[Dave]

So you've bought your Nikon D40, D40x, D50, D70, D70s, D80 or D200 , but did you make the right choice ? If you had your time again would you have chosen a different model or have you already changed ?

Any hints you would give to other members looking to purchase one of these models ?



Some other threads that may be of interest:-
http://www.pixalo.com/community/came...pec-17131.html
http://www.pixalo.com/community/came...30d-11529.html
http://www.pixalo.com/community/came...xti-11977.html
http://www.pixalo.com/community/came...m-vr-8694.html
http://www.pixalo.com/community/came...200-10248.html
http://www.pixalo.com/community/came...non-18496.html
http://www.pixalo.com/community/came...kon-13690.html

[Dave]

Well I bought the D200 & love the camera. BUT, if I had my time again, knowing how good the D80 is & the cracking price you can now get it for, plus knowing it would more than meet my skills / needs , with a sensible head on I would get the D80 and save some money.

But I'm never sensible

[dabhand16]

I've had my D70s for about 15 months now, and although I lust after a D200, I'm not sure if it was available at that time. Even if it was, I would not have been able to justify the cost. However, they are dropping in price, and at some point I will not be able to resist.

I've not had the urge to upgrade to the D80, but if I was buying in the middle of last year, I prbably would have gone for one rather than a discounted 'end of line' D70s.

In short, of the cameras available in my price bracket at the time, I made the right choice.

[TS Petrillo]

Well after a lot and I mean, a lot of research I bought the Nikon D50 - I am very happy with it so far - I've only had it for 6 months, but so far I love it
Am actually taking a Nikon photo class next weekend in Boston, so I will let ya all know how that goes & if it was worth it.

[Dave]

How did I miss the D50 Now added to poll

[j sotelo]

I have the D80 and D200 I carry the D80 with me at all times and have the D200 at my home studio, i'm more attached to my D80..I know I made the right choice, meaning the right choice I could afford, we all want more than we can afford all the time. I would love a Nikon D2Xs but not for another year.

[bellymungo]

D40 nice light camera, nice sized grip, quick to start, takes nicely detailed images, good built in flash. No DOF button.Cheap lenses a bit plasticity my 55-200 zoom broke.Excellent value for money.Great starter to the Nikon system. You cannot go wrong with any of these cameras really.

David

[Hacker]

I've never regretted buying the D200 and I'm even considering adding another one to the armoury.

[JMitchell]

I am very pleased with my D50, and rate it far and away better than my FZ7 bridge. I thought that the shots from the 350D looked a little sharper and the reds more saturated in the test shots, but I haven't found any problem with the shots from my D50 at the moment. Very pleased, plus I got it for £250 (body) + bag (now updated), 1Gig card, 2 books + 2 year full cover warranty.

[Victoria]

I bought the D50 because it was in my price range. I was originally looking at buying an Olympus and I'm so glad the salesman talked me into the Nikon instead.

[simpbow]

I bought the Nikon D70 & what a cracking piece of gear: , wouldnt even think about swaping or selling it but if i had another choice i would like Nikon D200 as well as D70.

[BeanPod]

I had been dreaming and researching slrs for almost 2 years. When I finally settled on the d80, I knew it was the one for me. And, now that I have had it for...well only a few days really!...I am more sure every day.

It feels great in my hands, menus and controls are easy and fairly intuitive...I've still got lots to learn about it, but we've bonded nicely .

[Dutchie]

The D80 was the perfect choice for me. I wouldn't have chosen otherwise if i needed to. I had done a lot of research on it and this dslr just seemed to be perfect for what i want.

And i've still got a lot to learn about the settings and buttons and so on.

[cspring]

Got the D80 and it's clearly the best Nikon I have purchased, and I have a few of them. The guy in the camera store told me he would have bought the D80 instead of the 200 because the D80 had features the 200 doesn't have.

[Luis Martinez]

for the best flesh tone nothing beats fuji s5 pro just got and love this mean machine.

[Charlotte]

D50 was the logical choice for me, as I was just starting my journey into the wonderful world of photography Yes, it was the right choice, definitely. Love-it-love-it-love-it! Even though I'm now hankering after the D200 at the time of purchasing the D50, I don't think I could've done better (pricewise + relative to my experience, i.e. very green)

[sawdust]

yep got the 50 love it bvut things are changing and a lot of loe light shots are now taken may need to upgrade but what to do Canon or d80-d200

[dabhand16]

I think the lens is more important. Get a D200 and keep you current lenses, and I doubt you will see any differences.

Keep your camera and invest in a fast lens and it should make all the difference.

Nikkor 85mm f1.4 or 105mm f2.8 VR spring to mind, and there is always the good old nifty fifty in f1.8 or f1.4 forms.

[liljj323]

i just bought my first slr which was the d40, and i absoluty love it.

[Sammy]

Have had a D80 for about a month. A great camera.

[Photoman7mc]

I have had a Nikon D70 since they arrived on the scene, my friend had the D100at the time & I would not have swapped him! D70 Great camera.
I have just bought a D40X plus the 18-55 & 55- 200 VR lenses ( Need the assistance now) but I wont give up the D70.
All Cameras are a personal choice. Viva Nikon!!

[M0TFT]

Well I got a D70, which I really like, then Mrs M0TFT is using an Olympus bridge camera, which isn't very good for the stuff we do (aircraft and birds - not good with a 1/2 second shutter delay). So I got a D80, and she got the D70! I occasionally wonder if I should have gone for the D200, but the extra £££££ and weight with my Sigma 100-300 F4 made me think. Still my mate (sawdust) is hoping to get one so maybe I'll find out if I chose correctly.

Alan (M0TFT).

PS But I STILL sometimes think I prefer the D70, she says Ican have it back, IF I buy her a 200!!!

[Charlotte]

Originally Posted by M0TFT

... which isn't very good for the stuff we do (aircraft and birds ...

Ah, so your user name stands for Member Of The Flying Team

Welcome aboard MOTFT

So you get to enjoy sawdust's dry humour face to face

[M0TFT]

Hi Charlotte, its actually my amateur radio callsign, M (Zero) TFT... And I not got such a dry humour as Mr Sawdust, maybe...

[peteer01]

Bought the D80 and I am definitely happy with it. I'm very happy with my lens choices as well, considering what I spent and what I got. The one thing I WOULD Like to see is, a few years down the road, a D80 level Nikon with a full size sensor. Aside from my normal zoom (17-50 2.8 Sigma) all of my lenses are full frame, and so is the next lens I want. (105mm VR macro) If a new camera allowed my wife to shoot with me and changed the ranges of all my current lenses (effectively) those two excuses would be a good enough excuse for me to upgrade my body before I need to.

[SgtDisturbed]

I may be a little late in the discussion but it appears to still be open. I thought I would share my experience.

Today I went to a Ritz camera outlet and had a look and feel of both the Rebel XTi and the Nikon D40x, and weighed the differences.

On the XTi's side:

* Slightly bigger grip
* Much better auto focus system
* Little to no shutter shock. Remember, I came from a Nikon D50, which had some noticeable "recoil".
* The LCD screen actually shuts off when your face is near the viewfinder. A couple of [what looks like] IR sensors detect your face

On the D40x's side:

* Slightly stronger feel, better ergonomics (even if it's smaller)
* Spot meter is there. That was a relief.
* Viewfinder blackout is very fast. Not as distracting as the D50's blackout time was.
* The LCD seems brighter and more vibrant.
* Menu is very intuitive.

So, after comparing these 2, I have come to a decision that I was not expecting, which I will get to after some explanation:

Now, some history first. I bought a D50 that, silly enough, came with a 28-80mm lens. A Coke bottle, if you will. I was soon looking for better lenses and found a Sigma 18-55 and 55-200mm kit. Huge mistake. I returned those pieces of junk the next day (back to the online store I bought them from). I then went and bought an 18-70mm AF-S off of eBay for $180, used. It served me so well. I actually feel a bit emotional when I think about how well that lens served me. Solid, quiet, and crisp results. It brought my D50 to life, and myself as well. I was taking more shots every day than I did in a week when I had the kit lens.

I had to get rid of Sprint cell phone service, and was desperately short on cash. I thought about it long and hard, and decided to sell my lens. I was in a stunned state of mind listing it on eBay, and almost shed a tear when it sold and I had to box it up and ship it off. It sold very well for $230.

I then had to sell the camera a week later, after some more unexpected bills hit me. It was another emotional event, this time, I actually shed a tear or two when I boxed it up and shipped it. It sold for $500, the amount I needed.

After selling the camera and lens, it felt like a part of me was no longer here. I actually mourned it. I had to wait 3 months before I could get this new opportunity to get another camera. I fixed up my landlord's bathroom (ripped out the old sink and medicine cabinet, replaced both, and replaced most of the wall where the sink is mounted and finished it off with a new all-over paint job ), and in doing so, I was offered a camera of my choice, within the $1000 range, total. Having realized that I sold the camera, my landlord was shocked and couldn't believe that I had sold it. He sat me down and told me about when he was in college, he had to sell his Canon A1 (I think this was the '70s), along with a bunch of fine lenses, including a 50mm f/1.2, all lenses being Canon brand. He was devastated and swore to himself that he would never do it again, unless it was absolutely necessary. I tried to decline his offer about 40 times, but he kept insisting. He eventually told me to shut the **** up and accept it. He said to "consider it a gift from one enthusiast to another" (although he was more pro than enthusiast). I have looked up to him since being here (now 3 years), and he has taught me a lot about photography.

Well, like I said above, I came to a conclusion: I decision to not get the XTi OR the D40x. I am going to get a Nikon D80 with an 18-70mm lens. I decided this since I loved the D50 feel and wanted the 10.2 MP that it would be best to go for the D80, and since the 18-70mm served me so spectacularly with the D50, I can only imagine it will serve me just as well if not better on the D80. Features, weight, grip size, build quality, image quality, image size, Nikon add-ons like a vertical grip, and a great starter lens are the elements that I pay attention to most and that I want in a camera. The D80 fits this perfectly and not much more than the D40x, especially if I get a Nikon factory refurbished D80 that carries the 90-day warranty. The D200 is just out of range or I would go for that, but I am extremely happy with getting the D80 nonetheless. I have seen the images from the D80 and compared them to the D200, and in my opinion, they come out just as nice if not very slightly better. I don't need the more advanced features that the D200 offers (yet), so for now, the D80 is the perfect choice. Some may ask "why bother with the D80 when you could save your money and get a D40x?" Well, the D80 does cost more, and depending on where you get it, could be 300 bucks more, plus some. This is quite an increase in price, but the D80 is 10x the better camera. As I listed above, it matches what I want perfectly and unlike the D40x, it has the built-in motor for non AF-S lenses. Its feature set is far superior, and can use a Nikon vertical grip, which is a great add-on.

Oh, and I would love to take the shoulders of any Nikon rep and shake him/her and say "why the hell have you made the D40 and D40x so small and cheap-feeling? I'm afraid I'll break it! Where have your standards gone? ARG! I love your D80 though lol so good work there, but seriously, the D40" and that's where I shake my head and walk away.

Sure, the D40 may suit new-to-DSLR users, but for enthusiasts, it seems like more of a down-grade than anything. Definitely geared towards new DSLR users with lacking the AF motor, lacking more external buttons for quick on-the-fly adjustments and the top LCD. Oh man having no top LCD is one of the worst attributes to the D40 and D40x.

What happened is I was having a feel of the D40x, and asked the associate to put the XTi back, and was standing there commenting on the lacking points of the D40x while looking through the viewfinder. The associate, while I was fixated on the D40x, quietly grabbed the Nikon D80 and slowly sat it on the counter. I looked up and saw this huge grin on the associate's face. I looked down and the first thing I saw was the top LCD. My heart almost leaped from my chest and I thought it was a D50. Upon closer inspection, it was a D80. I had never had the opportunity to see one of these in person. I hefted it, took a look through the viewfinder, and played around with the settings. All where I want them, all easy to learn, and the body itself is built tough and is nice and hefty in the hands. The grip is just right. Love at first, uh, grasp.

I went home and hopped online and found a refurbished D80 for 750, carrying the 90-day Nikon warranty. I soon found a used 18-70mm lens for $180. This Friday, I make the purchases



There you have it. A 2-camera comparison with an unforseen result.

[Photoman7mc]

i have been getting to grips with the D40Xand the 18-55 is quite good the size / weight ratio is fine for an 'Oldie' (76) to carry about and I have had pictures accepted for the HMS Bounty web page on bbc.tyne I still feel that Nikon should have made a sensor anti shake system so the older lenes would auto focus
HarryH

[SgtDisturbed]

Well it's not to say that the D40 and D40x's image quality is bad, it's just that it is missing so many functions that it makes it more of a P&S than a DSLR. I can tell that it was designed to be used on either full Auto or on it's presets (like Landscape, Child, Macro, Action, etc) where settings don't get changed on the fly. A definite "soccer Mom" camera.

[j sotelo]

SgtDisturbed hope you can still have time to go to COSTCO they sell a great D80 kit brand new .. It comes with a D80 , 18-55 lens, 55-200 lens, 2gb SD card, a case, more accesories but I dont remember what they are, I just named what I remembered.
I think it was about $1,200 costco has a great return policy if you dont like it for any reason just return it...

[SgtDisturbed]

Well I don't have a Costco membership and don't know of anyone who does, but $1000 is the very limit. Also I don't really want the 18-55 or 55-200, even the VR version. The 18-70mm will suit me great, and I can't choose what 2 Gb SD card to get with that kit. It's cheaper to get it online.

Thanks though. It's cool that you're letting me know about this deal.