[Brandy]

I'm hoping that I can get some help in making a decision here! I was stuck trying to make a decision between the D40 and the D40X. A little background...I lusted over a friend's D70 for a couple of years and then in October when I was crewing an ultracycling race, one of our crew members brought along his D40X with 18-200mm lens. Thunk. I was in love. I grabbed that thing at every opportunity and when we got home and looked at the images I fell even harder. Pictures taken during with the race with my Fuji Finepix S5100 were nothing compared to the images from the D40X. I've been thinking about it ever since.

So...fast forward to last week and we're in a position to upgrade our equipment and itching to purchase. My thought was D40 vs. D40X with a two lens package...18-55 and 55-200. Are the extra megapixels worth it the extra $200?? We're not in a position to spend the $$ on a 18-200mm lens right now so we would need to go with the two lenses.

Then I found a D80 with a 18-135mm lens that seems to similar in price to the D40X with the two lenses. Hmmm...is the D80 better? Will the one 18-135mm lens suit my needs?

Kids will be one purpose for the camera but mainly we need to get good shots during these ultracycling races to pass along to sponsors.

Help!?!?!

[Dabhand16]

Golden rule in choosing a camera is to go with the one that feels right to hold and is easy to access and adjust the controls.

Personally, I would not go for the D40/D40x due to the restricted choice of lenses that will work with it, but there are quite a few now available for it from Sigma as well as Nikon, but depending on what you want to do with it, the range that is available for the D40/D40x might make this irrelevant. I think the D80 is a better camera, but is also more expensive.

I've seen reports that the 18-135 lens suffers from vignetting, but that might be sorted out now. There is a thread here where this issue was discussed.

Don't forget you don't have to buy a Nikon package. You can buy the body of your choice and (for instance) a Sigma 18-200 lens. One-stop digital were offering the Nikkor 70-300 lens for under $220 last time I looked. However, this lens will be more difficult to handle than the 18-200 until you get used to it, but there are some super shots on here that have been taken with this lens. For sports photography I'd consider this a good lens, but with no VR, you might need a monopod or a very steady hand.

Best thing is not to rush into this. Take the time to do your research and you will then get the best package for your needs.

[Brandy]

Thank you for the feedback Graham. So, you feel that the lens choices are limited in the D40s, but there isn't an issue with the D80s?

Is the Nikkon Creative Lighting in the D80 something that would be a real advantage?

It's a tough decision! I'm going to try to run to the local camera shop during lunch to get my hands on both of them and see how they feel. Please keep the comments coming!

[Dabhand16]

The issue with the D40/D40x is that these bodies do not have autofocus motors, so if you want AF, the lenses must have built-in motors.

This means that some lenses will not autofocus on the D40/D40x bodies as they do not have a built-in AF motor.

Now this may not be a particular issue for you. As I said before, there are more lenses now becoming available that will work on the D40/D40x, but it just might be that in the future you will need a lens, or have the opportunity to get a bargain lens that will not AF on the camera.

The creative lighting, if it is what I think it is, is to do with using flashguns in combination or as a fill light. If you are going to do a lot of this type of shots it will be an advantage. But in your choice of camera it is better to concentrate on the basics rather than the feature list. Not many people will use every function that is available to them, but if there is a feature that will be of use to your type/style of photography, it will be useful.

With regard to other fancy in-camera effects, I'm generally not in favour of them. Better to understand how to get what you want in a picture from setting the camera up properly rather than rely on auto features that take control away from you.

[Brandy]

Thanks again Graham. Don't you just want to make this decision for me? I think I need someone to just tell me that I should buy the D80 because it's a better camera than the D40.

[Dave]

Originally Posted by Brandy

I think I need someone to just tell me that I should buy the D80 because it's a better camera than the D40.

It is... & isn't far behind the D200 which I use. But thats not to say you should spend that extra amount, if you feel the D40X you played with, met all your needs.

If you were to say "I feel I may want several lenses in future" then I could be tempted to say go for the D80 to give you more flexibility in lenses you can buy (don't forget second hand, where you can make decent savings on lenses). BUT, if you were to say the NIkon D40X with the lens you tried would more than do you, for now & foreseeable future, then save some money & go with the D40X

Hope that hasn't made you more

At the end of the day the camera body price will be a small portion of price of many lenses (if you go that route).

[VinnyP]

The D80 is a really well regarded camera. In terms of images in ideal conditions the D80 and D40x will both give as good results since they have the same sensor. But the D80 has a lot of advantages and has more scope to grow with you. If you stick with it no matter which camera you choose you'll probably end up ditching the kit lenses. The 18-135 is ideal for the kids but may prove a bit short for ultracycling (if that is like normal cycling) however the other side is that the D80 will cope with moving subjects better thanks to the same multi cam 1000 focusing system as was on the D200.

[j sotelo]

D80 is compatible with about 99.9% of Nikon lens old and new. here take a look a the reviews.
Pixalo D80 Reviews

[Brandy]

Originally Posted by Dave

If you were to say "I feel I may want several lenses in future" then I could be tempted to say go for the D80 to give you more flexibility in lenses you can buy (don't forget second hand, where you can make decent savings on lenses). BUT, if you were to say the NIkon D40X with the lens you tried would more than do you, for now & foreseeable future, then save some money & go with the D40X

This is very helpful Dave.

~I would love to have the flexibility to use different lenses in the future

~The lens I used on the D40X is out of my price range right now. 18-200mm.


I guess that I just want to know whether or not the 18-135mm will suit my needs for the time being until I can add another lens to the family.

Oh...and I ran to Ritz Camera at lunch and within 5 seconds I realized that my research on the forums here had paid off. I clearly knew more about the D40 and D80 than the man behind the counter. The trip was worth it though, since I was able to hold both the D40X and D80 in my hands. The D80 felt great...does that mean I have big hands?

[ftmftm]

D80 all the way, alot better camera body,

[Brandy]

I'll add some more questions while I'm at it, since you're all being so helpful!

I'm looking at this site and now I'm overwhelmed with lens options.

Nikon D80 Digital Body w/Nikon 18-135mm f/3.5-5.6G Lens<br>w/ 1 Year USA Warranty

I was thinking the 18-135mm package for $669...

<b>Nikon D80 w/Preferred Package

BUT...there is a 28-105mm/70-300mm package for $679...

<b>Nikon D80 w/Professional Package


Help!

[VinnyP]

Those links are to expresscameras.com I am not in the US and have no experience of them but I would strongly recommend checking them out on Reseller ratings

[JMitchell]

the d80 is a better camera for sure, but, as you are just starting out in the world of dslr photography then perhaps you should stick to something more simple? Not sure. You will be able to find lenses to suit your needs with the d40 / d40x, even if the whole range isn't compatible. And remember, these are relatively new cameras and more and more lenses that are compatible will be being made in the near future.

[Dabhand16]

FWIW - I had the kit 18-70 lens on my D70s for a long time before adding a Sigma 10-20 and a Sigma 70-200 f2.8 and a Nikkor 50mm f1.8. The Nikkor 18-70 is a very good lens, and I've seen it written that it is better than the 18-55. But I did not do any sports photography.

I think that if you want a general purpose lens then you really need to have one that goes down to 18 at the wide end. Even in sports photography, a wide angle lens can pay dividends in some situations. 28 is not very wide.

Bottom line is if you are going to stay with photography you might as well go with the D80 or you might find yourself upgrading the body in the future, where the D80 might just last you for a long time and you can then concentrate on getting more lenses.

As Dave said - if you arn't, you might as well get the cheaper body and put the money towards the lenses. Only you can make the final choice

BTW - I've got small hands, but I prefer larger cameras.