james_stevens5

<p>I have a D60 and the fact that it will not focus the "screwdriver" autofocus lenses (50mm 1.8) drives me nuts. I bought it on an impulse because they through in two kit lenses and I didn't even consider the autofocus thing. Get a D90. It has the same sensor as the D300 for a lot less money. </p>

<p>I had the same delima 3 months ago. I got the 24 inch imac and have been somewhat pleased. The screen is amazing. Nothing else compares in PC, IMO. I will say I am still confused by the Apple people who almost talk about their computers in hushed tones as if they were Holy. I haven't really found that. Yeah, It's a good computer. But imacs are expensive and I am really not sure they are worth the difference. If I were you I would go to an Apple store and play with the machines. Don't order it online without playing with it a lot. That is one positive thing about Apple. They are very proud of their products and will gladly talk to you for hours. The in store training is helpful. Good luck. </p>

<p>I have had the D60 for 6 months and love the camera. The problem is there is no autofocus motor for older lenses. I thought I could get used to manually focusing my 50 mm 1.8, but I find myself not bothering to get it out of the bag and using the 18-55 instead. Honestly, as good as the camera is, I would get a D90 or D300. I think they both have the focus motor in the camera. I also sometimes forget to check all of my settings before shooting and with the D60, everything is buried in overlapping menus. Not a bad thing, just takes more time to find the settings. The D300 has more buttons on the camera body so you don't have to dig through menus. Aside from that, the D60 takes incredible pictures and it is light weight and easy on the neck if you're walking around with it all day. Good luck.</p>

Aurel: I bought a Sunpak 65.3 inches, model #620-660BB. About $60 at Best Buy. Holds a max. of 6.6 pounds which covers most slr cameras with a zoom lens. I know all the experts say to spend $300 on a "quality" tripod, but honestly all it does is hold your camera still for a few minutes! Maybe the old film cameras vibrated when the shutter fired and therefore a very heavy, well built tripod was necessary. Now days the shutters are so quiet and smooth, why spend a fortune on 3 aluminium rods? Get a cheap tripod and a remote control and you're set. Good luck.

Peter, Save your money and get the f1.8. I have a D60 and the f1.8 works flawlessly. It took me a while to get used to manual focus, but once I got the hang of it, no problem. I use the 50 mm to take low-light photos in museums, etc. where flash is prohibited. I had a faster 50mm on a Pentax film camera many years ago, and I really don't think this f1.8 is a sacrifice. Besides, Nikon will probably come out with fast nomal lenses in the future that will auto focus with the D60. I don't want to spend a lot of money on a lens I may not be using in a year or so. good luck.

Rob, My wife and I went to Paris last March. We really enjoyed the museums but be prepared for long lines and searches. The Louvre really looked hard at my camera bag. I took a Lumix point/shoot with a pretty good, fast lens because they absolutely do not allow flash. We also enjoyed the Orsay. Very nice art and you can walk right up and take pictures of it. They did not look so hard at the camera equipment, but still did not allow flash. The Rodin is really great because the Thinker is acutally outside in a nice park area. Be aware that museums and galleries close early. We had to talk our way into the Rodin at 4:30 because they were planning to close at 5:00. Be sure to visit the Notre Dame. Again, you can take all the photos you want, without flash. They were actually having a Good Friday Service and they let us in. Take some night shots off the Eiffel Tower. Great view of the river from up on the Tower. Have Fun. It's a photo taker's dream. (wear a coat, gets cold at night.)

Thanks so much to everyone for the advice. Someone mentioned a small, lightweight tripod. I think that might work. We are headed to the Highlands of Scotland and although I don't want to appear to "touristy," I don't want to miss a good landscape shot up there. Thanks again.

My wife and I are headed to England in a few weeks and of course I will take 1000 photos. I can't decide whether or

not to hassle with a tripod or even a monopod. We will be spending some time on a small tour bus (actually a 16-

passenger van) and I don't want to appear too obnoxious. I know it may be wet, so I have purchased a "rain coat" for

my D60 and short zoom, but at least I can put that in my pocket if it doesn't rain. Suggestions?

Jodie: My wife and I just got back form London and Wales. I used my D60 and the 18-55 VR a lot. I found that I almost always had to look for a wall, rail, table top or something to sit my D60 on for stability. I really did not want to lug a tripod around. I set the lens to 18 for scenic shots. I also used the vivid or very vivid setting on one of the menus and got good results. Most of the museums would not allow flash, so I set the ISO to auto and used the 18-55 on shutter priority at about 1/60 and got fair results.

Chris, I also purchased a D60 about 6 months ago and thought about moving on to a "professional model." My problem is simply money. I can't afford to switch cameras every 6 months. I have learned to take very good pictures, landscapes, portraits, etc., with the D60 in P, S, M or A mode. I bought a cheap 50mm lens to go with the kit zooms, and plan to get a good SB-800 soon. There are lots of good books at the camera stores and I also learn a lot just from reading these forums. I plan to stick with the D60 and try to learn some photo fundamentals. Good luck!

I bought a D60 kit with the 18-55 VR and 55-200 VR. I later got a 50mm f1.8, just because everybody on these forums recommended it for low light (museums, etc.) Honestly, as a real amateur, I use the 18-55 about 90% of the time, even indoors without flash. With the VR on, I can use slower shutter speeds and get good, non-flash pictures. Very useful lens.

The Bath Abbey is beautiful. Try try to catch it when the light is going through one of the side windows. There is a US flag with 48 stars inside. I think I enjoyed it even more than Westminster. Have fun.

Rene,

I just returned from a trip to Wales and used my D60 with the 18-55 zoom that came with the camera. I was surprised how well the photos of the paintings at the Cardiff museum came out, without a flash. I noticed that most of the art was well lighted from the ceiling, so I guess that's why they came out so well. I did get in a little trouble for taking shots of stuff (mainly silver, pottery, etc.) in glass cases. A lady told me I could not photograph things in glass cases. I would ask politely if I were you, before taking pictures. Have fun.

Russell, I also slept for 25 years since using my Pentax 35mm. I really didn't want to spend a lot so I got a D60 with two zooms. It probably won't impress real photo people, but it serves me well. All of the buttons and menus are confusing, but it takes great photos, and I can slowly get used to using an SLR again. The good news is I no longer have to process film to see what I did right or wrong. I tried using a cheap editing program, but found it really didn't work much better than the one in the store where I get prints made. Maybe someday I'll get a high-dollar Nikon, but for now the D60 is fine. Good luck.