D90 upgrade vs Sigma 17-70 upgrade

[IanC]

Hi All,

I am currently using a D90 and a sigma 17-70, most of my shots are taken whilst hiking mountains so landscapes in general but I also enjoy nighttime photography of the stars.

I am wondering if the technology has really moved on enough now to make it worthwhile me upgrading my body, looking to spend around £400 on either a body or a lens.

For te body I was looking at a D7000 and for the lens I was looking at a tokina 11-20mm - but it will have to be one or the other. So my question is which option wins, which will give me the biggest upgrade on the image quality? Is the D90 really that far behind now?

Also, to save creating another thread, does anyone have any reccomendations for a rucksack? I need the space for a camera and two lenses, bits and pieces like filters, remote release etc and I also want to put a lunchbox in there as well with space for bottles of water. Would be hiking so it needs to be comfortable and as light as possible.

Thanks in advance for any suggestions

 

[phil_b]

I had a D 7000 for several years with the same sigma and also a 10-20 for when I wanted wider. I don't think you would see a massive difference changing the body, I would go for wider lens.
I do a lot of hiking too and use one of these http://www.outbacktrading.co.uk/pro...mpkin-3545-/?gclid=CMn4opSV48sCFUI_GwodDNUEvw
I put a cheap camera bag insert off eBay in the bottom and it can be accessed through the side opening zip and then all my other stuff like waterproofs, food etc on top.

 

[htid]

Just to let you know, a used D7000 goes for about £200-220 in the classifieds section here, I recently sold mine here for £215.

 

[IanC]

I had a D 7000 for several years with the same sigma and also a 10-20 for when I wanted wider. I don't think you would see a massive difference changing the body, I would go for wider lens.
I do a lot of hiking too and use one of these http://www.outbacktrading.co.uk/pro...mpkin-3545-/?gclid=CMn4opSV48sCFUI_GwodDNUEvw
I put a cheap camera bag insert off eBay in the bottom and it can be accessed through the side opening zip and then all my other stuff like waterproofs, food etc on top.

Thanks Phil, how did you get on with the D7000?

I'm tempted with that bag, hadn't considered a proper hiking bag instead of a dedicated camera bag. Is it waterproof?

 

[IanC]

Just to let you know, a used D7000 goes for about £200-220 in the classifieds section here, I recently sold mine here for £215.

Thanks, how did you find the D7000?

 

[htid]

Thanks, how did you find the D7000?

I liked it but the noise was too much at 800 ISO. I haven't used the D90 so I'm not sure how much of a step up it is but the comparison sites online show the D7000 as being better. It was just that I used it for birding and when cropping to 100% the noise was noticable. Was never a problem if I wasn't cropping though and since you're going to be doing landscapes it shouldn't be an issue. The D7000 seems to have more AF points too which could help with composition on landscapes, but I guess you can work around that if you wish.

 

[Mountkeen]

I moved up to a D7000 from a D80. Quite an upgrade and a much more capable camera. The handling is very familiar though.

As far as a lens is concerned, something like a Sigma 10-20 is a good choice. I've had one for years and it's one of my favourites. You should be able to pick up a D7000 body and a wide-angle zoom within your budget if looking at used.

 

[dentonkarl]

I do a lot of walking in the Lake District. Currently have a D90 I use with a Tokina 12-24. From what I've read I would update the body if I was you. I'm looking at doing the same but upgrading to a D7200

 

[phil_b]

Thanks Phil, how did you get on with the D7000?

I'm tempted with that bag, hadn't considered a proper hiking bag instead of a dedicated camera bag. Is it waterproof?

I loved the D7000 and will probably still keep it for that wee bit of extra length for wildlife now and again. I used it for everything from kids to wildlife to landscapes and it is a far more capable camera than I am a photographer! As said I used it with the sigma 10-20 for landscapes and again this lens never let me down and I will only be selling it now as I can't use it on full frame.
The bag has a waterproof cover that pulls out from underneath, I used the webbing on the back for carrying a tripod though did add a home made strap at the top for holding the tripod in. It sitts nicely off your back to stop you sweating, has a pouch and hole for a water bladder, a few good big pockets for bits and pieces and the side opening to alow easy access to a camera and lenses even if they are buried at the bottom.

My flickr, there is a landscapes album and a Donegal album in there, nearly all with the 10-20 sigma
https://www.flickr.com/photos/philblair/

 

[IanC]

I loved the D7000 and will probably still keep it for that wee bit of extra length for wildlife now and again. I used it for everything from kids to wildlife to landscapes and it is a far more capable camera than I am a photographer! As said I used it with the sigma 10-20 for landscapes and again this lens never let me down and I will only be selling it now as I can't use it on full frame.
The bag has a waterproof cover that pulls out from underneath, I used the webbing on the back for carrying a tripod though did add a home made strap at the top for holding the tripod in. It sitts nicely off your back to stop you sweating, has a pouch and hole for a water bladder, a few good big pockets for bits and pieces and the side opening to alow easy access to a camera and lenses even if they are buried at the bottom.

My flickr, there is a landscapes album and a Donegal album in there, nearly all with the 10-20 sigma
https://www.flickr.com/photos/philblair/

Thank you, you have some great shots there!

 

[IanC]

I do a lot of walking in the Lake District. Currently have a D90 I use with a Tokina 12-24. From what I've read I would update the body if I was you. I'm looking at doing the same but upgrading to a D7200

Thanks for the reply, what is it that you have read which is persuading you to upgrade?

 

[IanC]

I liked it but the noise was too much at 800 ISO. I haven't used the D90 so I'm not sure how much of a step up it is but the comparison sites online show the D7000 as being better. It was just that I used it for birding and when cropping to 100% the noise was noticable. Was never a problem if I wasn't cropping though and since you're going to be doing landscapes it shouldn't be an issue. The D7000 seems to have more AF points too which could help with composition on landscapes, but I guess you can work around that if you wish.

Hmmm I do the occasional night shot at high ISO so I would want something good in that area ideally, I guess you get what you pay for though, as with everything!

 

[htid]

Hmmm I do the occasional night shot at high ISO so I would want something good in that area ideally, I guess you get what you pay for though, as with everything!

I'm not sure how it would affect night shots but to get less noise at higher ISO you'd need to go full frame and that will be a lot more expensive. Having said that, night photography is not something I ever did so I'm not sure how the d7000 would handle that, you'd have to wait and see what other people say.

 

[Scirocco_09]

There's a huge difference in quality from a D90 to a D7000. I had both and still have the D90 which I keep in my car. I once tried night pictures comparing both and the D7000 files were much cleaner, I didn't feel I could use the D90's images for that. Images are a bit larger too but saying that it's a fairly old camera as well and as someone has already said, ISO 800 upwards is too noisy. Are you able to look at a D7200? Maybe an import? That might serve you better as newer Nikons have vastly improved low light performance and dynamic range, the difference compared to the six year old technology of the D7000 is staggering

 

[Scirocco_09]

For the bag - I read an interview with Mat Robinson, a Yorkshire landscape photographer who had a good money saving tip - buy a normal rucksack and separate your lenses with clothes etc. As long as there's sections where you can put your accessories there should be more leeway for a lunch box. Camera bags aren't that flexible for storing food and drink (at least the ones I've had) and are expensive in comparison

 

[IanC]

There's a huge difference in quality from a D90 to a D7000. I had both and still have the D90 which I keep in my car. I once tried night pictures comparing both and the D7000 files were much cleaner, I didn't feel I could use the D90's images for that. Images are a bit larger too but saying that it's a fairly old camera as well and as someone has already said, ISO 800 upwards is too noisy. Are you able to look at a D7200? Maybe an import? That might serve you better as newer Nikons have vastly improved low light performance and dynamic range, the difference compared to the six year old technology of the D7000 is staggering

Thanks for the reply, I was hoping to start this thread and be reassured that I don't need to spend lots of money on a new body and can just upgrade to a new lens

I think I have read enough about the tokina 11-16 Mk2 to know that lens will take my photos quality output further, I have always read that glass is more important than the camera body but I just don't know if a d7200 would represent that much of a step up in terms of image quality

 

[Nawty]

Thanks for the reply, I was hoping to start this thread and be reassured that I don't need to spend lots of money on a new body and can just upgrade to a new lens

I think I have read enough about the tokina 11-16 Mk2 to know that lens will take my photos quality output further, I have always read that glass is more important than the camera body but I just don't know if a d7200 would represent that much of a step up in terms of image quality

The D7200 is a big step up from the D90 but only IF you plan to do lots of PP or shoot at very high ISO. New cameras are very sexy and nice to have but if you don't have the glass you can't get the shot, simples.

 

[Scirocco_09]

Thanks for the reply, I was hoping to start this thread and be reassured that I don't need to spend lots of money on a new body and can just upgrade to a new lens

I think I have read enough about the tokina 11-16 Mk2 to know that lens will take my photos quality output further, I have always read that glass is more important than the camera body but I just don't know if a d7200 would represent that much of a step up in terms of image quality

From my experience with the D7000 it could help a lot, I mainly used the Tokina 11-16mm Mk1 with these cameras and while I liked the way the D90 handled colour, the files from the D7000 contained much less grain even at low ISO levels and you're able to recover a lot more from highlight and shadow areas in editing. I sold my D7000 to fund a full frame upgrade and kept the D90, so I like the camera, but it is very limited in Dynamic Range and pixel count compared to newer models. I guess whether you upgrade camera or lens depends how happy you are with the Sigma 17-70mm? Something I think important to mention is a wide lens like an 11-16mm isn't normally good for mountain images, they make all those impressive peaks disappear into the distance and look tiny in the frame. You'd be very dependent on interesting foreground which you might not have. I feel you could be better off using something like a 55-300mm in that environment, you have much more versatility with a long telephoto lens as you can still take fairly wide landscapes and also use it to zoom in on subjects likes trees and church spires poking above a mist. Have a look at Scott Robertson's Flickr feed for example (https://www.flickr.com/photos/roksoff/), the mountain images are rarely using wide lenses, telephotos give so much more drama as they compress the landscape. An ultra wide lens is great for night photography though. It's food for thought and I suppose you need to prioritise what you're looking to do

 

[IanC]

I had a D 7000 for several years with the same sigma and also a 10-20 for when I wanted wider. I don't think you would see a massive difference changing the body, I would go for wider lens.
I do a lot of hiking too and use one of these http://www.outbacktrading.co.uk/pro...mpkin-3545-/?gclid=CMn4opSV48sCFUI_GwodDNUEvw
I put a cheap camera bag insert off eBay in the bottom and it can be accessed through the side opening zip and then all my other stuff like waterproofs, food etc on top.

Hi Phil, I'm still mulling over this rucksack. One last question, what is the capacity like at the bottom of the bag? Can you fit your camera and lens in with ease?

 

[phil_b]

Hi Phil, I'm still mulling over this rucksack. One last question, what is the capacity like at the bottom of the bag? Can you fit your camera and lens in with ease?

Hi. The camera bag insert that I put into the bottom of the rucksack holds a Nikon 70-200, sigma 17-70 and 10-20 mounted on the D7000. This is standing on its edge when you have the rucksack on and I usually push a pair of waterproof trousers or a spare fleece down in to keep it upright. I can take a couple of photos tonight if it helps.

 

[IanC]

Hi. The camera bag insert that I put into the bottom of the rucksack holds a Nikon 70-200, sigma 17-70 and 10-20 mounted on the D7000. This is standing on its edge when you have the rucksack on and I usually push a pair of waterproof trousers or a spare fleece down in to keep it upright. I can take a couple of photos tonight if it helps.

That would be good thank you

 

[phil_b]

That would be good thank you

Hi Ian. I have attached a couple of quick snaps to show you how i use the rucksack. I bought the camera bag insert from ebay, it is 20cm deep so holds the 70-200 at a push, 28 cm long so there is room for 3 lenses, 1 on the body and 13 cm wide. The rucksack has a rear pouch to hold a water bladder so with this in it fills the depth of the bag and stops any movement. The insert only takes up less than half the height of the bag so there plenty of room on top for clothes, food etc. There is also 2 large outside pockets for water bottles etc. And the lid of the bag has an inside and outside zipped pocket for stuff, i keep torches, wallet, filters, remote etc in these usually. There is also 2 small zipped pockets in the waist strap and 1 in the left shoulder strap that would hold a mobile phone or something of that size. I liked the way that the whole bag sits well off you back to help stop sweating. I put a tripod on the back, stick the legs down through the webbing and you can see the extra tie i added at the top to hold the top of the tripod in tight.
Hope that helps, anything else you need, just shout

rucksack-2 by Philip Blair, on Flickr

rucksack-1 by Philip Blair, on Flickr

 

[phil_b]

.

 

[davek]

My biggest photographic regret ever has been "upgrading" my D90 for a D7000. Really, don't bother. Know only one thing, the D90 is always in focus. (-:

 

[Mark G]

I had a D90 as my first Nikon body and I loved it, it's a great camera and the D7xxx series is an obvious upgrade to this. I replaced my D90 for a D7000. I have always been more than happy with the D7000 and I'm so glad I made the upgrade.

The main advantages of the D7000 over the D90 are:
- higher mp count
- less noise
- built in intervalometer
- auto focus fine tune

All of the above will have a positive impact over your night time images.

For a £400 budget you could get a D7100, or if you do choose a D7000 then I currently have a good one listed for sale in the classifieds.

For what it's worth I always wanted to get the Tokina 11-16mm for my Nikon kit, from what I read it is a great lens but I never managed to commit to it.

Mark

 

[IanC]

Hi Ian. I have attached a couple of quick snaps to show you how i use the rucksack. I bought the camera bag insert from ebay, it is 20cm deep so holds the 70-200 at a push, 28 cm long so there is room for 3 lenses, 1 on the body and 13 cm wide. The rucksack has a rear pouch to hold a water bladder so with this in it fills the depth of the bag and stops any movement. The insert only takes up less than half the height of the bag so there plenty of room on top for clothes, food etc. There is also 2 large outside pockets for water bottles etc. And the lid of the bag has an inside and outside zipped pocket for stuff, i keep torches, wallet, filters, remote etc in these usually. There is also 2 small zipped pockets in the waist strap and 1 in the left shoulder strap that would hold a mobile phone or something of that size. I liked the way that the whole bag sits well off you back to help stop sweating. I put a tripod on the back, stick the legs down through the webbing and you can see the extra tie i added at the top to hold the top of the tripod in tight.
Hope that helps, anything else you need, just shout

rucksack-2 by Philip Blair, on Flickr

rucksack-1 by Philip Blair, on Flickr

Thanks Phil really appreciated