Making the Switch to Nikon

After lots of time spent reading these forums, talking with friends who shoot with Nikon, and contemplating waiting for the new D95/8000, I finally ordered a D90 today with the 16-85mm lens. I have been using a Canon XSI/450d over the past few years for landscapes, city shots and general subjects. Very nice camera which I will continue to use, but something was missing for me, both tangible (features, setup) and intangible, that the D90 appears to have from the time I have spent playing with it at various shops.

I am looking forward to learning about the ins and outs of the D90 and will likely be back posting here with questions and C&C shots. And thanks to all of you who have provided valuable advice to me indirectly in the posts you made in response to other forum members.

Welcome back to the fold.

Let's hope that by the time your D90 arrives, you've gotten over your previous comment that you want to "stick with Nikon's defaults". Given that you liked what your D40 gave in the past, don't hesitate at all to bump the saturation & sharpness sliders up one notch from their default spots in the "Standard" picture control. And as Nikon recommends, consider putting 'brightness' to -1:

http://imaging.nikon.com/products/imaging/lineup/picturecontrol/other/approximation.htm

Then as soon as you're done with that, set Custom Setting D7: File Naming Sequence to ON so you don't have a bunch of identically-named DSC_0001 shots.

Next, learn & love the instant Preset WB access that your previous two cameras lacked. Perfect color at the push of a single button!

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http://www.benseese.com

Thanks for the pointers right off the bat. I was nostalgic for the color renditon of the D40, so I appreciate the link to the approximation chart. And great to know about the WB present button (which I was not aware of until now).

You will have some fun with it, believe me.
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Ed

Welcome and good luck, it's a very good piece of equipment. And if a D95 whatever eventually arrives, you can trade it in for the new one.

I think the D70/80/90 line is a real step up from the Rebel line, I've shot with a couple, the D80 I have feels and shoots much more solidily and has very good controls for manual shooting (which I use all the time).

Can't help you except for generalities and, likely, problems with matrix metering issues, which will probably show up.
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Renato.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/rhlpedrosa/
OnExposure member
http://www.onexposure.net/

Good shooting and good luck
(after Ed Murrow)

Ergonomically going from a Rebel to any Nikon camera, including D90....even D40...is heaven. Just like going from a Rebel to Canon XXD body. I could never adjust to this really uncomfortable body of a Rebel with no space for the pinky and with little space between the tiny grip and the lens mount. Even with a grip. Perhaps because supposedly Canon Digital Rebel was designed with a Japanese woman's hand in mind for design.
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Setting by nikon's chart to match the D40 helps, but still doesn't match. The D40 just has it beat for colors. The D90 is a great camera though, you will enjoy it. I suppose you had your reasons, but I really don't understand the lure of the 16-85 lens unless you just really need the extra 2mm on the wide end. I prefer the 18-105 or 18-200 easily over the 16-85.

Welcome....good decision.

I have read Shutterbug's take on the T2i and comparison to the 7D and the T2i does well as expected. I have found myself that the T2i while being very nice is not pulling the last generation of Rebel owners over to this camera in lurking on some Canon sites.

My feeling is that the new D90 will most likely be there for those seeking a new DSLR and the former D90 owners for the most part are good to go.

The real show in town will be comparing the D700 replacement to the D300s replacement way down the line..in other words..a D90 is right now and 2-5 years from now.

digitography said:

Welcome....good decision.

I have read Shutterbug's take on the T2i and comparison to the 7D and the T2i does well as expected. I have found myself that the T2i while being very nice is not pulling the last generation of Rebel owners over to this camera in lurking on some Canon sites.

My feeling is that the new D90 will most likely be there for those seeking a new DSLR and the former D90 owners for the most part are good to go.

The real show in town will be comparing the D700 replacement to the D300s replacement way down the line..in other words..a D90 is right now and 2-5 years from now.

Click to expand...

I think we'll see a D400 before a D800 (or D900), since before a D800 Nikon will likley release a D4 with the new sensor. I still find it starnge that Nikon will release a new sensor in a lower level body before it fits the higher one (D95 against D400). Maybe the D95 will use a Sony 16MP sensor tweaked by Nikon, as the rumor goes, but D400 wil have a new Nikon sensor with technology derived from the D3s sensor, the best overall sensor technology in the market right now.

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Renato.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/rhlpedrosa/
OnExposure member
http://www.onexposure.net/

Good shooting and good luck
(after Ed Murrow)

Anyone that knows anything about photography and handles a Rebel with kit lens and a D5000 with kit lens will notice immediately the difference, the D90 even more.

Canon dslr line, for me, starts at xxD level. But Canon APS-C kit lenses are just poor, construct and opticallywise speaking. So, one needs to go up to the better lenses, unlike for Nikkors. The 16-85 is a great lens, as was the 18-70mm, the one I use with D80.

Absolutic said:

Ergonomically going from a Rebel to any Nikon camera, including D90....even D40...is heaven. Just like going from a Rebel to Canon XXD body. I could never adjust to this really uncomfortable body of a Rebel with no space for the pinky and with little space between the tiny grip and the lens mount. Even with a grip. Perhaps because supposedly Canon Digital Rebel was designed with a Japanese woman's hand in mind for design.
--

Click to expand...

--
Renato.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/rhlpedrosa/
OnExposure member
http://www.onexposure.net/

Good shooting and good luck
(after Ed Murrow)

rhlpetrus said:

Anyone that knows anything about photography and handles a Rebel with kit lens and a D5000 with kit lens will notice immediately the difference, the D90 even more.

Canon dslr line, for me, starts at xxD level. But Canon APS-C kit lenses are just poor, construct and opticallywise speaking. So, one needs to go up to the better lenses, unlike for Nikkors. The 16-85 is a great lens, as was the 18-70mm, the one I use with D80.

Click to expand...

I agree with everything here.

Canon XXD line are actually very comfortable cameras to hold. I owned 20D 30D and 40D and they are pleasure to hold. Unfortunately, the button selection and placement, that's another thing. I've had problems with dual-function buttons on Canon and even after years of using, I cannot remember...ok for autofocus change from servo to single, i have to press this button, once or twice, and which wheel do I have to turn? These dual-function buttons for all the key functions, ISO, Flash, Drive, they drove me nuts, and I always had to look to see and think about it. On my D300 and D700 ISO is one button. Drive is one switch. Autofocus is one switch in front. Love it.

Now regarding the kit lenses. Kit lenses Nikon might be better, but Canon has excellent cheap lenses. Canon 55-250IS was on sale in my local Frys Electronics for $149 for a while. That 'poor man's L lens' provides superb quality results at such a shockingly cheap price. It is better than Nikkor 55-200VR no question about it. The quality is on par with 70-300VR and might be even better. Canon 17-85IS USM can be had for $200-300 used and it is a very capable lens. The nifty-fifty, Canon's 50mm 1.8 II is an incredibly sharp and light lens, which I've seen sold for $50 used. So they have some great and cheap beginner's lenses in their arsenal.