Help please.. need some advice

[reklov]

Hi there all. I'm a casual photographer and new to this forum, and looking for some expert advise.
I was given a Nikon D40x digital camera at my retirement party. I love the camera for it's small size, and ease of use. Like many other folks, I would like to upgrade in order to obtain higher quality, sharper and crisper images. After a month of extremely frustrating research, I am down to the Nikon D90 and the Pentax K7. Both of them seem to be highly rated.
What scares me to death is spending the money just to find it sitting on my shelf so to speak, due to the complexity of these cameras. They are loaded with too many parameters that need proper setting, and I am not prepared or so inclined to go to school in order to learn how to get the most out of these cameras. Here is my question, are they as difficult to use as I think they are or is the auto point and shoot mode as simple and as effective as on my Nikon D40x ?
Also, would I be better off just upgrading to some high end Nikon lenses for my current camera.
Any input and or advise would be greatly appreciated.

reklov

[Franglais]

Several things come to mind:

>>I would like to upgrade in order to obtain higher quality, sharper and crisper images.

I have the D60 and the Nikon 18-55 kit lens (same sensor as your D40x). I also have the D200, the D300 and some of the best lenses that Nikon makes. There is hardly any difference between what I get from the D60 and the top-end gear (otherwise I wouldn't bother with the D60). You may have a problem with your shooting technique and gear may not solve that. Why not post some images so we can try to diagnose the problem?

>> ..I am down to the Nikon D90 and the Pentax K7... What scares me to death is spending the money just to find it sitting on my shelf so to speak, due to the complexity of these cameras.

I don't have the D90 but I believe it has the same result-program settings as the D40x. You can use it in just the same way as the D40x. If you decide you want to get more control of the camera then the user interface (buttons) give access to these parameters. (In fact the D40x/D60 can do many of the things the D90 does but the advanced features are only activated within certain program modes or else in the menus)..

>> Also, would I be better off just upgrading to some high end Nikon lenses for my current camera.

I'm still getting to know the 18-55 (I bought it recently for $70 - my D60 came with a 16-85VR). My impressions for the time being are that the 18-55 feels cheap but performs really well, within it's rather limited range of possibilities.

[reklov]

Hi Charles.
Much appreciate your input and suggestions. You certainly have assisted my own feelings that I was leaning towards, which is that I should ( for now ) stay with my D40x and upgrade a couple of lenses.
Not certain at all if I will appreciate the end result for the amount of dollars required to purchase the D90.
Thanks again for taking the time resonding to my questions.

reklov

[Franglais]

Take a look at this thread as well:

Nikon focus question

We had this guy who had the best possible equipment and yet he still couldn't get an "in-focus" image which he said he could with his point and shoot. We just couldn't convince him that a point-and-shoot image is enhanced in all sorts of ways to make it look good but with a DSLR by default the manufacturer leaves it to the user to decide what he wants.

[Frog]

Charles gives good advice.
If you don't want to get really serious about photography and just want to be able to get some good shots, I'd recommend keeping your D40 and going with some glass.
Are you doing any editing? Dslr is usually on the soft side by default without some editing and sharpening. Not sure if the D40 has a more sharp option or not.
Do try some of the other settings besides auto and you might be amazed at what you can get and who knows...you might end up with an expensive hobby for the rest of your life.
Post some pics and tell us what you want to be better.

[reklov]

Hi Frog and Charles.
Thanks for your advise Frog.
Have decided to study my D40x for now and see what I can learn.
Currently I have the AF-S 18-55mm,1.35-5.6 GII ED and AF-S 55-200, 1:4-5.6 ED VR lenses,
and would appreciate what you gents would consider a great lens upgrade for either on.
Assume for this exercise that money is no object

reklov

[Anbesol]

Nikkor 24-70 f/2.8, Nikkor 17-55 f/2.8, Tamron 17-50 f/2.8, Tamron 28-75 f/2.8, Nikkor 70-200 f/2.8, Tamron 70-200 f/2.8, the 50mm f/1.4 or f/1.8 are must gets at the very low price they are.... The only ones of those that are really high priced are the Nikkor 24-70 and 70-200, every other one you should find for about the same price or less than the D90.

Generally speaking, the smaller the f/ number, the better performance you can expect from a lens, its not an iron clad absolute rule, but it is generally true.

*edit - scratch the 50mm f/1.8, I dont believe they have that in AF-S, so you wouldn't have autofocus ability with that on the D40X, someone please correct me if I'm mistaken.

[reklov]

Hi again Charles and Frog.
Trying to send you some photos, 3 each on auto mode and 3 each on programed mode, but they are rather big, about 4mb each and don't know how to send. Tried to upload files, but that did not work.
Please tell me how.

reklov

[Frog]

To load them here or any forum they have to be resized to no more than 800 on a side.
You can put any size in your gallery and then provide a link in the forums.
Nikon does make a 50mm prime with afs that would work on the D60x. Its an f/1.4 and costs 4 or 5 hundred compard to the 100 for the non afs f/1.8.
Still one of the sharpest, cheapest, prime lenses you can get but you have to move your body to zoom.

[reklov]

Anbesol, thanks for your lens suggestion. All three Nikkor lenses that you suggested are what I have selected as well. I will go ahead ( as my pocketbook allows ) and purchase those.
Frog, I'll try to your suggestion re sending photos.
Thanks to you all again.. great input and suggestions.
Glad I picked this forum :-)

reklov

[Anbesol]

Reklov - I certainly wouldn't get *both* the 17-55 and the 24-70, that would be a bit redundant. I'll have to guess you're referencing the 50mm f/1.4, 24-70 f/2.8, and 70-200 f/2.8 as "the three". In which case, good stuff, if you could pick me up a Sony 70-200 f/2.8 G SSM as well while you're at it, it would be greatly appreciated :9:.

Anyway, can't go wrong with those, hence the steep price tag.

[Franglais]

I would say avoid any lenses opening to f2.8 with the D40x.. They are too big and heavy to be able to hold comfortably on the little body. I always use mine with a battery pack on the D300 which gives me something really big to hold onto.

Avoid any lenses that don’t go down to 18mm or less. You need a walk-around lens which means going from wide-angle to telephoto and a 24mm just isn’t wide enough for me.

I would recommend the 18-200VR but it’s not as sharp as the 18-55 that you already have. If your problem turns out to be camera shake then it might be better but you already have the 55-200 with VR. I find the 18-200 is sharp enough for almost everything I do. I use mine a lot.

My personal choice would be the 16-85VR. It’s compact but quite heavy. It really changes the look and feel of the D60 compared with the plastic 18-55. It feels like a quality combination. The results with the 16-85 are consistently good, edge-to-edge at all focal lengths, and it has a really useful zoom range (equivalent of a 24-127mm in 24x36 terms). Some people say it’s better than the 17-55 f2.8..

And I would get the 35mm f1.8G DX (see PJ's review) rather than a 50mm. It's only about $200, it has great performance and - again - it looks really great on the D60..

[Anbesol]

I would say avoid any lenses opening to f2.8 with the D40x.

I disagree entirely, thats a pretty poor reason to avoid such top quality glass. This 'balance' problem is easily countered by holding the camera at the base of the lens right near the mount. Fortunately for Reklov - I am sure a local camera shop will let him try those lens out on his D40x, so he can see for himself. The 70-200 might present an slightly awkward balance, but I'm sure its plenty comfortable paired with the 24-70 f/2.8.

I have also found the 18-24mm range very unneccesary, even on APS crop. Its handy on very rare occasion, but for the most part, I dont go any wider than even 28mm on APS. Different shooting style, I sacrificed the 18-24mm range for quality glass, dont regret it even a bit, I'll be adding to my telephoto end (300mm+) before I add to my wide end.

[reklov]

Sorry guys, have been out of town for a couple days.
Have decided the following:
First, buy the Nikon 16-85mm lens and the 35mm 1.8 lens.
Later I will upgrade to the d5000.
Appreciate everyons advice and input. Great forum.

reklov

[reklov]

Ok gent's, have done it. As Charles recommended, bought the 16-85mm and the 35mm nikon lenses. Will follow up with results.
Also, think my next step will be to upgrade to the d5000, rather than the d90.
The d5000 seems a bit more user friendly for someone like myself.