Nikon D40: Please help

[2Tiggies]

Okay, I am willing to risk a bit of ridicule on here. I have been looking at getting a DSLR for some time now but ended up reading so many reviews that I had to go back to the drawing board. Today I put in a bid on eBay and now own a Nikon D40. It never once occurred to me that I would get the winning bid as I have been watching them for some time and they are all WAY out of my price range. It comes with the standard kit lens (18-55). My only challenge is that I leave for Disney in under a month and obviously want to use it for some photos when there. It will not be the only camera I am taking as I am very familiar and not at all unhappy with my little Kodak ZD710.

So here are my questions:

Given that I am an absolute novice and will probably (to be realistic) be using it on auto most or all of the time, is it worth investing in another lens right now before I go? If so, what would be one or two ideal suggestions for a lens to consider? I am torn because I will not be at the stage of familiarity with the camera to get the most out of it, so it may make sense to do it without the pressure when I get back. That said, I know I will be adding some lenses anyway so aside from taking something extra with me that may not be used much, it will ultimately be used.

Next question: Does anyone know what the ENEL9 battery life is like? Would it be wise to invest in a spare? They are not that expensive, but I don't know if it will be necessary. I have tried to search for approximate charging time but can't come up with anything specific. The camera is used and is 2 years old if that makes any difference.

I appreciate all and any help.

 

[ssanders79]

The battery can last quite a long time if you are not using the pop up flash. You can get a jump start by downloading the PDF user manual from Nikon's website.

 

[Twoboysnmygirl]

I'm not sure since my camera was new, but I've had it almost a year and a half and the battery lasts a very long time. I didn't bring a spare to WDW, took over 3500 pics during the week and only ran out the first day when I had forgotten to charge it the night before (but it didn't run our until the end of that 2nd day). It should be fine if you are charging it each night.

I'm unsure of what to tell you about the lens, I don't love my 18-55, so I don't use it often. I rented a 18-200 for our WDW trip b/c I hadn't had my camera that long and wanted a walk-around lens. It was really nice, but if I went again, I would also have brought my 35 (I didn't have it at the time) so I could get some better low-light shots.

Congrats on the D40, mine has been a great camera for me, easy to learn on! You'll get some great shots even in auto mode, but try playing around with AP mode before going and maybe that will give you a little more freedom with your shots!

 

[2Tiggies]

Thank you so much. I really appreciate your comments and advice. I have spent the last few hours half regretting my purchase. I love that it is an easy transition to a DSLR. I am slightly concerned about camera shake as I remembered only after purchase that the one drawback with the Nikons is the image stablilizer being in the lens not the camera. Had a look at some V|R lenses and they are way over my budget at this point, having just bought the camera. I am thinking of a 55-200 lens. Generally the kit lens is not a favorite of most so I know I will need to look at that at some stage. But then that goes for most any DSLR I guess.

Hopefully I will still get some nice shots and get a good opportunity to find my way around it on our quieter days as I will have my trusty old familiar camera with me too.

 

[2Tiggies]

The battery can last quite a long time if you are not using the pop up flash. You can get a jump start by downloading the PDF user manual from Nikon's website.

Aaah, good idea! Thanks

 

[PreludeVTEC01]

I have owned the D40 for about a year now and love it. It is the best novice camera out there, imo. You will be able to take great pictures in the auto mode. The kit lens is great and will produce some amazing photos. The battery will last for quite awhile.

Enjoy your camera!!

 

[disneyboy2003]

Thank you so much. I really appreciate your comments and advice. I have spent the last few hours half regretting my purchase.

Have you paid your eBay seller yet? One of the great things about eBay (from a buyer's perspective) is that you don't have to go through with the transaction, EVEN if you won the item! eBay changed their feedback policies so that buyers will NEVER receive negative feedback! Even if you never pay your seller, your seller can't leave you negative feedback. The only consequence you'll suffer would be a "brush on the wrist" (ie. not even a slap on the wrist) from eBay.

I used to sell on eBay. But once they changed their policies to heavily-favor buyers, I feel like my hands are always tied, and I get scammed a lot from buyers and "deadbeat" buyers.

But for a buyer, I'd say take advantage of this. If you're not happy with your purchase, then don't pay for it. There are probably lots of other eBay dSLR deals to be had this Labor Day weekend, especially if people aren't bidding during this long weekend, the auction prices should be low!

I am slightly concerned about camera shake as I remembered only after purchase that the one drawback with the Nikons is the image stablilizer being in the lens not the camera. Had a look at some V|R lenses and they are way over my budget at this point, having just bought the camera.

Canon and Nikon are the only camera manufacturers that have image stabilization (IS) in the lenses. All the other dSLR camera manufacturers have IS in the body of the cameras, which essentially makes ALL lenses image stabilized.

There's a HUGE debate about whether one is better than the other. But in the end, image stabilization works pretty well (and, probably, equally well), regardless of whether it's in the lens or in the camera body.

One good thing about having image stabilization in the lens is that you can actually SEE the effects of image stabilization when you look through the viewfinder. As you hold the camera up and look through the viewfinder, you can see that the image is not as shaky.

On the other hand, for cameras with in-body image stabilization, you can't see the image stabilization taking effect. When you look through the viewfinder, you'll see a shaky image (depending on how steady you hold your camera). But it's only when you view the photo later on, you'll see that the image was in fact stabilized by the camera. So, in a way, you're crossing your fingers, hoping that the photo you took was actually image-stabilized, since you didn't actually see it stabilized in the viewfinder.

Just some thoughts on image stabilization. There's no right or wrong answer.

Hopefully I will still get some nice shots and get a good opportunity to find my way around it on our quieter days as I will have my trusty old familiar camera with me too.

I think even on Auto mode (or "P" for Program mode, which is like a more advanced Auto mode), you'll still be able to get better pictures than with a point-and-shoot. Camera manufacturers have spent lots of time and effort making these dSLRs consumer-friendly, so they're not supposed to be hard to use. However, you'll still have plenty of room to grow with your Nikon D40 as you learn more and more about the principles of photography.

 

[2Tiggies]

Thank you everyone.

disneyboy2003 your post is VERY helpful. I am actually feeling a bit better for it. I would have been pushing the budget quite seriously even for a good price on any of the others so I really picked this up for a song and a dance. I think I was in shock for a few hours that I won the item and that may have had something to do with it. It never occurred to me for a moment that my bid would be high enough to be in the running. Also not disregarding the fact that my brother is a keen photographer and Nikon is not his first choice. But then we use a camera for very different purposes. I am not planning on taking striking landscape photos or wildlife pictures. I am more a people-photographer whereas he is more into outdoor scenes, panoramas, etc.

I paid through PayPal so it went through immediately, but I know that I can, if need be, place it back on eBay and will probably fetch more than I paid for it. I just couldn't not pass the money to the seller. It may be excusable but not really ethical and certainly not fair on the seller when there is no good reason for opting out other than my own little uncertainties. I have decided to wait for it to arrive, took the PPs advice and downloaded the user manual and will take it with as an 'extra' camera when we go to WDW. As it will not be my only camera I figure I will be no worse off taking what I was going to take anyway, and then having a golden opportunity on more relaxed days to experiment, make some mistakes and learn from them. I will need to give myself at least a few months to play with it and then I will have a fair idea as to whether it was a good choice for my needs and requirements.

All the advice on here has been very helpful and supportive. A big thank you to you all.

 

[disneyboy2003]

Also not disregarding the fact that my brother is a keen photographer and Nikon is not his first choice. But then we use a camera for very different purposes. I am not planning on taking striking landscape photos or wildlife pictures. I am more a people-photographer whereas he is more into outdoor scenes, panoramas, etc.

Believe it or not, ANY dSLR can take striking landscape photos, wildlife pictures, portraits, outdoor scenes, panoramas, etc. Your Nikon D40 will be able to take ALL these different types of photos.

As you learn more about photography, what you'll eventually come to realize is that it's NOT the camera that makes the photo...it's the photographer. The camera is only a tool to create your photo. It doesn't know what kind of photo you're trying to create (ex. action shot? portrait? landscape? low-light? etc). You, the photographer, are the one who tells the camera how to take an award-winning landscape photo.

I normally shoot Canon, so it's normally my job to tell you that Canons are better than Nikons. However, in reality, it doesn't matter what brand's camera you bought (ie. Canon, Nikon, Sony, Pentax, Olympus, etc). Honestly, they can ALL take very very very good pictures.

If you don't believe me, check out a couple places that showcase the photos that Nikon cameras can take:

• Nikon Picture of the Day thread, here on Disboards - folks just like you on THIS message board who own a Nikon camera
• Nikon D40 Group on Flickr - over 59,000 photos taken specifically with a Nikon D40. Here, you can see the potential photos your camera can take.

Probably the next thing on your photography shopping list should be a book about photography. One of the most recommended books on this message board is Understanding Exposure by Bryan Peterson (link to Amazon). This book will walk you through the basics of photography, like aperture, shutter speed, and ISO--the 3 components that make up "the exposure triangle".

 

[2Tiggies]

Thank you again.

I did buy a book at the beginning of the year when I was first contemplating moving up into the photography world. I don't know if it is available in the US (I am in Scotland) but it is called The Digital Photography Handbook by Doug Harman and has rave reviews. I did read it (like a novel ) when I got it, but I think not having a camera to try out the things I read as I had read them made it a bit daunting. I am going to have a nosey on Amazon at your recommendation. I have a 9 1/2 hour plane trip to Orlando so I could put some of those hours to good use.

As you learn more about photography, what you'll eventually come to realize is that it's NOT the camera that makes the photo...it's the photographer.

That's what worries me

You have given some great advice and I am already starting to feel excited about learning more and experimenting and experiencing my new camera. Funny, I have been sitting on that Nikon thread you posted for a couple of hours now. There are some amazing pictures on there; absolutely beautiful!

The Flickr link you posted looks really good too. I see they also have a discussion forum for the D40 which will be interesting and no doubt helpful too.

Thank you so much for all your help and information. You have no idea how much I appreciate it.

 

[photo_chick]

On the lens... stick with the kit until you know what you want so you don't end up with a lens that meets the needs of whoever told you to buy it and not your own.

On VR/IS... photographers shot for a very long time without it. Is it a nice feature? Yes. Is it necessary? Absolutely not.

On the battery... I'd get a spare. You don't know what that particular battery has been through. Some can last a very long time, if it has been used hard it might not fare as well.

And I'll reiterate that it's not the camera, it's the photographer.

 

[disneyboy2003]

Here's an example of "it's not the camera, it's the photographer".

There was a world-wide photography contest back in 2008. There were 55,000 entries.

The winning photo came from a point-and-shoot camera that was 3 years old (a Canon Powershot SD500) and a $20 plastic tripod! (the camera was 3 years old, not the photographer)

Here's the link to the article: http://www.metro.us/us/article/2008/12/04/03/4454-72/index.xml

I'm sure there are plenty of other examples & similar stories.

 

[Marlton Mom]

Concerning ENEL9 battery life ...

I had the identical battery for my Nikon D60. When I went to Walt Disney World the battery was a year and a half old. I faithfully charged it every night and sometimes in the afternoons when we came back to the hotel for a swim.

I had a bad experience with the battery depleting on me after a heavy night of shooting fireworks.

Like you I was on the fence about getting a spare. I could have shot myself when the battery died before I had gotten all the shots on my list for that night.

Get the spare!!!

When I ordered my Nikon D90 I ordered an extra battery. I was surprised at how much larger the D90 battery is compared to the ENEL9 battery.

Get the spare Battery. Especially if the camera is used. The battery may be at the end of it's life.

The charging cycle seemed slow to me. I never timed it but I think it was close to 3 hours.

Also be sure to get the proper size of card that they recommend for the D40.
I'd get multiples because you will probably take a lot of great pictures. Page 102 of the D40 manual has the memory card info. Make sure you get SDHC and I'd recommend not getting larger than 4 gigabytes. I used San disc Extreme III SDHC cards 4 gigabytes with no problem. I used about 6 of them on a five day trip shooting in Raw plus Jpeg mode. I think my total was 836 pictures for the 5 day trip.

The one thing that I would really recommend is that you read the manual that comes with the D40. This will let you know about the useful options that come with your camera. If you don't understand something you can always do a web search or post a question here on the Dis Boards

Good luck and please don't be intimidated about asking questions. I've found everyone here to be very nice. You are really going to LOVE that D40. I think you have just opened the door to something really fun and enjoyable.

Practice before you go, as much as you can, so you will get comfortable and have the time to look up things in the manual when you have questions about what the camera is doing. I also think that 18-55mm lens is perfect for you.

Good luck and GO GET EM!!!


Marlton Mom

 

[2Tiggies]

On the lens... stick with the kit until you know what you want so you don't end up with a lens that meets the needs of whoever told you to buy it and not your own.

On VR/IS... photographers shot for a very long time without it. Is it a nice feature? Yes. Is it necessary? Absolutely not.

This looks like good advice to me. Thanks!

(the camera was 3 years old, not the photographer)

I could have shot myself when the battery died before I had gotten all the shots on my list for that night.

Get the spare!!!

Makes sense when you put it like that. I will order a spare tonight. Should I rather just go for a genuine battery? They are not unreasonably expensive but quite a difference between the genuine ones and the 'generic' spares.

Also be sure to get the proper size of card that they recommend for the D40.
I'd get multiples because you will probably take a lot of great pictures. Page 102 of the D40 manual has the memory card info. Make sure you get SDHC and I'd recommend not getting larger than 4 gigabytes. I used San disc Extreme III SDHC cards 4 gigabytes with no problem. I used about 6 of them on a five day trip shooting in Raw plus Jpeg mode. I think my total was 836 pictures for the 5 day trip.

I will do that. I intend transferring the images onto my laptop on most evenings. It is a 15 day trip so ideally I don't want to need a card for each day

You guys are great!

 

[Marlton Mom]

Makes sense when you put it like that. I will order a spare tonight. Should I rather just go for a genuine battery? They are not unreasonably expensive but quite a difference between the genuine ones and the 'generic' spares.

I don't know about the generic's versus the original manufacturer's model battery. Perhaps some one else can weigh in on this???


Marlton Mom

 

[NLD]

Makes sense when you put it like that. I will order a spare tonight. Should I rather just go for a genuine battery? They are not unreasonably expensive but quite a difference between the genuine ones and the 'generic' spares.

I used a generic version of the ENEL9 as my backup for my D60, and it did fine. Couldn't tell a difference between the name brand and the generic.

 

[2Tiggies]

I used a generic version of the ENEL9 as my backup for my D60, and it did fine. Couldn't tell a difference between the name brand and the generic.

Perfect. Thank you. I will just get one of those then. I found some on a reputable photography website that cost slightly more but come with a 1 year guarantee and 2 year warranty so I will play it safe.

I emailed the eBay seller this afternoon about the battery life and he said he can easily shoot a full day and then some on one charge so sounds like it is still in fair shape, but as per the advice on here I have nothing to lose by having a spare.

Great. One down. Now for some SDHC cards. Any particular brands to avoid?

 

[2Tiggies]

Well the camera has finally arrived. After a week of reading online guides, forums and the user manual I feel even more out of my depth with this! I don't know if I am even going to be able to use it on auto by the time I leave Can someone recommend an idiot's guide for the D40? I have no idea where to start.

 

[spinetnglr]

Well the camera has finally arrived. After a week of reading online guides, forums and the user manual I feel even more out of my depth with this! I don't know if I am even going to be able to use it on auto by the time I leave Can someone recommend an idiot's guide for the D40? I have no idea where to start.

Its not going to cost anything but time to get out and just start shooting. Don't let the camera intimidate you. Put it on auto and start shooting everything. Once you get a little comfortable with that then start playing around with some of the settings. I used a D40 for a year and a half before upgrading and I still love getting it out once in a while and shooting with it. Even if you end up deleting most of what you shoot no amount of reading will teach you more than just playing and shooting.

 

[2Tiggies]

Its not going to cost anything but time to get out and just start shooting. Don't let the camera intimidate you. Put it on auto and start shooting everything. Once you get a little comfortable with that then start playing around with some of the settings. I used a D40 for a year and a half before upgrading and I still love getting it out once in a while and shooting with it. Even if you end up deleting most of what you shoot no amount of reading will teach you more than just playing and shooting.

Thank you. It's not just the camera that is intimidating - it's all the info. Then everyone keeps saying it's not the camera, it's the photographer - which is probably true, but that doesn't leave me in a very favorable position. Early night for me tonight. I'll have a look over the weekend. Thank you.