First SLR advice please

chimponarope · 10 Oct 2008 at 13:15

I'm looking at getting my wife a SLR for Xmas (yeah I know it's early but better to start looking early I reckon) using some of my bonus.

Now she's used Nikon before at University where she did a module in photography and as such has a strong preference towards Nikon, so I was thinking D60 at first. However since the D90 was released i've noticed the D80 isn't a massive amount more and gets good reviews, has the AF in the camera rather than relying on the lens, more AF points etc.

So I was hoping if you guys could shed some light on which model to go for. I'm usually tempted to go for the newest model with the most features etc but I don't want to go with the D80 if there's no real reason.

I would imagine it would be used mainly for children (our own

), landscapes etc.

I'd be buying new aswell with it being a present for the wife.

Any help would be appreciated.

BUFF · 10 Oct 2008 at 14:38

I take it that a D90 is over budget?

chimponarope · 10 Oct 2008 at 14:44

Yeah unfortunately. Wouldn't mind playing with the video myself.

Seen the D80 for £450 and thought it was pretty decent value at the extra £100 over the D60 but didn't want to just go ahead without asking people with some idea about these things.

iGiDK · 10 Oct 2008 at 15:28

I use Canon myself but I recently ordered a D40 + Kit lens for my old dear and she's loving it so far.

I'm really quite impressed with the punchy jpg's it produces straight out of the camera

chimponarope · 10 Oct 2008 at 15:48

Yeah that was another thought I had, do I just get a D40 and see where it goes, or go higher and save us having to swap bodies as soon if she does get into it.

Bubo · 10 Oct 2008 at 15:56

chimponarope said:
I'm looking at getting my wife a SLR for Xmas

I like your style. "Dear, do you mind if I borrow the camera 'I bought for you' this weekend while I go off a take pictures of aeroplanes by myself?"

Think I might buy my partner a model railway for xmas this year...

chimponarope · 10 Oct 2008 at 15:59

It might be a little of that..............

Although to be honest she does enjoy taking photo's etc and she always looks at them if we're in stores with cameras etc.

Nicos Rex · 10 Oct 2008 at 20:05

The D40 is almost obscenely good value and is a delight to use, for the same as you would spend on a D80 you could get the D40 with kit lens, an SB400 flashgun and have something towards a 55-200 VR lens as well.

Cyanide · 10 Oct 2008 at 20:22

I got a D40 last week as a first DSLR. Tried it and a 450D out in the shop, the Canon was the better camera but it most certainly wasn't £150 better. Got the D40 (with 18-55 lens), 70-300 lens, bag and 2x2Gb sd cards for the same price as the 450D. Can't argue with that value.

Snapshot · 10 Oct 2008 at 21:47

I have both the D60 and D80. The D60 does almost everything as well as the D80. The only real niggles I have are that it won't do RAW + fine JPG, only RAW + std JPG (probably a marketing decision) and it doesn't have the 'on demand' grid in the viewfinder. It also doesn't have auto-bracketing but I rarely use this so haven't missed it. I'd probably have been completely happy with it if I hadn't bought the D80 first. I'm selling the D60 to get a D90 but I'm keeping the D80 - at least I'll have the same batteries in both bodies....

Jimmy1983 · 11 Oct 2008 at 01:35

Cyanide said:
I got a D40 last week as a first DSLR. Tried it and a 450D out in the shop, the Canon was the better camera but it most certainly wasn't £150 better. Got the D40 (with 18-55 lens), 70-300 lens, bag and 2x2Gb sd cards for the same price as the 450D. Can't argue with that value.

You can get the D40 for 220 now, Iam tempted with that or maybe the D60, much difference? Originally thought about that 450d but I think its a bit to much.

D.P. · 11 Oct 2008 at 10:04

Normally you should put money into lenses not bodies, but I think the D80 is probably more appropriate than the D60 if you intend to buy older prime lenses etc. If you just want consumer zooms then the D60 would be best.

But definitely buy the D80 second hand, should be very good deals with people upgrading to D90s or D300s.

meem · 11 Oct 2008 at 23:03

i just recently bought a D60, 18-55 vr, 55-200 lens, 4gb high speed sd card for £400 from your local nationwide je... photo store. Seemed a pretty good deal

Spuds · 11 Oct 2008 at 23:22

D.P. said:
Normally you should put money into lenses not bodies, but I think the D80 is probably more appropriate than the D60 if you intend to buy older prime lenses etc. If you just want consumer zooms then the D60 would be best.

But definitely buy the D80 second hand, should be very good deals with people upgrading to D90s or D300s.

On that note I'm still looking to sell my old D80 with box and battery pack. If you'd be interested I can put it up on the MM again.

Jimmy1983 · 12 Oct 2008 at 11:07

Spuds said:
On that note I'm still looking to sell my old D80 with box and battery pack. If you'd be interested I can put it up on the MM again.

I might be interested.

chimponarope · 13 Oct 2008 at 11:05

Spuds said:
On that note I'm still looking to sell my old D80 with box and battery pack. If you'd be interested I can put it up on the MM again.

Cheers fella, but think i'd best buy new with it being an Xmas present for the wife or i'd never live it down!

deshepherd · 13 Oct 2008 at 12:18

Bubo said:
I like your style. "Dear, do you mind if I borrow the camera 'I bought for you' this weekend while I go off a take pictures of aeroplanes by

alternatively .... "looking at you new camera I hadn't realized how good they've got now and out of date mine was .... looks like I need to update" ... that's the line I'm taking at the moment after I bought my wife a new camera!

Think I might buy my partner a model railway for xmas this year...

... I've got a son to handle that one!

chimponarope · 13 Oct 2008 at 12:53

deshepherd said:
... I've got a son to handle that one!

Just bought the biggest Lego Indiana Jones set yesterday for our little boy, can't wait until his birthday.

deshepherd · 14 Oct 2008 at 10:17

chimponarope said:
Just bought the biggest Lego Indiana Jones set yesterday for our little boy, can't wait until his birthday.

now I think about it mine's old enough for MindStorms this year ...

chimponarope · 14 Oct 2008 at 10:55

deshepherd said:
now I think about it mine's old enough for MindStorms this year ...

Excellent!

Anyway back on topic....

In a round about way asked the wife which camera she preferred out of the D80 and D60, she said definitely the D80. Guess it'll have to be one of those then!