D90 or D300

I totaly agree with Brandon with AF point. D300 uses the latest Cam 3500 AF engine. Plus, it has AF Fine-Tune, plus it has Flash commander mode, plus 51 focus points. I would recommend D300 over D90 for wedding and any other professional work.

 

Njoy whatever you buy. :)

Veronica, I also saw your thread in the Wedding Forum about your lenses:

http://www.photo.net/wedding-photography-forum/00Qkhw

 

If you are going to photograph someone's big day for money, it comes with responsibilities. A more reliable body that

has 51 AF points and 15 cross type AF points among them such as the D300 will worth every penny, and of course

you'll need your backup body also. The D90 uses the same Multi-CAM 1000 AF module as the D80 and D200. That

one has only 1 cross type AF point, and I have had difficulty with AF on the D200 indoors.

 

Additionally, your slow f5.6 18-55 and 55-200 kits lenses are far from adequate for weddings. So you'll definitely need

faster lenses as well as flashes.

 

I cannot tell how much experience you have shooting weddings. Assuming that you are starting, it is best to first

work as a 2nd or even 3rd shooter along side some experienced pros. There is a lot more to wedding photography

than just taking pictures.

Thanks again everyone. Yes I agree looking further into the sellers online is something I would have to do before recomending my dad but it from one of those places. I will probably have another needed new lens before christmas for the new camera! I love adorma and get prints from there often.

 

I just purchased the 50mm 1.8 and it is on the way in the mail I am looking to get probably a 24-70 2.8 or a 17-50mm 2.8. Shun, funny you saw my other post, I actually posted that a day or 2 before my dad told me about my xmas present.

 

I have shot quite a few weddings as a second shooter. I have one coming up on the 13th as well. Then a very small wedding (paid but dirt cheap) on the 21st of sept. I will have my 50mm 1.8 by then which will be a good thing. Because the wedding and reception is outdoors. I am not worried that my lenses will not suffice. However if I went for the d90 I could as Anatole said, I could spend the money saved from getting the d300 get the good lens I will need shortly.

But then I am worried about outgrowing the d90 and I DO NOT want to do that especially since my dad is getting it. I dont want him to find out I got a new body in less than a year or something!

 

I will probably be getting a battery grip.

 

I did find one potential deal breaker with the d90. It only produces compressed RAW files. Since I shoot in RAW a lot of the time this seems like a pretty important thing to me. Even my d40x has full RAW capability. Has anyone else read about this with the d90?

All Nikon DSLRs with 2-digital model numbers only provide lossy compressed RAW, including your current D40x

and the D90. See this recent discussion about RAW compression:

http://www.photo.net/nikon-camera-forum/00Qh7b

 

And the study by Jeffrey Friedl I referenced there. At least I have a hard time telling the difference between compressed and

uncompressed RAW. If I were you, I wouldn't worry about it.

 

I doubt that you can find any new D300 with Nikon USA warranty for less than US$1500 at this time, certainly not a

few hundred dollars less. All of those cheap ones are scams.

 

P.S. Interestingly, all models with single-digit and 3-digit model numbers support uncompressed RAW.

This issue would be enough to push me towards the d300 but I own one and have a strong bias towards it.

 

-Owen

Hi, Veronica. One thing most men won't think of, but women will, is the weight of the D300. If you were to buy, for example, the Nikon 17-55 f2.8 lens, the combination of the D300 and this lens would be quite heavy. I don't do weddings, but I did shoot an affair with a D80 and the 17-55 lens (with a SB800), and after a few hours, my wrists were getting mighty tired. That said, I think I could learn to live with the weight of the D300 if someone was going to buy one for me. :-) I'm just saying don't forget to check out the weight of the camera before you decide.

 

Regarding the D90 and video...since you won't have to decide on the camera until Christmas, that will give you plenty of time to read reviews on the video mode.

 

Good luck to you in your future business.

Veronica,

 

Going against the flow, I'd actually recommend a D90. Ritz got a shipment in yesterday, so i was able to play around

with the camera. I know that alot of people are saying buy the D300. The D300 is a great camera, however, in this

field, camera body technology depriciates faster than ever before. I don't think that anyone on this site disagree with

me that lenses are the greatest investment. The Nikon 80-400 is an old lens, but it still sells for $1700+. My D200 on

the otherhand cost me $2000 three years ago, and today it sells for under $1000. (ouch).

 

One of the biggest reasons that the D300 is an ideal wedding photographers camera is the sensor technology. I've

shot a wedding at ISO 1600 and been very pleased with the results. I shot the D90 yesterday at ISO 1600/3200 and

noticed no difference in the amount of noise vs. the D300. The metering in the D90 is amazing as well. Even if the

D90 didn't have vdeo mode (which is a cool feature), I'd still suggest the D90 and tell you to save up for professional

lenses.

 

In Conclusion: I really think that you should give it some more thought. I know that I'm the minority here, but having

the biggest most expensive camera isn't going to give you better pictures, especially in this case.

Hi Veronica,

Thank's for the question, I had the same in mind. I am working with the D70S for 2 years now and I was waiting the price of

the D300 goes down before buying it when the D90 came in the market. After reading all the comments, I still wait to by the

D300 before Christmas. it is time for me to move toward a professional camera and I get 7 yes at the test!

Good luck in your choice.

Yves

Hello, Veronica. Like Jeff, I am going to join the opposition and recommend the D90 over the D300. The D300 has the

follow major benefits over the D90:

 

1. More dedicated buttons

2. More user customizations

3. Stronger Build, better weather sealing

4. More autofocus points

5. Faster burst rate

 

For shooting weddings, I wouldn't worry about any of those. The D90 has the new two function info button which, though

not as convenient as the dedicated buttons on the D300 is much better than the D80/70/50 ever was. Also, in regards to

the customizations, 99% of the time the additional options in the menus only get in the way.

 

When people reference the better build of the D300, they also imply that the other models are cheaply built. I have

dropped my D50 and my D80 both from shoulder or table height onto concrete at least once each, and both still work

perfectly. Unless you are going to be taking the camera into some serious remote locations or working in the rain or

dusty areas, I wouldn't worry about it too much. As for hot and humid conditions, the D90 will work just fine.

 

Everyone also keeps referencing the 51 point autofocus system on the D300. There is no doubt that is a sweet system,

currently unmatched by anything else in the DSLR market. But it is not necessary for weddings. The extra focus points

are great for tracking high speed objects (think sports, airshows, autoracing). You won't notice much difference at a

wedding. Remember the D200 was touted as the best only a short time ago, and the autofocus system in the D90 is an

improved version of what it has.

 

Finally, burst rate. Again, that is something that is most beneficial for sports or other high speed action. When you

shoot weddings, as you know, you end up with hundreds if not thousands of photos to review as it is. Using the higher

burst rate will simply result in more photos requiring larger memory cards, larger hard drives, and more time to review.

 

The D90 is smaller and lighter. It is easier to carry and easier to use. It combines the sensor of the D300, which means

the image quality between the two will be identical, with the autofocus system of the D200, which is still available as a

semi-pro camera.

 

Finally, in regard to compressed vs uncompressed NEF files, you will not notice a difference at all. Not all compression

is lossy, think FLAC and Apple Lossless with music. Most reviews I read on the subject recommended shooting

compressed NEF whenever possible as it lossless and results in smaller files.

 

Best of luck to you!

Thanks Diane, that is something I thought about. If I am shooting a wedding for 8 hours with the flash and heavy lens it could be an issue.

Thanks Jeff for going against the grain lol. You brought some great points about the d90. ISO is important for me being indoors and at churches. Since they are equal in that aspect it really gives a boost to the d90

 

I have been shopping around at lenses lately and the 400 or 500+ I can save on the d90 could really get me a decent lens to invest in. It is a tough choice still! Im glad I have some time to decide but you guys have really helped with some of the questions I had been having.

 

Interesting point Robert, on the burst rate and taking up more space which could mean more time to review the images. Again something else I need to keep in mind.

WOW! I think you have enough advice for now! Good luck!

Well, my Dad ain't buy any camera now so I got to pay by myself, well, customers help always...

 

Video capabilities are a good reason to choose D90 instead of the D300. BUT if you are commited with photography then the decision should flow naturrally: D300.

 

I bought a D200 last year (March). I replace it for a D300 two months ago. I'm still happy and satisfied.

ISO capabilities for the D300 really gives me a step beyond the circumstances of dim light. Not to mention the other advanced options that I have from the D300.

 

I like video, when I saw the D90 site, I was soprised about the results from video, but I will await more until video considers sound also.

I would like to chime in on the weight issue. I understand that the weight of an entire kit can be an issue (camera + lens + flash + bracket). However keep two things in mind.

 

A difference of 200 grams may not mean that much, if it is only 10% of the total weight.

The strain on muscles comes more from holding and keeping the camera up to the eye level for a long time. It is not the weight but the position of arms which causes more strain on muscles (our arms are used to hanging by the side).

 

So do not make your decision by weight alone, like Diane said, you will get t used to it (once your muscles are trained staying in the camera-to-eye position)

Without doubt the D300 is the better camera. It has Nikon's state-of-the-art autofocus, which is from another world compared to their consumer AF systems. It supports metering with manual focus lenses, and has a host of other features the D90 lacks.

 

The D90 has the new D-movie feature, allowing you to capture movies with your Nikon mount lenses. This is interesting in itself, but it doesn't overcome the shortcomings of the D90 as a still camera.

I support those statements for buying from a reputable source. B&H, Adorama, 17th Street, Beach camera, are among those reported as reliable. I have had good luck with them.

 

The weight and size is a personal matter, and can be quite important. The 1/2 pound additional weight here can make a considerable difference in carrying, or in lengthy shooting.

 

Another related consideration, in case no one mentioned it- you might be interested in a battery grip, as in wedding or portrait work you'd be doing quite a bit of shooting in vertical orientation. It has the vertical position controls and also provides greater capacity without having to change batteries. This, of course, adds yet more weight. Probably another 1/4 pound or so. The one for the D300 costs about $240, close to twice as much as that for the D80.

That is, the D80/D90 battery grip are the same.

As an owner of (2) D300's from release day I'd have to say it is THE best camera bodies I have ever shot in it's price range. I shoot professionally 365 days a year and they have yet to let me down! I think everyone has already pointed out the D90 is a Consumer targeted body vs. a Professional body. There is no comparison in my eyes and would never shoot a D90 as my primary body for business in a million years! Don't be fooled by mega pixels, there's much more to a PROFESSIONAL camera then that ! Do some research !

I would say D300

 

D90 for my is not such a good deal and i also think they shouldn't put video on a SLR camera

 

i mean it's a camera photo o a Video Camera but no both

<i>lets be honest who wants to look at your work thinking it was taken on yesterdays crap technology.</i>

<br><br>

 

That has to be one of the most ludicrous comments I've seen lately. Upon my arrival to shoot a subject, no client has

ever said, "Oh my, I see you are using last year's camera with a positively ancient lens; I've obviously hired the wrong

photographer."

"lets be honest who wants to look at your work thinking it was taken on yesterdays crap technology. "

 

I'm thinking the author of that statement was being sarcastic. At least I hope that's that case.

Wow loads of great advice here!

 

Just to share one more consideration - might you consider carrying 2 bodies (so you don't have to swap lenses) for wedding jobs? If yes, what combinations of bodies will you be comfortable with?

You'll get the exact same image quality from both cameras. And you don't really need the AF system of the D300 to shoot weddings (the D90 AF system is better than my old D200's AF, and that was very good). And the build quality of the D90 should be very good. And it's lighter. So get the D90 and use your D40x as a backup and as a second body with different focal length while shooting.

 

It's so easy to spend other people's money - and to blow their budget!

"I have 8 weddings booked from now till next may hopefully more to come. "

 

So rather than ask on a forum what to buy, what does your experience tell you you need? You say you have been shooting weddings for a while so what have you found that is missing from what you are trying to produce?

 

I would rent a couple of different cameras and play with them to see if you can get what you need from them. At some point if you plan on building a good business you will need to make a substantial investment in equipment so picking the right tools is going to be very important.

 

I have both Nikon and Canon systems and I find I use my D300 the most.

 

Lou

KC - I would keep my d40x as a backup for a while. Use the d300 or d90 as the main. I have a 2yo daughter so would be using the 40x for family functions and on my daughter.

 

Ill keep that in mind Robert. I am going to go to a camera store and look at both bodies in my hand next to eachother before choosing.

 

Thanks lou, my gut is the d300 but I needed to present this to my dad with some backup and you guys really helped point out the pluses in both cameras and it was something my dad could read and understand and take into consideration.

If you want it to be a happy birthday, buy at B&H, Adorama or KEH.