help buying camera????? any ideas???

[doublew]

i have been takin pictures of a while for fun and did it in high school many years ago now wanting to take the next step and try to do a little more i have the d40 now can anyone tell me what they would buy...
thanks

 

[KmH]

i have been takin pictures of a while for fun and did it in high school many years ago now wanting to take the next step and try to do a little more i have the d40 now can anyone tell me what they would buy...
thanks

Given unlimited funds I would get a Nikon D3 (for sports) and a D3X (for studio) just before I get a Hasselblad H3DII Pro ($40,000) for landscapes. Oh, and some new glass for all 3 too.

 

[table1349]

Why do you think you need a new camera? What will the d40 not do that you want to do. I have found that a lot of times it is not the body that needs upgrading but rather the glass. More information would be helpful before providing any kind of advice.

 

[RONDAL]

why is this thread in this section of the forum is what i want to know

 

[bigtwinky]

because the OP doesn't know better?
did ya PM a mod to have it moved?

 

[Dao]

Why do you think you need a new camera? What will the d40 not do that you want to do. I have found that a lot of times it is not the body that needs upgrading but rather the glass. More information would be helpful before providing any kind of advice.

Yes, I will ask the same question.

 

[bdavis]

Go to a store, play with cameras, find one you like, buy that one.

 

[Overread]

Questions you need to ask yourself and stuff you need to tell us:

1) How much do you have and how much are you willing to save for. This is a key part and you have to take into account how keen you are and what level you want to take things to - we can't advise you on this really its something you have to workout for yourself

2) What is wrong at the moment with my photography. That is the second question - what exactly is it that your current gear won't let you do that you would like to be able to do. Do you find yourself always too short or too long for a shot, is lighting a problem, do you just want an overall quality upgrade in image?

3) What do you do - wildlife, sports, portrait, street, family -- what sort of work do you create and go after with the gear. This is another key question since it really helps to tailer your gear for you. Is there an area you would like to get into that you currently cant because of a gear based limitation

My personal advice and feeling from your post is that your using a D40 and probably the kit lens and maybe one other cheaper lens. I would honestly consider upgrading your lens before you camera body - a camera body jsut records the light that enters it - the lens controls that light and helps to define it - let bad light in and you can only get poor results - let better quality light in and you can get fantastic results even of a lower end DSLR like the D40. A better lens will give you a much bigger iincrease in overall quality of image and also enhance what you are able to do far more than a new camera body will.

Then there are other accessories to consider - a good flash and diffuser, tripods, reflectors, etc... all things that can really give you a boost to what you can do and get and not all cost a fortune.

 

[doublew]

well the reason it is in here is cause i thought i was asking people that might be able to point me to the right camera you know (beyond the basics) maybe i just need to find another forum (how rude) for the ones that are trying to help i have about 1000.00 to spend maybe another 500.00 for the right one and as far as the d40 i like it i just feel i need a little more i would like to do some studio work not so much out doors
thanks

 

[PhotoXopher]

Get your hands on a Nikon D90, you'll love it.

Video, live view, high ISO is great, fast, feels good in the hands, GPS support for geotagging, Commander Mode for off camera flash, etc, etc, etc... great camera but I'm a little biased

For what it's worth, I've also owned the D40, D80 and D200 - D90 is definitely my favorite.

 

[bdavis]

well the reason it is in here is cause i thought i was asking people that might be able to point me to the right camera you know (beyond the basics) maybe i just need to find another forum (how rude) for the ones that are trying to help i have about 1000.00 to spend maybe another 500.00 for the right one and as far as the d40 i like it i just feel i need a little more i would like to do some studio work not so much out doors
thanks

Well for one thing, we arent really being rude, its just annoying that everyone comes on and says "Help me buy a camera!" Do you have someone to hold your hand when you make other purchases? I realize that you are just wanting a good camera that is a step or two above the one you have now, but the only one who can really decide on what camera to get is you. Since you said you've shot photos before, you should know what to expect, what you want to shoot, and at least have a reasonable idea of what you need. That having been said, all we can do is point you in a good direction for your newest camera purchase.

I second N0YZE's suggestion, go for the D90. I was in the same predicament as you and had an older body I wanted to upgrade, I read some reviews, played with a few models, and really looked for a while before I decided on the D90...and I haven't regretted it since. It's an astonishing camera. It's built well, delivers great pictures, and fits within your budget.

I use this for my shoots and it hasn't let me down since. My advice would be to buy the body only and then research the lenses you want and work towards those too. That way you don't waste your money on the kit lenses they bundle with it when you are going to eventually move on to some better glass. Keep in mind that camera models will come and go, but good lenses will always be good lenses.

Now you have a starting point, go to a store near you and play with the D90, take some test shots, get comfortable with it and see if its a good fit for you. Good luck!

 

[sxesweets]

well the reason it is in here is cause i thought i was asking people that might be able to point me to the right camera you know (beyond the basics) maybe i just need to find another forum (how rude) for the ones that are trying to help i have about 1000.00 to spend maybe another 500.00 for the right one and as far as the d40 i like it i just feel i need a little more i would like to do some studio work not so much out doors
thanks

Most people (hopefully) when they join a forum have a look around the forum to get a feel for things/atmosphere/"protocol". This thread has gotten nowhere near rude in my opinion. Rude ones (imo) would be you getting jumped on for asking this without doing any research or giving people any idea of what you are looking for other than "more than my d40"
Try to help people out so that they can help you. There are probably bare minimum 3 new threads a day asking what camera. But I do understand your frustration, I spent a lot of time trying to figure out what camera was right for me. Look at it this way
I'm looking in my crystal ball and it tells me that the canon 20d is the right camera... no reasons really but I'm a perfect stranger and I think that it's the right camera for you. Not trying to sound rude/mean but do you see what I'm trying to get at? I have nothing to go on.

I've found that if you at least do part of the work like saying that you've done some research and I'm in between camera x and camera y. I like that they do this and that but not so keen on whatever... That type of post will give you generally good returns

Good luck in your search. I just chose a d90 based on that I wanted something from nikon ( have my eye on the d300 for the future) and was looking for a camera that had good high iso/low light performance among other factors. I knew I wanted to be able to photograph my daughter/ friends kids/ my dogs and some wildlife and landscape. I don't think I will ever use the video so that wasn't really even a factor

Anyways this got longer than I meant it to. It all comes down to what works for you and what you are comfortable with

 

[Dao]

well the reason it is in here is cause i thought i was asking people that might be able to point me to the right camera you know (beyond the basics) maybe i just need to find another forum (how rude) for the ones that are trying to help i have about 1000.00 to spend maybe another 500.00 for the right one and as far as the d40 i like it i just feel i need a little more i would like to do some studio work not so much out doors
thanks

Doublew, you may miss the very important point. As you said, you already have a Nikon D40, and want to do a little more. Then the real question is really is in what way your current camera cannot do what you like to do?

Are you not satisfy with the image quality?
Do you want the camera to capture video as well?
Are you planning to print the photos in large format such as poster size all the time?
You have some lenses that are not able to autofocus with the camera?
You want to do a certain type of photography but your current setup cannot do?
The current camera you have is just too small and don't fit too well in your hand?


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