Is D90 weather sealed?

[TheLastMan]

Trying to decide whether to go Nikon or Pentax for a step up into the "enthusiast" DSLR category. I currently own a Pentax K100D with two cheap and three old lenses and am looking at either the K20D or the D90. I prefer this price point (rather than the D300) as it would give me more cash to spend on new and better lenses.

My next step will be a major investment and I want to get it right.

My current lenses will probably go to the wife along with the K100D so I will be in the market for a new body and a couple of zoom lenses, one 18 - 50 ish and one 50 - 150/200 ish. The latter lens is likely to get the most use.

One factor is I shoot a lot outdoors in wet or foggy weather (I live in the UK after all!) so the weather sealing of the Pentax is quite appealing - particularly as I can use it with the weather sealed Pentax 50-135 lens.

However, from a general useability point of view I like the look of the Nikon. The control layout and functions are more to my liking, things like the focus assist lamp, live view and ISO button. A difficult decision but if it is weather sealed then it is an easy win for the Nikon.

However, one thing that is not obvious from any reviews including the DPReview one is whether or not it is weather sealed. This is quite a staggering ommission and am amazed that it was missed.

So...
Can anyone tell me definitely if the D90 is weather sealed?
What two lenses would you recommend to buy with the D90?
(I would prefer the longer lens to have IS)

Thanks for your help!

 

[Andrei Orehov]

--
Andrei -- http://www.pbase.com/nd/
Nikon D90 + 18-105 VR
Panasonic DMC FZ-10

 

[TheLastMan]

Drat!

Makes the choice difficult again.

Will just have to try them in the store again and see if the appeal of the Nikon can outweigh the weather sealing of the Pentax.

Any tips on lenses? Better zoom lenses might tip the balance in the Nikon's favour.

 

[Bohemien]

Can anyone tell me definitely if the D90 is weather sealed?

Yes. No. (I mean: Yes, I can tell you: it's not. That would be the D300.)

What two lenses would you recommend to buy with the D90?
(I would prefer the longer lens to have IS)

You might want to read a bit into the dpreview Nikon Lens forum and decide for yourself... there's so many coices. As I'm investigating along the same lines as you, what I've pinned down so far for me are:

For the "Normal" zoom range, I'd look at the Nikon 16-85, that seems to be a pretty good lens, got good reviews by the press and is frequently recommended by posters. The D90 "standard" kit lens is the new 18-105, which also seems to be pretty good at approx. half the price of the 16-85. My alternative will probably be the Tamron 28-75 for its f2.8 plus (later) the Tokina 12-24 for the ulta-wide end... but as I'm still saving money for the camera, that will be decided later.

For the long range, depending on your budget, the Nikon 55-200 would be a cheap but apparently good starting point, for myself I've pretty much decided I want the Nikon 70-300VR, which is recommended frequently in the forums. You could also take a look at the Sigma, Tokina or Tamron alternatives, of course, but read reviews and recommendations carefully, as I have the impression that you can really only recommend this specific lens by that manufacturer, not all lenses by one manufacturer.

None of these lenses are weather- sealed , though - so far I've read Nikon lenses are liked for their build quality, but you'd have to spend a little more to get the better ones, then.

A good site to get an overview of available and recommended lenses is

http://photozone.de/nikon--nikkor-aps-c-lens-tests

Hope this helps to get you started!

--
Regards,

Markus

 

[Bohemien]

much decided I want the Nikon 70-300VR, which is recommended
frequently in the forums.

"VR" is the Nikon term for an image stabilizer. You'll find some great sample pics taken with that lens here:

http://www.nikoncafe.com/vforums/showthread.php?t=180440

None of these lenses are weather- sealed , though - so far I've read
Nikon lenses are liked for their build quality, but you'd have to
spend a little more to get the better ones, then.

What I meant with "bild quality" was that the Nikon lenses in general are said to be pretty tight e.g. against dirt getting in, the more expensive the lens, the better. I don't know about water, though.

 

[NowHearThis]

Can anyone tell me definitely if the D90 is weather sealed?

Yes. No. (I mean: Yes, I can tell you: it's not. That would be
the D300.)

What two lenses would you recommend to buy with the D90?
(I would prefer the longer lens to have IS)

Agree with much of what Bohemien wrote below.

You might want to read a bit into the dpreview Nikon Lens forum and
decide for yourself... there's so many coices. As I'm investigating
along the same lines as you, what I've pinned down so far for me are:

For the "Normal" zoom range, I'd look at the Nikon 16-85, that seems
to be a pretty good lens, got good reviews by the press and is
frequently recommended by posters. The D90 "standard" kit lens is
the new 18-105, which also seems to be pretty good at approx. half
the price of the 16-85. My alternative will probably be the Tamron
28-75 for its f2.8 plus (later) the Tokina 12-24 for the ulta-wide
end... but as I'm still saving money for the camera, that will be
decided later.

Just to toss in a coulpe of others. The Tamron 17-50mm f/2.8 gives you a bit wider focal range w/a fast aperture. I prefer the Sigma 10-20 for ultra wides, but everyone has their favorites... If I was getting the D90, I'd get the 18-105mm VR as my main lens. Then add a flash, then add the 55-200mm VR (70-300mm VR if you still have the funds).

For the long range, depending on your budget, the Nikon 55-200 would
be a cheap but apparently good starting point, for myself I've pretty
much decided I want the Nikon 70-300VR, which is recommended
frequently in the forums. You could also take a look at the Sigma,
Tokina or Tamron alternatives, of course, but read reviews and
recommendations carefully, as I have the impression that you can
really only recommend this specific lens by that manufacturer, not
all lenses by one manufacturer.

None of these lenses are weather- sealed , though - so far I've read
Nikon lenses are liked for their build quality, but you'd have to
spend a little more to get the better ones, then.

A good site to get an overview of available and recommended lenses is

http://photozone.de/nikon--nikkor-aps-c-lens-tests

http://www.slrgear.com is good too. Best thing to do is 1. get your info from as many sources as you can and 2. Try them out yourself as much as possible.

Hope this helps to get you started!

--
Regards,

Markus

To be fair the K20D is a very good camera, there are very good lenses available for it, expecially the pancake ones. Try both out if you can, try to see which feels more intuitive, which shoots better - for your tastes, which handles better, which works best for your budget. Good luck.

-- NHT
while ( ! ( succeed = try() ) );

 

[MiGue]

I would go for the pentax, the only advantage the D90 has over the pentax is better live view.

On the other hand the k20d is weather sealed, better body, great argonomics and have built in image stabilizer, so you dont have to pay extra for that feature in lenses. instead buying a nikkor 70-300 vr which costs a fortune, you can buy a 55-300mm weather sealed lens for less money.

Also pentax is the Prime brand, so if you like primes, go for pentax, plus you can use all older pentax lenses incliding 400mm and 600mm.

the only thing is that stores oftens dont sell alot of pentax products so you would end up buying it online...

--

 

[geoffrb]

Hi

I also live in the UK, more specifically Central England. Its not the wettest place, but it rains regulary, and steadily, if you get the picture.

I have used un-weatherproofed SLRs for over 40 years and never lost one to rain. Beth, my wife, did drop my D80 in the sea this summer, but I guess the D300 wouldn't have survived that either.

Unless you have an overwhelming need to shoot in the rain it shouldn't be a problem, after all, there isn't usually that much to shoot in the rain in England that can't wait for a dryer day. If you have to shoot in the rain there are inexpensive rain covers, Amazon have a padded one for £15 and unpadded for £10.

Unless all else was equal I wouldn't personaly choose a DSLR solely on whether it's weather-proofed or not.

Hope this helps

Geoff

 

[tc333]

I own a Pentax K100d and a whole bunch of old and new lenses. I decided to upgrade but wanted to try Niokn and run two systems. I have no regrets buying the D90 at all. I do enjoy using my manual sharp primes on the Pentax and would not be without either camera. I guess u got to decide what features are more appealing to you. I have never felt i needed weather sealed equipment but thats just me.
--
Tony

 

[NowHearThis]

I would go for the pentax, the only advantage the D90 has over the
pentax is better live view.

"Only" huh?

Gotta love absolutes....
Ok, lets see the D90's got:
2 group Commander Mode
Better flash options/accessories
Faster AF with 3D focus tracking
Longer Battery life
GPS support
3" 920,000 pixel LCD
Better High ISO capability, with more NR options
(I realize that one you have to look at everyone but DPR's review to see that)
4.5fps
in camera CA control (JPGs only)
more retouch options
Active D-lighting, if you want to use it with 5 settings
Easier to use menu. (Subjective.)
On body AF assist light
Movie Mode - such as it is.
....and all of that is useless.

WOW, that'll get you called a fanboy or worse quick in a Nikon Forum. Even if you're not!

Careful using "Only".

On the other hand the k20d is weather sealed, better body, great
argonomics and have built in image stabilizer, so you dont have to
pay extra for that feature in lenses. instead buying a nikkor 70-300
vr which costs a fortune,

Nikon $480 • Pentax $330, $150 is a lot of money, but technically not a fortune to anyone who can afford DSLRs and lenses in the first place.
[ prices quoted from http://www.bhphotovideo.com ]

you can buy a 55-300mm weather sealed lens for less money.

download this...
http://www.pentaxslr.com/files/scms_docs//DA_Lens_Manual_072208.pdf
go to page 2 item #2.
55-300mm, is not weather sealed.
They even go so far as to mention it again on page 6, 4th bullet point.

It does have a nifty coating on the glass to aid in 1. cleaning it, 2. keeping it clean.

Also pentax is the Prime brand, so if you like primes, go for pentax,
plus you can use all older pentax lenses incliding 400mm and 600mm.

I do agree on that.

the only thing is that stores oftens dont sell alot of pentax
products so you would end up buying it online...

Depends on market locale, but more true than not.

--

--
-- NHT
while ( ! ( succeed = try() ) );

 

[TheLastMan]

I would go for the pentax, the only advantage the D90 has over the
pentax is better live view.

"Only" huh?

Yes, I was a bit confused by that one. From your list the ones that I might find useful:

2 group Commander Mode
Better flash options/accessories
Faster AF with 3D focus tracking
Longer Battery life
3" 920,000 pixel LCD
Better High ISO capability, with more NR options

Hmm... actually the NR options are pretty comprehensive on the K20D too. It is just they default to "off" whereas the Nikon defaults to quite a high NR.

Easier to use menu. (Subjective.)

...there are points in both cameras favour there.

On body AF assist light

Major plus!

Movie Mode - such as it is.

Ocassionally handy. I miss it from my old P&S, especially when the kids are up to something very funny.

Thanks to everyone else for all the suggestions too.

Interesting to see other people willing to run two makes. I often wonder why so many people seem to view the make of their current camera like a choice of religion!

Having handled both cameras briefly in Calumet (where I will probably end up buying one of them) I was very torn. Everything falls slightly better to hand on the Pentax - the ergonomics are better in my hands - but it lacks a heck of a lot of useful features that the Nikon has. The general feel of the Nikon was also of a more "polished" camera. It was also quicker and quieter in operation.

As to image quality - so much fuss to so little end. I always shoot RAW anyway, so things like sharpness, noise reduction and even slight over-exposure are easily rectified and can be set to your preferred levels in both cameras anyway.

The Pentax has a few more Pixels but there is unlikely to be much in it at normal viewing / printing sizes. I never print larger than A4 and even the 6mp K100D can hold its own pretty well at that size.

To me a body is all about control and opportunity - having the camera available whenever picture opportunities arise and having the control and functions to take advantage of that opportunity.

I would say the Pentax has it on the first count. I have missed a few fantastic pictures when I have left the camera at home or in the car when out for a walk in drizzle or mist, usually to find that the rain clears up. The K100D might have been fine, but it is an expensive risk to take. Owning the K20D means I could have more confidence taking the camera out in weather that might be risky for the Nikon.

Then again the Nikon wins on the second count. Reliable and quick autofocus, instant on to first picture, better ISO control (among others) means I am more likely to catch the moment.

Thanks for the tips on lenses. I am not really a "primes" man. My pictures are opportunistic so I never know what focal length I might want and would hate to be fiddling around changing lenses while the moment passed me by. I occasionally take out the old manual F1.7 50mm on the K100D but only when I know exactly what I am going to take a picture of - usually portraits.

The Nikon system has a much better choice of zoom lenses at all focal lengths, both own-brand and third party. Thanks for the suggestions, I will look them out.

Wish me luck!

 

[MiGue]

you called me the fanboy and your the only one who is acting offended and agressive xD

I use nikon mate, but i admire the pentax products yes.

From the liist you gave me lets see which ones i concider a Real live advantage:

CA control
Af assist point
more retouch options? well i dont know about that, the k20d is very good on PP
better live view
GPS and pc remote control

Now what pentax has that i like more than on the D90:

Weatherselaing
ruged tougher body
9 cross type AF point
sharper Raw pictures (that might be because of the 14 mp)
And i like a few argonomic specs
built in IS

The rest on your list may be important for the professionals, ive seen pics from the k20d with flashlights that looked just perfect.

4.5 fps is something i dont need, if i can track down a bird in flight with my D4o in single mode i sure would make it with "only" 3fps

high iso is great, but i dont need to use high iso, 1600 is fine, plus with shake reduction is everything i need. Though i admit the D90 produces better high iso images specially at 3200

the lcd size is almost irrelevant, its a good thing yes, but not important.

I know those are all good things to have, but for wilde life i would most recomend the k20D over the d90

"Only" huh?

Gotta love absolutes....
Ok, lets see the D90's got:
2 group Commander Mode
Better flash options/accessories
Faster AF with 3D focus tracking
Longer Battery life
GPS support
3" 920,000 pixel LCD
Better High ISO capability, with more NR options
(I realize that one you have to look at everyone but DPR's review to
see that)
4.5fps
in camera CA control (JPGs only)
more retouch options
Active D-lighting, if you want to use it with 5 settings
Easier to use menu. (Subjective.)
On body AF assist light
Movie Mode - such as it is.
....and all of that is useless.

WOW, that'll get you called a fanboy or worse quick in a Nikon Forum.
Even if you're not!

Careful using "Only".

On the other hand the k20d is weather sealed, better body, great
argonomics and have built in image stabilizer, so you dont have to
pay extra for that feature in lenses. instead buying a nikkor 70-300
vr which costs a fortune,

Nikon $480 • Pentax $330, $150 is a lot of money, but technically not
a fortune to anyone who can afford DSLRs and lenses in the first
place.
[ prices quoted from http://www.bhphotovideo.com ]

you can buy a 55-300mm weather sealed lens for less money.

download this...
http://www.pentaxslr.com/files/scms_docs//DA_Lens_Manual_072208.pdf
go to page 2 item #2.
55-300mm, is not weather sealed.
They even go so far as to mention it again on page 6, 4th bullet point.
It does have a nifty coating on the glass to aid in 1. cleaning it,
2. keeping it clean.

Also pentax is the Prime brand, so if you like primes, go for pentax,
plus you can use all older pentax lenses incliding 400mm and 600mm.

I do agree on that.

the only thing is that stores oftens dont sell alot of pentax
products so you would end up buying it online...

Depends on market locale, but more true than not.

--

--
-- NHT
while ( ! ( succeed = try() ) );

--

 

[maxpayne]

As someone who went through the same motion, perhaps I can write down why I ended up getting the D90

I would go for the pentax, the only advantage the D90 has over the
pentax is better live view.

Not really. You forgot:
AF illuminator,
Awesome LCD screen,
Faster FPS,
Better auto focus,
Better metering,
Active-D Lighting*,
Automatic in camera correction for vignetting and purple fringing for JPEG

However, for me, the killer deal was availability of lenses and accessories. Pentax is no where near the lens lineup that Nikon, specially Nikon DX offers.

On the other hand the k20d is weather sealed, better body, great
argonomics and have built in image stabilizer, so you dont have to
pay extra for that feature in lenses. instead buying a nikkor 70-300
vr which costs a fortune, you can buy a 55-300mm weather sealed lens
for less money.

You must either be kidding or living in a glass house.

Here in the UK, all Pentax lenses cost nearly the same or more than their Nikon counterparts and that too when considering that the Nikon alternatives have VR and SWD(SDM), while most Pentax lenses, apart from the DA* ones are slow screw driven lenses.

Also your statement about the Pentax 55-300mm being weathersealed is incorrect. Its a lens that doesn't even have SDM, built for crop bodies only and still costs £219.00! The Nikon 70-300 VR better built, better quality, with VR and SWD and a full frame lens costs £274.
And guess what? If you can buy the older non-VR version for £75!

Stop whining about in body IS. Ask anyone who's used in-body and in-lens stabilization and they will tell you that in-lens stabilization is waaaay better. The worst problem with in-body stabilization is its worse in the tele end, where stabilization is needed most! Newer in-lens stabilization provides upto 4/5 stops of stabilization (see Canon 18-200mm review on DPR posted today) that actually stands upto controlled tests compared to in-body stabilization.

Also pentax is the Prime brand, so if you like primes, go for pentax,
plus you can use all older pentax lenses incliding 400mm and 600mm.

Yes, but chances are you won't be able to auto-focus with those older lenses.

• Pentax has something similar to ADL, forgot what its called, but its not as effective

 

[neil holmes]

I would go for the pentax, the only advantage the D90 has over the
pentax is better live view.

Not really. You forgot:
AF illuminator,
Awesome LCD screen,
Faster FPS,
Better auto focus,
Better metering,
Active-D Lighting*,
Automatic in camera correction for vignetting and purple fringing for
JPEG

Stop whining about in body IS. Ask anyone who's used in-body and
in-lens stabilization and they will tell you that in-lens
stabilization is waaaay better. The worst problem with in-body
stabilization is its worse in the tele end, where stabilization is
needed most! Newer in-lens stabilization provides upto 4/5 stops of
stabilization (see Canon 18-200mm review on DPR posted today) that
actually stands upto controlled tests compared to in-body
stabilization.

Um, no they do not. Most say that both systems are about the same.

In body is NOT worse at the long end....I can hand hold my lowly pathetic slow and useless K100d with a 500mm lens at speeds as slow as I see posted from Nikon and Canon users.

OF course when using my Nikon 85 1.8 lens on my K100d at iso 3200 where a flash and tripod are not allowed/can not ne used I have to keep shooting when the light gets dim enough to be at 1/20 or so instead of putting it away like I would in the equivalent Nikon camera.

As for pentax af...there is a lot of a myth there...all Pentax cameras use a similar system...it is great at the entry level, ok at the mid level but would be poor at a pro level (though no pro cameras). Many people whine about the af because they want pro grade on a mid or low level camera.
Pentax is NOT the choice for pro af or for fast frames per second.

ALL Pentax dslrs except two to date have 11 point af with 9 cross types (and the other 2 had only three but all cross types.) In some reviews even a lowly K100d af rates above D80.

The K100d af DOES slow a little in low light but i would still rather it with the ability to use a stabilized prime at iso 3200 over a slightly faster af with a 2.8 zoom and a reasonable 6400, but thats me.

In my living room at night, lit by a low wattage bulb with a Tamron 17-35 2.8-4, af is very fast even though it is screw drive and I can select any of the eleven af points and shoot without worrying about the shutter speed.

So pentax af tracking is not good by comparison and the fps are lower but the af is great (to me), of course a K20d will be better than a k100d, Tracking with the D90 would be better than a k20d, but there are for and against for all cameras.

Also pentax is the Prime brand, so if you like primes, go for pentax,
plus you can use all older pentax lenses incliding 400mm and 600mm.

Yes, but chances are you won't be able to auto-focus with those older
lenses.

• Pentax has something similar to ADL, forgot what its called, but

its not as effective

.

Any long K mount or m42 lens can be use on Pentax dslrs and on the K100d onwards (other than the K110D) will be stabilized....and yes some of us can even auto focus those old manual focus lenses.

Anyone trying to decide between a K20d and a D90 (or between any cameras really) should try them themselves and see what ones have the things THEY need...a K20d (or even a K100d) will do the right things for some people but not others...same with a nikon D90

Edit on stabilization, of course there will be advances in sstabilization for bot in camera and in lens, so you will see some camera bodies better than some lenses and vice versa, but no two people get the same results with any form of stabilization so what matters is that both ways work.

neil
http://www.flickr.com/photos/26884588@N00/

 

[MiGue]

I would go for the pentax, the only advantage the D90 has over the
pentax is better live view.

Not really. You forgot:
AF illuminator,
Awesome LCD screen,
Faster FPS,
Better auto focus,
Better metering,
Active-D Lighting*,
Automatic in camera correction for vignetting and purple fringing for
JPEG

better autofocus is wrong, you mean faster autofocus.

the only thing you mentioned that IS important is the CA control, AF assist light and i dont see nothing wrong with k20D metering.

I came from film and i like film, you dont need to have all those bonus in a camera to take good pictues, and i tell you what, its easier to find better pictures in the pentax forum then on the nikon, for some reason.

However, for me, the killer deal was availability of lenses and
accessories. Pentax is no where near the lens lineup that Nikon,
specially Nikon DX offers.

I dont have problems finding lens for pentax :S beseids its not like you will need all leneses avaible.

On the other hand the k20d is weather sealed, better body, great
argonomics and have built in image stabilizer, so you dont have to
pay extra for that feature in lenses. instead buying a nikkor 70-300
vr which costs a fortune, you can buy a 55-300mm weather sealed lens
for less money.

You must either be kidding or living in a glass house.
Here in the UK, all Pentax lenses cost nearly the same or more than
their Nikon counterparts and that too when considering that the Nikon
alternatives have VR and SWD(SDM), while most Pentax lenses, apart
from the DA* ones are slow screw driven lenses.

Well you live, i dont, and the pentax 55-300mm lens are way less expensive than the nikon counter part, plus they are weathersealed

Also your statement about the Pentax 55-300mm being weathersealed is
incorrect. Its a lens that doesn't even have SDM

All DA pentax lenses are weathersealed

built for crop

bodies only and still costs £219.00! The Nikon 70-300 VR better
built, better quality, with VR and SWD and a full frame lens costs
£274.
And guess what? If you can buy the older non-VR version for £75!

Stop whining about in body IS. Ask anyone who's used in-body and
in-lens stabilization and they will tell you that in-lens
stabilization is waaaay better. The worst problem with in-body
stabilization is its worse in the tele end, where stabilization is
needed most! Newer in-lens stabilization provides upto 4/5 stops of
stabilization (see Canon 18-200mm review on DPR posted today) that
actually stands upto controlled tests compared to in-body
stabilization.

Also pentax is the Prime brand, so if you like primes, go for pentax,
plus you can use all older pentax lenses incliding 400mm and 600mm.

Yes, but chances are you won't be able to auto-focus with those older
lenses.

• Pentax has something similar to ADL, forgot what its called, but

its not as effective

--

 

[TheLastMan]

All DA pentax lenses are weathersealed

No they aren't.

The only weathershielded Pentax lenses currently available are the two DA* (note the all important star) 15-50 and 50-135 lenses with the in-built motor.

If I were to get the K20D I would probably get the 50-135 but skip on the other. Most of my outdoors shots are taken at 50mm+. I would then get the 16-45 F4 for indoors and fair-weather work! I would also need a longer zoom too, though there is no weather proofed Pentax lens longer than 135 yet.

There is no doubting that when I tried them, the Nikon came over as the slicker more "finished" camera. It was quicker and quieter. I have no comments on the accuracy of the AF, but it was noticeably snappier to focus. It was obviously better at keeping focus on moving subjects, something important to me (I have young children!).

The range of lenses and general support level probably makes it the better system if I were to invest heavily in lenses over time. It is a system I could confidently stick to.

Apart from the beautiful little prime lenses (which I would love to own, but honestly would rarely use), Pentax's zoom lens range is very patchy and third party support limited (although improving all the time).

The things that the K20D has over the Nikon that are important to me are;

• weather and dust seals
• more flexible exposure modes (Sv and TAv modes)
• better balance, hand grip and button positioning (at least in my hands,YMMV)
• ability to fine tune AF for particular lenses (correct front/back focus errors)
• in-body stabilisation.

Not sure how important IS / SR is. I generally use the K100D with it permanently switched on, but then I tend to avoid going below 1/60th out of habit anyway. Even if the image is stabilised, that does not help if the subject is moving!

I tend to use a higher ISO rather than lower shutter speed. I tend to find you end up with a higher percentage of useable pictures, even if you have to be heavy with the NR in PP.

People mention the larger number of cross-type AF sensors, but I am not really sure what difference that makes.

I have listed the adavantages the Nikon has (that matter to me) elsewhere in this thread, so won't repeat them.

Anyway, still pondering here...

 

[steelski]

All DA pentax lenses are weathersealed

No they aren't.

The only weathershielded Pentax lenses currently available are the
two DA* (note the all important star) 15-50 and 50-135 lenses with
the in-built motor.

Just a correction. There are 4 DA* lenses. The 16-50mm 2.8, 50-135mm 2.8, the 200mm 2.8 and the 300mm 4. Also in future, all DA* lenses will be weathersealed.

 

[MiGue]

Ive done some research and yes, you are correct not all DA lenses are W/S only DA*
--

 

[John Clare]

This is based on my experience with the Nikon D80 (predecessor to the D90 and same build). About 30% of my photography is done in damp and possibly rainy conditions. My D80 has gotten some rain on it quite a few times and never had a problem. Obviously I do my best to shield it as much as I can but when you're walking in the rain that's hard to do for long - but I have never had a problem. Frankly, Nikon's build quality on these cameras is a cut above almost everyone at the same general price point. I wouldn't want to use it in a sandstorm or drop it in a puddle but at the same time it's a tough little machine that can handle a few drops of water every now and then.

-John

--
From Dublin, Ireland, but live in Dallas, Texas, USA
My web site: http://www.caudata.org/
My galleries: http://www.pbase.com/johnclare

 

[Niras]

I have used un-weatherproofed SLRs for over 40 years and never lost
one to rain. Beth, my wife, did drop my D80 in the sea this summer,
but I guess the D300 wouldn't have survived that either.

But old-fashioned SLRs doesn't have much electronics, if any, in them (at least not 30-40 years ago). A DSLR is nothing but electronics, and hence much more sensitve.