Help with upgrading...

[itsnumber4]

i have a nikon d40 and i am wanting to go to the d60, but i am wanting to make sure my lenses and everything will fit the d60 body before i spend the money, does anyone know how i can find out? i have the two lenses that came with the d40 and i am really trying to save money, by just buying the body of the d60 and i can just use the lenses i already have...

thanks

 

[Steph]

Everything (lenses and accessories) that works on the D40 will work on the D60. However, I doubt you will see an improvement in image quality, build quality and features when going from the D40 to the D60.

 

[itsnumber4]

Well, the only reason i am thinking about going to the d60 is the larger megapixels for print, other than that i do everything digital...

thanks though.

 

[Steph]

Well, the only reason i am thinking about going to the d60 is the larger megapixels for print, other than that i do everything digital...

thanks though.

Going from 6 MP (D40) to 10 MP (D60) and keeping the same quality (ppi=pixels per inch) won't increase your print size dramatically. Have a look here to see what I mean.

 

[Overread]

I don't know what kit you have but upgrading to higher range lenses will yeald a far bigger impovement to image quality then upgrading the body will. Top end lenses are sharp things - and if you have a sharp image you can enlarge it further

 

[turnbeaugh5]

I agree^^^. It really doesn't make much sense to go to a D60. You still have the problem with the non-auto focus on a lot of lenses. You can find good deals on a used D80 and improve your image quality through a larger selection of lenses that will auto focus.

 

[manaheim]

There are also endless threads on this forum where people will tell you that you can print with a 3MP camera up to like billboard size and get away with it (I'm exagerating, but... consider viewing distances and stuff... you really CAN make a big print out of a smaller image and have it "work").

An interesting example of this is ads at an airport- particularly Accenture ads. (I reference them because I used to work for them so they caught my eye) The ads all seemed to look perfectly fine to me until someone mentioned the concept of printing small images as big prints... and then I realized that the Accenture ads that I always thought looked great were actually made of HUGE DOTS... I never noticed... until I looked for it.

Extreme, but good, example.

 

[itsnumber4]

if i ended up getting the d80 would my lenses from the d40 work?

as you can tell im pretty new.

 

[chrisburke]

yes... if it fits on one nikon, it'll fit on the other.. apparently with a few exceptions... but anything that is on your d40 will work on d50, 60, 70, 80, 90, 3, 300, 200, etc...

 

[Dubious Drewski]

Everything that people have said here is true. And let me reitterate for you, itsnumber4, remember - the quality of your lens will affect your printing size MUCH more than megapixel count will. You should seriously consider getting a sharp lens before getting a new body just for the megapixels.

 

[outlandishogle]

i upgraded from a d40 to a 60 and i hated it. i liked the d40 way way wayyyyy better. now i have a 80 and it is awesome.

 

[Dubious Drewski]

I don't know how you could have hated the d60 over the d40. It's essentially the same camera, but with more megapixels, an internal focusing motor, self-cleaning, D-lighting, etc. Those are the only things different, as far as I know. So which one of those features made you hate the D60? hehe.

 

[manaheim]

I don't know how you could have hated the d60 over the d40. It's essentially the same camera, but with more megapixels, an internal focusing motor, self-cleaning, D-lighting, etc. Those are the only things different, as far as I know. So which one of those features made you hate the D60? hehe.

Actually the D60 doesn't have the focusing motor. The D50 does I believe.