Is Nikon D60 a good start?

[jacquelyn_huang]

<p>Hi Everyone,</p>

<p>I recently started liking this Photography thing and I was wondering if a Nikon D60 DSLR is good enough for a novice like me? I'd like to know feed back from common starters like as well as professional users. YOur guidance is most appreciated.<br>

Thanks!</p>

[kari v]

<p>Yes, it's a nice small body. What kind of (used?) kit are you looking at? As a lens I'd recommend any newer VR kit zoom, like 18-55 or 18-105.</p>

<p>What's your budget? D60 + older non-VR kit zoom should be really cheap so beware of any "good deals" internet is full of. Also note that all those cheap 70-300 zooms are not worth much and cheap filters can be very bad - some sellers bundle all sorts of junk and prices can be pretty high compared to actual good stuff.</p>

<p>Used D80s are pretty cheap too and offer very good features and build.</p>

[Wouter Willemse]

<p>Agreed with Kari, especially also for the warning for "cheap all included deals"...<br>

One thing though, to highlight: it is a small body. For some people, this is ideal, for others less so. Try if you can hold the camera and work a little with it before deciding. To compare, I'd recommend also to go to a shop and try Canon, Sony,... bodies. Nikons tend to have relatively big hand grips, while the Canon Rebels (EOSxxxD / 1000D in Europe) tend to work better with small hands.</p>

 

[goldbergbarry]

<p>You would be much better off with a current model. Depending on your budget, you might want to look at the Nikon 3100 or the D7000. The 3100 is an amazing beginners DSLR camera.</p>

[mark_drutz]

<p>I've been at this for 40+ years so I'm not a newbie. I like small light weight cameras so I have both a D60 and a D3100. If you can afford a current model like the D3100 or similar Canon, Pentax, Sony, or Olympus I recommend one of them. If your budget is tight or if you don't want to commit a lot of money to a hobby you are not sure you'll stick with, the D60 is a very good choice. It has very good image quality, is easy to use and learn on, and it is well made. It does require lenses with built-in focus motors to auto focus and many Nikon mount lenses don't have them. Still, there is a very large selection of lenses that you can use. The others you can use with manual focus.</p>

<p>If you can afford a little more, and want to stay with Nikon, the D80 is bigger and heavier and does not require lenses with built-in focus motors. It also has more dedicated buttons to change most settings where the D60 requires you to go into the menus. I think that you would be happy with either of them, but since you don't know what lenses you will be needing in the future, I'd go with the D80 if you can. If not, then the D60 is still a good choice. While my D3100 is now my main camera, I still love my D60 and I still sometimes use it.</p>

<p>For used gear go to keh.com, B&H, and Adorama. They are very reliable and have good prices.</p>

[will_daniel1]

Yes.

[sonia_sonia1]

<p>I agree with Mark Drutz. Also D80 have been surpassed by D90. Personally, for me a DSLR is an investment and thus I don't see anything as entry level or professional level. If I'm going for an entry level camera, in another 3-4 months I'll realise that I want the features of one of the better models. And then maybe I'll have to sell my old one to get a costlier equipment.<br>

So I always try to get the one that I'd still be content with after shooting for an year or so.</p>

[kevin_chow1]

<p>It's a good and cheap start, especially if you're not sure how far you want to go into this photography malarkey. Although it is small for a dSLR, it's comfortable to hold and operate (with the exception of the slightly pinched AEL/AFL button), and if you step up to a larger camera later, you'll appreciate its lack of weight. The only downside is that the 3 AF sensors is a little sparse in some situations, but otherwise it's a surprisingly good performer.<br>

To echo the others, unless you're able to get one cheap, or have a tight budget, the D3100 is a better option. Ergonomically it's very similar to the D60, but has updated internals. Whether it is worth the price hike is something you'll have to ascertain though, especially as the real power comes in the lenses you get.<br>

On that note, the standard 18-55 kit lens is a solid performer given that it's dirt cheap, and ought to serve for most photos unless you like to shoot birds. It's definitely good enough to learn on.<br>

Do you know what kind of pictures you might be shooting with it?</p>

[philip_tam]

<p>It really depends on what you want to take pictures of, and how much money you want to spend. If you're getting a good deal on a D60 and you're on a budget, then it's a great place to start. The D60 however, is a few generations old. If you have a more comfortable budget, a D90 is a good place to start, and Canon has many offerings (notably the T1i or T2i).</p>

<p>Consider your lens as well as your camera. With Nikon, it's a very wise investment to pick up a kit lens *and* a 35mm f/1.8 prime lens. The latter will improve your learning and your pictures much more than any differences in camera bodies will, at this price level, in my opinion (unless you shoot only landscapes).</p>