body upgrade

BpmJames

BpmJames

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James
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Hi guys I'll be looking to upgrade my camera body within the next few months. I have been looking on digitalrev and had a quick look at the D90 body.

At the moment I'm using a D3000 and I need some advice as to what would be best for me to upgrade to without breaking the bank. £500 is probably at the moment my limit and I'd like to stick with Nikon.

Any help would be greatly received, Thanks

Jim
 
You could pick up a used D300 for that if you shop around.
 
Investigate the D7000, more expensive than your budget (I've seen them for £700), but the best DX body from Nikon

http://www.kenrockwell.com/nikon/d7000.htm

Don't touch the D90. Go for the D5100 if you want new.

The 5100 and 7000 share the same sensor, the 5100 seems to be set up for those who use auto and the 7000 for those who like manual and to adjust things
 
Dale_d3100 said:
Investigate the D7000, more expensive than your budget (I've seen them for £700), but the best DX body from Nikon

http://www.kenrockwell.com/nikon/d7000.htm

Don't touch the D90. Go for the D5100 if you want new.

The 5100 and 7000 share the same sensor, the 5100 seems to be set up for those who use auto and the 7000 for those who like manual and to adjust things
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The op has stated a budget of 500.
 
Wow the D7000 looks amazing but as Dean said my budget really is quite small at the moment. Whats wrong with the D90?

Would it be worth waiting a while longer and getting a D7000 as aposed to getting the D300?
 
Ken Rockwell from 2008 said:
The Nikon D90 is a fantastic camera. It's Nikon's newest and best DX format DSLR. I prefer it to the old D300, which costs almost twice as much. That's the way it goes with digital cameras: new is almost always better, even for much less cost. The D90 has identical, or slightly better technical image quality than the D300, the exact same rear LCD, and adds several very useful ergonomic features for faster handling compared to the D300. These handling improvements will let you react faster to conditions, meaning you're more likely to get better pictures by being better prepared.
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I had a choice between the D90 new and the D3100 and went for the D3100 for a number of reasons. The upgrade path from here is the D7000, the D5100 has less controls than the D3100, it has a better sensor, a flipout screen and an external mic input.

I have the D3100 and love it but it doesn't have the inbuilt focus motor which I would like and it lacks direct controls for somethings I am starting to want to play with. The D90 has these, but I feel it would be a step sideways or even slightly backwards.
 
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Me too ;)
 
Before getting too fixated on a specific model, I think you need to say what it is that your D3000 doesn't do that you want it to do or what you would like it to do better.

If you're happy with the IQ but want better handling and controls, then the D200 is worth a look. It's often overlooked as being old hat but I don't think that is the case at all.

The D90 should give you better iso performance and more external controls.

The D300 will give you better iso performance, a metal weather sealed larger body and even more external controls

The D5100 will do excellent video and excellent high iso. No internal focus motor if that is an issue?

The D7000 has similar external controls to the D90 but with a newer, better high iso sensor and full HD video. It also has partial metal body and partial weather sealing.

So there you go. A nice range from £250 up to £800! For what it's worth I think the D90 is something of a bargain right now and well worth a look. I also chose the D300 over the D7000 but that was just personal choice. I thought it felt far better in my hand and I wanted the extra controls. Must admit that the high iso performance of the D7000 would have been nice but I don't regret my decison.
 
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thanks for that Graham, the main things i want are a higher ISO level, movie capabilities, I like the controls on the d3000 but would like more buttons to do some of the things u have to hold 2 buttons for (changing iso, af type etc etc).

Does the D7000 have an internal focus motor? easier to ask here than open google again lol
 
The d7000 would fit the bill nicely then and it does have an internal focus motor. If you want to save a little cash, the d90 would also tick all those boxes though the video and high iso are both a fair bit better on the d7000.
 
i think i also need to pop into jessops and have a hold of both to see which i prefer. Im almost able to get access to the classifieds section on here also which might be a bonus.

How much do you think my d3000 would be worth on the second hand market?
 
BpmJames said:
i think i also need to pop into jessops and have a hold of both to see which i prefer. Im almost able to get access to the classifieds section on here also which might be a bonus.

How much do you think my d3000 would be worth on the second hand market?
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Yeah, no substitute for seeing and handling the cameras up close. I think you might be suprised by how much bigger the D90, D7000 and particularly the D300S are to the smaller bodies like the D3000. I hadn't really considered just how big the difference was until I tried them side by side.

Can't help much with the valuation but I'm guessing somewhere in the £150-£200 area. Maybe worth speaking to some of the used dealers (I can recommend Ffordes and MPB) once you know what camera you want as they might offer you an agreeable part ex deal.
 
Cool thanks for all the advice mate I really appreciate it. I guess I could always keep it as my Urbex camera, save getting the new shiny one all covered in dust and muc :)
 
BpmJames said:
Wow the D7000 looks amazing but as Dean said my budget really is quite small at the moment. Whats wrong with the D90?

Would it be worth waiting a while longer and getting a D7000 as aposed to getting the D300?
Click to expand...

I've owned or do own all of these and it comes down to this. The D300 is the best camera to use by a mile and has the best build quality. The D90 is the same sensor but in a smaller body with less features. I'd choose the D300 over the D90 any day simply for the micro adjustment feature.

The D7000, which I own now as a back-up, I kept instead of the D300 simply because the files are stunning. It's got the best resolution I've seen in a Nikon crop, has wonderful tones, amazing dynamic range and is well built. It's a bit small, but with a third party grip works fine.
 
The23rdman said:
I've owned or do own all of these and it comes down to this. The D300 is the best camera to use by a mile and has the best build quality. The D90 is the same sensor but in a smaller body with less features. I'd choose the D300 over the D90 any day simply for the micro adjustment feature.

The D7000, which I own now as a back-up, I kept instead of the D300 simply because the files are stunning. It's got the best resolution I've seen in a Nikon crop, has wonderful tones, amazing dynamic range and is well built. It's a bit small, but with a third party grip works fine.
Click to expand...

So you would choose the D7000 over all the bodies mentioned above Dean?
 
BpmJames said:
So you would choose the D7000 over all the bodies mentioned above Dean?
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Tough call. What's more important to you? Af accuracy and usability or image quality?
 
BpmJames said:
Probably the af to be honest as I don't intend on printing at a size where the quality will be an issue
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The D300's AF system is superb but..... You mentioned you'd like video. The D300 doesn't have video at all. The D300S does (though still not great) but it's more like £750 used.
 
Even the d300 is going for no less than 600 right now. Their value is hardly depreciating, in fact i've seen them go cheaper months ago compared to now!
 
Dale_d3100 said:
I had a choice between the D90 new and the D3100 and went for the D3100 for a number of reasons. The upgrade path from here is the D7000, the D5100 has less controls than the D3100, it has a better sensor, a flipout screen and an external mic input.

I have the D3100 and love it but it doesn't have the inbuilt focus motor which I would like and it lacks direct controls for somethings I am starting to want to play with. The D90 has these, but I feel it would be a step sideways or even slightly backwards.
Click to expand...

Please don't post stuff like this again without some warning ... I need to clean the coffee off my keyboard now :D

In your previous post you recommended the OP to go for the D5100 yet above you say it's got less of the external controls you actually want ... and that they are readily provided by the D90. Did I just log into confused.com by mistake :thinking:

For the OPs £500 budget there is no better Nikon than the D90 (unless you can find a D300 ... but I just spent 6 months looking for one and couldn't get one under £600.
 
Perhaps there is no better camera than the D90 for controls

D90 vs D3100 comparison... (71 vs 69, so very very close)

http://snapsort.com/compare/Nikon_D3100-vs-Nikon_D90

D90 vs D5100 comparison... (71 vs 95 - not in the same ball park)

http://snapsort.com/compare/Nikon-D5100-vs-Nikon_D90

I'll summarise - Lower noise at high ISO, better image quality, better colour depth and more dynamic range

D90 vs D5100 comparison... (71 vs 95 - not in the same ball park)

http://snapsort.com/compare/Nikon_D7000-vs-Nikon_D90

I'll summarise - More autofocus points (including more cross focus), Lower noise at high ISO, better image quality, better colour depth, more dynamic range, better view finder, shoots faster, weather sealed and more.

So the D5100 is a better camera than the D90, but lacks the direct controls.

For £700 he will get the performance with the controls.
 
Dale_d3100 said:
Perhaps there is no better camera than the D90 for controls

D90 vs D3100 comparison... (71 vs 69, so very very close)

http://snapsort.com/compare/Nikon_D3100-vs-Nikon_D90

D90 vs D5100 comparison... (71 vs 95 - not in the same ball park)

http://snapsort.com/compare/Nikon-D5100-vs-Nikon_D90

I'll summarise - Lower noise at high ISO, better image quality, better colour depth and more dynamic range

D90 vs D5100 comparison... (71 vs 95 - not in the same ball park)

http://snapsort.com/compare/Nikon_D7000-vs-Nikon_D90

I'll summarise - More autofocus points (including more cross focus), Lower noise at high ISO, better image quality, better colour depth, more dynamic range, better view finder, shoots faster, weather sealed and more.

So the D5100 is a better camera than the D90, but lacks the direct controls.

For £700 he will get the performance with the controls.
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I really wouldn't use that site for camera comparisons. That site's scores seem to be entirely based on a numbers game. It places no importance on handling, external controls etc... It also seems to completely ignore the fact that some features are far more important than others. So the D5100 doesn't have an internal focusing motor? Well don't worry because it has in camera HDR and it's battery will last 7 shots longer.

For reference that site also scores the D300S at 64 vs the D5100 at 98!

The D200 scores 34. Might as well use it as paper weight!

If you own a D50, you really don't want to know!

The D300 scores 48! In fact the D300 is beaten by the D5000. Wish I'd never swapped, clearly I've made a mistake!
 
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The problem is you have x number of people to argue the D90s case as its been out for years. How many of these have spent time with the D5100? How many D5100 owners are there to argue the case?

The D5100 on paper is a very very capable camera, but lacks the controls.

The scoring on that website is stupid after reading the details, but it does highlight the difference between models.

If set up perfectly, I would expect the D5100 to take a better photo than the D200 or D300. Its the setting up part that makes the difference and this comes down to the user.
 
Bristolian said:
Please don't post stuff like this again without some warning ... I need to clean the coffee off my keyboard now :D

In your previous post you recommended the OP to go for the D5100 yet above you say it's got less of the external controls you actually want ... and that they are readily provided by the D90. Did I just log into confused.com by mistake :thinking:

For the OPs £500 budget there is no better Nikon than the D90 (unless you can find a D300 ... but I just spent 6 months looking for one and couldn't get one under £600.
Click to expand...

You didn't look that hard then cos I bought one here for a hair under 500.
 
The thing is dale, you are arguing the case of the 5100 which is fair enough but it may have more options etc but less outter controls for those options so I'm back to square one with wanting more control without having to use the menu button all the time. Or have I got that completely wrong? Is confusing reading it all on a phone lol
 
James - you want the D7000 (as do I).

The D5100 has the same sensor, but loses the controls and some of the other features. The D7000 is the best camera out of all those mentioned in this thread.

I was just replying to Bristolians comment. The D90 may have the controls, but its an older camera with an older sensor.
 
BpmJames said:
The thing is dale, you are arguing the case of the 5100 which is fair enough but it may have more options etc but less outter controls for those options so I'm back to square one with wanting more control without having to use the menu button all the time. Or have I got that completely wrong? Is confusing reading it all on a phone lol
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The D5100 has no more external control than your D3000. If that's part of your reason to upgrade you will be disappointed.

With your budget I really find it hard to see past the D90. Think of the D7000 as an updated D90. They're pretty similar to hold and use, though the D7000 benefits from quite a few mod cons.

Only you can say whether you're happy to pay the extra...
 
I had the choice of the D3100 or the D90 and I went for the D3100.

I have a D90 I have access to, but I prefer the D3100 to handle and use. A button to change the focus mode would be nice, but the settings I change constantly I can do quickly. The menu keeps the frequently changed items at the top, so its not diving through menus to change settings.

The D5100 and D3100 lack focus motors which rules it out for people with a lens collection or want to play with older lenses.

In reality it comes down to you, the modes you use, how often do you change settings, what lenses you use, what subjects you photograph.

The D5100 will give you better quality over what you already have and add video in. The camera will also respond faster, quicker AF etc., in terms of use you will have a pretty similar feel to the settings and controls.

The D7000 will open up the features and really allow you to play with the settings.

Read the reviews of the D90, D3000, D3100, D5100 and D7000 on the Ken Rockwell site and make up your own mind. He has used all of the cameras, most people only use 1 or 2.

http://www.kenrockwell.com/nikon/index.htm
 
I would (and did) pay for the D7000 over a D90 because the AF, ISO and customisation/control is easily worth the extra £200. If not for those, I'd hve stayed with the D3100 as the AF and ISO performance are the same and controls accessibiity is virtually the same for the things I change the most, as I don't find holding a button to change things to be a problem. The ergonomic change from a D3100 to a D90 was not something I valued. Incidentally, the ergonomic change from a D7000 to a D300s I didn't value either - they cost near the same (when I bought), the AF is a wash between them, D7000's sensor is nicer, D300s' body is nicer. You may be different. Go to a shop, try them out :)

As far as what you pay for in the bodies, Thom Hogan's reiews are excellent, becuse he provides the information you need to work out how much certain traits will matter to you. A "buy this" reccommendation is useless IMO. "Buy this if you value x, not if you value y" is much better.
 
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Dale_d3100 said:
I have a D90 I have access to, but I prefer the D3100 to handle and use.
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You may need to go and have a play with a D7000. The D90 and D7000 feel near identical in use so if you don't like the D90, you may be disappointed.
 
gad-westy said:
You may need to go and have a play with a D7000. The D90 and D7000 feel near identical in use so if you don't like the D90, you may be disappointed.
Click to expand...

There are differences. AF mode switching I find better on the D7000 (AF/M toggle, front/rear dial set mode and number of points), the Live view/video record toggle and button are the same as the D3100 (again, think it's better than D90, and the info menu behaves like the D3100 (brings up stuff to select on the rear screen that the D-pad selects. Between those, you almost never need to dig into menus. The D7000 also gets the D300's release mode for af (so you can choose between release priority or focus priority). The ISO button is still in the same terrible place though.
 
ausemmao said:
There are differences. AF mode switching I find better on the D7000 (AF/M toggle, front/rear dial set mode and number of points), the Live view/video record toggle and button are the same as the D3100 (again, think it's better than D90, and the info menu behaves like the D3100 (brings up stuff to select on the rear screen that the D-pad selects. Between those, you almost never need to dig into menus. The D7000 also gets the D300's release mode for af (so you can choose between release priority or focus priority). The ISO button is still in the same terrible place though.
Click to expand...

Yep, I meant in terms of physical proportions, what they're like to hold. They feel identical to me.
 
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