D90 or D5000? « Nikon Rumors Forum

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D90 or D5000?

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bmxdad

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GabrielWolff said:
Thanks Pete, for the very precise explanation. Just what I was looking for.

I understand the Focus issue. The DOF issue is new to me and I get it. But why can you get away with lower shutter speed? I mean: What's on the screen/view finder is only a representation of what's going on on the sensor, isn't it? So how is the shutter speed affected by the way you look at it?

P.S.: You're kidding about the photo taken by your son, eh? He didn't reallytake THAT photo at the age of 9...?!

Hi Gabriel my Grand Parents were German and I spoke German fluently when I was younger(but not anymore), I grew up in Denmark just a few KM from Germany

The shutter speed is affected by how steady you are holding the camera, so when your are looking at the screen your camera will move around more than if your are holding the camera against your eye and closer to your body, this can allow a lower shutter speed and a better aim

My son Mark has the use of my backup camera D80 and yes he actually took that picture. His toy Motorcycle was placed inside a photo tent on a black surface/back ground, flash on the out side fired by wireless remote, camera in M mode, but AF on for the 16-85 zoom lens. I was trying to show him what happens when you turn power up and down on the flash(vivitar 285) or move it closer or away from the side of the tent. He knows how to shoot, is slowly understanding what happens when you adjust aperture. Anyway he took a few hundred pictures of different toys, this is the one that I liked the best by far. Yes digital camera are great in allowing you take take lots of pictures and use your display to fine tune your picture

Using the flash off camera is also great for portrait pictures, the flash just fired straight in their face is not really the best way for a great picture. The D90 can control the SB 600 off camera, The 50mm F1.8 is a very Sharp lens and great for portrait, you might find the 18-200 lacking in that quality, you could also purchase the D90(D5000 if you have to) with this lens combo (18-55 VR and 55-200 VR) which are BTW very sharp, check reviews of them

I do use my liveview to take pictures, the leaf/bridge in the Photo-a-day was taken in liveview and it would have been easier if my screen on my D300 could Vari-angle like on the D5000 but I do without

To end this the 18-200 lens is not the best choice, it sounds like you want to get good at taking portraits, a flash could be of help to you.

So here is a starting kit idea:

D90/D5000 18-55 VR, 55-200 VR (this are often sold in kit/package price) 50 F1.8 (MF on D5000 and a SB 600 flash (D5000 can not control flash remotely by it self)

Whatever you get have fun with it, visit NR in the future and don't forget to submit a few pictures to the Photo-a-day

Pete

Posted 3 years ago #
jonnyapple

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GabrielWolff said:
And yet another question: You all mention prime lenses a lot. That surprises me as well. I can think of very few situations in which I would not need zoom [portrait sessions, mainly].

Do you guys use primes a lot. I understand they are faster, but you are very much limited without the option of zooming in, no?

And would you buy second hand lenses? How long can a lens be trusted?

Zooms are a fairly new addition to photography. I use zooms quite a bit but for some situations I need the extra light or want the shallow depth of field that a prime lens offers. And other times I feel like letting my legs do the zooming—you can call me crazy, but I think that moving to find the composition you want involves you more in the composition of a picture than just turning a zoom ring does.

I wouldn't have problems with older lenses if they've been treated well. The optical quality shouldn't get worse over time, but lens design has improved over the years.

Posted 3 years ago #
tai

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GabrielWolff said:
Do you guys use primes a lot. I understand they are faster, but you are very much limited without the option of zooming in, no?
And would you buy second hand lenses? How long can a lens be trusted?

I use primes more than zooms overall. When I'm doing event shooting, I usually have a prime on one body and a zoom on another. I use primes that date all the way back to the 60s on my Nikons, though I shoot almost entirely AF for paid event photography. There are a lot of bad old primes, but there are also a decent number that are just as good as new ones.

Posted 3 years ago #
jonnyapple

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tai, I just read your post on the primes thread from 16 hours ago, and it looks like I copied your comment there. I hadn't seen it when I wrote what I did here, but it's good to see someone else who feels the same way about it that I do.

Posted 3 years ago #
miatadan

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I just purchased Nikon D5000 body + AF-S 35mm F1.8 lense after returning Nikon D3000 + kit lens 18-55mm.
The lukewarm reviews for D3000 and the fact I did not like kit lens made me decide to return it. According to DXOmark.com the Nikon D90 & D5000 had best results for low light in APS-C format. I like to take pictures in available light without flash.

I am very happy with the D5000 and felt I did not need the extra features of D90. I admit top lcd would of been nice. In Canada D5000 body is $719 and D90 $1019.
Difference in price paid for AF-S 35mm lens.

Dan

Posted 3 years ago #
GabrielWolff

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OK, so after making the guys at the local electronix shop crazy by trying out these two models for 5 hours, sleeping over it, coming back the next day for another session of taking photos of employees... I guess the vari-angle screen is something I can get used to live without.

So the D90 it is. Which means waiting a month (and a few extra concerts) longer. But the camera IS better...

But of course I came back with a few more questions for those of you who did not yet give up on me :)

1) I saw a few shops selling the D90 with AF-S lenses. Did I misunderstand you guys or is that a waste of money? Why would you have AF in a lens if you have it in the body?
2) For those of you with glasses - do you shoot with your glasses? I found it inconvenient to look through the view finder with glasses. Is that something to get used to?
3) A good recommendation for a 18-55 lens?

Thanks again :)

Posted 3 years ago #
NikoDoby

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I guess your still confused as to what AF-S and AF lenses are? Having the focus motor in the lens makes it faster to focus and quieter to use. You don't get that loud robotic sound of the gears turning. AF-S motors are for the most part almost silent. Also having the AF motors in the lens helps with camera battery life not to mention the camera itself can be smaller and lighter.

The only reason you'd want a camera with the AF motor is so that you can use "older" lenses. Nikon still sells new "old" AF design lenses but they will be updated to AF-S very soon or simply be discontinued. The benefit of having a camera with an auto focus motor is that you can buy older lenses used from ebay or a camera dealer.

The smaller viewfinder makes glasses difficult. Especially with an APS camera like both the D90 and D5000. This is were the variable lcd really helps. Full frame cameras like the D700 offer a bigger viewfinder because of the bigger sensor size. But you'll just have to get use to the D90s viewfinder. You can also buy a viewfinder magnifier like the DK-17M but you'll have to modify it to work with the D90.

I think you've gotten lots of recommendations of different lenses already. Perhaps if you explain to us why you want the 18-55 we can help you.

Posted 3 years ago #
NikoDoby

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One more point about the AF-S versus AF that maybe what's confusing you. When you use a camera with an auto focus motor with a lens that already has a built in motor the camera's focus motor does nothing. The lens motor takes care of the focus. So if you only buy AF-S lenses then your camera is just carrying around extra weight that you don't need until you actually buy or use an AF lens.

Posted 3 years ago #
GabrielWolff

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NikoDoby said:
One more point about the AF-S versus AF that maybe what's confusing you. When you use a camera with an auto focus motor with a lens that already has a built in motor the camera's focus motor does nothing. The lens motor takes care of the focus. So if you only buy AF-S lenses then your camera is just carrying around extra weight that you don't need until you actually buy or use an AF lens.

Ingore- I saw just one of your posts :)

Posted 3 years ago #
adamz

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as for glasses, You can buy rubber eyecup - this helps a lot

as for AF-S/AF glasses, well I will never change any of my AF-S glasses for AF, AF-S is fast and silent, where AF is slow and loud

IMHO - d90 is not a good camera for You, and d5000 will suite Your needs better, but it's Your choice

as for 18-55 lenses, there's only one worth mentioning 18-55 af-s vr is You want to go for nikon

Posted 3 years ago #
jonnyapple

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I still think you should get the 18-105 included in the kit with the D90, Gabriel. Compare the reviews/tests here. I think it's worth the extra money for the longer telephoto and better image quality.
18-105 VR: http://www.slrgear.com/reviews/showproduct.php/product/1221/cat/13
18-55 VR: http://www.slrgear.com/reviews/showproduct.php/product/1154/cat/13

Posted 3 years ago #
shivaswrath

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just a quick update, D5k is listed as $550 for body only on amazon!! I might even buy one at that price!!

Posted 3 years ago #
bmxdad

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GabrielWolff said:
OK, so after making the guys at the local electronix shop crazy by trying out these two models for 5 hours, sleeping over it, coming back the next day for another session of taking photos of employees... I guess the vari-angle screen is something I can get used to live without.

So the D90 it is. Which means waiting a month (and a few extra concerts) longer. But the camera IS better...

But of course I came back with a few more questions for those of you who did not yet give up on me :)

1) I saw a few shops selling the D90 with AF-S lenses. Did I misunderstand you guys or is that a waste of money? Why would you have AF in a lens if you have it in the body?
2) For those of you with glasses - do you shoot with your glasses? I found it inconvenient to look through the view finder with glasses. Is that something to get used to?
3) A good recommendation for a 18-55 lens?

Thanks again :)

I still think you will be happy with the D90, yes the D5000 is slightly cheaper.

Anyway like Johnny said, Maybe get it with the 18-105 Kit lens and for the the none AF-S lenses, I would get a 50mm F1.8 lens, This is a lens that will not AF on a D5000 and it will do fine on a D90, you can get one for $150 area. They are fun, you can simply not take the same pictures with a consumer Zoom lens. All my last few posts has been done with that lens. But for every day use you would properly have the 18-105 on your camera

Pete

Posted 3 years ago #
jonnyapple

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Here are a couple I took with the 18-105 on the D90 (edit: I guess I lied. That first shot was with my D300). I'm not including any from the wider range, but it has similar performance to the 18-70 (which I used for a long time) or the 18-55s I've tried. I put them up full size if you click on them if you'd like to pixel peep.

I agree with Pete on the D90/18-105/50 1.8 kit. I think that's the best value in the advanced amateur range right now.

80mm at 1/30s

105mm lit mainly by bounce flash

Posted 3 years ago #