justin_ngo

Thank you all you guys for your helpful inputs.

I'm now turning to the refurbished one. I see there is a refurbised for about $ US 650 . Is this a normal price? I had not good experience about un-normally low price before( for a brand new camcorder), so I'm quite alert now. If so, is this a good point to upgrade from my D40x to D80??

 

I appreciate greatly your advices.

I'm sorry for lacking information.

 

DSLR camera,Nikon D80.( At a well-known reseller, not ebay).

 

Thanks!

Hi,

 

I'm about ordering a used camera body. Which one, used ( mint condition) or

manufactory refurbished ( 90 days warranty)is better choice? The price is not

much different.

 

Thanks a lot.

Ofer,

I think the kit lens Nikon 18-55mm non-VR is not very good lens ( I'm having it but I use 50mm f1.8 instead,although I have to MF).Hope that VR version is better. I'm looking a lens replacing this kit lens and has large aperture as f2.8 . I wish I could aford for the Nikon 18-50mm f2.8, over US $ 1,000 !!!

 

Any thoughts about Sigma 17-50mm f2.8 OS HSM? (about 500 bucks.)

Can't wait new Tamron BIM version, don't know if it released as planed date.

Hetal,

I had the same situation when I used 18-55mm before. But after I ordered 55-200mm VR lens, pictures cames out much different!

I figured out when I use 55-200mm VR, stay away little from my son, then zoom to about 60-100mmm range to take portrait of him, added by SB-600 with bounce off ceiling, setting ISO on my D40x to 800, using P ( program) mode. The pictures became much better !Very sharp and good lighting which I never had with my 18-55mm kit.

You will get advantage since you got the SB-600 from your friend! That's a great flash. Bouncing light off to ceiling is wonderful, I would say.

This is the way I take my 10-months old indoor when I don't use 50mm f1.8 lens.( which is quite hard to focus manually on my very active son!.)

You could get Nikkon 50mm f1.8D at very cheap price, around 100$ on Amazon , for future indoor picts.It's sharpnest lens I have ever seen, great lens for indoor shots, although it doesn't AF with D40/x.

I'm also new to SLR and hope this helps.

Enjoy the party!

I bought SB-400 and I HAVE TO return it to get SB-600, even I'm just an amateur and beginer.

The SB-400 can only bounce off to ceiling when taking horizontal pictures.Output is not better than the built-in flash....I think it's not worth my money!

 

SB-600 is all I need although it's so big relative to my D40x.At the end, I'm happy with this flash.

"Even the high end products sometimes need repair. I think we should be happy whenever something can be repaired for a cost less than the cost of the product when new. It's not at all obvious that this is the case. "

 

Are you sure that you would be happy if your D80 need to be repaired every 15 months?????????

 

 

Uh uh....I'm not !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Addition to my post: I have to use manual focus because I'm having D40x. I wish I could afford for the D80 to have auto focus with it. Anyway, this lens is mostly attached to my camera when I'm indoor; and I get both bad and great pictures from it :-) ( due to me, not the great lens!)

Michael and everyone,

 

I think I need to learn foccus manually from you on this lens because I'm just a enthusiastic beginner.I focus very slowly. (Most of the time, my son already moved out of the focus area before I have taken a shot.:-))

Each time I focus, I wait until the focus confirmation indicator lights up and stop flashing( become solid?). Do I need that to have a sharp picture or can I shoot even when it's flashing?

 

Thank you a lot!

That's a great picture, Michael! I'm enjoying this lens too.Very happy with it. However, I'm looking torward the day Nikon release AF-S version at the affordable price so I could exchange.

Will they add AF-S to this prime someday?

I think the perfect kit is D80 with 18-200mm VR, it you can afford!!

Carry only one and you don't need to change lens.

I prefer D40x rather than D40.Just spend $ 100 extra.

I'm having a newborn baby as well. Absolutely, I don't want to point flash toward my baby eyes which are very sensitive to extreme light.

 

I ordered a fast lens 50mm f/1.8 ( excellent in low light condition) just for around $100 and a SB-600 for almost $200 (to bounce the light to ceiling).

The only unconvenience is that the 50mm fast lens does not auto foccus on my D40x, but I'm improving with auto focus and get along with it.

 

If you are on tight budget, your 18-55mm is fine., just get a SB-600 flash for ceiling bounce light.

I'm about to get a either 55-200mm or 18-200mm as well.However, I have never thinking about 18-135mm. If you could not afford to get the Nikon 18-200mm,then Nikon 55-200mm VR is a great choice.

 

If you don't want to change lens, can not afford for Nikon 18-200mm VR, then Sigma 18-200mm OS HSM (new released) is good though (there are many good reviews of its).This is my plan to go.

"A Nikon is a Nikon is a Nikon. Period...... Nikon doesn't make poorer quality products for some markets and save their best stuff for the USA market."

 

I think Nikon for US market is US, and for China is China! Even Hongkong! I think the quality of both product and service for each market are different.Also, they are smart enough to make a fake that you can not find out it's fake! A fake is a fake, even the same quality!

 

The reason that products usualy are cheaper or equal in US market because the manufactories want to reduce the prices so they have a large amount of items sold,an easy way to get more profit; and the tightly competition in US. You will see a Mercedec, VW sold at US dealers are much cheaper than in Germany!

We are having the chance to buy something with US market quality , why we don't? I would never buy grey market product on B& H. Spend couple more and get peace in mind!

Dave, you're right. I see my pictures still good at ISO 800. I set it up at 800 sometimes. However, I feel I like ISO 400 mostly for indoor. I really don't like noise so just try to avoid it as possible as I can.

Kris,

I just got the D40x just 2 weeks.So the same boat with you!

 

I would reccomend to buy this book first:

"Nikon D40/D40x Digital Field Guide" on Amazon just $15. I got one and realy like it. It's a greatest book for D40/40x. Much better,comprehensive and detailed than the Nikon manual book. I really like the way David Bush organized informations in his book, step by step with corlorful pictures....GREATEST BOOK about photography I have ever read.

 

Trying to shoots a lot of pictures, in same condition, distance, zoom and object with different settings. Make notes with camera setting of each photo( with its file number) as aperture, speed, ISO.....Transfere all to your PC to evaluate by yourself. Record the settings for best pictures then you will follow for future pictures in the same condition. Don't take many pictures in many conditions. Let take many pictures indoor first,after you improve low-light condition's pictures, then go to next step for outdoor...( since now is winter!)

-I'm now practicing at mostly A mode (aperture priority) and Program mode P( all auto, just adjust ISO, flash, exposure, area foccus).

 

-I ordered a Nikon 50mm f/1.8D which is manual focus on my D40x just for little more $100. I must say I realy enjoy it. I have learned by using it much more than using the auto focus 18-55mm kit lens. Using this 50mm fast lens is a challenger for a beginer like me, but if you get a great pictures, you feel much enjoyable!!Through it, you also know how you get improvement. This fast lens helps me reduce hand shake, which is a problem of most beginers like me, and helps me to learn manualy focus...Let get this one.

-Get an external flash when you can to use bounce flash ( point flash to ceilling to make picts look more natural, avoiding light spots and overexposure on pictures), like SB-600 if you don't mind its size,( and afford it), otherwise get SB-400 for less $ and also much less powerful but very cute and compact.Beginers like me and you need a good light since we're not experienced about choosing ISO, speed...

-Last but not least, try to go to this forum when you have time, ask any question you don't know. Everyone in here is so helpful. I have learned a lot from here.

 

I hope this helps. Enjoy the D40x as I do (very much)!

 

Justin N

What we need for a better price of Nikon's stuff? $US drop or raise relative to Yen$?I'm blind in economics....All depend on one of the presidental candidates.

Thank you all of you for your quick responses.Very helpful as always!

 

I will keep the little SB-400 for my D40x for now, then will look at SB-600 again in future when I upgrade the body or have more needs. The SB-400's bounce light is Okay when I increase flash compensation to +0.7 or +1.0 (max) while I keep ISO at 400, under a neon light, and use with my Nikon 50mm f/1.8D lens.Is this correct fixing?

 

I like somethings compact but powerful, but it's not usualy possible, as in this case of lighting.I understand that I have what I paid for and what its size. Anyway,I wish there were a "SB-500"! Will you made it, Nikon?

Thanks a again.

Is there anyone use Nissin Di622n flash ?

 

Got great advices from this forum, and affordable with the price, then I planed

to buy SB-600 for my D40x. However, when I saw it at my local's store, I

changed my mind! The SB-600 is SO BIG ,SO BULKY and HEAVY relative my D40x !!!

(If my camera were D80 or D200 then I would got it right away.) Wowww...I know

it's is great flash as you guys adviced, and big but I did not imagine how it's

big like that!!!

I'm just beginer of SLR world, really amateur so its oversize and heavity are

my concerns.

The SB-400 is small and compact but its light output and bounce light is not

very powerful.It's also NOT vertical bounce available. The direct light is NOT

better than the built-in one.( I ordered SB400 already and took many pictures

to compare them with my built-in flash with the same of all photo's

settings.They are not much different!). I think the SB-400 is just better than

my D40x's built-in flash at which it can bounce light to ceilling, that's all!!

 

So I'm looking a flash that is more powerful than the SB-400,( I really need

bounce light for my son's indoor- casual portraits) but SMALLER/LIGHTER than SB-

600, and can bounce in both horizontal and vertical orientation (have swivel

head).

 

1/Is there any one try the Nissin Di622n? It looks smaller than the SB-600 and

has above functions. I would like to know if its iTTL works with the D40x, and

its reliability.Below is dimensions of its and SB-600:

Di622n: 5.5 x 3 x 2" (140 x 76 x 51mm) WxHxD

SB-600: 2.7 x 4.8 x 3.5" (68 x 123.5 x 90mm) WxHxD

The Di622 is not available at local store so I only can see its pictures on net.

 

2/ Should I keep the SB-400 ( which I can increase flash compensation and

exposure to get acceptable bounce lighting ( but not excellent) OR return it

and get the Nissin Di622?( I have never heard this company before. It looks

like from England.)Its price is $US30 more than the SB-400!

 

I would appreciate greatly any reccomendation and help.

 

Justin N

I ordered D40x outfit from Adorama. This was my forst order of a SLR camera. I were very suprised that the box was not manufactory sealed as many regular electronical items such as GPS units, cell phones,....I got the same "no sealed" box when I ordered a lens. It's hard to find out the items are brandnew or used in short time. My camera and lens looked fine,I belive it's brand new ( since no any CAT HAIR!)

Is it normal that Nikon dose not seal their products? Or common with photography products of all brands? (this question ,I think No because I got a Sony point-shoot camera,and a Sony DVD camcorder in manufactory sealed boxes last year).Is that a way that the Nikon or retailers to allow us to return the products without restock fee? (I hope!) I think because of a non-sealed box, many bad vendors and scammers (on internet) list very low price then take off all accessories,then call buyers to request much more money to get those manufactory accessories.

I would reccomend to use this websites(which I got from popular photography newspapers )to check vendors first before you make an order as I did. ( I avoided a scammer at last minute by checking this website).

www.resellerratings.com

You will see that they rates Adorama, B&H, Beach Camera on top !

You can read rate points, and many feedbacks of customers (most important to me).

If I see retailers have negative feedbacks, then I stay away them even if I order from them througt Amazon.

 

In Norman's case, I would return the camera for a full refund and make a call to the retailer to complain about the "brand new camera" with CAT HAIR!!!

How can I know if my camera have been used even a few shutters?

Thanks

Hi,

 

Could you reccomend me which Nikon wide angle converter for D40x?

I see there are some converters on Amazon but I don't know which model is compatible with my 18-55mm lens kit.(I'm thinking about converters because I can not afford for the wide angle lens at now.) Thanks a lot.

Thank you so much, David.

I ordered Hoya 52mm UV (Ultra Violet) Super Multi Coated Pro-1 Extra Thin Glass Filter from Amazon at great price ( around $20).It works great. I don't know why there is a HMC Pro-1 at this price,( usualy more expensive) but there are on Amazon (sold/ship by Ace Photo)! If it's not Pro-1 as ads, HMC still be fine enough for me.

Should I use it both indoor and outdoor as a lens protector or oudoor only? I see its glass is very clear, and thin.

 

David, I could not find "clear" filter without "UV". I could only find clear + UV type as above one which I got.Would you help?

Thanks

How's about D40x? Can D40x allow me to set up continuous numbers of picture files even though I delete pictures on my SD card?

Thank you!

Thank you, Rafal!