Nikon Recommendations

[Mitch45]

ive been using my Nikon D40 for about a year now and i think its time for an upgrade
i mostly shoot highschool rugby and football and use a 70 - 300 lens
i was thinking of upgrading to a d200 but i want a camera that also has an auto mode just for walking around no hassle of changing everything

Anyone Have Suggestions?? Thanks

[AgingEyes]

Are you sure D200 has no auto modes, i.e., program, aperture priority, shutter priority, auto ISO, etc.?

[Mitch45]

im pretty sure that there is no auto modes i just want a camera that i can switch to auto and shoot away of family
with the d40 i can do that

[mattbikeboy]

Honestly. you'd get better images by getting a fast lens for your D40. For $950 you can get a Nikon 80-200 f2.8 and your images will be considerably sharper -- especially under stadium lights. You won't have the reach of the 70-300, but your images will be much sharper at your max 200mm.

mbb

[livin4lax09]

i think the d200 has an auto mode. If it doesn't it has some sort of a program mode which is essentially just the same but you CAN change the settings if you want to.

[Mitch45]

mattbikeoy i thought it was how fast ur camera was rather than how fast ur lens is and how can a lens be fast?

[mattbikeboy]

mattbikeoy i thought it was how fast ur camera was rather than how fast ur lens is and how can a lens be fast?

Your Nikon D40 is plenty fast for the shooting it sounds like you are doing. High quality lenses focus faster, gather more light, and have better optics with help prevent the images going soft when you are shooting at the limits of your lens. All of those things make your photos sharper at all light levels and allow your to shoot better photos in low light situations -- like at a high school football game under the lights. You'd most likely get better images out of your D40 with a good pro-level lens than you would with a new D200 with your existing kit lenses.

There is no doubt that a D200 is a great body -- but you'll get more mileage out of a nice Nikon f2.8 lens or two. Then once you've mastered your camera and can see where you need faster burst rates, low light sensitivity and other advanced features you can keep your sweet lenses and buy a body.

You see really awesome photos that come from old 6 megapixel Canon 10Ds because the photogs used pro-level lenses. Lens quality is more important than fancy new bodies. If you get great high quality lenses they can last for years and work with future body upgrades.

Read this little article by Ken Rockwell:
http://www.kenrockwell.com/tech/mpmyth.htm
and read this
http://www.computerworld.com/action/...icleId=9005180

mbb

[livin4lax09]

mattbikeoy i thought it was how fast ur camera was rather than how fast ur lens is and how can a lens be fast?

try shooting with a sigma 28-80mm at f/5.6 then a canon 300mm at f/2.8. Then you'll see all the ways in which a lens can be fast.

[Old Timer]

As a D200 owner I can say that the Program setting is no different from most Auto Modes it basically makes the camera a point and shoot. The advice you have gotten about upgrade in lens quality is right on. Unless you just need a faster burst and you are very satisfied with your current image quality than go for the glass not the body.

[Mitch45]

ok thanks for all the input its really starting to make more sence
another queation though if i were using my d40 with 18-55 lens say in a gym shooting vollyball why do my pictures come out blurred?

[Dylan8i]

same reason, your lense is to slow, for the dark conditions in the gym

[Mitch45]

so these lenses i have are either ment for use in bright light or using flash

[racedraper]

Hey much look at my Pbase gallery they are all done with my D200 with 18-200 vr lens.
Yes the D200 as a auto mode. On mine I put it on auto shutter speed so I can adjust the f stops for the shot I want. I think you would enjoy this camera ts not as good as the D300 but its alot better then your d40 and you can do alot with it. You can find deals on D200 due to people upgrading. I have yet regretted D200 the over the 300.