Become a MacRumors Supporter for $50/year with no ads, ability to filter front page stories, and private forums.

OreoCookie

macrumors 68030
Apr 14, 2001
2,727
90
Sendai, Japan
What's wrong with big glass?

TS560x560
:D
When you buy that Sigma lens, do you also get a free one-year membership at your local gym? I mean, it only weighs 15.7 kg (without the body, of course).
 

MCAsan

macrumors 601
Jul 9, 2012
4,587
442
Atlanta
No, it must be the shallowness of field that you can get with a 300mm f4 lens.... on a micro four thirds. Oh wait..

When shooting most mammals such as elk, cougar, deer, impala, elephant, brown bears, bison.....etc I defaulted to f8 back when i shot 35mm. That way you get the DOF deep enough to get the head and body in focus. For my m43 kit, my 300mm at f4 gives the same DOF as 600mm at f8 on a Full frame 35mm body like my old 5D3.
 

Precision Gem

macrumors 6502
Jun 3, 2015
330
525
USA
The weight difference between the D750 and D7100 is pretty marginal. Especially when coupled with a 150-600 mm lens.

I can relate to sometimes taking a cheaper camera with you. When I travel abroad for work I take my D7100 with a 50mm 1.8 as the set up is much cheaper than all my other gear.
Sounds like trying to combine photography and taking the girlfriend out at the sometime is the issue.
If I'm doing photography, thats all I'm doing. Trying to combine it with other things just doesn't really work.

The weight difference is not going to be much, as the lens will often weigh more than the body anyway.
I have a D750 and and several lens. The bag and lenses weigh 17 lbs. I also shoot with an Olympus m4/3 OM-1 and the bag with an ever greater coverage of lenses weighs just over 5 lbs. The cost of the lenses are less, and they are much smaller due to the smaller sensor. Except for very low light conditions, image quality between the two cameras is hard to see a difference. I find I shoot the Olympus much more then the D750.
 
  • Like
Reactions: MCAsan

Freida

Suspended
Oct 22, 2010
4,077
5,874
So, I want to purchase a new Macbook Pro. Part of the purchase is a move away from having a desktop computer. To finance a new purchase, I will have to sell camera gear (because I'm a broke student but I have really nice camera gear).

I'll be downgrading from a D750, Tamron 15-30, Nikon 85mm 1.8G, SB-700 flash, and some other gear. I'll be keeping my 50mm 1.8G and Sigma 150-600 Contemporary. I'd even consider selling the 50mm 1.8G, but it will serve as a good portrait lens (my copy of the 50mm 1.8G is quite sharp, I hear copy variation can be bad with the particular lens). The move will sting since I'm taking a nice loss on the resale of a lot of my gear.

What crop camera should I look at though? I'm thinking about getting a D7100 used or on a sale, and looking for a good used UWA crop-sensor lens.
I wouldn't downgrade. I think its not a wise decision even if you think it is now. Yes, you might get some money but eventually, you will probably regret it and repurchase it so more money lost. The new Macbook Pro is outrageously expensive so maybe buy older model for less? Or get a part time job to make some extra money? Not sure what your situation really is but I wouldn't go from amazing cam as D750 is (and FX) to DX and repurchase some stuff again. Its just not very economical and in the long run probably not very effective.
Its up to you but I look at things as investment so now that you have your gear I would keep it and try to find another way to make some extra cash. Also, what are you planning to do on the new MBP? I'm sure older model will suffice and those are much cheaper to get.
Think about it, try to think long term rather than short term. You might be glad you did. :)
 

steveash

macrumors 6502a
Aug 7, 2008
527
245
UK
I wouldn't downgrade. I think its not a wise decision even if you think it is now. Yes, you might get some money but eventually, you will probably regret it and repurchase it so more money lost. The new Macbook Pro is outrageously expensive so maybe buy older model for less? Or get a part time job to make some extra money? Not sure what your situation really is but I wouldn't go from amazing cam as D750 is (and FX) to DX and repurchase some stuff again. Its just not very economical and in the long run probably not very effective.
Its up to you but I look at things as investment so now that you have your gear I would keep it and try to find another way to make some extra cash. Also, what are you planning to do on the new MBP? I'm sure older model will suffice and those are much cheaper to get.
Think about it, try to think long term rather than short term. You might be glad you did. :)

Agreed, unless the OP has very specific needs, a refurb MBP or a lesser Macbook is likely to be more than enough. It sounds like gear lust to me, now the sheen has worn off the fancy camera!
 

jypfoto

macrumors member
Oct 6, 2014
42
29
Go for a refurb MBP off the Apple Store. Finance it. 18 months @ 0%. Voila. Keep the gear and get the MBP. Just make sure you pay it off before the 18 months is up. As someone else said, take your D750 and make some cash with it. Do $50-100 portrait sessions. Etc.
 
  • Like
Reactions: kenoh

whiteonline

macrumors 6502a
Aug 19, 2011
633
463
California, USA
A computer is a horrible reason to switch systems.
I switched from a Nikon Df to Fuji. Though, I wasn't heavily invested in glass yet (started with a D90 crop). Fuji glass isn't exactly inexpensive, despite being crop, so be aware of that. Plus, it is quirky...not operationally as simple/refined as a Nikon SLR.

My recommendation (not that it matters) is to get out there and make pictures. Save up for a good monitor (moot if you don't print since everyone looks at pictures on un-calibrated screens). Save up for more good glass, tripod, lighting.

Of course you could do as you wish - sell your gear and get a new MacBook Pro. I hear it makes a great platform for looking at other people's photos. ;)

(I kid on the last - do as will make you happy of course. It's your money!)
 
  • Like
Reactions: fathergll

kenoh

macrumors 604
Jul 18, 2008
6,507
10,850
Glasgow, UK
Been watching this thread. I just don't think the OP will be happy. I think they will regret selling a D750 which is a fantastic camera (there I said it AFB).
 

fathergll

macrumors 68000
Sep 3, 2014
1,849
1,603
I don't understand why you'd be depressed about moving to different cameras. While full frame cameras have clear advantages, mostly low light capabilities and shallower depth of field, they also have their downsides (price and weight). In good light, it's mostly moot. I would recommend having a look at mirrorless cameras (I'm partial to Fuji's X-mount/X-series), they give you an APS-C-sized sensor in a significantly smaller and lighter package than dslrs. I travel quite a bit each year (I spent ~2.5 months this year in beds that weren't my own), and after getting my Fuji X100s I have taken my Nikon dslr with me only on my trip to Chile. For me APS-C is really the sweet spot.


He's depressed because he wants to move from one DSLR to another DSLR which isn't as good while taking a hit in resale. I would be depressed too. If you're going to switch at least make it worth while like going to a mirrorless solution.
 

QuantumLo0p

macrumors 6502a
Apr 28, 2006
992
30
U.S.A.
@OP
If you shoot a lot with your big Sigma-C then a move APS-C would be an upgrade for you. The 750 in crop mode is a lower res image than than what you get from a 7100/7200 with the same lens. Only the 800's and the D5 have higher res which outpaces their goofy ham-stringed crop mode. (Yes, I know there are a lot of factors in considering image quality so don't bother flaming, lol) You can still do a lot of post processing no matter what you shoot with. Your Sigma 150-600mm Contemporary is not a small lens by any means so that somewhat complicates it.

I shoot a Sigma 150-600mm Sport, the Tank version ;), on a 7200 with a battery grip and a gimbal headed large capacity tripod so the "lighter weight platform" argument went out the window a long time ago.
 
  • Like
Reactions: kenoh

kenoh

macrumors 604
Jul 18, 2008
6,507
10,850
Glasgow, UK
@OP
If you shoot a lot with your big Sigma-C then a move APS-C would be an upgrade for you. The 750 in crop mode is a lower res image than than what you get from a 7100/7200 with the same lens. Only the 800's and the D5 have higher res which outpaces their goofy ham-stringed crop mode. (Yes, I know there are a lot of factors in considering image quality so don't bother flaming, lol) You can still do a lot of post processing no matter what you shoot with. Your Sigma 150-600mm Contemporary is not a small lens by any means so that somewhat complicates it.

I shoot a Sigma 150-600mm Sport, the Tank version ;), on a 7200 with a battery grip and a gimbal headed large capacity tripod so the "lighter weight platform" argument went out the window a long time ago.

Wow! Heavy Artillery!!! Looking forward to some images.
 

dsut4392

macrumors member
Jun 29, 2006
89
56
Only thing with that is I have a Sigma 150-600 Contemporary, so taking the loss on resale of that, and buying it all over again, would be a big hit. Not sure :(

I want to downgrade to APS-C permanently because my gear is too big and expensive. I want slightly lighter gear, and cheaper gear, so that I am not afraid of taking it with me. I often don't bring gear with me because I don't want to risk leaving it in my car. My shutter count is embarrassingly low, compared to the quality of my work & cost my gear.

Don't do it. I moved from APS-C to FF a few years ago, and would never go back. Unless you're planning to use 'plastic fantastic' kit zooms, you wouldn't even save much size or weight. If you think your current gear is too big, harden up, or ditch the 150-600 monster. No amount of going to a smaller form factor sensor is going to save you if you keep that in your gear bag. You could save a fair amount of size and weight by going m4/3 granted, but the better oly lenses aren't cheap. Replacing your current gear like for like in terms of optical quality and range isn't going to leave you with much change.
If you think your camera gear is too expensive, relax a little, or get insurance. A thief won't care if the bag in your car has $5000 in full frame gear or $2500 in APS-C gear, they are taking it anyway. You're still not going to want to leave the $2500 system in the car. By the time you have taken the resale hit on your current gear, you may as well have robbed yourself. And if you feel like you can't afford to lose your gear to the extent that you forgo using it, you may as well have already lost it. Get on with your life without worrying about how you might lose something.
Before you think it's easy for someone who is not a poor student to say something like that, it's how I've always treated my gear. Even when I was a student living from week to week and couldn't afford a car to leave my camera in, I carried my camera climbing up mountains and abseiling down waterfalls and walking through areas of town I probably shouldn't have.
The new MBPs look great, but from a price to performance ratio you're much better off getting a refurb of one of the older models. It might take an extra minute to render a large pano on my 2011 iMac compared to a newer machine, but compared to the rest of the time and effort investigated, that's trivial. Even the MB Air runs well, although it's limited by the size of the SSD and RAM. Unless you have some hard core processing needs that you haven't mentioned or your time is money, spending up big on a laptop is just wasting your money.
 
Last edited:

kallisti

macrumors 68000
Apr 22, 2003
1,751
6,670
So, I want to purchase a new Macbook Pro. Part of the purchase is a move away from having a desktop computer. To finance a new purchase, I will have to sell camera gear (because I'm a broke student but I have really nice camera gear).

I'll be downgrading from a D750, Tamron 15-30, Nikon 85mm 1.8G, SB-700 flash, and some other gear. I'll be keeping my 50mm 1.8G and Sigma 150-600 Contemporary. I'd even consider selling the 50mm 1.8G, but it will serve as a good portrait lens (my copy of the 50mm 1.8G is quite sharp, I hear copy variation can be bad with the particular lens). The move will sting since I'm taking a nice loss on the resale of a lot of my gear.

What crop camera should I look at though? I'm thinking about getting a D7100 used or on a sale, and looking for a good used UWA crop-sensor lens.

I won't rehash what everyone else has said.

Performance for photo editing on an Apple laptop doesn't require the newest MBP. Older MBPs or even non-MBPs will be acceptable.

If *storage* is a concern, there are external SSDs that are fast and compact such as this one:

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01AVF6UH...lid=3GKD14566DH7X&coliid=I3IG4RDZLME43J&psc=1

While the 2 TB is pricey, the smaller ones are more affordable.

I'm running out of space on my mid-2014 rMBP and was considering an upgrade to the new version. The price for the new one (especially with a 2 TB drive) is crazy and I stepped back to consider why I really need to upgrade. Performance on my current machine in fine for everything I do, including frequent use of LR. I'm going to get one of the above SSDs for storage purposes as it solves my *real* problem for a fraction of the cost and still lets me keep a portable solution.

Something along these lines might work for you.
 
Last edited:

kenoh

macrumors 604
Jul 18, 2008
6,507
10,850
Glasgow, UK
Hah, advice 3 years late! :D

Now she's working and making good money (as of just recently). I switched careers, so I have 1-1.5 more years until I can start working in my profession (no business background, switching to Accounting).


Mate, 3 years ? she isnt your girlfriend anymore... legally she took ownership of you 2 years ago. You are her pet bloke.. :)
 

msandersen

macrumors regular
Jan 7, 2003
217
31
Sydney, Australia
:D
When you buy that Sigma lens, do you also get a free one-year membership at your local gym? I mean, it only weighs 15.7 kg (without the body, of course).
Body By Atlas...

Big 35mm glass: 600mm f4, $12,000+
Big m43 glass: 300mm f4, $2,500
;)
As you noted below: When applying the crop factor (2x with m43), it is applied to the aperture as well: To compare like-for-like, look for a 300mm f2 on m43 (if such a beast exists, and you really need the extra stops). If you do find it, you won't have gained much in size, weight, and price.
In terms of ISO performance, quadruple the full-frame ISO; eg 200 ISO on FF = 800 ISO on m43.
When shooting most mammals such as elk, cougar, deer, impala, elephant, brown bears, bison.....etc I defaulted to f8 back when i shot 35mm. That way you get the DOF deep enough to get the head and body in focus. For my m43 kit, my 300mm at f4 gives the same DOF as 600mm at f8 on a Full frame 35mm body like my old 5D3.
 
Register on MacRumors! This sidebar will go away, and you'll see fewer ads.