My spending limit is $500-$600
The camera must accept SD cards.
My spending limit includes the camera and the lens. The Nikon D40 is a great little camera, very easy to use and quite reasonably priced. It will get you in the Nikon family which is a great place to be. If you buy accessories and lenses, you will be able to use everything on any Nikon that you might upgrade to later on.
Check out Nikon's "Picturetown" promotion, where they handed out 200 D40's in Georgetown, SC. http://www.stunningnikon.com/picturetown...
Here are a few reviews, in case you have not read them yet. Be sure to note that they are several pages long and some of the reviews also have some sample images that you can look at.
http://www.dpreview.com/reviews/nikond40...
http://www.steves-digicams.com/2007_revi...
http://www.popphoto.com/cameras/3756/cam...
http://www.kenrockwell.com/nikon/d40/d40...
I hate to see people slam the camera because it can't autofocus with older Nikon lenses. It is true that there is a "slight problem" with older Nikon lenses not autofocusing on the D40, but if you do not own a bag full of older lenses, it is not going to be a problem. It is barely a problem anyhow. If you check www.nikonusa.com for "AF-S" lenses, which are ALL 100% compatible with the D40, you will find 23 lenses, including 7 "VR" (vibration Reduction) lenses and one true macro lens with "VR". There are another 25-plus lenses in the current catalog that provide all functions except autofocus as well as many (possibly dozens) "out of print" lenses that will work just as well. In addition, although these lens will not autofocus, most of them will still give focus confirmation. From the D40 manual: "If the lens has a maximum aperture of f/5.6 of faster, the viewfinder focus indicator can be used to confirm whether the portion of the subject in the selected focus area is in focus. After positioning the subject in the active focus area, press the shutter release button halfway and rotate the lens focusing ring until the in-focus indicator is displayed."
The D40 only has 3 autofocus zones arranged horizontally at the center, 9 o'clock and 3 o'clock positions. This might be considered a limitation, but realistically, most people will find this perfectly adequate, especially if you are moving up from a point and shoot with only a center zone.
You can get the D40 with the 18-55 kit lens at B&H Photo (available through Yahoo! Shopping or at 1-800-622-4987) for $550 (May 2007) and this is with TWO Lexar 1 GB cards. You can get the same kit with one Lexar Platinum (higher speed) card for $560. Or - get the D40 with 18-135 lens and 1 GB Lexar card for $760.
There's a brand new, still in the box, Nikon D40 on eBay right now with the bidding below $500. See Item No 200110531132... Thanks! Report It
Used ones off ebay, i recommended either nikon or canon though if you are going to buy as new, as these companys are the best and the lenses are much easier to get a hold off, as well as the service they provide (and guarentee)
However, you may find it hard to find a half decent digital slr that accepts SD cards.. they're usually used for compacts, as i found out. But it's worth a look round..
Maybe a canon eos 350D?? 8 mega pixals.
That's just off the top of my head, but some models are less, with less megapixals...nikon also has a very good range.
Good luck. x The only DSLR's that accept SD cards at present are some of the entry level Nikons, like the D40x, D50 and D80's
Check out the link below and see which one may fit your needs. The Nikon D50 is good, very good. The Canon EOS 300 series I would avoid as my colleagues and I used one for over two years and could not get a decent photo out of it except in very good natural light, I am sure that this had something to do with us being new to Digital SLR photography but as you are asking for entry level then this still stands. The Nikon is also very easy to use and the build quality is second to none. We paid about two hundred and fifty pounds for it and that would be about $500 but as prices for electrical goods are so much lower in the U.S. you will probably get it cheaper. It's getting hard now to find a new one, but the Nikon D50 as stated earlier will be a great camera for you. You may also find a Nikon D40 which is a 6MP camera, as opposed to the 10MP D40x which is more expensive. Just be aware that the D40 series will have issues with some lenses, particularly older ones. I just love my D50, even though my D80 is a better camera, I will think the D50 is great. |
