D40 or D60?

pongerts

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Hello! i'm new here and new from photography. I just recently lost my Sony P&S digicam, and considered it a sign to move on to a dSLRs. I've always been interested with photography and getting a good dSLR is a my first step to becoming an amateur photographer.

My question is which would be better for me? A Nikon D40 or D60? These are the only available models which are in my spending bracket. To add to my question, which of the two would have compatibility when it comes to lens selection?

I do hope that you guys could help me. I'm really interested in gearing up with a new camera! :)

Thanks and I hope to post my first captures in this forum very soon.
:)
 
D60 if you can afford it... i have a D40 and love it but hey if you can afford the next step up then go for it!

as far as lens compatibility all new nikon lenses will fit on it ... there are other brands that make nikon mount lenses and they should work fine too...

welcome to tpf, looking forward to some photography from you soon!
 
I agree, the D60 is a more versatile camera BUT don't forget, the the camera body is only part of the equation. There are lenses, filters, perhaps a tripod to consider. Before you make a firm decision one way or the other, head down to your local camera store, play with both cameras and have the salesperson go over the features with you. As well, explain to him/her what sort(s) of photography you are interested in, and discuss accessories.

Remember, the camera is just a recording device; you'll be hard pressed to tell the difference between an image taken with a D40 and a D60, but you will be able to tell the difference between an image taken with a $75 third-party lens and a $1000 Nikon 'gold-ring' glass. Do you need the $1000 lens? Probably not, but you do need to be aware of your options.

Good luck - looking forward to seeing some of your images!
 
D40, I think the D60 is not worth the extra money, they still do not have the AF motor:( You might as well get the D80 or D40 if you are on a budget.
 
D40, I think the D60 is not worth the extra money, they still do not have the AF motor:( You might as well get the D80 or D40 if you are on a budget.

You're so easy to read. :lol:
 
I agree, the D60 is a more versatile camera BUT don't forget, the the camera body is only part of the equation. There are lenses, filters, perhaps a tripod to consider. Before you make a firm decision one way or the other, head down to your local camera store, play with both cameras and have the salesperson go over the features with you. As well, explain to him/her what sort(s) of photography you are interested in, and discuss accessories.

Remember, the camera is just a recording device; you'll be hard pressed to tell the difference between an image taken with a D40 and a D60, but you will be able to tell the difference between an image taken with a $75 third-party lens and a $1000 Nikon 'gold-ring' glass. Do you need the $1000 lens? Probably not, but you do need to be aware of your options.

Good luck - looking forward to seeing some of your images!

i have to agree. it's not just the camera or the lenses... there are alot of accessories that can go along...
 
I'd say go for the D40. Although the D60 has many more features and some more megapixels, there really isn't that much of a difference between the two. More pixels are nice, for sure, but I've printed many A4-sized photos from 2mp crops from my D40, and they look fine. Sensor cleaning is also a handy feature, but I can get the same results with a £5 rocket blower (you can even use those 99p mustard bottles if you're really short on cash :lol:). In my opinion, the D60 seems to have too many features that make you think "Now that would be REALLY helpful!" at the beginning, but in the end you could do without them. I'm not saying the D60 is an awful camera, though. They are both fantastic, and if you're already leaning towards the D60, go for it. I just think you should either get an entry level, but still phenomenally capable, D40, or go up to the D80, which is strictly a "big-boy's toy".

Also bear in mind that the camera body actually doesn't contribute that much to the image quality. Lenses, filters, and most importantly, your knowledge, take a fantastic photograph, not a fancy camera body.

Whatever you choose, I really hope you enjoy the camera. It's a big world out there.....
 
Truthfully, you cannot go wrong with either one. I personally went with the D60 because of the VR kit lens. I am just starting out so I don't already have a collection of tripods or monopods and I had a strict budget, so there was no room for extras like that.
 
Get the D40 and save for a Tamron 70-200 f/2.8.
 
I recently had the same debate when buying my dslr. The VR lens and the on board sensor cleaner look very appealing as do the extra megapixels but I decided to spend less and save towards more kit so I opted for the D40. I 've never missed the extra MP and my lens fund is looking healthier every week. I think I made the right decision.
 
thanks guys for your comments and advice. I'll be checking them out this week when i get my short leave from the office. I'll also be checking out available lenses that I can afford. Thanks again guys! I hope I hear more opinions from you. This site/forum is very very good!
 
Of your 2 options, the D60 is my choice. I'm going back to the US for xmas this year and although my current camera will only be 2 years old at that point, I "want" to upgrade to my first DSLR as well. My wife just doesn't understand that I've pretty much out grown my current camera, which only cost me $200 at the time and its been a great learning tool which was its soul purpose. I'll probably end up in divorce court over it too. $1000 is probably my limit at the moment mainly because I cant justify spending more than that because this is just a hobby (obsession maybe). The D40 is only 6mp and Im not about to replace my current 6mp with another. Makes no sense. So Im looking at a couple of options. The D60 and the 400D. Both at 10mp from memory and coming in under the budget and leaving room for another lense maybe. If the price is right, I may even go for the 450D (XSi). In the end, I want a camera that will perform in low light at ISO 800-1600 with minimal noise. Do both the D40 and 60 perform well at high ISO's?? How about the D40X??
 
My vote is for the D40. Put the money you save towards a better lens, you'll get a much bigger jump in image quality than going with a D60 with a few more pixels. Also, some say the D40 is a better camera. It has a better flash sync speed when shooting in daylight, it has a more sensitive sensor (due to there being less pixels crammed into the same space - which means less digital noise when shooting in low light), and did I mention it's cheaper? :)

The D40, D40x and D60 all have the same limitations with lenses: you can only autofocus with lenses that have the focus motor built into the lens. The D80 doesn't have this limitation, so it's worth considering making the jump to the D80. However, there are lots of lenses from Nikon and other companies that *will* autofocus on a D40/60, but they tend to be a bit more expensive and there are many older lenses and primes that will be manual focus only. In any case, these cameras all have slightly different pros and cons, but you can't really go wrong with any of them.
 
Im not a fan of either myself. But if you need to go less expensive go D40 and, use any extra money for better glass and, a nice flash to get started. The reason for me not liking them is no in body motor.
 

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