Nikon Camera Options

No time to give any in-depth insights right now, but the D610 is a full-frame camera and you will need full-frame lenses to go with it. What lenses do you have right now?

Right, the D610 with crop-frame lenses would essentially be a 10MP crop-frame camera.

What do you find the limitations / difficulties of the D3400 are?

Depending on your needs, it could be a better investment to get higher-quality (ideally full-frame compatible) lenses rather than a body upgrade. Of course that would mean you still only have one camera, so only one person can use it at a time.

My initial response would be that the D7200 would probably be best for you, and wait a few years until you can afford the full-frame lenses and eventually step up to the D780 or whatever it is at that time.

D7200 vs D7500… The D7200 has two card slots and slightly more MP, which means slightly worse high ISO performance at a pixel level. Probably you can get a better deal on the slightly older camera.

A note on comparing noise with the D610 using those photos… In those photos the D7200 and D7500 are using an ISO of 25600 and the D610 is using an ISO of “High 2” equivalent of 25600, which means it has been digitally boosted 2 stops. Also, the shutter speed, aperature, focal length, and lens are not the same between cameras, making it a bit of a difficult comparisson. You will probably never use anything over ISO 6400 anyhow, except in tests or in pictures you aren’t going to keep.

I suggest you look up Nikon Z50 vs. D3400 on camera decision.
It would be an upgrade for video(4k), ISO noise levels(I’m comfortable shooting around ISO 6400,) high fps(11 fps,) Environmental Sealing, Animal and human eye AF, 209 focus points (vs 11,) high res touch screen, an electronic viewfinder so you can see the exposure without looking at the meter, and other details that make it better than the D3400. I got mine refurbished from Nikon for $700 with the 16-50mm lens.
Now there are drawbacks with the Z-system. Such as lenses-although you could use your current lenses with the ftz adapter.
I suggest that you go to a camera store to try it out. That’s just my opinion though, so hopefully you find input from someone who’s had experience with the other camera’s you mentioned as well. If you lived nearby I’d let you try out mine. 🙂
I guess it also depends on what you are shooting as well. Portraits? Hope you find something that works for you!

Hi @blessingscaptured! I have a Nikon D7200 and I’ve been very happy with it. If you’d like to see sample pictures taken on the D7200, you can check out my website: http://www.natureartphotographer.com. From my research on the D7500, is that it’s very similar, only newer and a little nicer :)!
If you have any specific questions about the D7200, just let me know!

I would not recommend jumping from a D3400 all the way to a D610 unless you plan to make a LOT of money with photography, and need a high-end, expensive camera like that. There’s no point in spending thousands on a camera only to use it with entry-level glass at 10 megapixels. Spend your money on good glass first, and later if you see a need for a full-frame camera, you’ll have good glass to complement it. I completely agree with @dfrazer:

My initial response would be that the D7200 would probably be best for you, and wait a few years until you can afford the full-frame lenses and eventually step up to the D780 or whatever it is at that time.

I personally would not be too concerned about noise at ISO 25600, because as David Frazer points out, you’ll never likely use it for anything important anyhow. (I never do). Any mid-range DSLR made within the last 5 years should not have any trouble with noise even at medium-high ISO levels.

Some of the limitations that I have found with my d3400 are setting hidden in menus, having only one cross focus point and not letting the camera flash be a commander.

These are the important things, and are what you should focus on. (pardon the pun 🙂 ) It looks like the D7200 does have “commander” mode for controlling Nikon flashes wirelessly. It’s also got 14 more C/T focus points, and has 2 dials for settings instead of 1. (Plus more buttons probably, instead of menu settings.)

My advice would be to get a good used D7200 from a reputable dealer, (or a D7500 if the differences are worth the money to you) and upgrade to better lenses as needed.

That’s wonderful, @blessingscaptured! What a blessing! I’m sure you’ll have fun getting to know the ins and outs of your new camera!