trapper1 Loc: Southside Virginia

I have been looking into upgrading my camera from my Nikon D5600 to a Nikon D7500. All six of my lenses are Nikon DX. I ran across an ad for a Nikon Z50 and reallized that this might be an opportunity to move up. I would have to buy a Nikon FTZ adapter though and that would add about $250 to the cost of the outfit but I would not have to buy all new lenses. Would there be any marked increase in the quality of an image from a Z50 versus those from a D7500 or even my present D5600?


Trapper1

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Image quality is not the reason to switch from SLR to EVF. If thaz your primary or sole concern, forget it.

Got a bushel of popped corn and a 1/2 gallon of melted butter, plus plenty of grated parm and some garlic powder.



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Wallen Loc: Middle Earth

Looking at the forest, for picture quality None(practically).

Looking at individual trees yes.

What you gain:
1. A tiny bit better for low light situations
2. D7500 has more dedicated control buttons, so if you do manual settings a lot, this will help shoot easier
3. More frames per second
4. A tiny bit Faster focus
5. More lens compatibility (D7500)
6. Better weather seal


What you lose:
1. Not fully articulated LCD. Only tilt
2. Slight lag in what you see (Z50)
3. Less pixel count

IMHO, to some degree, it will be easier to use, although you lose the ability to see yourself while shooting but picture quality wise, not really. Unless you really want to eke out stuffs by editing and using them in their limits.

Treat the answers above as just personal opinions, because my way and kind of shooting may be different from yours.
Personally, among Nikon DSLR's, I see the 5300-D5600 series as the best overall family camera. If I want to go up a notch on some specific capability, I'd rather choose the D7200 over the D7500, or the D500 over the Z50.

Borrow or rent your choice for a few days and then decide.

therwol Loc: USA

I would agree with the two previous posts. Image quality hasn't really increased with Nikon's switch from DSLRs to mirrorless unless you factor in video, and then the mirrorless cameras win hands down due to better autofocus in the video mode. Features and handling have changed, and the mirrorless bodies are smaller and lighter. The Z lenses are said to be better than the F mount equivalents, but you say you want to stick with what you have for now. It may not be relevant to your needs, but the D7500 is compatible with older lenses that use a motor in the body for autofocus.

camerapapi Loc: Miami, Fl.

Many forum members have expressed their desire to switch to mirrorless cameras so you are not alone. The problem is, do you really need a mirrorless camera?
Image quality will be slightly better but I question if you will be able to see it. Your lenses are going to work better with your present camera than with a Z50, they were not designed for the Z50 like Z lenses are.

If you do not feel comfortable with the cameras you have or if they are too heavy for you, if they are not doing the job it is time for an update.

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

Image quality with your lenses will not improve with the purchase of a Z camera. The decision is yours.

ELNikkor

One big reason for going to mirrorless would be IBIS, which the Nikon APS-C mirrorless cameras do not have. The D7500 would be preferred to the Z50, which would need a horsey adapter in order to use your DX lenses, with no perceptible improvement in image quality. Your D5600 is the most versatile DX camera in that line, the D7500 is a bit more heavy duty and can use the older "D" type lenses, (my friend loves his!)

Bill_de Loc: US

I have a Z50 and a D7200. I also have a few others I can use. If I only had the D7200 with 6 lenses and would need to buy the FTZ to use them with a Z50, I would stick with my D7200.

If I were you, and I'm not, I would go with the D7500 if I felt I needed to upgrade from the D5600. Sometimes just having a new toy is worth the upgrade.

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Jerry G Loc: Waterford, Michigan and Florida

CHG_CANON Loc: the Windy City

Why do you even have this GAS? For the D5xxx product tier, the D5600 delivers 24MP of Nikon's best and final DSLR technology, a noticeable difference over the 20MP of the D7500. As others have noted, all the candidate bodies being discussion are not real "upgrades" over this very capable DSLR, unless you define unnecessarily spending more money as "upgrade". Driving older lenses only applies if you have those lenses.

Architect1776 Loc: In my mind

Of course as you know, the Z50 has no IBIS.
Nor does the mirrorless Z30.

jcboy3

Some reasons to buy mirrorless: quieter (no mirror, electronic shutter), smaller (no mirror box or OVF path), faster frame rates (with electronic shutter), in-body image stabilization (by moving the sensor), and EVF information (menu adjustment, image playback, focus/exposure feedback).

Nikon cameras don't excel in many of these features.

Except for the Z9, the sensor readout rates are slow and can result in rolling shutter distortion (if the subject is moving) or banding under artificial lights.

Except for the Z9, frame rates for Nikon cameras are not particularly fast, although somewhat faster than mechanical shutter.

Note that the Z9 is smaller than previous top-of-the-line cameras, but still very large for the mirrorless realm.

I have not been impressed by the Nikon image stabilization; it adds some capability but not as much as other mirrorless systems.

Finally, Nikon cameras do not provide live highlight/shadow exposure indication (showing areas of blown highlights or crushed shadows). If you haven't seen this in action, you may not know what you are missing. But it provides instant feedback that previously required chimping.

mark.businsky

I've been a Nikon shooter since my first SLR (N8008). I also agree with the previous comments. I currently have and still shoot occasionally, a D7100 and a D810 and a nice investment in DX and FX lenses. I recently made the switch to mirrorless (FujiFilm), mostly because of health issues, and age is starting to creep up. A few years ago I a bought a Sony a6000 and a FujiFilm X-T20, both with kit lenses. I fell in love with the size of both, and the autofocus on the Sony and the manual controls of the X-T20 (just plain fun to shoot). I currently shoot a FujiFilm X-T5 with native lenses and manual autofocus adapters for my Nikon lenses. I can also shoot with my iPhone.

I'm not trying to sell FujiFilm cameras, because I want to stress agin, my main reason for going mirrorless were health issues. Below are what I see (my opinion only) has advantages and disadvantages (not technical details):

For Nikon:
You have native lenses for (DX)
I feel Nikon, in general, has better autofocus then Fuji especially for sports (both DX and Z)
Both the D5600 and D7500 are fairly light weight cameras, though nice build quality.
Nikon's autofocus adapter.

For All Mirrorless:
Size and weight with native lenses
Adapters available for various manufactures lenses.
Manual focus is fun and easier to use. (for me at least)
Inexpensive but interesting third party manual focus lenses available.

Since you are at least thinking of mirrorless, are you thinking of investing in Z lenses in the future?
I think most people think mirrorless is the future of cameras (at least the current future 🤪).

larryepage Loc: North Texas area

First...there is nothing wrong with desiring to move to a more capable or more usable camera. While the D5600 is a capable camera, it is also an entry level model, one that is not intended to satisfy your photographic needs indefinitely. While the design includes most of the functionality desired by photographers, the user interface is not ideal...it is sort of a hybrid extension of a nice point and shoot camera. I have used one quite a bit and am very familiar with its benefits and limitations.

My suggestion is to think carefully about what is driving your desire for change. Are you bumping up against these design limitations? Do you need a camera that will better facilitate wide angle photography? Do you nave a specific need or desire for more resolution? Do you need or want image stabilization? Do you want a camera that is a little bit bigger so that the controls aren't squished together? Do you want a camera that can be adjusted without having to go into the menu so often? All of these can be better served by a camera other than the D5600. Do you just want something new? That's valid, but suggests a different thought process.

No new camera is going to magically improve your photography until you larn how to drive it. There is no magic pixie dust. There are absolutely other cameras that can make photography a little easier or a little less frustrating, if you learn how to use their features. There are some that can expand your photographic horizons by allowing you to capture images that are impossible or difficult with your D5600.

kenArchi Loc: Seal Beach, CA

I had the same issue with my D5500 which I use professionally for architectural work. With a 10-20mm lens.
I upgrade to a emd 10 4/3 mirrowless with 100-300mm lens.