Upgrade

Jake

New to NRF. Ive had a 7100 for a couple of years. Too slow resolving focus especially in low light and even worse in action shots. Would like to move to FX format. Which camera (affordable) is fast enough that I won't miss shots.

spraynpray

Welcome to NR Jake.

Funny you should mention that because I have a D7100 and a D750 and am thinking hard about swapping them both for a D500. I am of the mindset that any in-focus picture from a DX format beats any out of focus shot from an FX format every time hence my thought process.

WestEndFoto

Does an in focus shot from FX format beat an out of focus shot from DX format?

In answering the OPs question, I would think about whether you want the best focus or simply better focus. If you are a portrait photographer that does some action and are complaining because you come up short in that area, your next complaint if you upgrade to a D500 might be resolution.

But if action is your primary use, then a D500 is probably the way to go if you want a camera now. If you are not in a hurry, see what the upgrades to the D610 and D750 look like.

autofocus

D800s are selling dirt cheap on eBay and they are a good buy. I just sold one for $1100. If you want new and focus speed/accuracy is primary then the D500 is a great choice. If wildlife and sports are your thing the D500 with free battery grip is a no brainer IMO. For full frame used, D810s will likely be a good buy on eBay as well in the near future. The D4 is selling between $1800 and $2200 which is a bargain for a great FF body. Just look for bodies with a relatively low shutter count. For full frame new you have many choices and it just boils down to how much money you want to spend and how much FF glass you have or intend to purchase.

Sports

There are no new, affordable FX cameras with significatly faster focus than D7100. So ... a used D4 is a great idea. Or a new D500.
(The D610 and D750 successors will not get the new auto-focus module. No chance. If your budget was $3500, you could hope for the D810 successor to get the new AF module.)

NSXTypeR

Just to play devil's advocate, are you sure you've learned all the ins and outs of the D7200 AF system? If you haven't learned all of the AF settings, you're not going to benefit just by moving to a FX system. You also haven't told us what lenses you're using, and that can make a big difference in whether you can get a shot or not.

heartyfisher

I was thinking the same as @NSXTypeR because the D7100 (he does not have the D7200 @NSXTypeR ) is fairly good at AF. The D7200 is slightly better because it has a faster cpu. but the D7100 is not too bad. definitely faster than the D610 and a bit worst than the D750 and D7200. so NSXTypR's question is a good one, what lenses are you using that you find AF slow?

Ironheart

(If you @ mention folks, they get an email) @Jake we have some good questions here, reading between the lines of your question, it seems like your primary goal is moving to FX, and you don't want to take a step backwards in autofocus performance, and perhaps forwards from the D7100. I would agree with @heartyfisher and add that the D7200 and D750 are roughly equivalent in AF performance, and that being slightly better than the D7100 you currently have. However, as others have pointed out AF performance also depends greatly on the lenses in question. The next step forward in DX AF performance from the D750 will cost you dearly as you need to go to a D4 or D5.