UKC

If anybody has either of these cameras then I would very much appreciate any advice or comments that you have on them.

Cheers

In reply to The Lemming:

Seems like the D5000 has serious lens compatibilty limitations:

• AF-S, AF-I - All functions supported

• Other Type G or D AF Nikkor - All functions supported except autofocus

• Other AF Nikkor/AI-P Nikkor - All functions supported except autofocus and 3D Color Matrix Metering II

• Type D PC Nikkor - All functions supported except some shooting modes

• Non-CPU - - Can be used in mode M, but exposure meter does not function; electronic range finder can be used if maximum aperture is f/5.6 or faster

• IX Nikkor/AF Nikkor for F3AF - - Cannot be used

Taken from dpreview.

In reply to Krav Maga:

Hmmmm, I'd agree there, however I don't have a lot of nikon lenses to begin with. Two of my Kit lenses are AF while the other two need the camera to focus but seeing as one of those lenses has just died then I really have a blank canvas to play with when looking at a new camera.

I'm only a punter rather than a serious amateur which is why I've stuck with these two options. The D90 looks sexy but is expensive while the D5000 also looks sexy but has that flit-screen thingy which may or may not break a few years down the road.

Apart from not having an internal motor the D5000 has acquired quite a lot of features from the D90.

In reply to The Lemming:

It looks nigh on identical to the D80. Couple more curves. We bought a D90 after D80# 2 (we had two) was stolen on holidays. Its fine.

In reply to The Lemming: having recently bought a D60, from my own experience it will ultimately come down to price. You get what you pay for, but having said that, even budget dSLR's from Canon or Nikon give you great pictures.

My best advice is to log-off the internet, go into your local Jessops, get the two cameras out, compare how they feel in your hand, look at the prices and tell the assistant which one you are buying.

Honestly! Enjoy your purchase!

In reply to The Lemming:
I picked up a Nikon D90 about a couple of months ago to replace my aging D50. Compared to the D50, it's light years ahead and I'm absolutely stoked with it. I have very few complaints, overall, and would heartily recommend it to anybody considering a "mid-range" dSLR.

According to camerapricebuster, there's only a £100 difference between the d5000 and d90. For me, this would not be a deciding factor when purchasing a £500 camera. The only advantage for the D5000 is the flip out screen, but it trades off handling, lens versatility, the gorgeous lcd (a real bonus if you chimp a lot) and maybe the viewfinder. I would imagine the general build might feel slightly better on the D90, as well.

That said, they will probably take fairly similar pictures, given that they have almost identical internal components and software.

Hope that helps!

J

In reply to The Lemming:

I recently went through the same problem having narrowed my camera choice down to D5000 or D90. The D5000 is slightly smaller and lighter and the flip lens idea is pretty cool. I imagine it would be good to keep the lcd closed to prevent scratches on the lcd - rather than useful for odd angles etc.

As lots of people will say, there is very little difference on spec, and hence performance is going to be much of a muchness.

As the above poster said however, if you look around enough there isn't a huge difference in price between the two - in or around £100 (possibly less if you hunt about a bit more).

That was the deciding factor for me. I decided i wasn't going to spend all that money on the camera that was 'almost as good as the D90'. So i ended up with the D90 (and love it).

In reply to The Lemming: I bought a D40, knowing nothing about photography. Now, however, I would like some more lenses to play with, and am starting to realise that maybe it was a false economy (despite being quite a bargain at £250, including the kit lens, hoya filter, case and memory card). For example, a 50mm prime that will focus on the D40 costs around £350, as compared to £100 for one that would focus on a D90. The same is true for a 70-300mm lens. If anybody knows that I'm wrong here, please let me know!

In reply to odr:
I'm afraid you're right.

In reply to asherh: Cheers. So with the money I would save with lets say three lenses, I could have got a D90 to begin with. Makes me wonder why anybody would want to buy the D5000, given that its almost as expensive, and has the same compatibility issues as a D40.

In reply to odr:

Use manual focus? The 70-300 comparison doesn't really count, as the new one adds VR, which is a huge plus over the old one.
For the 50mm, this is because there's no 50mm f/1.8 AF-S out, the only AF-S is an f/1.4, which is obviously a faster lens and logically more expensive.

I'm quite happy with my D40, even though I have to manual focus on some things- I bought a Tokina 11-16, and it didn't bother me the slightest, maybe because from f/8 onwards everything is IN focus...

Besides, with an AF motor the thing would have made it a lot heavier, and I really like the thing for its low weight...

In reply to odr: Why don't you just get this lens instead?

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Nikon-AF-S-DX-35mm-f1-8G/dp/B001S2PPT0/ref=cm_pdp_w...

The question that springs to mind is, 'do you REALLY need this 50mm prime you talk about?'.

I own a D60 and I don't envisage having any serious problems with lens compatibility. Having properly researched the issue, I don't see a problem. With my kit lens plus a VR telephoto which I may or may not buy in the future, plus the 35mm prime that I may or may not buy in the future, I think I would be well setup for any shooting situation.

Those who get hung up on this issue are those who get too hung up on kit rather than high-quality compositions.