Ok so here's my dilemma...

Nikon D90 will be released in September and will sell for $1299 with a 18-105 VR lens. My problem is that I bought a Nikorr 18-200 VR lens a month or so ago along with a D60 that I have now returned. I plan on purchasing the D90 when it comes out, but I will likely have 2 lenses, the 18-200 and the 18-105 kit lens. Should I sell the 18-200? Should I buy the body only? Is the 18-105 kit lens worth keeping if I do buy the bundle for $1299? Thoughts are appreciated. Thanks guys.

-Narbeh

 

Do you have any specs on the 18-105 kit lens?

 

I would probably stick with your 18-200. More focal range covered and will probably be nearly the same size as the 18-105. The only slight issue with the 18-200 is lens creep just because of its weight, but there is no guarantee that the 18-105 won't. So if you are planning on on doing a lot of still photography with the camera on a tripod and pointing at a down angle, I would just stick with 18-200, save money by buying just the camera body (or spend the little bit more and get yourself the d300 body) and then focus on getting glass that fits what kind of photography you are doing.

 

Not really Ara. I believe it will have a F stop of 3.5, but i'm guessing on that.

 

Lens creep isn't an issue for me with the 18-200 since I don't use it on a tripod. D300 is a little out of budget and is overkill for my needs. The D90 will be my "keep for a long time" body. I plan on getting a 50mm prime lens as well.

 

I haven't seen the specs on the D90, but will the 50mm autofocus with it? I know on my D40 it does not and is a really PITA to use, but the results are usually worth the extra work. That is why I would say it is worth the extra $400 to invest in the D300.

 

That is the exact reason I returned the D60 I bought. The prime lens will autofocus with the D80, and the D90 is the updated version of the D80, so it should work. The reason I want the D90 is because it's a little smaller than the D200/300 bodies and is probably going to be like the D80 and have a knob with quick access to shooting modes. I tend to shoot in P or M mode anyway, but it's nice to have that when you want to change modes quickly.

What are your thoughts on saving some money and buying the D80 instead of the D90...?

 

Isn't the D300 a full format vs the D90 is just an upgraded D80? I would buy the full format my self or just stick with the D80 until the D300 comes within your price range. So then I would keep the 18-200mm.

 

CLS,

Yes, the D300 is a full format body and the D90 will be an upgrade to the mid-level D80. As for price, it's not the money, it's having a need for all the features of the full format cameras. At this point, I need a mid-level body, and I figure that the features of the D90 (live view and video recording with audio) best suit my needs.

 

The D300 is actually not a full frame body. The D700 is.