Nikon D810 vs D750 + lens choices

[Freida]

Hello guys,

I'm thinking about possible update for my camera. I'm currently on D90 which I've had for 6 years and I'm thinking to do a switch and buy something that will last me life (ideally) so I looked at D810 and it seems like one great camera for a reasonable amount of money.
However, I'm always vary about updates so I wanted to check with those that are in the loop if there is a possibility that the camera might get updated this year and it might be worth to wait (ie. for the new one or discount for D810). Would anyone here happen to have an idea how likely it might be, please?

I don't use my camera much so some might say that D810 is a little overkill cause most of my daily pictures are taken with iPhone 6 but when i go on holiday, weddings or anything 'big' I like to squeeze the most out of it and always take my D90 with me. I don't have huge lens collection yet (50mm 1.4) is the only extra i have on top of the stock one but I have my eye set on the 24-70 2.8.
I'm still learning about photography but my most common or reoccurring issue I see is that low light is where D90 fails. Sometimes the autofocus too as I once went to a wedding which was in a good day light and some of the pics were still not in focus and I had to save it in post which still hasn't produced amazing results but the family was very happy so in the end it was success.

What would be your thoughts, please?

 

[Apple fanboy]

Hello guys,

I'm thinking about possible update for my camera. I'm currently on D90 which I've had for 6 years and I'm thinking to do a switch and buy something that will last me life (ideally) so I looked at D810 and it seems like one great camera for a reasonable amount of money.
However, I'm always vary about updates so I wanted to check with those that are in the loop if there is a possibility that the camera might get updated this year and it might be worth to wait (ie. for the new one or discount for D810). Would anyone here happen to have an idea how likely it might be, please?

I don't use my camera much so some might say that D810 is a little overkill cause most of my daily pictures are taken with iPhone 6 but when i go on holiday, weddings or anything 'big' I like to squeeze the most out of it and always take my D90 with me. I don't have huge lens collection yet (50mm 1.4) is the only extra i have on top of the stock one but I have my eye set on the 24-70 2.8.
I'm still learning about photography but my most common or reoccurring issue I see is that low light is where D90 fails. Sometimes the autofocus too as I once went to a wedding which was in a good day light and some of the pics were still not in focus and I had to save it in post which still hasn't produced amazing results but the family was very happy so in the end it was success.

What would be your thoughts, please?

I'd have a look at the D750. It's been out less time and the body is a little more compact. What put me off the D810 is the file size. That things going to eat memory cards and hard drives!

As for when the D820 (or whatever they call it) will be out, who knows. They have just announced the D500 and D5, so I'd expect nothing for a couple of months.

 

[Freida]

I'd have a look at the D750. It's been out less time and the body is a little more compact. What put me off the D810 is the file size. That things going to eat memory cards and hard drives!

As for when the D820 (or whatever they call it) will be out, who knows. They have just announced the D500 and D5, so I'd expect nothing for a couple of months.

Would you say that D750 is better candidate? As the price difference is not that big between these two especially as Nikon now has offer for trading in old camera and get rebate on D810? I've been told that the D810 is just superb camera but I haven't heard much about the D750. Curious now

 

[Apple fanboy]

Would you say that D750 is better candidate? As the price difference is not that big between these two especially as Nikon now has offer for trading in old camera and get rebate on D810? I've been told that the D810 is just superb camera but I haven't heard much about the D750. Curious now

I own a D750. It's a great camera. In real terms your not going to see much difference between the two.
The movable screen is a nice feature if do macro or just want to shoot off the floor without lying down. Check out dpreview.com and compare the features.
But the best advice I can offer is go to a proper camera shop and try them out. Or you could try hiring them to compare.
Depends on what you shoot of course.
Also 24-70mm 2.8 is a great lens. I have the first generation one (without VR). You can pick up some real bargains second hand.

 

[MCAsan]

Many famous wedding photographers have dropped Nikon for Sony A7RII. You can fine their videos on Youtube. Each for Jason Lanier and Gary Fong.

 

[Moakesy]

+1 for the D750.

Got mine late November last year, and love it to bits.....constantly amazed with what it can do.

I did a lot of research (and a post or two on here) before buying, and Apple FanBoy helped me out I seem to remember

This is my favourite review of the D750, and the one that convinced me to get it....

http://www.rossharvey.com/reviews/nikon-d750-review

Love the guy's work and his review seems to be very honest.

 

[Cheese&Apple]

The D810 is a great camera without doubt...especially if you like to crop in a bit for tighter shots of subjects such as wildlife.

For all around performance and features at a respectable price, read about the D750 here at Photography Life and their opinion of the "best Nikon DSLR": https://photographylife.com/best-nikon-dslr.

~ Peter

 

[admwright]

I'm still learning about photography but my most common or reoccurring issue I see is that low light is where D90 fails. Sometimes the autofocus too as I once went to a wedding which was in a good day light and some of the pics were still not in focus and I had to save it in post which still hasn't produced amazing results but the family was very happy so in the end it was success.

What would be your thoughts, please?

If you are not getting the results you want with a D90 then I think that it would be better to work on this first before changing to a totally different camera. The D810 and D750 are more complex cameras, so more possibilities to get it wrong - you could be spending a lot on money and still having the same problems and possibly even new problems.

 

[MCAsan]

Be sure to look at the camera body reviews and ratings. Nikon and Sony share the top 35mm body positions. And the best overall is Sony A7RII.

http://www.dxomark.com/cameras#hideAdvancedOptions=false&viewMode=list&yDataType=rankDxo

 

[fathergll]

Would you say that D750 is better candidate? As the price difference is not that big between these two especially as Nikon now has offer for trading in old camera and get rebate on D810?

http://kenrockwell.com/nikon/comparisons/d810-vs-d750.htm

I don't have either camera but this might help

 

[Apple fanboy]

+1 for the D750.

Got mine late November last year, and love it to bits.....constantly amazed with what it can do.

I did a lot of research (and a post or two on here) before buying, and Apple FanBoy helped me out I seem to remember

This is my favourite review of the D750, and the one that convinced me to get it....

http://www.rossharvey.com/reviews/nikon-d750-review

Love the guy's work and his review seems to be very honest.

Nice of you to remember!
Had mine nearly a year now and still loving it!
Btw that is a very useful and comprehensive review. Well worth a read.

 

[bhtwo]

I want a D3s now... bugger.

 

[talmy]

However, I'm always vary about updates so I wanted to check with those that are in the loop if there is a possibility that the camera might get updated this year and it might be worth to wait (ie. for the new one or discount for D810). Would anyone here happen to have an idea how likely it might be, please?

It's family appears to be on a two year update cycle, so expect the successor sometime this year.

I don't use my camera much so some might say that D810 is a little overkill cause most of my daily pictures are taken with iPhone 6 but when i go on holiday, weddings or anything 'big' I like to squeeze the most out of it and always take my D90 with me. I don't have huge lens collection yet (50mm 1.4) is the only extra i have on top of the stock one but I have my eye set on the 24-70 2.8.
I'm still learning about photography but my most common or reoccurring issue I see is that low light is where D90 fails. Sometimes the autofocus too as I once went to a wedding which was in a good day light and some of the pics were still not in focus and I had to save it in post which still hasn't produced amazing results but the family was very happy so in the end it was success.

What would be your thoughts, please?

I've got a D810 because I shoot mainly landscapes where the 36MP and high dynamic range makes it a big winner. Low light isn't an issue because I almost always use a tripod (really essential to get the most of the 36MP. I also shoot entirely (except for telephoto) with prime lenses.

Frankly, I don't really think a D810 or successor makes sense for you. As others suggest look at the D750. You might also be happy with a D7200 which is the most recent successor to your D90 and would be more familiar to use being DX. Either of these would be better in low light than your D90.

 

[mofunk]

If you have a D90, then moving to a newer body will not be hard. Whether its a D750 or D810, you still need to know the basics... How to set the Aperture and Shutter. Everything else is just bells and whistles.

Like most of us in this thread, I move from the D90 to D750 too and love it! My reason was that I wanted to go full frame. I like the body style/size of the D90 and wanted to stay with something similar. The only thing that I didn't like (or just needed improvements) on the D90 was that it was a little slow focusing in low light and video wasn't full HD. In comparing the D90 to the D300/D300s the focusing on the D90 was a bit slower. Whenever I saw the D90 at it's best was while using fast glass like the Nikkor 24-70mm f/2.8 or 17-55mm f/2.8 or 105mm f/2.8.


When I saw the D600/D610 I thought they were great but I wasn't ready to move to FF yet. So I waited to see what Nikon would release. Moving from the D90 to D750 I needed more than what the D7000 series and D600 series had to offer. The D7000s just had better ISO and some improvements in video. The D600/D610 imo the only perk was that it was full frame. What I got for waiting was better ISO, faster focusing especially in low light, and a huge plus for me was the tilt screen. I shoot a lot above my head and the tilt screen is perfect.


If you are trying to acquire a 24-70mm lens too, definitely get one. As for getting the D810, try to way the pros and cons vs the D750. My reason for not getting the D810 is weight and huge file size.

 

[Freida]

Thank you all for great responses.
After going through all the articles etc. you have provided me it seems to me that D750 will actually be a better choice. Smaller, lighter and with pretty much identical results in most scenarios.
D90 failed me in dark environments where the iso was just high and the result very grainy. I failed D90 in everything else as I'm still learning. ))
Looks like D750 will be absolute stellar in those low light conditions.
Most of my shooting comes on A priority (sometimes I got S priority but that is rare). I don't do full manual as its very time consuming to set it right for me and it kinda only works for moments that don't go away.

So by the looks of it the D750 will be just the sweet deal. I'll continue with my research before I make my mind up but for now I'm leaning towards D750.
Thank you and please feel free to offer more suggestions or share more experience. Its much appreciated.

 

[JDDavis]

If you are not getting the results you want with a D90 then I think that it would be better to work on this first before changing to a totally different camera. The D810 and D750 are more complex cameras, so more possibilities to get it wrong - you could be spending a lot on money and still having the same problems and possibly even new problems.

I own (and used extensively) both the D90 and the D750. The D90 is a great camera and a decent DX partner to the 750 (12mp and 24mp respectively). The issues the OP is talking about is not simply a matter of skill and experience alone. The D90 simply runs out of "Schlitz" quickly after you get in situations where a tripod is not applicable and you're above ISO 800-1200 (really anything above 800). The noise becomes overwhelming and depending on your lens AF can really struggle. Same photographer, in the same situation and the D750 will blow the D90 out of the water. The low light AF is exponentially greater and you can often easily run up to ISO 3200 with no real issues. It's the main reason (at the time) I chose the D750 instead of the D7200 (and now I'm glad I went FF).

The D810 is an amazing camera but I couldn't justify the extra cost. I like the 24mp image and the D750 did everything I wanted for less then the D810. Easy choice. The hard choice for me now would be the D750 vs the D500. The D500 should (given the specs) be an even better low light monster than the D750. Is there a low light IQ advantage of FF vs DX between the two? I'm not smart enough to know. If the OP is interested in staying with the crop sensors for a specific reason then I would certainly take a long look at the D500. It will more than solve all the D90s low light short comings. For this scenario I would not consider the D7100 or 7200. Great cameras but they really can't hold a candle to the D750 in real world low light scenarios.

 

[talmy]

The hard choice for me now would be the D750 vs the D500. The D500 should (given the specs) be an even better low light monster than the D750.

The D500 besides being made of unobtainium is also a DX camera. Might be a plus for a D90 shooter. It also is in the same basic body and design as the D810, so the extra size and weight need to be considered.

 

[Moakesy]

The hard choice for me now would be the D750 vs the D500. The D500 should (given the specs) be an even better low light monster than the D750. Is there a low light IQ advantage of FF vs DX between the two?

The D500 certainly looks like it will be a great camera, and uses EXCEED 5 image processing vs the EXCEED 4 in the D750, which you'd expect to be a step up.

Although we are still waiting for the D500 to be released and therefore 'real' users haven't got their hands on it, it's fair to assume neither will be a bad camera.

Having said that, using UK prices:
D500 is £1,729 21.5Mb DX format with faster shutter speeds, upto 10 fps
D750 is £1,396 24.9Mb FX format, custom mode U1 & U2 setting, upto 6fps

You can compare the two in more depth here
http://www.europe-nikon.com/en_GB/products/category_pages/digital_cameras/category_SLR.page?#

So it's either FX and having those custom U1 and U2 settings, or waiting for this new DX D500 and having the latest EXCEED processing, with a quicker fps, and paying £333 (around $480) more.

For me personally, if I was make the choice today, I'd still go for the D750 and spend the cash saved on the lenses instead. I don't need the extra 4 fps (tbh, I don't even need 6fps), but like the FX format and I do switch between the U1/U2 custom settings all the time. You needs may well be different of course.

Either will do the job, it's just a case of choosing the features you'll use, rather than the 'faster/better' features that look good on paper, but you never need. The good news is there isn't really a bad choice for you, it's just what meets your preferences the best.

 

[Freida]

I never used the U1 U2 stuff. Can someone give me examples or common settings they have, so i can test it out, please?

 

[monokakata]

About a year and a half ago I found a site by a really fine photographer who also is very interested in equipment. OP, you might poke around on this site:

http://blog.mingthein.com/

As an example, I was shooting with a D800, which suited me very well, except for a few things that directly affected how easily I could shoot the way I prefer shooting (in other words, highly personal issues). Ming Thein wrote a posting comparing the D800e with the D810, explaining why he switched. In the posting he mentioned that the D810 had just the characteristics I was wanting. So I sold the D800 and got a D810.

I'm not trying to sway you one way or another. But I am recommending that you spend some time on Ming Thein's site, exploring the way he compares cameras. You might see some things that will help you in your decision -- I mean things to look for between models, or to think about with regard to the ways you shoot that might be really significant in deciding which camera is for you.

 

[Freida]

About a year and a half ago I found a site by a really fine photographer who also is very interested in equipment. OP, you might poke around on this site:

http://blog.mingthein.com/

As an example, I was shooting with a D800, which suited me very well, except for a few things that directly affected how easily I could shoot the way I prefer shooting (in other words, highly personal issues). Ming Thein wrote a posting comparing the D800e with the D810, explaining why he switched. In the posting he mentioned that the D810 had just the characteristics I was wanting. So I sold the D800 and got a D810.

I'm not trying to sway you one way or another. But I am recommending that you spend some time on Ming Thein's site, exploring the way he compares cameras. You might see some things that will help you in your decision -- I mean things to look for between models, or to think about with regard to the ways you shoot that might be really significant in deciding which camera is for you.

Thank you for interesting website. He does seem to be for D750 too especially with my needs.
Thanks
[doublepost=1455379567][/doublepost]One thing I wonder about. I don't think I can afford to get the lens too at the same time as the camera so the lens will have to wait a little bit. (24-70 2.8)
Would you then say that if I use 18-105 stock lens that came with D90 that I will still get the benefits from the D750? I would assume that the answer is yes (low light etc) but just wanted to double check how much crippling will the lens do to the camera.
I will try to borrow a lens but in the worse case I will just take 50mm 1.4 and the stock one.

 

[Apple fanboy]

Thank you for interesting website. He does seem to be for D750 too especially with my needs.
Thanks
[doublepost=1455379567][/doublepost]One thing I wonder about. I don't think I can afford to get the lens too at the same time as the camera so the lens will have to wait a little bit. (24-70 2.8)
Would you then say that if I use 18-105 stock lens that came with D90 that I will still get the benefits from the D750? I would assume that the answer is yes (low light etc) but just wanted to double check how much crippling will the lens do to the camera.
I will try to borrow a lens but in the worse case I will just take 50mm 1.4 and the stock one.

The fist thing you will notice is you're 18-105 will be quite a bit wider and not as long.
That's because on your D90 it was a 27-157.5mm lens.
You will still benefit from the better IQ and higher usable ISO.
As I said before you could get a good version 1 of that lens second hand.
That's how I got mine.

 

[Freida]

The fist thing you will notice is you're 18-105 will be quite a bit wider and not as long.
That's because on your D90 it was a 27-157.5mm lens.
You will still benefit from the better IQ and higher usable ISO.
As I said before you could get a good version 1 of that lens second hand.
That's how I got mine.

Excellent, thank you. Yeah, look forward to the FX world

I'm usually very careful when it comes to second hand items. Kinda suspicious and risky if you ask me

 

[Apple fanboy]

Excellent, thank you. Yeah, look forward to the FX world

I'm usually very careful when it comes to second hand items. Kinda suspicious and risky if you ask me

Well I did have about 20 24-70's to choose from!
Plus even if the lens you buy is not perfect buying second hand and getting it serviced is still cheaper than new.

 

[rcoward]

The fist thing you will notice is you're 18-105 will be quite a bit wider and not as long.
That's because on your D90 it was a 27-157.5mm lens.
You will still benefit from the better IQ and higher usable ISO.
As I said before you could get a good version 1 of that lens second hand.
That's how I got mine.

Isn't the 18-105 lens a DX lens and will give vignetting on an FX body?

I have a D90 too and will be going for a D500 later in the year when the prices come down and I have had a chance to handle it. The D750 would be my other choice but I don't have all the lenses to fit it (all bar one are DX type) and would need to spend a small fortune to get replacements. With the D500 I can usefully use all my current lenses without and imaging problems.