A couple of months ago, I realized that a few of the lenses I bought for my Nikon D700 were not getting much use in my photography. I started thinking about selling them to streamline my camera collection. Exploring potential earnings through websites like KEH, MPB, or checking eBay marketplace prices made me confront a harsh truth: the resale value was disappointingly low. It almost seemed like giving them away for free would yield more satisfaction than trying to make a profit.

For now, I decided to keep them while I figure out what to do.

Around the same time, I became curious about the idea of creating images with a film-like look using a camera equipped with a CCD sensor. This curiosity led me down a rabbit hole of YouTube videos and reviews of older Nikon cameras. Before long, I discovered how affordable they were on the used market. That’s when I decided to purchase a Nikon D80, a 10MP camera released in 2006, for no more than $90 USD.

My expectations were on check; I was simply curious about the image quality. Believe me when I say, there wasn’t any magic or special sauce. The images looked decent, RAW files were easy to work with, but there was nothing particularly groundbreaking. It’s just an old camera with a few quirks. Whatever "film look" you achieve might come down to your editing skills or perhaps the camera’s JPEG rendering. However, I did notice something intriguing about how the camera calculates white balance and the subtle effect it has on the images. It’s peculiar, but definitely to my liking.

I have digressed a lot. The thing is that because of the Nikon D80, I stupidly found out the Nikon lenses I thought of selling were just the thing! My Nikon 18-35mm 3.5-4.5G lens, which I bought as an ultra-wide-angle lens for my Nikon D700 and whose performance caused the worst horizon distortions in my landscape images, suddenly became my 28-50mm zoom lens for my crop sensor camera. In other words, I found a high-quality zoom lens that covers two of my favorite focal lengths for street photography! And the look of such a lens on a smaller DSLR is sick, cool, and perfectly balanced for my large hands.

That’s the other thing—the Nikon D80 feels like a strong body. It’s not plasticky; it has heft, a big comfortable grip, and my wrist never tired from using it during long walks. Opposed to my Fuji cameras, which heat up after a couple of hours of use, these DSLRs stay cool and fresh with enough battery power to last a whole day.

This simple discovery clicked a whole new level of photography experience. The Nikon D80 wasn’t a bad camera, but being honest, its autofocus let me down many times during decisive moments, the noise performance was understandably lackluster given the age of the technology, and the LCD resolution wasn’t good enough for my eyesight. Just then, a friend of mine mentioned how much this camera reminded him of his old Nikon D90, a camera he considered his loyal companion for many years and trips. After those conversations, my curiosity was sparked for this other camera.

Coming from the 12MP of the Nikon D700, I felt at home with the Nikon D90. It was indeed a great camera—all the body of the Nikon D80, with features and functionalities of newer cameras: much better autofocus, live view, video (not that I needed it), fair noise performance, and a sharp sensor. It also retained that same white balance quality I found on the Nikon D80. And when I say quality, I mean a bit of magical rendering under certain light.

My friend was right—this camera feels right. I bought it for less than $100 USD, and its performance fulfills many of my use cases. I have used it for family events, some landscape photography, hiking, and lots of street photography. I’m especially happy with the elasticity of the RAW files. I could say it feels and works like the D700, only lighter—like a baby D700. Plus, it’s giving a new life to my Nikon zoom lenses and, maybe, just maybe, it’s redefining my love for the Nikon brand, despite my affection for Fujifilm gear. The Nikon RAW file size, the easy rendering of the Bayer sensor using Lightroom, the wide support of cheaper Nikon lenses, and its status as a low-budget camera solution make my street photography worry-free.

I know that, once in a while, I wish I had a few extra pixels when cropping is required to fix a composition, but it’s alright. The Nikon D90 is becoming a good, trusty companion, and I recommend it. You are welcome to follow me on Instagram @eruizmiro, and @panamastreetshooter.