D3200 vs. DSLR with Autofocus motor

newbie157

New member
Hi all -- I am looking for a DSLR Nikon (body only under 1k preferably and am willing to buy excellent condition pre-owned) that has an autofocus motor built in so that I can use lenses that don't have AF. I received a D3200 as a gift, and like it all except for the fact that it lacks an AF motor in the body. I've looked into the D7000 and D90, but are there any other Nikons I should be looking at that fit the bill, and have good specs and video capability? If not, how do the D7000 and D90 compare?

Thank you!
 

Marcel

Happily retired
Staff member
Super Mod
The 7000 has more advanced image processor and more pixels + better video. It fits your request of a "less than 1k" as well. This would be my recommendation.
 

Phillydog1958

Senior Member
I agree with Marcel and cnyram. The pricing on the D7000 has dropped, in many cases. You should be able to find one at around $1,000. Try Amazon. I'd go for a NEW one.
 

gqtuazon

Gear Head
Hi all -- I am looking for a DSLR Nikon (body only under 1k preferably and am willing to buy excellent condition pre-owned) that has an autofocus motor built in so that I can use lenses that don't have AF. I received a D3200 as a gift, and like it all except for the fact that it lacks an AF motor in the body. I've looked into the D7000 and D90, but are there any other Nikons I should be looking at that fit the bill, and have good specs and video capability? If not, how do the D7000 and D90 compare?

Thank you!

Which "D" lenses do you own? Most of the G lenses now are much sharper that the older lenses although they are much more expensive of course.

D7000 would be your best choice for now. I would skip the D90.
 

newbie157

New member
I have access to several lenses (from family members) but I'm not sure off hand which exactly they are - I just know they do not have built-in AF motors (and are from after 1977).

If the d7000 beats out the d90, does that mean it also beats out the other dslrs that have built-in motors, e.g. D50, D70, D70s, D80, D200, D300, D300s? I've been told that one should really invest in lenses instead of bodies, but is there a point after which older dslr models are so obsolete that it makes no sense to buy them? It's tempting to go older rather than newer given the insane price differential, but I'm sure there are specs in there that I don't know much about (yet) that make the newer models make sense...
 
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Phillydog1958

Senior Member
Not really. The D7000 is a great camera, but so are the others that you mentioned, especially the D300 and D300s. If you want to stay current with your technology, consider the two D300 models and the D7000. It probably boils down to what feature set you desire in your camera. Also, not to make matters more complex for you, but rumor has it that Nikon is about to launch and new full-frame camera that probably will be outside of your $1,000 budget. But, you might want to wait and see if it's close enough to allow you to make the stretch. Go to Nikon's site and do some comparisons. There's a Nikon DSLR Digiguide that does a rundown of all Nikon cameras --DX and FX. But, I do agree that investing in lenses is always the best way to go. Bodies come and go. Lenses are forever.
 

gqtuazon

Gear Head
If the d7000 beats out the d90, does that mean it also beats out the other dslrs that have built-in motors, e.g. D50, D70, D70s, D80, D300, D300s?...

Cleaner images at ISO 3,200, dual SD cards, HD video, can program non-cpu lenses, higher resolution, etc. So the quick overall answer to me is Yes.
 

fotojack

Senior Member
Don't under estimate the older model cameras with built in motors! They're still very good cameras, and there is still a lot of value to them. I supposed it all depends on your value system and what you ultimately want to do with the camera.

And yes....cameras come and go, but lenses are forever. :) Well put, Phillydog. :)
 

joecap

Senior Member
If you can wait a few months I think alot of Nikon camersa will come down in price.
Nikon is going to release some new Models this year..
 
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