sell my d5000 and get a D90?

rampanthamster

rampanthamster

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hi all, i'm giving thought to selling off my d5000 and getting a d90. I have 2 main reasons for wanting to do this:

- d5000 doesn't have a shutter release priority mode, meaning a proper 'back button focusing' method is just not possible. This has become a pretty big niggle for me as i think this system would suit me down to the ground.

- d5000 doesn't have an inbuilt af motor which means i'm limited with lens choice and af-s lenses that i do buy are more expensive than their af counterparts.

Is this a wise move...i reckon i could get £300-350 for the d5000 and perhaps £200-225 for my tamron 17-50 and then use that for a D90 and stick with my 35mm prime and get another lens as well in the future..

any thoughts? Would it be a good upgrade for other reasons? Perhaps those reasons aren't really good enough and i should stick with it for another 6 months or a year and see what's what then?
 
If those reasons are good for you then its a good reason to upgrade. Not sure what lenses you need that are not AFS though... but D90 is a very good camera.
 
thanks, it's not that there are necessarily particular lenses that i would want that aren't af-s, but it's just that the choice would be much greater, particularly second hand (a nifty fifty for ~£70 for example)

any way, a friend has a d90 (edit: actually he only has a d80) so i can borrow his for a couple of days to help make my mind up. They aren't that expensive second hand, relatively. There seem to be a few on the bay with only a several thousand shutter count...reckon i can get a decent deal. :)

any way, any input appreciated.
 
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Errr, as a D90 owner I could be missing something but I don't think the D90 does back button focusing...
 
Nawty said:
Errr, as a D90 owner I could be missing something but I don't think the D90 does back button focusing...
Click to expand...


ack...really? spanner in the works time!!!! :shrug:

can't you program the AF-L/AE-L button to be AF-ON? And then can you recompose and continue to shoot once focus is set with af-on, without having to refocus?
 
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Yes, you can ;-)
 
rampanthamster said:
can't you program the AF-L/AE-L button to be AF-ON? And then can you recompose and continue to shoot once focus is set with af-on, without having to refocus?
Click to expand...

can't you do that on the D5000

gone to RTFM......:exit:
........................................................

D5000 by David Busch...page 129..............AE-L/AF-L button can be assigned .....what you looking for.....,?
 
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Yardbent said:
can't you do that on the D5000

gone to RTFM......:exit:
........................................................

D5000 by David Busch...page 129..............AE-L/AF-L button can be assigned .....what you looking for.....,?
Click to expand...

It can't do it to the full extent required due to it not having a shutter priority release mode. The problem is trying to achieve a focus lock and then recomposing.

Here's the other thread where it was discussed.
 
^ what he said basically :)

so does the d90 DEFINITELY 100% have a shutter priority release mode? Because that, coupled with the internal motor and the array of good deals on ebay at the minute are probably enough to make me make the change..
 
rampanthamster said:
....any way, a friend has a d90 so i can borrow his for a couple of days to help make my mind up..
Click to expand...

rampanthamster said:
^ what he said basically :)

so does the d90 DEFINITELY 100% have a shutter priority release mode?..
Click to expand...

:thinking: Dont get me wrong but - didn't your friend know or couldn't you try all this out on his D90 :shrug: :coat: :exit:
 
rampanthamster said:
so does the d90 DEFINITELY 100% have a shutter priority release mode? Because that, coupled with the internal motor and the array of good deals on ebay at the minute are probably enough to make me make the change..
Click to expand...

Yes it does, in AF-C mode.

My D90 is set to AF-C and the AE-L/AF-L button set to AF-ON. The camera continually focuses as long as the back button is pressed, but stops when released. When the shutter release is pressed, the shutter fires whether focus is achieved or not. Half pressing the shutter button activates metering, but not focus, in this mode.
 
rampanthamster said:
....d5000 doesn't have a shutter release priority mode, meaning a proper 'back button focusing' method is just not possible.
Click to expand...

I was using 'back button focusing' from day one with my D5000 and had no problems.

I prefer the motor in the lens, because if the motor goes in the lens, the lens goes back and I can still use the camera, if you send your camera back then no toggin till it comes back.

If you are thinking about the D90 and are asking for advice on here then you must be pretty sure you want a new camera. I have been there and got myself a D300s, but if I had not got it then I would still now be regretting it and probably be p!ssed off because I didn't get it :lol:.

But if like me you have really made up your mind to get a new camera I can assure you that until you get it you wont settle.

I have not regretted getting the D300s and have enjoyed my photography more since I bought it.
 
thanks for confirming that mike!

martin...yeah, you're reading me like a book to be honest. I know once i get an idea like this in my head, that it's unlikely to go away. Unfortunately the d300s is a bit beyond my price range at the minute, insofar as i can't really justify buying one.
 
rampanthamster said:
thanks for confirming that mike!

martin...yeah, you're reading me like a book to be honest. I know once i get an idea like this in my head, that it's unlikely to go away. Unfortunately the d300s is a bit beyond my price range at the minute, insofar as i can't really justify buying one.
Click to expand...

I know exactly what its like, I can be a right miserable git till I get what I want :lol:.

The main reason I got the D300s was because of the faster AF as I photograph mostly rugby union.

When you do change....NOT IF....when, I think you will enjoy your photography more.
 
The only way I can achive this on my D5000 is to...

Assign the AE-L Button to AF-ON, Press the AE-L button to focus on the subject, keep this pressed down the move/recompose and press the shutter button.

Though you probably know that, so not much help..

:)
 
rampanthamster said:
thanks twitch - but doesn't work in af-c mode which i much prefer :)
Click to expand...

Indeed in AF-C mode you just have to set AF-L to AF lock, then use the shutter button to focus and then press and keep the AE-L button pressed then you can recompose and shot.
You could allways have a bit of sellotape handy to stick on the AE-L button :bonk:
 
twitch said:
The only way I can achive this on my D5000 is to...

Assign the AE-L Button to AF-ON, Press the AE-L button to focus on the subject, keep this pressed down the move/recompose and press the shutter button.

Though you probably know that, so not much help..

:)
Click to expand...

The problem with this method is that the D5000 then tries to refocus after the first frame is fired which is pointless because you've recomposed since focus lock was originally achieved. So, it's going to try and focus on something else! :bonk:
 
jomike said:
Yes it does, in AF-C mode.

My D90 is set to AF-C and the AE-L/AF-L button set to AF-ON. The camera continually focuses as long as the back button is pressed, but stops when released. When the shutter release is pressed, the shutter fires whether focus is achieved or not. Half pressing the shutter button activates metering, but not focus, in this mode.
Click to expand...

That's the crucial bit the D5000 won't do when configured in a similar fashion.
 
DigitalRelish said:
The problem with this method is that the D5000 then tries to refocus after the first frame is fired which is pointless because you've recomposed since focus lock was originally achieved. So, it's going to try and focus on something else! :bonk:
Click to expand...

As long as I keep the AE-L Button pressed, it will not try and re-focus no matter where I point the camera
 
Here's what I've just done to test on my D5000:

AF-S, back-button set to AF-ON.
1) I press and hold back-button to focus on a subject using centre focus point,
2) recompose (focus lock is still maintained)
3) press shutter release button to shoot a frame,
4) camera immediately tries to refocus on whatever is under the centre focus point.

Obviously, in AF-C mode there's no focus lock maintained when recomposing. It just tries to continuously focus on whatever's under the centre focus point.
 
In AF-C mode, I can shoot as many as I like as long as I have kept the AE-L button pressed from the First focus.
Though the pain being you have to keep the AE-L pressed.

Edit..

Only works in AF-C mode
 
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twitch said:
In AF-C mode, I can shoot as many as I like as long as I have kept the AE-L button pressed from the First focus.
Though the pain being you have to keep the AE-L pressed.

Edit..

Only works in AF-C mode
Click to expand...

In this scenario, what function have you got your back-button assigned to? Is it AF-ON? If so and you're in AF-C mode, then why doesn't your D5000 continuously try to focus when you're holding down the back-button? That's what it should do, if your back button is assigned to AF-ON.
 
My AE-L button is assigned to AF lock only, in AF-C Mode
So Focus by pressing the shutter button when focused press and hold the AE-L Button, then you can let go of shutter button and move and take as many shots as you like providing the AE-L button is never released
 
So what is this shutter priority release mode and what's it good for ?
 
twitch said:
My AE-L button is assigned to AF lock only, in AF-C Mode
So Focus by pressing the shutter button when focused press and hold the AE-L Button, then you can let go of shutter button and move and take as many shots as you like providing the AE-L button is never released
Click to expand...

Ah, yes. This is the 'workaround' method for not having a properly functioning back-button focusing mode i.e. removing AF from the shutter release button and assigning it to the back-button. One of the reasons why the OP is considering the D90.
 
TheCrewDesigns said:
So what is this shutter priority release mode and what's it good for ?
Click to expand...

It just means that the camera will release the shutter when you press the shutter release button whether you have achieved focus or not.

Focus priority release, on the other hand, will only release the shutter when you press the shutter release button if you have achieved focus.
 
DigitalRelish said:
It just means that the camera will release the shutter when you press the shutter release button whether you have achieved focus or not.

Focus priority release, on the other hand, will only release the shutter when you press the shutter release button if you have achieved focus.
Click to expand...


Ahh yes I have heard of that, thanks
 
little update to this thread...sure enough, i succumbed to the 'pressure' and have just ordered myself a nikon d90 with kit lens. Toyed with the idea of going second hand, but decided against it and found what i think is a pretty good deal on ebay for the kit (just under 670) - that way i get the warranty etc.

Should hopefully be with me on friday. Just wondering now if i should sell my tamron 17-50 2.8 non vc lens which i could probably get 220 for....Don't think i can justify having the 18-105 AND the 17-50 tamron right now...especially as i would like to add a nice wide angle 12-24 or something to my bag!

also, is it worth getting a 'nifty fifty' (~75 ebay) if i already have a 35mm 1.8? :)
 
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Set either zoom lens at 50mm and see if you like the length and then decide if you want a fast lens of that length. Personally for general shooting I much prefer my 35mm 1.8 to my 50mm 1.8 but the nifty does have its uses. You pays your money...

For a walkabout lens I like the extra reach the 18-105 gives me over a 18-50mm-ish range and use the 35mm (or bounce flash) for indoors so I'd chop the 17-50.

Actually, you'd be much better off spending £70ish on a 2nd hand SB400 - once you've used bounce flash you'll never want to go back.
 
cool...never really considered flash to be honest. I don't even really know what 'bounced flash' even is in detail. I suspect i will sell the tamron really
 
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