i was looking into sum of those i jus thought for the money the d40 was pretty good. ill have to look into canons now aswell.

what about this d60? wats ur opinion on this one elijah? pretty cheap i think

http://cgi.ebay.com/Nikon-D60-Digita...item53dd925e52

 

Nikons and Canons as far as image quality are built pretty much neck and neck, but button layout and feel of the actual camera and lenses are two totally different pieces of equipment.

I would go to a store and hand hold both of them and see which one u like better. for me Nikons are too small in my hand. I like something to hold onto and something that all the settings I need are in naturally laid out spots on the camera body.

One thing i've always heard from Nikon shooters is how well the Menus are laid out compared to Canon, and to that I ask "what are you doing spending so much time in your menu for?"

The ONE thing I liked bout the nikon I tried out (d90 with 11-17mm lens attached) was that it has more focusing points than my 5d and I liked he grid in the viewfinder. Kinda makes it easier to line up landscape and building shots.

But the best advice that ANYBODY should give u is to go to a local store like Best buy and try them at the store and see which one FEELS better to u.

 

awesome bro, im definatly going today to a few stores jus to feel which ones better, i actually want sumthing thats not tiny and i can actually grasp. im going today definatly to check it out. but once i feel which one i like better ill come back on here and ask for advice on getting it on ebay. would it be trustable?

 

i'd kinda look at www.photographyonthe.net or www.fredmiranda.com classifieds. U may even find something like a Canon 30d or 40d for the price ur looking at. and those are heftier cameras that can even be used as professional cameras. And my main reason for using Canon is u can NOT beat CANON lenses. The glass is HANDS down the best.

 

yeah sid said that earlier aswell. thanx man!

 

u can hit me up on AIM or whatever if u have any questions.

 

awesome will do bro

 

i agree with the nikon's feeling way to small in my hand. i hated it. and the layout and terms and buttons - jsut didnt feel it. picked up the xsi and knew it was exactly what i wanted

 

elijah pretty much hit it all. Go out and feel the cameras. You can't beat actually touching the cameras to see which one will be the one for you.































Canon FTW! teeheehee

 

i had a D40 as a first camera...it only has 3 focus points, it def felt too small in my hands, also the fact that you have to access the menu to change different things. It was def a good camera to learn on but i got the urge to upgrade right away.

Also, one thing that i figured out after i had it for a while was that you can't autofocus on some lenses because the camera is so small that it doesnt have the built-in motor to make the AF (autofocus) work. That makes it a bit more expensive when it comes to buying lenses because you have to buy the AF ones.

I got a XSi after a few months...i love it so far. It's been great. Def bigger than the D40, different functions are easier to get to because they're on the body, it has way more different focus points compared to the D40. Its just a great camera overall and its not much more expensive than the D40. I got my XSi with a 18 55 IS for $400 on craigslist.

 

I'm going to a few stores today to get a first hand experience with both.

 

also look on craigslist Fab. you have my number if have questions right?

 

The only thing the D40 is good for, is learning. I never complained about the size simply because I had a battery grip, but going from the D40 to the D80 was a HUGE improvement.



Besides, a battery grip should be the first thing purchased for the camera.

And if size/weight was a factor in purchasing, you should all have the D700. ____ing thing is 38oz.

 

nah i dont think i have ur number sid, PM me it. ill defiantly bother u with questions aswell.

u had the d40 jon? so do u guys think its even worth it for me to get that one? i want sumthing good to learn on but also sumthing i wouldnt have to change so much, how much does a battery grip run for?

 

Yea, I had the D40 for about a year then upgraded to the D80 a few months ago.

Depends on the camera. A battery grip for the D40 is around $85-100, for the D80 it's $135 + $35 for a second battery.

 

I had a D40 as well. Honestly if you don't mind having to manual focus on some lenses (which is actually a good skill to have) I'd say go for it. If I had to do it over again I'd probably opt for a D50 or D70 with a low shutter count.

 

hm im gonna keep all this in mind, is manual focusing a p.i.t.a? i like the d40 cause its jus so cheap i seen a few on ebay brand new for $435 shipped

 

Manual focus sucks, but the only lens you'll ever need to manual focus with, is the 50mm, assuming you buy it. Any lens that says AF-S has a motor built into the lens, so the D40/D60 can auto focus with it.

Actually, my new 70-300mm doesn't have a motor in it, but I specifically bought the non-auto focus one because it was $300 cheaper and it was the exact same lens.

 

It's not hard at all. There's a little focus indicator light in the viewfinder that illuminates when you're in focus. The only time I had to use MF was on my 50mm.

 

o ok so the lens it comes with the 18-55 is AF-s so it has a motor in it to autofocus? cool. now im getting it more and more. ok i think i am gonna go with teh D40