looking to go dslr

[thes3raph1m]

ok so i was looking at the nikon d40 or the eos 400d

now im not exactly well off in terms of cash, at the moment im trying to get my own place, plan a marriage and also im having a baby (well my fiancee is) in april

but my mom has a pay weekly catalogue that i could probably afford, the d40 at least, and probably without any lenses but is it worth it, i already have a cybershot dsc-600 PAS camera, which doesnt do macro's or have a marvelous zoom nor do i have too much control over the settings (bit of a lie but its still no DSLR)

i asked my mom if i could get it (bear in mind i am a bit of a mothers boy, else id just get it myself) and she said i wouldnt use it...

i dont really care, i would use it, maybe not often, but properly cared for and kept safe it would last for years surely... especially when my son is born, i could take some really nice photos, not to mention nature shots and if i get the money, i could get a macro lens at some point and get even nicer insect shots


can i take good closeups with out a 55-200mm lens? i think thats the measurement anyway... but im sure you know what i mean...

is it worth it, or should i just stick with my cybershot for now and be happy with it, even though its just £10 a week and as i dont drink really or do anything else i can easily afford an extra £10.

i dunno... what do you guys think...

[mh68]

If youre limited in choice between the D40 and the 400D I`d go for the latter. The D40 is limited in which lenses work with it (due i think to lack of autofocus motors in the cam body).With the Canon you have a far greater choice of lenses when you come to expand your setup.

Mark H

[GerryNick2]

The Canon 400D is a very nice camera and retails at £439 with the 18-55mm kit lense. Yes it will keep but there will always be a better model round the corner, the new 450D has just been launched.

Switching to a DSLR is fine if you are going to use it regularly. It can also get very expensive when you start adding macro and telephoto lenses etc.

The Cybershot should produce some nice shots, but if you want the extra telephoto range you might consider one of the Canon compacts, the Powershot A650 IS 6X optical zoom or the Powershot S5 IS 12x optical zoom. Both are nearly half the price of the 400D.

Gerry

[RichBrew]

Originally Posted by mh68

... The D40 is limited in which lenses work with it (due i think to lack of autofocus motors in the cam body).
Mark H

At the last count, 53 lenses from Nikon and third party manufacturers.

RichBrew

[mh68]

Originally Posted by RichBrew

At the last count, 53 lenses from Nikon and third party manufacturers.

RichBrew

As always, I`m happy to be corrected Rich, but i`ve noticed quite a few popular lenses which are stated not to work with the D40,and read that lens choice is restricted to lower price range and the higher -end lenses?

Mark H

[RichBrew]

Hi, Mark,

It is seemingly a mis-conception about the useable lenses on the Nikon D40/D40X. The link illustrates what is available for this camera body, Nikkor or otherwise.

RichBrew

Discussion Forums @ Nikonians - D40/D40X/D60 - Fully Compatible AF-Lenses

[mh68]

Thanks for the link Rich, still more limitations than the "normal" Nikon bodies though. But a better range than what I was led to believe.

Mark H

[RichBrew]

Mark,

The D40 was developed to be a small, lightweight DSLR, and as a result the internal AF motor was sacrificed as part of the design. While it's true that the mid to high-end Nikon bodies can use lenses dating back to 1959 (F mount) and still retain metering, most users of entry-level SLR's are not interested in this capability.

I don't know where people got the idea about the limitations of compatible lenses for the D40, but I think the fifty-odd lenses on the market would cater for most people's needs.

RichBrew

[eeyore]

also as regards the pay weekly option add up what it will cost in the long run - 10pw sounds good but the interest on these catalouges can be horrific - upto 30% apr or more meaning that you end up paying rather more than the camera is worth.

you dont say how old you are , but if you are over 18 you would be better off with either a 0% interest credit card, one of the deals from jessops or the like where you get 12 months 0% finance (at a tenner a week you can save up 439 before the end of the 12 month period) , or do it the ol;d fashioned way of saving up the money first.

you can also get dslrs cheaper by buying second hand (though I'd go to a reputable dealer rather than ebay as ideally you want a warranty) Camtech , mifsuds, ffordes, and T4 are all good places to look - on average a mint condition 20D or 350D will do you about 250 notes

[eeyore]

Originally Posted by RichBrew

Mark,

I don't know where people got the idea about the limitations of compatible lenses for the D40, but I think the fifty-odd lenses on the market would cater for most people's needs.

RichBrew

its probably because a lot of third party manufacturers state that their lenses "may not" function correctly with the D40 - translation = they'll probably be fine but they are covering their posterior if they arent.