nikon d40 - canon xsi question?

[wgp1987]

How about a used 30D? also a Canon great build quality from what I hear but more of a "professional" amateur level if you get what I am saying. its weather sealed and has a nicer case than the XSi and XS ones. IMO it would be a better choice.

are you referring to the 30d or 40d being more of a 'pro' amateur level with weather sealing and nicer case?

YES! i baught my 30d body from ADORAMA.COM .... well i was in the city and went into the store to get it. ONLY 600 .... wooo hooo! .... check out my photos to see what it can do!

 

[CW Jones]

How about a used 30D? also a Canon great build quality from what I hear but more of a "professional" amateur level if you get what I am saying. its weather sealed and has a nicer case than the XSi and XS ones. IMO it would be a better choice.

are you referring to the 30d or 40d being more of a 'pro' amateur level with weather sealing and nicer case?

well I believe they are both weather sealed correct? the 30d and 40d are more of the pro amateur rather than the XS or XSi. I mean if he is looking to stay in that price range... a new $900 40d is probably out of the question. they both seem (30d and 40d) similar, I mean obviously they have differences but we arent talking a 10d to a 50d here haha

correct me if I am wrong but they should both be weather sealed...

 

[CW Jones]

How about a used 30D? also a Canon great build quality from what I hear but more of a "professional" amateur level if you get what I am saying. its weather sealed and has a nicer case than the XSi and XS ones. IMO it would be a better choice.

are you referring to the 30d or 40d being more of a 'pro' amateur level with weather sealing and nicer case?

YES! i baught my 30d body from ADORAMA.COM .... well i was in the city and went into the store to get it. ONLY 600 .... wooo hooo! .... check out my photos to see what it can do!

I am just waiting on some birthday money, see if I can swing the 40d... if not its a 30d from adorama!

 

[photosoto]

ok, I'm more confused by my options now than when I began. I noticed on B&H camera website. I have an option of the Canon XSi w/18-55 lens for $699 or I can go with Nikon D40 w/18-55 and 55-200 for $699 PLUS a $50 rebate. The Nikon seems more appealing to me right now.

So what do guys think for my price range of $500-600ish max? Go for the Nikon w/2 lenses or maybe a used Canon 30d from eBay? I'm so disoriented from options

 

[PhotoXopher]

For what it's worth, I started with a D40 and to this day wish I still had it!

I went from the D40 to the D80 to gain Commander mode (control off camera speed lights).

I then went from the D80 to the D200 (can be had for $599 at Best Buy) to gain GPS capability (something I enjoy).

I wasn't happy with the low light performance (high ISO noise) so I returned it and got a Nikon D90 which I absolutely love.

In the end, the D40 definitely didn't limit my ability, in fact I had a long way to go before it was the camera that was the problem. Reality is that I'm a feature buff and I do enjoy Geocoding my photos, something I had to do manually in the past - now the GPS data is automatically encoded, the high ISO is also phenominally better, not to mention the Live View and video ability coming in very handy.

Anyway, I'm getting a little sidetracked... The D40 is and always will be an excellent starter camera or 2nd body to have around, it's just one of those cameras people fall in love with.

I will have another one some day.

 

[photosoto]

For what it's worth, I started with a D40 and to this day wish I still had it!

I went from the D40 to the D80 to gain Commander mode (control off camera speed lights).

I then went from the D80 to the D200 (can be had for $599 at Best Buy) to gain GPS capability (something I enjoy).

I wasn't happy with the low light performance (high ISO noise) so I returned it and got a Nikon D90 which I absolutely love.

In the end, the D40 definitely didn't limit my ability, in fact I had a long way to go before it was the camera that was the problem. Reality is that I'm a feature buff and I do enjoy Geocoding my photos, something I had to do manually in the past - now the GPS data is automatically encoded, the high ISO is also phenominally better, not to mention the Live View and video ability coming in very handy.

Anyway, I'm getting a little sidetracked... The D40 is and always will be an excellent starter camera or 2nd body to have around, it's just one of those cameras people fall in love with.

I will have another one some day.

So I take it you recommend the D40 for a beginner? opposed to moving on up to a little more expensive model?

 

[PhotoXopher]

Really depends on your budget.

The D40 is now discontinued but can be had for a great price. The D5000 that replaced it would be an even better choice but there again you could get the more advanced D90 for just a little more. It's easy to talk yourself up to the next model, what you really need to do is figure out what features you 'need' and go from there.

Main differences you'll see:
Number of focus points
Menu driven options vs dedicated buttons
High ISO performance
Commander mode for wireless off camera flash control of (SB600/SB800/SB900)
Front and rear command dials
Shots per second
External device support (GPS, shutter releases, etc)

There's more, but for me that's what I noticed the most.

You can pick up a D40 kit for about $350-$450, a D5000 kit will run about $800 and a D90 kit will run about $1200.

There are some options in between such as a D60, D70 and D80... I wish there was a clear 'this is the one' solution but there are so many variables and this is just the Nikon side of things.

As far as the D40 goes, it is more than capable and with some good glass in front of it you'll produce stunning images. Of course that goes with any camera really. If (when) I get another D40 I'll put my 35mm lens on it and call it a day... makes a great lightweight setup for family shots and around the house opportunities.

 

[wgp1987]

For what it's worth, I started with a D40 and to this day wish I still had it!

I went from the D40 to the D80 to gain Commander mode (control off camera speed lights).

I then went from the D80 to the D200 (can be had for $599 at Best Buy) to gain GPS capability (something I enjoy).

I wasn't happy with the low light performance (high ISO noise) so I returned it and got a Nikon D90 which I absolutely love.

In the end, the D40 definitely didn't limit my ability, in fact I had a long way to go before it was the camera that was the problem. Reality is that I'm a feature buff and I do enjoy Geocoding my photos, something I had to do manually in the past - now the GPS data is automatically encoded, the high ISO is also phenominally better, not to mention the Live View and video ability coming in very handy.

Anyway, I'm getting a little sidetracked... The D40 is and always will be an excellent starter camera or 2nd body to have around, it's just one of those cameras people fall in love with.

I will have another one some day.

So I take it you recommend the D40 for a beginner? opposed to moving on up to a little more expensive model?

ugh, i guess my comments are ignored. the d40 is great ..... buy a canon xs .... alll im saying

 

[photosoto]

For what it's worth, I started with a D40 and to this day wish I still had it!

I went from the D40 to the D80 to gain Commander mode (control off camera speed lights).

I then went from the D80 to the D200 (can be had for $599 at Best Buy) to gain GPS capability (something I enjoy).

I wasn't happy with the low light performance (high ISO noise) so I returned it and got a Nikon D90 which I absolutely love.

In the end, the D40 definitely didn't limit my ability, in fact I had a long way to go before it was the camera that was the problem. Reality is that I'm a feature buff and I do enjoy Geocoding my photos, something I had to do manually in the past - now the GPS data is automatically encoded, the high ISO is also phenominally better, not to mention the Live View and video ability coming in very handy.

Anyway, I'm getting a little sidetracked... The D40 is and always will be an excellent starter camera or 2nd body to have around, it's just one of those cameras people fall in love with.

I will have another one some day.

So I take it you recommend the D40 for a beginner? opposed to moving on up to a little more expensive model?

ugh, i guess my comments are ignored. the d40 is great ..... buy a canon xs .... alll im saying

why do you like the xs over say the xsi or xti? or d40?

 

[wgp1987]

So I take it you recommend the D40 for a beginner? opposed to moving on up to a little more expensive model?

ugh, i guess my comments are ignored. the d40 is great ..... buy a canon xs .... alll im saying

why do you like the xs over say the xsi or xti? or d40?

welllllll since you ask ..... for your first camera the xs will give you great quality and versatility without spendin the big bucks! the ONLY reason i would recomend for you to get the xsi is if your going to buy the 2 lens (18-55IS/55-250IS) kit that bhphotovideo.com is offering for $850 .... because in the future if you want a GOOD zoom lens or one that will give you decent results without a tripod when you buy the canon xs and later buy the 55-250IS you would have spent a total of 800. for an extra 50 you could have had the xsi. the xsi has only 4 factors over the xs. 12mp, 14bit processor that allows you to shoot in a higher resolution and be .5 fps faster (xs is 12 bit), 3" lcd (2.5" on xs), and a sensor above the screen so when you put your face up to the camera it turns the lcd off ... to keep a 3" screen blaring in your face and also saves battery for more shooting. ...... the nikon d40 to me is lame, it is a good camera tho. every factor of the xs is better from the mega pixels, the IS lens, the 7 point AF system, live view, i think the canon is faster too (1fps), and ability to do exposure bracketing .... a better camera, for an extra 100 ... but 100 well spent .... i could keep going? lol

 

[photosoto]

ok, these are two i'm considering. Again, these prices reflect my max budget, I'm a beginner, and I would like to have a stronger zoom lense as well. thoughts? I've also considered one lense 18-200 maybe but the options are mind boggling, so I thought the kit might be simpler.
thanks

Nikon | D40 SLR Digital Camera Kit with 18-55mm & | 9420

Canon | EOS Rebel XS (a.k.a. 1000D) SLR Digital Camera Kit | B&H

 

[PhotoXopher]

The 18-200 is a nice lens, but after using the 70-300VR I'm hooked!

Definitely find a place where you can hold each of the cameras you are interested in, that 'should' make the choice easy for you.

 

[musicaleCA]

I'll attest that the Canon 450D (XSi) is a wonderful camera to start with. I'd recommend getting the EF-S 17-85mm f/4-5.6 lens though, as it will afford you a little more flexibility and it's also better glass than the kit (though it has all the same problems as most wide-angle zoom lenses have, particularly barrel distortion at 17mm, but that can be roughly corrected in Photoshop). I'll also swear by the EF-S 55-250mm f/4-5.6 IS; it's a decent lens for the price. Cromatic abberation can get a bit nasty on it and it's a little soft at 250mm, but other than that, it's solid glass.

 

[wgp1987]

I'll attest that the Canon 450D (XSi) is a wonderful camera to start with. I'd recommend getting the EF-S 17-85mm f/4-5.6 lens though, as it will afford you a little more flexibility and it's also better glass than the kit (though it has all the same problems as most wide-angle zoom lenses have, particularly barrel distortion at 17mm, but that can be roughly corrected in Photoshop). I'll also swear by the EF-S 55-250mm f/4-5.6 IS; it's a decent lens for the price. Cromatic abberation can get a bit nasty on it and it's a little soft at 250mm, but other than that, it's solid glass.

actually the 18-55IS lens is supposed to be better glass than the 17-85IS ...... my canon rep told me this

 

[wgp1987]

ok, these are two i'm considering. Again, these prices reflect my max budget, I'm a beginner, and I would like to have a stronger zoom lense as well. thoughts? I've also considered one lense 18-200 maybe but the options are mind boggling, so I thought the kit might be simpler.
thanks

Nikon | D40 SLR Digital Camera Kit with 18-55mm & | 9420

Canon | EOS Rebel XS (a.k.a. 1000D) SLR Digital Camera Kit | B&H

those lenses dont have stabilizers so unless you are shooting in fantastic light or cranking you iso through the roof the xs will give you better results .... extra money in the long run .... that will be well spent. hope you are happy with whatever you get!