[StarVegabond]

Today, i ventured out to actually look at a DSLR. I gathered courage to do so after studying about 2+ months about the DSLRs, browsed thtrough the entire DSLR thread here on T-BHP, visited/looked at several online reviews, having talked to couple of serious amatures etc.

i was disappointed by my Day 1 experience mainly because, the people who actually sell these cameras know nothing about them expect the price and what the packing list consists of.

Can some expert comment about Nikkon discontinuing D90 ?? The Guy at G.L Vale told me this.
Here is one complete price info available with me
D90 Body only = RS 42450/-
Nikon 55-200 VR lens = RS 12450/-
Nikon 70-300 VR lens = RS 28950/-

D90 Kit price = RS 56995/-
Kit includes
Nikon D90 Body
Nikon 18-105 VR Lens
4 GB card
Nikon Pouch
Sonia PH330A tripod
Cleaning kit or UV filter
1 day Photography class (saturday)
Bill with Warrantee (1 year)

Do you think this is a good price ?
I am yet to approach the DSLR kings Jayesh and Naresh etc. Plan to do so shortly.

I also heard that Nikkon is dropping the price, Is this dropping of price anything to do with the product range revamp ? or is it purely a competitive dicision ?

[WindRide]

D90 is a keeper; meaning you probably would never upgrade from it unless you want to turn pro. The cam is that BRILLIANT. Heck, there are even Hollywood movies short entirely with a D90!!!!

Also, prices of D90 has almost never fallen in the last 2 years. The prices that were quoted to me last year are exactly the same as today's. That shows how RED HOT D90 is, despite the market getting crowded with newer & fancier models.

Tradition wisdom says, start with an entry-level model, ascertain you really are into photography for the long haul, plumb the depths of the entry-level model, and then move up the chain.

I second this line of thinking, that's why i got myself a D40, even though i could have plonked cash for D90. And Iam nowhere near to hitting the limits of the D40 , even 18 months later!!

[sj_koova]

Originally Posted by WindRide

Also, prices of D90 has almost never fallen in the last 2 years. The prices that were quoted to me last year are exactly the same as today's. That shows how RED HOT D90 is, despite the market getting crowded with newer & fancier models.

I agree with you WindRide. I got the D90 from Adorama more than a year back and till date the price hasn't varied more than +/- $20

@StarVegabond, you should check the price with Jayesh. He usually matches the "$$" price in India.

And don't buy any of these addons, they are all junk.
4 GB card
Nikon Pouch
Sonia PH330A tripod
Cleaning kit or UV filter
1 day Photography class (saturday)

Buy a fast SD card (like extreme III) if you plan to use for continuous shots.
Addon tripods are useless peice of metal/plastice
UV filter sopils your photos than doing any good.

Original D90 kit has everything you need. Only additional thing you need to buy is the SD card. Further you can buy addons as you need it and when budget permits.

I bought my tripod (manfrotto) only last week after acquiring the D90 one an half years back.

[shajufx]

I think you guys are not aware of the latest trends in the market. D90 prices have been dropping since February 2010. I dont know where it started from, but right now you can get a body for just 34k, even 33.5 at certain places. A few months used body is available anywhere between 28k to 30k. Its all coupled with the serious rumours going around in the international forums about D90 getting stopped and replaced by something else.

Some of my friends in US told me its not in stock at many retailers. So, you can guess whats next. May be we will get a clearer picture about the rumours within a month.

[sj_koova]

Originally Posted by shajufx

I think you guys are not aware of the latest trends in the market. D90 prices have been dropping since February 2010.

Even today Amazon, B&H and Adorama sells D90 kit at $1140 (approx) with few addons like SD card and extra battery. This is exactly the same price I got one and a half years back with these addons.

D90 price in India may have reduced due the fall of $ price.
Thats why I said contact Jayesh. His INR prices varies along with $ price.

I am talking only about brand new ones.

[finneyp]

SJ, price of D90 has come down sharply in India.
A year back, JJMehta had listed D90 with kit lens for 69K, now it is available for 55K.

Not sure if it is readily available in stock.

[StarVegabond]

What i learnt from listening to couple of DSLR market watchers is as below

Canon has been aggressive over last seevral quarters and has been winning market share globally from Nikon.

Cannon has also simplified the DSLR buying experience for a newbie, by not only bringing in good products that are easy to operate as well as the kit which includes the lens, accessories plus training, all at the lower price than that of Nikkon.

All this has put some pressure on Nikon to respond, the last good product launched by Nikon was D90 some time in 2008, so their new range is due.
Nikon has also started bundling kit lens, accessories and also training.
generally new launches would be just ahead of festival season in US, ie. Aug / Sept horizon. Nikon prices have been dropping since begining of 2010.

Couple of them even told me to wait till Aug before i buy the camera.
In India the prices have been dropping because of couple of reasons

1. Ruppe appreciating against USD
2. the Dealer/Distributor network has grown, bringing in competitiveness in the market (earlier there used to be one or two guys who used to deal, now several of them in a city/town).
3. Indians have not stopped travelling despite slowdown. infact they have been consuming more in absolute terms across categories be it TVs, Cameras, Mobiles or Cars.
4. DSLR volumes have grown in last 1 years, especially in the entry segment (25K-60K Rupees).

D90 prices inclusive of lens seems to have been dropped to bring it into this segment. It appears party has just begun for both DSLR makers as well as consumers. I am all game for this.

My horizon of purchase is for next 5-7 years, i do not intend to upgrade.
i do not want to repeat the mistakes i did with my earlier cameras. More over, there is already enough experience / know-how available online.
I am reasonably aware of what i like to shoot, how much time and money I would able to devote. I have made a decision to go for a premium like D90 rather than buying a cheap body and trying upgrade in 2-3 years.

If D300 prices drop in next 1-2 months (it is already 89K at the shop where i visited today, i rememebr it was some 120K couple of months ago), i might even go for it.

i am still in the middle of the re-search, i will wait for some more time to firm up my choices.

[StarVegabond]

Here is a site on Nikon rumors..

As per this 3 new cameras are about to be launched

1. Entry segment (probably D4000)
2. 16MP, 31 AF points, 6400ISO, 24fps/1920x1080 video
3. third one is currently unknown

for details refer

Rumors started flowing - 3 new Nikon DLSR in the pipeline | Nikon Rumors


the second one is likely to be positioned as a replacement for D90 or in between D90 & D300. D90 would ofcourse be price dropped and positioned in Entry segment. Hence the prices are getting dropped.

One can read about the price drops of Nikon from all around the world also at the same site.

[WindRide]

Originally Posted by shajufx

Its all coupled with the serious rumours going around in the international forums about D90 getting stopped and replaced by something else.

Some of my friends in US told me its not in stock at many retailers. So, you can guess whats next.

My guess would be that D90's price will shoot up. Just like D40, D90 has achieved cult-status in its user group. There will be a definite rush to mop up the remaining available stock of a legendary camera. Unlike cars, value of a truly remarkable camera shoots thru the roof once its demise is announced. It becomes a collector's item - sort of a memorabilia.

FYI - Amazon today ships a D40 for approx $575 - that's $100 more than the price at the time of it being discontinued. Today if you want a new D40 in BLR, you would pay Rs.5000/- more to Jayesh than what I paid 18 months ago. And we are talking of a 6.1 MP cam here

My suggestion - if you are sure about your choice, buy the D90 NOW. Don't wait for it get discontinued, when the price will certainly go up.

[shajufx]

Thats interesting to hear the possibility of D90 prices shooting up, if nothing else in the DSLR field !!

Certain facts I understand from my 6 months reading and discussions with photographers and reviewers in the field:

D90 is not anymore able to compete with Canon's 550D that has higher video capabilities and higher image resolution and many more refined features compared neck to neck. So Nikon is already at the verge of launching a refined version of the same just to compete with an equal quality product in the market. I am not arguing anything here for the sake of it, just a month's wait will bring more details than we waste our time discussing without a solid base on anything.

D40 was a product which excelled in many fields at that time, its still a good camera for a beginner although Nikon has stopped it. It produces better images than a D60 according to what I understand, although there is a resolution difference. Now coming to D90, its the first DSLR to come out with the HDMI video feature, therefore crippled with many options which opened higher upgrade dimensions for Canon, thereby getting the latest 550D refining many things. So, if you tell D90 is going to be a collector's item, I would disagree with that, because we are yet to see the final, tested and upgraded version of the D90 from Nikon soon. A person who has owned and used the D90 will be able to testify this fact, video sucks bigtime.

The only reason I didnt buy a D90 when I spent money on the D60 was because it was the first HDMI enabled DSLR in the market. The prices have dropped miserably in the last 3 months, you could blame it on the USD value or the lack of stock or the plan of Nikon to stop it or whatever, but a potential buyer like ME, will prefer to wait and watch for the new launch, that can actually compete with products like 550D.

Someone was selling his 6 week's old D90 for 30500, I felt it like a very good offer (had posted about it here), but didnt pick it up only because I am also expecting a new launch from Nikon. If nothing comes out, I would prefer to own a D300s, atleast it excells in many features, also comes in the semi-pro line.

[tsk1979]

Does not make sense to buy D90 now
D90 and 500D were Nikons and Canons beginners attempts into the world of DSLR video. With the 550D, canon fixed its mistakes, and nikon will do the same in the D90 replacement.
However, it will be a long time before they can catch up with panasonic when it comes to DSLR video

[akbaree]

I remember from my reading D5000 review on dpreview that except some features (that may not have any bearing to image quality which was found to be almost identical) D5000 actually has advantage over D90.

I am not a DSLR user or much of a follower yet but have a feeling that D5000 is a good/cheaper alternative to D90. Ofcourse if one has money they can buy D300s or wait for D90 replacement which will, in my opinion, not come cheap.

[rajb3125]

One cannot compare D90 with 550D. D90 is considered Semi-Pro while 550D is purely consumer grade.

[mohit]

Originally Posted by akbaree

I remember from my reading D5000 review on dpreview that except some features (that may not have any bearing to image quality which was found to be almost identical) D5000 actually has advantage over D90.

I am not a DSLR user or much of a follower yet but have a feeling that D5000 is a good/cheaper alternative to D90. Ofcourse if one has money they can buy D300s or wait for D90 replacement which will, in my opinion, not come cheap.

I got a D5000 couple of weeks back. Haven't played much with it but yeah the reasoning was that it has the advanced features alongside the simplified ones (read ones that her highness can use ). Seemed like a good enough compromise.

[amitk26]

Originally Posted by rajb3125

One cannot compare D90 with 550D. D90 is considered Semi-Pro while 550D is purely consumer grade.

I do not see any logic in this assertion both are prosumer level offerings from two manufacturers , In fact 550D may have certain advantages over D90 or the other way round depending on which camp one follows.