Upgrade from Nikon D60 - is D90 a good choice?

[Daysleeper40]

Hi All,

I got my Nikon D60 nearly four years ago and having just got a bit of a bonus at work I have decided it is time for an upgrade. I am also looking to add a dedicated macro lens to my set up so for the camera body I have a budget of £400 max to spend and I am happy to buy second hand from a reputable seller.

When I got my D60 the camera I really coveted was the Nikon D90 so my natural instinct is to look for a second hand D90 - but I'm not sure if this is a good choice still. I'll be honest, I'm not all that up to date with the different models on offer. Could anyone make a couple of suggestions that would be within budget please?

The specific issues I have with my D60 are that it only has three focus points, not very good performance at higher ISO settings (tbh I never go above 200 now) and the obvious no focus motor in the body. I know even the entry level Nikons probably resolve at least two of these issues now but I am generally looking for a step up now.

I don't know if this makes any difference but the rest of my kit consists of:

Original Kit lens - never used now tbh.
AF-S Nikon 55-200 VR
AF-S Nikon 70-300 VR
AF-S 35mm F/1.8
Nikon SB-600 Flash
Raynow close up lenses - soon to be replaced by a dedicated macro lens

Possibly a particular body is a better match with the rest of my kit than the D90 would be? I particularly enjoy wildlife, zoo and macro photography. I am quite a small female with teeny tiny hands too so probably wouldn't do well with a very large / heavy camera body.

Thanks in advance for any help

 

[sep9001]

I moved from a D80 to a D90 due to better low light photos from the D90 compared to the D80. Like the D90 and am happy with it.

Due to your budget I would say yes, go for the D90 battery unless you can save up and go for a D7000.

 

[dan_yorkshire]

I made exactly the same move two years ago and the step up was pretty considerable.

The ISO is by no means amazing compared to pro bodies but is very capable and that along was worth the step up.

The main thing though was having the controls at your fingertips rather than having to dive into the menus.

I'm just about to upgrade my D90 for a D7000 for another step up in ISO for use in churches/poorly lit venues as my second body.

 

[Daysleeper40]

Thank you both - looks like D90 is still a good option then. I could stretch to the D7000 if I didn't want a macro lens - but I do!!

 

[Nikon_Nick]

There's a cheap D90 in the classifieds at the moment :0) Also, don't forget you could also pick up a used D300 for less than your £400 budget.