DSLRUsers.com

hi

ive been thinking of buying another camera to do the bulk of my press work to save up shutter actuations on my d3's which im only going to use for high end jobs, using my 2 d3's for press work is destroying them from rugged usage

what is the better camera 1st priority is fast focus engine
then features

i have these choices

d300

d90

d5000

im not too interested in video but te d5000 has that pull out tiltable viewfinder which could be very useful

wendellt wrote:d5000 has that pull out tiltable viewfinder which could be very useful

Not sure whether the contrast detect focus will fulfil your requirements Wendell. Probably more suited for slower work I'd say.

Hey Wendell!!

I guess this is where i can kind of return the favour a bit..

the D5000 has it's uses, the tilt screen is a useful function that enables you to view circularly, the problem with this though is exactly that. The back screen, it doesn't feel as secure as it should.. for example the Sony ( i daresay) has a more secure back screen.. and with your current history with Nikon Repairs.. i doubt that this would be the best choice also considering the missing Screwdriver AF.


The D90 is where I would like to place my hand up for you to use. It has the sensor of the D300, it's dual scroll wheels are similar to that of your D3's, as well the lightweight of it does help. The screwdriver AF enables you to use you're old 80-200 as well. Creative Lighting System is in the D90 and i guess this is where I favor this option for you knowing what you do, + the price is VERY competitive on the D90 at the moment. The AF has been updated to have 3D tracking. It is slower than the D300 but from what I've looked up, not by much. The sensor sensitivity has been improved on from the D300, and from what I've sourced out from DXOmark, better Lowlight performance, better color depth, and a slightly better Dynamic Range. Also there is a Kelvin mode.


D300, many benefits in this, but then again.. why not just buy a D700 The benefit of the D300 over that of the D90 would be 9frame bracketing ( I doubt you'll ever use that though), the higher frame rate of 8fps, the better build quality and sturdyness. I guess all it would feel like is a D3 without the grip, and the layout is very similar to what you've got now.


My personal reccommendation lies in the D90. It's quality and it will get the job done. If you need a pricehunter, let me know via mob or PM.. I'll find the best way for you to get around pricing.


Cheers dude, can't wait till you get one =D

Marcus

Another interesting note is that the D90 has a shutter life rated at 100000 clicks. So I guess thats going to be ok considering also price and such.


BUT! do not buy any Aussie D90 for the next month or so.. I've recently had a batch of D90's come into the Camera House i work at, all of which had dead pixels visible.. though it had to be searched for. About 3 or 4 dead pixels per unit.

The benefit of the D300 over that of the D90 would be 9frame bracketing ( I doubt you'll ever use that though), the higher frame rate of 8fps, the better build quality and sturdyness

Wendell, you work your gear hard, this, imo makes the build quality quite an important factor, the D300, i suspect would take alot more beatign than the D90. I have felt teh comparsion between the D80 and the D300 and teh D300 without a doubt comes off feeling much more solid and durable.

the d90 seems to be the best choice my assistant used a d90 and from the images ive seen its comparable to a d3
ive spent about $700 at nikon to fix another broken shutter on my d3 affter fashion week and it just seems for press work i need a disposable camerato use even if buy one mid pro sumer dslr every six months its more cost effective than fixing both my d3's in a year

thanks for the head up guys

i don't need a d700 from what im seeing the prosumer range of cameras are very close in performance to the pro cameras

wendellt wrote:i don't need a d700 from what im seeing the prosumer range of cameras are very close in performance to the pro cameras

I was joking about the D700 ha ha, I remember you're assistant ( Olivia from memory?) using one, her work is outstanding!

Wendell,

For you, anything less than a D300 would be a serious mistake.

The prices are tempting! Even for a Canon user!!!

http://www.staticice.com.au/cgi-bin/redirect.cgi?name=Techrific%20Australia&linkid=1&newurl=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.techrific.com.au&query=Nikon%20D90&uca=0-0-0&kwi=&rpos=13
Just add Mack warranty... but then you might want Aussie warranty preferably...

Im with Gary here...Wendell grab a D300....it will be closer in terms of AF and frame rate to your D3's, not to mention the handling.

i've been out of the loop for a while, but i figured i'd jump right back in and offer up some humble advice.

my d90 with a sb-900 and a 55-200 is easier to handle than a friends d300 with a 24-70.

i loved my d200 with grip, but the d300 for some reason just felt like a brick compared to it. once i got my hands on the d90 i was sold.

borrow one of each for a night and the decision will be easy, they may be similar inside, but they feel very different when using them.

I'm a bit slower at updating my camera than some of you here and alas still using my D70, I have been tossing up between the D90 & D300 and seeing this conversation has come up thought I would pose my question here.
I have some old manual nikon lenses and was wonering if anyone know if either the D90 or D300 meter with old manual lenses.

Cheers
Rod

Sandy Feet wrote:I'm a bit slower at updating my camera than some of you here and alas still using my D70, I have been tossing up between the D90 & D300 and seeing this conversation has come up thought I would pose my question here.
I have some old manual nikon lenses and was wonering if anyone know if either the D90 or D300 meter with old manual lenses.

Cheers
Rod

The D300 will allow you to input manual lens data to restore metering with a D90 you will be meterless