d40x or d80

[chalkie]

My classification:
D40 - Severely restricted by lens choice and flash options, but the most magnificent camera for a beginner, moving up from P&S.
D40X - Still very restricted and much too expensive for what it offers.
D80 - A magnificent camera for the serious enthusiast.

So my advice to many friends have been - Get a D40 to start off with, but keep in mind that your needs may outgrow the body within 3 years.

Ignore the D40X. It uses some nice D80 bits, but it suffers from the D40 restrictions. Go for the full D80 instead.

 

[squall]

Although i am a long time Nikon user and would love to welcome you to the club.....but....i am curious.....based on your description of your needs, why dont you just get a mid range consumer Coolpix or an equivalent from canon/ panasonic etc.

You have described why you dont need the features of the D40x or D80, but you havent really said why you want a entry level dSLR over a mid-high range consumer/prosumer model.

It may be presumptious but it appears that you may not want to shoot RAW, or maximise the modularity of an slr setup.

Of course if you are wanting to experiment with photography (ie not just point and shoot on AUTO), then the D40 would make sense as a "dip your toe in the water" purchase.

Just trying to save you money.

my 2 cents only.............

 

[BlueBull]

Hi BlueBull,
What is the use of 50mm f/1.8 normal lens? Read that it can't be used together with D40 unless it is manual focus. I know that with this sort of lens, the photgrapher gotta move nearer or further from the object when taking pictures but what is the purpose of doing that? Can't a zoom lens do the trick? Is it because it has the ability to have a much wider aperture at 1.8 hence more light can enter the camera ie. for indoor shoots?? :dunno:

Dun worry lah, got question ask, that's how many of us learnt too.

The 50mm F1.8 is a cheap yet fast lens, good in low light situation! Of course the more pro people will tell you bokeh not nice, not sharp enough, etc, but sure, if you got the $$$ then go get more expensive and better lenses. This lens is cheap and good enough for people on a budget.

bro~ help check ur serial no. for D80? =D

Sorry ah, forgot about that.

 

[kitchionh]

Thank you all for comments and advice. Much appreciated.

I've just bot D40x kit (S$980 incl GST) + 55-200mm VR (S$399 incl GST) + Tamrac sling bag (S$68) from TK Foto. The senior Mr. Tan is a very nice guy. Comes with 2G SD card and free tripod (though the tripod looks plasticky and cheap)

Reason:
D40 kit cost S$850 (out of stock anyway at TK). Figured that it is worth paying an extra S$130 for 4 extra mps. Sorry, I'm just a layman and succumbed to the kiasu syndrome.

Didn't take D80 because it is too bulky for me (as said, main purpose is to take it out to shoot the kids and for leisure travel.) So, D80 will be too cumbersome for me. Also, price for D80 kit is S$1620.

Honestly, I could have stick with my existing 5 mps Panasonic Lumix prosumer, but thought that I just wanted to try DSLR or to relive an interest that I had in the past with film SLR many years ago.

Thanks again.

 

[BlueBull]

Anyway, you have bought your DSLR, enjoy it. Go out and shoot. Get accustomed to your D40X. Enjoy the adventure!

 

[Six-GHz]

Congrats in getting a D40x and welcome to dSLR. Do factor in a flash (say, SB400) for indoor shoots, it's indispensible!

 

[squall]

Welcome to the "dark side"... Hope you enjoy your camera.

 

[Dearboy87]

Dun worry lah, got question ask, that's how many of us learnt too.

The 50mm F1.8 is a cheap yet fast lens, good in low light situation! Of course the more pro people will tell you bokeh not nice, not sharp enough, etc, but sure, if you got the $$$ then go get more expensive and better lenses. This lens is cheap and good enough for people on a budget.



Sorry ah, forgot about that.

hahax ish okie.. do help me check it out when u are free and pm me! thanks!

 

[kitchionh]

The 50mm F1.8 is a cheap yet fast lens, good in low light situation! Of course the more pro people will tell you bokeh not nice, not sharp enough, etc, but sure, if you got the $$$ then go get more expensive and better lenses. This lens is cheap and good enough for people on a budget.

Hi BlueBull,

Are there other normal lens like the 50mm F1.8 that has autofocus and can be used for D40X? and how much do they cost? Brand new Nikon 50mm f1.8 is about S$180, I think.

Rgds,

 

[zac08]

Hi BlueBull,

Are there other normal lens like the 50mm F1.8 that has autofocus and can be used for D40X? and how much do they cost? Brand new Nikon 50mm f1.8 is about S$180, I think.

Rgds,

Nope. They can be used but only in manual focus mode. So far, only the prime 105VR micro can AF with D40X as it is a AF-S lens. You're limited to ONLY AF-S lenses if you want the AF function.

 

[bctiong]

IMHO. If you can afford, D80 should be the choice. Else D40/40x is fine.
Dun really think the AF-S lens are a limitation. If I'm the manufacturer, I will start to manufacture more AF-S lens which serves all cameras range than others (bigger market share). So I think there wouldn't be difficulty finding a suitable lens in the near future.
Just my 2 cents.

 

[BlueBull]

Nope. They can be used but only in manual focus mode. So far, only the prime 105VR micro can AF with D40X as it is a AF-S lens. You're limited to ONLY AF-S lenses if you want the AF function.

Actually, you can also get SIGMA HSM lenses, they will auto focus on your D40/X too.

 

[lukesky]

Actually, you can also get SIGMA HSM lenses, they will auto focus on your D40/X too.

specifically the sigma 30mm f1.4 HSM one.. that's the nearest prime lens which can AF to the 50mm f1.8. But the sigma is a good $600 or $700 man.. compared to the $170 50mm f1.8. The difference between the 2, can pay for the upgrade from a D40 to a 2nd hand D80 liao.

 

[Drunkslam]

Why dun u get a 2nd hand D70/D70s kit instead? Its old, yes. But it good enough for a learning camera. And they aint very expensive nowadays. Plus, U will be suprised by the quality of the 18-70mm kit lens can do. lol

Just my 2 cent opinion ;p

 

[madcadamia]

I've been using D40 for a while now, and after using it for barely three months, I feel the need to change to D80 for an important reason: the lens server motor. I agree with edmax that if you're happy with the lens that comes with their own internal motors, you should be fine. You'll be missing out quite a few good lenses by not having this camera motor though, but oh wells, since you've bought it, grats and enjoy shooting yo.

 

[zac08]

Actually, you can also get SIGMA HSM lenses, they will auto focus on your D40/X too.

Mebbe, but personally dun quite like Sigma...

 

[mindfulness]

If I kenna TOTO tonight, my wish list will be:-

D2x - main body
D200 - 2nd body
D80 - 3rd body
D40X - spare body

So, ummmmm?? what 6 nos to buy today kenna 1st prize :think: :think: :think:

u alreday got it - 2,4,8, 20, 40, 21 ,,, if tio, give the forummers here a treat ok? :bsmilie:

 

[Churchwolf]

My classification:
D40 - Severely restricted by lens choice and flash options, but the most magnificent camera for a beginner, moving up from P&S.
D40X - Still very restricted and much too expensive for what it offers.
D80 - A magnificent camera for the serious enthusiast.

So my advice to many friends have been - Get a D40 to start off with, but keep in mind that your needs may outgrow the body within 3 years.

Ignore the D40X. It uses some nice D80 bits, but it suffers from the D40 restrictions. Go for the full D80 instead.

From my research I gather that the jump between D40 and D80 is pretty darn big. Perhaps a D60 would server you well? Seems to be a nice medium step up (though it still lacks the internal autofocus drive...), and is pretty much the smallest DSLR Nikon makes, not to mention that at ~$960 it's a good deal cheaper than the D80. I'm having the same considerations now and will probably settle on the D60. The D40X is almost the same price as the D60 for what is an, essentially, out-dated model. It just isn't worth the asking price.

 

[samonthe]

How much would you pay for a used D80 say a year old condition 9.5/10 with std acessories? Anyone can advice the current used market price? Local set

 

[edmax]

From my research I gather that the jump between D40 and D80 is pretty darn big. Perhaps a D60 would server you well? Seems to be a nice medium step up (though it still lacks the internal autofocus drive...), and is pretty much the smallest DSLR Nikon makes, not to mention that at ~$960 it's a good deal cheaper than the D80. I'm having the same considerations now and will probably settle on the D60. The D40X is almost the same price as the D60 for what is an, essentially, out-dated model. It just isn't worth the asking price.

Dude, the D60 is essentially a soup up D40x
D60= D40x + a few more features...

Go and try out these models at some shopping centres if possible. Try out as in hold the cams and shoot horizontally and vertically...see which body is more quitable for u...i tested them these ways n end up with the D80..

The killer point here is the lack of internal motor...Anyway, Sigma has 30mm and 50mm HSM models in singapore...just a bit more X than 'normal' prime lenses...