[Waz]

Quite tempted by the D5000, but conisdering the fact that the D90 comes bundled with a better lense and if you discount the cost of both lens the difference between the cameras themselves is £150ish, is the D90 worth the upgrade? Also with regards to lense, is the 18-55 with the d5000 and the 18-105 that comes with the d90 any good? Heard some good things about the 18-200 lens from Nikon but isn't cheap. I am also after a 10 or 12mm lense for photographing apartments and properties, but dont want to spend the earth. Any recommendations?

Thanks.

[Strobe]

I would go with the D90 personally if I was buying again.
Major pluses over the D5000 :- top lcd, twin command dials, higher rez main lcd (D5000 counters with its articulating screen), and superior kit lens.
There is a £150 difference bwteeen the kit lens packages and, imo, the benefits for the D90 more than outweight the cost.
Can't comment on the D5000 kit lens but the D90 18-105 VR kit lens is pretty good for the money. It's pretty sharp and is reasonably sturdy despite its lighter weight and plastic lens mount - it does have moderate distortion at the wide end though (but that's not unique).
I have not used the Nikon 18-200 VR but some swear by out and others say it's garbage. For almost the same money you could get the 18-105 kit lens and the 70-300 VR (my combo) - you lose the convenience of the one lens solution but gain the extra 100mm zoom range and better sharpness / less distortion.

[eviljohn2]

Also don't forget that the D5000 is quite a lot smaller and lighter than the D90. If portability is a concern then bear that in mind.

The D90 would be way to big for me to bother dragging it around compared to my smaller D60.

[Waz]

It is a tough one. Reading many reviews they say the d5000 has a lot of technology and features of the D90 but is all crammed into a D40 like shell, without many dedicated buttons. To be honest, I ain't a pro, so shouldnt bother me, but the fact that the D90 has a built in AF motor means you can rely on not having to buy expensive AF-S motors. Difference in price if I was to sell off both supplied kit lenses is only £150, but then that can also by a decent prime lens. Its a tough choice!

[S3rv3d]

I brought a D60 about a month ago I returned it after about three weeks due too it getting alot of dust under the screen. Decided to go for the D5000 instead, i dont think i can worry about that problem with it because of the separate screen.

I was thinking about getting the D90 instead. But as i had brought 2 spare Nikon batteries and a few other bits for the D60 which are compatible with the D5000 aswell i didnt know if it would be worth it. After trying to sell them, would lose abit of money.

Im still thinking about taking it back and getting a D90 though as the D5000 happens to be a recall one But i think i would prefer a new lens (Nikon AFS 105mm Micro) which some of the money to buy a D90 would come from.

I dont know if i would benefit with the top lcd or the front dial. Going into the menus doesnt bother me. Im sure with enough usage and learning, things can be changed quickly. Also the AF motor in the D90 could be a benefit to some. I dont think it will for me though as i dont have any older lenses.

Have you also taken into account the cash back from the D5000? Could make it cheaper if you havent. Overall im happy with the D5000, and i dont know if those things can tempt me enough to get a D90.

[Strobe]

I don't think the lack of in-body motor for the D5000 is a major -ve, as more and more lenses are coming with motors; eg. Nikon's new Nikkor 35mm F1.8 and Sigma with their HSM. When I bought the D90 I compared it to the Sony A700 which I had before and the 40D / 450D from Canon. The A700 / 40D were a step up in build quality and weight but the 450D felt a tad too plasticky! I wouldn't let a few extra grams put you off, my most oft-used kit is the D90 plus kit lens in a small Tamrac Messenger bag. Once you've upgraded to some weighty extra lenses to lug around the weight of the body becomes less important. Imo, ergonomics are much more important and the twin command dials, high rez main rear screen and top lcd do count for a lot - my old A700 didn't have a top lcd and I would defo miss it if I didn't have one now.

The twin command dials are very useful; especially once you start using 'Manual' mode: front dial controls aperture, rear dial controls shutter speed, so you can frame, adjust Ap/Ss and take the shot all without the viewfinder leaving your eye. Could you do that with the D5000 without diving in to a menu?

I also wouldn't worry about selling off the 18-105 VR kit lens if you went with the D90. Unlike kit lenses from other manufacturers, it is a pretty good lens in its own right (far far superior to Sony's original 18-70 kit lens) and has plent of mileage in it.

Several reviews/forums mention that the D5000 has been introduced by Nikon to seek out the point and shoot upgraders (much like Sony with their A350). This is all well and good but, imo, using a DSLR is all about getting out of Auto mode and using the Manual modes - the quicker and easier it is to do this the better. If all you want out of a DSLR is better speed, better image quality and interchangeable lenses then by all means go with the D5000. If you want to explore what photography is all about then, out of the two, I think the D90 would be the way to go.

I don't want this to seem like I'm knocking the D5000 because that's not what I am intending and I am sure it's a very good camera in it's own right. However, I reckon that if you went with the D5000 you would be looking to upgrade far sooner perhaps.

[sdb123]

Originally Posted by eviljohn2

Also don't forget that the D5000 is quite a lot smaller and lighter than the D90. If portability is a concern then bear that in mind.

The D90 would be way to big for me to bother dragging it around compared to my smaller D60.

The D90 is not 'way' too big at all, even in comparison to the D60. I went from a D40 to a D90 then on to a D700; for me each one offered an improvement in handling/feel and ease of use.

[sdb123]

With the difference in price being so negligable, the D90 would get ny vote every time. The D5000 may be a derivative of the D90 but then a D90 is a derivative of the D300.

[dazza74]

Another vote for the D90 + 18-105 combo best pound for pound value I feel from Nikon at the moment (excluding D700 / D3 ), essentially all the best bits of a D300 for a lot less dough.

[booyaka]

Originally Posted by dazza74

Another vote for the D90 + 18-105 combo best pound for pound value I feel from Nikon at the moment (excluding D700 / D3 ), essentially all the best bits of a D300 for a lot less dough.

x2 - love my d90 and the kit lens is superb as a walk about lens.

[jwramsay]

When I was in Jessops, sales bloke told me D90S in the way - has 1080p HiDef instead of 720p, so if true expect discounts on D90.

[dazza74]

Originally Posted by PDP-434HDE

When I was in Jessops, sales bloke told me D90S in the way - has 1080p HiDef instead of 720p, so if true expect discounts on D90.

There's a D300s already been announced that adds video and a couple of other things to the D300. Be surprised if Nikon did produce a D90s as it will give people even less of a reason to buy a D300s imo

[s70rmp]

I ordered the D5000 on the 1st August to replace my D40x and the supplier still has got them in.

Talking to them, Nikon seem to be struggling to supply demand out strips stock levels !

just hope it arrived before I go on my long weekend break a week on Friday!

[Waz]

Many thanks for the advice, purchased the D90 in the end. Not used it yet but decided to sell the kit 18-105mm lens and also a brand new Sigma 18-200mm HSM OS lense I bought in anitcipation. I am stuck between the following:

1. I want a good prime lense for low light indoor and also night shots. The 50mm F1.8 is cheap and the fact that it doesnt have a AF-S doesnt bother me becase the D90 has it built in. Wondering if I 50mm might be too close and if I should opt for the more pricey 35mm version.

2. I had a Tamron 17-50 F2.8 which was fantastic on my Canon and considering getting it for the Nikon. The 2.8 does make it very useful in low light conditions, but I wonder if I should really bother with the prime, how big a difference will the 1.8 vs 2.8 make?

3. Lastly, the main reason for selling off my new sigma 18-200mm is to fund the Nikon 18-200mm VR. Not used the Sigma one yet, but most reviews suggest the Nikon is better at 200mm and in the inbetween focal ranges. My main concern is the fact that at the lowest end if has F 3.5, so in the range of 18-50 it wont beat the Tamron in low light indoor conditions.

I am really confused, this is harder than deciding what car to buy!

[Strobe]

Originally Posted by Waz

Many thanks for the advice, purchased the D90 in the end. Not used it yet but decided to sell the kit 18-105mm lens and also a brand new Sigma 18-200mm HSM OS lense I bought in anitcipation. I am stuck between the following:

1. I want a good prime lense for low light indoor and also night shots. The 50mm F1.8 is cheap and the fact that it doesnt have a AF-S doesnt bother me becase the D90 has it built in. Wondering if I 50mm might be too close and if I should opt for the more pricey 35mm version.

2. I had a Tamron 17-50 F2.8 which was fantastic on my Canon and considering getting it for the Nikon. The 2.8 does make it very useful in low light conditions, but I wonder if I should really bother with the prime, how big a difference will the 1.8 vs 2.8 make?

3. Lastly, the main reason for selling off my new sigma 18-200mm is to fund the Nikon 18-200mm VR. Not used the Sigma one yet, but most reviews suggest the Nikon is better at 200mm and in the inbetween focal ranges. My main concern is the fact that at the lowest end if has F 3.5, so in the range of 18-50 it wont beat the Tamron in low light indoor conditions.

I am really confused, this is harder than deciding what car to buy!

Why be so hasty to sell the kit lens, it's pretty good for the money and sharper than the 18-200? What about the 16-85 VR, that is the one I am going to upgrade to from the kit lens.

[Waz]

I have had a look at the mentioned 16-85 lens and for the price it isnt far off from a 18-200 and the 16mm doesnt give a huge difference to the 18mm on the wide side. Considering they arent far off the same price I would probably go for the 18-200 as I get a telephoto lens too.

[S3rv3d]

Just been to exchange my recall D5000 for a D90 body. Am happy now.

Another thing which made me decide is the CLS. As i want to get the 105mm VR Micro, i wont need the SB or SU-800 to control the flash off camera.