What should I Buy, D40x, D80, or RebelXTI

[kenith_jolley]

Hello to all.....I am an amateur "pic-taker" I wouldn't even go as far as

saying a photographer, though I have taken some really nice pics with my old

Olympus 3MP digital from the late 90's. I am in the market for DSLR but

articles I read lead me to no decision on which camera I should go for out of

the three main cameras in my price range to choose from, the D40x, D80, Rebel

XTi... First let me say I generally tal\ke landscape-type photos, close up

plant/animal shots, architectural, the generic typical photos BUT I really want

to be able to take night photos, of maybe the night sky, stars, moon, meteor

showers, night cityscapes etc...this is my mission! so that being said, I need

some advice. I'll admit the d80 IS on the fringes of too expensive compared to

the other two, but I'm willing if it makes that much of a difference to go that

route. Any words to the photographically uneducated is much appretiated!

[sam_thompson2]

I would look at the Pentax K100D or Sony Alpha, it has in camera image stabilization which would be useful in doing night shots.

[tim_knight]

The D80 and XTi would be my choices because they are able to use more different types of lens such as fast primes and older quality zoom lenses like the Nikon 80-200/2.8. I am sure others will share their thoughts with you. Good luck. Be sure to go to a camera shop and hold and play with each model and see which one fits you hand and location of controls for changing camera settings quickly while shooting.

[Karim Ghantous]

While any of the cameras you mention are good, you have advantages with Pentax and Nikon

as they support older lenses (and there's quite a lot of them out there). Pentax is better value

IMHO but I like Nikon just a little bit more. YMMV!

[giggles]

I am a Nikon gal so I would get the D80 hands down. Good luck!

[jim_pletcher]

This may not be much help, and is likely to start something, BUT here is my two cents worth - don't spend it all in one place.

 

I've found auto-focus nearly useless for the night work and landscapes I've tried it with. So, I added a Katz Eye focusing screen - which helped manual focusing (a lot).

I use a D40x, primarily because I have several good manual focus Nikon lenses (and because I like the "feel" of the smaller camera). The older manual lenses have larger apertures, which makes manual focusing easier.

 

If I had the equivalent Canon lenses, I may have been happier with the Xti because it appears to handle low-light situations a little better (less noise). I'd still add a Katz Eye though.

[nickc1]

I also went with the D40x for similar reasons to Jim above - but in my case also add the difference between the D40x and the D80 meant I could afford the Nikon 55-200VR lens as well, and that also when I picked the camera up it fitted! It is slightly smaller than the Canon, which I find too small, but even so it seems to fit my hands better than that or the D80 - so SOLD!

 

If you do go down the manual lens Nikon route try the 50mm 1.4 for portraits or the 85mm 1.8 for gig shots!

[robert goldstein]

Pentax K10D offers a near pro-level camera at a very good price. The in-body shake reduction is not available on any Nikon or Canon camera and is a very valuable feature. With SR, all of your lenses are effectively stabilized.

 

Rob

[robert_nancarrow]

A pio-taker can't get much better than to buy the pentax k100d with both the 18-55 and 50-200mm kit lenses. I think the whole thing would be about 700.00 and you would have shake reduction and ISO range and lens range with very high quality pics. IMO. Bob.

[Rene11664880918]

We might be on the same photographic level. If that is so, I'm really happy with my D80. The

D40 seems too small but that is really personal. For night photography you will be using a

tripod therefore you don't have to care about camera image stabilization. Also at high ISO

the D80 is not that good, I will even say it is really bad. I assume the d40 is the same. If you

use a tripod to shoot at night, which you should, you can use ISO 100 and you will be fine.

 

Cheers!

[ruinog]

D40X only works in AF with the new ultrasonic lenses. So beware.

D80 can?t measure light with old nikkor Ai-S lenses, but otherwise is OK.

Canon EOS400D (Rebel in USA) is a great camera but poor build. Too much low grade plastic on it.

Include on your list Pentax 10D. The very best build camera at the price. But Pentax new lenses are scarse.

[Ray House]

Kenith, if you can go to a camera store and handle the cameras. Ask lots of questions, and work the controls. One will probably stand out as the one you want. All the models mentioned are very good.

[kenith_jolley]

Thanks to everyone who has shared info. I probably won't be able to sink the money 'till mid September so I'll be sure to try and get the cameras in my hands first. I'm glad to hear that the pentax is prety popular at such a reasonable price, and maybe has advantages over the others. I have noticed though that the Rebel isn't mentioned that much at all, so I think I should cross that one off the list and replace it with the pentax.

 

I am curious though, when 'older' lenses are mentioned, does that mean older DIGITAL CAMERA ONLY lenses or lenses as old as 35mm lenses? Do they fit any of these cameras as I found my dad had some old 35mm lenses that I know little about...?!?

 

Oh <chuckle> I only thought my old camera was 3MP...its a 1.3MP Olympus D-340L...The photo was taken several years ago in Lake Guntersville State Park here near my home in Guntersville, Alabama<div></div>

[les_lammers]

"I am curious though, when 'older' lenses are mentioned, does that mean older DIGITAL CAMERA ONLY lenses or lenses as old as 35mm lenses?"

 

I would give the Pentaxes a close look. They can use any lens Pentax ever made and many of them are outstanding. The K mount M series from the late 70's-80's are worth a look. My K10D arrived yesterday and I am quite happy with it. I went with it because of the weathersealing and it has a very solid feel.

 

Here is a link to some lens info:http://stans-photography.info/LongComments.html#50%20mm%20f/4.0%20Macro

[tim_knight]

Kenith, Sorry I have been out of town, but yes Nikon digital cameras will accept and work with the old 35mm auto focus Prime and variable zoom lens from the past, I believe the D40X can only manually focus with these lenses. This gives the Nikon owners a wider choice of some of the better glass out there used or new. What brand of lenses did you father own?

[kenith_jolley]

I found a Canon FD 50mm 1:1.8; SEARS MC 28MM 1:2.8; KMart FOCAL 80- 200mm F4.5 Compact Macro Focus.... (For Canon mount including "A" types) there might be more......Anything good? ;) Ken...

[kenith_jolley]

Sorry, I should have mentioned the camera associated with all this is a Canon AE-1

[fmueller]

Those lenses won't fit on any DSLR, since they are FD mount; ie Canon manual focus. The blurb about "A" types is just incoherent blabber meant to confuse unknowing buyers. The current Canon mount is called EOS.

 

In a nutshell, Canon and Minolta (now Sony) changed their mount when they introduced autofocus in the 1980s. Nikon and Pentax basically kept their mount the same. Hence, Canon and Minolta/Sony DSLRs can not use old manual focus lenses, while those from Nikon and Pentax can. Unless you have a huge collection of those older lenses already, that might not be as relevant as it seems, because even with Nikon and Pentax in most cases you loose more than the ability to autofocus, and are reduced to stop down metering, which in my humble opinion is a major pain you know where.

 

People might perceive the legendary built quality of the old, all-metal F-series bodies in any piece of plastic that carries the Nikon name, but let's face it, in comparison to those tanks any entry level DSLR is a plastic-fantastic, and there really isn't a significant difference between the brands. Over the least 18 months I have actually been pleasantly surprise by the sturdiness of my Rebel XT.

 

Anyhow, here is at least one emphatic vote for the Rebel XTi. For Nikon speaks a name ringing with glamor and history like Ferrari, and the anti shake function of the Sony and Pentax is a truly valuable feature, but in the world of DSLRs, Canon is heads and shoulders above everybody else. In my humble opinion it is already decided what the first full frame DSLR under $1500 will be - no other than a used 5D! If you are planning to use your DSLR like a point and shoot with just one lens, than by all means get a Pentax or Sony for the anti shake, but if you are planning to buy into a system, and acquire several valuable lenses over the years, then Canon is likely to provide you with the safest and very likely best upgrade path in the future!