I made my choice

[VaE39]

I'm new in photograph (had a few point & shoots here and there) and I was looking for an entry level D-SLR. I was torn between Canon Rebel xt and Nikon D40. They both have the capability of amazing pictures. For some reason I tend to see many amazing shots with the Canon. Then came the whole internal af debate. And it came down to the feel of the camera. I fell in love with the Nikon. It just felt better in my hands and besides my family has a few Nikon SLRs here and there so why not stay in the family. I plan on ordering the Nikon D40 lens kit soon and I can't wait to learn. I've been doing a lot of research on just the art of photography in general. I want to do a lot of scenery and portraits. I love portraits, just the way they capture emotions. Do you guys have any tips for portraits?

 

[ANDS!]

Hmmm - well so long as you like it.

Why was the D80 taken off the table. And no prime lenses - that would have been enough for me to say no thank you. Most will say they use primes to take portraits (faster in those light settings and overall very sharp pieces of inexpensive glass).

 

[VaE39]

Well the Canon was nice, but I fell for the Nikon. The D80 and 40x were taken off the list b/c of the price. Right now, all I want is to learn. I love photography but I didn't want to invest into something and not keep going with it. So to be safe I just wanted to get the basic entry level for my first camera. It should take me awhile to grow out of it since I'm a complete beginner. I mean, complete. All I know is that I love photography and I want to get into it while I still can. So for now, I'm learning the bare basics before I even get the camera. Once I do I'll start from there

 

[ANDS!]

I think you'll be suprised at how quick you want to "upgrade" - heh, I know I was.

 

[Garbz]

I suggest against it if possible. Especially if you like portraits. As mentioned above a favourite for portraits are Prime lenses. They are ludicrously cheap, sharp and offer features essential to portraits which zoom lenses don't offer. The problem is that All Nikon's Prime lenses are AF and not AF-S and thus autofocus will not work with the D40, and you can forget manual focus too.

I would strongly considering delaying the upgrade a bit more. Especially if you love portraits the following would be similar in price: Nikon D40 + 18-70mm AF-S, or the Nikon D80 + 50mm f/1.8 AF. Or a Nikon D80 + a second hand 28-105mm f/3.5-5.6.

Having the all important autofocus motor opens up massive potential savings in the second hand lens market, where as the cheaper D40/x body will not even allow you to fully appreciate current lenses. Also you said your family has Nikon SLRs, so why not get one that supports the full range of lenses the rest of the family has.

If I were stuck in a financial crisis but NEEDED a camera, then I would strongly consider going the Canon, or Pentax, or Sony Alpha, or Olympus Evolt series instead.

 

[Sw1tchFX]

Finance it, or look for the D50, or D70s.

 

[VaE39]

Thanks for the advice everyone. You guys make sense in what you are saying. Why not save up for a body that can actually utilize lenses that I want? Basically my logic to wanting the D40 was to use it just to start off. I would feel like I would be "disgracing" the D80 by not doing it justice with beginner pictures. But thanks to your help, why not save once and use a body that can support better lenses instead of buying now, then saving up again just to buy a different body? Does anyone have a recommendation on a cheap/trustworthy site or user on ebay? Thanks again

P.s which would be the best for my needs so far the D80 or getting a D50 or 70

 

[kundalini]

This is my first post. Hey everybody! I just wanted to add my two cents worth to VaE39's delima. After a lot of reading reviews and knowing where I was heading with my photography, I knew I had to go digital. I own a Canon EOS (my third film SLR) so my debate was to go with Canon again because of the lenses already at hand or to go with what I have wanted for the last 30 years...a Nikon. Do all the reasearch you can, but trust what the others are saying about the D80. Don't be afraid of it. Pet it and rub it and make it your friend. You might be brand new to photography but I'm brand new to digital. So as I see it, we're standing on the same spot. If you're that enthusiastic about shooting you will find a way to get the better camera

Cheers.....

 

[ANDS!]

I would feel like I would be "disgracing" the D80 by not doing it justice with beginner pictures.

The D80 is not that much camera. The thing operates the exact same way as the D50 does, and that was most definitely an entry level dSLR. There are more features and utility on the machine definitely over the D40 - but you wouldn't even need to get into it, if you didn't want to. At the end of the day, with a lens attached, the thing still points at a subject, fires and takes a picture.

 

[VaE39]

Thanks. I was searching on ebay and I found a seller that looks pretty trustworthy. It comes with a bunch of packages. http://search.stores.ebay.com/J-K-C...QQfclZ4QQfsnZJQQftsZ2QQsaselZ57768487QQsofpZ0


I was looking specifically at this..
http://cgi.ebay.com/Nikon-D80-Digit...061257QQihZ018QQcategoryZ147174QQcmdZViewItem
what do you think?

 

[Jon, The Elder]

VaE39.....one of the worst reationales I can think of is to buy a "beginners" camera and lenses. If you have half a brain and really get into photography, in ninety days you are starting to complain about what the camera doesn't do for you and the cheap lens you bought is 'soft' and unreliable.

If you invest in a more sophisticated camera body, it doesn't mean you have to use all the features at once.

It is not like a tricycle then a small bicycle and then a mountain bike.

 

[spyder]

i had a d50 and bought a d80(actually 5 d80's) recently. like people already mentioned the d40 limits your lense choice alot. i use the 50mm 1.8 alot. i also love the nikon feel compared to the canon. the d80 with the 1.8 is a great portrait camera. the d50 is also a great camera but they dont sell it anymore.

 

[Christina]

Im fairly new into photography and when i decided my sony cybershot wasnt getting my anywhere i wanted to be i decided to upgrade to the canon xt, its a bit to learn, but im also very happy and excited to learn it.
If your more at ease with what your chosing then go for it. but just my silly 2cents, I went for the canon and loved it.

 

[VaE39]

Thanks for the replies. I'll try not to be intimidated by the camera haha. But now I'm shopping around for the best deal. I found the ebay store but I don't know how reliable it is. Any comments on that?

 

[ryyback]

Thanks for the replies. I'll try not to be intimidated by the camera haha. But now I'm shopping around for the best deal. I found the ebay store but I don't know how reliable it is. Any comments on that?

Always watch the 'FEEDBACK' on eBay.
I've heard some sellers sell black market stuff-
I was watching ebay as well for a Canon XTi, and last week I got mine at Future Shop, for a way better deal than ebay could do-