Forget it, sold it already and donated money to my N400/2.8 found:)

adamz said:

not everyone is sleeping on green pillows (stuffed with $100 bills)

You're right, I sleep on a Vividus bed with Eiderdown pillows :^)

adamz said:

niko - have to disagree with You (for the first time I guess :))

That's it! I want the other half of my BFF bracelet I gave you back!

the solution is simple - get d90 body from official retailer, and get the lens from craig's

niko - have to disagree with You (for the first time I guess :)), not everyone is sleeping on green pillows (stuffed with $100 bills) and sometimes getting a loan on Your equipment is the only one way to get it - it's much easier to pay it month by month than to save some money on monthly basis

I disagree Unitymind. Unless you make a living with your gear any camera you buy is just a luxury you don't actually NEED. A camera/lens you buy with a loan is going to cost you more than if you had just bought it cash up front.

As for DX lenses, I no longer recommend them to anyone. FX for the win! :^)

...ever try to sell off those DX kit lenses? I have a brand new 55-200DX VR that people want me to give to them instead of paying for it, complete joke. Best offer so far $100 over 3 weeks - I said I want $150 firm and they laugh and hang up. I just sold 85MM non-d for $300 - paid $150 like a year ago. The 24-70MM 2.8 pays for itself in the end by holding it's value vs time used in the field - the $300 off instant rebate won't hurt either with a D300s combo.

Loan, all depends on what rate you get, if you are responsible, and if you want to make a payment. Not many buy a car for cash and that is a worse investment than a lens any day. If you like photography getting the best body/lens out of the gate that you like saves you a lot money in the long run.

Check Craig's list for camera bags - a D90 and a few kit DX will fit in anything like a Geneva camcorder bag, padded all over and cost me $5.

Good luck - you can't go wrong with the D90 and the kit 18-105 VR and/or a 35MM, 50MM prime - it is a great combo!

I've got my D90 in a Kata H-14. It's a well-protected bag, looks good and is relatively small. Has a cover for the elements.

If You are starting with dslr, there's no reasonable idea of getting a d300 and 24-70/2.8; it's same stuff with photography that's with cars - You need to know how to drive a sports car in order to get benefits from it.

NikoDoby said:
Don't spend money that you don't have. Unless you make a living off your camera gear, getting a loan for a camera is a bad idea.

Although your own finances are your own business, I can't emphasize this enough.

Don't spend money that you don't have. Unless you make a living off your camera gear, getting a loan for a camera is a bad idea. Especially for "just" a D90 or D300. After interest you'd be paying more than if you had just saved up.

If I did it again - take out a loan for 1 year and buy a D90/D300s with a 24-70 2.8. Get $300 off this until May 1st if you buy a 300s and 24-70 2.8 :) -- the rebate program is the best time to buy any of these things. Knocking off the lens depreciation right out the door is nice. Ever get in a bind you can sell it years down the road at what you paid for it. I would look on Craig's list as well. Lots of people who bought the D90 with kit only to never use it because they have no idea what to do with it and go back to a point and shoot.

I have the D90 with kit lens - it is a great lens but once you borrow/buy/rent a 2.8 or a 1.4 they all suck in comparison. But if you are like me one can desire a red Italian sports car or just get the Toyota Yaris and tint the windows...;)

I got the Lowepro Nova 170 AW. I think it would be just the right size for what you want. Has an all weather cover. I fit my wires/charger on one side, camera in the middle and other lens on the other side.

If You are getting the camera from BH than take a look at used bags - there were some lowepro bags on sale (brand new old models)

That's a pretty sweet deal. If you have no issue with buying it now rather then waiting for the replacement then go for it!

I've used my gear in some pretty dirty places (sand, dirt, mud, etc.) and have never had a lens problem without a filter.

Good luck

Thank you to everyone for their feedback! It's much appreciated.

That's an interesting note about prices, NikoDoby. Very useful to know! Means I'll probably go ahead a purchase it now instead of waiting.

The consensus I'm getting is that the kit lens is decent quality optics for the price -- that's great! I've used the lens in question before, and been relatively happy with it. Some people had posted issues about chromatic aberration, and softness before (though I couldn't really see any)...so I was just checking to see what my other options were.

B&H has the 18-105mm kit on sale for $1,030 at the moment. It's cheaper than amazon's, and I trust the packaging and customer service more.

As far as the protective filter goes, I know it will degrade the optics a bit. I certainly won't be using it all the time, but sometimes I get commissioned to do work on construction sites...and I'd rather not ruin a $300 lens with dirt and foam.

Interesting notes about the bags as well guys. I'll look around and see what my options are.

Thanks for your help everyone!

totally agree with Niko. . .

that said, I'd say for $769 + a $200 35 1.8 DX lens, you'll have an amazing starter body + prime that can suit your day to day needs.

If you don't want the kit lens.

I would personally skip the kit lens and start with the 35 1.8 DX and possibly add in a telephoto zoom and a wide angle zoom (so a 12-24 or 11-16 for the wide end and a 55-200/70-300 for the long end). . .(Down the line). .

Bag wise, your most "inconspicuous" choice would be a Domke F3x (http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00009R88D/?tag=jadeboxstore-20)

however, that doesn't give much padding. If you're REALLY into padding, then I would suggest a Lowepro toploader or some sort of variant thereof.

I've heard good things about Tenba.

I use my 7 Million Dollar Crumpler when I travel and need a shoulder bag that is padded and airplane proof.

I have too many bags to be honest, lol. I use a Kata backpack for travel and couple that with my Domke for day trips. I use the crumpler as a substitute for that. And finally a lowepro for local shoots that call for a big 70-200 2.8.

confirm what Niko wrote, get d90 + 18-105 lens, add Sandisk Extreme Pro card and a nice Lowepro, Thinktank or Kata bag. As for filters... unless You are willing to spend around $60&up on Your filter than don't bother with them, also don't bother if the price of the filter is more than 10% of the price of the lens.

Hello anensiblesame and welcome to the forum.

1. I doubt the price will fall any further than it already has. When a new model shows up the D90 will just be harder to find. That is what has happened in the past. The older models are just sold off along side the new model until they are no longer available.

2. If you want something in the 18-105 range then why not get the D90 18-105 kit package? You are not going to get "good" glass for that price. Unless you buy used which I wouldn't recommend for your first "kit" lens. Just buy it all together new.

3. Camera bags are no big deal. You can save money and just go and buy something cheap and big enough to hold all your stuff. The only thing I do suggest is that you NOT get something with a camera brand logo on it. Something that says NIKON or SONY, etc. You don't want to advertise to thieves.

Currently the D90 with 18-105 lens kit is selling for $1099USD on amazon.com
Don't worry about buying a filter, I personally don't use them on my lenses- unless you go for a super expensive filter they hurt image quality. And just get a good memory card and a cheap camera bag.

I'm seriously thinking about purchasing a D90. B&H is currently selling D90 bodies for $769.95, so I figured it might be a good time to go for it. That said, I have a few questions:

1) Assuming that a successor for the D90 is announced this fall -- not a guarantee I know -- approximately how big of a price drop should I expect? (i.e. Is it worth waiting to save some money? No point in waiting for 6 months in order to save $50).

2) I've been told that the kit lenses are mediocre at best. Any suggestions for good lenses? I'm looking for something in the 18-105mm range, but I'm flexible. That said, I'd prefer not to spend more than about $200-$275 on it.

3) Any suggestions on good camera bags? Looking for something that is sturdy, has good padding/protection (foam?), and is reasonably water resistant. I'd prefer a smaller bag, just enough to hold the camera body, and decent size lens, and the battery charger.

I'm looking to purchase a D90 body, one decent lens, a camera bag, a UV/Protection filter, and an 8GB SDHC card. All in all I'd like to spend around $1150. Is this feasible, or am I being unreasonable? How can I make my money go the farthest.

Thanks in advance for your help!