D60 upgrade

<p>Hi folks, don't kill me, I'm a Canon shooter. But my aunt has a D60 and is looking to upgrade. I asked her the usual question...what do you want to do that your current camera can't...and she didn't really have an answer. She's not the type to have gear envy and she doesn't need the latest and greatest. I don't really know much about Nikon bodies, so I'm turning to you folks for advice. She was considering the D3200, D5000, D7000. Those are pretty much her price range. I'm not sure why she didn't consider the D90, but it's in the price range, so that's probably on the table. She does occasionally make large prints. Any reason to choose one body over another?<br>

Thanks!</p>

The D3200 is the direct successor. It's a nice camera. To get the most out of it one shoots at 24MP but unless your

grandmother is a landscape shooter or likes to print very large or something she can use jpg at lower res and it's still quite

good. Nikons don't have a function to record raw at less than max res, so if she shoots raw she needs a pretty good

computer to work with 24mp raw files.

 

The D5000 series is a bit larger and adds a flip-up LCD. The D7000 is the high end. It's larger still and has better AF and

metering with manual focus lenses. (Nikons are compatible with legacy lenses.) The D5000 and D90 have a 12mp sensor

that's a big upgrade over the D60 and the D7000 and D5100 have a 16mp sensor that's probably still the best crop frame

sensor for most uses. The D5200 has the 24mp sensor.

 

The biggest advantage of these, for a typical grandmother, over a D60 is a much improved AF system. All the cameras

mentioned have (I think) the same 11 point sensor, while the D7000 has a better one with a ton of points useful for motion

tracking.

<p>Snapsort is good for comparing specs: http://snapsort.com/compare<br /><br />The D3200 is the highest resolution choice for an upgrade and would more than double her current resolution: http://snapsort.com/compare/Nikon-D3200-vs-Nikon_D60. The D90 isn’t much of an upgrade to the D60 with only 10% higher resolution, though it has a better viewfinder.</p>

<p>I think Andy covered the main points. In favor of the D7000 it has a Pentaprism viewfinder instead of a mirror box. It is heavier and feels more solid. It's also discounted quite a bit right now. At BHPhoto it would be $896.00 for the body only. It has a very fat grip and people with small hands may not like that aspect. The other two models are mostly offerred with a kit lens instead of the body only option bringing the price relatively close to the D7000 body only option. <br>

The D90 is a pretty old camera these days. It strikes me odd they still carry the model. At this point in time I would not think it would be a good buy for a new one. A used model for some people might be a good thing however if the price were excellent.</p>

<p>Steven, forget pixels - the D90 is a <strong>much</strong> better camera for a knowledgeable enthusiast than a D60. The D90 has better low light performance, a much improved AF system, two control wheels and support for AF lenses that don't have built in motors, and a more substantial body.</p>

<p>This is why just comparing specs is a very bad way to choose a camera. That Snapsort web site does nothing but copy data from DXOMark and add links to get people to buy from Amazon and give them linking credits. It should never be used by anybody.</p>

<p>I love my D90, but it's too old to buy new now. I'd look seriously at the D3200 or D5200 at this point as a D60 replacement. I'd ignore all the others in that range unless she SPECIFICALLY wants or can use the advantages that the higher-end D7000 gives. If she doesn't know or at least suspect she wants or needs those things, I wouldn't spend the extra money.</p>

<p>As her D60 does not have a built in AF motor, any of the D3200, D5100, D5200 would be fine - unless she plans to add any non-AF-S lenses, in which case the D7000 makes more sense. For BIG prints, the D3200 or D5200 would allow a 20x13.5 from the full frame at 300dpi with no interpolation. </p>

<p>If she doesn't know why she needs to upgrade, I'd suggest a smaller step than going up to the D7000. She'll probably be over the moon with a D5100, which has noticeably improved image quality, better autofocus, flip out screen and live view, video mode, etc. The D5100 is enough better than the D5000 that it's worth upgrading to. Don't get me wrong, the D7000 IS a better camera than the D5100, more or less comparable to your 7D, while the D5100 is down somewhere between the T3i/T4i and 60D, but I just don't believe that the difference in features will matter to someone that doesn't feel the NEED to upgrade from a D60, but just WANTS to. And just as it is with those Canon cameras, it's essentially the same sensor and image quality between the same-megapixel models, just with the higher-end cameras having more controls, features, etc.</p>

<p>Especially seeing as the D5100 body-only is $450 right now at Adorama or B&H, and since she had a $900-$1,000 budget, when you buy the camera at either of those stores, you can take advantage of various bundle offers. If I were hired as a shopper for a new photographer right now, I'd get the D5100, extra battery, 55-300mm, and Lightroom 4 with crash course DVD for about $800. Add a 35mm f/1.8 if she doesn't already have one, and she'll be set for a long time.</p>

<blockquote>

<p>The D90 isn’t much of an upgrade to the D60 with only 10% higher resolution, though it has a better viewfinder</p>

</blockquote>

<p>That viewfinder alone makes it worth it.<br>

And the things that Andy mentioned, plus wireless flash, better screen, more external controls. Snapsort is about as useful as an uninformed sales guy in a large retail chain.</p>

<p>The D90 might be an aging body, but too old to buy now... it really depends on the price. While the D3200 / D5100 / D5200 make great value for money cameras, the D90 adds the tricks mentioned above. Which (assuming price is roughly equal to a D5100) can still make it worth considering. It is really a matter of defining what matters most - which, frankly, in the end your aunt has to do. Odds are, a D3200 makes the most sense.</p>

<p>D5100 is really one of the best deals out there right now, unless she really likes the larger and brighter viewfinder in the D7000</p>