Looking for Nikon Digital SLR recommendations

[sk8ingmom]

Any thoughts?

I'm taking the digital plunge! I'm a pretty serious hobby photog - photojournalism major years ago in college, so I sorta know what I'm doing. I only gave up my totally manual old Nikon film SLR about 5 years ago. I love my N60, but I'm ready to enter the digital world now that decent quality digtal SLRs are becoming more "affordable". I want to stick with a Nikon that I can use my collection of lenses with instead of starting over.

Pretend I know nothing about buying a digital camera (OK, that's actually true!) What should I look for? Do you love your Nikon? What model do you have?

I'm sure there have been threads like this before, but you know how well Search works around here...

THANKS!

 

[RadioNate]

I'd start w/the d50 or d80. I ruled out the D70s because the d50 and d80 are newer models and have better high ISO performance.

I ultimately ended up with a canon but my decision ultimately came down to pretty subjective factors. I wanted the higher mexapixel count of the d80 because I do a lot of cropping and enlargements so that ruled out the d50 but I really liked the feel of the Canon XTi over the d80 so I went with the XTi.

 

[muphoto]

I have been using Nikons since the early 70s when I bought a used Nikon Photomic and have progressed through the F2, F3, F4 and F5 film cameras and the the D1 and D2 series as well as the D70. I currently use a D2x and a D2h.

If you want a serious camera the D2x would be the way to go, 12 megapixiels, up to 8fps and the images even on 1600 ISO are great. But it comes with a price, around $4500.

Next would be the D200, a good camera from the serious amateur or a good back-up body for the professional. I think it can be had for around $1600.

Nikon just introduced the D-80, I haven't used it, but from what I read it seems like a very good entry-level camera. I don't know the prices or the specs, but an internet search would turn all of that up.

These prices are for camera bodies only, but some of the cameras can be purchased as a kit with one or two lenses.

I have had very little problems with Nikons over the years and their lenses and support system are great.

Let me know if you have any other questions.
hayer@marshall.edu

 

[ukcatfan]

Do not forget the digital crop factor. Your existing lens collection might not contain one that you will consider wide enough. I believe that it is 1.5X for most Nikons unless they offer a full frame model (1.0X factor = full frame = $$$$). If you mostly shoot telephoto, this is an asset. Your 200mm now becomes a 300mm. Most kit lenses start at around 18mm for digital because of this. I doubt that this is a deal breaker for you, but you might need to spend more $ than just the body.

Kevin

 

[Groucho]

Most people seem to be very happy with their D50s. I'm not sure that there's a big, compelling reason to go any higher, unless there's some particular feature that the D50 lacks that you have to have that's worth the extra cost.

 

[handicap18]

I've been a Nikon user since the late 80's with an N6006 and then an N70. I currently use the D50. Great camera, excellent high ISO performance. It has just about everything the D70/D70s had except the extra command dial and a few other things.

The new D80 is getting very good reviews. Its basically the D200 dumbed down. The D200 is considered an entry level Professional camera. The D80 is a high end consumer camera and considering its features and built and quality it is priced pretty good at $999. Lenses, thats another whole ball of wax. All old Nikkor lenses will work, however, the older manual focus lenses wont meter.

A battery grip is optional on the D80 which the D50 doesn't have. High ISO performance is also very good on the D80.

As for flashes, really only the SB-600 and SB-800 will fully work with the Nikon digital SLR's. Older flashes wont give you all the features like full TTL and wireless and muli-flashes.

If I could afford it, I would definately upgrade to the D80, but the D50 is definately a great camera.

 

[sk8ingmom]

Wow, great info. Thanks everyone!

I just 'visited' the D50 & D80 at the store, I'm leaning towards D80. It is brand new and won't become outdated as quickly & is a bit smaller & lighter than the D50. I just need to figure out if it is really worth the extra $300.

Do not forget the digital crop factor.

Pretend I know nothing...can someone give me "digital crop factor for dummies" ??

 

[0bli0]

most digital camera sensors (the part which acts like film to capture the image) are smaller than a piece of 35mm film. although the focal length of the lens remains the same as a traditional 35mm camera, because the sensor is smaller, you have a smaller field of view of the image which travels through the lens. this 'cropping' of the image will give you the same field of view as a lens which is 1.5 bigger than it really is (in the case of the Nikons you're mentioning). i put together this image previously as a reference:

- the image within the black circle represents the image that goes through the lens
- the yellow lines represent a piece of 35mm film at the back of the camera. only the image that lands on the film is recorded
- the pink line represents a smaller digital camera sensor. you can see the difference of field of view between the two

so if the above image represents an image with a 50mm lens, and your camera body has a 1.5x crop factor, the field of view with the same lens is going to give you the same field of view as a 75mm lens.

 

[caniswolfie]

And someone correct me if I'm wrong. But I believe even some lenses marketed as Digital only (at least the EF-S Canon mount) still give 35mm film size focal lengths. So even a 100mm EF-S (with a body crop factor of 1.6x) will be equivalent to a 160mm lens on a 35mm film size sensor body camera.

I think this is done to make sure that the numbers are standardized and also there is no guarantee of the sensor size on the body and crop factor.

 

[0bli0]

tht's correct. lenses are still measured by focal length. the digital lenses simply have a smaller 'hole' at the back. if you look at this image compared to the image i posted above, you will see that the amount of image coming through the back of the lens does not fill the 35mm piece of film, but does fit the smaller digital sensor. the field of view is exactly the same on the sensor for the 'same focal length' lens example above.

and yes the crop on Canon is typically 1.6x (APS sized sensor) and on Nikon it's 1.5x. on a Canon 1d, it's only 1.3x.

 

[handicap18]

Oblio, excellent excellent explination. I really like the fact that you have the visual to illustrate the point. I think it makes it so much easier to understand. Thanks for the contribution.

 

[0bli0]

thanks - i hope it has helped the OP.
unfortunately, no lens will get rid of the ugly hill behind the castle in HK Disneyland...

 

[Master Mason]

thanks - i hope it has helped the OP.
unfortunately, no lens will get rid of the ugly hill behind the castle in HK Disneyland...

No that is what Photoshop is for Pretty blue sky instead of Green Hill??

 

[sk8ingmom]

Thanks everyone, especially 0bli0! The illustration really helped.

I currenty have a 19-35, 28-80, and 80-200 lenses. I think from this thread that I should be covered, but I will need to experiment because what I now consider to be my wide angle lense may become my default everyday lense.

How did they not ask themselves WWWD (What Would Walt Do?) and have that mountain removed before building the castle?

 

[DebºoºS]

Thank you OP for posting your questions. I'm still deciding myself. Really want to use my old manual Nikkor lenses. It would be a sin to just let them collect dust.

ObliO, your illustration helped quite a bit. Thank you for posting it again.
Really,"what would Walt say" about that mountain? Maybe it's going to be a park in the future?

Thank you all DISers who posted to this thread. Your responses were educational and insightful.
Still confused. I leave very soon for my next trip and have't decided what to do if anything. Just out of surgery & back at it. The quest continues for the right Nikon

 

[handicap18]

Thanks everyone, especially 0bli0! The illustration really helped.

I currenty have a 19-35, 28-80, and 80-200 lenses. I think from this thread that I should be covered, but I will need to experiment because what I now consider to be my wide angle lense may become my default everyday lense.

How did they not ask themselves WWWD (What Would Walt Do?) and have that mountain removed before building the castle?

That 80-200 is a very nice lens. Thats the f/2.8 correct? I have that one high on my list of future lenses. Hopefully in 2 years, after DW goes back to work I can stsrt working on gettin that one.

The 19-35 lens will give you the look of a 27-52mm. Not to bad, actually about average for digital.