D-90 vs. D-3100 vs. D-80

[mommy22]

My brother wants a camera like mine ( D80), though they don't m,ake them anymore. He was looking at the D-90 but the price tag plus external flash and lenses is a bit hard to swallow. Anyone tried out the D3100? My photo magazine says its a pretty good camera but I was just curious if anyone had some hands on experiance.

 

[mjhoward]

You'd be better off with a D90 if you're going to use an external flash anyway since it has commander mode. It also has built in AF motor so you can use older lenses and lenses without built in AF... D3100 has neither.

 

[mommy22]

Ah HA! Thank you!

 

[orb9220]

Howdy mommy22 and yep Hi there from me in Portland. And yep if you don't mind used a D80 or D90 can be had. Picked my D90 up used for $675. And would recommend the D90 as a good start that you can grow into for next couple of years.
.

 

[Ken Rockwell Fan]

A used D90 is a steal for $650 right now. Best deal going if you ask me. Just make sure it has a low shutter count.

 

[Light Artisan]

Motor in the body isn't that big of a deal anymore unless you already have lenses that require it. If you get a decent speedlight you can still have commander mode (SB900, SB700, Nissin Di866). The D3100 is quite a camera, I wouldn't hesitate to recommend it at all, but the same goes for the D90. I've owned all 3 that you mention and depending on what the usage will be you can't go wrong with the D90 or D3100, both are incredible bodies.

The main differences you'll most likely notice are:

D90
Top LCD
Dual command dials
Optional battery grip

D3100
Newer
Smaller size/lighter
More auto settings
Slightly better high ISO in my opinion

Both have 11 point autofocus, which is nice.

I'd recommend he hold each one in hand and see what feels best and take it from there. I typically recommend people get the best body they can afford to begin with, saves the step of upgrading the body when they could be upgrading the lenses instead.

 

[adversus]

Oregonians, ho!

The D90 is a solid camera, and as others have said you can get them used for about $600-700. Given the option now, I'd probably get a D7000, but if price is a consideration, I'd get the 3100.

Not having an internal motor means it's lighter, but your lenses are heavier. Nikon has a great range of AF-S lenses though, so there's a lens for any budget that will auto focus on the 3100.

 

[Snakeguy101]

I found a D80 online for a good price and the features between the 80 and 90 are about the same (minus video and live view and a few megapixels) from what I understand. That is what I am getting next month.

 

[point-&-shoot]

i have a D80 and love it. however the high iso performance leaves something to be desired.
i picked up a D90 the other day (my friends) and it seemed to be much better.
if i wasnt set on the D7000 id be getting a D90.

 

[Light Artisan]

Not having an internal motor means it's lighter, but your lenses are heavier.

Ahh, no it doesn't.

 

[sanpan]

I have been planning to buy a D3100 with kit lens and was going to buy a 50 mm f1.8 (The inexpensive one) BUT the 50 mm lens does not auto-focus on the D3100. So that's a drawback but other than that, there is no reason why the D3100 should not be "THE" camera for your brother to start with.

 

[adversus]

Not having an internal motor means it's lighter, but your lenses are heavier.

Ahh, no it doesn't.

Every AF-S lens I've held has been heavier than their non-AFS counterpart. The 70-300 alone is heavier by about 10oz. Granted that's not just the motor, but the other construction as well, but in general that's what I've noticed.

 

[adversus]

I have been planning to buy a D3100 with kit lens and was going to buy a 50 mm f1.8 (The inexpensive one) BUT the 50 mm lens does not auto-focus on the D3100. So that's a drawback but other than that, there is no reason why the D3100 should not be "THE" camera for your brother to start with.

The AF-S 35mm 1.8 is $199 and is a great little lens. I use it as my walking around lens on my D5000. It will auto focus on the 3100.