help needed camera choice

mantababe · Apr 24, 2011

hi i hope someone can help me. i use the canon s95 underwater which i love but am fiding it quite limited topside so have decided to bite the bullet and buy a nikon DLSR but which one???

anyone has any suggestion re land photograhpy, i like to take all types of land photos although not really into sports photography. before you all say the D7000 yes id love that one but my poor nurses wages will not run to that. i have been looking at the D5000 as that is in my bracket encluding a lense, anyone has any use wth this topside or any other opinion???

apologie for this not being an underwater question

Warren_L · Apr 24, 2011

If you're looking strictly at this from a topside perspective with no intention of going underwater, you can certainly consider the D5000, but you're going to be limited in terms of available choice lenses. I think by far, for underwater if you think you might go that way at some point, the D7000 makes more sense.

The other option is to pick up a used D200 or D300. Nothing wrong with either of these, the more important factor, IMO is what lenses you choose. I'd be less apt to cheap out on the lenses and moreso on the camera body. If it were me, I'd want a camera body that allowed me the widest choice of lenses for now and in the future.

mantababe · Apr 25, 2011

thanks for that, i really cant see me going slr underwater just cant see how i ever afford the housing [they cost what i spend on a car!!!!] i would love the d7000 but having just spent out £1000 on my s95 recsea housing i cant see how i can justfy that, has anyone got any opinions on the new d5100? as i think i agree with you bout the d5000

Searcaigh · Apr 25, 2011

I hate to say this as confirmed Nikon user, but the Olympus PEN camera and housing must be one of the best options right now.

I am waiting for Nikon to bring out something similar soon

davelew · Apr 25, 2011

I'm not a fan of the D5000 because it doesn't have a focus motor, and requires you to buy lenses with built-in focus motors.

Often, the best deal with cameras is to buy the model that just became obsolete because of a major upgrade. With Nikon SLRs, the D90 was just replaced by the D7000, and you should be able to find some good deals on D90 cameras, either new and on clearance or used. It looks like the bodies are going for around $600 on ebay right now.

AussieByron · Apr 25, 2011

Its not the price of the camera which you have to consider its the total cost of the whole package. Housing, ports, gears, lenses, strobes and arms if you havnt got already will be the major cost. It makes economical sense to house a better camera like the D7000 over the feature packed cheaper models like the D5100/D5000. Another primary reason is that the cheaper Nikon models like the d5100/d5000 as stated before dont have a focus motor which will not be able to use some of the best lenses for underwater like the Tokina 10-17mm.

Regards Mark

John Gulliver · Apr 26, 2011

Warren_L:
The other option is to pick up a used D200 or D300. Nothing wrong with either of these.

I bought a used D80 (essentially a D200 with a plastic body), Ikelite housing, used ports and used strobes and arms for a fraction of what the set-ups some people here recommend and it all works fine and gives great results. Mantababe has clearly stated she (he?) is on a very limited budget, so there's not much point in telling her (him?) how great the D7000 is when it is obviously out of the question. As regards lenses, all she (he?) needs is a 60mm D and a Tokina 10-17mm. It shouldn't be hard to find a used 60mm D. Otherwise, a new one can be obtained from Hong Kong sellers on e-bay for a fairly low price these days and there are sellers offering the Tokina 10-17mm at very reasonable prices (e.g. Simply Electronics in the UK). A good DSLR set-up doesn't have to cost as much as a small car.

PatW · Apr 26, 2011

If money is constrained, I would suggest an older Nikon body. The Nikon D300 and D200 are both fine cameras and should be available used far cheaper than the D7000. Also the D300 has a counterpart the D90 and the D200 has a counterpart the D80 both of which would be cheaper yet.

In the USA, there are retailers like KEH that sell used camera equipment. You can also get used equipment on the sales board of Nikonians.

The above cameras do not that the high ISO capabilities of the D7000. The D300 has better auto focus though. The D200 & D80 are 10 megapixil cameras and the D300 and D90 are 12 megapixil cameras.

HerraduraDivers · Apr 26, 2011

Mantababe,
are you willing to trade your S95 with a system being:
bulky, heavy, expensive, complicated but certainly better image quality and you have
between 4000-8000$ to spend in a Camera, WA & Macro lens, WA & Macro port, zoom gears, focus rings, cables, at least 1 strobe, a housing and a big Pelicase?
Well, then go for the D7000 as saving a few hundred bucks for a cheaper camera would be nonsense.

I am seriously thinking of selling my D90 Ikelite setup to get a D7000 mainly for the D7000's ability to record excellent HD quality videos, for the rest the D90 is a very nice camera and more than enough for a amateur or semiprofessional photographer.

Chris

John Gulliver · Apr 26, 2011

HerraduraDivers:
Mantababe,
are you willing to trade your S95 with a system being:
bulky, heavy, expensive, complicated but certainly better image quality and you have
between 4000-8000$ to spend in a Camera, WA & Macro lens, WA & Macro port, zoom gears, focus rings, cables, at least 1 strobe, a housing and a big Pelicase?
Well, then go for the D7000 as saving a few hundred bucks for a cheaper camera would be nonsense.

I am seriously thinking of selling my D90 Ikelite setup to get a D7000 mainly for the D7000's ability to record excellent HD quality videos, for the rest the D90 is a very nice camera and more than enough for a amateur or semiprofessional photographer.

Chris

Chris, Firstly, why does she need a big Pelicase? I take my camera, lenses, charger, cables etc in an ordinary padded photo bag, which goes as "a camera" according to IATA rules, and my housing, macro port and one strobe and arm in a smallish backpack which complies with the airlines' weight and size rules for hand luggage. Everything else (two more strobes and arms, more ports, chargers etc, wrapped in towels, T-shirts, underwear etc) goes in a hard suitcase which I have lined with foam. With today's weight restrictions, a heavy Pelicase is out of the question as far as I'm concerned. I sold mine several years ago.
Secondly, if she buys a used camera, say a D200, a used Ikelite housing, used ports and used strobes and arms, she won't be saving a few hundred dollars but at least a couple of thousand compared to a new D7000 with accessories.

help needed camera choice

Please register or login

mantababe

Contributor

Warren_L

Contributor

mantababe

Contributor

Searcaigh

Seahorse Wrangler

davelew

Contributor

AussieByron

Contributor

John Gulliver

Contributor

PatW

Contributor

HerraduraDivers

Contributor

John Gulliver

Contributor

Similar threads