Inky Pinky Ponkey,
Daddy had a donkey.
Donkey died,
Daddy cried.
Inky Pinky Ponkey.
That’s the clever little rhyme that helped me choose my camera!
Just kidding.
I’ve been researching for hours at a time to come to this conclusion. Pick the best you can afford, and then step away from the computer.
I found sites that were bashing Canon, bashing Nikon, crying about why Sony or Pentax was not high on some persons list, comparisons between system brands, comparisons within brands, professional vs. hobbyist.
There’s so much information on cameras it’ll make your head spin.
Personally, here’s how I went about deciding.
I focused on the types of photography I do. Mostly, that’s everyday shots of my kids. I do a lot of indoor shooting with no flash. I also like to do some macro and travel shots.
I pulled up the specs of my top 3 choices which were the Canon T2i, Nikon D5000, and then the D90.
Thru using the manual settings on my G11, I have found that I need a large ISO range. I located a review site that compares actual pictures of what each camera can do at higher ISOs. Both Nikon’s were better than the Canon at controlling the noise at higher levels.
I also have that Nikon film camera. The D90 has an on board auto-focus system that allows you to use many of the older AF lenses. Given the cost of lenses, I considered being able to use my old lens a bonus.
I studied the types of lenses I thought I would like to have as well. And get this… I LIKE the kit lens that came with the D90. The D5000 kit lens seemed fairly restrictive in range.
After narrowing the choice down to the two Nikons, I drove my butt to Best Buy and played with the cameras.
DO NOT BUY A CAMERA THIS EXPENSIVE WITHOUT HOLDING IT IN YOUR HOT LITTLE HANDS FIRST!
I will say, the D5000 was a great camera. It also was on sale… for MUCH less than the D90. BUT…
After adding the cost of the lenses that I wanted, the D90 was actually LESS expensive as a kit compared to upgrading the lens on the D5000. Yep, you read that right. The D90 was LESS.
When all was said and done, I got the D90, an additional 50mm f1.8 prime lens, a high quality SD card and a 4 year service plan for $1800.
About that service plan… We usually don’t ever buy those. Except I have an uncanny ability to drop my brand new cameras within a week of purchase. I decided that with the cost of this guy, I needed the insurance. It also comes with free cleaning for those 4 years. I thought it was worth the $250 for the plan.
So there you have it. I’m now the proud Momma of a Nikon D90. It scares me just looking at the thing. No lie. It’s light-years ahead of my G11 point and shoot. I can’t wait to dig in and figure the thing out. I like that I will grow into this camera and wont have to replace it in 6 months because I’m bored with it or it’s not doing what I want.
Yep. Momma likes.
