Railfan Technology > Any Nikon D90 owners out there? Opinion?

My wife and I are both in need of upgrading our camera bodies. We both have older Nikon D50's that have been good, but they are getting tired. We have looked at the D90, and like the design of it. Any of you have an opinion of the D90?

Thanks!!

Jamie & Amy Miller

Nikon has reduced the price, it is goin' away. Wonder whats next.

I don't know about that. I think they just dropped the price to compete with Canon dropping the price of the 50D

I have had a D90 for about a year, and am very happy with it. But with new models being introduced all the time, it is hard to say what I would buy right now. Except for its small buffer, I was very happy with my little D40. I think the bigger question is what glass to buy with it, since good glass is likely to outlast several camera bodies.

JBWX

NormSchultze Wrote:
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> Nikon has reduced the price, it is goin' away.
> Wonder whats next.

Who cares? I'd rather buy a body that's been "replaced" then pay a premium for new technology. If the current camera does what you need it to do then what more do you need?

t

Indeed. I think I would sit back and hold off one more generation and get whatever replaces the D90, likely to come out August of next year (D80 was 8/06, D90 was 8/08). Of course, it will be priced accordingly, and almost every review I've seen loves the D90. I think that the next gen would definitely be a time to upgrade from a D50 if you are no longer fully satisfied. You may want to rent a D90 for a week first so you can use it with your lenses and in your shooting conditions, particularly if you are going to invest in two of them.

I've had my D90 for about 7 months now and have been happy with it.

I am looking also, see earlier post with less than direct subject line(quandry).

I am not sure about waiting because:

-D300 update was less than inspiring.
-There already is a D100 (smile)
-what new features will the new model have that you want.
-downturn in business MAY delay new developments.
-Price has dropped already - BH for $800 - they also have a kit with 70-300 but haven't figured out yet whether that is good.
-you can always wait. Another model always around the corner.

Bob



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 11/06/09 05:09 by robj.

Well, we are likely to jump sooner then later cause A. Amy's D50 is starting to have minor electrical bugs and glitches. And B. I have a very nice older Nikon 80-200 2.8 ED-IF that will only work on a D90 or above. The D40/60's will not auto focus this lens. And who says the D90 replacement wont have the same issue.

Jamie

I have had my D90 for about a year and it was a significant jump from my D70/D70s cameras. I think, if you already have not held one, when you handle one and see that beautiful higher-res monitor on the back, you will be sold. Checking your focus and other image details becomes much,much easier. And the D50 makes great images, no doubt about it... but the jump to 12 megapixels from 6MP will make you smile,IMHO. You also have more dynamic range and better low-light capability, if you need it. I do. Another point- If you add the MB-D80 battery grip to the bottom, it will balance that 80-200 even better. Also, I felt right at home on the D90 coming from the D70's (and the D50 should be the same, if you guys are comfortable with its controls). There are many more options in the menu on the D90, and you may want to also get Thom Hogan's book or similar on the D90 to open up and simplify some things and find some functions that are vague or not even shown in the manual... but for me it is an intuitive camera and my fingers learned quickly where to go in a short time to make all the necessary adjustments. Can a camera make you a better photographer? In some cases, yes. I think that I am making better images with the D90 more easily and quickly with less "misses" than I did with film cameras or even earlier digital cameras. Nikon will undoubtedly make a successor to the D90, but I am getting results with it that rival or better my old medium format images taken with a Hassy. I showed an 8 x 10 print of a file ,taken with a D90,( of Hocking Valley Scenic's C&O-painted GP7 #5833 that I took this summer at Nelsonville,OH) to a friend who is neither a train nor photo buff. He looked at it and exclaimed that the detail and colors were "better than being there". Not for me, I'd rather be there, as I like the sounds and smells too, but credit to the D90 and Nikon for allowing me to make an image that "looks like you are there". Don't even get me started on the 20-something MP cameras that Nikon,Sony and Canon make...wow. But I think that the D90 will make most people happy for some years to come,unless you shoot day-in-and-out and as long as you don't need billboard-sized enlargements.IMHO.

Doubt they would remove the mechanical drive from the D90's successor, as that is where the D5000 and D3000 slot into the lineup; they're DSLRs for people who never really had an SLR at all before and have no investment in older non-AF-S Nikkors. The AF-S DX Nikkors would be mostly just as good on these cameras as any of the older ones, and weigh less. I would definitely spring for the D90 if you're having trouble with the D50. The 80-200 2.8 lenses (no matter which one you have really) are all excellent lenses, and I would definitely get a camera that can use it. FWIW from a purchasing standpoint, when I bought my D40 last year right around this time (11/18 to be exact), the price was $409.95. Now, the D40 is discontinued and a year older, but I cannot find it anywhere under $469 online new. May want to jump on the D90 now, if it follows that pattern at all, you may already be looking at its best price. This whole discussion is making me want to buy a D90 now!

UP9000 Wrote:
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> Well, we are likely to jump sooner then later
> cause A. Amy's D50 is starting to have minor
> electrical bugs and glitches. And B. I have a very
> nice older Nikon 80-200 2.8 ED-IF that will only
> work on a D90 or above. The D40/60's will not auto
> focus this lens. And who says the D90 replacement
> wont have the same issue.
>
> Jamie

I was describing the D90 and going on and on, but I never posted any pics. Here's a couple that were minimally processed in-camera then sized for TO.

---

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and the HVSR C&O GP7 5833.

---

Just noticed this deal. There is a $50 off code DSLR10B and if you use Bing cashback for another 2% off, brings it to $750
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16830113154

Ryan Wilkerson
Fair Oaks, CA

highgreengraphics Wrote:
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> All my postings on any forum were taken with a D90
> in "High" JPEG (except a couple labeled as by my
> son), just do a search here with my handle. Auto
> settings on it are bad, they seem to overexpose 1
> or 2 stops on a bright day, so I shoot most things
> in manual. I do not like the slow speed of the
> burst or continuous mode, this is a problem
> regardless of the speed of the memory card I put
> into it. My son has a smaller Canon S3is that is
> hard to squeeze photos with acceptable grain or
> pixels unless you use a very low ISO setting, but
> his burst mode runs circles around my D90. Other
> than that, my D90 has been a very solid performer,
> and I have come to truly prefer it to any film
> camera I have had. I did have some clarity issues
> trying to post photos on TO, but the original
> photos were crystal-clear, and I just had to
> change the order in which I used unsharp mask in
> Photoshop. I have the add-on battery grip, and for
> my large hands this makes the camera feel better,
> and the battery life is phenomenal. Overall, I am
> quite happy with it. --- --- - --- JLH


Nice shot! especially with the semaphore included!

RyanWilkerson Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Just noticed this deal. There is a $50 off code
> DSLR10B and if you use Bing cashback for another
> 2% off, brings it to $750
> http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N8
> 2E16830113154


That makes it a better buy than the D5000 by far.

Hey, Gateway 97 - Would help if I wore my glasses while furiously typing - my photos were taken with the D80, which is what I thought the post said, but to my shock and amazement, when I put on my glasses, it turned into a post about a D90. Anyway, I think the D90 rates better than a D80, and so far when I replace the D80 it will be with a D90, nothing more expensive so the camera is semi-expendable - I have done more than my share of accidental camera-bashing. The D90 does have many more megapixels, and I understand they increased the burst mode rate. - - JLH

Well High Green, you could have left that post up, it was a superb pic. I think the big thing you will like with the D90 is that hi-res LCD monitor. Once I saw an image on it, I knew I was leaving the store with the camera in hand!



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 11/12/09 20:39 by Gateway97.

I've got a D-80 for sale......cheap.

Ed