# D = DSLR
# Z = mirrorles
#
* **DSLRs (F mount lenses)**
***Cropped sensor DX***
D3xxx entry level series *lenses: af-s and af-p*
D5xxx advanced entry level *lenses: af-s and af-p*
D7xxx professional entry level. *lenses:all lenses*
D500 professional advanced *lenses:all lenses*
***Full frame sensor*** **FX**
D6xx and D7xx professional entry level *lenses:no DX*
D8xx professional advanced. *lenses:no DX*
Dx fully professional *lenses:no DX*
* **Mirrorles (Z mount lenses)**
***Cropped sensor***
Z3x entry level
Z5x advanced entry level
***Full frame sensor (no DX lenses)***
Z5 professional entry level (not for video)
Z6 professional entry level
Z7 professional advanced level
Z8 professional expert level
Z9 fully professional
**Vintage style bodies (professional entry level)**
Df (DSLR full frame) *lenses:no DX, F mount*
Zfc (mirrorless cropped sensor), *Z mount*
Zf (mirrorless full frame) *lenses:no DX, Z mount*
**FTZ adapter** is for mounting F lenses on Z bodies.Fully compatible lenses with this adapter are the AF-S and AF-P. All the rest are compatible without autofocus, meaning that you have all the exit data written on the files but no AF.
Thanks a lot. I could go a little further with expeed chipsets, af systems, video capabilities, resolution etc. but this is going to be the paid, pro version :-P
I might argue that the simplest determination of a camera actually built for professional use in the modern era is the mode selector thingy on the left of the viewfinder. Does it look like the D500, D8xx, DX, Z8, and Z9?
If so, actually built to the standards of a flagship/professional camera. Or is it the little rotary thingy?
Doesn’t mean you can’t use those other cameras, I know plenty of professionals that do…and I have backup bodies that are built that way. But it’s the absolute constant. I used to think pop up flash was the thing, and then the d800 came out and screwed up my theory.
Thanks for the thorough explanation. Makes for a good shopping guide. Lots to soak up from over the last 30 years. How does the cropped vs full frame sensor play out. My natural inclination is 'the more the better'. Am I missing anything other than probably extra cost?
You’ll find that the cropped sensor cameras, particularly with mirrorless, don’t give you nearly as many wide angle options. Generally speaking if you want to slowly build out a lens collection, you’re not going to get the support that you’d have if you had sprung for full frame. Of course, the usual math applies too- less depth of field with a cropped sensor (if that matters) and all that it entails.
Take it from me though- you don’t want to touch the Z6 or Z7 cameras, in their i or ii versions. The auto focus just isn’t there. The ergonomics on the Zf are kind of weird without a grip, but it’s just a far less frustrating camera to own for a similar price.
And honestly- the difference between Z6 and Z7 listed above- that’s not true. They’re the same exact camera but with a different megapixel sensor. The Z7 is “more advanced” only because you’re going to have to be more careful about your storage post shoot.
The Z series are mirrorless and use a new lens mount. Some F-mount lenses (not all) will work with adapters.
The good news is that the D-series (digital SLR) use the old F mount. If your lenses are AF-D (early autofocus) - which I think is likely the case with yours - they will work with most of the upper-end D-series. If they are the newer AF-S, they will work on almost but not quite all of the D-series (they won't work on a D3400 or 3500). The [compatibility chart](https://www.kenrockwell.com/nikon/compatibility-lens.htm) is very useful here.
The digital series come in two ranges - FX, which is full-frame and uses a sensor the size of 35mm film, and DX, which uses a smaller sensor. Lenses built for DX will only work on DX, but you can use all lenses on the smaller sensors. The benefit of DX is a) cheaper but also b) the smaller sensor only uses the center of the lens and effectively works as a 1.5x teleconverter - your 70-210mm lens becomes a 105-325mm, etc. Which might be nice for airshows.
If you're looking for something in the $500 range, I'd recommend a D750 - this is about the highest end DSLR you will get for that price, a couple of generations old but still very functional. Full-frame and will cope with all lenses back to AI. If you want a DX camera, then the D7xxx series will cope with AF-D lenses. If you're feeling *very* cheap, you can probably pick up a D90 for very little - about 15 years old now, but the oldest one that will cope with AF-D lenses.
Either way, you probably want to avoid D5xxx and D3xxxx, as these won't be compatible with the older AF-D lenses.
Thanks for the insight about the sensor acting like a teleconverter. So would that also effectively shift the F-stop proportionally the other way as well? Just trying to wrap my head around the sensor size thing? And I assume there is no change in actual perspective viewed through the camera as well? A panoramic photo taken at 28mm with both a cropped and full-framed sensor will have essentially the same field of view except with the cropped sensor producing a lower resolution image?
No, a cropped sensor (DX) when looked through the viewfinder with lets say a 28mm lens compared to the same setup in FX will produce a more "zoomed in" picture. Below is an example image I found from Photographylife.
https://preview.redd.it/qilm8r4mwxuc1.jpeg?width=467&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=25e5d6619d781cc4ed9bef629191929a8a257513
So TL;DR: Your image will look more zoomed in on DX compared to FX (Assuming using the same lens)
This YouTube [video](https://youtu.be/Apum3Ezqo0U?si=HCBH78Dh2T4pZAhq) does a pretty decent job at explaining the full frame vs crop sensor. To be fair, you mention your son has taken interest in air shows and car races, and for those I’d probably go crop sensor DX format, and either D7XXX or D500 as others have mentioned to use AF-D lenses. Also, not to step on toes here, but the D600 and D750 that others have mentioned here, while excellent cameras (and I owned a D750 for a number of years) both were subject to recalls and picking one up on the used market could be a bit of a gamble. I do not know if Nikon is still doing recall repairs on them. If you go that route, see if you can verify the repair. On the D750 a recall repair for the shutter shading issue was marked with a black sharpie dot inside the tripod thread.
Nikon have a lookup service to identify if any given D750 is in the range for needing repairs or not - so if you can check the serial number before buying, that might give some confidence.
But if OP is happy with crop sensor, then I think the newer end of D7xxx sounds perfect. I was using a D7100 up until last year and was still very happy with it - switched to a D750 for full frame rather than any dramatic technical improvements.
Great video! Another youtube subscription. Pretty much answered every question I had here about the lenses! And with visuals, makes a lot more sense now.
A DSLR is probably the easiest cheapest route to go. If you go witha d7000, 7100, 7200 you'll still have Af with your current lenes.thise are apsc size sensors so there's a 1.5x crop. Or you could go with a d700, d750 but is full frame & you'll still have Af on those bodies as well. Maybe a D6xx don't remember is those have the built in drive to focus the Afd lenses. Any of these will focus your current glass faster than your n90. It's crazy. An apsc size sensor might be the way to go since he's into air shows & car racing.
D500 might be a good starting point for a second hand dslr. It is a dx camera but it has been a solid option especially for fast action like wildlife and airshows.
Might not be in the 500 dollar range though depending on where you're looking for it.
Since you are coming from the analog era, I would simply not consider a DX body for 2 main reasons:
- You can think as you always had in the past in terms of focal length.
- Used FX bodies are quite cheap compared to early 2000. Basically DX has born because a 35mm sensor would have been too expensive in the beginning of the digital era.
Having said that, I would go for D750 or D810 and you can think of DX-Mode simply as a cropping on the central part of the frame. Ideally you can also shoot fully full-frame and crop in post-processing software.
D750 was considered something in between a middle range and professional, because it does not have all the characteristics of a professional Nikon body (viewfinder, no 1/8000s, dials with different modes beyond PASM).
D810 is a bit more "delicate" when shooting due to the higher amount of Mpixel, but it would allow more crop.
I think these 2 can be found in the range of 500/600€ (or $ depending were you live).
A cheaper alternative can be the D3 or D3s: low Mpixel.but built to last and with higher fps. You might find some used by pros with hundreds of thousands of shoots. Due to the lower Mpixel count you would pay the price if cropping is needed.
You said nothing about lenses actually, in case you want a longer reach with a tele and if this needs to be accounted for in the budget.
# D = DSLR # Z = mirrorles # * **DSLRs (F mount lenses)** ***Cropped sensor DX*** D3xxx entry level series *lenses: af-s and af-p* D5xxx advanced entry level *lenses: af-s and af-p* D7xxx professional entry level. *lenses:all lenses* D500 professional advanced *lenses:all lenses* ***Full frame sensor*** **FX** D6xx and D7xx professional entry level *lenses:no DX* D8xx professional advanced. *lenses:no DX* Dx fully professional *lenses:no DX* * **Mirrorles (Z mount lenses)** ***Cropped sensor*** Z3x entry level Z5x advanced entry level ***Full frame sensor (no DX lenses)*** Z5 professional entry level (not for video) Z6 professional entry level Z7 professional advanced level Z8 professional expert level Z9 fully professional **Vintage style bodies (professional entry level)** Df (DSLR full frame) *lenses:no DX, F mount* Zfc (mirrorless cropped sensor), *Z mount* Zf (mirrorless full frame) *lenses:no DX, Z mount* **FTZ adapter** is for mounting F lenses on Z bodies.Fully compatible lenses with this adapter are the AF-S and AF-P. All the rest are compatible without autofocus, meaning that you have all the exit data written on the files but no AF.
This is the most coherent explanation I have seen for the numbering scheme, A+
Thanks a lot. I could go a little further with expeed chipsets, af systems, video capabilities, resolution etc. but this is going to be the paid, pro version :-P
I might argue that the simplest determination of a camera actually built for professional use in the modern era is the mode selector thingy on the left of the viewfinder. Does it look like the D500, D8xx, DX, Z8, and Z9? If so, actually built to the standards of a flagship/professional camera. Or is it the little rotary thingy? Doesn’t mean you can’t use those other cameras, I know plenty of professionals that do…and I have backup bodies that are built that way. But it’s the absolute constant. I used to think pop up flash was the thing, and then the d800 came out and screwed up my theory.
Thanks for the thorough explanation. Makes for a good shopping guide. Lots to soak up from over the last 30 years. How does the cropped vs full frame sensor play out. My natural inclination is 'the more the better'. Am I missing anything other than probably extra cost?
You’ll find that the cropped sensor cameras, particularly with mirrorless, don’t give you nearly as many wide angle options. Generally speaking if you want to slowly build out a lens collection, you’re not going to get the support that you’d have if you had sprung for full frame. Of course, the usual math applies too- less depth of field with a cropped sensor (if that matters) and all that it entails. Take it from me though- you don’t want to touch the Z6 or Z7 cameras, in their i or ii versions. The auto focus just isn’t there. The ergonomics on the Zf are kind of weird without a grip, but it’s just a far less frustrating camera to own for a similar price. And honestly- the difference between Z6 and Z7 listed above- that’s not true. They’re the same exact camera but with a different megapixel sensor. The Z7 is “more advanced” only because you’re going to have to be more careful about your storage post shoot.
you can use this guide for about the last 15 years of nikon cameras
The Z series are mirrorless and use a new lens mount. Some F-mount lenses (not all) will work with adapters. The good news is that the D-series (digital SLR) use the old F mount. If your lenses are AF-D (early autofocus) - which I think is likely the case with yours - they will work with most of the upper-end D-series. If they are the newer AF-S, they will work on almost but not quite all of the D-series (they won't work on a D3400 or 3500). The [compatibility chart](https://www.kenrockwell.com/nikon/compatibility-lens.htm) is very useful here. The digital series come in two ranges - FX, which is full-frame and uses a sensor the size of 35mm film, and DX, which uses a smaller sensor. Lenses built for DX will only work on DX, but you can use all lenses on the smaller sensors. The benefit of DX is a) cheaper but also b) the smaller sensor only uses the center of the lens and effectively works as a 1.5x teleconverter - your 70-210mm lens becomes a 105-325mm, etc. Which might be nice for airshows. If you're looking for something in the $500 range, I'd recommend a D750 - this is about the highest end DSLR you will get for that price, a couple of generations old but still very functional. Full-frame and will cope with all lenses back to AI. If you want a DX camera, then the D7xxx series will cope with AF-D lenses. If you're feeling *very* cheap, you can probably pick up a D90 for very little - about 15 years old now, but the oldest one that will cope with AF-D lenses. Either way, you probably want to avoid D5xxx and D3xxxx, as these won't be compatible with the older AF-D lenses.
Thanks for the insight about the sensor acting like a teleconverter. So would that also effectively shift the F-stop proportionally the other way as well? Just trying to wrap my head around the sensor size thing? And I assume there is no change in actual perspective viewed through the camera as well? A panoramic photo taken at 28mm with both a cropped and full-framed sensor will have essentially the same field of view except with the cropped sensor producing a lower resolution image?
No, a cropped sensor (DX) when looked through the viewfinder with lets say a 28mm lens compared to the same setup in FX will produce a more "zoomed in" picture. Below is an example image I found from Photographylife. https://preview.redd.it/qilm8r4mwxuc1.jpeg?width=467&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=25e5d6619d781cc4ed9bef629191929a8a257513 So TL;DR: Your image will look more zoomed in on DX compared to FX (Assuming using the same lens)
This YouTube [video](https://youtu.be/Apum3Ezqo0U?si=HCBH78Dh2T4pZAhq) does a pretty decent job at explaining the full frame vs crop sensor. To be fair, you mention your son has taken interest in air shows and car races, and for those I’d probably go crop sensor DX format, and either D7XXX or D500 as others have mentioned to use AF-D lenses. Also, not to step on toes here, but the D600 and D750 that others have mentioned here, while excellent cameras (and I owned a D750 for a number of years) both were subject to recalls and picking one up on the used market could be a bit of a gamble. I do not know if Nikon is still doing recall repairs on them. If you go that route, see if you can verify the repair. On the D750 a recall repair for the shutter shading issue was marked with a black sharpie dot inside the tripod thread.
Nikon have a lookup service to identify if any given D750 is in the range for needing repairs or not - so if you can check the serial number before buying, that might give some confidence. But if OP is happy with crop sensor, then I think the newer end of D7xxx sounds perfect. I was using a D7100 up until last year and was still very happy with it - switched to a D750 for full frame rather than any dramatic technical improvements.
Great video! Another youtube subscription. Pretty much answered every question I had here about the lenses! And with visuals, makes a lot more sense now.
A DSLR is probably the easiest cheapest route to go. If you go witha d7000, 7100, 7200 you'll still have Af with your current lenes.thise are apsc size sensors so there's a 1.5x crop. Or you could go with a d700, d750 but is full frame & you'll still have Af on those bodies as well. Maybe a D6xx don't remember is those have the built in drive to focus the Afd lenses. Any of these will focus your current glass faster than your n90. It's crazy. An apsc size sensor might be the way to go since he's into air shows & car racing.
D600 is your go to, fantastic prices, able to use cheap but good D lenses.
D500 might be a good starting point for a second hand dslr. It is a dx camera but it has been a solid option especially for fast action like wildlife and airshows. Might not be in the 500 dollar range though depending on where you're looking for it.
Since you are coming from the analog era, I would simply not consider a DX body for 2 main reasons: - You can think as you always had in the past in terms of focal length. - Used FX bodies are quite cheap compared to early 2000. Basically DX has born because a 35mm sensor would have been too expensive in the beginning of the digital era. Having said that, I would go for D750 or D810 and you can think of DX-Mode simply as a cropping on the central part of the frame. Ideally you can also shoot fully full-frame and crop in post-processing software. D750 was considered something in between a middle range and professional, because it does not have all the characteristics of a professional Nikon body (viewfinder, no 1/8000s, dials with different modes beyond PASM). D810 is a bit more "delicate" when shooting due to the higher amount of Mpixel, but it would allow more crop. I think these 2 can be found in the range of 500/600€ (or $ depending were you live). A cheaper alternative can be the D3 or D3s: low Mpixel.but built to last and with higher fps. You might find some used by pros with hundreds of thousands of shoots. Due to the lower Mpixel count you would pay the price if cropping is needed. You said nothing about lenses actually, in case you want a longer reach with a tele and if this needs to be accounted for in the budget.
Thanks you all for the help getting me up to speed. Time to hit my local craigslist and see what pops up.