Keep an old Camera or buy a new one?

 

This question often comes up in forums. Many hobbyists have their old camera collecting dust on the shelf. They probably got this camera when they were younger with kids asking to be photographed, but stopped using it later. This is even more understandable in view of the smartphones we carry around all the time, able to take decent pictures and to immediately share them online.

With age, the interest in photography sometimes awakes. But do we really need to buy a new camera? That's when those question about the smartphone versus the camera or old versus new cameras come up. And it is a valid question, because your old equipment may just be all you need. I try to convince you that this might indeed be the case, and also show the limits. If you are serious and have the money, I suggest trying out and learning one of the new tools that we have today.

The pictures in this blog are taken with the Nikon D70 and various lenses. I had that camera from 2005 to 2009, shooting 5000 pictures of all sorts that I still love. It is a 6MP camera which is good enough for almost anything (besides cropping into the image heavily). Stock photo sites might not accept that low pixel count. But you can quadruple it with new tools in Photoshop easily, and probably with some other software too.

We should also keep in mind that even professionals used low megapixel cameras. There simply were no other cameras around for a price that made sense economically. So, why should we not continue using them? You might even extend your old camera with some modern flashlight, maybe like a remotely controlled light by Godox, with a tripod, or a new and better lens etc. That's all cheaper than buying a new camera.

But I should also tell you about the limits that these old sensors had. Despite their comparably huge pixel pitch, the low light performance is worlds apart from a modern camera. This is especially true of the Nikon D70. For an example of ISO1600, see the image below. Zooming in you will see the disaster that the noise removal did to the darker parts of the image. Any modern camera, even a direct replacement like the Nikon D7500 will do better.

To be a bit more specific, let me answer the question if the D70 should be replaced by a D7500 or a more modern mirrorless camera. As you might know, I am all for buying used cameras to avoid spending unnecessary money. Thus, a used D7200 might be a good idea. But a new D7500 not so. I'd rather go for a Z50 with an FTZ adapter which you get for the same price. You will be able to use your old lenses (if they have an AF motor). But you have a much more modern and capable camera. A used D500 might be another choice. But you won't get one for cheap. A Nikon Z7 will also do, because your DX lenses still yield 20MP. You need an FTZ adapter for this.

If you want to abandon Nikon completely, my best suggestion is Sony. But I am biased here. Maybe that is the topic of another posting.