D5000 vs D3100 for Fashion Student

[Ives927]

Hi, I am about to purchase my first DSLR and don't know too much about cameras, so I would like some advice as to which camera to get. I am a fashion student, so the use of the camera would primarily be fashion oriented. I have been reading a lot about the D5000 and D3100 and it seems to be a split as to which is better. I want my images to look like those of the photos from jakandjil.com/blog. I really like how clear, sharp, and vibrant the colors are. I know for a fact that the camera he uses is the D5000. Would the D3100 produce the same quality photos? Which one should I get, D3100 or D5000. Price is definitely an issue and these two fit into my budget. Any suggestions would be great.

[n8]

Look for a used d90. I think the 3100 is the better choice between the two you're looking at, but for the price, the d90 is going to offer the image quality, plus a more substantial build an more features that you may find yourself wanting/needing down the line. Without knowing a single thing about fashion photography, one thing I can assume is that lighting, and being able to control off camera strobes/flashes would be a good thing. Something the 3100 and 5000 aren't going to do. You've also got a slightly faster frame rate, the ability to use non afs lenses, and an overall more proish look. I'm sure there's more, but that's just what's on the top of my head. Don't get swayed by the 2 extra mp.

[Franglais]

The look of the image is mostly controlled by the parameters set on the image processor (saturation, contrast, sharpness). The D3100 and D5000 are both targeted at amateur shooters and probably have similar settings.

You can change the settings yourself (the person who did the example you give may have done so - be prepared to experiment a bit to get the same result). If you shoot RAW with the right editor then you can even change the settings on your computer afterwards (I do).

I would definitely go for the D5000 (or D90) rather than the D3100. Runway shots need a telephoto lens and they need a fast shutter speed (1/250 or 1/500) to freeze the movement. This means you need to set the ISO up high. The sensor in the D3100 is older and only goes up to 3200 ISO. The D5000 goes up to 6400 ISO. The D7000 is even better - goes up to 25000 ISO.

You might be able to make do with a standard telezoom but for the best results you would need a "fast" lens that collects lots of light (70-200 F2.8 is best)

[Ives927]

I was able to purchase D90 body for $600. I'm really excited. Now I need a lens, but I don't know much about that either. Which one should I get? Keep in mind that money is a major factor, especially since I already exceeded my initial budget by purchasing the D90. Thank you.

[Franglais]

If money is tight, get the D90 kit with the Nikon 18-105mm lens. Nikon almost give it away (in the kit) and the quality is excellent for an entry-level lens.

You need a versatile lens going from wideangle (18mm) for backstage through moderate telephoto (55mm) when you are going a shoot one-to-one with a model up to longer telephoto (75mm or longer) for the runway shots.

Don't get the 18-55 kit lens which is too short to do the runway pictures. An 18-200 is even more versatile, well-built but out of your budget.

Going back to my point about doing runway shoots in poor light - the D90 is a better choice than the D5000 IMHO.

- To be sure of getting good results you need a lens that can let in lots of light (wide maximum aperture - f2.8 or less) so that you can set a fast shutter speed (1/250 or 1/500).
- Most versatile solution is a pro telezoom (70-200 f2.8 or 80-200 f2.8). However they very expensive and big
- A fixed focal length lens is much cheaper (especially second-hand) and has an even wider aperture.

When I know light is going to be low I take along my 35mm f1.8, 50mm f1.8 and 85mm f1.8. I fit the lens that gives me the right view of the subject at one particular spot (runway choreography is predictable) and just do my images when the model is at that point (going pause-pose-pout). The D5000 won't autofocus with older lenses (my 50mm and 85mm) whereas the D90 will.