d200 or d80??? help!!

[dore187]

hi everyone
im new to the forum and dslrs
i am in the market for a 1st time dslr
i have decided nikon already from the feel of the cameras
i just cant decide d200 or d80
will a d200 be too much for a 1st time user?
or will a d80 be too limited in a years time ?
i really want a camera too last me a good 5 years and some
i plan to get into photography as much as poss
budget is not too big a concern as long as the camera is right
help as all jessops staff all seem to be cannon users thier advice is lmited

 

[PaulBoy]

hi everyone
im new to the forum and dslrs
i am in the market for a 1st time dslr
i have decided nikon already from the feel of the cameras
i just cant decide d200 or d80
will a d200 be too much for a 1st time user?
or will a d80 be too limited in a years time ?
i really want a camera too last me a good 5 years and some
i plan to get into photography as much as poss
budget is not too big a concern as long as the camera is right
help as all jessops staff all seem to be cannon users thier advice is lmited

IMHO yes the D200 would be too much for a first time user (I had one for a while but sold it recently as I wasn't using it enough to justify keeping it)
I have now got a D80 and its a very capable camera but much more user friendly if you are just starting imho
I doubt if there is ANY camera that would last 5 years as technology will move on & you need something to spend money on other than crack & ho's
HTH - Paul

 

[Joe T]

 

[Yv]

Tough choice! There is always the element of getting the best you can afford and NO camera is future proof, Nikon of course having just announced their latest new models.

I started with the D70s and now have a D200 too, but I am glad I had the 70 first, it taught me a lot before moving onto the more complicated 200. However, in a years time, you may very well find the 80 limited depending upon how well you take to it and what you want to use it for.

In five years time, both will still be very capable cameras, but decidely dated. bear in mind both will depreciate fairly rapidly as newer models are released.

My suggestion? Get the D80, make sure you like the camera and are using it, then in a years time, invest in a D200 or current equivalent, keeping the D80 as a reserve body. I have found having two bodies infinately more flexible than just one....less lens changes for a start


But which ever road you decide to go down, and I should say that my other half can pick up he D200 and just point and shoot in Program mode and he is pretty much a beginner, enjoy using them, and use this place, books, etc to learn as much as you can, maybe even join a local photography club too.

Have fun either way!

 

[Jas]

This is probably where I was just under a year ago, and like LadyLens I started out with a D70s but found very quickly I wanted something more as I never really shot in Auto. I sold the D70s within 5 months even though it was an excellent camera.

With the D200, I believe you can set up the camera initially very simply to shoot in Aperture or Program priority and leave all the other settings as is (unless you shoot motorsport - then shoot in Shutter priority). You will quickly learn how different size aperture / shutter affects your final results. You sound very keen, so my suggestion is for a D200 (prices will be dropping due to D300 being announced) and you are likely to keep it for longer than a D80 and spend the 'second camera' future upgrade cash on lenses instead.

If budget really is not an issue, can you be patient enough to wait for the D300 to come out? It's around a 4 month wait.

 

[Ross]

With the D200, I believe you can set up the camera initially very simply to shoot in Aperture or Program priority and leave all the other settings as is (unless you shoot motorsport - then shoot in Shutter priority). You will quickly learn how different size aperture / shutter affects your final results..

?

The D70 does all that, and arguably gives better results straight from the camera as well. The D200 takes a lot more fiddling to get the same result.

The D200 is a lot more critical of the lenses you use with it as well. So unless you have a decent budget for good glass as well as the D200 body my advice would be to buy the D80 and spend the rest of the cash on decent lenses

 

[Ian T]

Also, the pro layout might not be a favourable for a first time DSLR user.

I'd say get the D80, and spend the money you save on some decent accessories. You'll get more fun for your money that way. Then perhaps think about an upgrade later. My first DSLR was the D50 (discontinued, but inferior to the D80), and it's only now a year later that I'm starting to want an upgrade, and that'll be a D80.

 

[jhob]

Definitely D80 for someone getting into it. The D200 is a fairly complicated beast for the first-timer. I started with a D70 and moved on to the D200 and I'm glad for having done it that way round, makes the learning curve a lot simpler. I think the D200 could have been very scary had I jumped straight into it. At any rate the D80 is an extremely capable camera that I imagine you'll be very happy with.

 

[Wile E. coyote]

Have to agree I've started with a D50 and hope to upgrade soon. A friend has a D200 and I would have been lost if I started with that.

 

[boozybill]

Also, the pro layout might not be a favourable for a first time DSLR user.

I'd say get the D80, and spend the money you save on some decent accessories. You'll get more fun for your money that way. Then perhaps think about an upgrade later. My first DSLR was the D50 (discontinued, but inferior to the D80), and it's only now a year later that I'm starting to want an upgrade, and that'll be a D80.

[S1]i aggree[/S1]

 

[strax]

I would also second getting a D80.

I started with a D50 and then after 10 months upgraded to the D80. I find the D80 is not too complicated. If I had just jumped in and got a D200 straight away, I think I would have been lost.