Looking to upgrade! need opinion

[Bram]

Hello TPF,

I am currently shooting with Nikon D40x and I have been looking to upgrade my body. I dont have alot of money since I am a student and still saving and making other payments as I go. I would consider myself above an amateur but not quite intermediate, I have a portfolio which i havn't posted anywhere yet unfortunately, but I am looking to take it to the next level, any input would be greatly appreciated.

Cheers! :cheers:

 

[iAstonish]

Could you be a bit more specific as to maybe what features you are looking to upgrade in your camera body or what your photo aspirations/interests are.

 

[Bram]

My apologies iAstonish, I just bought a flash so Portraits, I love taking sport pictures and landscapes, im starting night photography as well. I am looking for a very flexable body, something that can do almost everything.

 

[Robin Usagani]

your camera is fine. Spend more money on lens IMO. You dont have one fast lens on your list.

 

[Bram]

So Schwettylens, your saying to just buy faster lenses and leave my body be ? I have been looking at some lenses actually but that price range is huge and I dont know some of the differences between lenses so i guess a little more research is in store for me then. Thank you for your input.

 

[Robin Usagani]

IF you are doing a lot of portraits, 50mm prime f/1.8 OR f/1.4 are probably the best performance for the $$. Spend your money on that instead of a new body. You will be a lot happier. If you buy a new body, I guarantee your photos wont really improve.

 

[Bram]

Well i'm not doing thousands of portraits but I want to be able to capture that portrait of a person, change it to black and white and have that distinct message, like wow, it's hard to explain. What I found is this lens Lens & Shutter - Products
Now i'm just going by what you said it's a 50mm lens f/1.4, would that be what you were talking about?

 

[Robin Usagani]

I am not familiar with NIKON product but yes. The f/1.8 is probably significantly less. Also check out other brand like Sigma, Tokina, and Tamron. Also, try buying it USED.

 

[Bram]

Thank you Schwettylens, you just made my life a whole lot simpler. If anybody else has input it is always greatly appreciated.

 

[Robin Usagani]

Also, with large aperture you can really blur out the background which most of the time what you want when you do portraits.

 

[Bram]

I am not familiar with NIKON product but yes. The f/1.8 is probably significantly less. Also check out other brand like Sigma, Tokina, and Tamron. Also, try buying it USED.

Thank you, and just to verify since I am quite the newbie when it comes to the technical aspect of this, the lenses mentioned are all compatible with the nikon D40x correct ?

 

[iAstonish]

My apologies iAstonish, I just bought a flash so Portraits, I love taking sport pictures and landscapes, im starting night photography as well. I am looking for a very flexable body, something that can do almost everything.

I would recommend the Nikon d90. It's a great camera and would fit your needs. It has the same sensor as the more expensive d300. The d90 would be a great upgrade from your d40x, because you will get a better sensor, better high ISO capability, dedicated buttons for ISO, WB, a built in motor, and much more.

The d90 may be a bit slow in terms of frames per a second for sports compared to it's Canon counterparts (40d, 50d,) but it is a very highly regarded camera and can handle mostly anything you would be shooting.

Here is a link if you would like to read more. Nikon D90 Review: 1. Introduction: Digital Photography Review

Also look into getting some quality glass. The kit lenses are great to learn on, but for look into grabbing some primes, as they will be much cheaper than top quality zooms and will give you great results. I recommend the Nikon 50mm 1.8 to start with, which can be bought for $100-$110 new and even less used.

 

[iAstonish]

I am not familiar with NIKON product but yes. The f/1.8 is probably significantly less. Also check out other brand like Sigma, Tokina, and Tamron. Also, try buying it USED.

Thank you, and just to verify since I am quite the newbie when it comes to the technical aspect of this, the lenses mentioned are all compatible with the nikon D40x correct ?

Only lenses with built in auto focus motors will work with your d40x.

For nikon the lenses will either have "AF-S," Sigma lenses will have "HSM," and I'm not sure about Tokina or Tamron. Might want to look those up.

List of Nikon compatible lenses with integrated autofocus-motor - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

 

[kundalini]

I am currently shooting with Nikon D40x and I have been looking to upgrade my body. I dont have alot of money since I am a student and still saving and making other payments as I go.

You've answered your own question. Stretch the legs of the D40 until you can comfortably afford to purchase what you need. Start a GAS (Gear Acquisition Syndrone) account and deposit your spare nickles and dimes in there.

This is an expensive hobby to get to the level your excitement wants. Take it slow and learn all the other aspects before you go out and willy-nilly spend cash because you think it will deliver better pictures. It won't. There are a slew of techinques, understanding and knowledge that require your attention first.

 

[Bram]

Thank you so much iAstonish for your input and greatly detailed advice, I will definately read up more on the D90 and also check up on the compatibility of my D40x with other brands.