Whats needed for a D90

[cpc]

Hi! I am upgrading from a Nikon film camera to the D90 this week and am not sure what all I need to go with it. I obviously need the body, lens, but....what else. I'm sure a tripod is recommended too but a memory card, etc.??? Thanks for the help!!!

[another view]

Hi and welcome. For what it's worth, I ended up changing out almost all of my lenses when I moved to a DSLR a few years ago due to the crop factor. The lenses that you have will work but may not be "ideal" for you. Give it some time to get used to what you want before making a big investment in new lenses.

Other than the lens, the only thing you'll really need is a memory card. A lot of stores have great deals on Lexar 133x cards right now due to the big rebates offered. I'd link one from B&H but I'm not 100% positive if the D90 uses SD or compact flash cards. Good cards but there is one series faster so they're not top of the line anymore. And don't think that you're buying old technology - chances are you wouldn't notice the difference between the two other than price.

Other things are handy like some way to clean the sensor (I use Dust Aid) and a card reader so that you don't have to connect the camera to the computer (saves battery life). Spare battery may be a good idea too. And Nikon's Capture NX2 software.

[A.M.D.A.]

Hi,

To start, please provide the most critical info needed to answer your questions:

#1. You’ve already decided on the D90, and now need a lens(s). What are you planning to shoot most? Think very carefully, since this is likely the more important detail.

Do you already own any Nikon-mount lenses? If so, then they can be used on the D90 too.

#3. A tripod is reccomended – but only for certain types of photography. For example, in studio portraiture, a sturdy tripod is almost essential. But not for fast-paced sports photography, where a monopod or even shooting handheld will likely be a better option. It all depends on your answer to #1.

#4. Don’t worry about memory cards!!! This is one of the easiest equipment-buying decisions out there. Just stick to a well-known brand, such as the following:

• Lexar.
• SanDisk.
• Panasonic.

I have long-term experience with both Lexar and Panasonic cards, and they perform very well. But SanDisk should be as good. Avoid buying memory from not-so-well-known brands, especially if the price tag is “too good to be true” – like $9.99 for a 4GB card.

Lexar’s 133x professional series has worked perfectly for me. Panasonic’s high-speed series is also great, no problems even after 24,000+ pictures.

Card problems are more likely due to user errors (e.g. dropping, static electricity, moisture, lack of in-camera formatting, etc.).

I would suggest to buy a minimum of two medium-sized cards (e.g. 1GB, 2GB, 4GB), instead of one huge card (e.g. 8GB, 16GB). Reason is – say the huge, expensive card is dropped upon returning from a trip, and losing every single photo…

With several cards, you might lose many photos – but still have many more on the remaining cards.

#5. Obviously, if you don’t have any cleaning gear yet – must have. Avoid stuff like compressed air, pre-treated optical paper, etc.. A good, strong “blower”, soft lens cloths, a fine brush, and some cleaning liquid is all that is generally needed. You may also consider sensor-cleaning tools.

#6. Lens caps, body caps, lots of spare batteries and chargers are essential. Make sure to buy at least two batteries (or sets), and the advised charger. Don’t skimp on cheap batteries, since they can cause permanent damage to the camera’s circutits.

Later on, if you feel that you need more equipment, add it to your system. The above items are what every photographer should own to get started.

[Frog]

What lenses do you have for Nikon now? They'll work on the d90 but will have a 1.5 crop factor.
Most all the equipment you've collected for film will work fine for digital, too.
Yes, you will need memory cards. I have 4 2gig cards and that's enough for me.
The fast cards only help for download speed.
You probably should get a good polarizer filter. Get the one that fits on your biggest lens or what you think will be your largest diameter lens and then get step up rings for the rest of your lenses.
And you'll need an editing program unless Capture Nx came with your camera.
I use photoshop elements 6 but everyone has their favorite. Many have free trials that you can take advantage of to see which you like.
Welcome to these forums and hope to see some restults from your D90.

[cpc]

You guys have already helped SO much....thanks!!! I was skeptical of the price of the body on the D90 from diduprice.com. In looking around here yesterday I found a link to a website to check retailers out and I'm so glad I did! I've purchased on from Dell for $100 cheaper than any other one I saw.

I currently have the 28-80 and the 70-300 lens from my film camera. I purchase a used lens (can't remember the stats on it) so I'm going to have to look when I get home tonight. It was recommended to me because I'm trying to take low light action shots. It's an $1100 lens new and froze the action of a ceiling fan. My son plays both high school football and basketball and I have no problems with the early evening football games, but under the lights and in the gym, my pictures just come out too dark to enjoy.

Thanks for the tip about the 2 medium sized memory cards. I would hate to drop my camera, but if I did and lose all the pictures too......that would be even worse. I'll check into editing software with the free trials to see which one I prefer. I'm new at all this and all this is a bit overwhelming but I have some time off during the holidays to look into everything.

I appreciate the help and suggestions and I've made a list and I'm going shopping! Hope to share some of my photos after the holidays and thanks again, VERY MUCH, for everyones help!

[another view]

Chances are that physical damage will never cause you to lose images. I've soaked a card (that was still in the camera ) and didn't lose any. A photojournalist covering 9/11 was killed when one of the towers came down, but the images on his card actually were salvaged.

I only have one 4g card (and plenty of smaller ones) but that's what I'd recommend. Great deals on these as I mentioned.

[Frog]

Really looking forward to your pics. Don't be afraid to post ones that didn't turn out too well and you can't figure out why. The people here will be able to tell you in a helpful way.

[A.M.D.A.]

Really looking forward to your pics. Don't be afraid to post ones that didn't turn out too well and you can't figure out why. The people here will be able to tell you in a helpful way.

I second what Frog posted, please feel free to upload any of your pictures and also ask many questions too.

If you decide to stick around here at PR, you'll soon notice that you will start to learn a lot – guaranteed!