I need a good dsl digital camera?

Question

I was looking to upgrade my digital camera. I want to go the professional route but do not want to spend 2+ thousand on a unit. I have around $1000 to spend. I do not want any auto focus. I have heard great things about the nikon d80. Anyone have any problems with it? Anyone know another good dsl unit? Thanks for dropping a line.

Answer 1

i got a d40 for my fiance last year and she loves it , its great for begginers getting into dsl tech. it takes amazing picks and i picked it up for 700 with a ext warranty that covers accidents from cruthfield . i got her this so if she ever masters that with the full potential we can upgrade to a more unuserfriendly model like the d80 . she has been very very pleased with it so far as so am i !

Answer 2

If you want to go the professional route, in the long run it will cost you more if you go too cheap to start off with. That's why I suggest you avoid the Nikon D40, D40x and the entry-level Canon Rebel XTi.

You have correctly (in my opinion) selected the Nikon D80 as the best balance between performance, quality, and price, since your budget is $1000. You can keep it under $1000 by going with the 18-55mm lens, which is an acceptable although not outstanding lens.

I should warn you that you'll end up getting more gear over time, as you add accessories like an external flash (the SB-600 or the SB-800), more lenses, or additional memory cards.

Also, the D80 can be used in a manual focus mode; just turn off the AF motor. There should be a focus confirmation dot to help you with manual focusing.

The other camera to consider: The Pentax K10D, which is about $729 (from buydig.com) with a lens. That gives you more breathing space to buy an external flash.

There's a big hole in the Canon lineup between the Rebel XTi and the Canon 40D. Essentially, Canon doesn't have a mid-range camera that falls within your budget and is of reasonable build quality for pro use.

Answer 3

You should use price as a starting point, not an ending point. You seem to like Nikon. Have you gone and held it? Does it feel right? If you already have a bunch of Nikon lenses then I say thats what you should buy. The menus and controls wont be in odd places you dont expect if your already used to the Nikon setup. In the end it will be much more enjoyable and easier to use if you are already a Nikonian.

Side note: don't let the megapixell challenge blind you to what to buy. Unless you plan to enlarge images quite a bit, or do some heavy cropping, you probably wont need much over 8 mp. Dont get me wrong, 10 is better than 8, but unless you are enlarging to 20x30 (or their abouts) you probably wont see any difference.

Hope this helps.

Answer 4

Canon or Nikon or Pentax or Sony or Sigma are all good brands.

If I were in the market I'd take a long look at the Pentax K10D or K100D Super. I'd probably choose the K10D. Since they use the venerable Pentax K-mount all K-mount lenses ever made will mount to them. They'll be manual focus but that's a lot of quality glass to choose from.

Pentax has the Image Stabilization in the body so it works with the older lenses. IMO this is a great feature.

Since you express a distaste for AF just turn it off.