Nikon D7200 vs D750 vs D610
In this article I’ll be comparing the Nikon D7200 APS-C DSLR versus two other Nikon Full Frame DSLR cameras, the D610 and D750. This comparison is useful for those of you whom are still debating whether to buy a new or upgrade to an APS-C Nikon camera, or make the brave leap, spend more and buy of of Nikon’s Full Frame cameras. It’s not an easy one, and you need to get some good understanding of the key differences before making up your mind.
Let’s take a look at the current prices first:
- D7200 (body): ~$1200
- D610 (body): ~$1500
- D750 (body): ~$2000
*rounded up prices as of 5.4.2015 via amazon.com. Visit amazon.com for updated prices.
As you can see, the D7200 is the cheapest among the three, but it’s in now way a cheap camera. In can tickle you when you see that by adding $300 more you can buy a the D610, a full frame DSLR. The D750 is more expensive, and might be out of many people’s reach. That being said, without knowing what we actually are paying for, we can’t really make a smart buying decision. We need to know that if we spend that amount of money, we will fully take advantage of what the camera has to offer. We don’t want to waste money on features that we won’t use.
I’ll start with a short introduction to the D7200 which is the pivot for out comparison, and then we’ll move on to the comparison section.
Nikon D7200
The Nikon D7200 was the most anticipated mid-range DSLR in 2014 and was announced on March 2 2015, approximately two years after the D7100. The D7200 still maintains the same exact camera build quality, weather-sealing and build quality as its predecessor, but update the camera in places were enthusiasts want it to be improved. It’s doesn’t offer substantial improvement though, but those improvements certainly useful to photographers.
D7200 now features the same 24MP sensor as the D5500, which is an excellent sensor. Don’t be alarmed, this is an excellent sensor that performs amazingly in high ISO speeds. I would probably wished that Nikon had used a lower resolution sensor just for us to have a spectacular high ISO performance, so I’m a beat disappointed that we didn’t get to have that.
Nikon optimized the camera upon its predecessor by making it better for low-light photography. The new upgraded sensor is one thing, but Nikon also improved it in several ways. First of all, the new D7200 features Expeed 4 image processor, replacing the Expeed 3 of the D7100. This is the same processor that is used in the D750, D5300 and D3300. It offers Full HD 60fps video capture with improved contrast-detection AF (no Hybrid AF, which is quite disappointing considering that the Canon EOS 70D has it). It consumes less power, it’s twice more powerful than the Expeed 3 and has updates noise reduction algorithms. The new image processor should give the D7200 the power it needs to performer faster and supports its new upgraded features.
Before we continue, here’s an excellent D7200 hands-on field test made by TheCameraStoreTV, I recommend watching it.
One of my favorite updates was the addition of the new Multi-CAM 3500DX II autofocus system, That AF system is 1-stop more sensitive than the D7100, featuring -3EV detection range. This means that the camera can autofocus in even dimmer lighting conditions. So it’s one of the most important features that you want to get if you need to shoot under restricted lighting conditions.
The D7200 also features a 1.3x crop mode, same as the D7100. Using this mode, the camera utilizes only part of the sensor area. This has several advantage: it result in change in the angle of view, which is equivalent to that of a lens with double the focal length (in 35mm terms). Furthermore, because the frame is smaller, the AF point now covers almost the entire area of the frame, all the 51 focus point. This improves the subject tracking performance, because any subjected that enters the frame from either right or left side, is immidetely detected by the AF points. This is a great feature to use when shooting sports events, widlife, journalism, kids running or any subjects that enters the frame fast. You also have the option to change to 11 AFpoint configuration, which makes it easier to quickly select an AF point.
The D7200 also features ‘Dynamic-area AF‘ which is suitable for shooting moving subjects. The camera will continue to monitor the surrounding points around the subject, so if the subject leaves that area of focus, the camera will continue focus on it using the continuous-servo autofocus (AF-C). You also get a 3D-tracking in which the camera uses all the AF points to keep track on the subject, Auto-area AF in which the camera automatically detected the subject using data from the the AF points and continues focus on it.
Among its other features are: 6fps burst and 7fps in 1.3x crop mode with improved buffer (16 RAW, / 100 JPEG), unlimited continuous shooting in continuous release mode with a shutter speed of 4 seconds or slower, timelapse movies, clean HDMI output (can output footage to both the camera and an external device at the same time), has Wi-Fi and NFC wireless connectivity, 1/8000 sec shutter speed, 14-bit Raw capture and 2016-pixel RGB metering sensor.
The Nikon D7000 was super responsive, the D7100 improved upon it and the new D7200 makes it even better. This is an excellent camera for anyone who demands super-fast performance and high image quality, especially for photographers who needs that extra advantage to be less limited when shooting in low-light.
So things are looking great for the D7200, but I know many people that will sacrifice some of those features just to get a Full frame camera. And now that the prices are lower than ever, maybe it’s time to make the switch and jump into the world of full frame photography. But I’m sure that you want to know whether you give up on something when upgrading to a FF, or maybe just gain more when you upgrade.
In order to answer this question, we need to carefully examine the the differences between the D7200 and the D750/D610 – we are going to do that right now.
D7200 vs D750 vs D610 – Side by Side Comparison
OK, now that you are quite familiar with the D7200 key features, you probably want to know how it stacks up against the two other full frame cameras, the D610 and D750. There are quite a few surprises here, so here we go!
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Conclusion
The D7200 show itself as one of the most impressive APS-C cameras I’ve seen so far. The fact that it was able to outperform the D610 in high ISO tests and keep up with the D750 until ISO 6400 is quite a big achievements. The D610 is at its state much less attractive than the D7200 in my opinion. One reason to get the D610 is its low price and the fact that you can enjoy the larger viewfinder, take advantage of your wide-angle lenses and have shallower depth of field. Other than that, the D7200 perform better in low-light, has more advanced and more sensitive AF sensor, 1/8000 sec shutter speed, faster flash x sync speed, 1080p60* video recording, built-in Wi-Fi and NFC, better battery and all that in for a cheaper price.
The D750 is a different story. It really feel like a modern Full frame DSLR and we’ve seen what a modern full frame sensor can accomplish. Its high ISO performance is second-to-none, just mind blowing. This opens a whole new worls of possibilities when shooting under restricted low light conditions without a flash. Other than that, it has a tilting display, more versatile AF sensor with better support for various apertures, it has both 1.2x and DX crop modes, has a larger viewfinder than the D7200, it shoots faster and has larger buffer when shooting RAW, can shoot 1080p60 out of crop mode, and has the best battery life among the three.
The D750 comes at a higher price tag. The image quality is one of the reasons why so many photographers want to pick up a full frame camera. You can also take advantage of the actual focal length of FF lenses, which is another big reason to pick up a FF camera. I just wasn’t convince with what the D610 had to offer in terms of features and performance. If those issues and its disadvantages aren’t an issue, the D610 is an excellent choice and the price is just right.
However, if you already investing quite a lot of money in a good body, why not spoil yourself with the D750, it is just a more modern camera with much better performance than the D610. It’s up to you to decide, but if you are serious in becoming a better photographer and you don’t want the camera to limit you in any way, the D750 might be the best camera to get.
If you are tight on funds, get the D7200, it is an amazing camera, with superb all-around performance and features. You can invest the rest of your money in a better lens or another lens to your selection. It sometimes better to have more lens selection for various type of shots than investing all your money on an expensive body and having less flexibility. Just something I want you to keep in mind. Enjoy shooting and don’t forget to share your thoughts in the comments section below. Thanks for reading!
Buy the Nikon D750 from B&H Photo Store here
Buy the Nikon D610 from B&H Photo Store here
Buy the Nikon D7200 from B&H Photo Store here
