Ack! Help me choose, need opinions!

[Twoboysnmygirl]

I keep going back and forth and it's driving me nuts.

I'm a noob to DSLR and excited to learn. I'm on a tight budget, so I'm looking at the Nikon D40 or the D60. I was set on the D60 just an hour ago (it's only about 100$ more than the D40) and then read Rockwell's site and he said that it's a waste of money and the pictures on the D60 might actually be blurrier b/c of shutter speed and more pixels? This is like Japanese for me, but I can't learn more until I get my hands on the darn camera and start shooting!

So, now I'm considering getting a D40 with the 18-55mm AND the 50-200mm (this will really push my budget to the limit) but I'm concerned b/c the D60 has a stabilizer that might help with my amateur shaky hands when starting out and the D40 doesn't have this feature.

What do you think???

 

[YesDear]

Let me be the first to say that you should NOT base your decision on Mr. Rockwell's opinion. I will not start that conversation again but suffice it to say, his opinion is not very well thought of by many many people.

There are many owners on this board of a D40 and D60. They will help you.

Please do not decide based on what Ken says!

 

[ukcatfan]

First things first. Get away from Rockwell's site and never go back. He is a quack and delusionally full of himself. Nothing against Nikon at all, but if you based any of your decision to go with them on his opinions, then I suggest starting over.

If IS is really important to you, then why are you not considering Pentax, Sony, and Olympus that have IS built in the body?

 

[Angrypenguin]

I'll third the sentiment of staying away from Ken Rockwell as well.

And, since I'm a canon guy, have you thought about canon? With the rebates going on right now, you can get the rebel xsi kit with 18-55 IS and the 55-250 IS for around 750 total, which is a great deal.

Have you played with and held all the different brands? The feel of the camera and how you feel overall about a company's system (lenses, flashes, etc) should weigh a lot into you're system as well. If you haven't already, head over to dpreview.com or pcphotomag.com and read up on the reviews for the dslrs you might be interested in. If you're just starting out, you should explore all options (canon, nikon, pentax, olympus, sony) before deciding.

Good luck!

 

[Twoboysnmygirl]

Thank you!

I wasn't basing my decision on Mr. Rockwell, just came across his site yesterday and it made me second guess. I chose Nikon from what I read about lense quality and price was a big factor too. The top of my budget is $600 and I've read lots of great things about Nikon's D40 & D60, which are both in my price range. The small size and weight seems appealing to me also. I will be able to upgrade lenses eventually, but want to make sure I'm getting a good base to start with.

I've been using a Canon powershot P&S for years and thought I might like to get away from Canon and try something different.

I appreciate the other website suggestions, I have been reading lots of Amazon reviews but need some different perspective!

 

[bob100]

looks like Ken Rockwell claimed another victim! (almost)
do yourself a favor, look at the other camera models and consider saving a little more (or look at other packages) there are other reviews and recommendations out there

 

[Twoboysnmygirl]

I had never even heard of him until I started reading here at the DIS and someone suggested the site. I'm not one to take just one person's opinion and run with it, luckily!

 

[YesDear]

Wise decision Grasshopper!

I have been a Nikon owner for over 35 yrs. I have enjoyed the fact that the lenses I have for my old trusty F2 are still usable on my D300. That aside there are many good digital camera brands out there. If you have decided that Nikon is the one for you then, my next step would be to buy the best technology body I can afford. That will mean you can have something that will keep up longer.

I am amazed how excited I was at my first digital camera. at over $700 it had 3mp and we all were in awe. From a D70, to a D200, to a D300 in just a few short years, the improvement is astounding in tools and sensor qualilty. I am sure an FX camera is in my future! (Don't tell my DW!)

All that being said, after you get the body, I would get a good kit lens with it. You decide. If you get into photography the desire for better glass will grab you quickly then the real fun begins. I have gone from one lens three years ago to 6 I think and the list of wants is growing.

I do believe that Nikon has one of the better collections of glass for every price range. Talking types not quality for you photo geeks out there! Then of course you have sigma and other brands as well.

One thing most will not talk about is there a very strong secondary market for Nikon stuff. I can probably sell most of my glass at very close to what I paid for it.

So that is one person's opinion. If that opinion is valid then the D60 would be the one for you to start with. There are limitations with both of those cameras as to which lens work best, but as in life, there are always trade offs.

Welcome to the world of Nikon unless someone talks you out of it, and NAS Nikon Aquisition Syndrome is just around the corner!

 

[annnewjerz]

I would agree with most others in saying to take Ken Rockwell with a grain of salt. That being said, I think I would also go with the D40. I had the D60 up until the beginning of this year and loved it while I had it. It was my first dSLR and it served me well for the time I had it.

For your price range, if you are going to get a Nikon, I think you should go with the D40 for a few reasons (but only if $600 if your max budget for at least the near future and you definitely have to buy one now, rather than save for a better body and buy one later):

1. The differences between the D40 and D60 probably don't justify the price difference unless you have the extra money to throw around.

2. While the D60 kit lens is better because it has VR, I don't think it's really necessary to have VR on the kit lens because it only goes up to 55mm.

3. With just the kit lens, you will probably find yourself looking for something with a little more reach in a very short time. I know that coming from a p&s I was a little underwhelmed in the lack of "zoom" that the kit lens provided.

4. The D40 gets great reviews, produces great photos and there are lots of people on here that have had their D40 for a few years and love it. A few off the top of my head would be wenrob, spinetnglr and ssanders.

If you are going to get the D40 and have $600 to work with, I would get the kit from the following link. B&H is a very reputable company and the kit includes the 18-55 kit lens, the 55-200 VR and free shipping, with the total package being $600. You may see other offers of a similar package for the same price, but more than likely the 55-200 will not have VR and while you can get away without VR, it really is helpful at longer focal lengths.

If you can add NIkon's 35mm f/1.8 AF-S sometime in the next few months for just under $200---I think that would be a really nice kit, from one noob to another.

Here is the link.

http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/532253-REG/Nikon__D40_SLR_Digital_Camera.html

Good luck and happy shopping!
Ann

 

[Twoboysnmygirl]

Thank you! Here's where I'm stuck at this point...

I can get the D40 with kit lens (18-55mm) AND the 55-200mm VR lens for 600$.

OR I can get the D60 with just the 18-55mm VR lens for 540$

I do know that down the road if I decide to get more serious (read: picky! LOL), I will get a newer Nikon and pass this on to my teenage sons or my daughter. I want to make sure I'm getting a bang for my buck right now though, but also that I'm able to learn with this first DSLR I purchase and get good quality photos.

I'm not asking too much, right?!

Here's a question that shows what a noob I am with understanding lenses...will a 18-55mm lens be good enough to take a wide range of pics? Can I zoom and get a good picture of the castle or fireworks? (it ALWAYS comes back to Disney somehow!)

 

[Twoboysnmygirl]

annnewjerz, we were posting at the same time and you answered my question! The price at B&H is identical to Amazon (through Adorama) and this is what I'm leaning towards. Does anyone know if this comes with ANYTHING else but the camera and 2 lenses? It doesn't mention at either place, which leads me to believe I will need to get my own strap, USB, etc. I already have a SD card.

 

[annnewjerz]

annnewjerz, we were posting at the same time and you answered my question! The price at B&H is identical to Amazon (through Adorama) and this is what I'm leaning towards. Does anyone know if this comes with ANYTHING else but the camera and 2 lenses? It doesn't mention at either place, which leads me to believe I will need to get my own strap, USB, etc. I already have a SD card.

I can't find the kit on Amazon, but my best guess would be that it includes all of the aforementioned accessories (i.e. strap, charger, battery, etc.). When I purchased my D60 with 18-55, it came with the strap, etc. and when I purchased the D90 body only, it came with the same things (strap, battery, charger).

Neither of them come with SD cards (you mentioned you had one---but trust me, you will need more than one unless you have a very large capacity card)---so you may want to look into purchasing a few more. A lot of times if you purchase Sandisk cards through Adorama, they have a rebate going for the Extreme III cards. You spend well over $100 for 3 of them outright, but the rebate is usually $60 or so, making each card $15 which is a steal considering they usually sell for about $35. Definitely something to look into.

 

[jenseib]

Do you have a Costco near you? I have read MANY people buying the D60 there with TWO lenses for VERY cheap.