Is the nikon d40 still a good buy?

[kmarketing]

Hi,

I'd like to get into the world of slr photography, and am excited about getting a new camera. There are so many to pick from, but I hear good things about:

nikon d40
nikon d60
canon xsi

With some of the deals out there, which would be good for an entry level dslr that has a nice set of features.

Would a d40 with Nikon - Zoom-Nikkor 55-200mm f/4-5.6G ED AF-S DX Zoom Lens for $600 be a good deal?

Please let me know your opinions.

Thanks!

 

[cube]

D50 is a better buy. Look in the Cameta eBay store.

 

[kmarketing]

Interesting that you say that...

I've been looking into the d50 as soon as I posted. How's a d70?

Thanks!

 

[kmarketing]

Please forgive my lack of knowledge...

I have a film nikon n65. I only used it 3 times I think. Would I be able to use the n65 lens on these nikon dslr's?

Thanks so much!

 

[cube]

The D70 is good, but it might die with BGLOD (google it). To be safe from that, you have to go for the D70s.

I bought a used D70 almost two years ago and it still works for now.

The IQ of the D50 is a bit better than the D70, but I wouldn't worry about that, unless it was mostly for use in low light. The D50 and D70s have a slightly larger LCD than the D70.

The D50 has only one control wheel, no light in the top control LCD and some other shortcomings.

http://www.dpreview.com/reviews/com...meras=nikon_d50,nikon_d70s,nikon_d70&show=all

 

[cube]

D40/D40x/D60 only autofocus with AF-S lenses. Plain AF lenses need one of the other Nikon DSLRs for autofocus.

Manual, non-CPU lenses (AI) meter only on the D200 and up.

Pre-AI lenses may damage all the DSLRs, except D40/D40x/D60.

 

[kmarketing]

Hi,

Thank you so much for your time.

So it seems you recommend either a d50 or d70s, correct? I guess the d70s costs more, and would be nearing the price of newer models then. How do they compare to say a canon xsi?

Otherwise, the 28-80mm lens on my n65 would not work with these models then, correct? I'll probably have to look to sell the camera then.

Thanks!

 

[cube]

If the D70 died with BGLOD nikon would fix it even if out of warranty at least in some countries and maybe also if it's not a grey import. You have to check.

I think your lens is an AF-D, so it would autofocus on all Nikon DSLRs except the D40/D40x/D60, which don't have a focus motor.

 

[kmarketing]

I'm definitely leading toward one of the models that you described.

It seems that the d50/d70/d70s are all pretty similar. Which model would you lean to, or rank in order? Is there a particular reason?

Cameta seems like they are reputable, how is their warranty?

Thanks!

 

[kmarketing]

The lens that I have on the n65 says:
Nikon AF NIKKOR 28-80mm 1:3.3-5.6 G

Will that work with the d50/d70/d70s?

I might be able to save a little if I only have to get the body. Otherwise some of the cameta auctions seem pretty reasonable.

 

[cube]

I've never bought from them. I also have the impression that they are OK from what I see on the web.

I don't know how their warranty works, especially if one is overseas. I would ensure that it is a USA model in any case.

I find the D70s expensive. I would only care about it for avoiding BGLOD. Even if Nikon fixes, it wouldn't be nice if it happended during some holidays, for example.

I wouldn't worry too much about the little things the D50 lacks if it's cheaper.

 

[cube]

Yes, all the AF autofocus with those cameras.

You know you have to multiply the focal length by 1.5 on all Nikon DSLRs except the D700 and D3, don't you?

 

[kmarketing]

It looks like both the d50 and d70s cost the same on cameta (with 2 lenses).

What do you think? Which should I go for?

Thanks!

 

[kmarketing]

Hi,

In one listing they include:
Tamron 28-80mm Zoom Lens with 6 Year USA Warranty
Tamron 70-300mm Di LD Macro Zoom Lens with 6 Year USA Warranty

and for a little more:
Nikon 18-55mm ED II AF-S DX Zoom Lens with 1 Year Warranty
Nikon 55-200mm AF-S DX Zoom Lens with 1 Year Warranty

Which one do you prefer?

 

[kmarketing]

Yes, all the AF autofocus with those cameras.

You know you have to multiply the focal length by 1.5 on all Nikon DSLRs except the D700 and D3, don't you?

Hi,

I'm pretty new to this... Do you mean 28-80 really would be 28-80x1.5 = 42-120 on these cameras?

 

[cube]

I think the IQ might be a bit better with the D50 than the D70s, but personally I would prefer then D70s for the added features.

Also, currently, one could get upto about $100 more when selling a used D70s than a D50.

 

[cube]

Hi,

I'm pretty new to this... Do you mean 28-80 really would be 28-80x1.5 = 42-120 on these cameras?

Yes, with the depth of field shifted. So, at the equivalent 42mm you would get the DOF of the actual 28mm of the lens, for example.

 

[cube]

BTW, I would get a kit that starts at 18mm, not 28mm for that reason.

 

[kmarketing]

Here are the listings I am looking at:

D50 with 18-55 and 55-200 Nikon Lenses - $599
D50 with 28-80 and 80-300 Tamron lenses - $579
or just with the 1 or no lens

D70s with 18-55 and 55-200 Nikon Lenses - $599
D70s with 28-80 and 80-300 Tamron lenses - $515
or just get it with the 18-55 nikon lens

D40 with 18-55 and 55-200 Nikon Lenses - $539
or can get it with just the 18-55 lens

Which one would you prefer?

Thanks so much!

 

[kmarketing]

I really want to say thank you again for taking your time out for me!

 

[cube]

Note that the Cameta kits for those cameras are NOT NEW.

I only found a NEW D50 body for these.

I'm not afraid of used stuff, specially if it says Mint or Demo, and in addition they give you 1 year warranty, but if you're going to buy used stuff you should also check places like keh.com, adorama.com, and bhphotovideo.com.

Personally, I only look at stuff that is Excellent and up.

It's important to verify in all cases that the camera comes with all the original accessories: battery, charger, cables, LCD protector, etc. Otherwise, it might end up being more expensive than new.

 

[kmarketing]

I definitely noticed that most of them are not new.

But it does say mint condition, and I do like the warranty and the fact they seem to be reputable.

Do you have a preference among the listings?

 

[cube]

I'm not sure from the listings of the condition of the lenses.

In any case, I would prefer something with a D70s and a 18-55 in it.

Although you might look in other places about the same body but something like a Sigma 18-200. Maybe the IQ would be a bit better with the Nikon 18-55 and 55-200, but a 18-200 is much more convenient.

Or just a 18-135

Or a 18-70 to start (or the Sigma 17-70 which I find more interesting because of its slightly larger aperture F2.8-4.5)

Just look a bit around and wait until some people wake up here before commiting.

 

[kmarketing]

I can't begin to tell you how grateful I am of your advice and time!

I'll definitely look some more before making a decision. I still may need your help though!

 

[cube]

If you can, I would wait a bit until the people start dumping their D80's en masse for the D90.