D300s Successor-D400, what and when

heartyfisher

@heartyfisher: Nikon really need to put VR3 or 3.5 on the 24-70 f2.8 don't they?

Yeah .. that will come ... but the cost will not be suitable for me as its only 20% -25% of my shots.. it wont be a good place to put my resources. for others it could be great ! I know it will cover up to 90% for some people. what I really want is a good value 22-45 F2.8 with VR, which will never happen. hmmm ... maybe the Tamron 24-70 VC. I think I read somewhere that its wider than 24 at the wide end.... hmmm...maybe i have found my lense !!!

Msmoto

Someone asked again….LOL

Sports

So, new rumors arrive.
If the new, rumored body is really an affordable FX action camera, then you would think that DX D400 would finally be dead. I'll happily get the new FX instead.
But when was the last time Nikon took the logical steps? Finally, we'd get an action cam. But Nikon could still be looking for a high end DX. They've done weirder things before. They did it quite succesfully with D700+D300S, didn't they? They did make both, where we in 2014 would say "no chance".

donaldejose

If the body Nikon announces in September is indeed all I would ask for in a mini-D4 except in FX rather than DX, I will take it and let my quest for a D300s replacement die even if it does not have the pro control layout. DX has a smaller form factor and lighter weight but that advantage is crippled by a lack of high quality DX glass able to fully take advantage of Nikon's 24mp no AA sensor. An FX sensor body lighter than the D610 with fast AF, large buffer and fast fps is a good compromise: sort of a D4 at half the price in a less robust body (I am not going to shoot 300,000 exposures anyway before it is outdated). Since Nikon seems to not be interested in producing DX lenses able to fully take advantage of their DX sensors and Sigma has only one such lens, Nikon may have abandoned a DX body with the pro control layout. If you are shooting less than 50,000 exposures a year you will be better able to take advantage of current technological advancements by buying a mini-D4 and replacing it every 3 years compared to buying a D4s and replacing it every 6 years. For those who are not shooting more than 100,000 exposures per year there is something to be said for buying a less robust, more "disposable" body capable of the same (or better) image quality. A quicker replacement cycle allows you to take advantage of changes in technology.

Photobug

+1 @donaldejose: I already gave up on a D400 until 2 months ago when Peter posted the D9300 rumor. If it does not come in September I too with look at this new D710/D750 or what ever they call it.

Agree with your assessment on replacing DSLR's.

donaldejose

I hope it can replace my D600; the D610 cannot because it still has the inferior AF system. If this new one is designed for action it should not have the old 39 point AF system.

Photobug

I really expect the D710/D750 to be a step up from the D600/D610. Just moving those AF spots toward the edge is going to make a difference. Although I don't own a D600 or D610 when I test drove one at the local dealership I was shocked with how close they are to the center. With all the other improvements in the D710 I expect we will see lots of D600's and D610's on eBay. For lots of people this would be a great second body or their first FF DSLR.

sevencrossing

It seems those still waiting for a D400 have 3 choices

1 forget Dx and go with the D750
2 forget Nikon and go with the 7D Mk II
3 keep praying

Photobug

It seems those still waiting for a D400 have 3 choices

1 forget Dx and go with the D750
2 forget Nikon and go with the 7D Mk II
3 keep praying

Very simply stated. I see 3 different options:
1. If you want to stay with DX, buy the D-7100 or wait for the D-7200. Oh know, another wait on Nikon.
2. Forget DX and go with the D750 or D800 unless your on a tight budget than a D610.
3. The replacement for the D300/D300s will never come, stop waiting; see options 1 and 2

No way is your choice #2 a good choice.

I chuckle every time I see your list of gear at the end of your messages.

snakebunk

If you are still waiting I think the 7D Mk II is the only solution. Nikon doesn't really have a replacement for the D300s.

Photobug

@snakebunk - a lot of D300/D300s owners have moved on like I did. My D7100 is a bridge camera fro the D9300. Lots of people moved onto the D700, D600 or D800. I now realize that FF bodies are advantages and will be seriously looking at the D750. You just can't keep waiting and let the technology move forward or you will be left in the dust.

spraynpray

@snakebunk - a lot of D300/D300s owners have moved on like I did. My D7100 is a bridge camera fro the D9300. Lots of people moved onto the D700, D600 or D800. I now realize that FF bodies are advantages and will be seriously looking at the D750. You just can't keep waiting and let the technology move forward or you will be left in the dust.

I have to say that with the current image quality from our Nikon bodies, we are hardly 'left in the dust'! In fact, as far as IQ goes, we are able to make very nice images indeed.

donaldejose

No one using a D7100 is "left in the dust." They just have about one to one half stop high ISO disadvantage and a small enlargement disadvantage if they are printing larger than poster size. For low to mid ISOs and for prints no larger than about 11x16 they have no noticeable disadvantage at all.

WestEndBoy

No one using a D7100 is "left in the dust." They just have about one to one half stop high ISO disadvantage and a small enlargement disadvantage if they are printing larger than poster size. For low to mid ISOs and for prints no larger than about 11x16 they have no noticeable disadvantage at all.

Yes, the lenses wil be the determing factor here.

donaldejose

First, any Nikon DX body can use any Nikon FX lens so all lenses are available to DX body users.

Second, high quality third party DX lenses are available. The Tokina 11-16 f2.8 and the Sigma 18-35 f1.8 are examples. Perhaps after the release of the Sigma 85mm f1.4 Art lens Sigma will produce a series of DX Art lenses?

Third, it it true that Nikon should produce newer and better "pro" level DX lenses but Nikon's failure to do so creates a gap which can be filled in other ways.

Fourth, it is true that FX is becoming more and more attractive as Nikon produces high quality low cost FX bodies but for all we know 2015 may be "the year of the DX" for Nikon. All they need to produce is the long awaited replacement for the D400 and a few DX lenses designed for high megapixel DX bodies.

As I said: DX users have a minor disadvantage which won't even be visible most of the time. Saying that they will be "left in the dust" is on overstatement.

snakebunk

I wonder what they are thinking about the Canon 7D Mk II at the Nikon office. Are they saying "Let them have the pro dx market, it doesn't matter to us.", or are they saying "Lets try to raise the specs on our D9300 just a little bit before we release it."?

sevencrossing

I wonder what they are thinking about the Canon 7D Mk II at the Nikon office

They are thinking - Pros want full frame and so do serious amateurs , Dx is about bangs for yours buck and we have got the D7100

I think they are right

donaldejose

sevencrossing: I am starting to believe you are right (and so is Nikon). With each new Nikon body released and no "pro" style DX body released I am beginning to think there will be none. That's not so bad. The D7100 is a very capable camera and I am sure the D7200 will be even more capable in just a few short years.

snakebunk

@sevencrossing: Lets see how the 7D Mk II will do. I already know one serious amateur that says he will buy one.

For me a really good dx camera (like the new Canon) would be the perfect compliment to my D800. I would use it when I need the high fps or the extra reach that the high pixel density would give me.

donaldejose

snakebunk: Many people feel the same way which is why their should be a large market for a D400 replacement. But each month that passes that market diminishes as people "move on" and buy other things.

ads

I wonder what they are thinking about the Canon 7D Mk II at the Nikon office.

I reckon they'll release a D7500 (the numbering to make it seem a bit more of an increment) - basically a D7100 with a decent RAW buffer, 7fps and updated 51 point AF. Maybe a flippy screen, definitely requiring yet another new battery grip to squeeze a few more bucks out of customers...

Msmoto

@sevencrossing

Yes, I think the pros want full frame and possibly the market for a high end crop sensor body is less than we might believe. As Nikon develops the D7100 successors, we may see about all we can in crop sensor bodies.

WestEndBoy

I think that the D7xxx line will end at D7300 and possibly even D7200 as the D6xx and D7xx lines decline in price. After that it will be an "FX race to the bottom" so that Nikon can discontinue DX and replace the D5xxx line with the D5xx line and the D3xxx line with the D4xx. Sad to say, that will be your D400 and it will be an entry level FX camera for $500.00 almost as small as the D3300.

I say this because I really don't see an image quality rationale for DX. The size advantage is less than one might think - we are talking an extra 1.2cm on the width and 0.8cm on the height and I am sure Nikon will figure out how to shave the rest of the camera down even more physical dimensions are important. For the "pixels on the bird" crowd, megapixels will keep going up to the point that it is a mute point because the glass will be the limiting factor.

If the flange to focal length distance and throat diameter were both smaller, then I could see it. But they are not because DX was Nikon's strategy to keep FX lenses in production and nothing else. The strategy worked brilliantly I would say as it kept Nikon (and Canon) relevant.

WestEndBoy

This has been an amazing thread, one of the best in Nikon Rumours history. Perhaps we should hold a nice ceremony and close it down so that it dies a noble death and not a long drawn out painful suffering death.

And then if Nikon ever does come out with a D9000, we can reincarnate it.

NSXTypeR

Nikon would be stupid not to respond to the 7D MkII, it's just a matter of when they're coming out with it.