Opinions on n90s

I was just offered an opportunity on a Nikon N90s. Never owned an

auto focus camera but was impressed with the construction of the

camera. Price; $450 with 35-80 Nikkor zoom. That appears to be a

pretty good deal from what I can see. Any advice?

Assuming good condition, it's a reasonable deal IF the 35-80mm meets your needs. The N90s body in and of itself is certainly highly recommended.

 

If it were ME, I'd go to KEH and get an N90S body in BGN condition from KEH for $349, and a 50/1.8 in BGN condition for $69... but that's just me.

I had two and they were terrific- D-TTL, big bright viewfinders and excellent meters. As the cost of the F100 dropped, I got one of those instead. Negatives on N90s:

 

1. AF is a little slow compared to an F100.

 

2. The N90s isn't an F camera, so the build quality isn't as good as the F100. And the shutter will not survive 50,000 exposures, or whatever F shutters are supposed to live through.

 

That having been said, for less than half the cost of the F100, if you aren't going to pound nails with the thing, its a swell camera.

 

One thing though, I wouldn't pay $450 for an N90s with a 35-80mm unless both the camera and the lens were in excellent or better condition, the lens was a D lens and the lens was a better Nikkor- not a kit lens with the plastic mount. You can get LNIB N90s cameras on eBay for $550 and new 28-80mm Nikkor kit lenses for under $100.

I'll echo the above comments on the body. This is a great, solidly built body that lets you take full advantantage of Nikon's wonderful flash system and will also meter with any manual focus AI or AIS lenses you may have.

 

The suggestions about eBay and KEH are good ones, too. That lens is basically a dog. You can do much better with a good 50mm prime or other better-built and better-performing medium range zooms. Go to kenrockwell.com for some decent, if sometimes overstated, reviews of the Nikon AF lens range.

Don't know about the pricing (I've not looked at N90s pricing in quite a while), but I used to have an N90s and it is a great camera!

 

Having used an F100 now though, there are three things I would miss terribly on an N90s.

 

1. The ability to have AF activation independent of the shutter release button - this is huge for the way I shoot and use AF. In fact, I went from using maybe 20% AF to 85% AF. I mostly shoot landscape / nature etc.

 

2. Autobracketing (though I think you can get that if you hook up the multifunction back on the N90s).

 

3. The exposure scale in the viewfinder in manual mode is much more useful in the F100, covering 3 stops either way compared to just one stop on the N90s.

 

Either way, happy shooting!!

Exactly the sort of feedback I was looking for. Much thanks for the information and more that I suspect will be added.

I think Dan must mean the plastic mount lens, because the metal mount 35-80 with the rubber focusing ring is far from a dog. It's one of the best lenses that covers its range, and I have one of these lenses to prove it. Much lighter than a f/2.8 zoom for when I don't want to carry the extra weight.

Many have spoken about the N90/N90s

 

My personal take... I have a few issues with the build first of all. i

find the camera very uncomfortable to hold for long periods of

time. The rubber used for the grip also became very sticky after

years of use. Also, the peeling issue on the back film door... I

know, this is purely cosmetic, but when designing a professional

camera, this shouldnt have slipped through testing. I didnt pay

hundreds of dollars to have the paint start chipping off. Kind of

like buying a brand new car and they hood fading after a year.

Not acceptable.

 

Perfomance- Well..Nikon nailed it once again, as they have with

many before. AF speed is decent, but pretty slow compared to

F100 or even F4 in my opinion, still better than most cameras

from this era. I also had issues with the shutter speed selection

dial, it just didnt seem to fit the design, perhaps they found a box

of clock radio knobs and said, what the hell we'll give these a try.

I did enjoy the quiet shutter and advance.

 

This all being said, I would say the N90s is a great choice for

stepping up gear. $450 seems a bit too steep unless the

camera is mint... Throw out, donate, or sell the 35-80, and pick

up something worth shooting with. I.e. the 50 1.8 or 1.4, 28-105

3.5-4.5, 35-70 2.8, or 24-85 2.8-4. etc etc..

 

Or consider this... F4's are flying out the door on E-Bay for next to

nothing. The F4 has a far superior build and I found it to be a

more enjoyable machine. Generally you can pick up a nice F4

for $500 or so. A better choice that will out preform the N90 on

most every level.

 

Find a camera that not only functional, but you enjoy using. I

found one of the two in the N90, and no longer use it because of

the other.

I just bought an n90s with an MF-26 back off of ebay. Both of which are in excellent condition for $350. Either I got real lucky, or that is the going price. After owning it for one week and shooting 4 rolls through it I must say that I love it. I was shooting an n70 before this and an F before the n70.

 

I think that its AF is fast and accurate. What I love most about it is its interface. Perhaps using the n70 for 5 years with its confusing interface has made me really appreciate a simple and intituive layout.

<i>

(N90s) "AF speed is decent, but pretty slow compared to F100 or even F4 in my opinion" - austin</i>

<p>

That has not been my experience, the N90s is quite a bit 'zippier' in the AF department than the F4s/F4e (I have both).

<p>

AF speed is subject to a lot of variables, so perhaps austin has encountered some combination I have not (i.e., I have not used the N90s nor F4 with AFS lenses). Either that, or comparing different lenses on different bodies can leave you with a mistaken impression (like say an 85/1.8 on an F4 vs. a 70-300 f/4-5.6 on an N90s).

I still own an F4 which I bought new back in 1990. Its AF speed is quite slow in today's standards. I too feel that the N90s has better AF, but of course the F5 and F100 are even better.

 

If your budget is around $400, I think the N90s is a good buy. Just keep in mind that it has only one AF point and VR is not functional on it. (You can still use a VR lens on the N90s but without the VR feature.) And G lenses can only be used in the P or S mode.

What's this talk about "F" series cameras? The Nxxx cameras have an F designation everywhere except the US as far as I know; the N90s is the F90x. And the shutter durability depends on the individual model. And has little to do with the actual durability of the camera itself.

 

The F90x is a good camera if you cannot afford an F100. It has a high-eyepoint viewfinder, spot meter, DOF preview, metering with Ai lenses etc. and works as advertised. AF is fast but not as refined as in the F100.

The N90s that I looked at seems snap into focus very quickly. Of course since I have never used an autofocus camera previously I have nothing to compare it to. Was there a significant difference in the speed of focus on the original N90, as compared to the N90s?

Going rate on ebay for an N90s body is $300+ for a VG+/Ex one, up to around $400 for a mint one. Maybe $450 for LNIB with a manual. I very much like the n90s. I sold my F100, traded DOWN for an n90s and had another $350 to spend on lenses. I never regretted that decision.

If you mainly intend to use the camera in AF mode, then the n90s is better than the F4. If you mainly intend to use it manually, then the F4 is a better choice for slightly more money.

 

Get the body separately, and get a better lens than the 35-80 Nikkor.

I'm partial to the Tokina 28-70mm f2.8 ATX Pro, or just the 50mm Nikkor f1.8 prime.

My experience with the N90s vs F4s AF was limited to the 20-35 2.8D, 35-70 2.8D, &

80-200 2.8D. Personally, I found the AF of the F4s to be more accurate and

snappier, just my observations, not a science.... Honestly though, 99% of my

photographs are shot fully manually, including focusing. I do however miss the

matrix metering with my AI lenses from the F4. The build quality of the N90s left alot

to be desired for me. I'm hard on my equipment, and the N90 just didnt take it well,

cracked!!

 

Also, I dont think anyone has mentioned interchangeable finders. None of the N90s,

and a few to choose from with the F4. As well as a few different configurations F4,

F4s, F4e with battery packs...

 

If this is your first step in AF, I think you will be happy with the N90s. Look at it this

way, if you find a nice N90s for a good price, you can always turn it over for what you

have in it if unhappy.

 

After watching the prices fall drastically over the past six months, I'm going to go out

on a limb here and say the N90s isn't going to drop much more within the next year

or so.

<i>

Was there a significant difference in the speed of focus on the original N90, as compared to the N90s?</i>

<p>

I have a page that outlines the differences between an N90 and N90s:<br>

<a href="http://www.thepeaches.com/photography/N90vsN90s.htm">http://www.thepeaches.com/photography/N90vsN90s.htm</a>

<p>

From there:

<LI>N90s faster AF (some people say "slightly"

while others have claimed 25%)</LI>

 

<UL>

<LI>4.1 fps Focus Tracking vs. 3.0 for N90 [From Nikon literature]</LI>

 

<LI>From the "Technology Notes" of the N90s *marketing*

brochure (Nikon Inc. USA, Code No. 8CE41701) the improved focusing speed

between exposures (important for Focus Tracking) is due to:</LI>

 

<UL>

<LI>Shorter mirror movement time </LI>

 

<LI>Shorter shutter charge time </LI>

 

<LI>New coreless motor for faster film advance </LI>

 

<LI>2X faster CPU </LI>

 

<LI>25% faster lens drive</LI>

 

<LI>Improved algorithms for focus detection</LI>

</UL>

</UL>

This was my first Nikon Autofocus camera. It is well built and very reliable. The autofocus is quick and works well in very low light conditions. It does lack the five spot pattern of modern autofocus cameras, but it also has a wide area sensor that allows the autofocus to pick up subject not exactly in the center. It drives the regular and AF-S lenses very quickly.

 

The meter is also good, but I have noticed that the F100 is a bit better. On a recent vacation where I wanted to travel light I brought only the N90s, I have that much faith in it.

 

One tip: if you get one use Lithium batteries. Alkaline will work but the Lithiums give the N90s a snap and speed winding film. The Alkalines as they wear down, will not always power the winder with the speed it is capable of.

If you're seriously considering a 35-80 AF lens you should know that there were two versions of this lens. The first version had a metal lens mount and a rubber focus ring. The second version had a black plastic lens mount and a very thin plastic focus ring. The first version is optically superior, by a large margin, and is capable of producing images that actually compare favorably to those from much more expensive lenses.

 

If it's the second version you're looking at, don't even consider it. The drawback of either version is that, as a slowish variable-aperture lens, it is f5.6 at 80mm, which I found to be too limiting for many uses when I owned one. If you're going to be doing strictly landscapes, or some other sort of outdoor shooting in sun, it will be okay most of the time as you'll shoot at f8-f16 much of the time anyway. But, I would concur with the others above in recommending the 50mm f1.8 lens as your first AF lens, instead, which you should be able to find used in mint condition for $50-60. Versatile, fast, and extremely sharp AF lens.

 

I recall Nikon ads saying that the N90s was 20-25% faster to AF than the N90.

Its a good camera & lens; offer $ 400 and if they take it, buy it.

Ilkka-

 

The "F" series cameras are the original Nikon F, the F2, the F3, the F4 and F5. They represent the culmination of engineering efforts at the time of design. All have 100% viewfinder coverage/accuracy, an interchangeable viewfinder system with an improved optical path for viewing, rewind knobs, Mirror lockup, and sub-60ms lag time for the F3,4,and 5. I may have missed one or two characteristics, but the first four mark all F-series cameras. The only instance where Nikon has sold two F-series cameras concurrently was 1996-2002, with the F3 and F5.

Actually, in 1970-71, Nikon sold the F and the F2 concurrently.

Wasn't the F3 in production continuously for over two decades from 1980 to 2002? It certainly overlapped with the F4 for the entire time the F4 was in production. The F4 was also in production for a while after the F5 had been introduced in 1996; during that period the F3, F4, and F5 were all in production at the same time.

 

Given that there are still people who are willing to pay $1400 for a new F3 today, I can certainly understand why Nikon kept it in production for two decades.

I wasn't going to reply since most of you have already made the point about an N90S being an excellent camera.

 

But the comments about buyin on Ebay just floored me. With all due respects, are you guy's nuts???? You are really going to send a check for $450 to a total stranger for a piece of delicate electronic/optical equipment sight unseen? Yeah, yeah, I know that many folks make terrifc deals on Ebay and all of that, but I will be damned if I will send a check to a stranger based upon his description of an item. If you want to deal with a stranger, at least shop the Photo.net classifieds, where at least you may find the seller to be a familiar name who has posted for years.

 

I suggest B&H or Keh if you wish to buy used gear. We KNOW that these folks are reputable and will take the stuff back if not to our liking.

 

CAVEAT EMPTOR!!!!

Incidentally, I had the peeling back problem on my F90 (N90 in the US) and called Nikon, who got a replacement back to my mailbox within about seven days, free of charge. It was a known manufacturing defect with this camera. It took me about 10 minutes to transplant the pressure plate to the new back and I was good to go. The camera looks great now.

 

I like my F90. I'd imagine the N90s is even better, though I've never felt limited by focussing speed or frame rates. I could do without most of the silly program modes but I shoot in aperture-priority most of the time anyway.

Peeling backs were also a problem with the N50 and N70. Same deal - send to Nikon for a free fix.