Your camera now, or next purchase?

cptzippy said:
Best thing to do is keep experimenting and understand the basics of f-stop and shutter speed. I too have a D40 and it is a wonderful little camera. I'd invest in different/faster glass before I'd move up to a D90. BTW, I love using my 1974 Nikon F2 more than I do the D40 and it has no electronics whatsoever besides a basic light meter. Have you looked into the forums on nikonians.org. Great site and the D40 section is free.
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I have an old F3T and Nikonos 5, and bodies from my film days.



I'll check out that forum, there has to be some info on the settings I can gain from.





the 18-105 glass is great, the stock 18-55 didnt give me enough reach and had no VR.





D90 is at my joint now. Ill play with it this weekend.
 
Right now I have a 5Mp Canon S50. It's been pretty good as far as a point and shoot but I'm contemplating getting a Nikon D50.
 
The D90 is outstanding. The low-light abilities are worth the money, IMO. Obviously it makes great sense to get value out of your investment by learning about the camera and, of course, photography in general. Learn about the relationships between shutter speed, aperture, ISO, and white balance, and you will be amazed at the results.



I'm still using my trusty D80, although I've flirted with the D90 a few times now. As much time as I've invested in learning about photography, however, the D80 is still smarter than I am. :D
 
Defiantly not wanting to stir the pot. I just relay what I was told when I went looking for a camera and asked about the D90. Every place I talked to said "Not worth it" From camera experts to salesmen. Not a single person I talked with said it was a wise purchase. And not because it's a bad camera but because it was such a little upgrade from the D80 it was much wiser and smarter to save (at the time) hundreds of dollars and pick up the D80. or even the D60. Is it a good camera? Yep by a long shot. But so are the D80 and the D60 (I was told to stay away from the D40 but I forget why off hand) and for the extra cost you have to shell out for the D90 (which may be a moot point right now if they ever dropped in price since I looked) the better wiser purchase was by far the D80 still. Which is all moot because I ended up with the Sony a300 being this was my first venture into DSLR's Now I just have to figure out what my first lense purchase should be. to many dang options I tell ya
 
I don't think of it as stirring the pot. Nikon created quite a bit of controversy with the D90. A lot of which, I think, was a result of them not touting the important stuff (i.e. D300 sensor and associated low-light capability) as opposed to the cool stuff (i.e. HD video). Plus, there's still an amazing Canon vs. Nikon thing going out there, both amongst semi-pro photographers and people who sell these things. Nonetheless, as the dust has settled, and the reviews are in, there's just no doubting the value per dollar spent on the D90. Or, in other words...don't compare it to the D80, but instead check out a side-by-each against the much more expensive D300.



For me, it ultimately came down to that HD video...no surprise, I guess. I liked the idea, especially after seeing those same low-light results from stills applied to video, but the manual-only focus and lack of a mic input (why have 720p video with not even stereo audio?) made me think that it's probably best to keep still photography and portable video separate from one another.



In any case, just as with detailing, results are 10% product and 90% process. There are literally dozens of great cameras out there. Use what works for you and make those shots come to life.
 
I think the high resolution LCD on the rear of the D90 is a must have item. I use a D70s and it makes so much difference. The out of camera jpqs are better too than the D70s.



You usually seem to be able to get more "specs" (MPs, etc) from Canon at a lesser price and then Nikon offers something extra like HD etc to sell at a higher price. It is a big competitive marketing game.



I like the concept of the D5000 with the articulating LCD like the Canon's. It has many of the D90 aspects that competes more directly with the Canon XSI product.



The best thing to do is evaluate cameras in **your** hands to see which one has the more intuitive menu's, controls, etc. This is important if you take the camera off Auto and try to control exposure, etc.
 
My wife and I have a Canon XSi, Speedlite 430EX Flash, 18-55mm IS lens, 55-250mm IS Lens and the 50mm F/1.8 Lens. We tried to create a decent package on a budget. We are both learning and have taken photo 101. I totally agree that photo basics are way more important than the equipment. We are happy with our DSLR and have about 3000 clicks on it. Our old XTI had about 4000 clicks on it when we sold it. My wife wanted the larger screen for photo previewing.
 
Jakerooni said:
Defiantly not wanting to stir the pot. I just relay what I was told when I went looking for a camera and asked about the D90. Every place I talked to said "Not worth it" From camera experts to salesmen. Not a single person I talked with said it was a wise purchase. And not because it's a bad camera but because it was such a little upgrade from the D80 it was much wiser and smarter to save (at the time) hundreds of dollars and pick up the D80. or even the D60. Is it a good camera? Yep by a long shot. But so are the D80 and the D60 (I was told to stay away from the D40 but I forget why off hand) and for the extra cost you have to shell out for the D90 (which may be a moot point right now if they ever dropped in price since I looked) the better wiser purchase was by far the D80 still. Which is all moot because I ended up with the Sony a300 being this was my first venture into DSLR's Now I just have to figure out what my first lense purchase should be. to many dang options I tell ya
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Sounds like its got 2 sides.



I have to dump these D80's that nobody is going to buy now that the D90 is here, help



or



There isnt much value in the wrong hands to buy a D90.





Ken Rockwell and DC Resource think the D40 is one of the best cameras of all time. I dont mind it at all. My shots suck in either camera. To some, I may be the Todd Helme of photography, who knows!



Its here charging right now.
 
jdoria, when you say they suck - what exactly do you mean? What do you expect a new camera - D90 or D700 or Hasselbad or anything - to do to help? Not meaning to sound like a smart aleck but it would help me know what you mean.
 
cptzippy said:
jdoria, when you say they suck - what exactly do you mean? What do you expect a new camera - D90 or D700 or Hasselbad or anything - to do to help? Not meaning to sound like a smart aleck but it would help me know what you mean.
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I dont look at them and say, "wow, those are pro photos".





Im not truly expecting a camera to make a night and day difference, like a can of Johnny's BJ Special $482.00 wax on an 88 Hyundai.





Example:



DSC_0088-1.jpg




just not a pro photo....





I also just like to piss away cash from time to time.
 
First thing I notice is that light is an important part of photography and hasn't been harnessed here. Photography is literally painting with light. Be mindful of the directionality and effect of sunlight in your photos.



Second, consider depth of field. In the photo above, the depth of field goes all the way back past the red suv to the house beyond. Making a shallower depth of field will isolate what you want to focus on (the car) stand out more without the distractions of the background. Depth of Field is controlled (in simplest terms) by the aperture. The lower the f-stop (ie wider open) the shallower the depth of field.



One more piece of free chicken - imagine how you'd like the shot to look (wow, pro) and ask what it is that you can do to make that happen.
 
Send the 2 grand to:



Psychic Wonder Camera

123 Ansel Adams Way

Springfield 00010



;)



Or just paypal to my email (as far as you know)
 
I am still on my EOS 350D (Rebel XT), using a 28-135 IS/USM lens. I couldn't believe the step up this thing was from my HP point and shoot. My next purchase would probably be a full frame Canon.
 
i have a rebel XT looking into used D70 or 80's



but the rebel is AWESOME for begginers. def worth the price. took some great memorable shots with it. but time to get a new camera, hell a NEW LENS! haha
 
Canon 1D2n, 40D, 20D

Nikon D200



but i use my Sony W120 Point and Shoot for my detail pictures (=

no need for an slr to shoot these kinda pictures. save your money for food
 
Thats Fresh said:
Canon 1D2n, 40D, 20D

Nikon D200



but i use my Sony W120 Point and Shoot for my detail pictures (=

no need for an slr to shoot these kinda pictures. save your money for food
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Did you just recently pick up the D200?



Bestbuy had a closeout on it last month for $599 brand new.
 
I use a D40 with 18-55 and 55-200 for details



Usually I walk around with a Sony DSC-T77 in my pocket, its smaller then my cellphone.
 
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