New to DSLR

[ahtshun23]

Hi all,

I need some expert suggestions on buying DSLR Camera...Which one is suitable for beginner D40,D80 or D60?

Thanks!!

[skyline1088]

hi. welcome to the community! well, my advice to you is look around the market. there are other brands besides nikon (though i'm using nikon) . canon, olympus, sony...etc you might wish to take a look at their range.

which is suitable would depend on what you would require the dSLR for. e.g. for myself shooting planes and fireworks, as an entry level i got the D60 and upgraded the lens. a D80 might be a bit of an overkill , but depending on your budget as it would be considered a mid-range pro camera. entry levels are normally D40 to D60 ranges. anything with D*** is pro grade. Of cos there are pros and cons about each and every camera. Just beware that it might not be up to your expectations. look around. no hurry!

[andrewant]

1) Look at your interest level. If you're just taking up as a hobby or just getting a feel of it, get a D40 or D40x. But if you have a strong passion for Photography, i suggest you go for the higher end ones. Maybe even save up more cash for a DXXX

2) Think about what you want to shoot, EG. Sports you gotta have a higher FPS. Portrait, you'll do fine with almost any camera (more on the lens), etc...

3) Size/feel. You have to go down to the shop and feel the camera for itself. If you have huge hands, the D40 would be very very small!

[Wzierbovsky]

Echoing the above too. If you're just getting into the hobby, don't have much disposable income, not sure if you're going to stick through this hobby long, then it makes sense to minimize your initial investment first. The D40/D60 are pretty OK starter cameras, though the D80 has more room for growth at a higher cost.

[attap seed]

dun rush into a decision.

make sure your purchase can last u a few years.

dun buy something, then immediately tink that its not good enough and decide to upgrade.

a sure way to waste resources.

[ahtshun23]

thank you for all your valuable comments.

actually,i intend to use this camera for travelling purpose such as shooting of building,scene,sunrise/sunset and festival etc..wont be on sport shooting...

hi skyline1088,how much did u get your D60?

Anyone can explain what is Exposure Bracketing and DOF Preview?Both these features dont exist in D40 & D60..

[ahtshun23]

thank you for all your valuable comments.

actually,i intend to use this camera for travelling purpose such as shooting of building,scene,sunrise/sunset and festival etc..wont be on sport shooting...

hi skyline1088,how much did u get your D60?

Anyone can explain what is Exposure Bracketing and DOF Preview?Both these features dont exist in D40 & D60..

[attap seed]

i'd say for general shooting, the Exposure Bracketing and DOF Preview are not critical functions.

Exposure Bracketing - camera automatically take a few exposures of the same scene. eg -2, -1, 0, +1, +2 stops. useful when u dun trust the meter of intend to do things like HDR.

DOF Preview - stops the lens down to the aperture set for exposure so that u can preview the DOF. u see, to facilitate focusing, composition, when u view through the viewfinder, u always view through the biggest aperture (no matter what aperture u set). the moment u press the shutter release, the aperture is stopped down for the shot. if DOF control is so critical to u, u can always view it from the LCD and then compensate accordingly.

i dun even know if my camera has these 2 functions, cus i dun use them.

[-DeeK-]

Hello ahtshun23,

Before jumping in and deciding on which DSLR body you should get, think of the lenses too.

You might upgrade the camera body in future but the range of lenses that you have wont disappear once you upgrade.

Lenses are, in my opinion, long-term investments

[Wzierbovsky]

Well, for those photo subjects you've listed below, any DSLR would do at least reasonably alright; the lens however is going to be the issue. If you're not going on sports shooting, a lens like the popular 18-55mm VR would suit you nicely as a starter for your D40/D60.

Once you get into the hobby and can spend a bit more, then you can consider one of the ultra-wide angle lenses, like the Sigma 10-20mm which is discussed on another thread now.

Originally Posted by ahtshun23 thank you for all your valuable comments. actually,i intend to use this camera for travelling purpose such as shooting of building,scene,sunrise/sunset and festival etc..wont be on sport shooting...

[ahtshun23]

if i get D60,can i shoot sport or firework in future if i have money to spare to get a better lenses?

[skyline1088]

Originally Posted by ahtshun23 hi skyline1088,how much did u get your D60?

hi. i got my D60 wit 18-55 and 55-200 for 1388. was at IT show a few months back.

to shoot sunshine/sunset and nature yes i would agree with above posts - a 18-55 VR would do you good. (:

[Pete]

Hi. I'm also a beginner, and i bought D80 as my 1st DSLR and i'm very happy about it. I did a lot of reading about photography and asking people around.

[ahtshun23]

any recommendation shop to purchase DSLR camera?prefer got installment plan..


Harvey norman is selling D80 for SGD1888 and D60 with SGD1188 with SGD200 deduction.

is it a good deal?Or wait for coming IT Show?

[calebk]

You might wanna refer to this: http://www.clubsnap.com/forums/showthread.php?t=381385

and do abit of your own research on camera specifications and prices.

Generally speaking, it's not such a good deal buying from megastores, as they throw in a lot of inane, rather useless freebies, at an extra price (so they aren't truly freebies per se).