Posted on March 13th, 2010 by webmaster
different brands but are they pretty much teh same camera?right, and in addition to that, the higher quality lens is going to be more important in getting shots in low light,
Say for example you had a kit lens at 5.6 min aperture and you had a 1/60 SS at ISO 1600, well, in order to cut down noise you could get the D300 which would help, or you could get a lens that would let you use 2.8 for the aperture and drop the iso to 400 which would produce significantly less noise.
The advantage to the lens though, is that when you would get a new body (say later you wanted to get the d300) you can still use the nicer more expensive lens later.
If you have to choose what you are going to purchase generally the most highly recommended things are first glass/lighting then bodies. Yes you need a body, but it doesn't have to be the most amazing one, the lens will help your photos more than the body (though you are the most important factor in how your photos turn out)is broadwayphoto.com a good place to shop? look at this -----
Nikon D300, 13.1 Megapixel, SLR, Digital Camera w/ Tamron 18-250mm f/3.5-6.3 Di-II LD Autofocus Lens Kit $1708
Nikon D300, 13.1 Megapixel, SLR, Digital Camera w/ 18-55mm & 55-200mm AFS DX Lens Kit $1576
Nikon D300, 13.1 Megapixel, SLR, Digital Camera w/ 18-135mm AFS DX Lens Kit $1538
Nikon D300, 13.1 Megapixel, SLR, Digital Camera w/ 18-55mm AFS DX Lens Kit $1375
Nikon D300, 13.1 Megapixel, SLR, Digital Camera w/ 18-200mm AFS DX Lens Kit $1848
Are these good deals?With $1500 and little knowledge of what you're dealing with, I honestly do not believe you should be buying a top-of-the-line camera.
If you really want a suggestion for a camera, just start off with a D80 and a nice lens. You don't have to have the biggest and the baddest to have it all. And even if you didn't like it, atleast you didn't blow even more of the money on the D300. I'm not saying it's a bad camera, but if you didn't know how to use it and were stuck with it, you lost $1500 on the spot.
A D80 and a really great walk-around lens could get you your everyday shots that you want and save you some money for a later investment. And about the HDR, it's not considered "photography" per say, it's an effect that you can apply to a lot of photos. And if that's the only reason you wanted to get a DSLR, I suggest you not buy one.ok so that 18-200vr should work for about everything till I get better and understand more? A main concern in the sunsets and the beach at night so if it can do those well i will be happy. Let me know, thanks.The D300 blows the 40D away in almost every single way but it is more expensive. If you're super-rich, go ahead but I don't think you have enough skill to get a pro camera like that. Low light is the main area where the 40D beats the D80 but the D300 beats both.
My suggestion - Get a used D50 ($350) and see if you like Nikon and are really serious about photography. When you feel confident with the D50, get a D300 and sell the D50 if you're short of cash.
FYI - Even I have a low-end ($500 incl. lens) SLR and it does everything I need. http://www.kenrockwell.com/tech/notcamera.htm
Read Ken Rockwell's site a bit to clear you head and gain some wisdom.The Canon 40D is a bit higher up on the totem pole than the Nikon D80 is. The two companies have their lineup staggered a bit in this range which helps them avoid competing directly with each other. The D80 is not quite a Canon 40D, which is not quite a Nikon D300, which is not quite a Canon 5D, etc. I don't think either are "superior". If you're a starter with a tight budget and don't need a bajillion features then the $5000 Nikon D3 is "inferior" to a $500 D40 in my book. :biggrin:
IQ wise I'll put my D80 against my buddy's 40D any day. Most of the differences in image quality you're going to be looking at in DSLRs within the same class (crop body DSLRs) are going to come down to the skill of the photographer, and the quality of the glass you've got on the front of the camera. I'd concede that the 40D probably does have better and cleaner looking high ISO performance at iso1600 than my D80 does. But my D80 (and pretty much all Nikons) have Auto Contrast control that the 40D (and most Canons) amazingly still lack. If you're shooting in very dynamic conditions with large variations in light and contrast levels from shot to shot the Canon will force you to shoot in RAW and sort it out later since you'll never be able to keep up with jacking contrast around manually, whereas the Nikons will control it for you and keep nailing perfect JPEGs all day long with regards to contrast. You won't find this in any spec comparison but the difference is there. This may or may not matter depending on what and how you intend to shoot.
If you're planning to shoot sports, just get the 40D and don't look back. It shoots at 6.5 FPS which is more than double the D80 and has weather sealing too. Most sports shooters shoot with Canon anyways, and their consumer level zooms still have zippier autofocus than Nikon's. For photojournalist type work (me chasing my 14 month old daughter around) I'd definitely recommend the D80 and Nikons in general since they adapt for you to dynamic and changing conditions whereas that's far more limited on the Canon cameras.
Yeah, plus with the Nikon you get the nifty black and yellow strap. :)ok well i dont want something that sucks in low light conditions though, cause i will be taking lots in the dark on the beach and stuff. so what do think now?
The D80 doesn't necessarily "suck" in low light. You'll find a slight to moderate reduction in noise from the D80 to D300, but most people would not find it enough of one to justify the price increase if that was the only factor.You could try diffusing or bouncing the flash by putting a thin piece of translucent white paper on the pop-up flash, or purchase a bouncer for it. Best solution would be to purchase an external flash. Ideally, an SB-600 or 800 would be the best, but any flash that has a swivel head is good so you can angle it and just put a bounce card on it. If you can't get an external flash, then just turn down the power on the flash in the menu, or slightly under expose in manual mode.
Nothing fancy needed, a SB-400 and a sheet of paper to bounce off and diffuse is all that you need.You don't seem to understand. He's mentioned quite a few lenses that cover the specific range of the interests you are intending to photograph. Such as the 18-200VR. 18mm for wide shots for HDR landscapes. 200mm for shots that you might want to get up-close to. And the VR (Vibration Reduction) should help with the shaky hands and long focal lengths.
Less range means less in the middle. The 18-200 has a wider range than the 16-85. The 16-85 gets slightly wider than the 18-200 but loses the reach.You could go with a D200 for under a thousand.
The D300 DESTROYS the 40D I dont care what ANYONE says. There is NO comparison between the 40D and the D300.
Whoa there buddy. The 40D and D300 are each others competition. However, the D300 does outperform the 40D in quite a few areas, but not destroy...And the comparison is there.that answers my question haha, so where is a good place to buy? if I want to buy online.ok cool, well I love taking pictures so I know I am in this for the long run so why not buy what I want now, thats the way I see it. so the d300 is a good camera for low light and well all around picture taking?Yeah and I understand that.... I know what you guys are saying. Ok can you tell me what lenses or other accessories I would need to take a variety of pictures like.... sunsets and sunrises... Sports... general whatever in the daylight and basically anytime of the day I see something cool... hunting can be kinda low light.... me and the girlfriend at the beach in the daylight and night cause I love night shots so there will be a lot of those... anyway if there is some lenses that can do more than one of those listed or a lense thats good for all let me know.. also can all nikon lenses for the d300 fit the d80 or the new d90 if it comes out. Thanksok cool, only thing I worry about with flash is it will be really bright on our face and stuff. Is there a way to prevent that.The D80 is more than enough camera youll need for quite some time. No reason to drop a grip of money on a D300 unless you REALLY need the technical legup it has over the D80. If youre goal is a camera that has an easy learners curve, and will be with you for a minute, just grab that D80 (used of course, check Craigslist), and spend the rest of the money on some expensive lenses that will be with you longer than the camera. There is no "best" camera, because technology is constantly changing and that 1500 dollar camera wont be 1500 in a few years; however lenses retain their "value" more effectively than a piece of technology.^here goes the canon vs. nikon battle..:mrgreen:
kidding. try craigslist before ebay. its always better to see the camera in person, plus, incase somethings wrong with it, you'll have a mental vision of the seller, makin it easier to find him.ok I was just looking at them today and they looked like they had a lot of the same features. When do you think canon will release the 50d? if they ever do
February of 09... Mark it :)
No, but seriously, it seems they upgrade every 18 months or so, so that would be around February of 09.is broadwayphoto.com a good place to shop?
NO. Look at this (http://www.resellerratings.com/store/Broadway_Photo).You can always look around the sellers markets on forums, or of course Ebay.different brands but are they pretty much teh same camera?
The 40D is more in the D100-D300 range.ok well i dont want something that sucks in low light conditions though, cause i will be taking lots in the dark on the beach and stuff. so what do think now?better image quality less range, what do you mean by less range? and what about the lenses for the other stuff I listed?yeah thats what I have come to conclusion of, and its not even all that much more expensive, just gotta look around.yeah i know there is a built in flash, will that lens be a good one for taking pictures at night of me and and whoever? and at night on the beach?
With flash - yes
Without flash - no
Only f/1.4 and faster primes would be any good without flash handheld. No zooms would do at all.
Don't worry as you'll be using flash and any lens would do with it. The VR would also help.and also do you think the d300 would be a good camera in place of the 40d cause of the auto contrast? and I like the bigger display than the d80You can use almost anything for sunrises or sunsets all depending on the scene you're trying to capture, whether you want to zoom right in on the sun (300-400mm), or if there's texture and color in the sky from clouds and want something ultrawide (10-12mm), or anything in between. Sounds like the Nikon 18-200VR might be a good match for a single lens solution. It's pricey based on its paper specs, but the new 16-85VR lens has better image quality but less range. For a two lens setup, the new 18-55VR and then a 55-200VR or 70-300VR would be a great combination too. I personally use an 18-135 on my D80 for daytime shots and a 70-300VR for longer ones. I could use both at night too, but I have other lenses better suited for that.The "Auto Contrast" feature fixes the exposure in different parts of the image, so there will be more shadow detail and the highlights won't be blow out. It is unnoticeable when you don't compare the images side by side but it just looks right. However when your compare the two images, with and without, the Auto Contrast image will be far better.
I say just go with the D80 and enjoy watching it beat the far more expensive 40D in daylight photography. For the same price as a 40D and a crappy lens, you can get a D80 and a great lens. The D80 with a good lens will run circles around the 40D with a cheap lens (like an 18-55 non-IS).To a total beginner they might very well look like the same camera by different manufacturers. But as you dive deeper into photography and the custom settings of each camera, you start to find many differences which become more and more pronounced as your skill level matures.
Some of them are as simple as where the control wheels are located, others are more difficult to describe, such as color rendering and noise.
They may be 75% the same (both DSLRs with 10mp sensors, both are geared at the "prosumer audience", etc.), but the fine details of each camera are totally different. That's why people get so heated in their Canon vs. Nikon debates :)
BTW, I don't see one camera as being "better" than the other. That's a personal opinion, and totally depends on what you deem important in your gear.that answers my question haha, so where is a good place to buy? if I want to buy online.
B&H, Adorama. If you do buy there, use the links on the top right of the forum.^here goes the canon vs. nikon battle..:mrgreen:
Ya, sorta my bad. I just felt quite differently on that statement. Hope this don't escalate. Besides, I know that Nikon is always neck and neck with you know who.The Canon 40D is a bit higher up on the totem pole than the Nikon D80 is. The two companies have their lineup staggered a bit in this range which helps them avoid competing directly with each other. The D80 is not quite a Canon 40D, which is not quite a Nikon D300, which is not quite a Canon 5D, etc. I don't think either are "superior". If you're a starter with a tight budget and don't need a bajillion features then the $5000 Nikon D3 is "inferior" to a $500 D40 in my book. :biggrin:
IQ wise I'll put my D80 against my buddy's 40D any day. Most of the differences in image quality you're going to be looking at in DSLRs within the same class (crop body DSLRs) are going to come down to the skill of the photographer, and the quality of the glass you've got on the front of the camera. I'd concede that the 40D probably does have better and cleaner looking high ISO performance at iso1600 than my D80 does. But my D80 (and pretty much all Nikons) have Auto Contrast control that the 40D (and most Canons) amazingly still lack. If you're shooting in very dynamic conditions with large variations in light and contrast levels from shot to shot the Canon will force you to shoot in RAW and sort it out later since you'll never be able to keep up with jacking contrast around manually, whereas the Nikons will control it for you and keep nailing perfect JPEGs all day long with regards to contrast. You won't find this in any spec comparison but the difference is there. This may or may not matter depending on what and how you intend to shoot.
If you're planning to shoot sports, just get the 40D and don't look back. It shoots at 6.5 FPS which is more than double the D80 and has weather sealing too. Most sports shooters shoot with Canon anyways, and their consumer level zooms still have zippier autofocus than Nikon's. For photojournalist type work (me chasing my 14 month old daughter around) I'd definitely recommend the D80 and Nikons in general since they adapt for you to dynamic and changing conditions whereas that's far more limited on the Canon cameras.ok I was just looking at them today and they looked like they had a lot of the same features. When do you think canon will release the 50d? if they ever doanyone wanna confirm this? I am 99.9% sure but I just wanna be 100% before I move on to another topicIf you're just wanting to shoot HDR's, you don't have to have the most expensive camera to do so. Just get an entry level DSLR like an XTi or a (insert Nikon that has auto-bracketing here), Sony A200 (:D), Pentax, Olympus.
Any camera that shoots in RAW format will let you get the HDR shots that you want.well I want to be able to do both HDR and just normal picture taking. Whats the auto contrast?You could go with a D200 for under a thousand.
The D300 DESTROYS the 40D I dont care what ANYONE says. There is NO comparison between the 40D and the D300.yeah i know there is a built in flash, will that lens be a good one for taking pictures at night of me and and whoever? and at night on the beach?ok yeah I think I would like the auto contrast a lot. Now is the nikon a good camera to take pictures at night? I can spend around 1500 so could I get the d300 or the one above the d80?No, they are quite different, 40D being superior. The 40D is larger and has better image quality while the D80 is more compact and costs less. They are both good cameras but are slightly different. The 40D is halfway between the D80 and D300.
Take your pick - they are both great.No, not really.The D80 is more than enough camera youll need for quite some time. No reason to drop a grip of money on a D300 unless you REALLY need the technical legup it has over the D80. If youre goal is a camera that has an easy learners curve, and will be with you for a minute, just grab that D80 (used of course, check Craigslist), and spend the rest of the money on some expensive lenses that will be with you longer than the camera. There is no "best" camera, because technology is constantly changing and that 1500 dollar camera wont be 1500 in a few years; however lenses retain their "value" more effectively than a piece of technology.
Well said.
Couldn't have done it better.Nothing fancy needed, a SB-400 and a sheet of paper to bounce off and diffuse is all that you need.
Oh ya! Forgot about that nifty little flash.You could try diffusing or bouncing the flash by putting a thin piece of translucent white paper on the pop-up flash, or purchase a bouncer for it. Best solution would be to purchase an external flash. Ideally, an SB-600 or 800 would be the best, but any flash that has a swivel head is good so you can angle it and just put a bounce card on it. If you can't get an external flash, then just turn down the power on the flash in the menu, or slightly under expose in manual mode.The 18-200 will cover your range for the beach, and for everyday shooting, which is why its popular as a walk around lens. For pictures at the beach at night, you'll need to use a flash anyways. There's a built in one in case you didn't know.ok well when I get the camera I will have to ask more questions regarding it just to make surewhat auto contrast? Sounds like it might be kinda important.#If you have any other info about this subject , Please add it free.# |
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