Alaska - Nikon D5000 or FZ200?

It also seems like you're getting caught up in the specs of the D5000, when you could just draw a box and write DSLR in it (it's someone else's camera, and you could easily choose a different model when you're ready to take the plunge).

THIS. I agree, it's not really about little differences in specs.

Shooting a dSLR has a certain "feel" to it. My wife is not really into photography. She uses her phone more often than anything. She has no interest in owning a dSLR... but every now and then, she will pick up mine, start clicking, and not want to give it back. Because there is something satisfying about the click of the shutter, about the fast responsiveness. Usually the whole experience feels faster and more organic than a P&S. (to some degree, this is just perception).

A dSLR... ANY dSLR... even one 6 years old like the D5000 will give you a good sized ergonomic body, a responsive camera, the ability to grow with upgraded lenses (maybe down the road, you want to add a cheap 50/1.8 and play with low light and narrow depth of field), and the potential for better low light performance than just about any P&S. (There are some exceptions, for example, the RX100/RX10/FZ1000 may actually give you better low light performance than the D5000 with a kit lens).

A P&S will generally be a bit easier -- designed for simplicity, less buttons that you might have never used anyway, smaller, no need to change lenses. And simply because the FZ200 is much more recent than the D5000, it will have some of the newer features like video (just about every current dSLR has video as well).

Shooting with a dSLR versus a P&S is really a vastly different shooting experience. It comes down more than a spec to spec comparison. It's partially about which will give you the best keepers, but it's also about which shooting is more fun.

Some people don't want to be bogged down with a dSLR.. they don't want people looking at them like, "oh.. you're as camera guy." Others wear their 10 pound camera/lens combo as a badge of honor. I've seen some pros hold on to their dSLR over mirrorless, partially just because the dSLR looks more serious to their clients.

More than specs, I'd encourage you to look at which camera seems more fun to you. And to the extent that capturing great images is part of the fun, look at the specs in that light.

Thanks for checking the fps out. Well I decided to go with the Nikon and bought the Tamron 70-300 lens today. I found the weight of it okay and it'll be fine for travel in my opinion. Had some fun shooting with it and a very nice lens indeed. Some nice clear shots at 300mm handheld so the stabilization is pretty good.

It's a bummer that you're trying to make a long-term decision <4 weeks before going to Alaska. It also seems like you're getting caught up in the specs of the D5000, when you could just draw a box and write DSLR in it (it's someone else's camera, and you could easily choose a different model when you're ready to take the plunge).

 

Sorry to hear that you think you've already spent $1500 that you regret on camera purchases. We all do it...in one way or another. I read Thom Hogan's article about buying a tripod (essentially, you can spend $1100 or $1700; either way you end up with an $1100 tripod, but how many junkers you buy before then defines how much you'll spend in total), and sure enough I recently bought a $1400 tripod, leaving our previous $400 tripod as "the wife's tripod" (not to mention the $75 camera store special...).

 

I often tell people to go browse lensrentals.com. Click on a lens or camera, and read the "Roger's Take" (or whoever wrote the blurb for that particular item). I consider it "man to man gear talk", straight from the heart, from people who get to experiment with whatever isn't rented that night/weekend. Also, if they won't rent it, you shouldn't buy it...it's either too delicate, or such junk that it'll lose value FAST. Their blog is also educational with a neat mix of humor now and then. One of the blog posts basically characterized a DSLR as a film camera with a two-year advanced purchase of film, and it makes sense for me. Oddly, I seem to get the new camera itch about every two years...hmmm.

We booked this Alaska cruise after final payment for a great deal. But didn't think too much about the rest of the costs when booking it - hotels, land touring, excursions, clothes, etc. - turns out not such a cheap cruise afterall! And then now of course the camera issue and just trying to make the right choice. The P&S cameras for me have had a very short useful life and very much disposable. Although - you've scared me a bit with the two year itch thing even for DSLR, I might have to fight that inclination - looks like it can be an expensive hobby.

Just as a side note, at the camera store today they offered me $20 Cdn for my Canon Powershot a650 which I paid over $400 for in 2009. I don't think this $400 lens I bought is going to be $20 in 6 years time, so as expensive as DSLR gear can be I think it holds it's value better too so that's an added bonus.

Thanks for the advice on renting lenses. It turns out that Henry's has rentals so might be something I try in the future.

Good summary.

 

To answer your questions........

Ok, this is confusing, but the 70-300 isn't 70-300 on the d5000. And the fz200 lens isn't really a 600mm lens.

The "effective" focal length of the fz200, which takes into account the sensor size, is 600mm. The 70-300mm would effectively be 70-300mm on a full frame dslr. While the d5000 sensor is much bigger than the fz200, it's still smaller than full frame. It's effective focal length become 105-450 on the d5000.

So you're comparing 600mm vs 450mm. Yes, you will get more cropping latitude on the d5000..... Bringing actual "zoom in" capability pretty close to each other.

 

The d5000 is fairly old for a dslr but still has advantages. For long term growth and learning, it's hard to beat a dslr. While mirrorless (like the a6000) can now match or surpass a dslr in most capabilities, a traditional dslr can remain a better learn instrument. The spacious body makes it easy to adjust manual controls. The layout is a bit more universal. Most books and other learning instruments assume you are using a dslr. And there is a huge library of lenses to grow with.

If you ever become truly serious about photography, you will quickly outgrow the fz200 or the d5000.

 

In terms of burst mode, there should be no degradation of iq. I haven't looked into this issue, but you need to measure 2 things:

1. The d5000 continues to track and autofocus at 4fps. Does the fz200 continue to adjust af, or lock af on the first shot? (Some p&s do this)

2. How big is the buffer for burst shooting on each camera? In other words, how many shots can the buffer hold before the burst has to slow down.

 

I'm guessing that the fz200 has the "better" burst mode, but would need to examine these issues.

 

Here is my question for you... Have you played around with the d5000? How does it feel? Is it fun taking pictures with? Or does it feel cumbersome and complicated? Some people love the tactile feel of a "real" camera in their hands. (Of course all cameras are real, just talking perception). Other people feel it's out of their element.

Thanks for all of your help and explanation. It has been fun playing around with the d5000 the past couple of days and trying the various menu options. Trying to get a handle on taking pictures using the Aperture Priority mode but I think for the trip will still mostly rely on Auto mode.

Thanks for checking the fps out. Well I decided to go with the Nikon and bought the Tamron 70-300 lens today. I found the weight of it okay and it'll be fine for travel in my opinion. Had some fun shooting with it and a very nice lens indeed. Some nice clear shots at 300mm handheld so the stabilization is pretty good.

Congratulations! I love my D5000 (it started as a backup body for my D7000, which is now just too heavy for traveling). I think you have made a great decision.

May I suggest the following if you have time and this is feasible. Do you have a zoo nearby? If so, take the gear there, and practice photographing animals. And particularly if they are moving around, practice shooting with your long lens in Aperture (A) mode, with the lens open as wide as it will go, using burst (continuous shooting) mode (represented by several stacked squares in the "shutter release" menu); you should set the focus mode to AF-C for this. (I suspect a Google search will even bring up some free tutorials on this.) And if you are anyplace where you can pratice this on seagulls or other slower flying birds, that would help too.

I hope you have a great trip!

Congratulations! I love my D5000 (it started as a backup body for my D7000, which is now just too heavy for traveling). I think you have made a great decision.

 

May I suggest the following if you have time and this is feasible. Do you have a zoo nearby? If so, take the gear there, and practice photographing animals. And particularly if they are moving around, practice shooting with your long lens in Aperture (A) mode, with the lens open as wide as it will go, using burst (continuous shooting) mode (represented by several stacked squares in the "shutter release" menu); you should set the focus mode to AF-C for this. (I suspect a Google search will even bring up some free tutorials on this.) And if you are anyplace where you can pratice this on seagulls or other slower flying birds, that would help too.

 

I hope you have a great trip!

Thanks - really looking forward to this trip. Toronto Zoo is not too far away and will be a great place to practice or alternatively to the nearby conservation marsh which has some birds. Thanks for the suggestion and the tip on using AF-C mode for continuous shooting, so far I was leaving it on AF-A. I'll have to spend some time googling dslr videos - the manual is so dry. I found this guy here to be pretty good:

Thanks - really looking forward to this trip. Toronto Zoo is not too far away and will be a great place to practice or alternatively to the nearby conservation marsh which has some birds. Thanks for the suggestion and the tip on using AF-C mode for continuous shooting, so far I was leaving it on AF-A. I'll have to spend some time googling dslr videos - the manual is so dry. I found this guy here to be pretty good:

for an overall review of what a good photographer should know. I find all this stuff really exciting...maybe more so because I'm new to it all. If I manage to get a couple of great shots each day from the trip (at least compared to my usual P&S ones) I'll be more than happy.

I will sometimes use AF-S in burst mode, depending on the subject (a slower moving animal...), as it gives me more control over the focus point. One tip when photographing animals: do your best to make sure the eyes are in focus.

The manuals that come with most cameras are a good reference for when you want to look up what a specfic button does, etc., but not terribly good for "learning" the camera. That's where internet resources come in so handy.

Enjoy!

Hi all

FWIW I have a Nikon D3 and D800 with a number of lenses. I took the D800 on a cruise a few years ago with my 28-300 lens. Got about 70% keepers which was great.

This year we did 3 months of travel including 3 consecutive cruises. I needed to travel light so bought and took the FZ200. Must admit I was surprised by the ease of use and quality of the results with at least 95% keepers. Apart from the electronic view finder which I don't really care for, the camera performed flawlessly and taking photos was a pleasure.

600 mm zoom was great too. Now how to reduce the 6000 plus photos?

Get the FZ200. You won't be disappointed.