other lenses. I mostly shoot when I travel; the 18-300 is my travel lens. I normally don't take the other lenses. I hate changing lenses when traveling and there's too much risk of dropping something or getting dirt or water inside. That's the great advantage of the superzoom. If, however, you are in bad weather a lot, the D7000 series is weatherproofed unlike the D5000 series. Good luck on your decision.

Keila Loc: Houston, Tx.

The D500 has 2 card slots.

Country Boy Loc: Beckley, WV

Listen to jeep daddy and get that popcycle first! If you think someone else can tell you what you will enjoy most you are wrong! Why throw money after other peoples dreams. As it has been said before, figure out what you want the new purchase to do for you, what it adds that you don't already have then ask if the price is worth the gain and if yes, go for it but make it your decision!