D3200, D5100 or D90?

D3200, D5100 or D90?

  • Total voters
    55
jammy_c

jammy_c

Suspended / Banned
Messages
991
Name
James
Edit My Images
Yes
Looking for my next camera. So:
D3200, D5100 or D90? and why... :thinking:
 
What have you got now? What modes do you use? What controls do you use? What do you like to photograph?
 
Dale_tem said:
What have you got now? What modes do you use? What controls do you use? What do you like to photograph?
Click to expand...

A D40 :'(
it's great and it's probably the best beginner camera anyone could wish for as it's so simple, but i've totally outgrown it.

Dale_tem said:
What have you got now? What modes do you use? What controls do you use? What do you like to photograph?
Click to expand...

Mainly shoot in full manual and tend to use it for lots of things. Often motorsport (with 70-300mm) and indoor use for family shots (with 35mm f/1.8). I also do a bit of macro ocassionally (Raynox 250)

would really like something with AEB as i'm into HDR, and I know the D5100 has a HDR mode. I also know the D3200 hasn't got AEB :(

I'm kind of swaying towards the D90 because of it's top LCD (which i think would be very useful to me) and of course use of AF lenses rather than being confined to only AF-S. It just strikes me as a better "photographer's camera" if you know what I mean, but feel the spec gets trumped a bit by the new boys.

The D5100 because of the live-mode and swivel screen is appealing, and the D3200 is appealing because of the high MP count (allowing tight crops, esp for macro & motorsport) and the performance at high ISO is a bonus.



not sure how much i'd use the video function on any of them.
 
Depends whether you want a camera with a motorised body that can take a larger back log plus the current lenses Nikon produced or stick with Nikon current crop of lenses with inbuilt motors.

The D90 is the previous model to the D7000 and personally it's. step up from the D5100, won't even consider the D3200, entry level just an upgrade of the D40 several generations further on.

Personally if you could increase the budget I would go with a used D7000 it will give you the ISO performance you want, used their about £500.

But as previous posters have mentioned, there are hundreds of threads asking the same question, the search facility on TP actually very good.
 
What's your budget? There's a D300s in classifieds for £530.
 
Coming from the d40, you want a d90, d300s or d7000


The d3200 and d5100 are limited in terms of controls and if you are experienced, you will find this limiting.
 
pete.rush said:
Depends whether you want a camera with a motorised body that can take a larger back log plus the current lenses Nikon produced or stick with Nikon current crop of lenses with inbuilt motors.

The D90 is the previous model to the D7000 and personally it's. step up from the D5100, won't even consider the D3200, entry level just an upgrade of the D40 several generations further on.

Personally if you could increase the budget I would go with a used D7000 it will give you the ISO performance you want, used their about £500.

But as previous posters have mentioned, there are hundreds of threads asking the same question, the search facility on TP actually very good.
Click to expand...

I must admit i'm swaying more towards the D90. The wider range and availability of cheaper lenses is a winner.
 
Nick_1981 said:
What's your budget? There's a D300s in classifieds for £530.
Click to expand...

I'm on a fairly tight budget.
No more than £280 really if i'm buying outright, otherwise it'll have to go on a finance agreement somewhere or speak nice to my creditcard company. :shake:
 
I think with a budget of £280 and what you are after you will struggle to fulfil all the needs you have. You would be better off stretching a little rather than looking at changing in a few months and losing money.
 
I went from a d40 to a d5100 purely for the iso performance. If you are after more control buttons than the d40 look at the d90, d7000 and d300. If you are happy enough with your camera but want more mp and better iso performance the d5100 takes some beating at that price.
 
James, as has been said already the D90 is a step up, the other two, although they have their good points, are not really a great improvement on the D40. The main advantage is that the D90 can use all the Nikon lenses ever made (of course manual lenses are still manual but you know what I mean) and there are some great and comparatively inexpensive older models to be had.
Wait awhile and save up a bit more and go for a good condition D90, you won't regret it.

Actually I've just looked and MPB photographic have a couple in stock within your budget.

Cheers

Andy
 
Last edited:
sorry to drag this up again, but whilst i'm waiting for some funds to come in i'm still deciding....

Other than the Pentaprism (by the way; why is this better than the Pentamirror?) and the having an AF motor internally (obviously a major advantage), what does the D90 offer over the D5100? On paper the D5100 looks like a much better camera. and considering it's cheaper than the D90 (£339 as opposed to £439) i'm still a bit undecided.

Snapsort compares the two, and looking at this alone makes the D5100 look like an obvious choice. i'm happy to fork out an extra £100 if it's worthwhile for a better camera though. I think the step up in ISO capability is what is making me think...

argue the D90's corner please....
 
I bought a D90 about a year ago, it's my first DSLR so I don't really know what I'm talking about but I do think it's a great little camera. I love the twin command dials and the handling advantage that provides, everything you need is at your fingertips and that makes it so easy and quick to dial in the settings that you need. I've had a play with a mate's D5100 and really didn't get on with it, but I guess that's mostly lack of familiarity. However, having had the twin dials and the top LCD I don't think I could ever 'downgrade' to a camera without.

A pentaprism is a better and more efficient way of getting light to the viewfinder than a pentamirror, so the viewfinder is brighter.

I wouldn't get too hung up on the internal AF motor. Almost all new Nikon lenses are AF-S (AF motor built into the lens), so the body's AF motor is just extra weight to carry around unless you have a supply of older lenses to use.

Although the D5100's ISO range is greater, is its performance at comparable settings actually much better? Not according to the Snapsort review above. I never use the D90 on ISO3200, let alone its ISO6400 maximum, as the noise is too great. It seems fairly pointless having the ability to use ISO25,600 if the quality is crap. But as above, I don't really know what I'm talking about!

I think it's obvious from the spec and reviews that the D5100 will take better photos than the D90, but the question I guess only you can answer is how much you'd benefit from the better handling of the D90 for the photography you intend to do. The obvious advice is to try both and see which you prefer.
 
Nikon should really be building the d5*** range as well as they built the d90 but they're not. If a half or max a stop difference in iso performance is important to you then go d5100, if its not go d90.
 
Last edited:
They've brought out the 5200 which gets some good reviews.
 
I've just sold a D90 (for £240, 30k shutter) in favour of a new D3200, so I've got some skin in this game. It has to be said I also have a D700 as my "big" camera, so I was looking for a smaller body in particular as a complement, but my comments still hold true.

Dale_tem said:
Coming from the d40, you want a d90, d300s or d7000


The d3200 and d5100 are limited in terms of controls and if you are experienced, you will find this limiting.
Click to expand...

This is oft-repeated, but it's not as clear cut as that. Something like a D3200 has a very conveniently-located ISO/Fn button (left side of lens mount, operated by thumb), better placed than the ISO button on the rear left of the D90, which I found very awkward in use, necessitating an unwanted hand movement. One could argue the D3200 is better-handling because of this one very important improvement. It's less-used controls like WB that don't have dedicated buttons, and in my experience the camera has to be taken from the eye to see what is being changed anyway when it comes to QUAL and WB, so the on-screen menu of the D3200 is little if any slower to operate than a hold-and-twirl body like a D90. And the D3200 has the bext DX sensor *ever*, which could command a decent premium over any other DX camera if it was in a flagship body. It seems to get overlooked because it's the entry level camera but - that sensor! But one's technique needs to be up to the challenge of using all those extra MPs otherwise it's just a waste of storage.

Where the D3200 does fall down is autofocus. It's not all that fast, and only the centre point is a cross point. It's not suitable for moving objects in my experience. In fact, given the high-res sensor and pedestrian autofocus, the D3200 is perfect for thoughtful landscapes and travel rather than kids, action, or sports (which is miles away from what Nikon's marketing BS says it's for). I use mine with a 24mm AI-S lens - full manual, no metering (!) - and it's a joy to use: small, powerful, ergonomically perfect.

However, since the OP says "often motorsport", even though the AF module is the same, I found the D90 to feel more responsive AF-wise, although still not really reliable for stuff that moves. If that's important, get a D300.

So really it boils down to what you're doing with it. Kids and motorsports? D300 for its AF. Travel and landscape with some higher ISO? D3200. Having said all that, the D90 is a decent upgrade from a D40 (I also made this jump as well, no regrets) so you can't go wrong there either, and it's the cheapest option. Good luck choosing.
 
The D3200 is an amazing camera for the money, but as others have mentioned it is going to come down to individual requirements. I use a D300 and most of the time I'm happy with it but in the dark, without a flash it is not great. I borrowed a d3200 and the iso performance is very good (although slightly limited noise reduction of only on or off) but the tiny focus dots make is difficult to quickly focus in the dark. In addition the small body makes it difficult to comfortably hold a heavy lens. A 70-200 f2.8 feels like the camera is going to snap if you accidently hold the camera without supporting by the lens. For a first camera I'd definately recommend the D3200, but for an upgrade you might be better off looking elsewhere - e.g. the used D7000 body you mentioned.
 
Last edited:
martsharm said:
I use mine with a 24mm AI-S lens - full manual, no metering.
Click to expand...

Perhaps you could answer a question for me:

With an AI or AI-S lens on a D3200 or D3100, Do you get a wide open aperture for viewing which is closed down to the chosen aperture by the camera when you press the shutter or do you have to stop it down yourself first?


Steve.
 
I'm kind of swaying towards the D90 because of it's top LCD (which i think would be very useful to me) and of course use of AF lenses rather than being confined to only AF-S. It just strikes me as a better "photographer's camera" if you know what I mean, but feel the spec gets trumped a bit by the new boys.
Click to expand...

All very good reasons IMO. Not only will a 2nd hand D90 be cheaper than the other options but you'll save a considerable wedge by being able to go for the older, cheaper non AF-S lenses that are available 2nd hand. You could even consider the D300(s) option and save for a short while for extra lenses, you really can save that much by avoiding AF-S (and similar). If you need extra MP etc then the ballgame is altered a little but only by making the D300 option even more attractive!
 
I would pick the D90 also, it's a pretty good camera.

Riz :)
 
I have D90 it's a fantastic camera, so good i don't bother to look at the D3000 D5100 etc etc...

the D90 is still sitting higher on the Nikon hierarchy for a reason cos it is better built and probably more suitable for your kind of use.

go to classified and pick up a D90 body and be very happy with what you have and you probably will be using it for at least next 5-8 years or forever. I really can't see any good reason for me to superseed my D90 atm even with the new D7000 and D600 the improvement is really not that much.
 
The D3200 is a brilliant camera, I had one and sometimes im tempted to pick one up again. The sensor is incredible, when I had mine what made me disappointed was when I went for a walk at about midnight (so pitch black) and when trying to take some photos of lit up buildings it really struggled to focus and I mean really struggle. I had to use manual focus most of the time and at night through a pentamirror viewfinder its difficult to get manual focus spot on, its not a massive deal I know but I love taking photos at night and when autofocus is a bit dodgy it makes it useless really, especially when youre trying to focus on something lit up but it just wont have it.
I thought the same way when I was looking at upgrading, in the end I chose the D3200 over both simply because it was newer and had great reviews, im sure the D90 is great but ive never used one, you just have to weigh up the pros and cons of each. Would you say you need the in-body focus? How about the extra resolution of the D3200? I think the D5100 includes a lot of fluff like the HDR mode, etc. which just isnt necessary; if you shoot in RAW you dont need all the silly features and effects you can apply in camera. The noise performance on the D3200 at high ISOs is great btw, this was shot at ISO 1600:


DSC_0028 by ollieee1, on Flickr
 
Steve Smith said:
Perhaps you could answer a question for me:

With an AI or AI-S lens on a D3200 or D3100, Do you get a wide open aperture for viewing which is closed down to the chosen aperture by the camera when you press the shutter or do you have to stop it down yourself first?

Steve.
Click to expand...

You set the aperture on the lens, the camera can't set this, and because the camera can't meter, only full manual mode is available, not aperture priority.

(As an aside, it's disappointing that cheap Nikons can't meter with Nikon lenses. Slap a Nikon lens on a Panasonic G series and it'll happily meter in aperture priority all day!)

The lens is always wide open when composing and focusing, only being stopped down for taking the photo.

It's less bother than you might think on the D3200 to use full manual with no metering, the iPhone light meter app is pretty accurate, and after a while one gets good at guessing exposure and adjusting for the ambient light, a useful photographic life skill.

Focussing is tricky. F4 and above the viewfinder image and focus confirmation dot gives decent results, but at f2.8 it's not reliable. Live view magnification is much more accurate and focus is directly off the sensor. In fact AF is the biggest let-down of the D3200.
 
martsharm said:
You set the aperture on the lens, the camera can't set this.
Click to expand...

I know, but does it then immediately stop down the aperture or does it only actually stop down when the shutter is pressed as it would on a film camera?

EDIT: I really should read the whole of a post before replying as you did actually answer that!!

martsharm said:
It's less bother than you might think on the D3200 to use full manual with no metering, the iPhone light meter app is pretty accurate, and after a while one gets good at guessing exposure and adjusting for the ambient light, a useful photographic life skill.
Click to expand...

It's no bother to me at all as I'm used to using cameras with no more controls that focus, shutter speed and aperture. In normal daylight I will often not even bother with a separate meter.

I am 99% a film user but for 1% of the time I use digital. I have a Nikon D100 which has finally stopped working and I am looking to replace it. I like the idea of using old lenses but I am not sure which direction to go in.

My options are to get a D3100 and use some of my manual focus Nikon lenses (I don't care about the loss of metering) or get a Pentax K20D or Samsung GX20 and do the same thing with my Pentax lenses.

The advantage with the Pentax and Samsung bodies is that they can be set up to do stop down metering with older lenses.

As you say, a Panasonic G series would work too, as would a Samsung NX10. These are other possibilities which I have looked into.. At the moment I am being Tempted by Park Cameras who are offering refurbished D3100 bodies for £199.

And I apologise for veering this thread off at a tangent!


Steve.
 
Last edited:
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top