D40, D40x or D60?

[Dantheman4334]

Which should I get for my mom for her birthday? She is of average ability, and wants to become better at photography. I am very hesitant with getting the D40, because she is very used to 7mp or higher, and I want her to have something that will still be pretty good years from now. Also, are the kit lens's good with these cameras?

Thank you

 

[nikonguy]

neither... find a used d80... the d60 is exactly the same as the d40/x except it has higher mp... dont let mp be the deciding factor for you though... the only reason you need anything higher than 6, is if your printing REALLY big photos.. (like bigger than 11x16)

 

[Turbo Wagon]

I have the d40x, got it used with a 3 year warranty, software, bag, 2gb card etc for under 400. love it so far. easy to use, but you can also put it in manual and dive into the settings and have some fun.

 

[adamwilliamking]

Ken Rockwell likes his!...

all jokes aside, any of those cameras would suffice, theres plenty of lenses for them these days, the kit lenses however are generally ****ty and pretty soft at F11 F16 etc. (to my liking). If you can, skip the kit lens and get her a prime and save for some nice mid range glass.

 

[Dwig]

... the d60 is exactly the same as the d40/x except it has higher mp...

Incorrect. The sensors are the same in the D60 and D40x. Its one place that the two are identical.

The D60 is generally the preferable of the two. It has several improvements over the D40/40x chassis including an internal sensor dust removal system. Also, the "kit" lens normally packaged with the D60 has VR (vibration reduction) and the one bundled with the D40x (and the current D40) does not. The only reason to consider the old discontinued D40x is when it has some significant price advantage and the D40 is not significanly less than a D40x. Otherwise, limit your choice to the D40 and D60.

Good deals on the old D80 might be a decent consideration. The body has some additional features (better AF, better viewfinder, ...), but its larger and heavier than a D60 and delivers no better image quality.

Most entry level users will not see any real advange with the 10.2mp of the D40x/60 sensor compared to the 6mp sensor in the D40. Only when you crop significantly and/or make prints larger than ~11x14" is the difference likely to show. The large APS-C sized 6mp sensor in the D40 will generally produce better image quality overall than the small fingernail sized sensors in a 7-10mp P&S camera.

 

[Dantheman4334]

okay then...It's either going to be the d60 or the d40x. Is the d80 really worth it? What are the major differences?

 

[ANDS!]

okay then...It's either going to be the d60 or the d40x. Is the d80 really worth it? What are the major differences?

When choosing lenses, you don't have to wonder whether it will autofocus or not. If she buys all DX lenses new, then she wont have a problem; if she wants some of the more fun lenses, then she might run into a problem. A 50MM F/1.8 is about 150 bucks now. The G variety (also F/1.4) that will autofocus on the D40/D60 is I believe 400 bucks.

If youre hung up on buying your sister something that is NEW, then you're kind of stuck (especially if price is an issue). If you want something with a bit of leg, look into a D80 or even a D50 used (a D50 will be SIGNIFICANTLY cheaper, and allow you to get her an awesome lens with the difference).

 

[czsmola]

= Is the d80 really worth it? What are the major differences?

Yes!! ... you use any Nikon mount lens on it... also if the functions are right between the Pro models and the Lower models.. if they want to get into it later and would buy a better camera down the road.. like a D300 and what you would need to learn is much less then with the D40...

I love my D80 and when ever I have a D40 put into my hands it seems like a point and shoot to me.. not a DSLR

 

[Katier]

None of the above.

D80 isn't a bad choice, neither is Pentax's K200D or k-m, both of which are cheaper than the D80 and at least as good ( well the K200D is, the k-m is lighter weight so easier to handle but not quite as good as either the K200D or the D80).

At this level Nikons tend to be a bit lightweight and very pricey for what they are.

Pentax's OTOH are much better quality and better priced but produce images that are at least as good, possibly better.