latebloomer Loc: Topeka, KS

Sell???? I seem to have a hobby of collecting things. Letting go is hard to do, particularly since the price after a few years is done to about 25% of original purchase. Please do not tell my wife that I have admitted to accumulating camera gear and other things. It would encourge her to start harping on me.

jccash Loc: Longwood, Florida

I completely understand.

Ray and JoJo Loc: Florida--Tenneessee

My wife shoots Church events with D300, no flash, and the Tam 24-70 2.8 loves the lens only faught is the one she has does no have any viberation control but with the speed there is no need.

imagemeister Loc: mid east Florida

The 7200 is a relative cheap upgrade nowadays and is an upgrade....Much cheaper than a 500 .....

jerryc41 Loc: Catskill Mts of NY

I was waiting for someone to jump on that. You noticed the little I put after that comment, right?

I consider cameras more or less temporary. I've gone through a lot of cameras but very few lenses. If something new and exciting in camera design comes along, I'll buy it, but progress in lenses tends to move more slowly. I'll research a lens, buy it, and keep it. That's why I suggested he get the D500 and then start researching 24-70mm lenses.

Thanks for the compliment.

jerryc41 Loc: Catskill Mts of NY

Yes, sell! I tend to accumulate things, but I quickly learned that accumulating cameras is not a good idea. I have two DSLRs and two converted to IR. Although I had two D750s, I realized I really didn't need two. If I had to bring two DSLRs, I could bring my D5300. Yesterday, I mailed a D750 to an ebay buyer in MA. I got just a few hundred dollars less than I paid for it after using it for two years. I also sold a Sony lens I wasn't using. Now I have money that I can use instead of a camera and lens that I wasn't using. Even getting just $50 is better than getting nothing for something that is gathering dust and going down in value.

latebloomer Loc: Topeka, KS

Thanks to everyone who responded and helped.
This is a great forum.

Jerryc41, now you are trying to be rational. Maybe I need someone to hold my hand when I sell my first camera. :-)

Since so many people mentioned "good glass" I decided to get the Tamron 24 - 70 G2. My reasons were many folks, including ones doing independent technical tests, mentioned how good this lens was .Some said that it was even better than Sigma's Art lens and Nikon's 24 -70.
A number of independent reviewers said this was an absolutely great lens. I also wanted the image stabilization which I do not have in the Nikon D7100. The price was considered. I can wait to build up more cash in my personal camera account to then get the D500.

Terry Sandlin

reindeer Loc: London U.K.

Between the two it's better to spend money on glass. Tamron 85mm f 1.8 or even Nikon 50mm f1.4D would be fine for portraits if that is your preference. Nikon D7100 is an excellent camera. No need to replace it for the kind of use you put it to.

CatMarley Loc: North Carolina

If you want to stick with the system you already have, upgrading your glass is NEVER a mistake. Buying the latest model of camera may be.

Bill_de Loc: US

Low Light Portraits 85mm F/1.4

https://www.bhphotovideo.com/bnh/controller/home?A=details&O=&Q=&gclid=EAIaIQobChMIxKDfhonE1gIVk4xpCh0YbArqEAQYASABEgKzKfD_BwE&is=USA&sku=729952#itemcode&smp=y&kwid=ZSMP&ap=y&c3api=1876%2C%7Bcreative%7D%2C%7Bkeyword%7D&BI=225&c3api=1876,193854673152,,

Notorious T.O.D. Loc: Harrisburg, North Carolina

You better have a great focus system or be really good at manual focus if you are going to shoot this lens on a Nikon crop body camera.
According to my DOF calculator at f/1.4 it has an acceptable DOF of 0.06 feet at 5 foot shooting distance to subject. At 3 feet it drops to 0.02 feet DOF and even at 10 feet it is 0.23 feet, about 2.75 inches! Like I said before really fast lens are nice if you really intend to shoot them wide open. And you can get it for less than $1600 new...

Best,
Todd Ferguson

SusanFromVermont Loc: Southwest corner of Vermont

Why are you making your point using an f-stop which this lens does not utilize? And even if there are not lots of times to use it wide open, that does not negate the fact that it is a very fine lens, and very versatile. Plus the capability is there to use if the situation is appropriate. Do you have some kind of bias against buying fast glass?

Boris77

I have settled in with a few D7100 bodies and a number of wide angle to modest telephoto lenses, mostly Nikon. I have found that the D7100 provides excellent 13x19" borderless prints, and is perfect for quality 8x10 prints with significant room for cropping. There is no image quality upgrade in a D7200.
I have found, simply by looking at the quality of thousands of photographs that I have taken of similar subjects, that (Nikon) lenses of shorter zoom ranges produce higher quality images. Additionally the significantly more expensive lenses do provide more resolution.
Unless you are hiding some really good glass, buy a highly rated lens that covers the main magnification range of the subjects that you want to showcase, and save the 16-300mm for having fun.
Boris

latebloomer Loc: Topeka, KS

I am guessing the 24-70 will be my workhorse lens, with the exception of my 100 Tokina Macro which I sue in my macrophotography.

Thanks again!

Notorious T.O.D. Loc: Harrisburg, North Carolina

Maybe if you actually read the post I quoted, looked at the link to B&H and read it too and read my post referring to that f1.4 lens you would comprehend what I am saying. The OP has a Nikon crop sensor camera. If you put the suggested $1600 lens on that camera you are going to have the field of view of roughly a 130mm lens. Not bad field of view for portraits and maybe several indoor sports. The OP says he doesn't really shoot sports.

I never said that it was not a fine lens. But it is to me a somewhat limited lens on a crop frame camera for $1600. And I pointed out that if you are going to shoot it at f/1.4 it has a very shallow depth of field at most portrait distances, 10 feet or less in my examples. I have no bias against fast glass and own some myself. But buying fast glass should be done for the right reasons and with an understanding of what it will and will not do.

I don't think it really matters to the OP because I believe he said he was going to get the 24-70 f2.8 lens. But maybe what I point out will make people stop and consider what they are spending their money on and why that fits their shooting.

Best,
Todd Ferguson