D90 vs D300s as an upgrade from the D80

[joefino]

<p>I've got a big decision to make. A few days ago I sold my beloved D80 to a co-worker who convinced me, or I should say helped me convince myself, that I was ready for an upgrade. I immediately considered the D90 as the next logical choice but I've been reading a lot of very positive reviews of the D300s. It's a bit more expensive so if I make the leap I want to be sure it's worth it. Does anyone have any experience with either of these or thoughts and advice about which to go with?</p>

[Matt Laur]

<p>They can produce very similar images. The D300 is going to be larger, heavier, more rugged, and will have more controls externalized (so that you don't have to go menu diving quite so much). D300 also has more frames per second and much better AF ... if you shoot action, that stuff matters. Better resistance to damp weather and rough handling, of course, too.</p>

[ShunCheung]

<p>The D90 is essentially a D80 body with a newer 12MP CMOS sensor and corresponding electronics. The two use the same AF system and the same vertical grip, for example.</p>

<p>Here are some questions you should consider:</p>

<ul>

<li>Are you unhappy with the D80's AF?</li>

<li>Do you need 7 or 8 frames/sec for shooting sports, action, or wildlife?</li>

<li>Do you need to meter with older AI/AI-S lenses without CPU?</li>

<li>Do you need to use dual memory cards, CF + SD?</li>

</ul>

[Two23]

<p>What lenses do you have? What do you photo?</p>

<p>Kent in SD</p>

[Sanford]

<p>I really think a photographer needs a backup camera, or ideally two, so I would approach the decision from that angle.</p>

[eric_arnold]

<p>as a d80 owner who upgraded to d300, i would say if you have to ask, you probably don't need a 300s. had the d90 been out when i got the d300, i might not have gotten the more expensive body. i love the size and weight of the d80, but ran into issues with the low-light performance over ISO 800. the d90 doesnt have this problem, since it shares a sensor with the d300/s (and the d5000).</p>

<p>technically, the d300s is a "better" camera than the d90, but more in terms of ergonomics, build, and bells and whistles than IQ. the AF difference is big if you shoot sports or wildlife, not so much if you don't. also the grip is mag-alloy, just like the body, and gives you more FPS. that may or may not matter to you.</p>

<p>if you put the money you save on not getting the more expen$ive body into quality lenses, you will make a better long-term investment against depreciation and inevitable obsolescence. but in simple terms, the d90 is indeed a logical upgrade from a d80, albeit a modest one. a d300 is definitely a major upgrade, but may be more camera, or at least more weight, than you really need. or not.</p>

<p> </p>

[mccosh]

<p>The D300s is a great camera there is no questin about that. The D90 is also a great camera and will feel a lot more like your D80 than the D300s will. If you don't need the extra's already mentioned I would go with the D90 which I believe is better value.<br>

I bought two D90's one with the 18 - 115mm kit lens and the other as body only where I coupled it up to the Nikon 70 - 300mm VR lens. This gives me a great kit with a backup camera for not much more than I would have spent for a D300s.</p>

[oded bar-el]

<p>I had the same thoughts few ~3 months back, when I've decided it's time to upgrade my D70s. <br />I finally went for the D300s, as I have manual focus lenses (e.g. 105 f/2.5) and I didn't want to give up metering with these (didn't have it with the D70s which was a real pain) plus I really enjoy the quick menu access and functionality customizations.<br>

I'm joining the other with their recommendation - if you don't have a specific need for the D300s (like Shun has detailed) you'd be happy with a D90 and the extra cash... (or lens :-)</p>

[StuartMoxham]

<p>The first thing would be to look at what the D80 was not giving you. If you did not like the AF, the plastic body the lack of weather selling then the D300s is the upgrade for you. If it was the image quality the maybe the D90 will give you what you need. Personaly for me I would not upgrade a D80 to a D90 just on image quality alone. Although there are differences in image quality for me the differnce is not really enough to juststify an upgrade based on image quality alone. The video feature is interesting though but I can't help wondering if the D5000 with the tilting LCD may be better for video though. Personaly I would go for the D300s and enjoy the better body.</p>

[mihai_ciuca]

<p>Camera upgrades is a costly sport so you should be wise deciding where you put your money. You are the only person you know what camera do you really need.</p>

<p>If you plan to have this new camera just as a temporary step toward a FX one, I'll suggest to take a D90. But if you want to stick longer with DX, then D300s may be a wiser investment. All "bells and whistles" it provides are a nice addition if you plan to use it for a good number of years. Also keep in mind that it represents the last technology from Nikon and one year difference in this area means very much. </p>

<p>Overall, I recommend you to go to a shop and keep both cameras in your hands, play a little bit with them and see what fit better for you. I really like very much the look & feel of a D300 / D700 camera... but that's me...</p>

[orcama60]

<p>I also had the D80 and I did upgrade to the D300 and I will not look back at all. Put this way, the D300 is "almost" as good as the D3 and because I shoot sports or things that move, I definitely prefer the D300 over the D90. As I said, I will not change it for any other camera and as far as shooting under low light condition, if you use a f/1.8 lens like the Nikon 50 mm f/1.8, Nikon 85 mm f/1.8 ( or f/1.4 ) and a tripod, you should not worry about how good is the D700 or D3 in this respect, because your photo will be OK. The D300 produce good pictures upto ISO 1600 and if you add, compensation, f/1.8 lens, tripod and etc, your photos will be awesome. So for me, this camera is the best that I ever had and even if I had the money, I will think twice if I go for the D3. Better I will invest to buy better lenses but this is my personal opinion. Good luck in your decision !!</p>

[todd_angood]

<p>I had a D80 and upgraded to the D300. Best move I ever made. I like the fact of being able to change settings without having to constantly go into the menu like I did on the D80. When I bought the D80, I almost decided to buy the D300 then. I'm glad I didn't. Had I done that I would not be able to fully appreciate the D300. I don't see myself parting with the D300 for a long, long time. I'd rather buy new lenses that I don't need :) New equipment acquisition hits me bad from time to time.</p>

[mccosh]

<p>In the defence of the D90 you can set up your own custom Menu for items that you access regulary and also set up the FN button on the front of the camera to access your first item in your cutom menu. You can therefore set this button up to do anything that the camera is capable off. I have set my own custom menu without any great difficulty and now use this menu all the time. I never need to access the full menu anymore.</p>

[bridget_robertson]

<p>This post has been very informative for me as I am trying to decide between the same two cameras. The D80 does not work for me as the focus is very soft so I sent it in for repair but they only cleaned it and restored the facotry settings. I depend on the Auto Focus as I sometimes have trouble seeing through the viewfinder. If the D300s is better then I am waiting until I can afford it.<br>

Thanks!</p>

 

[joefino]

<p>Thanks for all of the great responses! I've decided to go with the 300s and I'm happy to report after two days of operation it's definitely the right choice for me. I love the better construction, speed, weather proofing (we just got 21 inches of snow in MD) and it's very fast. The focus system is amazing. Plus I'm really enjoying the quick menu access. No more menu diving!</p>

<p>In the past I upgraded from the D70 to D80 and felt like it just wasn't enough of a step up and in the end I felt like the D90 was just going to be more of the same. Don't get me wrong I loved both of those cameras but this is really the step up I was looking for. So far the D300s has been awesome and I expect it to only get better as I become more familiar with it.</p>