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abdog

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hi everyone im after some help :) i know nothing about cameras but am interested,im after a good starter camera i got a budget of around £250 and im thinking of getting a second hand nikon d40 will this be a good starter camera or do you think i should try something else? thanks in advance for help :thumbs:
 
Its a preferance thing Its like buying a new car, we all want different things for them and have different aspirations. If you read all reviews you will be left bamboozled !!
Visit a camera shop pick em up and play with them.
Sony have some good offers on as do Canon Nikon etc. I started out with an Alpha 200 and moved up. Again go and view and play with one in a local store, local photo shops will have loads of time for you..Best of luck..
 
Just in terms of the Nikon cameras, when in the shop have a feel of the Nikon D60. That's pretty much the exact same body as a D40. If you like the feel of it I highly recommend it. I used the D60 before I upgraded and it's a great wee camera.

The Canon users will let you know the equivalent Canon cameras. If I recall correctly, the equivalent to a D60 is a 450d. And I think the equivalent to the D40 would be a 350D?

All very good cameras. Very hard to say which is best. Whichever feels better in your hand. And if they all feel good, if you have a friend or 2 into photography chose the dslr brand that they use, because you can't swap lenses between make of camera. (E.g. any Canon to another Canon is fine, but Nikon to Canon won't work)
 
thanks for replies will get to a shop on weekend hopefully was told the nikon was easy to use so that appealed to me greatly as total novice
 
abdog said:
i got a budget of around £250 and im thinking of getting a second hand nikon d40 -- will this be a good starter camera
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that's exactly where I started and it's a good start

be warned -- you will have other bits to buy so dont spend too much on your first body/lens............

to give you an idea, I bought all mint used kit
Nikon D40 with kit lens = 18-55mm G DX ----new/reburbished by Nikon £240
4GB Kingston SDHC card
then camera bag £40, lucky find Manfrotto tripod £50, head for same £20
then Nikon SB600 flash £70
then Nikon 55-200 DX VR zoom £130
then Nikon 35mm f1.8 prime £120

you dont need all this at once - but I reckon it will do me till I gain experience

good hunting !!...............:thumbs:
 
Yardbent said:
that's exactly where I started and it's a good start

be warned -- you will have other bits to buy so dont spend too much on your first body/lens............

to give you an idea, I bought all mint used kit
Nikon D40 with kit lens = 18-55mm G DX ----new/reburbished by Nikon £240
4GB Kingston SDHC card
then camera bag £40, lucky find Manfrotto tripod £50, head for same £20
then Nikon SB600 flash £70
then Nikon 55-200 DX VR zoom £130
then Nikon 35mm f1.8 prime £120

you dont need all this at once - but I reckon it will do me till I gain experience

good hunting !!...............:thumbs:
Click to expand...

Jeez, bingo! That's almost exactly the same progression I took. I'm now on a D300 so if you're on the same progression as me you're going to be down a bit of cash pretty soon :lol:
 
karmagarda said:
Jeez, bingo! That's almost exactly the same progression I took. I'm now on a D300 so if you're on the same progression as me you're going to be down a bit of cash pretty soon :lol:
Click to expand...

well on a pension I may have to wait a little longer

about the only limitation I have found - so far - is the 200mm isn't enough for bird-life - other than when I got within 10feet of some in my tree last week !!

but as a "starter kit" it's very good.
 
Yardbent said:
well on a pension I may have to wait a little longer

about the only limitation I have found - so far - is the 200mm isn't enough for bird-life - other than when I got within 10feet of some in my tree last week !!

but as a "starter kit" it's very good.
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Remember if your lens isn't long enough, you can buy a portable hide for much less than the price of a long prime and just get closer.
 
PsiFox said:
Remember if your lens isn't long enough, you can buy a portable hide for much less than the price of a long prime and just get closer.
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thanks but -- birds are low priority although interesting - love landscapes !!

the driveway to my farm cottage doesn't lend itself to a hide nearby the tree full of bird-feeders - just got lucky with some young blackbirds as they were hungry and I walked up to them with the 200mm VR
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abdog said:
thanks for replies will get to a shop on weekend hopefully was told the nikon was easy to use so that appealed to me greatly as total novice
Click to expand...

once you've been - have a look at our "For Sale" section

Nikon D40 or D40X would be a good start ...................:thumbs:
 
andrewc said:
to be fair all the cameras are pretty easy understand, so I wouldn't just look at Nikon, but also at Canon and the other brands.
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quite agree :thumbs: - but *abdog* asked about "the D40 for £250 - and other suggestions"

I think it is important not to confuse with generalities like "try Canon or other brands"...

I dont know Canon so ....perhaps you can suggest a specific model for the OP to compare with the D40..? karmagarda suggested a 350D...?
 
From the Canon range I would suggest looking at the 350D or 400D or possibly a 20D. The 20D is slightly bigger to hold - personally I prefer the size of the xxD range and find the xxxD range a little too small.

All Canon EOS lenses have lens motors in the lens, so unlike the D40 they do not have to worry about if a lens will autofocus on the camera.
 
I wish I could use different lenses on my ZS3 but from what I understand this isnt possible...the Nikon looks great!!
 
if i'm correct,the nikon D40 doesn't have a motor in the body,so you will need to buy lens' with the motor in to auto focus,which are a bit dearer to purchase.as i don't know nikon,i'm not entirely sure which model has the AF motor built in...just thought i'd let you know.

as been said..look at other manufacturers cameras,as there's nothing to choose between then.i would strongly recommend going to somewhere like jessops and try a few out to see which you prefer..ie:user interface,ease of menu's,ergonomics etc...and then decide what suits you best.
 
Another vote for the canon 1000d. iv had mine for about a year great camera, lenses are cheap for learning and it produces some great shots. i felt that jumping from a point and shoot to a full size dslr a bit scary, the 1000D is slightly smaller and quite light.

good luck with your search.
 
Andy said:
Never liked the Nikon D40, much better cameras for the money....Like the Canon 20D,


Andy - that's a Body "only" on eBay and the OP budget was £250
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wont bid on that 1 on ebay,gonna go currys on saturday and have a look at that sony
 
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