I took a photography class and really enjoyed it, I already have tons of regular digital cameras (cybershot) but I want a more advance digital camera. I am having a hard time describing what I want but something that is just not a regular small digital carmera. Something that I can do more with and take higher quality shots. Any recommendations? I would like to spend somewhere between 200.00 and 800.00.
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The previous answers are giving you good advice and at first I was just going to pass your question by. But I think I can add a few points to perhaps help you along a little too.
The Nikon D40x is an excellent recommendation by way of a camera body but since you already have a lot of cybershots and you are no doubt interested in really getting into photography, you may very quickly find the D40x as being a bit limited. That camera body like it’s Canon counterpart, is really designed for beginners, not for people who are serious about photography. It might make you happy for a few months or a year after which you’ll be interested in upgrading.
The second recommendation, the Nikon D80, I think is more in keeping with what would make you happy. This one is not designed for beginners, it draws many of its featrues from the higher end Nikon camera bodies and it integrates everything in a very neat package that is a joy to use and to hold. If you’re really serious about photography in the longer term you’ll outgrow this body too but that will take you longer and even after you have outgrown it, you’ll have a camera body that you can continue to use for some shoots while using a more high end body for others.
So I agree with the suggestion that the D80 sounds like the camera for you.
The other question is the lens. When I got my D70s two years back there were two lenses that seemed to make sense, a 18 mm – 70 mm which has turned out to be a rather good lens, and a 70 mm – 300 mm which has left me a bit disappointed though in my case I don’t have the newer one with the image stabilizer. That combination, in 35mm film terms got me a range from a reasonably wide 28mm to a long 450 mm a range I really appreciated.
However very quickly I encountered a problem too, I was constantly changing lenses. In my film days that wasn’t a big deal but now I had to be concerned about dust getting into the camera and landing on the sensor which meant that changing lenses was no longer a simple process.
My solution to that was the Nikon 18 mm – 200 mm lens. It offers the same wide angle but less of a telephoto. I bought this one when I bought my Nikon D200 body and this lens has become my primary lens. It also has a built in image stabilizer which gives me those capababilities throughout its range which is also nice. This is the lens I’d recommend with your D80 body. It’s a solid workhorse of a lens that even seems to accept being rained on once in a while.
I have two other lenses too in addition to the initial two, so I am still changing lenses every so often. However these are for specialized stuff that I don’t do all the time. Now when I travel, where weight is an issue, that 18 mm – 200 mm is the only lens I take with me.
Oh yes, and if you want to save some money, both Sigma and Tamron offer similar lenses though the Tamron one doesn’t have an image stabilizer which is one reason it’s a lot cheaper. I’m not endorsing these lenses or the Nikon one, you’ll have to decide whether they make sense to your needs, I’m simply endorsing the zoom range as being very handy for most things.
I hope this helps a little. Good Luck.
Comment by Shutterb — December 3, 2009 @ 4:42 pm
Yes, Nikon D40 and D50 are excellent choices. My friend took a D50 to Thailand on vacation, and the photos look like a real Pro!!
Comment by shutterb — December 3, 2009 @ 4:42 pm
check out the D40x
Comment by Elvis — December 3, 2009 @ 4:42 pm
The Nikon D40 or D40X are excellent choices.
However I’d squeeze a few dollars more out of the piggy bank and go for the D80.
The 40’s will only autofocus with lenses having built-in motors.
The D80, however, will autofocus with all Nikon AF lenses, including their excellent primes.
This gives you a much wider choice of lenses and can save you $$$, as many great older lenses are now on the used market at very good prices.
Hope this helps.
Comment by V2K1 — December 3, 2009 @ 4:42 pm