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  1. #1
    Junior Member
    Join Date
    Sep 2008
    Location
    long beach, ca
    Posts
    2

    Red face 1st time buyer - nikon purchase advice, pls!

    i couldn't be more excited to buy my first SLR, but at the same time..
    just like the 'rules thread' says: i'm extremely overwhelmed.

    heres my dilema:
    i know i want a nikon & i planned on purchasing the D40.
    then i saw the D40x & now i can't decide between those two, OR the D60.
    ...is it worth the extra $ if i'm not planning on printing large photos?
    8x10s would probably be the largest i would print.. maaaaaaaaaybe 10x13

    the other "issue" i'm having is what lens(es) would be best for me.
    i will primarily be shooting portraits, events ...and my favorite: macro.

    my budget is $700 max.
    i don't have any accessories or gadgets at all.

    i'd like to have:
    memory card [min 2gb]
    camera bag
    sb400 flash [found that on cameraaddict.com for $100]

    long story short..
    i can't decide between the D40, D40x & the D60
    ...and i'm at a complete loss as to which lens(es) would be best for my needs.

    i found this: Nikon Nikon D40, 6.1 Megapixel, SLR, Digital Camera w/18-250mm f/3.5-6.3 Di-II LD Asph. IF Macro Autofocus Lens Kit [here: http://www.cameraaddict.com/viewprod...id=9948105#ps] but it doesn't include any accessories ...is it worth $661?

    h e l p!!

  2. #2
    Captain of the Ship Photo-John's Avatar
    Join Date
    Aug 2001
    Location
    Salt Lake City, Utah, United States
    Posts
    15,422

    Re: 1st time buyer - nikon purchase advice, pls!

    Welcome to the site, Heather! I understand it's tough to know what to do. For you, with it being your first digital SLR, I think you'll be perfectly happy with the D40. The D60 and D40x have a 10-megapixel sensor, which offers more detail. But 8 megapixels is really plenty for most purposes. To get started, I would recommend just buying a kit and worrying about the rest later.

    As for where to buy, I recommend not shopping by price. There are too many scumbag electronics dealers on the Internet to risk it. Check our Dealer Feedback forum and then shop by dealer reputation. B&H is probably the most trusted dealer on this site.

    For more opinions, you might also post on our Nikon forum. Since you've decided it's going to be a Nikon, you might as well go straight to the Nikon experts here
    Photo-John

    Your reviews are the foundation of this site - Write A Review!

  3. #3
    Be serious Franglais's Avatar
    Join Date
    Feb 2004
    Location
    Paris, France
    Posts
    3,367

    D40 is enough

    The D40 (6Mpix) was replaced by the D40x (10Mpix) which was replaced by the D60 (10Mpix with a dust removal mechanism). Before that there was the D50 and the D70 which I have - same 6Mpix sensor as the D40 and it's fine for 8x10 or even 16x20.

    The 18-250 lens you mention is made by Tamron - I'm not going to say anything bad about Tamron (I have one of their lenses) but the 18-250 is an attempt to do everything with just one lens. I haven't seen any tests of this lens but I think it may be a compromise in terms of optical performance.

    I advise people to buy the Nikon kit with camera plus the Nikon 18-55 and Nikon 55-200 lenses. It's a more conservative setup and Nikon are masters at making good cheap lenses.

    The D40+2 lens kit would fit in your budget but you may find it's not in the shops any more.
    Charles

    Nikon D800, D7200, Sony RX100m3
    Not buying any more gear this year. I hope

  4. #4
    Junior Member
    Join Date
    Feb 2002
    Posts
    4

    Re: 1st time buyer - nikon purchase advice, pls!

    + 1. I bought the D40 kit a few months ago and couldn't be happier. I try for the 55-200VR lens though. I got my kit from Ritz for $499 and the 55-200 was $250, I think with an instant $100 rebate at the time. Any, i did a lot of research before I bought and B&H phot also had good deals online.

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