Hello all,

It’s me again, with another nikon based camera question.

I started out with a nikon d40 and shortly upgraded to a nikon 7200. A 24-120 usually lives on it, but I also have a nikon 200-500 and a tokina 11-16, as well as an old 50 mm 1.8. I am aware the tokina will not work on an FX body.

The transition from the 40 to the 7200 was immense. And I suppose I am looking for the next big step up in capability. After this last trip with the 7200, I am really looking to upgrade the following areas-

-low light capability
-night sky long exposures
-Auto focus
-over all image quality

I mostly shoot land scape, and a smattering of slow moving animals, with the occasional bird or helicopter mixed in there. The 7200 is great for wildlife and I appreciate the DX body for that, but the AF seems slow or unsure from time to time (using back button AF) especially on the 200-500.

Shooting with ISO I am struggling with photos appearing a bit grainier then I would prefer, and find myself having to post process a lot of that away, leaving some of the detail I have behind.

I have come to the understanding that the D750 is a well respected wildlife body. But my main goal is low light landscape.

Is there a huge difference in the real world between a D810 and a D850? I understand that the FPS is lower on it, but I plan to keep the 7200 because it’s a fantastic body. I also think some of the limitations AF wise I was running in to were more Teleconverter (nikon 1.7X) then body based. The price difference between the two is fairly staggering.

I also have dabbled with the idea of just jumping in both feet next year and going mirrorless to the Z7, but I’m not sure I’m willing to give up the battery life for what few advantages it gives over the D8XX series.

I’m a very amateur photographer, and I don’t want to spend a small fortune on all new lenses. Ideally, I would grab a FX wide angle and continue using the 24-120 and the 200-500, as I am super happy with both, and don’t think I will ever be able to afford more reach.

What is the consensus, or, what would you do if you were upgrading from where I am at?

Thank you for your time

I absolutely loved my D850 which certainly felt like a major upgrade from my previous D800.   Currently use a Z7ii, but for mostly landscape and wildlife I would rate the D850 superior to the Z7ii.  The D850 is a fantastic camera,  and if I wasn't shooting people so much nowadays I would still have one.

The differance in the prism and focus between the 7200 and the 750 is considerable. I went from a 600  to a 750 for better low light performance, and the ability to see throught the viewfinder in low light circumstances. The focus is amazing too. Superbly fast and accurate.

For landscape, especially low light, I would look no further than the D850.

Its sensor is better than the 810, and the auto focus is better too.

Here is some info on the sensor for the 850:
https://www.dxomark.com/nikon-d850-sensor-review-first-dslr-hit-100-points/

Take a look at the Z6III.

For that type of shooting you like to do, all you need is a D750.   You can pick them up dirt cheap on fb marketplace.

I see them fairly often on there, and would more than likely be buying a used from BH anyway. I’m not sure there’s a terribly wrong answer between the three, but the 850 is considerably more money.

I should add, a lot of the videos I have watched make it seem like the big difference is in video quality between the 810 and 850, and I have no interest in video.

I went from a D50 to a D7200 to a D750. The ISO and lowlight performance was way better, IMO. I have been using it for some landscape, but mostly sports photography for our kids. If you don't want to spend the money on an 850, I think the 750 is a great choice.

D750 with a Tamron 70-200 f/2.8 G2 got me a LOT of fun pics for the kids.   It's a dinosauer now, but still very capable, especially for landscape stuff

I use a D500, D780, and D3s now, but the D750 was a solid performer for me.   Good luck in your search, but dollar for dollar, I don't know how u can beat the value of a D750.

That’s about what my reading has led me to. The 8xx’s are great, but the 750 is the bang for the buck camera.

But seeing how long I have used this 7200 for, splurging a bit more might make sense too. Nikon had the z7ii for stupid cheap today, I more then likely would have jumped on that for $1400

If I wasn't so heavily invested in Nikon, I'd give Canon a HARD look.   Well actually, I do look and still mite jump ship some day.   Canon refurbs throws their stuff on sale from time to time...... I watch the R6 Mark ll and if they drop the price much more, I might fo'.

I can't think of any Nikon camera that can compete with  R6 Mark ll until you jump to a Z8, and that's a big jump in money.

The problem that Nikon has is that their autofocus system is not even in the same league as Canon. It’s slower and less accurate until you get to their newest and most high end cameras. Canon has always had better color rendition also.

The R6 mkII is very nearly the perfect camera for high end hobbyist and entry level pro shooters. You need to jump to the R3 to get faster shooting and other pro sports shooting features.