I've been thinking a lot lately about upgrading my D1x, which is getting pretty long in the tooth. I'm not in a huge rush, so I'm taking my time and enjoying the thought process. My gut reaction is a D700. I get to use one occasionally at work and really like it, but there are other considerations, like video and lens choices.
So I've been trying to make a list of pros and cons to help with the decision, and I've pretty much narrowed it down to three options. Here's what I have so far. I'll start with my current gear.
Current kit
- Nikon D1x, Tokina 17mm f/3.5, Quantaray 24mm f/2.8, Nikkor 35mm f/1.8
, Nikkor 50mm f/1.8
, Nikkor 105mm f/2.5 and a Tokina 70-210mm f/4.5 that needs to be replaced.
And here are the three upgrade paths I'm thinking about.
Option 1 - Nikon DX - D300s
, D7000
or used D2x- Keep: 24mm, 35mm, 50mm (but probably replace eventually with a Nikkor 55/1.2, Nikkor 5.8/1.4, Voigtlander 58/1.4
, Tamron 60/2
or maybe even a Nikkor 50/1.4G
)
- Sell: 17mm, 105mm
- Buy: Tokina 11-16mm f/2.8
, Nikkor 70-210mm f/4
- Pros: already have a backup, lighter/smaller than current kit (except D2x), video(except D2x), price, easiest transition, compatible with work gear, i love my 35/1.8
- Cons: not full frame, D2x has no video, D7000 has no 10-pin connection
Option 2 - Nikon FX - D700
- Keep: 17mm, 24mm, 50mm (but probably replace shortly with 50mm f/1.4G
- Sell: 35mm (maybe)
- Buy: Nikkor 70-210mm f/4
- Pros: full frame, lighter/smaller than current kit, compatible with work gear, very little buying and selling
- Cons: price, no video, afraid I might not like the 50/1.4G as much as my 35/1.8
Option 3 - Pentax - K-7
or K-5
(the dark horse)- Keep: nothing
- Sell: almost everything
- Buy: 15mm f/4
, 21mm f/3.2
, 35mm f/2.4
, 70mm f/2.4
(or maybe a 55mm f/1.4
or the older FA 50mm f/1.4
), 60-250mm f/4
- Pros: much smaller/lighter, nostalgia, lots of nice primes, price
- Cons: lots of buying and selling, not compatible with work gear
When I break it down like this, the camera that surprisingly makes the most sense to me is the D300s, followed by the D700. It's surprising because I really thought my next camera would be full frame. I blame the Nikkor 35mm f/1.8G for this. I like that lens enough to consider staying with DX. I'd also like to have video in my next camera.
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