Advice

[MikeNeufeld]

can this be correct?... I got some advice from the father in law ( once again ), and he says that the new breed of d slr buyers is so geared toward purchasing high end bodies and cheap glass, as apposed be running a lower end body, ie xti, d80 and so on... and running some higher end lenses... I am in the market for a new dslr and he recommended started out with a decent nikon( what he shoots ) and some much better lenses.

any comments?

 

[droyz2000]

Gernerally, what your father in law says is true. You are far better off investing in quality glass and going a little cheaper on the body. If you invest in good lenses, you will be able to use them the rest of your photo career. Bodies continue to change and will always improve. Good glass as long as it is well taken care of will always be good glass.

 

[Joxby]

The greatest gains in image quality are made with the glass that is used, not the body.
All bodys aren't equal ofcourse, but glass is where its at..
Better to shoot a D80 with high end glass than a D3 with a jamjar bottom..

 

[MikeNeufeld]

ya for sure.... may i ask what combo's you guy's use( body, Glass...ect...)

 

[JIP]

Is it safe to assume that your FIL is a film shooter??. In the past when I used film your statement was always the case (good glass more important than body). With film a body was nothing but a light tight box and with a higher-end body the only extra thing you got was speed but now with digital the body is way more important considering the sensor.​

 

[usayit]

I agree with JIP.

What we have all been saying is true but with digital, the body has become increasingly more important. Noise at high ISO for example is a primary function of the camera body/sensor.

On the other hand... lenses are a long term investment.

Ideally you want both.. high end body and lens.

 

[MikeNeufeld]

wow, thats a great perspective... Alotta features on higher end cameras are great and my thing is, i dont wanna go cheap body and then 1 year later , dish out again for another better body... i guess what i am looking at comes down to preference...

 

[XJBaylor]

The D80 is a GREAT body. Slightly more menu driven than the D200 and the like, but the sensor is as good as anything Nikon is currently making (D300 and D3 excluded) One of the only things you give up with the D80 is durability compared to the higher end cameras.
That will save you some money for better glass...you can have your cake and eat it to.

Keith

 

[sabbath999]

Here are a few random shots with the 18-200 VR, many are from inside with no flash, most if not all at ISO 400 or higher.

No great artwork here (btw the dome is shot at 1600 ISO).

 

[MikeNeufeld]

wow, very nice pics, i am impressed, thanks,it makes it easier to see what the equiptment is capable of..

 

[skieur]

What is important about choosing a body however is that it is reasonably robust and has seals against dust and moisture. Entry level DSLRs don't necessarily have these features.

skieur