Nikon d90 vs Sony SLT a33

[rendy89]

Hey guys i need advise on which camera to get..
through research and statistics, its best to get nikon d90.. just last weekend I went around camera shop to try all the dslr I had previously looked for.

I came across sony, tried all sorts of alpha, but slt a33 caught my attention the most, i tried it on 18-55mm lens it captures fast. precise, and produce great image!. although it is a wee bit small to grip, its still allright! but again, it has overheating problem when taking videos..
anyway..
a little bit later i tried nikon d90, the knight I hoped to get and hoped to shake away my enthusiasm over sony. it fills my hand beautifully, but then it is slow capturing image, i tried it with 55-200mm lens, I have never hold dslr with 55 above lenses before, so im not sure if its normal that when i press the shutter (on S mode) it still takes a few second to actually capture something. (I was indoor).

sony live view wasnt pixelated, nikon was!. Is it normal on 55-200mm lens?

I ended up going home with doubt instead of assurance..

Need help..

[Colin Southern]

Out of interest, just wondering why Canon doesn't appear to be an option for you?

[rendy89]

well, it was an option for me, eos 500d and 550d, picked 550d, and tried it, its great, but somehow, I wasn't convinced by how it handles, and shutter sound doesn't have that deep personality like what I'd imagine- I know this seems stupid, but the shutter sound, its deep click is what got me into DSLR
I dont know, the specs and details and feedback of 550d is very promising but its like buying a car if you dont like what your feeling then its not the car for you, hope this answer your question, what about my question? can you help?

Regards
Rendy

[pwnage101]

According to DxOMark the Nikon D90 has the best APS-C sensor of all measured APS-C cameras, regarding ISO performance. The Sony SLT-A33 isn't measured by DxOMark, but I can't imagine it being able to compete since the sensor is blocked:
"Less light reaching sensor, due to portion of the light being reflected to phase-detection autofocus array (approximately 1/2 EV in current designs)." [Wikipedia]

The Nikon gets 4.5 shots in one second, while the Sony is over twice as fast. Maybe you can tell us a little about what you plan on doing with your camera so we can asses your need for speed

The Nikon has an optical viewfinder while the Sony must rely on the sensor to feed the electronic viewfinder (I almost never turn off my Nikon D80....never runs out of battery, partly because the sensor isn't in constant demand).

When you handheld the Nikon D90 in S-mode it was probably set to a slower shutter speed. flick the wheel to the right and get instant capture (nikon shutter lag is around 0.063 seconds). It has nothing to do with the focal length of the lens.

If I was in your position I'd buy the D90 or other canon and pentax alternatives. It may have been obvious that I was defending the nikon

After we help you select a camera body, allow us to help you pick a lens before your purchase.

[rendy89]

Hey Troy,

first of all, thank you for replying.

Im going to use the dslr for live sports capture, and wildlife reserve mostly, as Im a keen tennis player and loves to hike around country side, but also social photography, group activity and family portrait and stuff like that, as for outburst mode I dont really mind, I dont really like to use it anyway and yes sony's outburst capture is awesome, but it isnt something that would weigh my decision

I think i should have played with d90 longer, i wanted to play around with it a bit longer but you know the sales person doesnt look so happy with me testing it, perhaps my appearance wasnt convincing enough. . but when I dont press Lv, the LCD doesnt show stats and status at all, does it only show at the top LCD?

its true sony only lasts 270-340 CIPA images - according to Dpreview.com, and everyone seems to convince me not to get a sony.

well if Im fixed into getting d90, would it be best to get 18-55 or 18-105mm kit or suggestion? my budget is max 2k (nzd)

Regards
Rendy

[pwnage101]

As a note, the Nikon D7000 has just been released as the D90's replacement, so if you wait the D90 may drop in price. It actually may already have; unfortunately I haven't been keeping an eye on the Nikon market lately.

For sports and wildlife it sounds like the longer focal length of the 18-105 might really help, but if you don't mind changing out lenses I'd recommend you get the 18-55 with a 55-200, both of which should be able to fit in your budget (given there exists such a combo at your camera shop). And of course there's the 18-200 all-in-one lens that seems to barely fit your budget. What kind of combo deals are available?

[Colin Southern]

what about my question? can you help?

Probably not, as I'm a Canon shooter -- although my 1Ds3 has a nice shutter sound

Personally though, I'd give some thought to lenses first as they're going to have a far bigger effect on your photography.

If you get a chance, pop into Progear (Auckland) - ask for Paul or Graham - and mention my name ... they'll look after you.

[Policar]

Sports and wildlife both benefit from big zooms (200mm+) but don't require very fast lenses because you have plenty of light outdoors. Your other needs should be covered by the kit lens for the most part. So you should be able to find something good within your budget. I'm not sure what specifically since I don't shoot sports (slow reflexes).

I've never used the Sony but the D90 is great. When the autofocus is working correctly it's fast and responsive, with no perceptible shutter lag. It's extremely responsive when set up correctly but being in a dim area with a slow lens might mean it hunts for focus or maybe you're trying to focus too close with a long lens and it's getting confused. Try it outside and see how much better it performs. But the Sony should be even faster for sports due to its unique mirror design. Both will put point and shoots to shame for responsiveness.

If you're an image quality nut you can compare virtually any metric at dpreview.com and look at resolution, noise, etc. Both cameras should be incredibly great, as most modern dSLRs are. My guess is the D90 will be better with low light. But you can always buy a fast small zoom (f2.8) or an even faster prime and either camera should be a low light monster then. For outdoor day photography, both will be amazing with almost any decent lens.

This part is just my opinion, but the D90 has a complicated menu system and I'm sure the Sony does, too. You'll need to practice with either camera and read the manual to get the most out of it and if ergonomics/user interface matters a lot to you it's worth testing each for the specific purposes you intend to use it. Or you can just set it to a given automatic mode and be done with it and maybe get 80% of the functionality but in my experience some frustration.

But more important than interface is lens availability. Decide what kind of lenses you need and then see how much appropriate lenses cost in a given mount and how they are reviewed. Nikon has a lot of very good long zooms. I don't know if Sony does, though. You can worry about technical differences all day but you'll never take good photos from an artistic/aesthetic perspective without appropriate lenses.

However, if video matters to you then you won't like the D90. It's okay for web video, etc. but the video is honestly really bad, not that any dSLR is a great video camera. Most dSLRs overheat when taking video so don't count it against the Sony. It's not a design flaw so much as a result of using a still image sensor for something it really wasn't designed to it.

[rendy89]

If you get a chance, pop into Progear (Auckland) - ask for Paul or Graham - and mention my name ... they'll look after you.

Progear ae? allright, great timing! im going to auckland on the 18 of next month, I'll see them hopefully. thanks a lot Colin..

[rendy89]

What kind of combo deals are available?

well the combo deals here is just 18 55 kit or 18 105 kit, pretty limited, but there is always the option of adding extra lens like you mentioned,however it would cost more..
but I'll wait till Boxing day (26Dec) hope by then there will be plenty of good deal..
thanks for the help..

[kimber]

Hey rendy -

Had the same choice and went for the a33 - for a number of reasons - I tend to shoot in available light on the streets of Los Angeles in a reportage style - meaning that no matter the weather or lighting conditions the camera is with me at all the times and the a33 is smaller, faster, more responsive and more easily carried, less intrusive and the range of internal features makes my shoot to post turnaround minutes rather than hours - I can shoot in 3D and the camera also features an in-camera HDR setting, sweep panorama and its ability to create extremely long hand-held exposures is spectacular - the 7fps is also amazing - so I have very little editing to do before the world can see what I do. I shot some video with my old camera - but not much - but have taken much more with this little camera.

I've tried to make the camera "lie" to me and have had little success - it's ability to let me take as much control of the image as I want while making the corrections I need - it's going to be a very productive relationship - the beginning of a beautiful friendship.

I've only had it for two weeks and have taken about a thousand images and have yet to find a reason to regret the choice.

kimber

[rendy89]

Like Colin have said earlier this year, "At the end of the day there is a HUGE overlap between models - so there really isn't any one model that 100% "right choice" nor any that are 100% "wrong choice"; in most cases any limitations of a particular model aren't too difficult to work around." well, I agree.

So, thanks guys, helped made my decision...

[Colin Southern]

Like Colin have said earlier this year, "At the end of the day there is a HUGE overlap between models - so there really isn't any one model that 100% "right choice" nor any that are 100% "wrong choice"; in most cases any limitations of a particular model aren't too difficult to work around."

Of course, I could be wrong

(nah, just kidding!)

PS: If you want to chat to Progear, you can get them on 0800 4PROGEAR (You'll also find them on TradeMe trading as GLAM) (I think you'll find their feedback satisfactory!).

[Letrow]

well the combo deals here is just 18 55 kit or 18 105 kit, pretty limited, but there is always the option of adding extra lens like you mentioned,however it would cost more..
but I'll wait till Boxing day (26Dec) hope by then there will be plenty of good deal..
thanks for the help..

I bought the 18-200mm lens when I switched to the D90. Partly out of convenience I must admit. It is a very versatile lens. Every lens has its advantages and disadvantages but weight was one of the points I took into consideration. With this lens I am happy most of the time. One of the things that bothered me in the past was the amount of equipment I had to lug around.
I was able to get camera and lens as a package, so you might something similar.