nikon D90 or D80

kingdiarmuid

I want to get into photography, I do not have much experience may seem bold but I think I will go for an mid-high level SLR. I have seen great reviews of the Nikon D90 but then again i could get the d80 alot cheaper.

Any advice on whether I am crazy or where I can get a good price.
Best price on a d90 i have seen is €1,100 with standard lens and a 1day lesson

Also I am going to the US next week would I be better of buying there and saving roughly €100 or in Ireland with warranty and voltage differences.

Ostrom

Was looking into this recently for myself,

Went with the D80 in the end. It's perfect for what I want to do, and I cant imagine any of the extras of the D90 would have mattered to me at any stage. I dont use high ISO often, or care too much for liveview or movie mode, so it suits me fine

My 2c, I'm sure others feel differently

Stephen

They're both fine cameras. The D80 is a bit old now but it has many happy owners. The voltage difference between here and the US is not an issue, as the charger that comes with both the D80 and the D90 will take 110-240v input. I'm not sure how much you'd save in the US now that the dollar has strengthened considerably against the euro. Also be aware that prices in the US do not include sales tax, the rate of which varies from state to state.

Peace

I seem to remember that the sensor on the D90 is an upgrade compared to the D80 and thats why you get such high iso quality (i could be wrong though).

I suppose it depends on the price difference and what your budget is but i would go for the D90 if i had a few extra eurobucks in the piggy bank.

Stephen

Yes, the d90 is brand new and has the same sensor as the d300, as well as some other features like 720p video and live view. The d80 has the previous generation sensor but should be available at a bargain price now

Ideo

theres a similar thread if you search for it. my 2cents: d90.

Diarmuid

Sorry for digging up this thread but I have a similar query.

My D70 is on the blink (90% of time not recognising the CF cards) so time to move on. My options are 1. Second-hand D80 or 2. new D90.

D80's are about €400 on Ebay. New D90 from the UK for €800. Now I can afford the D90 but am I getting value for money for the extra €400? Any opinions? D80 or D90?

I looked at the high ISO images here and at ISO800 or even ISO1600, while I can see a bit of a difference, I am not sure it's worth €400.

EDIT: Just spotted that the D90 does 4.5fps vs 3fps for the D80; getting more tempting now

Stephen

I upgraded from a D50 to a D90 and am very happy. It has a lot of nice little features that the D50 didn't have, such as gridlines available in the viewfinder, which is bigger and brighter than the one on the D50, a DOF preview button, video stuff, backlit top status screen, etc. I don't know how it compares to the D70 though, as that probably had more features than the D50 anyway. I have noticed the difference in high ISO performance. High ISO stuff looked rubbish on the D50 compared to the same ISO setting on the D90. Also, the screen on the back is massive and beautiful
It also takes the same batterie, grip and IR remote (ML-L3) as the D80.

CabanSail

I would go for the D80 Body & use the savings towards a VR lens.

If you are just starting off the D80 will give you plenty of scope & it will be a while before you find it limiting. Then there will be all sorts of new Bodies out there but you will still have some good glass to put on it.