Nikon D40 advice needed urgently

[dellwak]

I was in town today and saw a Nikon D 40 set advertised in a shop window for about £ 250. Is this a good camera for this price?
I need to know urgently as I don't know how long this shop will have them on offer.

[Tugmistress]

a quick google says that warehouse express are doing the d40 and 18-55mm lens for £289 if that helps

[dellwak]

Thanks for that Tugmistress, but I really need to know if the D 40 is a camera worth buying and if it is worth it at this price. I am a know nothing about camera's but I would really like to take up photography and am looking for a serious piece of equipment at a decent price.
Can anyone recommend the Nikon D 40 or should I leave it alone and look for something else?

[Tugmistress]

There is a pretty decent review of this camera here (http://www.dpreview.com/reviews/NikonD40/).
on a personal note i had a nikon d70 but found it too big and heavy for my hands and have now got a canon EOS 400D which is ideal for my needs if a little pricey for my pocket.

[dellwak]

Thanks for the link.
After reading the report I think I might be better off saving up my pennies and going for something else a bit more advanced.

[John Baikie]

Thanks for that Tugmistress, but I really need to know if the D 40 is a camera worth buying and if it is worth it at this price. I am a know nothing about camera's but I would really like to take up photography and am looking for a serious piece of equipment at a decent price.
Can anyone recommend the Nikon D 40 or should I leave it alone and look for something else?

If you are just starting off, there's no need to spend serious money on equipment. Too many people do this, and never figure out a fraction of the things the camera does. I see people all over the place with very expensive camera equipment and you only need to watch how the use them to know they haven't a clue. Learn the skills with a basic camera, and if you feel you have the ability, then is the time to go for something better. Keep it simple and learn exposure and composition and such like, and forget about how many mega-thingies it produces. Having looked at the spec of this camera I'd say it was very good beginners camera at a decent price.

That's what I think anyway!

[dellwak]

Thanks for the advice John, much appreciated.
I have been using a FujiFilm FinePix E500 digital camera for a while now with good results. But I cannot zoom in on anything more than 30m away with it. I have missed some good pics because the object was too far off and just shows up as a point in the middle of the photo.
My problem now is that I want to buy a good camera that I can add to in the future but can only afford to give out about £400 for the basic equipment. I thought this D40 would fit the bill, but if it is more of a starters camera I will be looking for something more advanced within 2 years and my missus will go ape.

[North Light]

dellwak,
The price you have seen is very good. Have a look at this site for price comparisons on cameras.
http://camerapricebuster.co.uk/

The reviews of the D40 are very good, but also look at the D60, which can be obtained for around £400, the review on DPR is worth reading.
http://www.dpreview.com/reviews/nikond60/

You should not ignore offerings from any of the major Camera manufacturers, the differences in image quality are minimal, and the choice should be driven by the camera you feel comfortable with. Look at the reviews on DPR, go into a good camera shop and try the different cameras in your hand.

Have you considered second hand, buying from a reputable dealer will give you a warranty, try Mifsuds, Ffordes.
https://secure.ffordes.com/index.htm
http://www.mifsuds.com/acatalog/ActChange.htm


I would agree with John that mid to higher end SLR's tend to have a lot of functions that the majority of users do not use, this comment would apply to experienced photographers as well as novices.

I hope that this information helps.

[dellwak]

Thanks for all your info and recommendations North Light.
I will take your advice and shop around until I find something I feel comfortable using.
But first I might just go back to that shop and see if they have any of those D 40’s left and try one out.
I am afraid second hand is not nearly so popular in Germany as it is back home, unless one tries Ebay and I am a bit wary of that for expensive items.