Upgrade from my D90

Rorie

Senior Member
Hi folks,

i have had my D90 for about 4 years now. I am just an amateurs, but I have a handful of photos in a few galleries just now, so my photos are normally 'good enough'.

i like my D90 as it's simple, I know it inside out and does what I need. However, I want to see what my options are for upgrading. There are a couple things I want, but other than that, I am far away from being a gadget geek so keep it simple! Maybe there isn't even a point in me upgrading!

1) I would like a double SD card slot- twice now I have had SD cards (expensive ones) fail and lost all my photos

2) when zooming in on a photo to check for focus, I find the screen res rubbish and hence it's hard to tell if it's properly in focus without a computer. Is this standard or are all DSLRs like this?

3) what is the benefit/drawback with going to full sensor? My zoom lens won't get me as far....

4) I'd like to keep my current lenses so the same fixtures etc would be nice!

thanks!
 

crashton

Senior Member
I have a D7000 & it seems a good upgrade from a D90. It should address your wants. You can find good deals on refurbished ones.

I've never had a card fail. Are you sure you are buying brand name cards? There are many knockoffs out there. I've been using Sandisk for years with no issues.

Good luck with your upgrade.
 

PapaST

Senior Member
Pretty much everything that is considered an upgrade to the D90 has dual slots so you're in luck there.

Full Frame was a very welcome upgrade for me. Better sensor performance was the main reason I upgraded.

If you have a lot of DX glass then you'll want to consider what the cost will be to upgrade your glass to FX.
 

RRRoger

Senior Member
Sounds like you should get a D7100, if so I would wait a couple months and see if the D7200 comes out.
Otherwise, get a D5300 now.
Expeed 4 makes a real difference.
The high resolution swivel LCD is a gem to work with.
The Sensor has been tweeked so as to give you twice the low light potential.
It will take usable 12,800 ISO images and Movies.
The 1080 P60 Videos are quite superior and not just for slow motion.

The D7200 should have all this and more including double slots and backward compatability to non AF-S lens.
 

Moab Man

Senior Member
Another vote for you getting a D7100. Full frame has certain things it does better, and the D7100 has areas it's better in. Unless you specifically need the high ISO capability, low light capability, or wider image of a full frame, I would stick with the D7100. It sounds as though DX has served you well for your shooting. I bounce between my FX and DX depending on the shoot but couldn't pick on over the other now that I have had both.
 

Mike D90

Senior Member
I love my D90 also. I have felt no real need to upgrade just yet. If I do I will go with the D7100 for sure, or whatever new version is available when I do upgrade.

I also have never had a card to fail.

I use a name brand also.

Do you format the card "in camera" after each use? Or do you just erase the images with the computer or device you use to view them?

You should ALWAYS do an IN CAMERA format, not an erase.
 

Horoscope Fish

Senior Member
1) I would like a double SD card slot- twice now I have had SD cards (expensive ones) fail and lost all my photos
Once every few months or so I reformat my SD cards in my computer using the Format (not Quick Format) option. This recreates the FAT32 file-structure of the card itself and can, possibly, repair bad sectors. Formatting the card in-camera should be done routinely but all this does is rewrite the folder-structure the camera requires in order to communicate with, and write files to, the SD card. This is not, to those of us who are more computer literate, truly reformatting as it is commonly understood. I reformat my cards in-camera before starting any fresh shooting assignment. I reformat my memory cards in my computer maybe a few times a year.

2) When zooming in on a photo to check for focus, I find the screen res rubbish and hence it's hard to tell if it's properly in focus without a computer. Is this standard or are all DSLRs like this?
The resolution of the rear LCD gets a whole lot better with better camera bodies, but the best thing you can do to check for sharp focus is zoom in on the LCD display you have.

3) what is the benefit/drawback with going to full sensor? My zoom lens won't get me as far....
You lose the crop factor but some would call that a "feature"... You should really Google "DX vs FX" to get an unbiased review of the differences.

4) I'd like to keep my current lenses so the same fixtures etc would be nice!
You can, but you'll need to look at whether your lenses are FX or DX. While you CAN use a DX lens on an FX body you will have vignetting to deal with, most likely. FX lenses also tend to be more expensive than their DX counterparts.

As for what to upgrade to, I second the suggestions for the D7100 or the D5300. I shoot with the former, my girlfriend shoots with the latter; so I have a good amount of experience with both. If I couldn't shoot with my D7100 I could be pretty happy with the D5300. The D5300 does not have the dual-card slots, though and I really have come to love having dual slots.

....
 
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aroy

Senior Member
I would suggest going FF. You simply get better image IQ, especially in low light.

As others have commented, SD card failure with named brands is extremely rare. With non named cards it does happen, as the non named cards are rejects collected by unscrupulous traders, re-branded and sold.

Unless you need a dual card system, and rugged body, any current body is an upgrade for a 4 year old system. Regarding lenses some of the older lenses have been upgraded to better IQ, VR and weather sealing, so you have to evaluate each lense you own and decide whether it is worth while keeping it, or replacing.
 
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