Upgrade to D80 or D90

[martin_martinez]

Ive been using my D70s for a few years now and I love it, but the noise at ISO 800 has always bothered me

although I have gotten plenty of good shots though over the years. Im looking at the D80 and D90. If the D80 is a

significant upgrade in picture quality than I would prefer that route and save some moneys. If the D90 is really

worth the extra money than I would rather wait for a price drop and keep shooting my D70s. I would like the

second camera sooner rather than later so bear that in mind. I would like to use two cameras one with the Sigma

18-50mm F/2.8 and the other with the 85mm F/1.8D Nikkor at weddings.

[peter_k4]

Pass on the 80. It's an upgrade in several ways. but high ISO performance is not one of them. The D40 will perhaps get you a half stop better than your 70, the 90 and 300 a full stop. The 80 and 200 will be the same as what you have.

 

You say you want something now. Just go buy a D90 and don't look back. It will probably suit you for another 2 years at which point you can get the next new camera and the 90 will become the backup!

 

Yay! isn't buying new cameras fun!? I will live vicariously through you since I can't afford a D90 :(

 

cheers!

[thomas_sharka]

Having owned a D80 for almost 2 years now, I'm looking at the D90 as the better deal. A D80 body in good shape will go for 500 to 800 whereas the D90 looks like 800 to 1000. Better noise at higher ISO, larger screen (3 inch vs 2.5 inch) and movie mode as well as view mode (sorry purists!) would be worth the higher price.

 

Maybe I'll buy the D90 and use it and my D80 with my prime lenses...

[victorwei]

I agree with Peter and Thomas - get the D90 especially if noise at high ISO bothers you. I understand the D90 is excellent in suppressing noise at high ISO due to its newer technology. It's worth the extra $300 with live view, better LCD screen, Active D-Lighting and EXPEED image processor.

[bmm]

I am a loud and proud D80 user - my first DSLR and have been learning the ropes on it for over a year now.

 

But in terms of where you are at, I'm adding myself to the list of D90 recommenders. Rationale is that there is no sense in fractional upgrades, and going from D70s to D80 is just that - a marginal improvement.

 

With D90 you get CMOS sensor and all its benefits. So it is a true step up, not just a newer model of what is in reality roughly the same thing.

 

Oversimplified view I know, but I think you understand what I'm getting at. Go for the real step up, not just the slightly newer model of the same thing.

[brian_choong]

Another vote for D90, previously I am using D70s and upgraded to D300. Using ISO 800 is not an issue for me now, but previously on my D70s is a headache. I see some ISO comparison between D300 and D90, they can get similar result. So, if ISO is the main concern, then you should go for D90.

[holger]

Get the D90. My camera is a D200 (same sensor as D80), and I had a D90 with me for 2 weeks for testing. The difference is more than visible. I shoot a lot with low light, in churches mostly. High ISO is important to me. After seeing the D90 results compared to my D200 pictures, the step up to D300 or D700 (in my case) will follow as soon as enough cash will have gathered in my bank account. Since I am used to D200 handling, I decided not to go for the D90 just for this reason. On the picture quality side, D90 is as good, maybe even better than D300.

 

Enjoy, Holger

[elliot1]

Shooting RAW and using state-of-the-art post processing programs can breath new life into D70s, D80s and D200s when it comes to higher ISO images. There are many to choose from.

 

If you are really, really pleased with your current camera, you may want to upgrade your software first. And perhaps get fast(er) lenses if you don't already have them. For example, using the 50mm f1.4 lens on your D70 at low ISO will likely produce superior results to the D90 with an f 5.6 lens at higher ISO.

[CharlesBecker-Toronto]

I replaced my 4 year old D70 with the D90 six weeks ago and I am extremely happy with it-it's a great camera. Go for it and

get the D90-you won't regret it! Happy Shooting. regards, cb :-)

[martin_martinez]

Seems the consensus is to go with the D90. I figured that was going to be the case and will be glad to order it in a month or two or maybe even wait a little bit longer for a price drop. I am still happy with my D70S like ive said and will be happy to make it my secondary once I get the D90.

 

Thanks to everyone who voiced their opinion and happy shooting.

[nick_l.]

I'm going to give a contrarian answer here and suggest you still strongly consider the D80. The D80 is a screaming good deal right now for what it is, and according to some outlets (such as Ritz Camera where the D80 body is now $620 NEW while the D90 is $1,300), the price differential is closer to $600-$700. All this for a camera that has the same great body and viewfinder (which itself was significantly improved over the D70).

 

Sure, the D90 will win out in some parameters, but a lot of people thought the D80 was a significant upgrade from the D70 when it first came out, including on high ISO noise. Whether the 800 image quality is improved enough to warrant the extra $600 is really up to you. The images I've seen from ISO 100-400 seem comparable, and while I'm sure the D90 is better at 800, I don't have a need for HD video or some of the other bells and whistles that drive the D90 cost up.

 

Bottom line: The D90 is a great camera and I'm sure you'd be happy with it, but the D80 is awfully close for half the price. It's just a steal. People will say you'll regret not buying the top model, but it won't be long before the next D-XX will be the latest and greatest.