D90 or D7000

I know that the D90 gets brilliant reviews and almost has a cult following. I have been looking at getting a D7000 and two of my reasons for it over the D90 is the focus points and low light ability. There are however many D7000 owners having focusing problems and i dont know whether to gamble and go for it if i can find one or try and find a D90. I know this being a D90 section some may be a bit bias but please be as honest as you can.

thanks

Simon

You will have a LOT less trouble finding a D90 than you will a D7000, so the REAL question is this...

How long do you want to wait to purchase a higher priced D7000?

Get the D90 and get the learning curve out of the way. When production re-starts on the D7000, you will have a very nice piece of equipment to either trade in or sell outright to finance the newer camera.

BWTHDIK?

BTW: I am just looking at this logically. I have a D3100 that I really like.

I have both the 90 and 7000 and I find myself using the 90 as often as the 7000. It seems less fussy for high quality lenses and camera shake. Of course, the 7000 low light IQ is better, but in natural daylight the difference is tiny. Remember that the 90 has (me thinks) the same sensor as the 300. You can go a long way with the 90 and it's been around for a while so you know it should be trouble free.

if you think the D90 has a "cult" following, you should see the D7000 following...LOL.

The D90 is a great camera, i had one. The D7000 is a great camera as well, and has newer technology. You honestly cannot go wrong with either choice. If cost is an issue, go for the D90. As mentioned before, the D7000 is getting harder and harder to obtain. If video is a concern, dont think twice about the D7000 and the D90's video capabilities are FAR behind that of the D7000. Being that the D7000 is constantly compared to the D300s, as apposed to the D90, it is on the higher end of the spectrum and in my opinion will take you further than the D90. Your earning curve will be the same, no matter which body you get.

JoeLewisPhoto said:

If video is a concern, dont think twice about the D7000 and the D90's video capabilities are FAR behind that of the D7000. Being that the D7000 is constantly compared to the D300s, as apposed to the D90, it is on the higher end of the spectrum and in my opinion will take you further than the D90. Your earning curve will be the same, no matter which body you get.

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I just bought a D90 and love it. I also came across a great deal of references to the video capabilities but this was never going to be a factor to sway me in favour of one over the other as if there is a choice of photos or video, the photos will always win with me. For someone who really enjoys shooting movies/clips and has fun editing them, I can see this being a feature worth considering.

A seemingly silly consideration, but after comparing various cameras on the specs, the ergonomics of the D90 appealed to me. This is a very personal thing, but I just love the way it feels to hold it. When I take my camera out with me, the camera backpack is really an accessory - the camera is always in my hand and I want it to feel comfortable. Just thought I would throw a very non technical plus in for what I think is a great camera.

Actually, the "hand feel" comparison is just the right approach. If your camera is not comfortable in the hand, then you just will not use it no matter how spectacular the capabilities are.

This is very much like the Smith & Wesson vs Colt. If I want a pretty weapon, a Colt wheel gun is a joy to behold.

If I want my target dead, a Smith & Wesson Model 69 will do the trick. For those that don't know, the hand grip on the Smith is quite a lot larger than the Colt.

It "fits" my hand perfectly. The Colt grip is just too dang small.

So the point is that if it don't fit, it won't be used.

JMTCW

Thanks guys. I have had a play with the D7000 and totally loved it the instant i held it. I'm not quite in the position to buy yet so dont know what i will do. Ideally i would get both to have a back up as i am hoping to get into wedding photography a bit and wouldnt do it without a second camera.

If it was my choice to make, I'd get the D90. After all the horror stories I've read about the D7000, and the availability issues, and the focus issues among other things.....I don't know....seems like a no brainer to me. I was even going to see if anyone would trade me their D90 for my D200, that's how much I like that camera.

As for the video feature; I've said it before and I'll keep saying it.........if you want video, buy a friggin' video camera! That's what they're made for! You buy a DSLR to take pictures! But hey.....that's just me. I'm funny like that.

fotojack said:

But hey.....that's just me. I'm funny like that.

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I'm Funny Like That II

Hey Jack the D90 is a fabulous camera but don't dare sell your D200, I'm still saving for a lens for mine and I'll need your advice on how to work the camera!!

I'd pick the D90 over the D7000 any day of the week and twice on Sunday.

The D90 is a proven workhorse, and is a damn fine camera. There have been problems with the D7000 since launch, and I would argue that most of the new "advances" that are reported to put it above the D90 are just fluff. If you intend to use the camera for a lot of video, then go with the D7000 because that's about the only real advantage it has.

That's my two cents worth.

gav329 said:

Hey Jack the D90 is a fabulous camera but don't dare sell your D200, I'm still saving for a lens for mine and I'll need your advice on how to work the camera!!

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lol...OK, I'll wait till you're fairly proficient with yours, then I'll trade it for a D90.

Hmmm.....I bought a D7000 3months ago - have shot over 4500 images with it in all kinds of conditions -13c just this last weekend. I have had No focus problems or for that matter any other problems. I did have to learn to jack up the SS i.e. if I normally used 250 I would have better results if I used 350 or 400 minor fix. I too have read reports about how terrible the D7000 is be damned if I can duplicate any of the complaints??
Nikon D7000 Review Follow-up

Guys I have a d3000 and wanting to upgrade. I am torn between the D90 and the D7k, yes price variance is there however i am pulled more to wards the D90. The D90 features as a discontinued model however it still sells in India. Do let me know if it is worth investing in the D90 now.

i have both the d90 and d7000. both are wonderful cameras. never had any real issues with either. the extra 4MP, wider dynamic range and extra low light capabilities of the d7000 makes for a better camera, but the d90 is still a great piece of kit. i will be keeping it as a second camera. at the end of the day, both are as sharp as each other, but if i need to zoom and crop a photo, (i shoot a lot of insect macros and small birds), then the d7000 is the winner. re focusing, i have always used single point AF on both cameras since day one.

This is a funny topic for me, because I was having the same debate! I've had a D90 for over a year ( suggestion of a camera buddy of mine Jacob Maentz Jacob Maentz: Travel, Culture, Documentary Photographer ) I love it, but I am saving up for the D7000 because I want the full frame. Coincidentally, Jacob has also upgraded to the D7000.

My only beef with the D90 is it shoots soft. From what I have researched, it was designed for post editing and leaves nothing to the capabilities of an inferior camera processor. It's still a great camera and I've gotten great results with it in raw format. I'd definitely recommend going D90 as a grab and go, solid, freshen up on your PS skills type of camera.

Sigh, only about $4000 left to go for the D7000 and lenses! D8000 looks intriguing

Side note, you should check out Jacob's mission to photograph the indigenous people of the Philippines. He was recently awarded the rights of National Geographic to reproduce some of Dean C. Worcester indigenous portraits taken back in the 1910's. I am supporting this issue, because not much has been documented and these people are slowly being driven out by technological and societal advancements.

HOTROCKS,the d7000 is not full frame!,,,,,,,also the d90 is far from soft.

Sorry, I meant D700... My mistake..

And yes, the D90 does shoot soft.

hotrocks said:

Sorry, I meant D700... My mistake..

And yes, the D90 does shoot soft.

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There are a lot of factors why photographers ends up with softer images. Most of the time errors are caused by the operator such as motion blur (shutter too slow), camera shake, aperture, and sometimes when shooting with a lens wide open.

If you can post the picture with the exif data, we might be able to narrow down the root cause.

Full frame is not always for everybody. The number one deterant is the price involved which you already mentioned. Lenses can cost more and are typically heavier.

Hi Glenn (fellow PN'er!),

I find my D90 often shoots soft, I have complained about this a number of times. I will gladly post some of my latest shots in raw, if you prefer.

How big a picture can I post here?