help with deciding whhich camera to go with D60 or D80

[monxfeu]

Now this will be my first DSLR camera however I want to still be able to use it

when I become more advance with the pictures I'm taking. My subjects are

normally of animals weather wild, or my lazy pets at home. That and landscapes

so far seem to be my biggest interests. so a great zoom that gives crisp images

is a must. I need something that is easy to understand, or can be with reading

up on it I don't mind having to learn how to use it. The real thing is the price

difference between the d60 and d80 for it being my first purchase i want to know

if it's really worth it to spend the extra on the d80 any ideas at all on which

I should get would be greatly appreciated.

 

As i've stated i'm new to all this so I know I don't understand everything yet,

what I need is a camera I can learn with. Plus be able to use when I finally DO

understand everything would be great.

[dcphotography]

Definitely D80.

 

Then again, I don't know since its a first DSLR. You'll miss AF with great lenses (50mm f/1.8, for example) if you get the D60. If I had enough money I'd get a D80 but I got the D40 instead. That said, I don't mind manual focus.

 

Need AF: D80

Don't really care for AF/Can MF: D60.

[photo5]

Defintely D60. The D60 is the most up to date digital SLR by Nikon. It has all the updates and most importantly it has Active D-Lighting, which I've found a very useful feature on my D300. The D80 is bound to be replaced soon anyway.

[shuo_zhao]

The D80 is an older mid-level (semi-prosumer) camera, the D60 is a newer entry level model. Obviously the D60 has a few interesting new features such as ant-dust and active D-lighting, but it essentially remains largely similar to the D40x (introduced about a year ago), which is a D40 with D80's sensor/shutter assembly.

 

I been using a D40x, and have recently upgraded to a D300. I upgraded because:

 

#1 The D40x can't AF with any non-af-s or af-i lenses.

 

#2 The D40x has most of its key controls buried in menus, instead of buttons/dials based set up of the D80. (This made quick access to the controls diffcult)

 

#3 Some dust problem. (In your case, the D80 will be more problematic with dust)

 

#4 Body design too over-simplified and too compact for serious use. (the D60's design is almost identical)

 

If you want to grow with your camera, something in the D80's class will obviously be better. The AF issue is a decisive factor. Nevertheless, the D80 is 1 1/2 year old, this may not make it your best choice.

[Two23]

Consider buying a used D50, which are going for around $300. Buy the best lenses you can with what's left. Good lenses are almost never a mistake. You will learn a lot using the D50. You will have a better idea of what your style is and what your needs are. Later this year the D80 will be replaced and the replacement will likely be an improvement on the D300 in many ways. When that happens, you can then sell the D50 and but the D80 replacement. The camera body is not going to be such a big deal for you. The lenses will be, so focus on that. If you are serious about landscapes, the camera is the least important thing. For that, the tripod is probably the most important. Do you have a decent one? Decent = about $300. All beginners fret and worry about cameras, it's part of the learning process. Buy a really cheap one (used D50) to start, and put your money on lenses & a tripod. These will be your foundation for the future. Cameras come & go. They are disposable. Good lenses you keep for years & years. Good tripods you keep for life.

 

 

Kent in SD

[Matthew Brennan]

Heather,

to me the price difference is a secondry factor compared to the type of lens / lenses you wish to use on your camera. Although the D60 is a much newer body the older D80 will allow you to use a much wider range of Nikon lenses. The D60 will limit your lens choice to an extent.

Are you likely to be happy shooting with just a single zoom lens to cover all focal ranges or are you likely to want to expand your lens use to ultra wide angle and telephoto. As a beginner you are likely to be happy to use a single zoom lens thus the cheaper D60 is more than fine but if you are likely to want to shoot photos at long ranges and extra wide landscapes in the future then the D80 is well worth the extra $$.

 

Just because the D80 is perhaps soon to be superceeded does not mean it's won't suit you well into the next 3 - 5 years and allow you to use a good variety of lenses. I use a D200 and have the money to upgrade to the D300 but I'm quite happy to get the best out of my D200 investment and so I'm staying put. A little more cost now will indeed fade into insigificance in the future if you invest in the correct unit now. Don't just focus on price.

[Two23]

I'm betting you don't want to spend the money for thousand dollar lenses. Two lenses that will do what you seem to want are the Nikons 18-55mm VR and 70-300mm VR. These will easily photo your stated subjects and do a good job. Since both of these are AFS lenses, they will work perfectly on the D60. All of the newer lenses Nikon is coming out with seem to be AFS. In addition, many of the newer Sigma lenses are HSM, which is their version of AFS. SO, you really won't be handicapped by spending less money on a D60 camera, especially if that allows you to buy better lenses. Design your photo system around the lenses, NOT the camera. The AFS/lens thing isn't likely going to be an issue for you. If you had a collection of older Nikon lenses then it probably would be. Another thought is to look for a used D80 for $500-600. I use a D80 but am not sure what advantage it has over the D60, if any.

 

 

Kent in SD

[johninjapan2000]

D60 is the best "learner" DSLR, in my opinion. It's also the easiest to carry around, being smaller and lighter.

 

Stay with AFS or HSM lenses and the autofocus issue will not be an issue.

 

Or manual lenses where it is the same issue for every DSLR.

 

j.

[johninjapan2000]

Another point: the poster specifically mentioned "crisp zoom".

 

This pretty much means a newish lens with AFS or HSM, so the 50mm f1.8, and every other prime, is probably irrelevant.

 

Again, D60 is very easy to use and has the newest tech. A Sigma 10-20 and a Sigma 50-150 would probably fill the bill. Fill the gap with the Sigma 30mm if you want to.

 

Or, the Nikon 24-85mm f3.5-4.5 zoom is well-respected by the usual lens evaluators and it's only about 250 bucks used. Of course, it is AFS so has autofocus. I'm gonna get one soon just to have a good, cheap "walk around lens" for my D50 and D60.

 

j.

[elliot1]

This may help you decide.

 

http://www.kenrockwell.com/nikon/d60.htm

 

Pay close attention to the bold paragraph near the top.

[paul stewart]

Definitely D80.

 

Just because a camera is 1 1/2 years old doesn't make it a bad camera.

 

As others have said - if you can find a used D50 start with that and get good lenses. You don't have to spend ?1000 on a good lens e.g. The Tamron 17-50mm f2.8 is 1/4 of the equivalent Nikon and is the same prime quality. (But doesn't autofocus on the D40/D40x/D60.)

 

See what the camera's feel like in a shop - the d60 is smaller than the D80 - and I found the D80 perfect for my hands.

[johninjapan2000]

A used D50 is a pretty good idea. Will do everything you need in the beginning (or forever, if you are not TOO ambitious), smallish, no autofocus issues. 6 clean megapixels is good enough.

 

I second the motion!

 

Shop around, be careful, a shop warranty might be nice.

 

j.

[acarodp]

So, I suppose your ideas are much clearer now right? ;-) Ok, so I will add to the confusion.<br>

 

First, consider that the D80 is the next Nikon in line for replacement, and currently the oldest in the lineup. It is thus likely that it will be remplaced soon, one obvious occasion would be at Photokina this autumn. If you decide for the D80, it could be a good idea to wait for the Photokina, and see what comes out. If they remplace the D80, you may choose between the new "D90" and a D80 which will see, most likely, a significant rebate.

<br>

If you want to buy now, I would go for the D60. I sometimes use my wife's D40, which is largely similar, and I love it. It is a small, light, nice camera which is exceptionally easy and fun to use, and makes great pictures. The D40, 40X and 60 have the famous problem that they do not autofocus with non-afs lenses, which makes them manual focus with most current Nikon primes. True. But I seem to understand you are interested in zoom mostly, which makes the problem way less relevant. In this regard, the new 18-55 of the D60 is considered of very good quality, and has VR, which can be really convenient. If you want to spend more, there is the older but very good 18-70 (is afs so it focuses with the D60) or the new 16-85, afs and VR. It is more expensive but it seems to be really crsp according to the first opinions floating around (I believe the photozone.de test is due to appear in the next days). <br>

I would stay away from the D50, it was an excellent camera, but it is now two generations old, and in this field it is significant. If you think that 6MP are enough (and it is true for majority of applications, the D40, the smaller sister of the D60, is there and is really cheap, while being a perfectly capable camera (<a href="http://www.photo.net/photo/6992676&size=lg"> see here...</a>) Ciao L.

[victorwei]

I just went through similar decision-making process myself including researching on the web and posting my earlier thread on D80 vs D60 on Feb 24. As result, I bought the D60 and the 18-200mm VR lens about 2 weeks ago. I can tell you that I am pleased with my choice (pictured together below) as I knew that the D60 would give me the following features not found on the D80:

 

- Active D-Lighting (found only in higher end Nikon model) - Auto Dust Removal - Expeed Image Processing (again, found only in higher end Nikon model)

 

I went with the 18-200mm VR as I would like to stay with one lens most of the time while shooting primarily outdoor but intend to expand my lens collection to wider-angle and more power zoom lens in the future.As a matter of fact, I just added the Sigma 10-20mm DC HSM wide angle zoom lens as my second lens 2 days ago. That's when the dust removal would come in handy.

 

However, I do like the fact that the D80 is more compatible with older lenses, direct buttons for settings, bracket metering, depth of field preview and most of all - a better grip for my hand as I find the D60 a bit small to hold. But at the end, the D60 appeared to me as the winner.

 

Hope this helps in making YOUR choice.<div></div>

[eric_arnold]

hi heather,

lots of opinions here.

looking at your post, you say you want to take pics of pets and landscapes and want a crisp zoom.

both the d60 and d80 will be sufficient for these applications.

in choosing between the two, consider the differences:

 

1. d60 is newer. eh. it's really a d40x with active dlighting and expeed tacked on. helpful, perhaps, but not in and of itself a reason to choose this even over a d40 IMO.

 

2. d80 is older. yes, but it's based on the d200, and is more "prosumer" than entry-level. the age is why the price has dropped for a new body. IMO well worth $700 and change for more dedicated buttons (less menu-hunting) and two command dials -- so while there's a greater learning curve at first, the d80 isn't as easy to outgrow once you've mastered the basic functions and are happily shooting away in "M" mode six months from now.

 

3. the d80 has 11-pt AF, while the d40 has 3-pt AF. with more sensor points, locking AF in low-light or contrasty scenes becomes easier; it's also easier to track moving subjects.

 

4. besides AF sensors, the biggest difference IMO is the d80s internal AF motor. why is this important? d40/d40x/d60 won't AF with non AF-S (or sigma HSM lenses). this comes into play when you start thinking about upgrading past kit lenses. in particular, nikon makes few primes with af-s. the other thing is that you can not only use older nikkors, but also 3rd party lenses in f-mount. so, for example, the nikkor 50/1.8 is great for indoor low-light pics (of pets, etc.) but not so great on a d60, since you have to manual focus. nikon does not currently make an af-s lens faster than 2.8 (with the exception of the 200mm f/2). if you want a fast prime that will AF on a d60, your choices are basically limited to the sigma 30/1.4 -- a great lens, but it's nice to have choices. similarly, you'd have more of a range of options to choose from for wide-angle landscape lens or fast mid-zooms.

 

5. d80 will also support wireless commander mode with speedlights. down the line, if you ever want to shoot with multiple flashes, you can do this on a d80.

 

the 50/1.8 is a great starter prime, and the ability to AF with this alone might be worth spending the extra cash. remember, when you buy a dslr, you're buying into a system, so it's a good idea to think of future expansion at time of purchase, i.e., what lenses you might like to have down the line.

 

bottom line is that either camera should be right for you right now. the d80 has more features, though, so it could still be right for you a year from now.

[edwin_hermans]

Other key differences I haven't seen mentioned sofar:

D60 doesn't do bracketing - I wouldn't want to miss that.

RAW+JPG only with basicJPG

D60 has slightly faster card write speed.

Old lenses: on my D200 I can use my old manual nikkor lenses (those which had the "fork" but which I modified) with metering OK in M.

From the D80 manual it seems that the D80 can use these lenses too, but I am not really sure. Anyone know about this?

Edwin