I am thinking of DSLR

[jaduffy108]

Another negative vote for the D40 because of the lens options. Get a used D50 or D70s instead.

### I have a different opinion. The 18-55 kit lense that comes with the D40 is outstanding for a "kit lense"...far superior to Canon's kit lense...and I like Canon gear btw. Also, the Nikon 18-200 VR ($750) is just out of this world in terms of value. Nikon was lagging behind Canon there for a while....not any more...which is good for both camps imo.

Good resources:
http://www.bythom.com/
kenrockwell.com
dpreview.com

 

[jdbrown]

D40

I have been looking for a decent DSLR for awhile now. I have a friend who owns a Nikon D80 and absolutely loves it. I was planning on getting a D40 but now it seems that I will probably spend the extra $200 for the D40x. Personally, I would go for a D40/D40x over an older D70 or D50. Yes, the D70 and D50 are compatible with more lenses, but I think it would be better to buy a new camera since many of the newer lenses have AF built in.

 

[Plymouthbreezer]

I have been looking for a decent DSLR for awhile now. I have a friend who owns a Nikon D80 and absolutely loves it. I was planning on getting a D40 but now it seems that I will probably spend the extra $200 for the D40x. Personally, I would go for a D40/D40x over an older D70 or D50. Yes, the D70 and D50 are compatible with more lenses, but I think it would be better to buy a new camera since many of the newer lenses have AF built in.

If it were between a D80 or a D70s, I'd actually go with the D70S. Personal reasons - and these are just personal - I like the controls, body feel, faster shutter, and CF card on the older model, as well as the better kit lens (not that you can't pick it up used).

Plus, you'll get a better price!

 

[M@lew]

I agree. I've read topics about people buying a D40/D40x, playing around with it for a few months and then regretting not getting a D80.

 

[compuwar]

You've just basically whitted yourself down to the EOS 400D or the Nikon D40.

Just a quick question - why are most posters on the forums here Nikon users? Or is it just mere coincidence?

In the last year, Nikon has pretty-much taken over the low end of the market world-wide, and in the US and Japan in a big way. Things are probably more evenly balanced if you throw out the D40 and D50 owners, but Nikon's recent successes are pretty-much due to those two camera bodies. Mostly, I think it's a pure price play, even though the Nikon kit lenses seem to generally stack up better. I'd be really surprised if Canon doesn't try to close the gap in the second half of the year- though the D40x price point probably puts them back in the game with the 400D.