Buying a D40, some quick purchasing questions...

[kyzen]

First off, thanks for all the feedback in my last thread. After reading everything there, playing with the in-store cameras, and looking around at the cost of accessories, I've settled on a Nikon D40.

Now, I have a couple quick (and totally newbish) questions before taking the plunge on the purchase:

1) I've found some mediocre deals online/in-store, but the best deal by far is via eBay with Microsoft's Live Cashback. For about $740 I can pick up a D40, an 18-55mm AF-S VR lens, and a 55-200mm AF-S VR lens, and a bundle of generic accessories (cheapo filters, shoddy cases, memory, tripod, etc). With the presently available 20% cashback, it would all come out at around $590 (when I got the cashback in like 2 months ). The seller looks legit - tens of thousands of positive feedbacks, eBay powerseller, etc, but there's that nagging fear that I'll be the unlucky guy who gets screwed out of hundreds of dollars due to a shoddy seller. Would you take advantage of the eBay deal?

2) How the hell do I figure out what the zoom on a lens is? I'm looking to pick up a lens that can get me at least the same 6x zoom as my point and shoot.

3) I'm seeing mixed results online - can the D40 use 8GB SDHC cards?

4) Lastly, I found a pretty good deal (as far as I can tell) for a Nikon 18-105mm AF-S VR lens for $260. Would this be a good addition to a kit with an 18-55 and 55-200mm lens, or would it not offer anything new? If I opted against the eBay bundle, and bought things seperately, would it be a better option than the 55-200mm lens?

5) Spare batteries - should I avoid using cheaper generic batteries and stick to the twice as expensive Nikon batteries, or are generic ones safe to use?

Thanks in advance

 

[996GT2]

1) Yes, if it's a legit seller with thousands of positive feedback, I would definitely go for it.

2) "6x" zoom is relative. Let's say a lens goes from 18-55mm. 55/18 is roughly 3, so an 18-55mm lens is a "3x" zoom. Similarly, a 70-200mm is also roughly a "3x" zoom. An 18-200mm would be an 11.1x zoom since 200/18=11.11.

My guess is that the 6x zoom on your P&S is about equivalent to a 24-135mm lens on a DSLR, since point and shoots don't cover wide angle very well.

If you got the 18-55 and 55-200, that would give you a combined "11.1x" zoom across the 2 lenses, so definitely more coverage than your P&S had

3) It should work with 8 GB cards, no problems. 8 GB CF cards work fine in the D70 (which is older), so the D40 should be fine. Keep in mind that if you have 2000+ pics on one huge card and it fails, you're screwed.

4) If you want one "walkaround" lens, look into the Nikon 18-105mm VR (as low as $250 from places). I would skip the Nikon 18-135mm since it doesn't have VR and optical quality isn't better than the 18-55mm VR. The 18-200mm VR is nice, but it also costs $500+. If you want a single fast lens and don't need the 4-6x zoom, I would recommend the Tamron 17-50mm f/2.8 or Sigma 18-50mm f/2.8 HSM (Both will AF on your D40 since Tamron recently released a version with built in motor).

5) Using cheaper batteries is not necessarily bad per se, but I would stick to trusted third party brands like Lenmar.

 

[ghostman]

1. I'd avoid ebay deals, not because of the chance of getting screwed (though it's a possibility), but because the package deals usually offer poor quality accessories and lenses. I'm not a Nikon guy, so I don't know the quality of those lenses. I assume they can't be great.

2. To calculate zoom, take the larger number and divide by the smaller number in the focal range. 55-200mm = 3.6x. With the two lenses, you get about 11x zoom. The typical "#x" zoom value is not very helpful, since you don't know how much you actually cover. For example, a 10-20mm lens is 2x zoom. A 100-200mm lens is also 2x. The 10-20mm would by super wide angle while the 100-200mm are telephoto lenses.

To get a frame of reference around the focal lengths, consider that 50mm on a film/full frame camera is approximately that of human eyesight. The D40 is not film/full frame, instead using a smaller sensor (because it's cheaper). This smaller sensor requires that you multiply your focal length by 1.5. So, a 35mm lens multipled by 1.5 will get you about "normal" eyesight's "zoom".

3. No clue. The D40 should support SDHC, so I don't see why wouldn't be able to handle 8GB.

4. The 18-105mm range clearly falls within the 18-200mm range you'd get from the other two lenses. Once again, I don't know Nikon lenses, but I generally don't like lenses that can zoom across a large range since they tend to sacrifice aperture and picture quality.

5. Some are decent, but not all. I use SterlingTek generic Canon batteries which have been working well, but they are the only brand of generic batteries that seem to be recommended. Not sure if they make Nikon batteries.

 

[Harabec]

Mind if I use your thread for a question? It might be relevant to you as well.
I went for my first short leg trip around with my new D40. Bought the 18-200 VR (heavy mofo) and it indeed covers everything I want. I noticed a small brown spot on my pics (at the same location), I assume it is dust on the sensor. The lens was put on the D40 right when we opened the boxes at the store.

How did it get inside? Do these zooms suck in air like a vacuum cleaner? maybe it got in when we first put the lens on? The D40 does not have a dust removal mechanism (the D60 does) so...does this mean I'll have to get it cleaned every month?

 

[996GT2]

Originally posted by: Harabec
Mind if I use your thread for a question? It might be relevant to you as well.
I went for my first short leg trip around with my new D40. Bought the 18-200 VR (heavy mofo) and it indeed covers everything I want. I noticed a small brown spot on my pics (at the same location), I assume it is dust on the sensor. The lens was put on the D40 right when we opened the boxes at the store.

How did it get inside? Do these zooms suck in air like a vacuum cleaner? maybe it got in when we first put the lens on? The D40 does not have a dust removal mechanism (the D60 does) so...does this mean I'll have to get it cleaned every month?

What f/stop were you using when you shot that picture? If it's a small f/stop like f/11 or more, then the spot is most likely dust on your sensor.

To clean it, I recommend that you either take it to a camera store and pay $40-50 or buy a kit that lets you do this yourself.

A good kit should include Eclipse E2, pec-pads, sensor swabs, rocket blower, etc. You can find instructions on sensor cleaning at:
http://www.cleaningdigitalcameras.com/

No, you don't have to clean your sensor every month if you don't change lenses. If you just keep the 18-200mm on there, then you may never have to clean it again after this time. However, if you often change lenses, then you may have to clean it every 2-4 weeks.

Also, when changing lenses, make sure you point the camera with the lens mount facing DOWN. This prevents excess dust from entering the sensor chamber during changes.

 

[kyzen]

Originally posted by: ghostman
1. I'd avoid ebay deals, not because of the chance of getting screwed (though it's a possibility), but because the package deals usually offer poor quality accessories and lenses. I'm not a Nikon guy, so I don't know the quality of those lenses. I assume they can't be great.

According to the auction description, they are Nikon brand lenses, not 3rd party brands.

 

[996GT2]

Which seller are you buying from? Is it cametaauctions? If so, they're part of Cameta Camera, a store based in New York. They are very reputable and are a Nikon authorized dealer.

I wouldn't worry too much though even if it's not from them. I bought an 18-55mm VR from sunshineelec on eBay and it came to me on time and in perfect condition. If you are really worried, call them up to make sure they're an authorized Nikon dealer.

 

[ghostman]

Originally posted by: kyzen

Originally posted by: ghostman
1. I'd avoid ebay deals, not because of the chance of getting screwed (though it's a possibility), but because the package deals usually offer poor quality accessories and lenses. I'm not a Nikon guy, so I don't know the quality of those lenses. I assume they can't be great.

According to the auction description, they are Nikon brand lenses, not 3rd party brands.

Understood, but that doesn't mean it's a quality lens. A Canon 18-55mm kit lens isn't a quality lens. Neither is the Canon 75-300mm lens. Those are budget lenses in the Canon line. Nikon probably has their own budget lenses.

Also, third party lenses can be excellent. I have a Tamron 28-75 F/2.8 and I love the lens. Amazingly sharp. The Tamron and Sigma lenses that 996GT2 recommended are also excellent lenses and I'd buy those over the Canon 18-55mm.

 

[Harabec]

Originally posted by: 996GT2
What f/stop were you using when you shot that picture? If it's a small f/stop like f/11 or more, then the spot is most likely dust on your sensor.

Looking at the pics, the spot does appear mostly when the camera picked F/9-14. I Couldn't locate it on pics taken at F/5.6.
The saleswoman indeed pointed the mount upwards so dust could have gotten in at that moment. Oh well, I'll take it back for cleaning when it eventually gets on my nerves.

 

[soydios]

1) Sure, go for it. Cameta Camera is one of the trusted places I buy from on eBay. Past purchases include my 18-200mm VR and D90 body.

2) The zoom on a lens is the ratio of the maximum focal length to the minimum focal length. So 55mm/18mm=3.06x for the kit 18-55mm lens.

3) According to DPReview (one of the most trusted photography sites), yes it is an SDHC-compatible camera and will work with cards larger than 2GB.

4) The 18-105mm VR would overlap your 18-55mm VR. Why leave the 18-55mm on the camera if you can have an 18-105mm instead? The 18-105mm VR is better paired with the 70-300mm VR.

5) At only $40 each the Nikon OEM EN-EL3e batteries aren't that expensive. The D40 is pretty thrifty on power, so you should only need one spare. You'll only run into problems if you go over a week of heavy shooting without recharging, or like spending several hours at night doing constant long exposures.

 

[996GT2]

Originally posted by: ghostman

Originally posted by: kyzen

Originally posted by: ghostman
1. I'd avoid ebay deals, not because of the chance of getting screwed (though it's a possibility), but because the package deals usually offer poor quality accessories and lenses. I'm not a Nikon guy, so I don't know the quality of those lenses. I assume they can't be great.

According to the auction description, they are Nikon brand lenses, not 3rd party brands.

Understood, but that doesn't mean it's a quality lens. A Canon 18-55mm kit lens isn't a quality lens. Neither is the Canon 75-300mm lens. Those are budget lenses in the Canon line. Nikon probably has their own budget lenses.

Also, third party lenses can be excellent. I have a Tamron 28-75 F/2.8 and I love the lens. Amazingly sharp. The Tamron and Sigma lenses that 996GT2 recommended are also excellent lenses and I'd buy those over the Canon 18-55mm.

The 18-55mm VR, 18-105mm VR, and 55-200mm VR are all quality starter lenses. They are of much better optical quality than the Canon 18-55mm II and even the Canon 18-55mm IS that comes bundled with the Rebel XSi kit.

I just sold my 18-55mm VR to upgrade to a Sigma 24-60mm f/2.8, but the lens itself was very sharp especially when stopped down to f/5 and higher. The VR was also excellent; letting me get sharp photos even when I was using shutter speeds as low as 1/5 of a second with no tripod.

 

[ElFenix]

Originally posted by: 996GT2


My guess is that the 6x zoom on your P&S is about equivalent to a 24-135mm lens on a DSLR, since point and shoots don't cover wide angle very well.

i'd guess ~35-200 actually. 24-135 would be a fantastic range to have in a p&s, but, like you said, wide angle on compact cameras generally sucks. (dpreview search finds no current cameras with 24-135 lenses)

35 to 200 equivalent is 24-135 (oh man did that just get confusing). that is, if you were to mount a 24-135 lens on your D40, because of the 1.5x crop factor, it would be similar to a 35-200 lens mounted on a 'full frame' 35 mm camera.

iow, 18-200 between the two lenses has it well covered

 

[996GT2]

Originally posted by: ElFenix

Originally posted by: 996GT2


My guess is that the 6x zoom on your P&S is about equivalent to a 24-135mm lens on a DSLR, since point and shoots don't cover wide angle very well.

i'd guess ~35-200 actually. 24-135 would be a fantastic range to have in a p&s, but, like you said, wide angle on compact cameras generally sucks. (dpreview search finds no current cameras with 24-135 lenses)

35 to 200 equivalent is 24-135 (oh man did that just get confusing). that is, if you were to mount a 24-135 lens on your D40, because of the 1.5x crop factor, it would be similar to a 35-200 lens mounted on a 'full frame' 35 mm camera.

iow, 18-200 between the two lenses has it well covered

I meant 24-135mm BEFORE the D40's 1.5x field of view crop factor, so more like 36-200mm in actual use. Forgot to clarify.

 

[morkman100]

if you don't need the 55-200mm lens, you can get a much better deal on the D40 kit with the 18-55mm lens only.

I got the D40 with 18-55mm lens (and a 2GB mem card) for $475 over a year ago and added the 55-200mm lens for an extra $100 (and I rarely use it).

Get the regular D40 kit and use the extra money for a more useful lens (Tamron 28-75mm f/2.8 for $350ish) or one of the 18-200mm lenses.

 

[troytime]

there's been a lot of nice camera deals lately
i wouldn't drop that much on a d40 kit right now. watch fatwallet hot deals forum for a d40 or d60 or even a d80 deal