in-body or in-lens AF?

[ezechiel]

Hi everyone,

i know this question has already been asked on this forum, but in my case, I didn't get a clear answer and it doesn't helps me in choosing a camera..

I have two options:
- Nikon D5000
- Nikon D90

Why those two? Well, I prefer Nikon and many people say Nikon lenses are better, so that adds some 'force' to my choice (sorry for the english )

The problem I have is that there is little documentation about autofocus (not what it is but for example how fast one can focus manually (in general , a mole will have difficulties to focus fast , lol). I read many pros actually disable autofocus in some circumstances (could you repeat me which?).

This will be my first DSLR camera and I will mainly using it for nature (low-light), portrait and macros. Eventually some sports events (car, motorbike, .. ). So yes, a wide-range use. This doesn't make the choice easier. Because some shots will need fast focussing.

For me, the main difference (please make corrections if needed) between D90 and D5000 is the in-body AF motor (or not). I have two pentax lenses and I don't even know if they will fit on the DSLR. I still have to check that out. I can give you references later on, if someone can help me on that.

So, this leads me to several questions:
- how important is autofocus for the use I will have? (for macro, should I buy a prime lens with or w/o AF?).
- is there a big difference in price between AF and non-AF lenses (since there are more and more AF lenses). What will the future be like?
- What is the better AF, lens or body? (like VR is better in-lens)


Thanks in advance for the help!!