D40x vs D80

[gary_conrad1]

I was a Canon user for years and have sold all of my gear. I shoot landscapes

90% of the time and am always on a tripod. I am considering the D40x and the

D80. If all I am considering is picture quality, not ease of use or any other

features, is the 10 megapixels d40x going to get me the same quality photo as

the D80?

[Jerry_]

Yes and no. The lens has quite a bit to do with the resulting image. The D80 has a few more features than the D40x, plus any 'old' AF-D Nikkor lens will work on the D80 body. The D40x [more or less] needs a AF-S lens to autofocus and work as designed.

 

 

 

In the exact same lighting conditions, with the same lens, you would get a image very close to the sdame -- and any minor adjustment would be a Photoshop tweak.

[gary_conrad1]

thanks gerald. the money saved will be used for a 12-24 f4 tokina or a 10-20 EX sigma.

[Richard Williams]

Won't the Tokina have the same problem with the D40x as the Nikon AF-D lenses - i.e., no internal focus motor, so no AF? Or have they updated this lens? I guess the Sigma would work if it's HSM.

[hash]

The Tokina 12-24 will not work on the D40(x)

[gary_conrad1]

will the sigma?

[ShunCheung]

At this point, any Tokina lens (with the Nikon F mount) will not auto focus on the D40x (and D40). If you are willing to focus manually, the Tokina 12-24mm/f4 works fine with the D40x in the sense that you get metering and can take pictures with it.

 

You must have either Nikon AF-S, AF-I or Sigma HSM lenses to get auto focus on the D40/D40x.

 

One limitation for the D40x (and D40 as well as D50) is that it has no depth of field preview. For some, that can be a limitation for landscape photography. The D80 has depth of field preview.

[elliot1]

I find the d40/d40x has lower noise at higher ISOs than the d80 and d200. I also find I generally don't have to do any post processing with my d40 images, where I do with the d80/d200 images.

 

So in response to your question, YES, the d40x going to give you the same or better quality photos than the D80.

[pablito_pistola]

OTOH, the D80 is FAR easier to use if you change settings often like ISO, Exp.

sompensation, etc. Buttons versus navigating thru menus. I teach photo at a university and

have taught many students with both these cameras...I can hardly recommend the D40 (x)

any more because of this. OK, it has nothing to do w/ image quality. But it has to do with

functionality. I wanted a D40 as an alternative lightweight/backup body for pro use but

when confronted

with the menu system I changed my mind.

[cindyinatlanta]

I had the D40x and exchanged it for the D80 to have more lens flexibility and I'm glad I did. If you learn the D80 you can take wonderful pictures. The D40x is a little more fool proof (not much post processing needed) due to the market Nikon is targeting with the camera. If you feel you will want to move into serious lenses, go for the D80. I didn't notice increased noise issues with the D80. I may not have pixel peeped enough, though.

[michael s.]

<i>Much</i> better viewfinder on the D80, Gary, but that may fall into the "ease of use" category which your post advises us to disregard. That would be a factor for me.<p>

 

I've seen it written a number of times (but not on nikonusa.com) that the D40x and D80 have the same sensor. I don't personally know that to be the case.<P>

 

However, if you're shooting raw files (Nikon calls these "NEF") and doing the post-processing, and you're willing (and able) to focus manually those lenses that don't offer af on the D40x, I'd be amazed if you could discern a real difference in image quality at the end of the day, when you print the photo.

[ShunCheung]

IMO, a better viewfinder and depth of field preview are not merely "east of use" issues; they can easily have a significant impact on your final image.

 

Sony makes two version of their 10MP DX format CCD sensors. The D200 uses the 4-channel-read-out verson to achieve 5 frames/second while the D80, D40x, Sony Alpha 100 and Pentax K10D use the 2-channel version. But that is like saying the Nikon F6, Leica R9, Nikon EM, all Canon Rebel film SLR all use exactly the same types of 35mm film.

[eric_arnold]

go for the d80. it's a better camera. the cost differential is minimal when you think about it, and the ability to use a wider selection of glass is something you'll appreciate long after the purchase is made.

 

image quality is important, and, as others pointed out, the two cameras use the same sensor. but the comparison ends there.

 

i didnt see this mentioned in the above thread, but the d40 has 3-pt. autofucus and the d80 has 11-pt, which i would think would come into play in landscape work. the d80 also has two command dials, compared to one on the d40x. in addition to the DoF preview button, those are things that make a difference out in the field.

 

the lens cost factor is definitely one to consider, since without an internal motor you are effectively limited to nikkor swm and sigma hsm glass. this can lead to higher, hidden costs: if you want a 12-24, you're looking at the $900 nikkor, not the $500 tokina, etc. right there, the d80 will have made up for the d40 price differential.

 

however, apparently sigma is releasing more hsm lenses, which means you can get the $500 18-50 sigma hsm instead of just the $1200 17-55 nikkor swm. and the $500 10-20 has hsm but no constant aperture like the tokina and the nikkor. still, if you want to use a tokina or tamron lens you're screwed on af. so, while you might save a couple of hundred dollars in the short run, in the long run, the d80 could actually save you money. but if you're only interested in image quality, the d40 will give you the same as the d80.

[tonybeach]

Yeah, another vote for the D80. Lots of Nikkor primes cannot AF on the D40x, and that's an IQ issue.

[bsd230]

I would go with the D80 all things being equal. You will have more lens options. I am waiting patiently for the New Sigma 18-50 EX HSM.

[gary_conrad1]

thanks for all the good advice. after seeing the many posts i am going with the d80, and will be looking for either the tokina 12-24 or the sigma 10-20. ease of use does effect the picture quality because of the time and effort it takes to get ready for a picture. i was wrong to have phrased my question this way without taking this into account.

[cfreemanphotography]

For landscape, I think that anything less than a D80 would be a poor choice. The lack of DOF preview makes it more or less impossible to position neutral grads, so if you're planning to do some serious landscape, the lack of a DOF prvw provision rules out the D40x.

 

The lack of an integrated motor drive is not necessarily going to be a problem for a landscape photographer. I shoot mostly landscape these days and use manual focus exclusively. I use hyperfocal focusing with the focus scale as a reference point. Your decision should take AF provisions into consideration only if you will be doing a lot of different types of photography.

 

As for noise concerns, the sensor in the D80 is the same as in the D200. It is noisier at High ISO than the D40x, but then again, not many tripodified landscapes are shot at 1600+. Just a thought.

 

If you're lookinig at the D80, I might suggest that you look at the D200 or wait for the 300. I was looking at the D80, but opted for the D200 instead. My decision was based on weather sealing and general build quality. The D200 is designed to tackle just about any situation thrown at it. So far, it has not failed to live up to its reputation.

[aldrich]

As a D40x user and a Nikon fan, I would actually take neither.

 

If 90% of what you are doing is landscape, you'd actually be better off sticking with film and shooting medium format. That's only one man's opinion though.

 

Either that or shell out $8,000 for a Mamiya ZD.

[stwrtertbsratbs5]

Ryan makes a very good point - medium or large format film is fantastic for landscapes.

 

What is best depends on how large you print. If nothing is larger than 11x14, then a DSLR is good enough. For larger prints (16x20, 20x24 and larger) the extra area of MF helps a lot. Of course, AF won't matter for landscapes (though those tiny dim DSLR finders make it harder to manually focus).

 

Medium format gear has come way down in price. A Mamiya 645 kit can be had for less than $500. Or, if you want larger negs, a Bronica GS-1 is one of the few 6x7 format cameras that can be hand held.