New Body or New Lens

Nielsenius · Apr 16, 2015

I'm starting to think about my next photography purchase and it's looking like a decision between two items. I currently own a Nikon D700 with the following lenses: 50mm f/1.8, 20mm f/1.8, and 70-200mm f/4. The two items I'm considering purchasing are either a Nikon D750 or a Nikon 24-70mm f/2.8.

The D700 performs well for me, but I understand that it is a bit dated (however, mine is only lightly used as I received it from someone who barely used it). I would love the enhancements of the D750. On the other hand, my lens lineup could use an addition in mid-range. The 24-70mm would help a lot here.

The D750 is now $2000 and the 24-70mm is roughly the same. I would appreciate any advice. For reference, here's some of my work: https://500px.com/mqnielsen.

Apple fanboy · Apr 16, 2015

Nielsenius said:
I'm starting to think about my next photography purchase and it's looking like a decision between two items. I currently own a Nikon D700 with the following lenses: 50mm f/1.8, 20mm f/1.8, and 70-200mm f/4. The two items I'm considering purchasing are either a Nikon D750 or a Nikon 24-70mm f/2.8.

The D700 performs well for me, but I understand that it is a bit dated (however, mine is only lightly used as I received it from someone who barely used it). I would love the enhancements of the D750. On the other hand, my lens lineup could use an addition in mid-range. The 24-70mm would help a lot here.

The D750 is now $2000 and the 24-70mm is roughly the same. I would appreciate any advice. For reference, here's some of my work: https://500px.com/mqnielsen.

Well I'm fortunate enough to own both. The D750 for me was my first fall frame body. The features are reasonabley similar to my D7100. The tilt screen though is great for shots from angels that just wouldn't be possible without lying on your belly. The dynamic range and IQ are both excellent.
As for the 24-70mm lens is a great all round lens. It gives you a great focal range from reasonably wide to a standard zoom. Great walk around lens when you don't want to keep swapping. I got mine second hand and saved a packet. Maybe you could look to do the same and trade your D700 to soften the blow?

kenoh · Apr 16, 2015

I would say that unless there is something in your 700 that is inhibiting you or specifically that a new body gives you that you *really* need, then the wise money is in the glass as that wont depreciate the way the body will.

Nielsenius · Apr 16, 2015

Apple fanboy said:
Well I'm fortunate enough to own both. The D750 for me was my first fall frame body. The features are reasonabley similar to my D7100. The tilt screen though is great for shots from angels that just wouldn't be possible without lying on your belly. The dynamic range and IQ are both excellent.
As for the 24-70mm lens is a great all round lens. It gives you a great focal range from reasonably wide to a standard zoom. Great walk around lens when you don't want to keep swapping. I got mine second hand and saved a packet. Maybe you could look to do the same and trade your D700 to soften the blow?

Thanks for the response! Looking at eBay it seems that I could get the lens for about $1300 to $1400. I'll definitely keep that as an option.

kenoh said:
I would say that unless there is something in your 700 that is inhibiting you or specifically that a new body gives you that you *really* need, then the wise money is in the glass as that wont depreciate the way the body will.

I personally don't see anything wrong with the D700 other than it not being the latest and greatest. I'm leaning towards the glass unless there's some overwhelming reason why I shouldn't.

Anonymous Freak · Apr 16, 2015

Nielsenius said:
I personally don't see anything wrong with the D700 other than it not being the latest and greatest. I'm leaning towards the glass unless there's some overwhelming reason why I shouldn't.

If you haven't come up with a good reason yet, I'd say the decision has already been made.

Attonine · Apr 16, 2015

Get the lens.

I've got a D700, hasn't even crossed my mind to update it.

Keep the camera until it either breaks and becomes uneconomical to fix it, can't do something you need it to do, or a new body has something so compelling that you need to upgrade.

MCAsan · Apr 16, 2015

To shoot what?

monokakata · Apr 16, 2015

Love that steeplechase shot.

I was a road race (running) timer for many years and I saw an endless succession of dreadfully boring running shots.

I'd say get the lens, too. True, I've never used that one. But I think that the way you seem to shoot, you'll be shooting wide open a lot, and the f/2.8 will work nicely for you.

Again, great work. Interesting sports photography is very hard to find, outside of the top rank of photographers.

MiniD3 · Apr 16, 2015

hi there,

I've had a D700 since new, have the grip and no complaints, amazing camera but has fallen behind its status now
I'm going for a D4s soon is the price is right, D5 out soon but I'm sure the price is going to be premium

The old adage still stands, glass lasts for ever, camera bodies come and go, few are classics like the D700 and D3 and are still out there but there always comes a time to upgrade, I'm ready now

looking at your images, action is a factor so a gripped D700 will do the job, as for walk around, the most versatile Nikkor on the planet is the latest 24-120 VR,
outstanding even on the demanding D810, I was going to get the Holy Trinity, (14-24/24-70/70-200), have the 14-24 but got the 24-120, magic lens and sharp as with VR to boot!
You will hear about distortion, don't listen, modern software like LightRoom takes care of that on import, never been a problem for me

FWIW, looking at future lens purchases, I would start looking at the f4 range of Nikons, with the ability of low light and new camera bodies, the f4 are just as sharp as the 2.8's, a whole lot lighter and also, a whole lot lighter on the price

if you are looking at budget, have a close look at Tamron in that class, could save some $ and +, their 24-70 has VR

So, have a hard look at what your shooting, your choice of lenses is great, and a 24-120 would fit in there just nicely!

lastly,
get the new lens, have a long think about a new body, even a lightly used D4 is going to be a great action camera and focus/low light/exposure/frame rate, beaten by none, even your current D700 with grip at 8fps is hard to beat except the pro bodies

EDIT: An addition of a 1.4 TC will give more versatility to that 70-200
......Gary

Meister · Apr 16, 2015

Keep the D700, get the lens.

simonsi · Apr 17, 2015

In the same way that a fast driver in a slow car will beat a slow driver in a fast car...good glass is seldom wasted. I'm still growing within my D300's capabilities and have just upgraded the glass it looks through to good effect, now back to growing technique

Nickwell24 · Apr 17, 2015

Nielsenius said:
I'm starting to think about my next photography purchase and it's looking like a decision between two items. I currently own a Nikon D700 with the following lenses: 50mm f/1.8, 20mm f/1.8, and 70-200mm f/4. The two items I'm considering purchasing are either a Nikon D750 or a Nikon 24-70mm f/2.8.

Have you considered 3rd party glass? You could save yourself hundreds by picking up the 24-70 f/2.8 Sigma glass. I shoot with the 70-200 f/2.8 and have compared it to Canon's and the differences are almost non-existent. Unless you're making a living off your glass I'd strongly consider Sigma.

JDDavis · Apr 17, 2015

Nielsenius said:
I'm starting to think about my next photography purchase and it's looking like a decision between two items. I currently own a Nikon D700 with the following lenses: 50mm f/1.8, 20mm f/1.8, and 70-200mm f/4. The two items I'm considering purchasing are either a Nikon D750 or a Nikon 24-70mm f/2.8.

The D700 performs well for me, but I understand that it is a bit dated (however, mine is only lightly used as I received it from someone who barely used it). I would love the enhancements of the D750. On the other hand, my lens lineup could use an addition in mid-range. The 24-70mm would help a lot here.

The D750 is now $2000 and the 24-70mm is roughly the same. I would appreciate any advice. For reference, here's some of my work: https://500px.com/mqnielsen.

As much as I want to tell you to get the D750, because it's a great camera, I'd have to go along with everyone else and say get the glass. The lens should last a lifetime and will probably retain value lots longer than a body. Unless of course, the D700 is keeping you from achieving some level of IQ you're after that the D750 will give you (high ISO work maybe?). If you're being honest, you're probably going to get a new body eventually anyway so having the right glass in the kit should probably always be the priority.

Someone mentioned the 24-120 and I'll throw in the 24-85 f/2.8-4. I think they are both outstanding lenses for the money and I'd recommend either to someone who wanted to save some weight and money over the 24-70. In the end though the 24-70 will beat them all.

The D750 is an outstanding body with, in my opinion, a great AF system and outstanding low light capability. I went from a 12mp camera to the 24mp D750 and I will say that the extra real estate makes cropping more of an option but as you know, 12mp is more than enough. If you haven't held a D750 yet you'll find it does not feel as tough and well built as the D700. This bothered me at first, but so far the D750 has held up just fine and I'm enjoying the weight reduction.

Nielsenius · Apr 17, 2015

Anonymous Freak said:
If you haven't come up with a good reason yet, I'd say the decision has already been made.

You're probably right... I just had to write it down to get my mind straight.

Attonine said:
Get the lens.

I've got a D700, hasn't even crossed my mind to update it.

Keep the camera until it either breaks and becomes uneconomical to fix it, can't do something you need it to do, or a new body has something so compelling that you need to upgrade.

Thanks for that; glad to hear that the D700 isn't defunct technology.

MCAsan said:
To shoot what?

General stuff, walking around, college events, sports. Pretty much anything as I'm a photographer for my school newspaper.

monokakata said:
Love that steeplechase shot.

I was a road race (running) timer for many years and I saw an endless succession of dreadfully boring running shots.

I'd say get the lens, too. True, I've never used that one. But I think that the way you seem to shoot, you'll be shooting wide open a lot, and the f/2.8 will work nicely for you.

Again, great work. Interesting sports photography is very hard to find, outside of the top rank of photographers.

Thanks for the support! As a varsity athlete sports are my favorite subject. I agree that I definitely want f/2.8.

MiniD3 said:
I've had a D700 since new, have the grip and no complaints, amazing camera but has fallen behind its status now
I'm going for a D4s soon is the price is right, D5 out soon but I'm sure the price is going to be premium

The old adage still stands, glass lasts for ever, camera bodies come and go, few are classics like the D700 and D3 and are still out there but there always comes a time to upgrade, I'm ready now

looking at your images, action is a factor so a gripped D700 will do the job, as for walk around, the most versatile Nikkor on the planet is the latest 24-120 VR,
outstanding even on the demanding D810, I was going to get the Holy Trinity, (14-24/24-70/70-200), have the 14-24 but got the 24-120, magic lens and sharp as with VR to boot!
You will hear about distortion, don't listen, modern software like LightRoom takes care of that on import, never been a problem for me

FWIW, looking at future lens purchases, I would start looking at the f4 range of Nikons, with the ability of low light and new camera bodies, the f4 are just as sharp as the 2.8's, a whole lot lighter and also, a whole lot lighter on the price

if you are looking at budget, have a close look at Tamron in that class, could save some $ and +, their 24-70 has VR

So, have a hard look at what your shooting, your choice of lenses is great, and a 24-120 would fit in there just nicely!

lastly,
get the new lens, have a long think about a new body, even a lightly used D4 is going to be a great action camera and focus/low light/exposure/frame rate, beaten by none, even your current D700 with grip at 8fps is hard to beat except the pro bodies

EDIT: An addition of a 1.4 TC will give more versatility to that 70-200
......Gary

Thanks for all of that! I've considered the 24-120mm and I'd really prefer f/2.8 over f/4 even if it means more money spent. I've considered 3rd party glass, too, and I'd like to stick to Nikon because I have an illogical bias against 3rd party stuff. I haven't given much consideration to the battery grip. Do you think it's worth the $200?

Meister said:
Keep the D700, get the lens.

Thanks!

simonsi said:
In the same way that a fast driver in a slow car will beat a slow driver in a fast car...good glass is seldom wasted. I'm still growing within my D300's capabilities and have just upgraded the glass it looks through to good effect, now back to growing technique

Looks like most people are supporting the glass, thanks.

Nickwell24 said:
Have you considered 3rd party glass? You could save yourself hundreds by picking up the 24-70 f/2.8 Sigma glass. I shoot with the 70-200 f/2.8 and have compared it to Canon's and the differences are almost non-existent. Unless you're making a living off your glass I'd strongly consider Sigma.

Thanks, I haven't given much consideration to 3rd party, but I'll take a look.

JDDavis said:
As much as I want to tell you to get the D750, because it's a great camera, I'd have to go along with everyone else and say get the glass. The lens should last a lifetime and will probably retain value lots longer than a body. Unless of course, the D700 is keeping you from achieving some level of IQ you're after that the D750 will give you (high ISO work maybe?). If you're being honest, you're probably going to get a new body eventually anyway so having the right glass in the kit should probably always be the priority.

Someone mentioned the 24-120 and I'll throw in the 24-85 f/2.8-4. I think they are both outstanding lenses for the money and I'd recommend either to someone who wanted to save some weight and money over the 24-70. In the end though the 24-70 will beat them all.

The D750 is an outstanding body with, in my opinion, a great AF system and outstanding low light capability. I went from a 12mp camera to the 24mp D750 and I will say that the extra real estate makes cropping more of an option but as you know, 12mp is more than enough. If you haven't held a D750 yet you'll find it does not feel as tough and well built as the D700. This bothered me at first, but so far the D750 has held up just fine and I'm enjoying the weight reduction.

Thanks for that. I'd like the benefits of the D750, but I'm not seeing them as a game-changer for me at the moment. I'll check out the glass you recommended. I'd like to keep a constant aperture, though. I've been down the path of variable aperture lenses and I don't like them much.

Thank you so much to everyone for their input. I'm leaning towards the 24-70mm over the D750.

Apple fanboy · Apr 17, 2015

Nielsenius said:
Thank you so much to everyone for their input. I'm leaning towards the 24-70mm over the D750.

A wise decision. Enjoy your new glass. It is heavy compared to your 50mm, but much lighter than the 70-200 f2.8!

Be sure to share a few pictures in our [URL="https://forums.macrumors.com/threads/1861210/ thread]POTD[/URL] thread.

mofunk · Apr 17, 2015

I still see people shooting with a D200. I don't know how a D700 is dated when it still takes great shots.

MCAsan · Apr 18, 2015

Great lenses can be used forever. Camera bodies likely come and go every 3-5 years.

Meister · Apr 18, 2015

MCAsan said:
Great lenses can be used forever. Camera bodies likely come and go every 3-5 years.

I've never seen a camera body get up and just leave.
I don't think they can get a job or leave the country, since they are not going to get a passport.

paolo- · Apr 18, 2015

Is the autofocus or sensor performance (high ISO, resolution, dynamic range) holding you back?

If not, get the lens. The lens will let you take different pictures. Where as a new will let you take marginally better picture. If you're doing lots of events and journalism, I wouldn't be surprised if the 24-70 becomes a workhorse.

As others have mentioned lenses keep their value much better than bodies. If your d700 starts holding you back sometime in the next few years, you'll be able to get a d750 much more cheaply than right now. That 24-70 will probably still be the same price.

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