The D90 replacement will be the D7000 and it should be announced on Sept 15. It's up to YOU whether that means you should wait or not. The price of the D7000 is expected to be more expensive than the the current D90.

I think this thread has run it's course and should be retired now.

As tempted as I am by the D7000, I think if I were in your situation -- this isn't exactly your first DSLR, and you've already got some of your equipment -- I'd jump on it. As long as you know this person and have a pretty good idea of how well they've cared for it, there doesn't seem to be much of a downside, unless the features of the 7000 are things you really need.

Hello everyone, nice forum by the way. Ok I am in the same situation, is September 2010 and nothing yet about the replacement for the D90 (D8000 maybe), I sold my lovely D80 and I don't feel quite comfortable with the 3100 or the 5000 I think the 3100 is a good camera (1080P) but I don't know. I can get the D90 or the D3100 but no clue.
Somebody id offering me a 6 months old D90 with 9k clicks for $450.00 I think it works for that price why you guys think, I have the grip and the sb600 and the lenses.

If you're happy with the d50 why upgrade? I doubt the price of the d90 will drop more than it already has. whats more likely is that stock just drys up. Thats whats happened in the past.

Here's a slightly different take on this question: After checking out the various models, I want to purchase a D90. In the meantime, my D50 is fine, and I don't need to have the latest model. Is it worth waiting a couple of months for the D90 replacement in order to see bigger price drops on the D90? What does Nikon generally do when a new body comes out--drop the price on the old model, or take it off the market?

I also do not want to be in the filed with big wild brown bears and a very heavy camera system. I'd take the current D90 or a D300 or D300S for field use. DX has its advantages. Butterflies are best within 30 ft., wild Brown Bears are a whole different story and my 70-300VR just plain does not look the same on a Nikon D700 FX so in that case i am going to use the D90 or D300 type body with that single great field lens....the Nikkor 70-300VR. Also if I am in a spot where the eagles or bears are not moving towards me (or going away) the D90 video looks very good. I just make sure I get a prefocus before switching to Live View because at that point your exposure bias and focus are not going to change. All in all this makes the current D90 look like a good to go unit and waiting for a replacement looks less attractive.

Guys like already said keep the discussion on "D90 or wait?" topic. The OP wasn't asking about lenses for wildlife or the D3 and D3X.

For wildlife, butterflies, etc. the standard D90 available now is about as good as say a D300 or D300s. I'd use any of these cameras with the 70-300VR lens. For butterflies you'd better be within say 30 feet. I use nothing on the lens in terms of converters (which I DO NOT believe in). When D90 gets replaced (hopefully soon) there will be a period when that too is overpriced. Just a simple fact and we who buy Nikons have to accept this. Given all of this if I had to add one more camera to our present fleet for our company where without images no one knows who we are or what we do.....I would buy one more D90. I wouldn't wait if we needed an additional camera. I tried a Canon T2i and felt the video was slightly better than the D90 but I did not like the camera for still at all compared to the present D90. To SquamishPhoto: My work crew guys are saving their wrists for racing and a whole lot of other macho activities. Last time I was at a pro football game I thought the pro photographers sure had been smart to stay out of the game themselves as they didn't look up to much in the sports business. It also seemed like a case of hero worship. Fact is heavy lenses are either more productive or THEY GO!!! Same for cameras. I avoid the Nikon D3s and D3x due to price and for field use they are pretty big.

Guys like already said keep the discussion on "D90 or wait?" topic. The OP wasn't asking about lenses for wildlife.

DaveyJ said:
My crew refer to the heavier (some think as more professional) lens as wrist breakers!

Im shooting the AF 300mm 2.8 It weighs 2.7kg My right elbow is 5 weeks out from surgery to have a pin put in to heal a fracture and I've managed to get out and photograph my friends climbing. I didn't even bring my monopod. Pretty relaxing day overall, apart from the hour long uphill approach. Your friends must have really frail wrists. ;]

Very interesting indeed DaveyJ. Not least of all because I have the 18-105VR and 70-300VR.

When you shoot butterflies (an interest of mine) with the 70-300 do you use any kind of accessory on the end of the lens?

A note on wildlife photography with Nikon DSLRs. I have used Nikon and even medium and large format for years. Wildlife photos for me and my crew shooting with our company cameras have had the decidedly best LUCK but also very good wildlife images with the Nikkor 70-300 lens. Still to date the biggest show stoppers have been with the 70-300 Nikkor without VR. We own three of those. For the last almost two years though I shoot wildlife, butterfies, etc. with a Nikkor 70-300VR. I have owned and used much bigger (and much more expensive) Nikkor glass. Yet due to portability and all the 70-300s even back with Nikon F5s and film days the 70-300s have been THE lens. I do prefer the VR version. The 70-300s I own without VR are no longer sold by Nikon. The non VR versions are about half the size and weight of the newer VR. If I am in a hazardous setting where the camera can get drowned or crashed I still use the 70-300 Nikkor, not the VR. I own 18-105VR, 18-200VR (which stays on my D90 in the field with me) when I am shooting a D300 with the 70-300VR. I do NOT attempt to shoot wildlife with less than the 18-200VR simply as it will not pull in an animal. Wild Turkeys, Whitetail Deer, Brown Bears, even songbirds are NOT going to let you get that close. My crew refer to the heavier (some think as more professional) lens as wrist breakers! They always reach for the 70-300s! They think the 70-300VR as the single BEST wildlife lens ever made for the REAL DEAL. I am not shooting with tripods on platforms like some wildlife photo pros are.

It's not. What I was trying to say was that I didn't see any interesting wildlife, and would have liked a wider lens to shoot the landscape instead.

Point taken on the threadjack... sorry about that.

I don't understand how 105mm is better for wildlife photography then 300mm? But anyway um this thread is supposed to be about buying the D90 or waiting for it's replacement so let's not hijack it into a lens/software/ accessory check list. Do a forum search as there have been discussions on which accessories to buy etc.

Well, I went out to a nature preserve today, and absent any interesting wildlife, I wasn't able to get many decent photos of the scenery due to the limitations of the telephoto lens. When I got home, I'd received some of the funds I've been expecting, so I wasted no time.

[Edited (topic for another thread)]

Dang that was fast

18-105 on it's way!

Well, if it's just for playing around with, lightroom 2 is enough. The best thing about LR3 is the noise reduction. You should download the trial and see what you think.

I've got Lightroom 2.7 at the moment, but it sounds like it'd be worth my while to get version 3 if that's the case.

The 18-105 is the one I've had my eye on, I've heard good things from a friend who uses it as his main lens. I'm going to start looking for deals.

You can't see noise at that size, Scott (or I can't, anyway). It looks like a pretty good first day to me.

About the second lens, the 18-105 VR is my suggestion. Do you have LR3? The 18-105 is not currently in the lens corrections database, but when adobe includes a way to download new profiles, that lens will be even better than it is now (it's very good now).

Thanks Jonny... I thought it would be bbCode instead of HTML.

Don't worry, it won't be long before I get a wider lens. 2 weeks at the most, and I'll grab something for sure. I'm liking the VR feature, so whatever I get will probably be one that supports it.

With that shot, I was zoomed to 300mm with the Raynox DCR250 clipped on, focused at minimum distance, 1/20 sec at f/5.6 and ISO 1000, lit with the track lighting in my kitchen. No tripod, just steadied the lens barrel with my hand against the counter. The only adjustment I made was to the color temp. in Lightroom.

In case anyone wants to see a few more shots I took on my first day out, I was also testing Lightroom's gallery feature and setup a test at: http://www.neutrinorecords.com/images/lightroomtestgallery/ . Some of the images have some noise, because I accidentally left it set on too high a shutter speed for several shots and had to correct quite a bit after the fact.

@b00m3rang: Glad you liked my little review. I guess I should get back onto my ol website and put up a few more articles I have been meaning to do...

What were the settings to get that picture of the quarter?

b00m3rang said:
Just found this site and this post through Google while researching my options, and I want to thank everyone for your experienced opinions on the topic. I decided to go ahead and get the D90, and I don't think I'll regret it even if a new model does come out soon. I can already tell it's a great camera that gives me a lot to work with.

Thanks to this site, I got in on the very last day of Nikon's lens rebate program, so I opted for the 70-300 f/4.5-5.6 VR lens at a $200 discount. I plan to pick up the 18-105mm for the wider shots, as soon as I scrounge up the change for it. Considering that discount, it'll be almost a 2 for 1 deal.

Extra thanks to heartyfisher for the review of the Ranyox DCR250. It even fits on my 70-300mm, being that it takes 67mm filters. Here's the level of magnification that it gives you on this lens, the photo is not cropped, shot handheld:

[IMG]http://www.neutrinorecords.com/images/lightroomtestgallery/content/bin/images/large/_DSC0084.jpg[/IMG]

(Anyone know what I'm doing wrong with the bbCode?)

Why not pick up an 18-55mm VR to tide you over in the mean time. They are pretty cheap.

Or skip the 18-105mm and get a nice solid 18-70mm. No VR but a solid lens.

At least get the 50mm f/1.8D for $100.

Welcome and good luck to you, boomerang.

Nice shot, BTW. It should look like this to get it to show up:
<img src="http://www.neutrinorecords.com/images/lightroomtestgallery/content/bin/images/large/_DSC0084.jpg" />

I'd be scrounging hard for that wider angle lens. I know it made sense in this case with the rebate, but I'd feel seriously limited if 70mm was my shortest focal length.

Just found this site and this post through Google while researching my options, and I want to thank everyone for your experienced opinions on the topic. I decided to go ahead and get the D90, and I don't think I'll regret it even if a new model does come out soon. I can already tell it's a great camera that gives me a lot to work with.

Thanks to this site, I got in on the very last day of Nikon's lens rebate program, so I opted for the 70-300 f/4.5-5.6 VR lens at a $200 discount. I plan to pick up the 18-105mm for the wider shots, as soon as I scrounge up the change for it. Considering that discount, it'll be almost a 2 for 1 deal.

Extra thanks to heartyfisher for the review of the Ranyox DCR250. It even fits on my 70-300mm, being that it takes 67mm filters. Here's the level of magnification that it gives you on this lens, the photo is not cropped, shot handheld:

[IMG]http://www.neutrinorecords.com/images/lightroomtestgallery/content/bin/images/large/_DSC0084.jpg[/IMG]

(Anyone know what I'm doing wrong with the bbCode?)