Did you graduate from a D80 to a D90

[Plato]

I'm very pleased with my D80 but I'm thinking of also getting a D90. My primary reason, perhaps my only reason, is the D90's noise handling. I'm not a pro but I do expect to keep both bodies for the few occasions when I don't have time to swap lenses.

I have no interest in the movies and I'll never use the "live view." Is the improved noise handling as great as it's been claimed?

 

[NateS]

I'm very pleased with my D80 but I'm thinking of also getting a D90. My primary reason, perhaps my only reason, is the D90's noise handling. I'm not a pro but I do expect to keep both bodies for the few occasions when I don't have time to swap lenses.

I have no interest in the movies and I'll never use the "live view." Is the improved noise handling as great as it's been claimed?

In my experience, the noise improvement is definitely as great as the hype. I moved from a D70s to the D90 and the D70s was pretty noisey at ISO800. I personally think my D90 is less noisy at ISO1600 than the D70s was at iSO800.

Here's a couple examples. I never do any noise reduction beyond what the default is set in camera (don't even know what the default is since I've been happy with it since I got the camera)

ISO 1400

ISO 1000

ISO 2000

Anything at ISO 800 or below (for portrait work) I basically treat as ISO 200 (as far as use because of noise) because the noise level is so low at those points..

ISO 720

I would highly recommend the upgrade. The D90 and it's ISO performance combined with my 50mm f1.4 lets me shoot without a flash in places I never would have thought possible with my D70s and 50mm f1.8.

 

[Plato]

I'm very pleased with my D80 but I'm thinking of also getting a D90. My primary reason, perhaps my only reason, is the D90's noise handling. I'm not a pro but I do expect to keep both bodies for the few occasions when I don't have time to swap lenses.

I have no interest in the movies and I'll never use the "live view." Is the improved noise handling as great as it's been claimed?

In my experience, the noise improvement is definitely as great as the hype. I moved from a D70s to the D90 and the D70s was pretty noisey at ISO800. I personally think my D90 is less noisy at ISO1600 than the D70s was at iSO800.

Here's a couple examples. I never do any noise reduction beyond what the default is set in camera (don't even know what the default is since I've been happy with it since I got the camera)

ISO 1400


ISO 1000


ISO 2000



Anything at ISO 800 or below (for portrait work) I basically treat as ISO 200 (as far as use because of noise) because the noise level is so low at those points..

ISO 720




I would highly recommend the upgrade. The D90 and it's ISO performance combined with my 50mm f1.4 lets me shoot without a flash in places I never would have thought possible with my D70s and 50mm f1.8.

Thanks. I appreciate hearing your judgments (and seeing the photos).

As I stated, I'll keep the D80. When I use both bodies, the D90 will have either the 50mm f/1.4 or the 85mm f/1.8 while the D80 will have "something else" and the SB600 (on a Stroboframe, of course).