Nikon D80 or D40X?

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danielp

Joined
Aug 27, 2002
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I would like to hear what's your opinion on these two SLR cameras. I'm familiar with the N80 so naturally I lean toward the D80, but it's about $250 more expensive than the D40X. Is it worth the money to take the D80?

Thanks,
 
A key factor to consider will be the lenses you'll want to use with it. With the 40 you'll be limited to lenses with motors built in (AF-S and AF-I). The 80 will definitely give you more lens options. (Of course you'll need to jump up to a D200 or D300 to be able to meter with the older Manual Ai-S lenses).
 
I've had my D80 for a while now and can't fault it - I was interested in the D40 because of it's size (more compact) but ultimately chose the D80 becuae of the more standard lens mount, top LCD monitor (no need to fire up the big LCD screen to change any major shooting functions = better battery life). With a bit of care I can take the D80 on a 7 day bushwalk and not need to change the battery.

Turns out I actually like the larger body size of the D80 anyway - better ergo's for long term use. The D80 feels like an extension of my hand now - I can change settings without looking. Nikon sure know a thing or two about taking photos.....
 
danielp,

The lens mount constraints for the D40 does give it some disadvantage if you will be using older lenses. This refers to lenses that are not equipped with their own focus motor. However, you can still use them in manual focus mode. This isn't that big a deal at least for some lens and applications as I tend to switch autofocus off anyway. Autofocus is really annoying at night when the camera constantly hunts - or shines that annoying red light to aid it.

I have a D50 for which the D40 replaced, apart from the mount issue, smaller size and larger LCD, the two seem similar in features (at least the ones I've used). The D50 was my first digital SLR (had point and shoots before it), but I did have an F3 and FE-2 film SLRs. It did take me about 2 d to get used to the digital format - the photography is the same, but learning the menus and how chosen options are indicated on the status screen took a while (I'm more of a dial guy). I still get into fights with the pop-up flash during night shots.

Overall, though I've been really happy with the camera. I've printed and enlarged a couple of shots to 8 x 10' with no noticible grain and am completely happy with 6.3 MP. One of my buddies likes to chastise me because he has some point and shoot that has 10 MP. We compared our shots one day and their wasn't really any comparison - the Nikon was superior due likely to lens quality.

A couple of things that I was disappointed with on the camera. My old manual lenses mount to the camera and work, but the light meter won't work with them. You can still use it under manual, guess at settings, and preview the shots - but this is annoying. I guess I will just have to replace that 50 mm 1.2f I loved so much! Also there is no 'Depth of Field Preview' for the camera. I find this annoying as it was something I used quite a bit on my film SLRs.

As I recall, the D80 does have a depth of field preview and of course the 10.3 MPix count. I view it as the professional offering with features that allow better creative control on features such as white balance. There are others but I can't recall all of them. I do remember going through the research comparing the D50 and D80, and deciding that the monetary difference didn't justify the features for my uses. I used the savings on the body to purchase another lens with the kit lens. I'm happy with that decision!

Good luck on your research.
 
kgd said:
danielp,

Overall, though I've been really happy with the camera. I've printed and enlarged a couple of shots to 8 x 10' with no noticible grain and am completely happy with 6.3 MP. One of my buddies likes to chastise me because he has some point and shoot that has 10 MP. We compared our shots one day and their wasn't really any comparison - the Nikon was superior due likely to lens quality.
Click to expand...

Yeah - the megaxpixel arms race. One of the best tricks the retailers ever pulled.:rolleyes:

I think they are both great cameras daniel and no doubt you will learn to work around the limitations of either. Just remember to have a play with them both.
I must confess my decision (despite my last post) was quite subjective in the end. The D80 just fit my hand better. It's probably a sad indictment on my love life but that first 'fondle' of the D80 was one of the peak tactile experiences of my life so far:D
 
How much manual exposure shooting do you plan on doing? If you want to do much, the D80 will be the far better choice, as it has two command dials instead of one. Having aperture and shutter speed on different dials is a big deal in terms of ease of use. You will also have better build quality, and easier access to critical settings like ISO, white balance, and quality (size of image). I can't comment first hand on either, as I just own a D200, an N80, and an FM. I would recommend a used D70 instead of a new D40x. It feels better in the hand (IMO) and it also has the two command dials.

With film, the body was not really a significant factor in quality of photographs, it just made it easier. With digital, a more expensive body will get you better images. Glass is still more important than body, though. Lens quality used to be everything; now, it's just most of it. You can make absolutely stunning photographs with great glass on a D40, but it's easier and you'll have more fun doing it on a D80.

I'm kind of a photo nut, and can probably tell you more than any reasonable person would want to know about the Nikon lineup, what to look for, what to avoid, etc. If anyone ever needs any info, just shoot me a PM.

Eric
 
IMHO, the D80 is the way to go for no more reason than the lense issue. I've got a D50 and have really appreaciated the ease with which I can find virtually unused Nikon lenses on Ebay for 1/3 to 1/2 the price of MSRP.
 
From my use of these bodys in a store, demo type stuff, i'd say the D80 if it wont place significant undue strain on your bank account- i'm guessing it wont if you're looking at one or the other in the first place.
The d40 just didnt have the features I wanted, and it didnt work the way i would like it to. The D80 left me really wanting one, but the body is a bit expensive for me at the moment.
I started on a pentax ME super, now shoot a Nikon FM2(n), and also own a cannon TLb.
I'll probably pick up some more MF lenses of higher quality for nikon, I'm using a quantaray 28-90mm at the moment.

enjoy the D80 if you get it, it seems to be a bit more popular with the general public here as well.
 
Thanks a lot guys, I think I'll go with the D80..

But something comes up, my wife broke her PDA, so it’s a call to spent about $500, guess I have to wait for the camera.
 
trkJr said:
I've still got my d70, and i find choice of lenses more crucial than which body i use.
Click to expand...
trkJr is right. It's almost more about the lense than it is about the camera body (although body features are important too).

Another plug for the D80 over the D40 is that most, if not all, of the lenses you buy for the D80 can be used to fullest potential on the D50, D70, D200 ... etc .... Five years from now when you're ready to step up to your next "favorite" Nikon, lenses that fit the D80 will likely function correctly on the next generation Nikon.

Anyway, sounds like you've made your decision for the D80. I think you'll be pleased. If I could find the right price on one, I wouldn't mind trading up from my D50. All my lenses will work .. :)
 
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