Lori won a D50! Now we can upgrade!

[nbs2]

So, Lori won a D50 kit from Ritz today. I can't believe our luck! Here I have been, putting hour upon hour into system research, and we come away with a $600 camera package (plus she also won an extra box of salt water taffy!) gratis.

She gave it to me as an early Christmas present/late birthday present. I was talking to the Ritz guy (a store manager), and he informed me that yes, he would be willing to swap it for a better setup if I was willing to pay the difference. We are going to the store next Saturday (We and he won't be available at the same time until then).

Here is the dilemma. I had decided on a camera kit that would cost us a pretty penny, but we had planned and found a way to fit it in our budget. Now, I can get that camera, which is more "entry-level" or jump up to a newer model with all sort of wonderful features for a few hundred more. I've been told a) get the more expensive one since it is a bit more future-proof and you won't need to upgrade as soon and b) get the cheaper one and put more money towards more/better glass and just upgrade the body later, when you decide you really need it.

 

[beavo451]

Depending on your photography experience, the D50 may be all you need. It is more than enough for alot of people. What is the other camera you were considering?

Personally, I would take the D50 and spend whatever budget you had in mind and buy LENSES! (or a good bag, tripod, and flash unit). dSLRs are never "future-proof". They are pretty much outdated every 2-3 years.

 

[nbs2]

Personally, I would take the D50 and spend whatever budget you had in mind and buy LENSES! (or a good bag, tripod, and flash unit). dSLRs are never "future-proof". They are pretty much outdated every 2-3 years.

Like any digital device, the moment it is announced, every body becomes obsolete. By future proof, I was thinking of little things like a larger LCD or more focus points, in body VR/SR/IS (call it whatever you want), faster AF, a new sensor, more MP for crop protection - where the newer, more expensive and cutting edge body has some of those while the older or cheaper model doesn't.

Yeah, I know that I should invest in lenses, but having planned for so long not to get many lenses right away, it's tough to switch gears (although, even if I go cheap I won't be buying lenses until I figure out where my shooting needs are) and think of lenses that I want now. I was planning on waiting until next Christmas for that...

I am slowly leaning towards going with the cheaper upgrade - I think that the D50 would be enough, but it is just too light. Feels like a toy - almost as annoying to hold as the XT was.

 

[Clix Pix]

D200

I would take advantage of this great situation and get the D200, or barring that, the new D80. However, since the D80 is smallish, too, like the D50, you might not want that camera if you don't care for how the D50 feels. The D200 has a lot to recommend it: for one thing, oddly enough, I find it easier to use than my D70/D70s because of more controls and buttons being on the camera body itself rather than having functions buried in the menu. Although you might feel a little intimidated and overwhelmed at first, I suspect you would quickly grow into the D200.

I don't know how much you had previously budgeted/put aside for the camera purchase, but now you've really got a great opportunity here with $600 worth of credit being handed to you! What a great stroke of luck!

 

[beavo451]

If you want larger, the D70s would be enough. I wouldn't go all the way to a D200 because that is more than a $1000 price difference. You could get a D70s plus bag, extra memory, tripod, another lens, and other accessories.

 

[Abstract]

Yeah, I know that I should invest in lenses, but having planned for so long not to get many lenses right away, it's tough to switch gears (although, even if I go cheap I won't be buying lenses until I figure out where my shooting needs are) and think of lenses that I want now. I was planning on waiting until next Christmas for that...

I am slowly leaning towards going with the cheaper upgrade - I think that the D50 would be enough, but it is just too light. Feels like a toy - almost as annoying to hold as the XT was.

So last time, you were deciding between a Pentax and Nikon D50, right?

If you want a better camera body, I'd definitely go with the D80, or even the new K10D (highly impressive on paper) since you were looking at Pentax as well.

I don't know how your Nikon plans would have changed, though. I'd still get the Nikkor 18-200 mm with VR like you were planning to do, and maybe use the extra money you saved on upgrading to a D80, get 2 x 1GB or 2GB memory cards, and get a backpack like the Lowepro, Tamrac Adventure 9, or Crumpler Customary Barge like I recommended for you last time (or any of the other bags people mentioned).

Or maybe wait for a D50 replacement/update (ie: wait until after Photokina). If there's nothing, get the D80 and enjoy it, I say.

 

[Clix Pix]

If you want larger, the D70s would be enough. I wouldn't go all the way to a D200 because that is more than a $1000 price difference. You could get a D70s plus bag, extra memory, tripod, another lens, and other accessories.

The D80 is replacing the D70s, though, and he might not be able to get one.

I think the currrent options now are: D50, D80, D200....

 

[seany916]

Personally, I would take the D50 and spend whatever budget you had in mind and buy LENSES! (or a good bag, tripod, and flash unit). dSLRs are never "future-proof". They are pretty much outdated every 2-3 years.[/QUOTE]

Yes, that would be your best option. Don't spend too much though. Just get what you need. If you do a lot of sports stuff, get the 2.8 80-200 it's about $850-$950, but a really good lens. It's very flexible and incredibly useful. If you want the bargain of the century, 50mm prime 1.8. You lose zoom, but the things you can do with that lens!

Don't skimp on a bag for it either. Protect your investment. I keep my cheapie digital camcorder in the same bag as my camera. I use the Expedition series from Tamrac. Bulky & fit your back funny when full, but one of the best buys I've ever made. Useful for transporting other fragile, important items.

 

[nbs2]

If you want larger, the D70s would be enough. I wouldn't go all the way to a D200 because that is more than a $1000 price difference. You could get a D70s plus bag, extra memory, tripod, another lens, and other accessories.

Yeah, we we're planning on keeping our spending as close to $700-800 as possible, so the D200 is way out of our range

If you want a better camera body, I'd definitely go with the D80, or even the new K10D (highly impressive on paper) since you were looking at Pentax as well.

The D80 vs. D70 (which I still do see around) and the K100 vs. the K10 seem like similar situations to me. The D70 has aged a bit, and I think that a lot of the newer entry-level DSLRs offer the same value that it does now. The K10 is something that baffles me. It is really an impressive camera - but is it (or the D80) worth the extra $300 that I could put towards a nice lens now since I am still learning the SLR field. You have to remember, I'm not a film to digital transition - I'm a P/S to SLR transition.

 

[Abstract]

Firstly, I thought your budget was like $1300 or something. You were going to get a D50 + 18-200 mm VRII lens + 50 mm f/1.8 or something, no? I'm just going to base this on what you said last time.

If you just got a $600 - $700 package for free (ie: $600 or $700 off a new camera), then you can afford the D80. I say that's a fine, fine camera. I have a D50 and love it, but trust me when I say there are a few small things I really want on the D80 (and D200).

1. Firstly, I really want an RGB histogram. The single histogram on the D50 isn't accurate because Nikon says it's like the overall histogram of an image, while it's actually giving you the histogram for the colour "green" and pretending it's the overall histogram. Nikon just wasn't very smart about this.

2. The lack of backlight on the small, top display where settings are shown. I take photos at night, but it isn't easy if I need to change settings.
3. The lack of certain controls on the D50's body.
4. I'd like to be able to use SD High Capacity (SDHC) memory cards. I mean, a 2 GB ceiling is painfully low when in 2 years time, the smallest memory card on the market will likely be 2GB. I can't go beyond 2 GB cards, no matter how cheap they become.
5. I would like ISO 100. I don't know why they don't have it on the D50.

Do I think you need the D80 rather than the D50? No. However, I think that if I gave you a D80 to use for awhile, and then took it away and replaced it with a D50, I don't think you'd like the D50 all that much.

Same with the Pentax K10D. I think that camera is one of the most interesting products that have come out this year. Just look at any Olympus fan, and when comparing Olympus' new E-400 (not sold in US anyway, but whatever) to the Pentax K10D announcement, the E-400 just looks slack.

 

[nbs2]

Yeah - it reached $1300 at it's peak, but then the realities of baby shopping reared their ugly head. But, it's ok - I can slowly build, relying on a kit lens before moving up.

According to dpreview's wild and crazy forums, there is no 100 on the D50 (and most anything else with that Sony sensor) because the native ISO for it is 200, and 100 actually ends up being rather noisy.

I suppose it is time for me reveal my system of choice....Pentax! Why? I've noticed that they have a lot of really good quality lenses, both new and old. I like the color that people seem to get (if they are being honest when they claim to do no PP other than adjusting for web viewing), and there was a point that Clix Pix pointed out that struck me. I don't know how often I will go shooting with other people, but we visit my sister-in-law (or she visits) on a regular basis. She photographically grew up on Pentax and has a pretty nice collection of lenses - so I can lens swap with her. Making the decision sweeter is she has a 50/1.4 and is giving me her old 50/1.7 (which isn't too expensive on eBay, but still is a nice lens).

So, I think I will be getting the Lowepro or Tarmac (I didn't like the Crumpler, and I don't like their website) backpack, a spare SD card, and PSE.

So, do I stick with the K100 or move to the K10...that $300 could go a long way towards getting some really nice older lenses, but the K10 is really cool.

 

[Abstract]

Nothing wrong with the K100 or the D50. Get what you can afford, and let it be a purchase that doesn't make you worry. Babies are more important, anyway. Your photos will be excellent regardless of which company you choose to go with. I'd go with the K100 and some lenses rather than the K10D, then. Again.....that baby is like an oven you're throwing money into. Save what you can.

And if I were you, I'd get the Lowepro instead of the Tamrac Adventure 9. My friend bought the Adventure 9 (ie: the Tamrac model that can hold a laptop and camera stuff), and I saw it for the first time last Thursday. While the camera compartment is much (much!) bigger than in my Crumpler Sinking Barge (the smaller version of the two options), so is the backpack. The Crumpler Customary Barge woud probably be a more fair comparison, but it's irrelevent. The Tamrac is tall, sticks out a lot (normal for this sort of bag since the camera compartment doesn't compress), and is actually skinny. It's also nowhere near as comfortable as my Crumpler. My Crumpler feels like an expensive backpack, which can't be said about the Tamrac, despite the camera and laptop stuff it can carry.

So despite not knowing what the Lowepro even looks like, they do have the reputation backing them up, and if you're not getting the Crumpler, I'd take the risk and go with the Lowepro instead of the Tamrac.

 

[macdaddy121]

Congrats....I would keep the D50 for a while and spend that money on some good glass.

 

[balofagus]

I purchased the K100D last month. I heard all the rumours of the K10D and still decided against waiting. The K100D has everything I need. The K10D has many improvements over the K100D; but I didn't need weather sealing (it's not too dusty here in rural Ontario ), I don't plan on printing anything outside the range of a 6MP sensor and all the dust I've encountered so far was easily blown off with a blower. If you need Dust Removal, a 10MP sensor, SR that offers a few more stops and weather sealing, then get the K10D. But if you don't, then I assure you that you won't be unhappy with the K100D .

 

[serpent]

If I were you I'd beg borrow or steal and pick up a D200 pkg w/18-200 or second choice D80 w/same lens. eventho bodies are updated every year or so, either of these are capable of lasting you a lifetime, hell I still shoot film with my 28yo Minolta XD-11, while it won't shoot 8fps like my F5, but picture quality is indistinguishable.As far as good lenses, remember the price tag associated with such, ie 10.5 f2.8G ED AF DX, 12-24 f4G ED-IF DX, 17-35 f2.8D ED-IF, 28-70 f2.8D ED-IF, 70-200 f2.8G ED VR. Any of these will set ya back between 800 to 1400$ used, 1200 to 1650$ new! Any of these lenses besides putting you in the poorhouse will out shoot any of the primes they cover and except for the first 2 they also will work for film. Read up the opinions of guys like Thom Hogan, Oleg Novikov, or Ken Rockwell, etc. and then decide which route you want to take.
Maybe a Leica Digilux 3/pana L1 is all you really need and put the other couple of thousand in the bank or buy a new car!

Serpent

 

[jamesW135]

I would Keep the D50 and Get a Telephoto and a Macro lens. A good Nikon flash will run you back at leased $300 So I would buy lenses first.

 

[Chip NoVaMac]

Congrats on the win. IMO (depending on the lens included - Ritz may have given away a D50 kit with the 35mm 28-80 lens instead of the DSLR "normal" of an 18-55).Based on my positive experiences of the D50 body - I would keep this kit in order to build upon.

IIRC I showed you the 24x36 print made from a D50.

 

[nbs2]

Congrats on the win. IMO (depending on the lens included - Ritz may have given away a D50 kit with the 35mm 28-80 lens instead of the DSLR "normal" of an 18-55).Based on my positive experiences of the D50 body - I would keep this kit in order to build upon.

IIRC I showed you the 24x36 print made from a D50.

I've decided to go with the Pentax, and yeah, the "kit" is the body and 28-80 lens. So we are only getting $600 instead of the $700 that the proper kit is listed at. Disappointing, but beggars can't be choosers. I just have been struggling between the K10 and K100 - the $300 is not that much more, and I would only have to wait about 45 days to get the K10. But, I am leaning towards the K100 and either getting better glass now (getting the 16-45/4 instead of the 18-55/3.5-5.6 kit) or saving it for something really nice (I've heard a lot of good things about the Pentax Limited lenses) or long (maybe the 300/2.8 for when the kid starts to play sports).

No, you didn't show me the print. But, we will be stopping by Penn on Saturday. Maybe we can look at it then - it will help me feel good about the sensor in the K100 since it is the same. I would imagine that the store will match the PennCamera.com price on the 50-200mm Pentax lens.

 

[Chip NoVaMac]

I've decided to go with the Pentax, and yeah, the "kit" is the body and 28-80 lens. So we are only getting $600 instead of the $700 that the proper kit is listed at. Disappointing, but beggars can't be choosers. I just have been struggling between the K10 and K100 - the $300 is not that much more, and I would only have to wait about 45 days to get the K10. But, I am leaning towards the K100 and either getting better glass now (getting the 16-45/4 instead of the 18-55/3.5-5.6 kit) or saving it for something really nice (I've heard a lot of good things about the Pentax Limited lenses) or long (maybe the 300/2.8 for when the kid starts to play sports).

No, you didn't show me the print. But, we will be stopping by Penn on Saturday. Maybe we can look at it then - it will help me feel good about the sensor in the K100 since it is the same. I would imagine that the store will match the PennCamera.com price on the 50-200mm Pentax lens.

In the end I would take the K10D over the K100D. The anti-shake IMO is worth it. Glad to hear that Ritz is willing to "deal" with you all on your win. Both of the kit Pentax lenses should be equals to each other.

The bonus to going Pentax is the depth of both AF and MF lenses that will meter properly. Be happy that Ritz is giving you a chance on a different camera. This does not always happen when a "prize" is given. Same reason locally I have seen Ritz give away a Minolta camera.

We will talk about your options soon enough. I am at home, so I am not sure that we are stocking the Pentax 55-200. There maybe other options.

 

[mrsollars]

If I were you I'd beg borrow or steal and pick up a D200 pkg w/18-200 or second choice D80 w/same lens. eventho bodies are updated every year or so, either of these are capable of lasting you a lifetime, hell I still shoot film with my 28yo Minolta XD-11, while it won't shoot 8fps like my F5, but picture quality is indistinguishable.As far as good lenses, remember the price tag associated with such, ie 10.5 f2.8G ED AF DX, 12-24 f4G ED-IF DX, 17-35 f2.8D ED-IF, 28-70 f2.8D ED-IF, 70-200 f2.8G ED VR. Any of these will set ya back between 800 to 1400$ used, 1200 to 1650$ new! Any of these lenses besides putting you in the poorhouse will out shoot any of the primes they cover and except for the first 2 they also will work for film. Read up the opinions of guys like Thom Hogan, Oleg Novikov, or Ken Rockwell, etc. and then decide which route you want to take.
Maybe a Leica Digilux 3/pana L1 is all you really need and put the other couple of thousand in the bank or buy a new car!

Serpent

you were a little off on the 800-1400......i'm thinking of picking one up (10.5 f2.8) ....that's the only reason i spotted it.

http://www.beachcamera.com/shop/pro...dium=cpc&utm_campaign=NK105F28G&sku=NK105F28G