Best Nikon for around £400

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jammy_c

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Ok, so i'm looking to upgrade my D40, and i'm thinking about either a D3100 or maybe a 2nd hand D90.
Are these the two best options for me? anything else to consider? should I be worried about shutter actuations and warrenty if buying 2nd hand?

thoughts please?... :thumbs:
 
D90 - better choice of lenses due to camera AF. Great camera.
 
I'd probably go for the D90 as it's a more than capable camera!
 
S/h D90 for certain. Do have a look on the D5100 as well though, really nice camera too.
 
another plus 1 for the d90.....will allow you to go progress a lot further without reaching the camera limitations.....add some good glass (you will have plenty to choose from) and it should last you a good while before you think about another upgrade assuming shutter rating at 150k then to get somewhere close to that in 3 yrs you would have to shoot close to 140 shots a day so you should be ok there :-) buy for a decent store (grays mbp) and you will get from 6 to 12 months warranty also as pointed out above a d300 can be had for not a great deal more (perhaps sell the d40 for the extra) but you may have to go for a private sale to get one for 500ish

good luck what ever you choose
 
Just upgraded from a D5000 to a D90 and I am delighted (even though it is not a huge jump admittedly). In camera motor makes a big difference to focus speed and it is manageable in terms of weight and size. Also al the controls you need instantly available without having to get into the menus.:)
 
Couple of years ago i upgraded from d40 to d90 - the difference is very significant. Going to a d300 is not worth it imo unless you really need the pro spec body n speed - the d90 sensor is the same and takes just as good pics. Go with the d90!
 
DoctorJ said:
Just upgraded from a D5000 to a D90 and I am delighted (even though it is not a huge jump admittedly). In camera motor makes a big difference to focus speed and it is manageable in terms of weight and size. Also al the controls you need instantly available without having to get into the menus.:)
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It won't make any difference at all unless you're comparing the camera AF to you MFing - any lenses that AF on the D5000 aren't dependent on the in bdy motor.

I'll go against the grain here and say you may as well get a D3100 or D5100. I don't see enough offered by the D90 bar the in body motor (which won't matter much to you) to make it worth it over one of the other two, given they both have better sensors and pretty good interfaces.
 
I'd go for a d90, d200, d300(s), d7000


As you've said funds are limited you may want to also consider the d80, but if you can, go for a d90 :)


d3k and d5k are pretty much the same as you have and not really much of an upgrade (in my opinion). At least you'd get a screwdrive for af on the d80/90/300/7000... :) Useful for older af lenses...
 
ecniv said:
I'd go for a d90, d200, d300(s), d7000


As you've said funds are limited you may want to also consider the d80, but if you can, go for a d90 :)


d3k and d5k are pretty much the same as you have and not really much of an upgrade (in my opinion). At least you'd get a screwdrive for af on the d80/90/300/7000... :) Useful for older af lenses...
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D80 a better option than the D3100? they've been around for a bit longer, haven't they?
 
D3k is wayyy poorer than the D5k.... D5k as the minimum I'd say
 
ausemmao said:
It won't make any difference at all unless you're comparing the camera AF to you MFing - any lenses that AF on the D5000 aren't dependent on the in bdy motor.

I'll go against the grain here and say you may as well get a D3100 or D5100. I don't see enough offered by the D90 bar the in body motor (which won't matter much to you) to make it worth it over one of the other two, given they both have better sensors and pretty good interfaces.
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They are dependent on the AF system though, my 10-24 was sluggish to AF on the D40 it simply flies in comparison on the d7000. Built quality a better viewfinder and screen netter buttons layout and more of them.

I definitely didn't notice just the motor moving to the d7000
 
lawrenceots said:
D3k is wayyy poorer than the D5k.... D5k as the minimum I'd say
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well that's a given, but how does the D5000 measure up to the D3100?, and for a little extra dosh, how do they both stand up to the D90 or even D80? :thinking:
 
One of the big two supermarkets (don't know if I can name names but there's a T in it) has the D90 at £537 and they do a £50 off at the mo. Postage is a fiver and they give you a free Vivanco cleaning kit for what it's worth.
So for an extra £92 you can get a brand new D90 and this should be covered by Nikon's 2 yr guarantee.
 
If you feel that you want more control over your photography then you must get the D90, if you just want the same as the D40 but with more pixels and movies then get the D3100 (leave the D5100, it's basically the same but with an articulated screen - not worth the extra IMHO).

EDIT: BTW, the in body motor argument is more or less redundant now as the only lens you may have really wanted was the AFD 50mm and that was only because it was cheap. Nowadays the AFS35mm is a way better bet or if you must have 50mm then there will soon be an AFS 50mm DX lens too.
 
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I don't think the in motor argument is redundant.

The AF-S version of the 50mm is 100£ more than the non AF-S one, there is no cheap 85mm one and you can still get a few bargains on non AF-S lenses.

Also there is the build quality, the huge viewfinder in comparison and the better control and customisation.

BTW the D5100 is most certainly worth it over the D5000 which was a cut down D90 if only for the much better video and sensor and it does not share the D3100 sensor anyway it has the D7000 one.
 
vrapan said:
I don't think the in motor argument is redundant.

The AF-S version of the 50mm is 100£ more than the non AF-S one, there is no cheap 85mm one and you can still get a few bargains on non AF-S lenses.

Also there is the build quality, the huge viewfinder in comparison and the better control and customisation.

BTW the D5100 is most certainly worth it over the D5000 which was a cut down D90 if only for the much better video and sensor and it does not share the D3100 sensor anyway it has the D7000 one.
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:agree:

The build quality on the D90 is sturdy, mine has been in quite a few "messy, wet and dusty" situations, it even got covered in diesel, but still rocks on :thumbs:

The built in focusing motor is a must if you want to use older AF lenses without having to manually focus them, also the controls are laid out conveniently so that one doesn't have to take one's eye away from the view finder to adjust shutter and aperture settings. Add the MB-D80 grip, it becomes not just bigger but more balanced plus you can use two batteries extending shooting time and it has a vertical shutter button, plus the two dials for shutter and aperture settings.
:)
 
Rob 80386 said:
:agree:

The build quality on the D90 is sturdy, mine has been in quite a few "messy, wet and dusty" situations, it even got covered in diesel, but still rocks on :thumbs:

The built in focusing motor is a must if you want to use older AF lenses without having to manually focus them, also the controls are laid out conveniently so that one doesn't have to take one's eye away from the view finder to adjust shutter and aperture settings. Add the MB-D80 grip, it becomes not just bigger but more balanced plus you can use two batteries extending shooting time and it has a vertical shutter button, plus the two dials for shutter and aperture settings.
:)
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Only 15 of those words relate to the AF motor issue. The rest are the reason to get a better camera :)
 
D40 Guy said:
One of the big two supermarkets (don't know if I can name names but there's a T in it) has the D90 at £537 and they do a £50 off at the mo. Postage is a fiver and they give you a free Vivanco cleaning kit for what it's worth.
So for an extra £92 you can get a brand new D90 and this should be covered by Nikon's 2 yr guarantee.
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:thinking: umm... now that is temping, but if I opt for the 18-105 VR then it's going to bump the price up quite a bit, in comparison to the D3100 which can be found at the sub £400 mark.
I wish I could just win the lottery, buy a D3 and be done with it. :lol:
 
All the cameras suggested have merit. However it might help if you can say a bit more about why you find the D40 limiting and what you find it does well.
 
Nawty said:
If you feel that you want more control over your photography then you must get the D90, if you just want the same as the D40 but with more pixels and movies then get the D3100 (leave the D5100, it's basically the same but with an articulated screen - not worth the extra IMHO).

EDIT: BTW, the in body motor argument is more or less redundant now as the only lens you may have really wanted was the AFD 50mm and that was only because it was cheap. Nowadays the AFS35mm is a way better bet or if you must have 50mm then there will soon be an AFS 50mm DX lens too.
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To be fair, i've been after a prime lens for ages now, even to use on my current D40. I still can't decide on the 35mm AF-S of 50mm (f/1.8) AF-S. they both look good.

If I can find a decent D90 with kit lens (pref 18-105VR) for under £450 and a Nifty for £70 then i'll be happy as larry.
:thumbs:
 
grudie said:
another plus 1 for the d90.....will allow you to go progress a lot further without reaching the camera limitations.....add some good glass (you will have plenty to choose from) and it should last you a good while before you think about another upgrade assuming shutter rating at 150k then to get somewhere close to that in 3 yrs you would have to shoot close to 140 shots a day so you should be ok there :-) buy for a decent store (grays mbp) and you will get from 6 to 12 months warranty also as pointed out above a d300 can be had for not a great deal more (perhaps sell the d40 for the extra) but you may have to go for a private sale to get one for 500ish

good luck what ever you choose
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cheers. yeah, the plan was always to sell the D40. looking on ebay it seems they are still fetching over £200! that's where half the fund is going to come from to be honest. bit skint at the moment, but fingers crossed I can treat myself for my birthday in August ;)
 
KC Leblanc said:
All the cameras suggested have merit. However it might help if you can say a bit more about why you find the D40 limiting and what you find it does well.
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Ah, yes, that's a very good point.
well, I suppose I find it most limiting when I crop shots down in PPing and the 6MP sensor lets itself down a tad. The image quality could be better. it's not as bad with my 300mm, but still pixelates the same.

I also find the that the FPS rate can be a bit tedious at times as I tend to shoot a lot of motorsport and always in RAW, something quicker would definitely be a benefit.
for this reason, also, more AF points maybe useful for tracking moving subjects.

I also find it a little bit on the small side, I wouldn't mind something slightly bigger.

wireless flash command would be nice,

AEB would be really nice as I like to shoot HDR, but I know the D3100 doesn't have this. I can still continue working from a single RAW as I do now, but AEB would be handy. it's something i'd use.

Movie mode is also a big selling point as our First child in on it's way (due in Jan). I think it would be nice to capture some "first moments", if you know what I mean.

The ISO shows noise at 800, i've read that others have much higher ISOs and show less noise, maybe again due to the sensor?
Likewise, most other SLRs will now drop to ISO100, the D40 will only go as low as ISO200 (not that i've found this limiting in any way, as yet).

I liked discovering and learning new things about the camera, but I think i've hit a bit of a brick wall with the D40, and can use all of it's features (not that there are that many).

LV would be useful for shots very low down or above head height. (i've found myself in situations where it would have been great).

DOF preview would be nice, but not essential.

Screen on the D40 is small, would be nice to have something bigger.
 
Basically, given everything you've said, the D90 would be perfect for you.

I upgraded from a D60 to a D90 and was totally delighted with it :)
 
hmm... after a bit of research maybe i'm being a bit optimistic thinking I can get a D90 2nd hand for £450, even Body only that's pushing it :(
 
I just traded my D90+105vr for £550 (against a D700) and I've regularly seen bodies gor for £450 so a little patience will probably be rewarded.
 
Nawty said:
I just traded my D90+105vr for £550 (against a D700) and I've regularly seen bodies gor for £450 so a little patience will probably be rewarded.
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There is a glimmer of hope then :naughty: body only isn't much good for me though as i'll need to find the extra cash for a new kit lens. or else i'm stuck with just the 70-300VR and a 30y.o. 50mm f1.8 with no AF :bonk:
 
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