SLR "Newbie"

[tiffanie019]

Hello all..

Iknow you get questions like this all the time.. butI hope some of you will take a few minutes to help me out..

I have never used an SLR camera before. I currently have a Nikon Coolpix p80. It's the nicest cameraI have owned. I love taking nature pictures and the occasional pictures of my boyfriend riding his dirtbike. I have been researching the Nikon d40 and the Nikon d60 and I simply don't know which one to get. I don't have a lot of money( limited to about $500 max ), and eventually I would like to go to school and maybe take classes for photography. So I need a good starter camera.

I have found a good deal on a Nikon d40DSLRthat includes a Nikon AF-S DX 55-200mm VR Nikkor Zoom Lens f/4-5.6G IF-ED ( i was told that the AF-S lens will auto-focus ). Should I go for it or does anyone have any other recomindations?

Thank You :-)

[TCav]

First, the D40 and D60 don't have a very good autofocus system for sports/action/wildlife, so your boyfriend on his dirtbike might be too much for it.

Second, the 55-200 VR all by itself goes for $225. You found a deal where you can get it plus a D40 for $500? Did it fall off the back of a truck? Can you tell us who is offering this deal to you?

[JohnG]

TCav wrote:

First, the D40 and D60 don't have a very good autofocus system for sports/action/wildlife, so your boyfriend on his dirtbike might be too much for it.

While I agree that the d40/d60 have focus systems not as good as other cameras I think this is a bit of a stretch. For serious action shots of your boyfriend I would agree. But you're not taking serious action shots - just occasional ones. And, there are really only so many shots you can take of your boyfriend on his dirtbike. The reality is the focus system on the d40/60 is still better than anything a digicam can do.

HOwever, I would agree the price you are being quoted seems unrealistic. You also want to make sure the camera is NEW not used. Don't buy a used DSLR.

[Outhouse]

I can't help you with which Nikon to buy, but i just bought the Sony A200 with the kit lens which is fine for learning how to use the camera. I was able to buy it for $400 with free shipping. So far, I love this camera. Santa has already been told I want another lens which I have yet to decide on.

[StevieDgpt]

TCav wrote:

You found a deal where you can get it plus a D40 for $500?

Most likely one of those overpriced accessory laden gray marketBroadway photo specials which will grow into $900 before her very eyes.

[tiffanie019]

well i work at walmart and they have the d40 with the AF-S lenses for a little over $500 (but its with my discount) lol i thought it was a good deal. like i said i've never used an SLR so i dont know whats good and whats not good. i absolutely LOVE taking wildlife pictures. so i just want an easy entry level camera that will focus on an object... im just so confused!!! ahh! lol

does anyone know any camera's maybe outside of the nikon brand that maybe woulddo the trick??:-)

[AndyfromVA]

There's nothing wrong with the Nikon D40 for nature pictures.
http://www.flickr.com/search/?q=natu...%2Fd40&z=t

You can take some good action dirtbike shots with it too.
http://www.flickr.com/search/?z=t&ss...ike&m=text

[JohnG]

tiffanie019 wrote:

i absolutely LOVE taking wildlife pictures. so i just want an easy entry level camera that will focus on an object... im just so confused!!! ahh! lol

The challenge with wildlife photos is that they usually require very long lenses. 300mm is usually the bare minimum. 400 or 500mm lenses are much more common. How important to you is wildlife shooting? If it's critical, you're not going to get much success with any camera and a 200mm or shorter lens. An oly will give you slightly better chances because of it's 2x crop factore (vs. 1.5 or 1.6 for other dslrs). Unfortunately in the DSLR world the camera body is only part of the equation. It's important to understand all the components you'll need for your style of shooting BEFORE you start spending your money. Lots of people buy DSLRs with kit lens in the hopes of shooting wildlife or sports only to be disappointed that the camera/lens combo they bought isn't up to the task.

[tiffanie019]

see thats the thing, i have no idea what to even look for. the only time i held an SLR camera was when my friend let me take pictures with their nikon d300. i was like "wow" . it was really nice. i just dont have that kind of money for a camera. lol (sad, yes i know :?) i just want something i can learn with until i graduate to "expert" level like you guys. Taking wildlife pictures is just a hobby i really love to do. so the pictures dont have to be professional. just something that satisfies my cravings. lol. after i experiment and learn then i will get a REALLY nice camera. did any of you start out with a nikon d40 or d60??

[JohnG]

tiffanie019 wrote:

after i experiment and learn then i will get a REALLY nice camera. did any of you start out with a nikon d40 or d60??

Tiffanie,

I think you missed my whole point. If you bought a d300 with kit lens you'd still take poor wildlife pictures. It really is about the lens there. A d40 with appropriate lens will produce better results than a d300 with kit lens. In fact, you'd get better results for a lot of wildlife shots with a superzoom than you would with a d300 and short lens. You can learn a lot about photography with the d40/d60 and kit lens. You just won't learn anything about WILDLIFE photography with them. As long as you understand that, then those cameras with kit lens will let you start learning the principles of photography. The next upgrade though won't be a camera it will be additional LENSES and FLASHES.