shawn_lockett Posted September 18, 2007 Share Posted September 18, 2007 A little bit of advise... I have found a package to get us started and wanted some advice on the lenses... One is the-- - Nikon AF-S DX ZOOM-NIKKOR 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6G ED Lens The second - AF-S DX Zoom-Nikkor 55-200mm f/4-5.6G ED Woud these work to quality until saving up for something like the 17-55 dx or the 70-200 vr tele... How do they compare???? S. L. My wife and I decided to get a cheaper camera the d40x now to point and shoot with and get a feel for the SLR... and then move into the d300 later on... in 4-6 months... We are going to use the bulk of our budget on the camera... and this package fits... However would it be better to by the body only and a lens like the 70-300 nikon... that too would fit our budget... My real question is how this package mentioned above would hold up for a starter... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dave_lee6 Posted September 18, 2007 Share Posted September 18, 2007 The 18-55mm kit lens should be a good starter lens. It offers a wide angle to semi-telephoto focal length. You may find yourself enjoying the D40x for longer than 4-6 months, it and the D40 are both excellent cameras. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shawn_lockett Posted September 18, 2007 Author Share Posted September 18, 2007 yes.. I have a feeling we will.. but we are two photographers... My wife and I... and Can't see fighting all the time over who gets to take the pics... so we are going to get 2 of them... and then save up for some really good lenses... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
john_lavis1 Posted September 18, 2007 Share Posted September 18, 2007 D40X body only for $685 and Nikon 50mm 1.8 for around $100 at B&H Video. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stwrtertbsratbs5 Posted September 18, 2007 Share Posted September 18, 2007 The 50mm f/1.8 is, indeed, an excellent lens. Just be aware that it will not auto focus on a D40x. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
elliot1 Posted September 18, 2007 Share Posted September 18, 2007 Perhaps you need 'his and her' D40's! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
erik_loza Posted September 18, 2007 Share Posted September 18, 2007 No way in 5-million years would I recommend a prime, no matter how cheap or good it might be, to a beginning photographer. That's like telling a beginning backpacker that they must have only this certain size of backpack, then wondering why they tell you that it doesn't quite fit them right and why they never want to wear it. Buy an affordable consumer zoom. Your first lens is never your last and flexibility is much more important to those just starting out than pure image quality. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bsd230 Posted September 18, 2007 Share Posted September 18, 2007 18-55 & 55-200 would be a nice starter lens set for the D40x. The will give you reasonably good optics for the money. People will suggest primes for optically quality and price, however as an only lens I would prefer a zoom any day. I have had prime lenses in the past and always end up selling them because I never use them they just sit in my camera bag. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ShunCheung Posted September 18, 2007 Share Posted September 18, 2007 Shawn, in your previous two threads, you indicated that budget was not a major concern, but now you are suddenly considering budget cameras and lenses. If your objective is indeed getting a D300 in 4 to 6 months, you might as well get something that will last a while and add equipment slowly. The D40/D40x are fine consumer cameras, but if you are serious about photography, you can outgrow them in weeks. If you buy something and then need to upgrade in merely a few months, you'll likely end up spending a lot more money overall. How about start with a D80 plus a 18-70 DX zoom? It is no D300, but it can still be a very good backup in the longer run. As I have pointed out in your earlier thread, the D80 and D300 even use the same type of batteries, but you are out of luck with common memory cards. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
toddcwilson Posted September 18, 2007 Share Posted September 18, 2007 Starting out, look into the 18-70 f/3.5 - 4.5 AFS DX if you can pick one up used and buy the d40x body by itself. It is a great beginner lens and will yield you very nice results. If you have to chose between the two lenses above, you will be better served with the 18-55 focal range to start with considering the 1.5x crop factor. Starting with a 55-200 as your only lens will most likely frustrate you. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rene11664880918 Posted September 18, 2007 Share Posted September 18, 2007 What's wrong with a prime lens for a beginner? When I bought my first SLR I didn't know anything about SLR's. I bought a body that came with a 50 mm f1.4 (I didn't know the meaning of 50 or 1.4). I loved it and photography became a hobby. maybe now in days with DSLR's with the crop factor a 50 mm is not the best but what about a 35? That is about a 50 and that is what we used to call STANDARD lens. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
erik_loza Posted September 18, 2007 Share Posted September 18, 2007 Zooms are the new standard lens. Some are better than others, but I would not trade any of my zooms for their three or four equivalent primes. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rene11664880918 Posted September 18, 2007 Share Posted September 18, 2007 Erik... "Zooms are the new standard lens." I see! It's like fashion then? It doesn't have to be better but we have to have what's popular? Uhmm! Don't get me wrong, I love zooms but I also think a prime is good starting lens. Usually new comers get a lens 28-70 per se, and without a guiding hand they will only use the lens at 28 or 70. With a prime, let's say 50, since it is limited you learn to position yourself, go back, forward and you get the same shot without zooming. Teaches you how to move around and to look for the right angle. Well, that's only my theory! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rffffffff Posted September 18, 2007 Share Posted September 18, 2007 honestly, the D40x might not be the best starter camera, even though I am totally pro nikon... I too think the 50 1.8 is a great lens to start with, especially because of the price, but it allows you to work with available light and ISO 1600 to enjoy shooting indoors with out much of a problem.. It will teach you how to autofocus properly too, as there is little room for error when you are in less than perfect light. The consumer zooms will frustrate you indoors unless you buy a flash that you can bounce too, like an sb800. I would seriously consider a D80, 18-70 for outdoors, 50 1.8 for indoors and an sb600 at the very least to start. I think you'll get a lot more out of it. I know nothing about canon's stuff, but I would certainly consider the low end canons too if they make a ~$100 50mm lens that would focus on their bodies. The nikon D50, if they still made it, makes more sense to me than the D40. hope that helps. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Two23 Posted September 18, 2007 Share Posted September 18, 2007 I don't see how a D300 would help you at all until AFTER you have a strong line up of lenses. I do have a bag full of top line Nikon lenses and still prefer the D80 over the D200. The 18-55mm kit lens is a gem, a true bargain. Kent in SD Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Matthew Brennan Posted September 19, 2007 Share Posted September 19, 2007 If you still want to match it to a D40x now- go 18-70mm DX AF-S A corker of a lens for the money. The re-sale of a D40x and this lens would go well... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stwrtertbsratbs5 Posted September 19, 2007 Share Posted September 19, 2007 "No way in 5-million years would I recommend a prime, no matter how cheap or good it might be, to a beginning photographer." Pure and utter nonsense! People often use zooms for framing. Better to understand perspective for a single focal length than to develop bad habits. Besides, most inexpensive zooms are slow (aperture-wise) and distort. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
carl_becker2 Posted September 19, 2007 Share Posted September 19, 2007 How in the world did all the pre-zoom photograhpers survive and make great photos with out the use of a zoom. Primes make you think a bit more and move some to capture that moment in time. Although I like the 50mm (digital short tele)I don't think it would make a good first and only lens. IMHO something in the 24 to 35 range depending on the persons taste and use would be better. For me lens speed and lack of flair is more important and most zooms are lacking here. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
erik_loza Posted September 19, 2007 Share Posted September 19, 2007 Do not assume that the masses' expectations of their work is the same as yours. Hand a beginning photographer a zoom and a prime of your choice, ask them to run around and take pictures for a day, and see which they liked more. I doubt it would be the prime. Your interpretation of "bad habits", lens speed issues, and distortion are exactly that: Yours, not theirs. For the casual snapshooter who is looking for the best glossy 4x6's of their kids playing soccer, their trip to the beach, or fun photos of the the family holiday dinner, there will be more frustration than keepers with the magically vaunted 50mm, 28mm, or whatever... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jack_l3 Posted September 19, 2007 Share Posted September 19, 2007 >No way in 5-million years would I recommend a prime, <P> I agree - they need at least <i>three</i> primes! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shawn_lockett Posted September 19, 2007 Author Share Posted September 19, 2007 I have posted other threads leading to this one... My wife and I are considering jumping in head first to the world of SLR's... We really like the D200 and will eventually own one... However if we buy one now... we would need to get something a bit cheaper... and then in a couple to 4 months get the d200-300... WE are just ready to start snapping pictures... and with the added camera we will have 2 which will be great... The d80 I see a lot of talk about... what are you gaining getting the d80 over the d40x... we are looking for something that has the shutter priority and the appature priority like the d200... I have watched both videos nikon puts out about the SLR's... and love the features of the d200 allowing to slow down the shutter and really open up the Appature... Of course the lens has a great deal to do with that... so we are trying to make the best lens choice to combine with our camera... I am looking at the 18-135mm and the 70-300mm.. both by nikon... the reviews I have seen on those two have been phenomonal... S. L. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
erik_loza Posted September 19, 2007 Share Posted September 19, 2007 I believe that all current Nikon DSLR's give you Manual, Aperture, and Shutter-priority modes, so the D40 shouldn't be excluded. I have not used either, so couldn't comment on the practical difference. Your lens choices look fine. If the money is there, consider a speedlight, too. Good luck. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dieter Schaefer Posted September 19, 2007 Share Posted September 19, 2007 Erik just wrote what I was about to say - had PN not decided to be unavailable in the last 15 minutes. Shawn, there has been some good advice given to you in the last posts and this one. But with all due respect, you seem to be all over the place. Budget is no concern - then it is again. Buying a camera now just to upgrade in 4-6 months is like throwing money out. A D40 with the 18-55 and the 55-200 will allow you to start shooting right away. But you mention action and sports - and I don't know at what level you would like to shoot, but for that application the better the AF, the faster the frame rate and the faster the lens, the better (a necessity when shooting indoors). Without having seen a D300, it looks like a good camera for this kind of application (and so is the D200, but the AF in the D300 at least on paper looks better). The A, S, M exposure programs are to the best of my knowledge available on every Nikon DSLR, so they are not a distinguishing feature. AF speed, frame rate, and build are - together with a lot of convenience features that you learn to appreciate once you really use the camera. You say you really like the D200 - why? What puts it FOR YOU above the D80 or the D40X. But then, you are considering a D40 - WHY? It won't do half the things the D200 can - so this gives the impression that the D200 are not important. If I remember correctly, you mentioned the D300, 17-55 and 70-200, that's an almost $5K expenditure - not exactly a tight budget. If you can afford it, purchase the most expensive lenses in the Nikon line-up - there are no dogs there. But you may want to consider what your intended use is - and then a less expensive lens may well suffice. As an example, I wish I could afford a 200-400/4 for my bird photography (or even a 500/4) but I have to make do with the 80-400 and a 300/4 AF-S and 1.4x and 1.7x extenders. But I just shoot for my own pleasure and am not a pro making a living with photography. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shawn_lockett Posted September 19, 2007 Author Share Posted September 19, 2007 that is our situation exactly... (pleasure shooting)... The thing is my wife and I are ready to get out there and start shooting... We have almost 1500 saved up to put towards a camera... I have been all over the place because in a month or two we would have 2500 to 3000 saved... and so forth... But what I am trying to do is see the best advice for different budgets... I am putting back at a rate of 500 per month for a camera... We are getting impatient and trying to get advice on getting one now and then later what would be a good one to start with... and then ultimatly save for a while and purchase another... The money will always be there... Just trying to get the most for our money now so we can go have some fun... and then buy another... later.. HIS AND HERS SPECIALS... That way we can both enjoy taking pictures and have a great time.. I will use mine more for school functions and creative photography.. and she will use her more for pointing and shooting... But the lenses will be shared... So our budget is both tight and loose.. we are both just wanting the instant gratification.. S. L. We really don't need a super professional lens.. but would like something that would give us super clear crisp pictures... Both for sports and wildlife... Like water dripping off of a cherry in the early morning sunrise... very close and also very far off... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
erik_loza Posted September 19, 2007 Share Posted September 19, 2007 My brother back in California has my old F90x. He shoots only color print film, usually Superia 400 or 800, with a used Sigma 28-200mm zoom he bought on Ebay. He loves taking pictures of his son's sports, and the images he produces with it are vibrant and full of life. Nobody ever told him that his lens sucks, that his camera is old, or that his film is too grainy. There are times when I think I know too much for my own good, and use him for inspiration. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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