Good deal?

[gamerz]

Hello,

I have been searching on the internet and other local stores for a good deal on a D40 to start my SLR photography. I found this deal, which I thought was pretty good, and was wondering what other peoples thoughts would be on it.

http://www.vistek.ca/details/details.aspx?WebCode=234964&CategoryID=DigitalSLRs

Anyways, to sum it up it comes with:

Nikon D40
Nikon AF-S 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6 G ED II Nikkor Zoom Lens
Nikon AF-S 55-200mm f/4.0-5.6 G ED DX Nikkor Zoom Lens
Vivitar 16 in 4 USB 2.0 Card Reader
Sandisk Ultra II 2GB SD Card
Nikon Digital SLR Bag (Black)

For $839 Canadian after rebates, before taxes in canadian.

There is also another deal:

D40
Nikon AF-S 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6 G ED II Nikkor Zoom Lens
Nikon AF-S 55-200mm f/4.0-5.6 G ED DX Nikkor Zoom Lens
No memory card, Bag, or Card Reader

For $709 after rebates, before taxes canadian.

Which deal do you guys think is better?

Thanks.

 

[Macerture]

Well, unless you're dead-set on a Nikon I would pass that up for the Pentax K100D-Super.. At least then you get built-in-body SR (Image Stabilization) with every single lens you slap on it made since 1952 or so.. Also, if you actually pick up and hold both, the D40 and the K100D-Super, the Pentax is substantially better built. The Nikon feels like a toy compared to the Pentax.

Based on what you're thinking of getting in the Nikon kit, I'd recommend you get the following instead..

Pentax K100D-Super
DA 18-55 f3.5/5.6
DA 50-200 f4/5.6

You'll have a great 6mp camera with SR/IS for the same price.. Much better deal than the D40 IMO.. Good luck.

 

[gamerz]

Thanks, I'll look into that too. My only worry about the Pentax is that I have heard their lenses are hard to find, whereas nikon lenses are all over the place.

I will consider it though.

 

[Airforce]

Have you taken a look at the Olympus E410/510? Worth taking a look at. They match each of the models named and then some on features. 10MP, IS, Live View, great menu system, ect. Heck, it's cheeper than the models listed so far, too!

 

[miloblithe]

Ooh. Let me play. have you considered the Canon Rebel XTi? It has the best high ISO performance of any of the sub-$1000 cameras, and Canon has the broadest new lens selection of any company!



And if you can wait a couple weeks, the new version of the XTi might be coming out this month.

 

[Westside guy]

One of these days, there's going to be a thread like this where people will actually answer the question asked. Sometimes I think Pentax and Olympus owners suffer from something akin to "short man syndrome".

To answer the question asked: Those deals look fine - they're comparable to what's offered by B&H (after adjusting for the difference between the US and Canada's dollars). However I would ask if those are the VR versions of the two lenses (good), or the older non-VR versions (not as good, especially for the 55-200).

The Nikon camera bag is probably as good a start as any. Don't be surprised if you start eyeing different bags in the near future, though, since the search for the perfect camera bag tends to be a common affliction among photographers.

I'd wait a couple weeks until PMA, though, because it's a common time for the camera manufacturers (including Nikon) to announce new products. But unless they're announced as immediately available, I wouldn't wait further for said new products; but still the D40 prices might come down a bit in response.

 

[gamerz]

What is this PMA? Sounds like it might be worth waiting for

 

[Lovesong]

What is this PMA? Sounds like it might be worth waiting for

You know, PMA... the Photography Marketing Association

Basically it's like Macworld for cameras.

 

[Westside guy]

You know, PMA... the Photography Marketing Association

Basically it's like Macworld for cameras.

Yeah, that's also why miloblithe was telling you to wait (re: the Canon).

PMA tends to be when a lot of the mass-market, consumer-oriented photo stuff comes out - like new point-and-shoots and new lower-end dSLRs.

The higher-end stuff tends to revolve around Photokina.

 

[ChrisA]

Thanks, I'll look into that too. My only worry about the Pentax is that I have heard their lenses are hard to find, whereas nikon lenses are all over the place.

I will consider it though.

This is what really matters. You are buying into a "system". But on the other hand you do not need 100 lenses you need maybe three and if Pentax has the three you want great. So do step back and look and plan a few years ahead.

That said if future lens choice is an issue why the D40? It lacks an in-body focus motor and limits your lens selection. The Nikon line is huge but the D40 can use less than half of it. Think about if you wanted a 80-200 f/2.8 zoom A good used one is about $600 but it would not work on the D40. You'd be forced to spend MUCH more on a new lens so much more that you'd be best off buying a D80 now or a used D50 now.

My advice on your packages... Just buy the 18-55mm "kit" lens and use it for a while. Shoot 1,000 frames then buy a second lens. By then you will know if you even want a 200mm zoom. Maybe you will want the 35mm f/2 prime or the 85mm. Or maybe you will buy an external flash first. You best bet is to keep the money in the bank and wait.

 

[Westside guy]

That said if future lens choice is an issue why the D40? It lacks an in-body focus motor and limits your lens selection. The Nikon line is huge but the D40 can use less than half of it. Think about if you wanted a 80-200 f/2.8 zoom A good used one is about $600 but it would not work on the D40. You'd be forced to spend MUCH more on a new lens so much more that you'd be best off buying a D80 now or a used D50 now.

I think you're overstating this a trifle. D40 purchasers (heck, most dSLR purchasers) don't have a library of old lenses they have to worry about. Nikon's new lenses, and all their recent lens introductions for that matter, are AF-S. This means they have a motor built into the lens, so the camera body motor is superfluous. Heck, even the new pro glass is all AF-S because in-lens motors means faster, more reliable focussing than relying on the in-body screw drive.

Most D40 purchasers are likely going to be happy with their initial lenses for a long, long time. If they actually do ever decide to buy more glass, at that point there will certainly be plenty of used AF-S lenses on the market - and that's assuming they aren't upgrading their camera bodies as well, which I would guess they probably would be doing anyway.

For that matter the D40/D40x market is large enough that Sigma is even adding in-body motors to its lenses. I don't think lens choices are going to be a problem.

 

[Macerture]

wetside guy,

I understand your dismay but, how can I mislead someone by simply saying, 'it's not a good deal'?

That would imply he needs to shop for the same kit at a lower price.. And, sir, that is not the case in my opinion.

Forget brands, why spend that much and have no IS and limited lens options? (despite what the OP thinks, Pentax has far more lenses available - check all the big shops, ebay too, you'll see) That's why I mentioned that a spankin' new K100D-Super will take ANY lens made since 1952-ish and, that 1952-ish lens will have Image Stabilization to boot! And we all know that Pentax is the only company playing that game, being loyal to their customers and all... No mount changes, and giving you the real goods in their new DSLR's..

Though, I like all cameras and I hope the OP gets something it's happy with. I'm not brand-loyal, just brand-weary

 

[Westside guy]

I understand your dismay but, how can I mislead someone by simply saying, 'it's not a good deal'?

"dismay"? "mislead"? huh? I said you overstated your case.

And you're doing it again - no IS? What you mean is "in-camera IS"; but in-camera IS just doesn't cut it compared to in-lens VR (or IS, in Canon's terminology; or OS, in Sigma's terminology). There's a reason neither of the market leaders uses the in-camera option except for in their point-and-shoots.

I'm glad you're happy with your Pentax, and you can use your K-mount manual focus lenses from 1952 (heck, I've got a couple K-mount MF lenses laying around here somewhere, along with an old K1000). I don't think that's particularly relevant to the discussion, though. It's not like anyone's going to recommend 20- or 30-year-old Nikon lenses to the OP either.

 

[Kamera RAWr]

You know, PMA... the Photography Marketing Association

Basically it's like Macworld for cameras.

Come on new primes from Nikon! Daddy wants a new lens

 

[Clix Pix]

Actually, if the OP wanted to, he could use ANY of Nikon's older lenses, too, with great success, even the 40-year-old ones. The AI lenses work on the D40/X without modification, and of course he could use the AI-S and later lenses as well, he'd just be manually focusing them rather than autofocusing them. Being able to use the AI lenses without modification was a nice little surprise that accompanied the D40/X.....