D50 Lens Question

[carbonmotion]

In a strange twist of fate, I gave my D40 + kit lens to a girl who's leaving the country. Oddly, since you kids have clamored so much about the D50 being better than the D40, I think I'm gonna try a unit out. I'm gonna buy a Body for 400 ish and probably get a lens. I want something like the AF-S DX Zoom-Nikkor 18 - 70 mm F3.5 - F4.5 G IF-ED lens , except less expensive. Any ideas? If I don't like it, I'll just ebay the lens and the camera and buy another D40.

 

[compuwar]

In a strange twist of fate, I gave my D40 + kit lens to a girl who's leaving the country. Oddly, since you kids have clamored so much about the D50 being better than the D40, I think I'm gonna try a unit out. I'm gonna buy a Body for 400 ish and probably get a lens. I want something like the AF-S DX Zoom-Nikkor 18 - 70 mm F3.5 - F4.5 G IF-ED lens , except less expensive. Any ideas? If I don't like it, I'll just ebay the lens and the camera and buy another D40.

First, I don't think anyone's really said "better" as much as they've said "more advantageous lens-wise." In that vein, I'd highly recommend looking over KEH.com (look at film SLR lenses) for Ex or better used Nikkors.

Lens-wise I really can't help, as everything I like in the AF-D line is likely to be more than the 18-70 --20-35/2.8($600,) 80-200/2.8 ($400-600,) 105 Micro ($325) 300/4 ($450) or more expensive... I really like the 20-35mm for a wide angle, but it's almost twice what the 18-70 costs.

If you're not going to get any AF-D lenses, then you should probably just get another D40, that's the main advantage the D50 has.

 

[Westside guy]

I wonder if you'd be better served to look for a used/refurb D70s with the 18-70mm lens. Of the Nikkor lenses in the range you're talking about, the 18-70 seems to be the best; and really unless you're thinking of keeping the camera long term I'm not sure that the D50 is "better" than the D40, Macrumors feedback aside. Thom Hogan seems to think the D40 stands up pretty well compared to the D50.