 BetterPhoto Member |
Questions about my choice of camera - Nikon N90 Here's the scenario. I have decided to upgrade to the Nikon N90s. I am an amateur who at some point may decide to take stock photos for a living. I focus more on nature, mainly flowers and wildlife. I am pretty much a wanderer and am trying to keep luggage and weight down to a minimum so I am leaning towards the Tamaron 28mm - 300mm. I realize it is a slower lens but I don't plan on taking to many action shots. Another reason for chosing the N90 is that I want to get more into underwater photography. Right now I am just using a point and shoot with macro lenses and as soon as I gain more experience and can justify the expense I plan to buy a housing for the N90 and a macro lens. So that is the plan and my questions are these. 1 - What is with the F versus N and the s versus x when the camera is listed. I can find what they actually mean and there are no camera shops nearby. 2 - Does it really make a difference buying US vs international, it seems the main difference is the ease of fixing a problem which shouldn't crop up in the first place. 3 - Given my goals is there another sytem or setup that might work. 4 - I'll be buying through the internet any do's or don'ts. Thanks for your time and sorry about the lengthy question.
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John A. Lind |
I can answer only a couple pieces of this . . . The "F" versus "N" is Nikon's differentiation between professional and consumer camera bodies. The "F" bodies are professional grade. This means they are hardier and made for the much heavier use by professionals. Nikon shifted its model designation on at least one of its auto-focus bodies from "F" to "N" a while back, apparently for marketing reasons related to introduction of another "F" body. I don't recall which one this was. One of the reasons for using fast(er) long lenses for shooting wildlife is depth of field control to help isolate the subject from background, which often has similar coloration (the wildlife's natural camouflage). Consider this when thinking about the long lens. You're right the main difference between U.S. and "gray-market" camera gear is warranty and how it will be honored. Whatever warranty problems you might have depends on who you buy the camera from. B&H Photo Video in NYC handles the warranty on "gray-market" (international) items they sell versus sending straight to the manufacturer for their "U.S." items. See details about this on their site. Other stores will handle it differently, sometimes not helping the purchaser at all. Find out *all* the details and ask for it in print before you buy. -- John
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Tom Darmody |
F=N and X=S Nikon makes consumer cameras for the US and European market. The US version has a "N" designation and Euro version has a "F". Same with the X and S. "X" is Euro and "S" is US. Example: F90x is the exact same camera as the N90s. Other than the white letters there is absoloultly no physical/preformance differences. The Euro version(F90x) sold in the US would be considered "grey market," It just means that camera was meant to sold in Europe, not in the US. The manufactures warranty is only valid in Europe. If you by from B&H or Adorama they give you a "store warranty". Also the camera directions may or may not be in english. (ask)
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