Upgrade from D90

[Kaye]

With Mother's day coming in a few days I was asked did I want to upgrade to a D300/D700. My sister has already offered to buy my D80 and D90 for herself and her husband.

But what advantage really would the D300 be from the D90? I've done a little research on both and I understand faster, better in low light situations, but what advantage does the 51 (?) focus points offer over the 11 that my D90 has?

Appreciate any opinions on this.

Thanks
Kaye

[OsmosisStudios]

The 51 point AF has almost 5 times the points, which will mean faster focus acquisition, more accurate focusing and bette tracking of moving subjects. There are more cross-type focus points, too, which helps a LOT.

The D300 is also considerably more rugged than the D90.

That being said, you likely wont find a D300 new, but the D300s, which has slightly better video capabilities as well.

[kirbinster]

For most people the D300 offers little over the D90 - unless there are specific features you need it really is not that big of an upgrade. The D700 is an entirely different story - full frame gives you less noise and better high ISO shots. Keep in mind that full frame will change the effective length of all your lenses and your DX lenses won't "work" (well not in full frame mode).

[Kaye]

My reason for any upgrade would be faster focus and sharper photographs. I like my D90 but I just don't think it is as sharp as my D80, but overall has more to offer. I have my D90 set +6 on sharpness to get as close as possible to what I like in a photograph.

I would love to have a full frame but I hate the fact that most of my lenses would become almost useless to me if I purchased the D700.

I do a lot of tournaments (baseball and softball) for our local rec center, some barrel racing shows and then just general family events. Just started recently getting into portraits.

I also have to consider the price difference in the two camera's.

[LoveDSLR]

Originally Posted by Kaye

But what advantage really would the D300 be from the D90? I've done a little research on both and I understand faster, better in low light situations, but what advantage does the 51 (?) focus points offer over the 11 that my D90 has?

1) Coverage. Most likely at least one focusing point will be at where you want a focus lock.

2) Greater accuracy in Scene Recognition since it has 1,005-points instead of D90's 90 points

3) 15 cross-type vs. 1 in D90. Faster and more accurate tracking.

4) CAM3500DX should process faster than CAM1000 (D90).

D3/D700 should be better in 2) & 4) than D300s/D300.

[Kaye]

Thanks for all your opinions and help. Still having a hard time deciding what my best move would be.

kirbinster:
I noticed that you have the D90 and D300. Do you find the D300 gives you sharper photographs? And how does it perform in settings like a Wedding Party. Any help will be appreciated.

[kirbinster]

I find the picture quality (I shoot raw) of the D90 and D300 to be identical. The D300 has more controls, but most people won't use them -- it also weighs a lot more. I had the D300 for a long time before I got the D90. The only reason I have the D90 was I bought one with only 25 shots taken on it and sold my D80 for a net cost of under $50.

Not sure I understand the sharpness issue from the D80 to D90, I think my D90 is way better than my D80 ever was.

I'm not sure about all the fuss about focus points, I almost always just use the center one and recompose if need be. I find that all to often using so many focus points causes the camera to focus on the wrong thing -- but maybe that is just me.

The one feature I really use on the D300 is the table that lets you pair lenses and compensate for any front or back focus issues. My 30mm f/1.4 tends to front focus slightly, so I can compensate for that with the D300.

The camera I use the most is probably my D5000 since it is so small and light and has the same image sensor. Sure it lacks the dedicated controls, but for just out and about shooting you can't beat it.

[OsmosisStudios]

Originally Posted by Kaye

My reason for any upgrade would be faster focus and sharper photographs. I like my D90 but I just don't think it is as sharp as my D80, but overall has more to offer. I have my D90 set +6 on sharpness to get as close as possible to what I like in a photograph.

THis is strange. While the sensor does change between the 80 and 90, there shouldnt be that big of a visible difference. If you're finding that the D90 is giving you issues with sharpness, you won't see much difference with the D300/s. Its the same sensor.

[Kaye]

Thanks for all your advise. Right now I think I'm just going to concentrate on learning more about what I have. I just got a Nikon 70-300mm lens a few weeks ago and am learning it.

When comparing my D80 and D90, I find the D80 sharper using my 50mm lens. I have had no luck with the D90 w/50mm no matter how many times I try the combination. My family says I'm just to critical of my own photos, could be right.

Thanks again everyone.

Oh yea, being playing around with the 3D tracking for the first time. Crazy watching the focus point jump around with the ball player, but I think I like it.