D3100 why buy D90 or D5000

[tyb599807]

The not so secret arrival of D3100 is official, finally

There are a few things it doesn't have but given the price new sensor, expect leaps ahead in resoluation and likely equal to better then the very old but still excellent D300 sensor found in D300s, D5K and D90.

Tell me why anyone really would trade off buying any of these versus holding out 6-9 months for a surely better replacement.

Got to have screw drive, go to have nikon now? D300s/D90

Got to have tilt screen D5K

Got to have FPS D5K, D90, D300s

Got to have the build D300s

Not complaning, I can't wait for the next version of Dx and Dxxx family given this release!

 

[lightss4d]

I didn't hold off and recently purchased the D90. I would still purchase the D90 today. The MP increase is irrelevant to me, as is 1080p video. I won't be doing much with video and don't really care if it is HD or not. I would rather have 12.3 mp if the sensor size is going to be the same. And, of course, I can use the D90 today instead of six months from now. As far as a D90 replacement, it will likely be out of my budget as it was a stretch to get the D90 (even with the current deals offered right now). Last, I don't like to purchase something in its early release. There may be issues that are revealed as an item is used by a wider audience. They will likely be fixed with firmware updates, but I would rather wait six months to see how something performs in the "real world".
--
new to DSLR, doing a lot of research

 

[binary_eye]

There are a few things it doesn't have but given the price new sensor, expect leaps ahead in resoluation and likely equal to better then the very old but still excellent D300 sensor found in D300s, D5K and D90.

I don't consider 14.2MP a "leap ahead" of 12.3MP. It's a linear increase in resolution of less than 8%, diagonally (~7.5% increase on the long side and ~7.9% on the short side).

 

[Alex Ball]

More to the point, given that the D3100 is going to be > £500 for a body only, why would you choose it over a D90? Unless the video is crucial to you, it seems very expensive in the current lineup - you can get a new D90 body for £600.

This does seem to mark an increase in price for the bottom of the range. The D40 and D40x were much cheaper on release I believe... (£300 or so for the kit?)

 

[binary_eye]

This does seem to mark an increase in price for the bottom of the range. The D40 and D40x were much cheaper on release I believe... (£300 or so for the kit?)

I don't know about UK prices, but according the DPR's archived announcements, the D40 kit was $599 at release and the D40X kit was $799 at release.

 

[dbrowdy]

MSRP for the D3100 is pretty high. I'm assuming it won't hit at that price or there will be no reason to buy it over the D5000.

Assuming the prices are sane, I'm still personally leaning towards the D5000. Bracketing seems like a super useful beginner tool and I think it's lame that they leave it off all the "beginner" models. I also thought the D5000 felt much better in my hand than the D3000 (or the 500/550D).

Hopefully more people don't feel like I do so the price on the D5000 drops.

 

[JoKing]

More to the point, given that the D3100 is going to be > £500 for a body only, why would you choose it over a D90? Unless the video is crucial to you, it seems very expensive in the current lineup - you can get a new D90 body for £600.

This does seem to mark an increase in price for the bottom of the range. The D40 and D40x were much cheaper on release I believe... (£300 or so for the kit?)

Yes, the high price caught my eye as well. If it remains high and if the D3000 is discontinued, it kind of leaves Nikon without a true entry-level model.

 

[Kyledoo]

I am honestly wondering the same thing. I recently bought the D5000 and I am very happy with it. I don't care much about the 1080p, or maybe even the MP. However, the AF during video would be VERY useful! And with a price for the NEW kit that is still less than what I payed for my refurbished D5000 kit, I don't know what the D5000 has.

I just looked at some of the specs and the only things I see are: Vari-Angle display, Bracketing, and Remote Control.

I do use every single one of those features however, so I still think I made the right choice, but if the D3100 is this nice, I can't wait for the D90 replacement! I also wonder if the new sensor has better ISO performance than the 12.3 CMOS.

EDIT: Wow, I just looked at the Canadian pricing and 699 and changed my mind! Canadian and US dollars are almost equal so that might be the price here. Same price as the D5000 new, but I still saved almost 200 bucks so i'm not gonna complain anymore

 

[arguros]

no text
--
arguros

Have a look at my personal blog and let me know your thoughts
http://argurosblog.blogspot.com/

 

[Old Salt]

The price will come down eventually. But the profit margin on DSLRs have gone down and they start high and then recover some profit from early adaptors. Nikons predictions state that volumes go up and margins go down.

Nikon does not currently tap into the strong emerging market of mirrorless system cameras, where the margins are higher.

The D3100 looks very promising. If the high ISO performance is on par or better than D90 and friends, they clearly have a winner. It is now even lighter.

Yes a 900k screen, two dials and a bigger viewfinder would be great. But how would the intermediate DX cameras get sold if every feature was present on the entry-level model?

 

[Patco]

EDIT: Wow, I just looked at the Canadian pricing and 699 and changed my mind! Canadian and US dollars are almost equal so that might be the price here. Same price as the D5000 new, but I still saved almost 200 bucks so i'm not gonna complain anymore

Is that Henry's pricing you're looking at?
If so, they are usually the most expensive in the country.
As a sample comparison, the D3000 is $420 at Henry's, and about $379 elsewhere.

http://www.henrys.ca/23852-NIKON-D3000-DIGITAL-SLR-BODY.aspx

http://www.thecamerastore.com/products/cameras/digital-cameras/digital-slr-cameras/nikon-d3000-body

http://www.royalphoto.com/en/product-specification.html?catalog[name]=Nikon-D3000-DX-Format-DSLR-Camera-%28body-only%29-Digital-cameras&catalog[product_guids][0]=76545d4b-1264-40a8-8c49-99461aab6916

--
Patco
A photograph is more than a bunch of pixels

 

[Raist3d]

more than that, I am asking myself why bother with anything else. I mean, how much more does one need? really.

--
Raist3d (Photographer & Tools/Systems/Gui Games Developer)
Andreas Feininger (1906-1999) 'Photographers — idiots, of which there are
so many — say, “Oh, if only I had a Nikon or a Leica, I could make great
photographs.” That’s the dumbest thing I ever heard in my life. It’s
nothing but a matter of seeing, and thinking, and interest. That’s what
makes a good photograph.'

 

[angphoto]

does this mean it cannot utilize older Nikkor lenses such as AF-D? But only AF-S?

 

[Patco]

does this mean it cannot utilize older Nikkor lenses such as AF-D? But only AF-S?

Correct. One third of Nikon's current AF lenses will not AF on motorless bodies.

--
Patco
A photograph is more than a bunch of pixels

 

[phonebook]

yes these fabulous new specifications make me want to poke my own eyes out- after all they are completely unnecessary because 9 months down the line I can have them replaced perhaps with genetically modified pigs eyes that will let me see soooo much better

but then again i think i would rather stay blind until the day i visit st peter at the gates, after all, why should I have great eyes that see 20 20 when in a few months time I can have superman eyes

 

[rhlpetrus]

more than that, I am asking myself why bother with anything else. I mean, how much more does one need? really.

True, one doesn't need more than a D3100 to get great pics, as much as one never needed more than a D50 or D40 to do it (just remember our friends Alex Ring and Ian Bramham here).

The video is already what pro video shooters use, basically, no need for 60fps as some ask for, unless you're in a specialist business of some sort.

And I may just sell my D80 (not the 18-70mm kit though, much much better than the 18-55mm) and get one.

But there are some situations where I'd still like to have faster fps rate and better continuous AF ability, exactly what my D80 misses (the D3100's AF and fps are exactly same as the D80's, good but not for action).

So, D3100 for overall shooting, with my 12-24 and 18-70 lenses, then, why not either the coming D400 or the successor of D700 for tougher situations, in particular action shooting?

Nikon users are a happpy lot.

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

Good shooting and good luck
(after Ed Murrow)

 

[jpdenk]

The D3100 is aimed mainly at people who are buying their first DSLR and want a bit of hand-holding and not too many options to deal with. It's missing quite a few features and options that a more experienced user might want that the D90 has.

Here are a few things based on what I'm seeing in the preview here that I can come up with quickly that the D90 has that the D3100 doesn't:

In-body focus motor, so significantly more auto-focus lens options
Dedicated wheel for adjusting F/stop
Assignable function button on front
Depth of Field preview button
Exposure Delay mode, mirror lock-up of sorts
More dedicated buttons in general
Top LCD
Faster continuous shooting, 4.5 fps vs. 3 fps
Pentaprism viewfinder, larger and brighter
Hi-res monitor, 920,000 pixels vs. 230,000

White Balance options include Kelvin temperature, 3 White Balance pre-set memory settings
Center-weighted metering adjustable, more options
More image quality options, can shoot NEF plus JPG Normal or Basic
Battery grip available
You can set up custom "My Menu" for often-used menu items

There are probably a few more too. I would miss most of these if I was shooting with a D3100. The D3100's higher resolution will make diffraction softening a bit worse when you use smaller F/stops, which is a big negative to me. NEF's will require more memory storage than the current 12MP bodies.

As far as I'm concerned, 12MP is about the sensible limit for an APS-C sensor. Beyond that, you're seeing diminishing returns.

John

--

http://picasaweb.google.com/jpdenk60477/SomeOfMyFavoriteNatureShots?authkey=aXn0zLtxA1g#

 

[Wellington100]

Now would be a good time to buy a backup D90, there might be one final burst of price reductions before the D90 disappears from stores.

 

[tc333]

The D3100 is aimed mainly at people who are buying their first DSLR and want a bit of hand-holding and not too many options to deal with. It's missing quite a few features and options that a more experienced user might want that the D90 has.

Here are a few things based on what I'm seeing in the preview here that I can come up with quickly that the D90 has that the D3100 doesn't:

In-body focus motor, so significantly more auto-focus lens options
Dedicated wheel for adjusting F/stop
Assignable function button on front
Depth of Field preview button
Exposure Delay mode, mirror lock-up of sorts
More dedicated buttons in general
Top LCD
Faster continuous shooting, 4.5 fps vs. 3 fps
Pentaprism viewfinder, larger and brighter
Hi-res monitor, 920,000 pixels vs. 230,000

White Balance options include Kelvin temperature, 3 White Balance pre-set memory settings
Center-weighted metering adjustable, more options
More image quality options, can shoot NEF plus JPG Normal or Basic
Battery grip available
You can set up custom "My Menu" for often-used menu items

There are probably a few more too. I would miss most of these if I was shooting with a D3100. The D3100's higher resolution will make diffraction softening a bit worse when you use smaller F/stops, which is a big negative to me. NEF's will require more memory storage than the current 12MP bodies.

As far as I'm concerned, 12MP is about the sensible limit for an APS-C sensor. Beyond that, you're seeing diminishing returns.

John

--

http://picasaweb.google.com/jpdenk60477/SomeOfMyFavoriteNatureShots?authkey=aXn0zLtxA1g#

I could not have said this better. I am no fan of having to go through menus especially and appreciate the external buttons/dials on the D90 when needing to change many settings quickly. However everyone's needs are different but for me i could not live with such a limited camera as the D3100 regardless of a few more pixels....D90 has enough for me
--
Tony

 

[rhlpetrus]

It's launch price. Once they introduce a D5100, early next year likely, and D3000 is discontinued, price will drop to about 500USD with lens, just like D3000. That's the price point for the lowest level kit.

And don't forget D90 is in its last days, if rumors are correct, D90+ will be more expensive, at 1200USD body only, again according to rumors circulating, with a higher level body. It seems Nikon is going to challenge the 60D, which is also in the pipeline.

More to the point, given that the D3100 is going to be > £500 for a body only, why would you choose it over a D90? Unless the video is crucial to you, it seems very expensive in the current lineup - you can get a new D90 body for £600.

This does seem to mark an increase in price for the bottom of the range. The D40 and D40x were much cheaper on release I believe... (£300 or so for the kit?)

Yes, the high price caught my eye as well. If it remains high and if the D3000 is discontinued, it kind of leaves Nikon without a true entry-level model.

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

Good shooting and good luck
(after Ed Murrow)