D90 or D5000? « Nikon Rumors Forum

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D90 or D5000?

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GabrielWolff

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While wondering which of the above mentioned cameras I should buy, I've read through quite a lot discussions, like this one: http://nikonrumors.com/forum/topic.php?id=456

Comparing those two, I guess can be narrowed to: focus motor in body and easier access to functions in the D90 case.

I take a lot of portraits. While doing this, I talk to the people and I noticed people are more relaxed when I don't have a black box stuck to my right eye - so I chose to buy the D5000, which has the vari-angle screen.

Still I'm not quite sure I made the right decision.

Could you just brainstormingly post ANY comment you have on this issue and help me change my mind or feel better with my decision?

Posted 3 years ago #
NikoDoby

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If YOU like it and it's comfortable for how YOU use it, who cares what we think ;^)

However I personally like the D5000

Posted 3 years ago #
adamz

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doesn't matter which camera You got if You are satisfied with it's performance - as for IQ in this case only lens matters

Posted 3 years ago #
jonnyapple

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Gabriel, the D90 is probably the best value out there right now. For portraits, you probably want to get the focus screw so you can use autofocus with some of the beautiful primes Nikon has (50mm and 85mm to name a couple). My recommendation is either D90 and 50 f/1.8 ($800 for the D90 and $140 for the 50mm) or if you have a little more money, get the 18-105 VR in addition to the 50, maybe in a kit with the D90. If you only have $800, just get the D90 body only and no lenses—the menu system is actually pretty fun to navigate even if you can't take pictures with the camera.

(I was joking there at the end.)

Posted 3 years ago #
GabrielWolff

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Nonono, I didn't yet buy it. I decided, but obviously not firmly enough to actually take out my credit card and get the camera.

I AM STILL CAMERALESS.

Considering taking portraits the most important function, because some of my income comes from it, and low-light conditions a factor, as I am a musician and shoot a lot of concerts, is there a good reason to go for the D90 and not the D5000?

Posted 3 years ago #
jonnyapple

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I would just add that I wouldn't plan on using live view autofocus as a rule with either camera.

Posted 3 years ago #
jonnyapple

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GabrielWolff said:
Considering taking portraits the most important function, because some of my income comes from it, and low-light conditions a factor, as I am a musician and shoot a lot of concerts, is there a good reason to go for the D90 and not the D5000?

AF with fast primes (though this may change since even now you could get AF-S versions of some of them). Maybe I should say AF with fast, inexpensive primes, with the 35 f/1.8 being the exception.

Posted 3 years ago #
GabrielWolff

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jonnyapple said:
Gabriel, the D90 is probably the best value out there right now. For portraits, you probably want to get the focus screw so you can use autofocus with some of the beautiful primes Nikon has (50mm and 85mm to name a couple). My recommendation is either D90 and 50 f/1.8 ($800 for the D90 and $140 for the 50mm) or if you have a little more money, get the 18-105 VR in addition to the 50, maybe in a kit with the D90. If you only have $800, just get the D90 body only and no lenses—the menu system is actually pretty fun to navigate even if you can't take pictures with the camera.

(I was joking there at the end.)

Didn't see your post before answering. Thank you.
Is the real difference between the D90 and the D5000 only the autofocus? Is there another important factor?

Posted 3 years ago #
jonnyapple

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GabrielWolff said:
Didn't see your post before answering. Thank you.
Is the real difference between the D90 and the D5000 only the autofocus? Is there another important factor?

It probably wasn't up while you were typing. Lower res screen (but the D90's doesn't rotate, which would be nice sometimes) and no autofocus screw are all the major ones that I know of. I'd go to a camera store and try them both.

Posted 3 years ago #
GabrielWolff

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jonnyapple said:
It probably wasn't up while you were typing. Lower res screen (but the D90's doesn't rotate, which would be nice sometimes) and no autofocus screw are all the major ones that I know of. I'd go to a camera store and try them both.

Problem is - in the store, light conditions are good, or at least much better than in the concert hall. Isn't it most likely that I will always use manual focus when shooting indoors? I might be illuded by the analogue Pentax LX I was using so far, but is AF really fast enough, even in a D90 to be used in "bad" lighting conditions?

Posted 3 years ago #
jonnyapple

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Just ask them to turn off the lights. ;-)
Actually, they have the same AF sensor so that wouldn't be an issue to check in-store—if one will autofocus the other will (as long as the lens has a motor in it). I was saying you could try out how they both feel and if the screen will make a difference to you. When I got a D300, the screen didn't matter to me until I actually bought it and tried it. It was similar to my experience the first time I got glasses at age 10—it made the D100's look like a toy, and it made the D200's look like...well...a toy. I could never go back, but I check focus and exposure on screen basically every shot, so that might not matter to you.

Posted 3 years ago #
jonnyapple

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PS I now have a D90 and it's the same screen as the D300 has. Just to clear up why I was mentioning that.

Posted 3 years ago #
mb

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D5000, among other things already mentioned, does not have top LED control display which I find indispensable.
D90 viewfinder is a bit larger, brighter and better.
On D5000 built–in flash does not have commander mode.
D5000 misses some control buttons that I find very usable.
Lack of built-in motor means you will not be able to use some of the best lenses Nikon ever made (50 f/1.8 for example).
D90 is better overall in all aspects actually, but it costs more … I prefer D90 but you should try them both before you decide.

Posted 3 years ago #
NikoDoby

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It's not so much the camera in low light as it is the lenses your using. If you plan on doing portrait/concert work than get the D5000 and the f/1.8 85mm or f1.8 50mm lens along with the kit lens.

Posted 3 years ago #
jonnyapple

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So do you think he won't be able to AF, either, Niko? I guess it depends on how poor the lighting is.

Posted 3 years ago #
GabrielWolff

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NikoDoby said:
It's not so much the camera in low light as it is the lenses your using. If you plan on doing portrait/concert work than get the D5000 and the f/1.8 85mm or f1.8 50mm lens along with the kit lens.

Well, as far as I understood [correct me if I'm wrong], lenses with AF motor in it will be slower, thus it might be a good thing to have the AF in the camera if I'll be shooting in low light conditions are. Is that right?

Posted 3 years ago #
NikoDoby

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Not with the f/3.5 18-55 or the 18-135 f/whatever it is. The f1.4/1.8 give you a brighter viewfinder which helps when shooting in dark concerts etc.

What's your total budget Grabriel? And please don't say it's your credit limit :^(

Posted 3 years ago #
GabrielWolff

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Nope, my credit limit is very limited, I'd rather spend much more. Worst case scenario - robbing a bank is a plausible option if the camera is good enough ;)

No, my budget is around 700EUR I guess. But that is definitely stretchable. I'll be using this camera for quite a while, so if I can buy it in a few months, after playing a few concerts I wasn't planning on, that's just fine.

Posted 3 years ago #
GabrielWolff

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And then maybe the question of "is it practical to use AF in concert hall lighting conditions" becomes the main issue... should I open another thread for that? Is that a question someone would probably have an answer to?

Posted 3 years ago #
GabrielWolff

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jonnyapple said:
Actually, they have the same AF sensor so that wouldn't be an issue to check in-store—if one will autofocus the other will (as long as the lens has a motor in it).

I think I don't fully understand that comment. The AF comes in two parts? The sensor and the motor? And the screw? Aaargh... could you clear that up for me? Sorry for the terrible newbie question..

Posted 3 years ago #
NikoDoby

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Like I said it's not so much the camera's AF as it is the lenses you use with it. The D90 and D5000 have the same autofocus system so you don't gain or lose anything between them.

Posted 3 years ago #
jonnyapple

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NikoDoby said:
Like I said it's not so much the camera's AF as it is the lenses you use with it. The D90 and D5000 have the same autofocus system so you don't gain or lose anything between them.

Unless you consider the AF screw part of the AF system. I would.

Posted 3 years ago #
mb

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GabrielWolff said:
I think I don't fully understand that comment. The AF comes in two parts? The sensor and the motor? And the screw? Aaargh... could you clear that up for me? Sorry for the terrible newbie question..

D5000 does not have AF motor or screw at all, only a sensor.
AF motor drives a lens without a built-in motor with a screw to focus, modern (and more expensive lenses) have a motor in them so you do not need it at all.
Maybe you should reconsider D3000 with some better lens, lens is much more important for image quality then a camera in my opinion.

Posted 3 years ago #
NikoDoby

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AF is the same with both D90 and D5000 meaning same AF sensor. What the D5000 lacks versus the D90 is the ability to power focus on older (non AF-S) lenses. If you stick to new lenses (with AF-S) then you'll have no problems as all new lenses are AF-S.

The way the D90 is able to power nonAF-S (no af motor in the lens) is with the use of a little "screw driver" like protrusion that sticks out of the camera and actually spins and drives the lens autofocus gears. The D5000 doesn't have this ability. So if you buy an old used nonAF-S it will not autofocus on the D5000.

Posted 3 years ago #
shivaswrath

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I'd personally take the D90 at less than $800 now. . .it's a steal for the value you are getting within a DX sensor. . .

Posted 3 years ago #

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D90 or D5000?

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