I've got a D800E and my 2nd camera is currently my Pentax K-5. I've been selling off my Pentax glass (very emotional) and probably the camera also to get a 2nd D800E. I did think about a D800 but I want to use two bodies (no backup) and not have to muck around with workflow differences. A D4 might be nice but out of my price range. I'm not quite used to the Nikon lens mount as I've been using K-mount lenses my whole life and just 'know' I'm gonna drop something.. 70-200 VRII, Zeiss 21.. 35/1.4G. I figure it's cheaper to just use two bodies and not risk it. Pathetic I know.

The X Pro-1 just came out 7 months ago, I doubt we'll see a replacement till late next year or early 2014. Fuji did talk about a lower end version of the X Pro-1, which could come in the next 2-6 months.

It doesn't look like Fuji has any interest in "fixing" the focus system in their cameras. The X100 has slow AF, X10 has slow AF, and the X Pro-1 has slow AF. I think it has more to do with the fact that Fuji has been out of the game of making high performance cameras for some time, since the last one was the S5 Pro, in the 2005/2006 (D200 era). Will Fuji's AF catch up? In a few years maybe.

D4, D90, Olympus 1030SW.....and as TTJ has talked about the X Pro-1 looks good except for the funky focus. I think the X Pro 1 replacement is a possibility and I would think this will be out quickly as Fuji is a company who will respond to the complaints about the lousy focus issues. If Nikon comes through with the D400, this will be my second and in some cases the primary when I need long, long reach.

TaoTeJared said:
Primary: D800
Secondary D300 or Fuji x100 (All depends what type of work I'm doing with them.)

I keep thinking of selling the D300 and get an Xpro1 system as a back-up but the AF is an issue with the x-pro.

Maybe they'll fix that in the replacement. Fuji makes some really cool cameras but boy do they have quirks from what I hear.

Then again, when you're the only camera maker that makes retro-style cameras, you really aren't competing with anyone.

Primary: D800
Secondary D300 or Fuji x100 (All depends what type of work I'm doing with them.)

I keep thinking of selling the D300 and get an Xpro1 system as a back-up but the AF is an issue with the x-pro.

Primary:
D7000 with 18-105mm, 70-200mm, 10-24mm & 50mm lenses. SB400 & SB600 flash, 3rd party GPS unit

Secondary:
Sony NEX7. GPS via my iPhone.

Why?
Primary camera for when I'm on my own, in the mood for photography, want very good IQ, handling, speed, etc. In other words, all the things that Nikon dSLRs are good at.

Secondary camera for out and about with friends, holidays/vacations, etc. and I think I MIGHT want to take photos (well, snapshots!). In other words, when photography is only a secondary consideration.

I love my D7000, but it is simply too big, too heavy and too cumbersome to carry around when it will only be used for snapshots, if at all. I've tried basic, compact, P&S cameras but they very rarely have a proper viewfinder and are oh-so-disappointing.

What would I replace the NEX7 with?
Probably another NEX7.

Ironically, from the point of view of handling, the NEX7 is a little on the small side, even though I have small hands. I'm sure the tri-navi interface is excellent, but it sure does confuse me. The IQ is good but not quite up to D7000 standards. And it is staggeringly expensive given that I only use it as a secondary, P&S camera.

As of today here is my setup:

Question 1 & 5) Primary: D4
Backup: D7000

Question 2 & 3) Why do you have one/What do you use it for: bought it as my first DSLR and now have made the move to FX. The D7000 is truly an amazing camera and will service me well for many years to come as a backup; as well as, allowing me the ability to utilize two of my lenses in a given situation when the shoot I seek to take calls for this type of configuration/setup.

Question 4) if you lost it today, what would you replace it with: I would buy the same body: D7000...thank you very much.

Cheers...

Primary: D700, good for action and event work, especially with MB-D10 @8FPS
Secondary: D200, decent speed, still good enough for low ISO and flash work. Why a second camera? Less lens switching, and to cover myself in case there is a shutter failure on my primary body.
P&S: GF2 toss-able camera for family outings

Replacements if lost or stolen:
D700 - replacement would be a D800, no point in buying old tech now, although I would really miss the speed of the D700
D200 - replacement would be a D300s
GF2 - wouldn't replace, my iPhone would be good enough

sevencrossing: Good point: one body for both purposes. But one point of having a second body is to have a substitute body if for any reason your primary body breaks down which is defeated if you are using only one body. I have not made extensive tests of D800 DX Mode vs D7000 IQ (in fact have never shot the D800 in DX) but I have read that D7000 IQ is better than D800 DX Mode. I am sure you could not tell the difference on PAD or full screen (just 2mp) or in an 8x10 print. I have cropped out about 1/3rd of a D800 image and printed that excerpt at 24inches by 36inches as a test and found it had with excellent image quality, really amazing IQ. I cannot imagine a D800 DX image not printing excellently at larger than 24 inches by 36 inches. From an Image Quality point of view alone I think wildlife photographers would be happy obtaining 50% extra reach by using the D800 in DX mode. Actually though, that is really just the same as shooting in FX and cropping to the central portion, isn't it?

primary: D3s
secondary : D800

or maybe
primary: D800
secondary: D3s

if I lost my D3s... I would replace it with either D4 or D800e, if I lost my D800 I would replace it with D800e or D4 :)
D3s - reportage style photos, low light photography
D800 - everything else :)

D800/D7000

Right now I'm D7000/D80. The plan is to be D600/D7000 when it's released.

I picked up the D7000 about a year ago after shooting a D40 for a few years and feeling like I'd outgrown it. When I needed a second body after my girlfriend moved in and the D40 pretty much became hers, I decided since I was used to the D40 I'd make my backup from that generation and picked up a D80 used with under 10k actuation count. The screw drive motor was a requirement for my second body so I could use lenses like the 85 1.8D on both bodies as well as a number of full frame lenses I wanted to start building up because I planned for my next purchase to be a full frame body somewhere in the timeframe of 2014-2015....

Now with the D600 rumor being so strong and the possibility of seeing it within the next few months even, I'm probably going to be an early adopter of that body (assuming the $1500ish body only price tag is accurate) and move to a D600/D7000 setup which has been mentioned above as something that will likely have a similar look / feel and be easy to switch between. More than likely I'll be using that combination of bodies until they break because for my general usage, I don't see the need for any more camera than the D600 is rumored to be. The latest and greatest can come out but with bodies capable of the detail that the D7000 and D600 (likely) can produce I should be set for a long time. I've met working pros that still use a D2X which is 7 years old now. If it ain't broke, don't fix it I guess :)

I'll likely pass the D80 to my girlfriend after I get a D600 so she'll also be able to have a two body setup that has a similar interface with D80/D40. If she's nice I'll let her touch my babies lol

If the D80 was lost, stolen, or broke today? I'd probably not do anything since I anticipate it not getting much use in the near future.

donaldejose said:
D800/D7000 I agree with msmoto that it is nice to have FX/DX combo. The reason to have a DX available is to obtain additional reach from the same lens, such as getting 300mm from your 70-200mm f2.8 zoom .

So is the IQ of D7000 better than the D800 in Dx Mode

Primary: D700
Backup: D300s

I like the combo because of the nearly identical controls, interchangeable grips, L-plates and batteries. D300s has video, which I almost never use but is useful to have 'just in case'.

I dislike the D300s because there is a visible quality difference between the two bodies. I'm starting to view it as more of a liability. I used to think the DX 'reach' was worth having a DX body for but I don't really shoot anything that requires it these days. Still loving the D700.

If I could sanely justify a D4, I would get one as primary and kick the D700 to backup, but I would lose a lot of redundancy in accessories. Meh, maybe one day.

D800/D7000 I agree with msmoto that it is nice to have FX/DX combo. The reason to have a DX available is to obtain additional reach from the same lens, such as getting 300mm from your 70-200mm f2.8 zoom (you still need DX specific lenses to get DX wider angle shots). I also agree the second body should essentially function the same as the first body so you don't have to think about two different control systems. Thus, I would like to use either a D800/D400 combo or a D600/D7000 combo. After experimenting with the D800 I agree it really is more than a person needs on a daily basis. I have made 24 inch by 36 inch prints from just one fourth to one third of a hand held D800 image and they are still more than sharp enough. 36mp in FX is more than one needs unless you are a professional selling huge gallery prints.

D4 & D800 ... primary and backup varies depending on the situation. They are similar enough that switching back & forth is easy. IR converted D80, and a 2nd D80 that fits in an underwater housing. A pair of D70s with 28-200 zooms for teaching. P7000 for dry P&S occasions and an Olympus waterproof for when I'm likely to get soaked.

My primary camera is my D40. No need to introduce it, I think I'm using the oldest digital camera on this forum. :D

My secondary camera is a Nikon Coolpix E3700, which is really darn old. I haven't shot with it at all really.

My real secondary camera is becoming more and more my Android phone, a LG MyTouch. Really useful, especially for uploading the one or two shots I like every once in a while, skipping the whole step to downloading to the computer and all.

Once in a while I'll shoot with my dad's Japanese firmware Sony T9 point and shoot. It's nice, shoots very well and I understand it well enough that I can turn off the flash and get some really nice shots out of it.

Main camera D3s, 2nd body D2hs. In the market for D400, D600 or used D3. The D600 might be my 1st choice until I see specs on D400. If after the D600 is out and I no news on D400 I decide if a used D3 wins. A super DX 16-18mb, large buffer and fast AF IE mini D4 would get my $$$$

framer

After getting the D800 I always thought of holding on the my D7000 as a second/backup camera. But lately every time I shoot with the D7000 I can't stop wondering what the image would look like if I'd used the D800. In addition, my lenses seem sharper on the D800 as well. If I shot professionally I'd definately keep the D7K around but as of late, I've considered selling it. My cellphone is still an LG flipper but my wife and I have decided to get the iPhone 5 when it arrives. That will likely become my "2nd" camera.

iPhone 4s or my Hassy. Sold the D700, so only one digi. :]

My main camera right now is a D300. Second camera depends on situation. The one I use the most is an old Sony DSC-F717 - for old tech, it still functions very well, including photography in almost completely dark situations (laser focusing). Also sometimes use a small Sony P&S or my Canon P&S. My film cameras are pretty much now relegated to my personal camera museum.

I am waiting for the D600 and possible D400 to come out (to weigh them against D800) to make a decision on what will become my new main camera.

My second camera has always been a small point-and shoot, which is almost always with me. Currently it's a Canon PowerShot SD950IS, which has enough adjustability for my needs.

I've never needed to use two bodies since the days of film and prime lenses.

I've just got my D800E and can't really think of any time I'll use the D200 it replaces. I only have two DX lenses, and anyway the D800E in DX mode is better than the D200.

A cupboard beckons for my trusty D200. Or conversion to IR.

@ Geoff_K When shooting a group I want to focus on a spot with the single servo point, holding the release half way down, then reframe for the final capture. With a limited DOF, determining what I want in focus is important and with continuous it will change as the focus spot moves over different areas. But, as I shoot, I may want to move in and focus on an individual who is moving slightly fore and aft. At this point, I need continuos servo again. And, with the D90, having to push the button on top to change is much less convenient than the through the viewfinder change on the D4.

Also, remembering which body I am shooting is required so i know where the different controls are located. Whereas if the control interface is the same, it makes little difference as to the body.

msmoto said:
A used D700 if like new, might be an option although the high ISO capabilities are not as nice as I would like to see.

At high ISOs there is very little difference between the 700 & 800 the 800 is better but not by much

The 800 only performs at its gobsmacking best below ISO 1600

D90 backup due to D800E purchase this week.

msmoto, just curious why you would have to change, on the fly, from continuos to single ? I'm not being mean, just curious. Unless I am shooting things that dont ever move, my D90 stays in continuous.