Camera Confusion

HappySnap · Jul 20, 2008

Hi,

I am still in the confusion of trying to choose a slr to suit me and my budget and I am torn between the nikon d40 (seems a good camera for the price though it seems are restricted when it comes to lense?) and now the Olympus E510. Never had an olympus before, so I have no idea if they are good or user friendly.

I have read review after review and they all say something slight different. The Nikon D40 seems to get great reviews but the only let down is the lenses and the AF being a bit slow. The E510 seems to get good reviews but in some they say that even at ISO 400 noise is apparent...??? I am just so confused as to what to buy.

Any help would be appreciated!!

Nik

Hobbes · Jul 20, 2008

hmm ever considered EOS 400D/Rebel XTI? it shouldn't cost much more than Nikon D40 and from what I have heard its so much better

a short comparison between XTI and D40X:
http://www.dpnotes.com/canon-eos-400d-digital-rebel-xti-vs-nikon-d40x/

HappySnap · Jul 20, 2008

Hobbes said:
hmm ever considered EOS 400D/Rebel XTI? it shouldn't cost much more than Nikon D40 and from what I have heard its so much better

a short comparison between XTI and D40X:
http://www.dpnotes.com/canon-eos-400d-digital-rebel-xti-vs-nikon-d40x/

Sounds stupid but I have already owned that camera. I had to sell it for several reasons and now I just cant afford the cost of it. For the same cost of the 400d i could buy the nikon d40 with 2 lenses.

prodigy2k7 · Jul 20, 2008

A excellent entry level DSLR is the Canon Rebel XTi as mentioned above. If you cannot afford the body with money to spare for 1 cheap lens. I don't recommend getting a DSLR IMHO. You should save your money.

amba · Jul 21, 2008

The D40 is a excellent camera. This isn't only my opinion, Ken Rockwell says so (we all know he sold his soul to the D40, but that's OK, I still trust his judgement on this one..)

I own a D70 which I really like, I actually considered buying a D40, the only reason I am not doing so is that I have an older Nikkor 35mm f/2.0 AF lens with no built in motor, I use that lens very often and the D40 does not support motorless lenses AF, only ones with built in AFS motor.

As first camera I don't think the D40 is significantly (any?) "better" than Oly, but your upgrade options will be much broader once you start a Nikon system, compared to any SLR system that isn't Nikon or Canon.

reg · Jul 21, 2008

Amba, I think you would be shocked with Pentax's "upgrade options".

HappySnap · Jul 21, 2008

prodigy2k7 said:
A excellent entry level DSLR is the Canon Rebel XTi as mentioned above. If you cannot afford the body with money to spare for 1 cheap lens. I don't recommend getting a DSLR IMHO. You should save your money.

I dont think that is true - as i said i already owned the 400d and i wasnt overly impressed so i dont see why going to a different slr is a bad thing?!

You have to sometimes work within a budget and at this present time for the money the d40 looks good - IMO.

Bifurcator · Jul 21, 2008

HappySnap said:
I dont think that is true ...

I agree with you! It's not true at all!

I understand what he might be trying to say about quality and all but it's a misspoken way of saying it imho.

The E510 is very ergonomic and user friendly. Most dSLRs are. Companies that traditionally have a lower sales volume I think focus extra hard generally speaking, on being just a little nicer in exactly such ares as simplified and common-sensical menu layout and overall navigation as well as button/dial placement and functionality.

Of course you can see the body in any of the reviews or go to the local shop and hold it for an hour or so to confirm that.

It has a built in dual-mode IS system ("SWD") so lenses don't need to incorporate it and it's superior to Nikon's and Canon's system in my opinion. Far superior.
It's a 10MP MOS (10.9 total) with live mode so the sensor part is looking very cool!
it has both 3rd party and manufacturer good and cheap lenses available for it. Here's just the ZUIKO ones:
- Professional lenses:
  ZUIKO DIGITAL ED 7-14mm (14-28mm) 1:4.0
  ZUIKO DIGITAL ED 35-100mm (70-200mm) 1:2.0
  ZUIKO DIGITAL ED 90-250mm (180-500mm) 1:2.8
  ZUIKO DIGITAL ED 150mm (300mm) 1:2.0
  ZUIKO DIGITAL ED 300mm (600mm) 1:2.8
- Pro-sumer lenses:
  ZUIKO DIGITAL 11-22mm (22-44mm) 1:2.8-3.5
  ZUIKO DIGITAL 14-54mm (28-108mm) 1:2.8-3.5
  ZUIKO DIGITAL ED 50-200mm (100-400mm) 1:2.8-3.5
  ZUIKO DIGITAL ED 8mm (16mm) 1:3.5 Fisheye
  ZUIKO DIGITAL ED 50mm (100mm) 1:2.0 Macro
- Consumer lenses:
  ZUIKO DIGITAL ED 14-42mm (28-84mm) 1:3.5-5.6
  ZUIKO DIGITAL 14-45mm (28-90mm) 1:3.5-5.6
  ZUIKO DIGITAL ED 18-180mm (36-360mm) 1:3.5-6.3
  ZUIKO DIGITAL 40-150mm (80-300mm) 1:3.5-4.5
  ZUIKO DIGITAL ED 40-150mm (80-300mm) 1:4.0-5.6 (pancake)
  ZUIKO DIGITAL 35mm Macro (70mm) 1:3.5
  
  Among others!
It uses sonics for sensor cleaning (not the hedgehog!)
it has an AA (Anti Alias) LP filter that is unique to it - which is good!

And you can look at the sample images for yourself to determine if the noise is too bad for you. I guess it's not as good as the Nikon D700 or the D3 but what does the E510 sell for these days? $450 or something like that? As opposed to $2,500 and up?

I can tell you one thing - My camera has about a bazillion times more noise than the E510 and you can look at my photos in the link below.

- Enjoy!

Bifurcator · Jul 21, 2008

BTW, I'm not saying you should get that camera or not... that's 100% your decision. I'm just saying that it's a good system. VERY worthy ESPECIALLY given it's price tag!

johncliff · Jul 23, 2008

Im am currently looking at investing in a bridge camera and I am very confused at which makes and models are any good.
My price range is between £100-200 and I will be using it for wildlife, sports, and scenic shots.
I may want to print some of the pictures in A4 to display around the house.
The models I was looking at was the Fujifilm s1000fd or Fujifilm s8000fd, which is the better one out of the 2 models named?
Also is there anything else on the market that is better for the same price range?
I will be investing in a tripod also for when i will be using the zoom etc.

I want to start learning more about photography without investing in a DSLR.

johncliff
Aquarium supplies

prodigy2k7 · Jul 23, 2008

You get what you pay for...

sburatorul · Jul 24, 2008

The link bifurcator provided isn't relevant as all photos are at 100 iso so of course they are not noisy. look on dpreview.com for reviews and noise tests.

HappySnap · Jul 24, 2008

sburatorul said:
The link bifurcator provided isn't relevant as all photos are at 100 iso so of course they are not noisy. look on dpreview.com for reviews and noise tests.

Yeah I did read the dp review for the d40 - always do. They end with:

"So the D40 has some shortcomings, over and above it's lack of an internal AF motor there were a few annoyances; I didn't like the fact that when I shot RAW+JPEG I was only getting Basic quality JPEG's, I didn't like that there wasn't a dedicated ISO or WB button (already) on the camera (you can program the Fn button but I would have thought it more logical to use the four-way controller on the rear from day one) and as with most recent digital SLRs automatic white balance was something you should really only use in natural light. Other things which will be of less importance to D40 owners are the lack of bracketing, depth-of-field preview and fixed exposure steps.
In everyday use the D40 is just what it set out to be, a very capable, compact, lightweight and easy to use camera which makes a perfect first step for anyone wanting to get into digital SLR photography. It provides enough control and a large enough range of manual settings to enable you to experiment and learn but also helps you to take great pictures in the process. It's one of those cameras you can just pick up and start shooting without fuss, that you can hand to a friend who's never used an SLR and know they'll be able to do the same. All of this and a pretty decent kit lens for $600, I'd say it's a bit of a bargain - Highly Recommended"

reg · Jul 24, 2008

HappySnap said:
Highly Recommended"

E-510 is Highly Recommended too... So is just about every other DSLR on dpreview.

HappySnap · Jul 24, 2008

reg said:
E-510 is Highly Recommended too... So is just about every other DSLR on dpreview.

Not always - I have seen some bad reviews on there and they are quite picky too in some of the 'bad' points they raise. Though I think for my budget and my experience the nikon d40 isnt a bad place for me to start.:thumbup: