Should I upgrade ?

Dx4100 · Jan 9, 2018

We are about to have a big family trip to Universal and Disney World and I want to capture my daughters in their princess dresses, in front of the castle, meeting Mickey Mouse and so on and everything in between.

So I am reviewing my options regarding the equipment I have.

I have a Samsung S8 which is fantastic camera for every day photographs! and is probably fine for 90% of the photos I want to take.

I also have a Nikon D40 with a 18-200mm lens (link below)

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Nikon-18-200MM-F3-5-5-6G-IF-ED-AF-S/dp/B000BY52NU

Its old now and we have stopped using it over the years but I miss it and I love the lens we have for it, Allowed me to capture some great photos over the years.

So I am wondering how it stacks up against my Samsung S8 camera phone or maybe getting a Nikon D3400 or D5300. Would the lens above still be useful on a upgraded camera ?

Thanks for any advice. I haven’t the time in life to take enough photos with each to work it all out.

Braineack · Jan 9, 2018

Take both. Don't upgrade

jccash · Jan 9, 2018

Lots of opinions here. I’m for upgrade. D5300 or perhaps D7200. I went from D40, D7200 to D500. Gave my D40 to my sister in law. Gave D5100 to my son. Sold D7200 bought the D500.

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ac12 · Jan 10, 2018

NEVER make significant changes in your gear just before an event.
You NEED time to learn the new gear and to be comfortable with it.
What will BITE you is when you accidentally put the camera into a mode/configuration and you can't get out of it. That is why you need time to learn the gear.

If your D40 still work, use it.

AND bring a PDF copy of the manual with you on your phone. Cuz you WILL run into the situation where you forget how to do something.

Designer · Jan 10, 2018

Dx4100 said:
Its old now and we have stopped using it over the years but I miss it and I love the lens we have for it, Allowed me to capture some great photos over the years.

So I am wondering how it stacks up against my Samsung S8 camera phone or maybe getting a Nikon D3400 or D5300. Would the lens above still be useful on a upgraded camera ?

Thanks for any advice. I haven’t the time in life to take enough photos with each to work it all out.

Take both, but only after you have re-familiarized yourself with the D40. Use it as much as you can right away. Verify the batteries will hold a charge. Verify that everything works.

The problem with carrying it is the size and weight. You should consider renting a locker for the day to park stuff you don't want to carry all day. Getting on a ride with a DSLR is awkward at best, and may even damage something.

I don't think you will be allowed to use a tripod, but you should be o.k. using a flash attachment. Play a trick on Disney and fire the flash remotely with a RF transceiver. Ask your wife (or someone else) to hold the flash and point it at your subjects. Hold it high, and use whatever diffuser you can get by with. Be sure to practice with the speedlight as well.

Don't upgrade just for a trip. You should upgrade only if your interest in the hobby is demanding it.

jaomul · Jan 10, 2018

I dunno. Newer Nikons have 4 times the resolution and are a significant improvement when it comes to higher iso and overall image quality.

It's not that the d40 is poor, it's just been leapfrogged a few times now. I could see a newer model giving a lot more "keepers" especially in lower light

SquarePeg · Jan 10, 2018

If the trip is about family and fun, just use the Samsung phone if the photos it takes are good. My sister-in-law has a Samsung and the photos are excellent, even in low light. Also get the Disney photo package so you can get as many character photos as you want and also get all the ride photos. It's expensive but worth it. Be in the photos and be in the moment with your family instead of worrying about your camera gear. If you'll get some time alone then take the dslr. This advise is based on experience with many trips to Disney and Universal under our belts. Disney is a photographer's paradise but only if you're solo! I like to sneak out very early am or during our afternoon break to get some artsy photos for the scrapbook and use my iphone for most of the photos of us. Our last trip was to Disneyland in April and I hated dragging my camera and lenses all over. And some of my favorite photo memories from that trip are the selfies we took on the rides!

I've tried the locker routine and it's a pita. You will never be near the locker when you want to store your stuff. Universal is actually easier because there are free lockers at almost every ride but you'll spend so much time with your camera in the locker that you won't really get any photos to begin with and it's not nearly as picturesque as Disney.

I agree with jaomul that a camera upgrade is in order if you are going to get back into the hobby. So, if you're going to bring a dslr, upgrade IMO. Consider used/refurbished to stretch your budget and get the best camera body that you can afford so you won't be looking to upgrade again right away. But do it soon so you can familiarize yourself with it before you go.

TCampbell · Jan 10, 2018

While I normally appreciate that others want to do their part to help prop up the economy of the industry by purchasing more products... you mentioned "Universal" and "Disney" and that puts this request into a special category.

When you're at a theme park, there are times where it's really not convenient to have to worry about what to do with a large camera that doesn't fit in your pocket when you want to go on a ride.

For this reason, I generally suggest just sticking with your phone for photos in the park ... and use your DSLR for all those locations where having a big camera will be an asset instead of a hinderance.

With that out of the way... you have an older model and anything released the last handful of years will seem like a huge upgrade in terms of image resolution, ISO performance, etc. etc. So maybe you want to upgrade the DSLR anyway... but I probably wouldn't take that camera to the theme parks.

Dave442 · Jan 10, 2018

I have made more than a few trips to Disney and Universal dragging along my D200 - usually with the 35mm f/1.8 lens. I have an unpadded shoulder bag - cross type and have the camera, wallet, keys, sunscreen, rain poncho, rain sleeve, and towel in there - camera sits in the towel. The one thing about a DSLR is that it made for taking pictures and while most people are still tapping on their smart phone I have pulled the camera out - turned it on - taken the shot and have the camera back in the bag. Sometimes a bit of fill flash with the pop-up - usually with the power dialed all the way down. I like the 35mm as it is small and using it frequently one knows where to stand for people shots - the downside is people stepping in front with their cell phones so shoot with one hand and direct with the other. Make sure you can grab the shot quick and without chimping so the others can step in with their cell phones.

Even on that older camera go ahead and push up the ISO to 800 or 1250 so you are at least at 1/125 - shoot in Raw and a lot of todays software can do wonders with the noise. Plan ahead so you know the shots you want with the D40 and just use the cell phone for everything else. Do a trial run now to make sure the camera is in good shape and you remember how to make all the changes to the settings without the manual. Go out with your daughter and a grownup next to her in the shade - have them move around some and wave - pull out the camera and take a few shots in portrait orientation, have someone else next to you taking the shots with the cell phone. Make sure you are having the people in the shot looking at you and not the other person with the cell phone.

jccash · Jan 10, 2018

I love spending other People’s Money. Upgrade to the D850.

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jcdeboever · Jan 11, 2018

I would just do the Disney photo package and enjoy your family. I have seen some great prices on used full frame Nikon D800E's lately. Darn near makes me want to buy one as the prices are so good. I seen one last night for $1100 in excellent condition. If your bent on bringing a camera, the samsung seems like a logical choice when all things are considered.

petrochemist · Jan 11, 2018

If your just about to go it's too late to upgrade. You'd want a few months to get used to the new camera.

ac12 · Jan 11, 2018

The reason that I warned you about learning the camera is an example that I had.
I shot some family pix with my brand new D70, and was upset and puzzled why the chair and dinner table in front of my relatives was in focus and they were not.
After research (RTFM), it turned out that the "Auto" exposure mode used "closest subject" logic to determine what to focus on. So anything between me and my subject (chair, dinner table, etc) would be what the camera would focus on, not the subject :-(
It might make sense for the "average person," but I have run into enough exceptions in "average" family gathering use, that I do not use "auto" at all. I use "Program" mode, so that I can select what to focus on.
That is the kind of problem that you don't want to happen to you with a NEW camera.
You need to figure out these "gotchas" that will BITE you, BEFORE an important event/shoot.

In your specific situation, it could be Micky Mouse, with your kids, at the breakfast table.
And the camera would focus on the breakfast table, and your kids and Micky Mouse (on the other side of the table) would be out of focus :-(

Another one was me 'accidentally' moving the selected focus point to one of the side focus points.
But, I did not know how to move it back to the center.
RTFM. But my manual was at home, not with me :-(
So I was stuck with the active focus point being one of the side focus points.
I had to wait till I got home to RTFM and get the focus point back where I wanted it to be.

Yesterday, I was trying to use the school's Canon T7, in manual mode.
But I could not figure out how to set the aperture. The T7 only has ONE control wheel, not 2 as my D7200 does. Again RTFM.
But I did not have the manual. I had to come home and download the manual.

I can go on with examples of new camera/controls/settings that have burned me.

The camera manufacturer would say to just use "auto," and have fun.
But as I found out, the AF in "auto" is a time bomb, just waiting to burn you.
So IMHO, that is why you need time to get familiar with a new camera.

There is an old saying "the devil you know, vs. the devil you don't know."

Gud Luk

Alex8Ball · Jan 12, 2018

I would just use the phone camera and enjoy the time with my family!

beagle100 · Jan 12, 2018

ac12 said:
The reason that I warned you about learning the camera is an example that I had.
I shot some family pix with my brand new D70, and was upset and puzzled why the chair and dinner table in front of my relatives was in focus and they were not.
After research (RTFM), it turned out that the "Auto" exposure mode used "closest subject" logic to determine what to focus on. So anything between me and my subject (chair, dinner table, etc) would be what the camera would focus on, not the subject :-(
It might make sense for the "average person," but I have run into enough exceptions in "average" family gathering use, that I do not use "auto" at all. I use "Program" mode, so that I can select what to focus on.
That is the kind of problem that you don't want to happen to you with a NEW camera.
You need to figure out these "gotchas" that will BITE you, BEFORE an important event/shoot.
In your specific situation, it could be Micky Mouse, with your kids, at the breakfast table.
And the camera would focus on the breakfast table, and your kids and Micky Mouse (on the other side of the table) would be out of focus :-(
Another one was me 'accidentally' moving the selected focus point to one of the side focus points.
But, I did not know how to move it back to the center.
RTFM. But my manual was at home, not with me :-(
So I was stuck with the active focus point being one of the side focus points.
I had to wait till I got home to RTFM and get the focus point back where I wanted it to be.
Yesterday, I was trying to use the school's Canon T7, in manual mode.
But I could not figure out how to set the aperture. The T7 only has ONE control wheel, not 2 as my D7200 does. Again RTFM.
But I did not have the manual. I had to come home and download the manual.
I can go on with examples of new camera/controls/settings that have burned me.
The camera manufacturer would say to just use "auto," and have fun.
But as I found out, the AF in "auto" is a time bomb, just waiting to burn you.
So IMHO, that is why you need time to get familiar with a new camera.There is an old saying "the devil you know, vs. the devil you don't know."

Gud Luk