cheap d200 or full price d90 help help

[pete g]

Hi every one well here go's i'v been offered a d200+55-200vr+18-55mm 1:3 5-56G for $600...
Now i sold my d40x just before xmas it was just to small for me hands and need something bigger anyway i no d200 is old but like to think it's a very good cam however i was thinking about the d90 but thats going to set me back over $1200, my Q; is do i realy need the d90 because live view i love but can do with out, hate the video dont want or need it, i no that the d90 trumps d200 on anything higher tha 800 iso, but the d200 can use the older AF lens.......

i use the camera for portrait's and school sports day's,and most things armatures do my lens r very simple 35mm prime 1.4 55-200vr 28-55vr 50mm 1.8prime
what i was going to do was sell the second set and my 55-200vr+18-55mm 1:3 5-56G Vr and buy 70-300vr.....

so the main Q: is the camera worth the moneys and not buying the d90 for what i use it for and is the iso realy a problem indoors if i use a good prime lens on the d200.

thanks every one for ya help

[scootermcq]

I just went through the same decision process. I chose the D90. While the D200 is still a great camera, CMOS sensor vs CCD, warranty vs none, beautiful LCD screen and the high ISO pictures won me over.

I don't use movie mode or live view. I have tried both just for giggles, but they were not what I was after. I guess I might use live view in a crowd to shoot over head, but that is about it.

The D90 does do a wonderful job in 1600 ISO situations. While a faster lens and ISO 800 can give the same results, the loss of DOF when forced to shoot at wide open to get light could be an issue some times.

I still need to get some prime lens, but I have played with some and to me it would not be to shoot at wide open, but to get the sharpness that a prime lens offers. I do not see too many situations where I would want to shoot at 1.4, because if you are inside and say about 5 feet from the subject, then your DOF is only 1.5 feet. That would be hard to get a whole person in focus.

Anyway, that was my thought process when I went for the D90. Yours maybe different and the D200 is a wonderful camera. You really will not go wrong with either.

By the way... here is a snap from this morning shot at ISO 1600

[firebox40dash5]

D90, for sure. The D200 isn't a bad deal (assuming both those lenses are VR), but it's not great, either. Both those lenses are only worth ~$225-250 together, and $350 for a used D200 body isn't really a steal. The D200 has the same sensor as your old D40X, the D60, and the D3000... all you're really upgrading is build quality, the AF system (over the D40x/D60, anyway), and adding the focusing motor for older lenses. The D90 gives you all that (well, except the semi-pro build quality of the Dx00 series), plus a much better LCD, and of course the sensor.

Live view is nice to have when you need it. I don't use it a lot, but when I do, it's a great convenience. I'd much rather have it and not need it than the other way around. The movie mode... I agree, I've never needed it, or wanted it.

[Nicole]

Also, the D90 can AF with regular older, AF lenses just like the D200. You don't need to have AF-S lenses for auto focus to work on the D90. I think the live view is pretty handy to have at times. I'd probably go for the D90 if you can manage it, but if the price of the D200 is much more in your budget, I'd say go for it. You just have to decide whether some of the advances in some areas of the D90 is worth it for your shooting style.

[GadgetRick]

You mentioned you're shooting school sports. If you're shooting indoors, you'll love the high-ISO properties of the D90. That alone will be worth it.

[pete g]

Well thanks people for the INFO and very much appreciated it's just as i'v out grown the d40x the d200 seamed like a good deal and as the d90 has thing's i don't really want IE HD Video and that the d2oo is better built i just fort there can't be that much difference but just the ISO anyway been to jessops today played with D90+D300+D300s and i like them all not a great difference in size but i just love the feel of the d300 and the best part is i just come out of the shop with the d300s for the same price d300, happy days me thinks except the price is 3x what the d200 was offerd to me but i think it's worth IT....

thanks again

[praesentire]

By the way, your 35mm f/1.4 (AI-S I presume) won't meter on the D90. It will on the D200/D300.

[GadgetRick]

So you got a D300s? That's great. You won't regret that one!

[pete g]

Well 24hrs playing with me D300s and this is soso *ucking sweet i love it feel like im 18again anyway that was untill speaking to my friend from work and here is what he said.......

Im glad u like ya camera i think i would have bort a canon in stead (me thinking he's just Jealous but then comes the killer blow) he said just before he sold his D70 on ebay to buy a canon 500d he said he got a email from Nikon uk with this offer buy a nikon D300s and get a SB900 free from november to january only offer....SB900 is worth £300,,,,,,and i was feeling so good untill then so i think i'll set up me camera on a trypod when i go back to work and set it up 20sec delay shots off me driving me truck over him.....now that should make me feel a hole lot better me thinks