Considering a Nikon D90

Alfie1

Hi all :)I'm considering getting a Nikon D90 with 18-105VR kit lens & a 70-300VR lens :cool:

I was considering getting a D80 about a year or so ago but went for a Fujifilm S9600 bridge camera in the end as I wanted the option of video clips. Anyway now that the D90 is here with the video mode option I'm again looking into getting a DSLR Anyone got any comments or advice in general on the D90


Also I can get it in a shop in Cork for €1450 including a case, 4GB card & a training course Just wondering if anyone has seen it cheaper elsewhere in a shop or if anyone can recommend a reliable online seller

Also I was told that camera prices ( along with other electronic goods ) will be increasing in February :eek:

Thanks in advance,
A possible D90 owner

pete4130

The D90 is miles better than the D80 in my opinion. It would be the camera I'd choose to someone if they are going to Nikon route and aren't a total beginner. I just recomended it to a friend of mine who made the transition from 35mm to digital after 10 years shooting film. I knew anything less than the D90 would be outgrown by him.
Check prices in the North of Ireland/UK with the exchange rate....they might work out a little better???

I always find Thom Hogans reviews to be pretty good.
http://www.bythom.com/nikond90review.htm

Stephen

I have a D90, and I love it for shooting photos. The video mode, while handy is not a patch on a proper camcorder. You can't autofocus while shooting, and of course there is no power zoom. Sound is mono only and there's no external microphone input. There is also a visible jelly wobble effect in fast-moving scenes, caused by the way the D90 records video (rolling shutter).

I would definately look at getting one north of the border. The exchange rate should make it a total steal.

pixbyjohn

http://www.calumetphoto.co.uk/ctl?ac.ui.pn=search.Search&query=d90

Nikon D90 12.3MP DSLR
Calumet # 355-990A
Mfg. Part # VBA230AB
ships 2 - 4 weeks

£635.00 current price today 13th Jan 2009
Save £45.22

This camera has just increased in price by 67 Sterling

Alfie1

pete4130 wrote: »

The D90 is miles better than the D80 in my opinion. It would be the camera I'd choose to someone if they are going to Nikon route and aren't a total beginner. I just recomended it to a friend of mine who made the transition from 35mm to digital after 10 years shooting film. I knew anything less than the D90 would be outgrown by him.
Check prices in the North of Ireland/UK with the exchange rate....they might work out a little better???

I always find Thom Hogans reviews to be pretty good.
http://www.bythom.com/nikond90review.htm

Thanks for that link Very detailed review, I'd read the DPreview already but I didn't know about all the video mode issues

Stephen wrote: »

I have a D90, and I love it for shooting photos. The video mode, while handy is not a patch on a proper camcorder. You can't autofocus while shooting, and of course there is no power zoom. Sound is mono only and there's no external microphone input. There is also a visible jelly wobble effect in fast-moving scenes, caused by the way the D90 records video (rolling shutter).

I would definately look at getting one north of the border. The exchange rate should make it a total steal.

Thanks for the input I knew about the lack of autofocus in video mode but was playing with a D90 in a shop yesterday & I think I could live without the autofocus. I wasn't aware about the wobble effect tho & tbh I didn't play back the vids I took yesterday perhaps I need to have another look at it before I decide

Out of interest does anyone know if camera shops have demo models that they give out on trial/rent for people considering purchasing, It's fine to look at the camera in the shop & have a quick mess around but I'd like to have a decent trial in the real world

bogman

Great camera, I own one, first DSLR, was going to get the D80 but waited a few months for the D90, both camera's are very good

Alfie1

Just another quick question, as the D90 isn't out long I presume it won't be replaced for the foreseeable future ? Or does anyone know if Nikon are releasing any new DSLR anytime soon with a similar spec.

CabanSail

They have just had a rush of new models from the Big N.

There was the D300,D3, D90, D700 & now the D3X. One would think they will not be releasing more in the near future, but you never know. You just have to buy what suits you best at the time.

richieg

I bought the exact same setup as you are looking at. I got it from Jessops for around 1000 euro. I ordered it the monday before xmas eve and had it xmas eve (2 days later).
It is fantastic

Alfie1

CabanSail wrote: »

They have just had a rush of new models from the Big N.

There was the D300,D3, D90, D700 & now the D3X. One would think they will not be releasing more in the near future, but you never know. You just have to buy what suits you best at the time.

Thats what I was thinking, Just said I'd check other than buying now & new model being released in the next month or so I know you can't chase technology or you'd never buy anything :pac: I would wait a month or two tho if there was a new model being released which was worth waiting for or which would reduce the price of the curent model

richieg wrote: »

I bought the exact same setup as you are looking at. I got it from Jessops for around 1000 euro. I ordered it the monday before xmas eve and had it xmas eve (2 days later).
It is fantastic

You got the D90 with both lenses for €1000 :cool: Jessops online are now €1300 online

CabanSail

I would also advise getting a UV Filter for each lens. A spare battery (compatible is fine) is also handy. Unless they do a good deal I would order them from 7dayshop.

Alfie1

I've always had UV filters on all my previous cameras & lenses, definitely a must just to protect the lenses
I've heard that I'd definitely need a spare battery if using the Liveview & Video function, I've used 7dayshop before for Memory & other stuff, good prices alright

richieg

Yeah There was some rumblings here that prices in the UK may be adjusted in the new year and the exchange rate was nearly as good as it could be.
I may have paid €1100 can't remember exactly

Alfie1

Still a great price BTW Did you get a Nikon Training Voucher included ?

pawrick

richieg wrote: »

I bought the exact same setup as you are looking at. I got it from Jessops for around 1000 euro. I ordered it the monday before xmas eve and had it xmas eve (2 days later).
It is fantastic

argh! that just pi*ses me off!!!! I ordered mine 2 weeks before xmas from them and I'm still waiting!!!!! (got some other bits and pieces which seem to be causing the delay as they're being shipped together but if I had known it would take this long I'd have bought them separatly! too late now though - will wait it out)

Also note they have increased their price from £714 to £799 for the basic kit with lense.

Asiaprod

Buying the same camera. Here is a very good review.
http://www.dcresource.com/reviews/nikon/d90-review/

Alfie1

Asiaprod wrote: »

Buying the same camera. Here is a very good review.
http://www.dcresource.com/reviews/nikon/d90-review/

Good Review & some nice video samples ( one of a train passing at speed )which look very clear & don't seem to suffer any of the previously mentioned problems

DanGerMus

http://www.dabs.ie/productview.aspx?Quicklinx=58LW&SearchType=1&SearchTerms=d90&PageMode=3&SearchKey=All&SearchMode=All&NavigationKey=0

E878

Seems like a good price their delivery is cheap and they're a good company to deal with should you have any issues.

Also check out adverts.ie i noticed a few d90s floating around in the last few weeks.

Asiaprod

Alfie1 wrote: »

Good Review & some nice video samples ( one of a train passing at speed )which look very clear & don't seem to suffer any of the previously mentioned problems

The video problem really only occurs when panning a moving subject, then you get the jello effect till you stop panning. I consider the video to just be an interesting extra (already have a decent camcorder so don't need two). I did look at the D300 because I liked the large number of auto focus metering points, but it is expensive. I was also told to bear in mind that the technology in the D90 is new whereas the D300's technology is already 1 year old. The only real difference in quality between the two was at hight ISO speeds. I can live with that:)

gummie02

Alfie1, as per other threads recommending Jessops, yes do it. I'm actually nipping across the border this morning and I'll be in there as I think they were doing a special in the Newry store. I would recommend the online service order today and it'll be arriving within 2 days. Go to buy it in the store and you'll be waiting longer to get served as the staff are brutal.

I'll check the price for you. Also try pixmania. I've heard they're good also.

Alfie1

gummie02 wrote: »

Alfie1, as per other threads recommending Jessops, yes do it. I'm actually nipping across the border this morning and I'll be in there as I think they were doing a special in the Newry store. I would recommend the online service order today and it'll be arriving within 2 days. Go to buy it in the store and you'll be waiting longer to get served as the staff are brutal.

I'll check the price for you. Also try pixmania. I've heard they're good also.

I'm in Cork & TBH it's too far & too much trouble for me to head north.

Just checked Jessops prices online D90 kit is £799 or €886, the 700-300VR is £369 or €409 Total £1186 or €1295 + shipping

Pixmania are very expensive €1059 for the D90 kit, I can get in a shop in Cork for €950

Dabs.ie seem to have good prices D90 €895 kit, 70-300VR lens €440, Total €1333 including delivery. ( it was €23 cheaper yesterday )

TBH I'm thinking of buying it here in a shop in Cork. I can get the D90 kit & the 70-300VR lens including a 4GB card, a case & a Nikon training course voucher worth €150 ( I might be able to get it a bit cheaper by getting it without the card & the case & get the ones I want online )
I know I'm probably paying ~ €130 extra but I think it's worth it to me for the voucher & the peace of mind & backup I'll get from the shop if I've any problems or questions

PS Thanks to all for all the advice

DanGerMus

TBF the difference in the online price and the price you're paying is a small price to pay for peace of mind. Deffinately if the bag isn't the one you want get em to take it off also the card it depends on what speed it is but you can have 4gb cards for a lttle as a tenner online but prices in shops can be up very high 40,50,80 euro who knows eh.

Haggle with confidence that you know you can get it cheaper elsewhere though. Even if it takes you an hour to get fifty quid off remember that it takes a lot of people more than half a day of work to earn 50 quid so it's well worth the effort.

PS Done haggling?...then haggle some more.

Alfie1

I'll definitely be haggling alright

Alfie1

Haggling complete Picked up camera today



Thanks for all the help & advice

Stephen

Enjoy

pawrick

mine finally arrived today from jessops (although a couple of items are still to come -ordered over a month ago!)

anyhow will try it out properly over the weekend but so far so good + got it from them for £704 with the 18 to 105 lense before xmas + a tenner off

(also ordered a 50mm since everyone here recommends one)

spav

In case anyone is interested, I was in the Dixons tax-free shop in Stanstead airport this morning, and they had the D90 with kit lens for £695 (€737 on today's exchange rate). That seemed very cheap to me, it took all my will power not to buy it.

coylemj

You say 'tax-free' shop - was that price available if you were travelling to Ireland? Jessops price is currently £799 and Calumet is £789 so £695 would be an amazing retail price if it was available to people travelling to Ireland though I suspect not. Can't see how Dixons could pay airport rent and still beat the pants off online shops even given their size and purchasing power.

It just so happens that if you take 15% VAT off 799 (by dividing by 1.15) you get 695 so I suspect the Dixons price is only available to people travelling to outside the EU. Airport shops have a habit nowadays of calling themselves 'tax-free' but if you're travelling within the EU there's no such thing as tax-free anything.

spav

coylemj wrote: »

You say 'tax-free' shop - was that price available if you were travelling to Ireland? Jessops price is currently £799 and Calumet is £789 so £695 would be an amazing retail price if it was available to people travelling to Ireland though I suspect not. Can't see how Dixons could pay airport rent and still beat the pants off online shops even given their size and purchasing power.

It just so happens that if you take 15% VAT off 799 (by dividing by 1.15) you get 695 so I suspect the Dixons price is only available to people travelling to outside the EU. Airport shops have a habit nowadays of calling themselves 'tax-free' but if you're travelling within the EU there's no such thing as tax-free anything.

You could be right - it didn't appear to be a discounted price and it did seem unusually cheap. I hope you are right actually - makes me feel slightly better about not putting it on the credit card!

coylemj

Doing a quick check on Dixons online shop, they don't seem to sell Nikon SLRs but a Canon 50D with the 17-55mm kit lens is 1,051 which is all of two quid more than Jessops and Calumet who are both at 1,049 so I think that Stanstead D90 price has to be VAT-free for international travellers.

wonka

Dixons in the UK airports is tax free to ALL passengers to ALL destinations. I went through there last week and was about to get the canon450D (only 409GBP). Decided to wait until the sterling got weaker... which it has slightly...
http://www.dixonstaxfree.co.uk/index.cfm?fuseaction=dixons.tandc

coylemj

How do you know this, did you ask? I'll believe that when I hear you tell us that you presented a boarding card for a flight to Ireland and they gave you that price.

Can't see how they can sell VAT-free to people travelling between UK & Ireland cause if that was the case Jessops & Calumet would be out of business given the number of people who travel between the two countries every day plus adverts.ie would be full of people selling brand new tax-free cameras.

Stephen

I've bought stuff at the Dixon's tax free in Heathrow when travelling to Dublin before. I think their strategy is to take the hit for tax and try to claw it back in hard-sell extras like accessories and their extended warranties and insurance and the like.

Also, quote from their website: "Our TAX FREE prices are available to every passenger with a valid boarding pass to give you a great deal wherever you are travelling"

coylemj

You're right, looks almost too good to be true. And if you live in the UK you can even order the goods in advance, pay for them airside after you pass through security, then they'll keep the goods for you and you can collect them when you get back as they have landside collection points in arrivals.

spav

Hmm, not sure what to think now. I've looked into buying stuff from the Dixons Tax Free in Manchester before, it seemed to me then that they'd hiked up the RRP, meaning that tax free price was only nominally lower that on the high street. The price in Stanstead though just seems way too cheap to be feasible - I checked on eBay yesterday, and the Stanstead price was even lower than what you'd pay from Hong Kong.

Looks like I passed up a pretty huge bargain then.

coylemj

fraid so, they have a very limited range but if you're in the market for a D90 with the kit (18-105mm) lens then it looks unbeatable at £695.

spav

coylemj wrote: »

fraid so, they have a very limited range but if you're in the market for a D90 with the kit (18-105mm) lens then it looks unbeatable at £695.

Which I am - started saving with a view that the prices will head south over the next 6 months or so. Arse.

Stephen

Ryanair it back for the D90, it'll probably still be cheaper

spav

Stephen wrote: »

Ryanair it back for the D90, it'll probably still be cheaper

It has crossed my mind - I think I paid about €40 for the rtn flights, including taxes.

BFassassin

So is this really a bargain from the dixons tax free shop?
I am on the lookout for my first DSLR and I know someone coming through Gatwick I think in the next few days.
I am doing a photography course now too so I can learn the art

coylemj

It definitely is a bargain but as I said earlier they have a limited range of DSLRs but the D90 with the 18-105mm kit lens is all of £100 cheaper than the regular UK mail order shops like Jessops and Calumet. They also sell the D60 but the savings there are less.

Best approach if you want your friend to buy for you is to get him/her to order the camera in advance and then collect when they get to the duty-free shop after security, details here:

http://www.dixonstaxfree.co.uk/

spav

BFassassin wrote: »

So is this really a bargain from the dixons tax free shop?
I am on the lookout for my first DSLR and I know someone coming through Gatwick I think in the next few days.
I am doing a photography course now too so I can learn the art

It definitely seems like a great price, and it would be a cracking starter camera - fairly easy to use from what I gather, and has enough features for you to grow with it over the years.

The one in Stanstead was the last one in stock (or at least that's what the ticket said), so as coylemj suggests it'd definitely be worth pre-ordering.

coylemj

Just a word of warning about the package that the D90 kit comes in, it is a large cube shaped carton and will not fit into the overhead of any plane so either your friend will have to carry it on his/her knees if the cabin crew allow this or else they'll have to unpack the kit into a camera (or equivalent) bag in the airside area and lug the bag onto the plane.

The camera and lens are packed separately inside the carton, the camera has a body cap and the lens is well wrapped so they could be transferred easily into a bag with either compartments or they could be well wrapped within soft clothing. As you'd expect there's a lot of extras like neck strap, AV cable, USB cable, manuals, warranty cards and CDs as well.

The last thing you want to happen is for the crew to take the box from you as you board the plane and tell that it has to go into the hold, you'll never see it again in that case cause it will not have a barcode tag and the weight will give away as being something valuable.

BFassassin

Decisions decisions. I was kinda planning on getting a second hand camera(d40 or eos 450d or something) with lenses, bags etc for cheaper but im a sucker for new stuff and technology

coylemj

Then keep an eye on adverts.ie cause there's D40, 40D and 2 x 400D currently for sale on the first page of the photography section

http://www.adverts.ie/showcat.php?cat=51

BFassassin

Yeah I have been on there alright keeping an eye on a few.
Thanks

spav

BFassassin wrote: »

Yeah I have been on there alright keeping an eye on a few.
Thanks

Keep your eye out for second hand D80s too - probably not a whole lot more expensive second hand, and a lot more bang for your buck.

I bought a D40 back in May, and while I love it part of me now wishes that I paid a bit more and bought slightly higher up the range. That's why I'm casting an envious eye towards the D90 now.

BFassassin

I gave them a call and they have none in stock so that settles that as an option. Never mind ill keep on the hunt

mrs aol

Have any of ye been to the free course?

Alfie1

Yes, I went to the one in Cork a few weeks ago

They are finished for now tho, more info here http://www.joehoughtonphotography.ie/nikon/index.htm

spav

They're selling the D90 kit for €969 in Bermingham cameras down on the Quays - it's €999 in Conns. Pretty decent price, considering.

Pretty much got the money saved up - not sure what to do now. Ebay, even if you buy from Hong Kong, is no cheaper than Bermingham. Dunno whether to take the plunge now, not just wait a couple of months and hope prices fall a bit. I really want a new camera by July, so I can hang on if needs be.