The Nikon d40. It’s taunting me…the price continually going down, and down. But I can’t quite pull the trigger on it.
Way back in the old days (I’m old enough to have those), I used a film SLR camera. My SLR was the Pentax K1000 that is still popular today to teach the basic elements of photography in many places. But then I became a mommy and point-and-shoot seemed a better option for grabbing quick kid shots. I didn’t have time anymore to practice "art" with my camera, or fuss with settings. Same thing when I changed to a digital camera several years ago. I bought a point-and-shoot. DSLR’s were still very expensive then (relative to how they are now) and I didn’t have time, with a two year old in the house, to learn a complicated new camera and fuss with settings on an SLR.
But now I am getting frustrated with the limitations of my point-and-shoot, even though it is a really great camera for its class. My Canon A610 takes great quality pictures but it is only 5 MP, limiting the amount of cropping that I can do in editing. And like all point-and-shoot cameras, its performance in low-light is mediocre at best, and then only if I use manual settings. I get frustrated by the camera’s shutter lag trying the capture the movements of my energetic almost 5 year old daughter.
That description sounds like moving up to an SLR should be a no-brainer. But there would be a downside as well. RAW files would give me more control, but I would have to spend time processing them. My current camera is more discreet and easier to carry around than a larger SLR would be to lug. And of course there is the price: I could uprade to a better point-and-shoot than my current one for a fraction of the cost of a DSLR, and that would just get me the body and one lens. I know from past experience that once you start down that road there is always the lust for the extra flash unit, new and better glass, filters, etc. That is not so much a problem with point-and-shoots (although there are some cool teleconverters and an add-on flash available for the Canon A-series that I love!)
For now, I’ve convinced myself that the 6MP of the D40 just wouldn’t make me happy, and the Nikons with more megapixels are out of reach financially. So I guess I will just have to wait, and watch for new models and prices to fall.
But that won’t stop me from having a long Amazon wish list containing my latest favorite camera and accessories…
No, no, no … don’t wait. Seriously, you will kick yourself for having waited this long to get a DSLR. I am a Nikon guy, but I’d have no problem recommending a Canon to someone if they wanted to go that route.
Since you are already an SLR person, you already know the benefits, but you just need a push. Do it. Yes, they will just get cheaper and more capable, and then you will just find another reason to wait.
Just one shot will have made it worth your while. A shot of your daughter in low-light, where you were able to get a fast shutter because the camera automatically boosted the ISO to 800 to give you a 1/60s release … or an arty, large aperture/shallow depth of field shot that you’ll take in your garden … there just isn’t any comparison.
I started with a D70 4 years ago, and just got a D300. I can’t bear to put it down.
The processing can be a bear, I admit, but it is better than sending the film off to get printed, or the mess and bother of your own darkroom, right?
Buy the camera, get a decent zoom lens (18-70, or even 18-55) and maybe get a good 50mm prime. In a few months buy an flash unit. You won’t be sorry. The great thing about DSLRs is that the bodies get cheaper but lenses continue to be useful with a new body. So, in 3 years, you can buy a D500 and still use all your lenses and most of your accessories. By then you’ll have an 8-year old that you won’t mind loaning your D40 to, justifying your D500 purchase. ;^]
Oh, and one more thing — the 6MP D40 is a huge leap up from any point-and-shoot 5-8MP camera. Don’t be boggled by the pixel count. A better measure is the size of the sensor. The D40 image sensor is probably 3 times the size of your Canon A610 … the D40 will gather more light and provide truer colors and contrast. Even Nikon’s top of the line D3 drops down in pixel count in certain modes, because the pros know that you don’t need a bazillion megapixels to take a great photo.
Get the D40. In a few years, the 12MP camera bodies will be under $500, and you can upgrade.
quite frankly, once you get used to the RAW workflow, it will SIMPLIFY your life. As long as you shoo reasonable well-exposed images and know how to use Custom White Balance, you are 80% of the way there. AND…if you bite the bullet and buy Lightroom, your workflow processes will be made SO MUCH more user-friendly!
I went RAW about 2 years ago and have never looked back! The Nikon D40 should make your 1st time oh-so-pleasurable! ;P