Elmo55 Loc: Illinois

This question is for you hobbyist's photographers: Do you have a spare body? Yes or No, and if yes what do you have for a back up? For example, if you had D7200 for your primary body, would you go with something different to give you more diversity, like a D5300 with an articulating screen, or another D7200? At times having a second body could be beneficial by allowing the shooter the ability to use 2 different lenses, without having to change lenses, or if your primary body developed a hiccup. I should note that I tried it once (2 bodies and 2 different lenses (18-140 & 150-600) shooting wildlife in Yellowstone), not real enthused with the results. I had better luck with one body and an 18-400.

Country Boy Loc: Beckley, WV

I have a D7100 and have been away from active photography for some time but getting back into it. I am looking at getting another camera for improved features (D500 or a D850) but can't decide whether having 2 bodies that can share lens is better than having one crop and one FF. Will be interested in seeing the responses to this post.

cameraf4 Loc: Delaware

Sometimes I wish that I personally had a "spare body." But, yes, photographically speaking, I use 2 Nikons.

rmalarz Loc: Tempe, Arizona

The only advice I'd provide for a second body is get something as close to, or identical, to the one that is going to be the primary camera.
--Bob

ngrea Loc: Sandy Spring, Maryland

Crop and FF can use the same lenses. I don’t have 2 bodies, but my son has a FF Nikon and I have a D5600 and we are able to swap (at least most)lenses with each other. Saves us both money.

I place a high priority on the articulated screen. It is the main reason I got the 5600. I’m too old to get down low and to short to see up high.

deanfl Loc: Georgia

On car photo trips, I bring a Nikon D7100, Nikon D5500, and Nikon D5200. On airplane photo trips I leave the D5200 home.

Lately I mainly use the D7100 with a Nikon 16-85, on a tripod, for landscapes.

I use the D5500 with a Nikon 35/1.8, Tamron 18-400, or Sigma 150-600 C.

If I had to pick just one camera, it would probably be the D5500, light weight and flippy touch screen.

boberic Loc: Quiet Corner, Connecticut. Ex long Islander

I would love a spare body. The original hurts too much

JeffL Loc: New Jersey

I have an ancient Nikon D80 that has been repaired, cleaned and calibrated as a spare body and a newer D5500 as my main body. Interestingly, the D80 with the focusing motor can use my old film or newer lenses and autofocus, but the D5500 can only use the newer lenses with built in motors.

jerryc41 Loc: Catskill Mts of NY

I have a D750 and a D5100, in addition to IR and compact bodies. I can't imagine having just one camera. Refurbs and used are great bargains.

LenCreate

For the past few years, I’ve used a D7000 and a D7100. Yesterday I shipped the D7000 and a few other items to mph.com to lower the cost of a “Like new” D500. I’m excited about the extra capabilities that it will provide.

khorinek

I have a Canon 5D Mark IV and a Canon 5D Mark III. I shoot with both most of the time. My photography requires me to deliver photos so a second body is a necessity. I like having the two different bodies, however there isn't a lot of difference in these two.

CHG_CANON Loc: the Windy City

One school of thought is to have a crop body and full frame body. Another school is to have identical bodies so it doesn't matter as the layout and results are identical. I'm of the second school where it's important that there's no difference in the image files. I tried to first school, but I found I wouldn't use the body deemed inferior in the images, the one that had more noise, required more / different processing. Keeping an older model as 'back up' is more likely to exasperate the perceived differences, where the inferior model simply sits unused while any resale value dissipates over time.

The hobbyist will tend to collect bodies. What would three or more cameras represent, the belt and suspenders over the elastic banded pants? Or, just a case of gas?

Cameras break, of course, as well as get lost, stolen, etc. For the cost of purposefully buying a "back-up", what if you just bought insurance instead? Are you already paying to insure both, including the unused insurance body?

Where the bodies are unique, like a film vs DSLR, there is a real difference and makes more sense. As does a pocket-sized model you can keep in your purse or take to a concert. But, multiple models of the same sensor size and / or same body size, what does that accomplish? Would the money spent on two or more bodies be better spent on one top-tier body that does all the combined functions of the various bodies?

Howard5252 Loc: New York / Florida (now)

If the reason for having a second body is concern that something might happen to the first then it really should not matter whether the second body has different features than the first. Hopefully you'll never use the second body. If the reason for the second body is to have two lenses immediately available, then I would try to have the same or very similar second body. Either way, I would set up both bodies with the same menu options so that shifting from one to the other would be as seamless as possible.

Shellback Loc: North of Cheyenne Bottoms Wetlands - Kansas

D610 and a D7000 - same battery fits both - 610 for general use - landscape, people, street and the 7000 for birding and wildlife.

Longshadow Loc: Audubon, PA, United States

Keeps things much simpler!