Ordered a D90

[bld44]

I finally decided it was time to upgrade from my D40 to something with a little more punch. The D40 has been a great camera, but I felt like I was being held back with lenses and was having some problems with the meter (especially after borrowing my Dad's D80 for a few weeks). Almost sprung for a D300, but realized it really wasn't worth it for the extra money considering the similarities of the two cameras. I can't wait for it to come in.

I also think I'll have to finally lay my hands on a Nikkor 50mm (undecided on the 1.4 or 1.8).

Anyone else bumped up from a D40 to D90? Sorry if there's not much to discuss, just excited and needed a place to vent!

 

[tejota1911]

I was in a similar situation. I had a D60, and upgraded to the D90. It is a great camera. I'm sure you'll love it. I was tempted by the D300 also, but decided to get the D90, and eventually move up to the D700 instead. My wife uses the D60 now, and it is great for her. I recently added the AF-S 50mm 1.4G, and it is awesome. I would highly recommend it. Enjoy your new camera!

 

[gkarris]

Actually, it was the D90 that made me not go with Nikon...

I was looking at the D40 and D60, they felt and the features were okay, but then the salesman let me hold the D90. He thought I'd go ahead and buy that instead, but that was sooooo waaaaay out of my price range. I no longer wanted the "lower end" Nikons at $600 and $700 (at the time).

Really nice camera. You'll like it...

 

[thunderweb]

I currently don't have a DSLR but I'm ordering my D90 this weekend

 

[bld44]

I currently don't have a DSLR but I'm ordering my D90 this weekend

Hopefully you have better luck finding them in stock online than I did. Although, I'm picky and won't order from all of those NY/NJ boutiques after a not-so-great experience (and I was looking for the body only). I ended up buying from abt.com, but have a few days to wait before it will ship.

Is there a big difference between the 50mm 1.4 and 1.8? I've been using the 18-200 f/3.5-5.6, which is a bit on the slow side compared to either of those lenses. The 1.8 is also quite a bit cheaper.

 

[thunderweb]

^ I don't know about getting the body only but I'm ordering mine from B&H here with the 18-105mm kit lens.

 

[tejota1911]

Is there a big difference between the 50mm 1.4 and 1.8? I've been using the 18-200 f/3.5-5.6, which is a bit on the slow side compared to either of those lenses. The 1.8 is also quite a bit cheaper.

I haven't used the 50mm 1.8, but it is probably close in performance to the 50mm 1.4G. The main reason I chose the 1.4G is because I wanted it to autofocus on my wife's D60.

 

[ariprotheroe]

I'm still in two minds about the D90.

I've a D80 at the moment, but really want GPS support to Geotag. Both the D90 and now D5000 have this. Although I was looking for HD video before I kind of like the video support now, but the video support on both looksa bit limited.

Where I was going to get a D90 earlier in the year but the price increased so I held off, now the D5000 has been released which has improvements in some areas over the D90. I'm now thinking, "why not wait a bit longer and get a D400" (the D300 replacement) which will probably have the flip screen of the D5000 but the pro features D90 and more (D300+) plus it will probably also do 1080p HD video and probably be less limited too than the D90/D5000

That my two cents

 

[steve-p]

I'm still in two minds about the D90.

I've a D80 at the moment, but really want GPS support to Geotag. Both the D90 and now D5000 have this. Although I was looking for HD video before I kind of like the video support now, but the video support on both looksa bit limited.

Where I was going to get a D90 earlier in the year but the price increased so I held off, now the D5000 has been released which has improvements in some areas over the D90. I'm now thinking, "why not wait a bit longer and get a D400" (the D300 replacement) which will probably have the flip screen of the D5000 but the pro features D90 and more (D300+) plus it will probably also do 1080p HD video and probably be less limited too than the D90/D5000

That my two cents

Same here regarding the GPS. I like my D80 but using a separate logger is becoming a chore keeping it fed with batteries on long trips, not to mention the extra workflow step to combine the logs with the raw images. The D90 and GP-1 combination appeal, except that I don't really see why the GPS can't easily be built into the camera. It really can't be that hard if you can fit the chipset and antenna inside a phone. I don't care either way about flip screens and video, but I'm inclined to wait until the D90 replacement which is a long way off yet, in the hope that it has inbuilt GPS. And as long as it still works with the 18-200mm VR zoom I use most of the time.

 

[Krikke68]

Same here regarding the GPS. I like my D80 but using a separate logger is becoming a chore keeping it fed with batteries on long trips, not to mention the extra workflow step to combine the logs with the raw images. The D90 and GP-1 combination appeal, except that I don't really see why the GPS can't easily be built into the camera. It really can't be that hard if you can fit the chipset and antenna inside a phone. I don't care either way about flip screens and video, but I'm inclined to wait until the D90 replacement which is a long way off yet, in the hope that it has inbuilt GPS. And as long as it still works with the 18-200mm VR zoom I use most of the time.

Watch out for the geotagging feature of the D90. I already read a lot of posts of disappointed users because they sometimes have to wait several minutes before the camera has a GPS lock.
Separate loggers have the same issue, but only at startup time, not for every photo you take.
I bought my D80 2 years ago and I'm pretty happy with it. For the geotagging I use my iPhone (check out GeoLogTag) because the workflow is pretty simple and I don't have to invest in extra hardware.

 

[seedster2]

I upgraded from a D40 to a D90 and loved all of the functionality and additional buttons. It is a great upgade with improved ISO performance, HD video, dedicated buttons, etc.

I just stepped up to a D700 today and I have to admit, I am already missing my D90.

Good luck with your new equipment.

Also, if you are going to spring for the 50 1.4, I would suggest going for the Sigma.

 

[steve-p]

For the geotagging I use my iPhone (check out GeoLogTag) because the workflow is pretty simple and I don't have to invest in extra hardware.

The problem with that is I only shoot RAW and there's no easy way of updating the EXIF GPS tags in RAW files. Aperture doesn't have good support for them anyway which is another issue for me, having moved from PSE on Windows earlier in the year. The simplest solution would be to get the tags written into the images by the camera at the time of taking the pictures so there's no additional work needed. However I wouldn't be surprised if the GP-1 isn't the best GPS device on the market. I guess it doesn't have to be, as there's not much direct competition for it right now. Maybe someone will reverse engineer the GP-1 and produce a third party equivalent.

 

[taylorwilsdon]

Skip the 50mm and get the 35mm f/1.8 imo. I have both (among others) and prefer the 35afs 99% of the time.

 

[rogersmj]

I too went from a D40 to a D90, about 5 months ago after having the D40 for a year. What a difference! I shoot every day now and love doing it, whereas I really had been feeling limited and frustrated with my D40. Enjoy your D90!

Oh and the 50mm f/1.8 is the best $100 you can spend...it almost never comes off my camera!

 

[mcorf]

Got my D90 about 2 weeks ago. It came with the 18-105, but I am using the Nikon 18-200 and the 35mm-1.8 and love it.

 

[aaronw1986]

The problem with that is I only shoot RAW and there's no easy way of updating the EXIF GPS tags in RAW files. Aperture doesn't have good support for them anyway which is another issue for me, having moved from PSE on Windows earlier in the year. The simplest solution would be to get the tags written into the images by the camera at the time of taking the pictures so there's no additional work needed. However I wouldn't be surprised if the GP-1 isn't the best GPS device on the market. I guess it doesn't have to be, as there's not much direct competition for it right now. Maybe someone will reverse engineer the GP-1 and produce a third party equivalent.

Third party GPS

 

[canonguy]

The 50mm lenses are great portrait lenses, But you may find them limited for general use. I prefer a good macro–zoom...much more versatile.

 

[NinjaMonkey]

I have the 50mm f1.8 for my D90 and its a great lens for the price. However if it had been released when I bought my D90 I would have gone with the 35mm f1.8.

For indoors where I really want the speed of a f1.8 lens 35mm would work much better on a crop sensor.

 

[bld44]

I ended up buying a 50mm f1.4 a few weeks ago. Couldn't have been happier

 

[darrellishere]

I've bought a D90 with a 35m 1.8.

I'm a bit disappointed with both for two reasons.

The 35m suffers from CB almost in every shot. It's also a very limiting on the focal length.

Secondly the D90!

I perviously had a D70 + 50m shooting in RAW.

At a 100% crop, I loved the quality of the images. Some how the noise looked very good to the eye and more like film grain!

Then I moved over to Canon with the 450D and discovered that essence of the image was lost.

Moving on now, sold the 450D for a D90 expecting the same 100% crop image quality that I missed.

Well with the D90 the image's at 100% look more like jpg's from my old 2001 sony camera, horrible pixilation, with weird artifacts, which I assume is the noise produced by the cemos sensor.

People refer to the CCD in the D70 & D80 as inferior and a point and shoot, but I some how think we are also loosing some of the Nikon image characteristics with the cmos sensor?

"I also recordnise their are benefits such as much better high iso etc."

Anyone else notice a difference in image IQ.

 

[aaronw1986]

I've bought a D90 with a 35m 1.8.

I'm a bit disappointed with both for two reasons.

The 35m suffers from CB almost in every shot. It's also a very limiting on the focal length.

Secondly the D90!

I perviously had a D70 + 50m shooting in RAW.

At a 100% crop, I loved the quality of the images. Some how the noise looked very good to the eye and more like film grain!

Then I moved over to Canon with the 450D and discovered that essence of the image was lost.

Moving on now, sold the 450D for a D90 expecting the same 100% crop image quality that I missed.

Well with the D90 the image's at 100% look more like jpg's from my old 2001 sony camera, horrible pixilation, with weird artifacts, which I assume is the noise produced by the cemos sensor.

People refer to the CCD in the D70 & D80 as inferior and a point and shoot, but I some how think we are also loosing some of the Nikon image characteristics with the cmos sensor?

"I also recordnise their are benefits such as much better high iso etc."

Anyone else notice a difference in image IQ.

Something sounds way off with your D90.

 

[Zion21]

I too am really interested in the D90 but I want to make sure im getting the best deal possible so Im abit skeptical of the D90 right now. One of you should write us a review though

.

 

[aaronw1986]

I too am really interested in the D90 but I want to make sure im getting the best deal possible so Im abit skeptical of the D90 right now. One of you should write us a review though

.

Plenty of reviews on newegg and amazon.

 

[ChrisA]

Moving on now, sold the 450D for a D90 expecting the same 100% crop image quality that I missed.

AAt 100% blowup the camer with the higher megapixel rating will look the worst. Seems counter intuitive but it's true.

What happens is that your monitor is not big enough to show the entire image so what you see is a small crop out of the center. The higher the resolution of the camera the smaller the little patch of the center you can see at 100% So of course your 6MP SLRs looked better ay 100%. Because 100% is a lower magnification level on the D70 than is 100% on the D90. Same for a P&S.

Basically looking at an image at 100% is pointless unless you are editing in Photoshop.

The ONLY valid way to judge image quality is to make a print at a "normal" size and view it from a "normal" distance. Nothing else matters.

 

[Jupi]

Got my D90 about 2 weeks ago. It came with the 18-105, but I am using the Nikon 18-200 and the 35mm-1.8 and love it.

Coincidentally I purchased D90 with 18-200 and 35/1.8G about 3 weeks ago. Love the camera and both lenses, especially the versatility of the combination (zoom lens and a prime). I use 18-200 when there's plenty of light and 35/1.8G in low light conditions or when trying to achieve a nice blurred background.
I got 50/1.8D first, but found the lens is somewhat noisy (sound) and tricky to use (it would stop autofocusing for no apparent reason and the only way to make it autofocus again is to power-off/on the camera.)