Hi guys! I’m just a newbie in a way, that some years ago inherited a Nikon DX D7100 with a rather good Nikkor zoom 18-200mm VR (I understand it’s the first one, as they might have re-released it at later stages). I played with it for quite a while and took some really good pictures, but at this point it’s rather cumbersome to pack in the luggage, together with the drone as well. I’m considering a smaller mirrorless camera perhaps, so I can have something easier to carry around during a hike/tour/scooter ride. However, I would like to keep the portability with the zoom to some degree, as I really love how easily it made to frame subjects and get really good pics. Would you guys have recommendations for cameras (Nikon or not-Nikon), that can fit a Nikon lens with/without some adapter? Just in case this is a DX lens, not full frame, AFAIK (but I wouldn’t mind some…vignetting, or digitally/automatically cropping the picture after the fact, if needed).
The thing you’re asking about is an adapter. You could get f mount to: z mount (Nikon mirrorless), e mount (Sony), x mount (Fuji), etc. Not sure about Canon, they’ve been pretty protective of their new mount. It will add some overall length though.
If you’re looking for smaller gear, going to a mirror less system will result in a smaller body guaranteed. Modern glass can be smaller, but that’s not always the case. Especially for APS-C lenses. Most of the mirror less OEMs (Sony, Canon, Nikon) have been favoring FF glass. The glass will happily mount on a crop sensor body, but it will be physically larger than necessary.
If you want to save some size and mass, micro four thirds is worth a look. Something like the Olympus E-M5 or even E-M10, or Panasonic GX7/GX9 is pretty compact, and there are a bunch of compact micro four third zooms and primes out there.