Help me decide which deal is the best!

You will be fine with the 18-105 for your needs.
You can take portraits with that that has blur background
You can carry it around for your urban scenery
You can use it for sports stuff if you are close to the action...

It will not give you the best looking stuff as a result but, for your daily needs will be fine.

Once you get to know the camera then you can grow and purchase new lenses, you can get a portrait lens like 35mm or 50mm or 60mm get a macro if you want, you can get the 70-300 for longer range.

I do have the D90 with 18-200.

It is excellent combo, but d90 is an old body, and its price is dropping in the used market. On the other hand D7000 is brand new, 2 years ahead of the D90, so you are better of starting with the newest and then grow with this new camera.

18-105 kit that D7K comes with has VR so it is also no-tripod easy.

yea sneak3 since you are a beginner to dslr think you should go with what lonley pixel

said a nikon d90 and 18 to 105 mm lens that 's wide landscapes and portrait stuff .than you can get other lenses too ,flash, camera bag etc . i just pick up a d90 and have no problems with it . and now the prices are good on the d90 cameras i can see

you also buying a d7000 if your making $$$ with it , than go for it good luck and let us know what you bought later greg

Well, I'll call the nikon representative here in Brazil to clear that "grey market" haunting out.

Now about the lenses, you said to keep the 18-105 and later get another one for zoom purposes. The only thing that's keeping me from choosing that is the versatility of the 18-200.. It may have less functionality and less optics but I wouldnt have to carry 2 lenses for now, at least. Since I'll use my camera when traveling, I guess that is a pretty good point, no?

About the d7000, after all the only real problem is the dead pixel, right? What exactly should I do to test that while in US, or even better, at the store?

Cause if that is settled, even if I lack warranty support, it would be the exact same situation with the D90, as all other possible problems could affect them both, right?

sneak3 said:

Well, I'll call the nikon representative here in Brazil to clear that "grey market" haunting out.

Now about the lenses, you said to keep the 18-105 and later get another one for zoom purposes. The only thing that's keeping me from choosing that is the versatility of the 18-200.. It may have less functionality and less optics but I wouldnt have to carry 2 lenses for now, at least. Since I'll use my camera when traveling, I guess that is a pretty good point, no?

About the d7000, after all the only real problem is the dead pixel, right? What exactly should I do to test that while in US, or even better, at the store?

Cause if that is settled, even if I lack warranty support, it would be the exact same situation with the D90, as all other possible problems could affect them both, right?

Click to expand...

Ah sorry I didnt see the page 2!

Ok but If i go with 18-105, I'd still have 400$ to spend in lens. Should I go for 70-300 ED then?

Hey Sneak,

I've read your posts and the rest of the thread, here are my thoughts.

sneak3 said:

Hello!

I'm a beginner to the DSLR world and I've been searching for reviews and all that so I can make a better decision.

Click to expand...

Doing your homework is a great place to start. Read the reviews, balance the prices against what you read. Don't forget to (try) to predict your usage. Are you they type that digs through manuals, takes classes, watches instructional videos and reads books to thoroughly understand a new hobby? Or are you the type that wants to buy technology to somewhat automatically take better pictures? This answer is important to determine what you should buy.

sneak3 said:

I'm not from US and I'm going there for Christmas. It's my only chance to get a DSLR because prices are horrible where I live. Summing it up, I cant wait any longer, got pick the best deal and live with that, because I'll only go to US again in 1 year.

So far I have 2 options (dont hesitate giving me more):

My budget is approx. 1500$ and i'm buying my stuff in Miami, at WolfCamera.

I- D90 body only + 18-200 = 1500$

II- D7000 kit with 18-105 = 1500$

Click to expand...

There are many options, many ways you can go. Don't limit yourself to just these two cameras. In fact, I think it is a mistake to limit yourself to just Nikon. One general rule of thumb that I like to follow is that the camera itself is one of the least important parts of the photographic equation. Please don't let all the latest and greatest techno-philes here overly influence your decision. Pretty much every modern camera made by just about every manufacturer will take great pictures. Yes, there may be specific features that might influence a decision such as higher ISO shooting or better auto-focus but, in general, any camera made in the last few years will be suitable. Lens decisions, on the other hand, will be paramount.

sneak3 said:

I travel often so I like taking landscape pictures, wild nature, cities, villages, buildings, ruins. I also like taking my own picture near these places, just for showing off .

I enjoy some zoom for a close shot, maybe just a person's head, birds or symbols/signs from streets.

Lastly, I absolutely love those plants/insects pictures that the main object is focused and the background is all blurry!

Click to expand...

You have put together a pretty good list of your shooting preferences which is good. Others might be able to chime in but I'd suggest that you look at getting the D90 with a couple of lenses. Perhaps an inexpensive kit lens and a macro.

http://www.wolfcamera.com/product/RI541532941.htm

From your "absolute love" of this kind of macro work I'd make that my priority for the purchase. How about the D5000 2 lens kit from Wolf for $799?

http://www.wolfcamera.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/SearchView?storeId=10101&catalogId=10001&langId=-1&keyword=D5000&x=0&y=0

Add to that, a Tamron 90mm macro. (a fair bit cheaper at Amazon than Wolf)

http://www.wolfcamera.com/product/255112443.htm

http://www.amazon.com/Tamron-AF-90mm-2-8-SP/dp/B00021EE4U/ref=sr_1_1?s=electronics&ie=UTF8&qid=1293071432&sr=1-1
(I've ordered next day Amazon shipments to my hotel while staying in the US).

That should leave you $200 or so for another lens (maybe the 35mm 1.8) or a flash (SB600) or a tripod. Again, that last decision depends on your shooting preferences. Going this way gets you way more shooting ability that either of your original kits that you were considering. Another way to spend that extra $200 would be to get the Sigma 150 HSM macro lens instead (the Tamron won't autofocus on a D5000 but it's not as big a deal with macro).

Of course you can mix and match to your hearts content but when working within a tight budget ($1500 is a tight budget) you are better to compromise with your camera body and spend on your lenses.

--
eddyshoots

With your budget, this is exactly what I would buy. D90 and 16-85VRII. The lens tends to be rated higher than either the 18-105, and 18-200, and although you get a shorter tele, you do get the 24mm equivalent on DX. Just one opinion

Where in the USA will you go?

why not buy D7000 body only and then have a tamron or sigma 18-200? those lenses are not bad..

--
http://www.johnparas11.zenfolio.com

if you have the $, the 70-300mm VR is a great lens. (And it is better than the 18-105 mm kit lens where they overlap according to my tests. So I use the 18-105 up to 55mm or so, then if convenient I shift to the 70-300mm.

If you are capped at $1,500, I'd get the D7000. (See my earlier post.)

If you want real long reach and are capped at $1,500, then get the D90 with the kit lens and the 70-300 as a second lens.

If you want real long reach and are capped at $1,850, then get the D7000 with the kit lens and the 70-300 as a second lens.

sneak3 said:

Ok but If i go with 18-105, I'd still have 400$ to spend in lens. Should I go for 70-300 ED then?

Click to expand...

--
Bob in Baltimore

I just bought a D90 over the D7000. A couple places sell the D90 kit for $930 where the lowest D7000 kit I found was $1500. I found the $500+ savings using current street prices more valuable to me than the added features of the D7000.

Bob in Baltimore said:

What do you get with the D7000 over the D90 (listed in order of importance in my judgment)?

1) D7000 works much better at low light levels. If you like to shoot without flash inside, this is a biggie. Roughly equivalent to getting a two f-stop larger lens. Your kit lens at f/3.5 will capture images like an f/1.8 would, simply by increasing the ISO. D90 is excellent at it's standard 200, very good at 400, questionable at 800, bad at 1600. The D7000 is excellent from 100 to 400, very good at 800 to 1600 & becomes questionable only at 3200-64000.

Click to expand...

The ISO samples I looked at seemed pretty even (less than a stop) between the D90 and the D7000 up until ISO 3200, then the D7000's advantage grows. In either case, ISO 3200+ doen't look great, but the D90 looks worse. In the lower ranges they both look pretty good. Here are some of the samples I'm refering to:

sneak3 said:

sneak3 said:

Well, I'll call the nikon representative here in Brazil to clear that "grey market" haunting out.

Now about the lenses, you said to keep the 18-105 and later get another one for zoom purposes. The only thing that's keeping me from choosing that is the versatility of the 18-200.. It may have less functionality and less optics but I wouldnt have to carry 2 lenses for now, at least. Since I'll use my camera when traveling, I guess that is a pretty good point, no?

Click to expand...

Click to expand...

Yes that is a good point and a very reasonable point. The balance and compromise is something you have to decide for yourself. Just yesterday I was contemplating buying a Canon sx130 with 28-336mm for the convenience and size, for casual use as an adjunct to my DSLR. Just because you buy two lenses doesn't mean you always have to carry around both.

sneak3 said:

sneak3 said:

About the d7000, after all the only real problem is the dead pixel, right? What exactly should I do to test that while in US, or even better, at the store?

Cause if that is settled, even if I lack warranty support, it would be the exact same situation with the D90, as all other possible problems could affect them both, right?

Click to expand...

Ah sorry I didnt see the page 2!

Ok but If i go with 18-105, I'd still have 400$ to spend in lens. Should I go for 70-300 ED then?

Click to expand...

Well if you have friends or relatives that can negotiate mail order for you, after the D90 + 18-105mm, you would still have $580 left to spend on whatever.

The 70-300 is substantially bigger (as consumer class lens) than the 55-200mm. In my case I opted for a refurb 55-200mm for $129 (not much to lose on resale). If you think you might lean more towards photographing people running around and want greater reach, (but greater cost and weight), then you might lean towards 70-300mm VR (MAKE SURE it is the VR version). If you think you might like to shoot more indoor stuff maybe you want to lean towards a SB-600.

If you are a beginner it really doesn't matter. You will have lots of room to grow with either. Take into account that after a short time you might decide photography just isn't what you want to do. You can usually get a pretty good value when you sell the camera if you have not abused it. So don't fire away indiscriminately. Use a measured approach and evaluate the shot before you snap the shutter. For that you could read a photography book on the way to the States to learn about composition and other things before you have the camera.

Oh my gosh, so much information!!!!!!!!!

Thanks for the healp guys!

So let's go:

From all the data you gave me and from all mind processing I did I got to the following:

I- D90 with 18-105 kit + 70-300 or a macro lens to complete the 1500$ budget.

II- D7000 with the 18-105 kit IF it is out of factory problems . I'm really more comfortable in waiting a little longer to get more lenses and having a newer body than having more lenses but not knowing how to handle them, what they are supposed to do or their full potential.

isn't 2 year a little bit outdated? Since i'm new it seems to me a newr body would be a smarter choice.

Well, I'm a beginner and I plan to study, of course. I think I'd be okay with only one lens for now.

I intended to do so with D90 + 18-200 but you convinced me that 18-105 is more worth it.

So the question remains: Is d7000's problem only the dead pixel,? What exactly should I do to test that while in US, or even better, at the store?

No brainer get the superior body. The D7000 is such a step up.

18-200 versus 18-105 can be delt with a bit of crop and walking.

sneak3 said:

Hello!

I'm a beginner to the DSLR world and I've been searching for reviews and all that so I can make a better decision.

I'm not from US and I'm going there for Christmas. It's my only chance to get a DSLR because prices are horrible where I live. Summing it up, I cant wait any longer, got pick the best deal and live with that, because I'll only go to US again in 1 year.

So far I have 2 options (dont hesitate giving me more):

My budget is approx. 1500$ and i'm buying my stuff in Miami, at WolfCamera.

I- D90 body only + 18-200 = 1500$

II- D7000 kit with 18-105 = 1500$

I travel often so I like taking landscape pictures, wild nature, cities, villages, buildings, ruins. I also like taking my own picture near these places, just for showing off .

I enjoy some zoom for a close shot, maybe just a person's head, birds or symbols/signs from streets.

Lastly, I absolutely love those plants/insects pictures that the main object is focused and the background is all blurry!

Thanks in advance!!!

Click to expand...

get the D7k and kitlens for starting.

if you are serious on photography with dSLR, sooner or later you will add lenses. what make SLR a serious photography? this will come to an answer; dedicated lenses for your requirements.

if just aiming better photos than p&s camera, get D90 + 18-200 lens. or why not get D90 + 18-105 + other lenses?
--
http://www.flickr.com/photos/drifit/

The pixel issue was primarily in video. Nikon has released a firmware update that corrects the problem.

"Gray Market" lenses are not imported by, for example, "Nikon USA", the usual importer/distributor. They are imported by the reseller or their "import agent" directly. It's not an issue of wrong country/region but rather a case of bypassing the proper importer/distributor.
--
John

tough choice!

The D7000 sure is a very solid camera. The D90 is also fine. Key differences include:

• 100% OVF. For me this is VERY important - what I compose in the viewfinder, I get. On the D90 you compose and get MORE and then have to crop back
• better IQ at higher ISO. Where the D90 is very clean up to 800 and still quite good at 1600, the D7000 is very clean up to 1600 and so on
• more resolution. It can be nice for landscapes but in practice it will only make a visible difference in well-controlled optimal shooting conditions - that's another way of saying that in most cases it will make zero difference
• faster contrast-detect AF in Live View. I couldn't care less because it remains so slow as to be useless for anything but very static subjects
• AF while filming. Well that's the headline but in practice the AF cannot follow at all so you end up having to use MF
• faster continuous shooting. I couldn't care less and from your style of shooting it sounds like you would'nt care either

As for the lens: the 18-200 is clearly better, apart from just more zoom:

• optically better overall even if the 18-105 is good at some points
• MUCH faster AF. The 18-105 is slow to focus.
• full-time MF override. Some people care a lot about this
• better build quality, lock for transport, etc.

finally, it's pretty clear that the D90 will quickly lose value as it's already the old model and will soon be discontinued.

Hopefully based on the points I mention, you can refine your choice

Other options?

• put your eye to the EVF of a Sony A55. It's VERY nice and brighter than the OVFs of most DSLRs up to D300s level at least. And the AF is VERY fast, a fast as a D700 or D300s. And you REALLY get AF while filming. It's a nice smaller lighter cheaper camera. The sensor is the same Sony-made sensor which is found in the D7000

Thanks fro clarifying that...but the result is the same. Buy in USA....try to get warranty work somwhere else = Problem.

Why does Nikon have to make it so complicated. Just buy the product and it has a warranty honerable anywhere in the world?

It should be about the product and the faith in its build, not about what distributer it came through. As long as it is a legitimate Nikon...it should be backed...anywhere.

Roman

JRDavis said:

"Gray Market" lenses are not imported by, for example, "Nikon USA", the usual importer/distributor. They are imported by the reseller or their "import agent" directly. It's not an issue of wrong country/region but rather a case of bypassing the proper importer/distributor.
--
John

Click to expand...

--

“There is only you and your camera. The limitations in your photography are in yourself, for what we see is what we are.”
~ Ernst Haas

We are officially live!!!!
http://www.commercialfineart.com/
Old Web Site
http://www.pbase.com/romansphotos/

Well,

I would recommend the D3100. It has most of the features of the D90 and D7000, but at a less expensive price. This would give you almost $1000 for other accessories that you might want.

18-200 is fine, but you might want to look at the Tamron and Sigma lenses. You can get something that goes from 28-300. You could also add a flash, and a remote control, and a tripod. They might even sell you a camera bag.

Remember the most important thing in photography equipment purchasing. Buy cheaper bodies, and better lenses. You will have the lens for ever, but bodies come and go.

Good Luck