Starter Camera!!!! HELP!!!

[potownrob]

Also, don't forget that you will (at least eventually) have to go into the menus a lot with the D40, where you would have a quick button on the outside of the D80. For point & shooting this isn't such a problem but, when you get into technical things where (for example) you're changing ISO and White Balance settings a lot, the D80 suddenly becomes easier to use. In this case, the D80 would have separate buttons for changing WB and ISO, the D40 only has one button (function) that can be programmed for either of these two setting.

 

[Beth81]

Yeah I think I have finally made my decision to go with the Nikon d80. I think it's a camera that will b easy to start with and as I learn the camera can keeo uo with my needs. I plan to start my own business one day and I need something that can grow with me. I love taking pics and any suggestions for natural light photographs will be helpful and more than welcome. I bought a program online called color select studio (colour splash photographs). If anyone has any recommendations on this please let me know also. The program I bought was only 15 bucks so I know it's a cheap version.

 

[DavidElliot]

congrats on making the decision. i'm sure you'll be very satisfied with your decision. photoshop is always a great program to use or lightroom, i have both. others use GIMP, which is free. there are probably a few other programs out there that I can't think of right now. also, it'll probably be helpful to you if you picked up a copy of bryan peterson's book "Understanding Exposure" a little learning can go a long way

 

[EhJsNe]

Well just to be honest I'll be shooting anything and everything I can. I love portraits, landscape, and abstract so take your pic. I just need a great general camera with a great general all around lens. Money is an option but I was planning to get the D90 just because I've heard such great reviews on it and right now it's the number 1 camera according to the dpreviews website. Also it has the video. I guess I really don't need the video but it was just a plus. Oh and lets not forget the live view. I'm not exactly sure what it is but I've been told it can come in useful.

Live view is when the picture is seen on the LCD instead of looking throughthe viewfinder....hardly ever needed....it also increases the shutter lag I beleive.

I would recomend gettting any nikon camera. (unless it has the letter x aftter the name such as the D40x or D3x, all that means is that they increased the megapixels and charge you lots more than its worth)
Then again...a would recomend any canon cameras.

The nikon camera ALL have the same lens mount (so you can buy ANY lens and it will work in on ANY Nikon. (some lenses may not autofocus on all bodies)
THe Canon cameras have different lens mounts from the old film ones to the newer digital ones. But the modern lenses will work on the modern cameras.

The universal lens mount comes in handy when you want a new lens, but cant afford it, you can buy it used or get a manual focus for a lot cheaper.

I currently OWN Nikon FM10 and CAN USE a Canon AE-1 Program almost any time I want.

I much rather prefer my Nikon, but my dads canon has a 300mm lens.

Both camera manufacturers make great cameras and lenses. So no matter what you choses youll enjoy it down the road. The only thing I would think about doing is getting a something to 200 or 300mm lens for shooting things further away. No matter what you like shooting a nice zoom lens is always handy dandy...so if you see a deer or something kinda far away you can get a picture.

 

[NateS]

Whoever said not to get a D90 because it is too much camera for a beginner.... I disagree completely.

A D90 (or D80) is going to be a lot more user friendly than a D40/D60 because of the ease of changing functions (like ISO, WB, etc...). As a beginner, people will have a hard enough time learning how to properly take photos and having to sift through a menu to change settings will add to frustration (it did to mine when I had a D40). Being able to change those settings with a dedicated button makes the D90 more beginner friendly than a D40 in my opinion.