Comments on: Holiday Buyers Guide 2006: DSLR Cameras

By: Michael

Michael — Fri, 22 Dec 2006 04:06:48 +0000

I just got the d80 from Ritz camera (at a wolf camera outlet store) for 1199 with 28-80 mm and 70-300 mm lens and free Nikon brand bag (the big one thats designed to be sold for all Nikon DSLRs. Great deal, Though it was in such hot demand, they had to piece together the “outfit” from all of their stores in a 25 mile radius. I got the last one they expect to get in till january 15. Im SO HAPPY!

By: Zachi

Zachi — Wed, 20 Dec 2006 15:07:42 +0000

WOW!!! I really fell in love with the Nikon D40. I currently own a Canon S1 IS, but I really want to move to DSLR camera. Too bad DSLR camera costs a fortune…

I was thinking about getting the Nikon D50 or D80. Of course the D80 is much higher in price, so probably I’ll save money for the D50.

But now after reading about the Nikon D40, I might take it into consideration as well.

Thanks for the GREAT guide!!!

Keep up the good work, guys!!!

By: John T

John T — Sat, 16 Dec 2006 21:21:46 +0000

Quick revision:

The 3rd shot shows chronic flash syndrome (again)

The 4th shot is the good one :)

By: John T

John T — Sat, 16 Dec 2006 21:20:18 +0000

Adam: I was wondering the same thing myself. No offense Blake, but the first picture of your cat brings a few things to mind: You’ve got a huge DOF & overexposure with what appears to be the built in flash… a Kodak P&S could accomplish the exact same shot.

Picture #2: It’s a decent shot of a baby, but I’d guess that there wasn’t enough light & you didn’t want to use the flash. As a result the shutter stayed open a bit long, and a slightly blurry picture resulted, either that or it was an out of focus shot.

Picture #3: It’s the best one of the bunch.

I appreciate the in-depth review of the Nikon equipment, but I was mildly annoyed at the quick dismissal of the XTi & the 30D.

A quick note about canon lens compatability: They’re compatable. Period the end. Any canon lens sold in the past 10 years is an EF mount. This is huge for anyone who’s starting out in the camera world and thinking about moving up.

I personally opted for the XTi for this very reason, along one other. Canon’s 70-200 f/2.8 IS… see all those white lenses at a sports game? Those are Canon L-series lenses. If the people who live off their shutter fingers are buying Canon gear, that should tell you something.

I have since expanded from a single XTi to including a 20D & 30D in my normal usage. I enjoy the fact that the XTi is light and handy, but with any sizeable lens attatched, the *extra* weight of the 20D/30D is nice since it reduces the lens torque and helps to keep the setup balanced in my hands.

Another nice feature is the compatability. I did buy the entry level canon DSLR, but now the only incompatability issues I have are batteries & battery grips. The lenses are interoperable as well as the CF cards.

In no way am I knocking Nikon — kudos to them for releasing highly capable 11 point AF, 10.7 MP camera before Canon. But I think it’s important that you do two things to ensure the quality of your articles:

1) include pictures that display the full scope & potential of these cameras (high ISO noise comparisons come to mind)
2) Give more background about where each camera will take you, possibly with a chart at the end.

Warm Regards,

John

By: Adam Bramwell

Adam Bramwell — Sat, 02 Dec 2006 00:09:25 +0000

For a review of prosumer cameras i’d expect the accompanying images to be at least partially compelling. But they’re not. Is the reviewer out of their depth with high end camera equipment?

By: Bob Gately

Bob Gately — Thu, 30 Nov 2006 02:13:18 +0000

I have a Nikon D50 and it came with the same limitation (the lens) as the new D40. But all in all it’s been a heck of a good time. I was 35mm umpteen years ago and made the switch to digital with an HP c200. Horrible, bulky camera. but I’ve never gone back to film. I’ve missed the creativity that SLR’s offer but until recently I really couldn’t afford a digital one. That’s changed and I’m really enjoying photography again. I think the D50 is about the bast bang for the buck, if you can still find one. I think they’ve discontinued them, but I’m not sure. And there could be hundreds in a warehouse somewhere waiting for the holiday sales….

By: David H Dennis

David H Dennis — Thu, 30 Nov 2006 01:09:04 +0000

I’m wondering if there’s any analysis around that compares the D200 to the D80. I lke the idea of a metal body but I really love the D80’s auto-ASA/minimum shutter speed feature. That would have saved a lot of pictures I didn’t get right thanks to forgetting to set the exposure back to program after having to put it on shutter priority to set the minimum shutter speed earlier.

I have a Canon EOS D30 (not 30D; this was one of the first “affordable” DSLRs) and although I really don’t mind 3.5 megapiels that much, its 30 second startup time has managed to strangle some of my pictures in their cradle :-(.

So it might be a good time for me to switch ..

By: Hil

Hil — Thu, 30 Nov 2006 01:01:10 +0000

Nikon made a pretty smart move in getting their hooks in the point and shoot crowd, once they buy a D40 and use it for awhile they will want to upgrade it in a year just like they currently do with their point and shoots. More $$$!

I would absolutly LOVE to have the D80, it fits perfectly in my hands, and the big bright veiwfinder is AWESOME! The weight is perfect! I got to play with my friend’s but I’m wishing and hoping that Santa brings me a D80 for Christmas! I have been Very Very Good this year!

By: Blake Robinson

Blake Robinson — Wed, 29 Nov 2006 23:50:40 +0000

I spend a good deal of time in Chicago and am planning on making the move in the spring. It was just a random pic I took while I was there last week.

As for the D40, I do find it a bit small for my hands, but I’m nearly 6′4″ and have really big hands. So I dunno if I’m much help to you in answering that question. I did like the camera though. It shoots well for the money and would have no problem recommending it as a base model.

By: Jon

Jon — Wed, 29 Nov 2006 23:01:32 +0000

Nice picture of the Millennium Park Cloud Gate (or the Bean if you wish). Was this a random picture in Chicago, or is there a CrunchGear reporter from the area?

Anyways, just curious if you found that the D40 was rather small compared to the older and/or more expensive Nikon cameras. I’ve been do as much reading as I can and am looking to buy a DSLR like the d40 or a d50 after christmas, so any first additional first hand suggestions would be great!

As always, enjoyed it very much!

By: Blake

Blake — Wed, 29 Nov 2006 17:11:57 +0000

Yes, that’s quite a good deal. I’m rather envious.

By: RTeed

RTeed — Wed, 29 Nov 2006 17:05:35 +0000

Great post! Came across the Nikon D80 at Costco 2 weeks ago for $1299. It included 2 lenses, 512MB memory card and a sweet handy dandy nylon bag! Reading this post makes me realize what a sweet deal I got. This is my first DSLR and was strictly a Canon guy before I made this purchase. I love my D80 and would recommend it to any photography enthusiast.