D70 upgrade... second hand D90 or new D3200

fieldeffect

New member
Hi, I have a D70 with three reasonable lenses that has served me well but is on its last legs (increasingly the mirror sticks up and I have to power off and remove the battery to get it to reset) and so old that it's hardly worth getting repaired. I don't have the kind of budget that I originally had when I bought my D70 new, so I'm wondering which of the following to do:

1. Pick up a second hand, low actuation count D90 body for £200, carry on using my lenses, have a higher end camera that's much better than my D70, but it's still old (out of production fro five years now)

2. Buy a D3200 new for £280, accept that my lenses won't work with it (no motors in the lenses), maybe sell my existing lenses, and just accept that I'm now entry level, not mid range.

I don't really want to go down to a lower class of camera and lose the ability to use my lenses with AF with it, but I'm not sure that spending this much money on something as old as a D90 is a wise move. My thinking behind the D3200 was that technology moves on so quickly that even a lower end modern camera would be much better.

Any opinions are gratefully received.

Thanks, Nick.
 

nickt

Senior Member
I went from a D70 to a d3100. I was kind of in a slump and the small size appealed to me as something I would carry more often. I got it at a good price too. But after a year or so, I missed the d70 interface, so I ended up with a d7000. If you enjoy your current user interface, you might not care for the d3200. I could not do without the top lcd and front command wheel at this point.
 

Geoffc

Senior Member
Have a look at mpb photographic.co.uk. You could probably get a D300 or D7000 used for not too much. You will be happy with either of them.


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk HD
 

Bill16

Senior Member
I also would go with a D300 or D7000, rather than to the D3200! I like the pro features to much to go back to a D3xxx series model, if I didn't have to!
I currently use pretty much just af-d lenses, and I'm happy with them! :D
 

Horoscope Fish

Senior Member
Hi, I have a D70 with three reasonable lenses that has served me well but is on its last legs (increasingly the mirror sticks up and I have to power off and remove the battery to get it to reset) and so old that it's hardly worth getting repaired. I don't have the kind of budget that I originally had when I bought my D70 new, so I'm wondering which of the following to do:

1. Pick up a second hand, low actuation count D90 body for £200, carry on using my lenses, have a higher end camera that's much better than my D70, but it's still old (out of production fro five years now)

2. Buy a D3200 new for £280, accept that my lenses won't work with it (no motors in the lenses), maybe sell my existing lenses, and just accept that I'm now entry level, not mid range.

I don't really want to go down to a lower class of camera and lose the ability to use my lenses with AF with it, but I'm not sure that spending this much money on something as old as a D90 is a wise move. My thinking behind the D3200 was that technology moves on so quickly that even a lower end modern camera would be much better.

Any opinions are gratefully received.

Thanks, Nick.
Hmmmm... I'm not at *all* certain how happy you'd be going from a D70 to a D3200. The D90 would be my choice of those two, without a second thought.

If you could swing a D300 so much the better.
....
 

RON_RIP

Senior Member
If you have access to a refurbished D7000 or one with low activations, that might be your best bet. Very underrated camera.
 
although the D7000 will be an upgrade on your D70 why not try to get a D7100 ...pay your £200 as deposit at jessops and use the interest free credit ...as you quote £££ I guess you are in the UK

£250 deposit and £25 a month ..easy no contest.
 
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jay_dean

Senior Member
I was never a fan of my D90, i found the D300S so much better, but that was a while ago now. For not much more than a D90, like the others say, i think i'd be looking at the D300 or D7000
 

Woodyg3

Senior Member
Contributor
Cameras have come along way since the D90. As other have said, the D7000 or D7100 is a lot more camera and if you search you might find a used or refurb that fits your budget. That said, I still use my old D70 bodies from time to time and get great shots, so the older cameras shouldn't be dismissed. Good luck in your search. :)
 

skene

Senior Member
The d90 is a very good and still very capable camera. The D7XXX would be a step up from it.
Go for whichever suits your needs and your budget.
 
Been shooting with a D50 and D80 and a bunch of glass for a long time. Chucking it all for a D3300 and the 2 new kit lenses.

Now I am not a pro, so fast access to physical controls is not a priority for me. In fact, as eyes aren't what they used to be (bifocals), I actually prefer the LCD for deeper settings.

The image quality and noise characteristics of this camera are extremely good, and the glass is beyond expectation. Unless you have special needs, you will spend thousands to cover the 2 kit range for glass with easily noticeable improvements.

I may come to miss the auto-bracketing Nikon left out of this body (and crippled in the 5XXX series), but I usually use a tripod if I'm serious about bracketing for compositing so not a deal breaker.

Another plus is the size and weight, as I find myself leaving the point and shoot at home.
 

Gobae

Senior Member
Hmmmm... I'm not at *all* certain how happy you'd be going from a D70 to a D3200. The D90 would be my choice of those two, without a second thought.

If you could swing a D300 so much the better.
....

I couldn't agree more. A couple of years ago when I went from the D40X to the D90, the D300 and D7000 were still a bit out of my price point. But if I had a bit more cash I would have jumped over the D90 and gone for one of them instead (probably the D300).
 
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