750 for a DSLR need opinions :D

[teatime0315]

So I have 750 to spend on a DSLR.
I found the D40 KIT for 540 and a 55-200 VR lens for 225.
Is this a good combo?
Is there a better alternative? similar to this?
THANKS

 

[troytime]

depends on how serious you plan to be

if you don't plan on owning more than 2 or 3 modern lenses, yes, its a good deal and a good camera

 

[teatime0315]

I don't plan on being too serious. I just want good shots haha
I'm currently using a sony T9 so any DSLR would be an improvement.
thanks for your response "troytime"

 

[Kelvrick]

I have a similar budget. Seems I'm getting a used D20 for 525 and I'm going to find a kit lens and pick up the 50mm 1.8 for now. Get a 17-50 later down the road and maybe a 28-135.

 

[troytime]

Originally posted by: teatime0315
I don't plan on being too serious. I just want good shots haha
I'm currently using a sony T9 so any DSLR would be an improvement.
thanks for your response "troytime"

I have a sony t9 too, great little cam!!

I think the d40 would be a great dslr for you, especially with that VR lens (is the kit lens 18-55?)

 

[AmigaMan]

that was exactly my budget. I was looking at the D40 with the kit lens or the Sony Alpha with the kit lens. I bought the Alpha ultimately because it had built in image stabilization in the camera body versus in the lens like Nikon and Canon. This would make buying lenses for the Nikon more expensive if I wanted IS. I also went with the Alpha because I could use my existing Minolta lenses and it just works. I have a 28mm f2.8, 50mm f1.7, 28-80mm, 70-300mm, and the kit lens which is a 18-70mm.

 

[dartworth]

Take a good look at the Pentax K100D and Pentax K10D

 

[teatime0315]

Originally posted by: troytime

Originally posted by: teatime0315
I don't plan on being too serious. I just want good shots haha
I'm currently using a sony T9 so any DSLR would be an improvement.
thanks for your response "troytime"

I have a sony t9 too, great little cam!!

I think the d40 would be a great dslr for you, especially with that VR lens (is the kit lens 18-55?)

Yep its the 18-55mm
Can anyone shine some light on this lens? Is it "good" for a kit lens?

 

[AndrewR]

Originally posted by: teatime0315

Originally posted by: troytime

Originally posted by: teatime0315
I don't plan on being too serious. I just want good shots haha
I'm currently using a sony T9 so any DSLR would be an improvement.
thanks for your response "troytime"

I have a sony t9 too, great little cam!!

I think the d40 would be a great dslr for you, especially with that VR lens (is the kit lens 18-55?)

Yep its the 18-55mm
Can anyone shine some light on this lens? Is it "good" for a kit lens?

I have VERY limited experience with the Canon. However, I know that I've seen comparisons of kit lenses across brands, and the Canon doesn't compare all that well. A kit lens is like drinking a fantastic wine (DSLR) with McDonald's (kit lens).

If you're going to get a DSLR, spend some money on the lens(es)! Otherwise, you are better off getting one of the high end prosumer P&S cameras like Canon G7, Sony R1, etc. Don't discount their image quality, and most have the full range of controls you get with a DSLR. The R1, for instance, has a fantastic lens on it and a CMOS sensor (rumored to be the basis for the development of the next Sony DSLR sensor to be released soon).

 

[dartworth]

All the kit lenses are a great value.

I currently have a D50 and the kit lens is great. Before that I had a Rebel XT and the kit lens with it was excellent.

 

[AndrewR]

Originally posted by: dartworth
All the kit lenses are a great value.

I currently have a D50 and the kit lens is great. Before that I had a Rebel XT and the kit lens with it was excellent.

I had the D50 for a bit, and I did like the kit lens. Kit lens for the D70 (18-70) was really good -- is the same one on the D80? The Canon just seems mismatched with their cameras since their sensors are so good.

Anyway, let me change what I wrote above. Get the kit lens, especially if it's your first DSLR. You can learn the camera with it, and when you're ready to upgrade, you'll have a better idea whether you want to invest in a wide angle or a telephoto (or even a super telephoto, one of those 18/28-250+ lenses).

 

[allies]

Originally posted by: dartworth
Take a good look at the Pentax K100D and Pentax K10D

QFT. I got a K100D with kit lens, and a 50-200mm lens for ~675. Love it all too.

 

[Jawo]

Originally posted by: AndrewR
If you're going to get a DSLR, spend some money on the lens(es)! Otherwise, you are better off getting one of the high end prosumer P&S cameras like Canon G7, Sony R1, etc. Don't discount their image quality, and most have the full range of controls you get with a DSLR. The R1, for instance, has a fantastic lens on it and a CMOS sensor (rumored to be the basis for the development of the next Sony DSLR sensor to be released soon).

I couldn't agree more. I have spent twice as much on lenses then I have on the body. When buying a dSLR body you are more buying into a lens line than a body. The body is important, but its the lenses that attract people to dSLRs. The "mega zoom" p&s cameras really would be good for people who want many features for a low price.

 

[Deadtrees]

Originally posted by: AndrewR

Originally posted by: teatime0315

Originally posted by: troytime

Originally posted by: teatime0315
I don't plan on being too serious. I just want good shots haha
I'm currently using a sony T9 so any DSLR would be an improvement.
thanks for your response "troytime"

I have a sony t9 too, great little cam!!

I think the d40 would be a great dslr for you, especially with that VR lens (is the kit lens 18-55?)

Yep its the 18-55mm
Can anyone shine some light on this lens? Is it "good" for a kit lens?

I have VERY limited experience with the Canon. However, I know that I've seen comparisons of kit lenses across brands, and the Canon doesn't compare all that well. A kit lens is like drinking a fantastic wine (DSLR) with McDonald's (kit lens).

If you're going to get a DSLR, spend some money on the lens(es)! Otherwise, you are better off getting one of the high end prosumer P&S cameras like Canon G7, Sony R1, etc. Don't discount their image quality, and most have the full range of controls you get with a DSLR. The R1, for instance, has a fantastic lens on it and a CMOS sensor (rumored to be the basis for the development of the next Sony DSLR sensor to be released soon).

That's the wisdom form SLR days and it was quite true, because no matter what kind of camera you use, you could always use various films.
However, in the days of DSLR, it's not so true. Don't get me wrong. I'm not saying that lenses don't matter anymore. Lenses are still damn important but the chagnes lenses make is far less than what Dslrs' built in sensor/image processing makes. Think about Nikon's D2H with A+ grade lens versus D40 with less graded lens. Which one do you think is going to produce better results in terms of noise level, color representation, resoulution, white balance correctness...etc.? The answer is D40 as it has better or more mature sensor and image processing algorithm, especially when it comes to Nikon as their image processing technology has been getting much better since D50.

In addition, kit lenses are kit lenses. Choosing a Dslr camera based on the kit lens is quite close to non-sense.

 

[Deadtrees]

Athought Nikon and people seem to think D40 is for DSLR beginners, I don't think it really is so.
It's because D40 lacks AF motor when most of Nikon prime lenses don't have AF motor built into them.

For those who have been using Nikon and have understanding of Nikon lenses, D40 is a super deal.
For for a beginner like you, are you sure that you wouldn't want to try those cheap and good quality prime lenses?
Are you sure you wouldn't want to use lenses like 50mm f/1.4, 1.8 or Sigma f/30mm 1.4 as well as many others?
(Well...in fact, you can use them as MF lenses but buying an AF lens only to use it as MF only lens is quite non-sense.)

 

[AndrewR]

Originally posted by: Deadtrees

Originally posted by: AndrewR

Originally posted by: teatime0315

Originally posted by: troytime

Originally posted by: teatime0315
I don't plan on being too serious. I just want good shots haha
I'm currently using a sony T9 so any DSLR would be an improvement.
thanks for your response "troytime"

I have a sony t9 too, great little cam!!

I think the d40 would be a great dslr for you, especially with that VR lens (is the kit lens 18-55?)

Yep its the 18-55mm
Can anyone shine some light on this lens? Is it "good" for a kit lens?

I have VERY limited experience with the Canon. However, I know that I've seen comparisons of kit lenses across brands, and the Canon doesn't compare all that well. A kit lens is like drinking a fantastic wine (DSLR) with McDonald's (kit lens).

If you're going to get a DSLR, spend some money on the lens(es)! Otherwise, you are better off getting one of the high end prosumer P&S cameras like Canon G7, Sony R1, etc. Don't discount their image quality, and most have the full range of controls you get with a DSLR. The R1, for instance, has a fantastic lens on it and a CMOS sensor (rumored to be the basis for the development of the next Sony DSLR sensor to be released soon).

That's the wisdom form SLR days and it was quite true, because no matter what kind of camera you use, you could always use various films.
However, in the days of DSLR, it's not so true. Don't get me wrong. I'm not saying that lenses don't matter anymore. Lenses are still damn important but the chagnes lenses make is far less than what Dslrs' built in sensor/image processing makes. Think about Nikon's D2H with A+ grade lens versus D40 with less graded lens. Which one do you think is going to produce better results in terms of noise level, color representation, resoulution, white balance correctness...etc.? The answer is D40 as it has better or more mature sensor and image processing algorithm, especially when it comes to Nikon as their image processing technology has been getting much better since D50.

In addition, kit lenses are kit lenses. Choosing a Dslr camera based on the kit lens is quite close to non-sense.

I don't completely agree, primarily because I shoot RAW+JPG, and the JPGs are only for "snapshot" use. For RAW format, the image processing capabilities are less important, and it's going to be the ability of the sensor in concert with the resolving capabilities of the lens which make the difference. Yes, the sensor has a large impact, but the lens determines the maximum level of quality that the sensor can produce and sets the baseline for color, contrast, and sharpness.

I can take a photo with the same camera body (either my 7D or now my A100), swapping out the lens from my 18-70mm kit lens to either my 50mm f/1.7 or my 70-210mm f/4, and the sharpness, color, contrast (everything!) are far superior on the more expensive lenses using the same sensor and processing algorithms (and, incidentally, Nikon uses Sony sensors). The difference between the two cameras (6MP vs. 10MP; 2004 vs. 2006) is far less noticeable, and without resorting to resolution peeking, I'd have a difficult time telling two shots apart when using the same lens and the same parameters.

I do agree with your last statement about choosing a DSLR based on the kit lens. A far better consideration than the kit lens is the flash system, for instance. Nikon is the best right now in that regard (though I am completely enamored with KM/Sony's wireless capabilities).

 

[teatime0315]

Well I finally purchased my DSLR
I went to Ritz on the weekend, and checked out both the D40 and the D80.
The D40 was a great "small" camera but I felt that the D80 was more "Sturdy"
I also felt that it was more "future-proof".
So in the end i bought the D80 instead ... I spent a few hundred more so hopefully it'll be worth it
Thanks again everyone!

 

[Sid59]

Originally posted by: teatime0315
Well I finally purchased my DSLR
I went to Ritz on the weekend, and checked out both the D40 and the D80.
The D40 was a great "small" camera but I felt that the D80 was more "Sturdy"
I also felt that it was more "future-proof".
So in the end i bought the D80 instead ... I spent a few hundred more so hopefully it'll be worth it
Thanks again everyone!

Nice.

I only bought the D40 because i know i'll want more than the D80 can give me. D40 bought me a reason to upgrade to a D200 later this year.

Enjoy the D80! Did you still get the 55-200 VR? nice little lens, i ended up getting the 18-200VR for my D40.

 

[ElFenix]

buy panasonic DMC-L1 from buy.com for $999 (don't forget fatcash/coupons)

sell 'kit' lens for $850 to $900

buy olympus 14-54 f/2.8-3.5

 

[troytime]

Originally posted by: teatime0315
Well I finally purchased my DSLR
I went to Ritz on the weekend, and checked out both the D40 and the D80.
The D40 was a great "small" camera but I felt that the D80 was more "Sturdy"
I also felt that it was more "future-proof".
So in the end i bought the D80 instead ... I spent a few hundred more so hopefully it'll be worth it
Thanks again everyone!

good choice!

i LOVE my d80.

 

[virtuamike]

Originally posted by: teatime0315
Well I finally purchased my DSLR
I went to Ritz on the weekend, and checked out both the D40 and the D80.
The D40 was a great "small" camera but I felt that the D80 was more "Sturdy"
I also felt that it was more "future-proof".
So in the end i bought the D80 instead ... I spent a few hundred more so hopefully it'll be worth it
Thanks again everyone!

Good choice

 

[dxpaap]

In looking at pricing there is only a $50 diff between the D40x and the D80 - so which one is the better bang for the buck - assuming this is for someone who wants to start photography as a hobby (want both auto and ful manual control).

thanks

dp

 

[pontifex]

55-200 VR for $225? aren't those things normally like $700-800???

 

[teatime0315]

Originally posted by: dxpaap
In looking at pricing there is only a $50 diff between the D40x and the D80 - so which one is the better bang for the buck - assuming this is for someone who wants to start photography as a hobby (want both auto and ful manual control).

thanks

dp

If I were you I wouldn't even consider the D40x if its only a 50 dollar difference.
Take the D80. If you were contemplating between the D80/D40 then that would be tough.
Go for the D80 you'll regret not spending the extra 50 dollars.
Not saying the D40x is bad just saying @ that price-point I would not consider it.

 

[teatime0315]

Originally posted by: pontifex
55-200 VR for $225? aren't those things normally like $700-800???

55-200 mm VR

225 Right now.