Remember a blog entry a few weeks ago, one in which I mention that there is certain criteria for getting an upgraded body? Well, I haven’t met that criteria, but it doesn’t stop me from wanting to upgrade. I have had several situations in which having the different body would have helped me get a shot I was wanting, especially with things like HDR, where having bracketing would be absolutely wonderful. The only things I can identify that the new camera kit would give me that would substitute for separate purchases would be the Nikon 18-105mm f/3.5-5.6 VR (included in kit cheaper than separate) and the Nikon SU-800 Speedlight Commander (functions performed by D90). At the same time, I can identify other benefits to it, such as having higher ISO sensitivity (with less noise) due to an overall better quality CMOS censor (D60 is CCD).
My biggest problem at the moment is I am obsessively staring at the camera, drooling over its specs and overall wasting time looking at the potential new body that I could be using to be out photographing things. A big part of why I want the camera is the lens it comes with, the 18-105, which is equivalent to 6x (or 3.15 on my adjusted [tight only] scale). In this particular instance, I am not worried about my magnification multiplier, since it is very weak in comparison to the factor of 9 that my 70-300mm is capable of. My interest in this lens is its range, it has a purely 6x range, which is greater than all of my other lenses (the max is 4.2x, which is what the 70-300mm has). Honestly, if the 18-55mm was an 18-70mm instead, I would be happy, but it isn’t so I have to pick something else, and the 18-105 seems to be the logical counterpart to completing a lens duality that the 70-300 would be involved in (18-55 and 55-200 is a little too close of a fit to be a comfortable duality). It may seem silly to buy a whole camera system to get a lens, but I like the camera anyway, and I can save almost $200 by getting the two of them together… seems logical to me.
There are some problems with getting the D90 in the current situation. First, I don’t really have a good way to justify its acquisition at the present time (unlike the kiln, competing for the same funds). Second, bag space, with my current configuration there is not really any space for a second body, but that’s one of those things I’m just going to have to play with to see if I can manage to make it fit with some sense of order. Third, power, I have acquired the battery for the D60 in triplicate, but the D90 doesn’t use the same battery type, meaning its yet another set of batteries I have to make sure I have with me (although, I’ve considered an Opteka battery grip which comes with 2). Fourth, the D90 inspires ravenous consumerism. If I get the D90 with the internal flash command system, I’m going to want additional flashes, maybe one more, maybe two, who knows, that’s not the point. Also, the D90 would likely want its own bag, separate of that for the D60, and well, it took me forever to find that one. Finally, there are no major upcoming events that I am aware of that would be adequate for field testing the D90. For the D60’s arrival, there was at least a family gathering to work with.
ok, for that first one, the kiln would likely be more complicated of an issue than just buying it, the camera is easier. Second, in picking the perfect bag for the D60, I have acquired a number of bags, the situation can be made to work, plus, wasn’t I planning to pick up one of those top-loaders anyway? Third, the D90 gets more shots per battery, 2 is probably enough, and using the CTA Digital line of batteries it would cost me like $15 for battery #2. Fourth, it will take me a while to get used to using a wireless speedlight, and I’ve been wanting to work with more conventional full-time lights, reflectors and such anyway. Finally, I can throw a party for the D90 itself, or merely take it on a tour of my world.
I started this post in hopes that I could talk myself out of the D90, or maybe just find reasons to extinguish the wanting of it in the first place, but now I fear that I have managed to talk myself further into it. Now I want it more than before, but at least this time, I feel somewhat sane about it, more than just getting that goofy grin on my face every time I see the camera. Maybe that is the answer, to get a final result, I need to go to see the camera face to face. Perhaps somewhere other than Best Buy, maybe an actual camera store would be a better place to visit it (I need to pick up hot shoe covers anyway).