Nikon D40 vs. D80?

i've been trying them out and reading a lot of reviews
i can't make up my mind on which camera is better for me in the long run.

this camera is going to be my buddy, following me every step of the way. the weight different isn't much if it's worth it.

This would also be my first SLR, and i don't want to upgrade or change anytime soon.

i'm thinking the d80 because i might want to blow up some pictures...

can anyone help tell the difference

If you can afford the D80, buy it. It has more features associated with the D200 but for about $500 less.

http://www.dpreview.com/reviews/compare_...

Any of the Nikon DSLR's can provide excellent enlarged images .... their image sensors are over 15 times the size of the common P&S cameras.

If you ever start shooting with long lenses, handheld (like wildlife or sports) the added weight will be benefit to helping to stablize the camera/lens combination ... even if your lens has the VR feature.

All my camera bodies have "battery grips" on them for not only adding to the number of shots I can take before having to worry about recharging the batteries, but the added weight adds to its mass making it easier to hand hold in low light situations

NOTE: If most bang for the buck is your goal, then buying the D40 with both the 18-55 and 55-200mm VR or a single 18-200mm VR lens package would be a good choice. Why? Because you will be buying a new body in four to five years, but the lenses you buy now will be lasting for decades. Any body you buy in the future will be using the lenses you bought now ... just something to consider when looking into the future.

While the D40 is an excellent camera in its own right, if you want a camera with a little more flexibility, you should get the D80. Since you plan on keeping the camera for a long time as your buddy, you might as well have a camera that will autofocus with more Nikon lenses than the D40 will.

Both cameras are well made and have features that can grow with you. If money is tight, the D40 will be just fine, but the D80 offers more lens flexibility which will benefit you over the long run, as well a few more megapixels.

Don't do it for the megapixels, the d40x has 10 megapixels as well. If your upgrading to the d80 do it for the easy access to controls and settings as well as the internal motor. You can expand your lens selection by not having to buy lenses with the internal motors.

I have a Nikon D40 and it is the bomb! Also you should get it at Amazon.com.....

http://astore.amazon.com/nikond40deals-2...

Beware of those small online camera shops that advertise really low prices. They will get your credit card information and then AFTERWARDS tell you it is on backorder for a lengthy time. And good luck canceling the order. I have heard nightmare stories.

At least Amazon is a highly reputable store and they ship fast.


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I went through the same decision making process. I first bought the d40 because I was just starting out and the d40 got great reviews as a first dslr camera. It was a great camera. A great learning tool because it was so user friendly. It did such a great job of teaching me about photography, I outgrew it very fast. Two months later, I'm looking for all sorts of lens for my d40. I found that the main difference between the d40 and the d80 is that the latter has an internal motor to drive auto-focusing lenses. The d40 does not have an internal motor. This is why it's very small, light, and affordable. Why is this important? If you want to buy an autofocusing lens for your d40, you have to make sure the lens has an internal motor to drive the autofocus. Otherwise, you are stuck with a manual focus lens, my friend. There are very few of these types of lens and they are a little more pricey than the ones without the motor. Some of the best lens do not have motors in them because they utilize the camera's motor.

So, if you plan on using different lens for your shots, you better think twice about the d40. It's a great camera, but it will limit you if you want to do a little more with your shots. I outgrew my d40 very quickly. It was great, but I sold it to get a d80. Since then, I've purchased the 50mm 1.4 lens, a 17-50mm lens, and a 85mm 1.4 lens. I would have to manually focus all of these with the d40. IMO, you are better off with the d80 if you are serious about photography! If you don't care about the lens and are not all that serious about photography, get the d40. It's a great little camera.