nikon D40

[osiriskidd]

i've been meaning to get into more photography because it seems i need a relaxing type of hobby as opposed to skating, gaming (yea...we get riled up), paintball, kickboxing/bjj, etc.

the nikon D40 is one of the relatively cheaper cameras i've seen, but is it a good entry level camera?

for about $600, would it barely be considered an SLR camera or is it so-so. i guess what i'm asking is, should i just invest another #200 and get a better camera if the D40 isn't the bang-for-the buck type.

i have heard good things about it... i just need some extra advice from seasoned photographers for the push.

[Justin.]

Most of it's in the lens. are you looking at the 6.1mp d40?

[osiriskidd]

yup... but to me MP isn't a big deal after 5MP.

[Justin.]

a d40 with a good lens, is good in my book.

[changaroo]

i couldnt live with 3 focal points on a camera, if you have 600 to spend, pick up a used d50 at least... if you plan going nikon that is...

a girl i know has the d40, and she has no problems with it, it takes great pics.

i just couldnt live with 3 focal points :P

[Princess12]

I'm not a pro by any means, but being in a situation similar to yours a couple months ago, I bought a D40. I absolutely love mine, it has been a great camera to kind of learn the ropes on. I would highly recommend it!

[changaroo]

i guess to elaborate more on what i mentioned, strictly speaking as an entry level camera, it is a good camera, but once you start to outgrow it, you will start to find it very limiting.

not to mention not all of nikons lenses will work on the camera, which may or may not matter to you depending on how serious you get.

[osiriskidd]

hmm interesting. i guess ill look into the D50 and probably after xmas when my wallet gets thicker i'll see what my budget is. thanks a lot guys!

[sleepys4]

For the money I would say get the xti, unless you are stuck on nikon. In that case get the D40X much better camera with more focal points and will except all the high end lenses. Also for the money you can look at used D70. There are a lot of people on here that use that camera and they love it. I am a Canon guy, more choices in my book.

[87 Turbo II]

I despise the Nikon D40 and D40X, they are such a scam for "noobs" in the digital SLR field. I mean it's obviously targeted to budget buyers, yet lacking an autofocus drive motor for non AF-S lenses, you lose the ability to autofocus with older cheaper glass (or lenses with specs that they doon't even make anymore), so you have to buy newer top dollar AF-S lenses that aren't even made like they used to be made(better). Also 3 AF points and no auto depth of preview mode..... it's just an abomination in the SLR world. I may be a Canon user but I'd hate it just as much as a Nikon user, it's not my Canon fanboyism, the D40 REALLY is just a scam. Go D50 or D70 or D70s or if you want to lean towards Canon, a Digital Rebel XT or XTi or a used 10D (you can get one on craigslist for $525 right now with a grip).

http://atlanta.craigslist.org/pho/487314791.html (this si a GREAT way to get into DSLRs with a metal build. Then cope it with a Canon EF 50 1:1.8 II ($75)

[87 Turbo II]

For the money I would say get the xti, unless you are stuck on Nikon. In that case get the D40X much better camera with more focal points and will except all the high end lenses. Also for the money you can look at used D70. There are a lot of people on here that use that camera and they love it. I am a Canon guy, more choices in my book.
WRONG WRONG WRONG. Don't give false info if you don't know something.The D40X is even WORSE! It charges you $200 extra for 2 more megapixels and that's IT(okay maybe you get a few more useless picture modes)! the same crappy lens compatibility, the same crappy plastic design, the same horrible autofocus, the same small viewfinder so you can't manual focus when you DO get a lens that doesn't autofocus on a D40. It is crap.

[evo9gsr]

Save you money and buy the D80. The D40 is a nice camera but if you can outgrow it quick.

[Mr. Clean]

i was about to get a d40x for christmas... so i should go d40 and save the money?

[Nemesis]

Guys, do your own research.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nikon_D40


Google is your friend also.


Personally, I use a D200, and if you have the money get a D80, if not get a D70/50

[osiriskidd]

Guys, do your own research.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nikon_D40


Google is your friend also.


Personally, I use a D200, and if you have the money get a D80, if not get a D70/50

i did. but sometimes its better to get people who are actually into photography instead of people who buy their first camera and thinks its the best made thing ever.

[Nemesis]

i did. but sometimes its better to get people who are actually into photography instead of people who buy their first camera and thinks its the best made thing ever.


I dont get what you're saying, there are a lot of places that give a more indepth viewpoint than what you would find here: hence:

http://www.dpreview.com/reviews/nikond40/

http://www.dpreview.com/reviews/nikond40x/

[osiriskidd]

hmmmm i think i'm being swayed towards Canon EOS 400D / Digital Rebel XTi

[Nemesis]

hmmmm i think i'm being swayed towards Canon EOS 400D / Digital Rebel XTi

Dont make the mistake of comparing the D40 to the Xti, if you want to compare Nikon Vs. Canon , then compare the D80 to the XTi.

[osiriskidd]

will do ty ty

k. looks like imma go with the xti. D80 is better in some small # which wont really affect me that much especialy with the 200-300 difference in price.

[Nemesis]

will do ty ty

k. looks like imma go with the xti. D80 is better in some small # which wont really affect me that much especialy with the 200-300 difference in price.


I found a great article for the comparison just in case you need it

http://reviews.cnet.com/4520-11396_7-6654246-1.html

[Sol-Badguy]

Haha, I made the same thread for this camera almost a year ago. :D

[Mr. Clean]

Guys, do your own research.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nikon_D40


Google is your friend also.

dude come on... your going to come in a thread asking for advice and tell us to do our own research? call me jaded but im going to trust some personal accounts on here because its to the point information from a lot of people that have been there done that. i can ask a question and get a poignant answer. i dont just get broad information. why do the research if i can get the answer i needed from someone who feels like helping.

your post defeats the purpose of this whole forum. just my :2cents:

[Nemesis]

dude come on... your going to come in a thread asking for advice and tell us to do our own research? call me jaded but im going to trust some personal accounts on here because its to the point information from a lot of people that have been there done that. i can ask a question and get a poignant answer. i dont just get broad information. why do the research if i can get the answer i needed from someone who feels like helping.

your post defeats the purpose of this whole forum. just my :2cents:


Where in this thread did I ask for advice? And trust me, I give out advice to people all day long that deals with this type of topic, so I do at least know a little about the subject. And personally Id trust reviews from Subject Matter Experts over consumers anyday. :)

[Mr. Clean]

Where in this thread did I ask for advice? And trust me, I give out advice to people all day long that deals with this type of topic, so I do at least know a little about the subject. And personally Id trust reviews from Subject Matter Experts over consumers anyday. :)

i meant you come into a thread where people are asking advice, and im not knocking your knowledge on the subject, but we know we can do the research, we just chose to ask about it on here.

damnit i have to go to work... i really felt like debating Experts vs. Consumer haha, neway..


TO BE CONTINUED...

[Nemesis]

i really felt like debating Experts vs. Consumer haha, neway..


TO BE CONTINUED...

Create a topic when you are ready, and we can :duel:



btw: PM me the link to the thread so I dont miss out

[osiriskidd]

site as interesting...but im still swayed towards the canon. they nickpicked things that don't matter to me. weight...shot to shot...accessories.

besides, the $600 tag seems right to me seeing as how i'm going for entry level.

[A.P. Photography]

George I understand where you are coming from, but I also understand where they are coming from. For some of us on here the reviews from experts will help because we know what we expect out of our camera and what areas need improving. For someone who is just going to be "snap shooting" and photographing cars, then it is a good idea to hear from people on this board what they think if they have used the camera or are familiar with it. It sometimes tends to turn into a Canon/Nikon war.

Now I prefer Canon (started with an XT and now have a 30D) but have no problems shooting Nikon (have shot with a D70s and a D200). In fact I wish Canon would follow Nikon in a couple of areas but it is a give and take situation. There is a lot more to just price involved here. You also need to hold the camera to see how it feels in your hands, is it compatible with newer/older lenses coming out, will it give you enough to learn on, shutter actuations, look at the lenses available for it and budget accordingly. Remember this is not a point and shoot and lenses will play a big part in what you can shoot and what you can't. I know Nemesis, Dean, Speedminded, Brady, Jamie, myself and a couple of others have anywhere from $1,000 to $4,000+ in just lenses. That does not include bodies, batteries, memory cards, or in some cases grips. Bodies are disposable so always remember that.

[87 Turbo II]

i was about to get a d40x for christmas... so i should go d40 and save the money?
yeah, a good lens is worth way more than a very slightly better body.

[Mr. Clean]

Create a topic when you are ready, and we can :duel:



btw: PM me the link to the thread so I dont miss out

alright im just going to go here. because this mostly goes for cameras because i have been fooled by a lot of misleading advertising and such. my argument will mostly have to do with buying an entry level camera and also a new tv because thats what i have been looking at here recently.

I would rather have consumer reviews because most will be on the same level of understanding as me as far as technical specs etc. so i will basically get a review in lamen's terms, i dont care what the product is supposed to be able to do, i want to know if it does do that and that it is easy to do, and in some cases i dont care about the quality of the product, i just want to know if it does what i want... and example:

I looked at a 37' Olevia LCD tv. it was on sale for $500... cant beat that. now experts say its crap because of this and that, but consumer reviews say that the picture is excellent and so on and so on. now i dont care if my product is not superb to the market, i just want it to be a nice tv for me to look at. and you wont get that from an expert review because they will compare everything to the current market product.

now tech specs are also a point in time where an expert review would be helpful because a new photographer may get insight as to what aperture is, or focal points etc. but i think experts take for-granted how much they actually know about the product before hand and leave out things that they think are pointless. now pre-purchase for some things like cameras and tv's i like to get some kind of feel on how people who OWN the product feel about, how people feel after they spent $500-2000 on a camera or $800-3000 on a tv, i want to know how they feel about how they spent they're sh*t ton of money. a lot of consumer reviews talk about how they would have rather spent their money on this or that.

and one other point about asking these questions on a forum is that i/people can ask specific questions or get a direct comparison between 2 specific models that may not found on a review website.

i think my main issue is just that most consumer reviews have a personal touch as to how they liked it as an entry level camera user or tv purchaser, not the harsh feel of an expert who has product that i could never afford to compare it with.

whew... if one person reads all this i will be happy haha

i can discuss for about an hour until i go to bed

[A.P. Photography]

Side note, I have that Olevia tv and I like it. works great.

[Mr. Clean]

Side note, I have that Olevia tv and I like it. works great.

HAHAHAHA you read some of it at least! +2 (i think its 2)

yeah they had a black friday sale on that tv at target but none in stock... sucks

[A.P. Photography]

HAHAHAHA you read some of it at least! +2 (i think its 2)

yeah they had a black friday sale on that tv at target but none in stock... sucks
Check Circuit City. Talk to the sales guy and see what they can do for you. I got mine in Jan for $500 just bs'ing with the guy,

[Mr. Clean]

Check Circuit City. Talk to the sales guy and see what they can do for you. I got mine in Jan for $500 just bs'ing with the guy,

for realz?... what size... i can get a 32' no prob for 500-600, but the only 37 i saw was at target. its normally like 786 or something like that

[A.P. Photography]

for realz?... what size... i can get a 32' no prob for 500-600, but the only 37 i saw was at target. its normally like 786 or something like that
Mine is a 37" :goodjob:

[Mr. Clean]

Mine is a 37" :goodjob:

ooo shizzle... i know where im going this weekend. do those guys get payed on commission or something

[87 Turbo II]

Sears has the Olevia 37 inch widescreen HD LCD TV (that's a lot of letters, it'd go well with your HD-DVD player lol) for $535. And I did read that whole thing and I do think it is nicer getting specific answers to specific questions out of several different people.
That's good because:
- it may be worded in a way you can understand better
-it'll give you several views
-I don't mind answering questions
-like you said, reviewers have tested the worst of the worst and the best of the best, and it is human to always compare something to the best experience you have had, you can sometimes tell when Clarkston from top Gear is talking about a car that he just can't shake the feeling he got when driving the Ferrari F430 a week earlier. I get all my Canon reviews from www.the-digital-picture.com (GREAT site if you are interested in any Canon gear btw) but they guy who runs it and writes the reviews has tested nearly every Canon DSLR body and EF lens to date, so he is always saying stuff in his reviews "Unlike the L-series lenses...." or "Of course, I'd prefer an L series lens over this one but....." or "focus is slow when you compare it to L-series lenses"

[A.P. Photography]

I get all my Canon reviews from www.the-digital-picture.com (http://www.the-digital-picture.com/) (GREAT site if you are interested in any Canon gear btw) but they guy who runs it and writes the reviews has tested nearly every Canon DSLR body and EF lens to date, so he is always saying stuff in his reviews "Unlike the L-series lenses...." or "Of course, I'd prefer an L series lens over this one but....." or "focus is slow when you compare it to L-series lenses"
If you are a Canon guy then hit up www.Photography-on-the.net (http://www.Photography-on-the.net) Whole forum dedicated to Canon and different areas of photography :goodjob:

[Nemesis]

I shall return to this thread tommorrow sometime and rebut! LOL , No but seriously, its way past my bed time.

[87 Turbo II]

If you are a Canon guy then hit up www.Photography-on-the.net (http://www.Photography-on-the.net) Whole forum dedicated to Canon and different areas of photography :goodjob:
Thank you, I'll look into it.