Advanced questions for the Nikon SLR folks

[tjl1388]

I have an antique D70 with waaaay more than the rated number of actuations. Needless to say it is time to upgrade.

I have about $1300 to play with and already own a 18-200VR, 50mm 1.8, and assorted kit "junk" lenses. Looking at two options.

1. Buy a used D300. I rented one about a year ago and loved it. Had a blast with it. It seemed to take pictures just as I eyed them. Cons to this are I blow all the money in one shot. No extra lenses, battery packs etc.

2. Buy a D90. Never even held one so I am looking for answers on this one. I know it will take good shots...they all will. The pro's to this are I have some extra cash for maybe a good wide angle, fisheye, or battery pack. The cons are I have no clue how this camera shoots.

I appreciate any advice.

Thanks in advance.

 

[annnewjerz]

Well...I just upgraded from the D60 to the D90 a few months ago, and I think it's a fantastic camera. Apparently, it is very comparable to the D300 in many aspects and that is what made it appealing to me. The D300 was a little more than I wanted to spend, a little more camera than I was sure I was ready to handle and also I would have to switch to CF cards (which is really not a huge deal but I had already spent well over $100 in SD memory).

The D90 performs fantastically at high ISOs. I have shot a few photos at IS) 1600 and haven't used any noise reduction programs and have found them to be very acceptable quality, IMO.

I also really like the second LCD the D90 has (on the top) so you can see your settings without having to turn on the big bright LCD on the back. Speaking of the LCD on the back, I really like that too. It's great for viewing the photos, you can view at 100% crop and the clarity is really nice.

Not sure if you had a DOF preview button on your D70 or not, but I didn't on my D60 and really like having it---it's not necessarily something I need but it is nice to have.

Another thing I like is the multiple AF focus points (where the D60 only had 3), as well as the gridlines that you can set to see in your viewfinder when you are shooting...makes following the rule of thirds a lot easier.

The size of the D90 isn't bad at all. Looking at it when I was originally buying my D60 I thought it looked huge (with battery grip) but honestly it isn't much heavier and so far, no wrist aching while shooting.

Overall, I think it's a great camera and I'm really glad that I got it. I'm sure you will be happy with either no matter which you choose, you probably can't go wrong with either. If getting an additional lens or battery grip is something you'd really like to do, I'm sure you would NOT be disappointed with the D90 over the D300.

Good luck and hopefully this helped a little!

Ann

 

[Gdad]

I have seen some very good deals on minty D300's lately- like $1100 for less than 4000 actuations. Me personally I would be leaning in this direction since your camera will be used and have that many clicks on it in a few months anyway. A weather sealed pro body and bigger buffer is worth buying slightly used IMHO as long as you are buying from a trusted source. Plus you can use all those CF memory cards you already have for the D70.

Of course if you want video or auto exposure modes (Like "Sports Mode") then forget all that and go with the D90.

 

[tjl1388]

Gdad, I don't usually shoot to much "auto" anything. I've gotten pretty good at spinning the dials to my needs. While the body on the D300 is more rugged its not like I plan on taking it to the amazon. I am a bit concerned about the buffer but I do not shoot as much sports as I would like. My kids are young, I don't think the speed is necessary just yet. I do plan on going battery pack either way. I am probably going to go with the 90. Give it a year or two and I'll probably step to the 300 or...if the economy gets better the 700.

 

[fitzperry]

Tough question. I upgraded to the D300 from the D70 about a year ago and love it. However, had the D90 been available then, I might have gone that route instead (in fact, I'd been hoping they'd upgrade the D80 before the D200). Unlike many dslr users, I like a smaller camera body and the option of taking video.

IQ will be pretty comparable between the two camera bodies, although the superior AF capabilities on the D300 may mean that you'll get more "keepers." I've certainly found that to be the case as compared to my D70. Even if you're not shooting a lot of sports, kids move fast. And I suspect that with either one you'll be thrilled with the high ISO performance as compared to the D70.

In short, you really can't go wrong with that choice. Helpful, huh?

 

[tjl1388]

Picked up a good deal on a D300 today. Came down to a few things.

1. The D300 is a bigger camera. To some this would be a disadvantage but to a man like myself (big hands) the D90 felt like a toy in my hands which leads me to my next point.

2. The D300 has a metal internal body. In a previous post I stated that it was not a big deal but after feeling the D90 it just didn't feel solid. The D300 feels nice and solid in my hands.

3. The continuous shot buffer. Because the D90 uses inferior SD cards it could not take as many shots before needing to write to the card. Plus I already own a small fleet of CF cards so no loss there.

Very Happy with my decision. Can't wait to fire it up and see what she'll do.

Thanks for the help everyone.

 

[fitzperry]

Congratulations on your purchase--it is a fantastic camera. I just shot a bunch of pictures at my daughter's choir performance at ISO 3200. It's so great to be able to do that! Though it would have been even better if I could get my hands on that 70-200 f/2.8. . . . Stupid economy. In fact, that's the only drawback to the new camera body--it may make you want to invest in the best glass.

 

[Gdad]

Picked up a good deal on a D300 today. Came down to a few things.

1. The D300 is a bigger camera. To some this would be a disadvantage but to a man like myself (big hands) the D90 felt like a toy in my hands which leads me to my next point.

2. The D300 has a metal internal body. In a previous post I stated that it was not a big deal but after feeling the D90 it just didn't feel solid. The D300 feels nice and solid in my hands.

3. The continuous shot buffer. Because the D90 uses inferior SD cards it could not take as many shots before needing to write to the card. Plus I already own a small fleet of CF cards so no loss there.

Very Happy with my decision. Can't wait to fire it up and see what she'll do.

Thanks for the help everyone.

Good for you- I think you will really enjoy the camera.

I agree on all points- #3 particularly. I think the 4.5fps D90 vs the 6/8fps D300 is misleading. I have read posts where people think this performance is close- does not sound like a big deal- etc. but the huge difference comes in with the larger buffer. Especially when shooting RAW the D80 I had (and I suspect the D90 is similar) will bog down after 2-3 or maybe 4 shots (Click..Click...Click........Click..................Click) With the D300 I could zip off 20+ shots at 8fps with the grip and the camera never backs down. This make a huge difference shooting kids, sports, birds in flight, lots of situations.

 

[spinetnglr]

I think you are going to like your new toy alot!! I upgraded to the D300 from a D40 in January and I love the new camera. I thought the size of it was going to be a problem for me as I am not a big person and have relatively small hands. When I first got it it seemed huge to me compared to the D40 but now I love the size of it. I can get a good grip on it and know I have a solid hold on it.
Congratulations!! and welcome to the growing bunch of D300 owners here on dis.