piggy1994r
i love photography with my whole heart and i want to get a really good camera so a can a-just the shutter speed and the iso and change lens, ect. so if you know of any good ones can you help and also give me price ranges
thanks
Answer
The Nikon D40 is a great little camera, very easy to use and quite reasonably priced. It's just under $500 with a lens. It has a few "consumer friendly" totally automatic modes that make it very easy to use, but still offers total photographic control when you are ready to take charge. It will get you in the Nikon family which is a great place to be. If you buy accessories and lenses, you will be able to use everything on any Nikon that you might upgrade to later on. The user manual is among the easiest to use, also, including three pages of "frequently asked questions" that could put Yahoo! Answers out of business.
Check out Nikon's "Picturetown" promotion, where they handed out 200 D40's in Georgetown, SC. http://www.stunningnikon.com/picturetown/
Here are a few reviews, in case you have not read them yet. Be sure to note that they are several pages long and some of the reviews also have some sample images that you can look at.
http://www.dpreview.com/reviews/nikond40/
http://www.steves-digicams.com/2007_reviews/nikon_d40.html
http://www.popphoto.com/cameras/3756/camera-test-nikon-d40.html
http://www.kenrockwell.com/nikon/d40/d40-recommendations.htm
I hate to see people slam the camera because it can't autofocus with older Nikon lenses. It is true that there is a "slight problem" with older Nikon lenses not autofocusing on the D40, but if you do not own a bag full of older lenses, it is not going to be a problem. It is barely a problem anyhow. If you check www.nikonusa.com for "AF-S" lenses, which are ALL 100% compatible with the D40, you will find 28 lenses, including 13 "VR" (vibration Reduction) lenses and one true macro lens with "VR". There are another 25-plus lenses in the current catalog that provide all functions except autofocus as well as many (possibly dozens) "out of print" lenses that will work just as well. In addition, although these lens will not autofocus, most of them will still give focus confirmation. From the D40 manual: "If the lens has a maximum aperture of f/5.6 of faster, the viewfinder focus indicator can be used to confirm whether the portion of the subject in the selected focus area is in focus. After positioning the subject in the active focus area, press the shutter release button halfway and rotate the lens focusing ring until the in-focus indicator is displayed." (See http://www.members.aol.com/swf08302/nikonafs.txt for a list of AF-S lenses or see http://www.nikonians.org/cgi-bin/dcforum/dcboard.cgi?az=read_count&om=16715&forum=DCForumID201 for even more...)
The D40 only has 3 autofocus zones arranged horizontally at the center, 9 o'clock and 3 o'clock positions. This might be considered a limitation, but realistically, most people will find this perfectly adequate, especially if you are moving up from a point and shoot with only a center zone.
There is no "Status LCD" on top of the camera, but Nikon chose to use the rear LCD for this information. This is actually a nice move, as the display is bigger than the top display and you aren't using the read LCD for anything BEFORE you take the picture anyway. This is not a step backwards and it actually makes sense to me.
You can get the D40 with the 18-55 kit lens at B&H Photo available through Yahoo! Shopping or at 1-800-622-4987) for $475 (December 2007). Add a Lexar Platinum (60X speed) card for $25 or 2 GB for $35. Or - get the D40 with 18-135 lens and 1 GB Lexar card for around $700. This is a decent lens and it is very versatile. You will find it suitable for pretty much anything you want to do, other than really long telephoto shots. It will let you explore the range of focal lengths to decide where to start filling in your lens collection. If you don't want to buy any more lenses, this one will carry you through pretty much everything. B&H also have used D40's with the lens from $419.
The Nikon D40 is a great little camera, very easy to use and quite reasonably priced. It's just under $500 with a lens. It has a few "consumer friendly" totally automatic modes that make it very easy to use, but still offers total photographic control when you are ready to take charge. It will get you in the Nikon family which is a great place to be. If you buy accessories and lenses, you will be able to use everything on any Nikon that you might upgrade to later on. The user manual is among the easiest to use, also, including three pages of "frequently asked questions" that could put Yahoo! Answers out of business.
Check out Nikon's "Picturetown" promotion, where they handed out 200 D40's in Georgetown, SC. http://www.stunningnikon.com/picturetown/
Here are a few reviews, in case you have not read them yet. Be sure to note that they are several pages long and some of the reviews also have some sample images that you can look at.
http://www.dpreview.com/reviews/nikond40/
http://www.steves-digicams.com/2007_reviews/nikon_d40.html
http://www.popphoto.com/cameras/3756/camera-test-nikon-d40.html
http://www.kenrockwell.com/nikon/d40/d40-recommendations.htm
I hate to see people slam the camera because it can't autofocus with older Nikon lenses. It is true that there is a "slight problem" with older Nikon lenses not autofocusing on the D40, but if you do not own a bag full of older lenses, it is not going to be a problem. It is barely a problem anyhow. If you check www.nikonusa.com for "AF-S" lenses, which are ALL 100% compatible with the D40, you will find 28 lenses, including 13 "VR" (vibration Reduction) lenses and one true macro lens with "VR". There are another 25-plus lenses in the current catalog that provide all functions except autofocus as well as many (possibly dozens) "out of print" lenses that will work just as well. In addition, although these lens will not autofocus, most of them will still give focus confirmation. From the D40 manual: "If the lens has a maximum aperture of f/5.6 of faster, the viewfinder focus indicator can be used to confirm whether the portion of the subject in the selected focus area is in focus. After positioning the subject in the active focus area, press the shutter release button halfway and rotate the lens focusing ring until the in-focus indicator is displayed." (See http://www.members.aol.com/swf08302/nikonafs.txt for a list of AF-S lenses or see http://www.nikonians.org/cgi-bin/dcforum/dcboard.cgi?az=read_count&om=16715&forum=DCForumID201 for even more...)
The D40 only has 3 autofocus zones arranged horizontally at the center, 9 o'clock and 3 o'clock positions. This might be considered a limitation, but realistically, most people will find this perfectly adequate, especially if you are moving up from a point and shoot with only a center zone.
There is no "Status LCD" on top of the camera, but Nikon chose to use the rear LCD for this information. This is actually a nice move, as the display is bigger than the top display and you aren't using the read LCD for anything BEFORE you take the picture anyway. This is not a step backwards and it actually makes sense to me.
You can get the D40 with the 18-55 kit lens at B&H Photo available through Yahoo! Shopping or at 1-800-622-4987) for $475 (December 2007). Add a Lexar Platinum (60X speed) card for $25 or 2 GB for $35. Or - get the D40 with 18-135 lens and 1 GB Lexar card for around $700. This is a decent lens and it is very versatile. You will find it suitable for pretty much anything you want to do, other than really long telephoto shots. It will let you explore the range of focal lengths to decide where to start filling in your lens collection. If you don't want to buy any more lenses, this one will carry you through pretty much everything. B&H also have used D40's with the lens from $419.
What is a quality camera under $500?
I am going on a few trips and would like a camera that takes good landscape photos for under $500.
Please tell me your experience with the camera.
If you don't know of a specific camera, what brand do you think is best?
Answer
The usual Pavlovian response in here is NIKON! CANON! as though there were no other choices. If one does a little research one finds that Sony and Pentax offer excellent alternatives.
Sony and Pentax both have their versions of image stabilization in the camera body. They also have a focus motor in the camera body so any auto focus lens made for them will auto focus. The Nikon D3000 does not have a focus motor so you have to buy Nikon's AF-S lenses. Nikon and Canon have their versions of image stabilization in some of their newer lenses.
The Sony A230 w/18-55mm lens is $429.95 at B&H. http://www.bhphotovideo.com You can use every legacy Minolta Maxxum AF lens made back to 1985 and that 25 yr. old lens will be an image stabilized lens.
No camera, however, "... takes good landscape photos ...". That is the photographer's responsibility.
Tips for good landscape photography:
1) Use a tripod. Make sure to turn image stabilization "OFF" when using a tripod.
2) Shoot at your camera's highest resolution.
3) Use ISO 100.
4) Shoot in Aperture Priority. I tend to maximize depth of field (DOF) for landscapes.
5) Use manual focus. To maximize DOF don't focus to infinity. Manually set a focus distance of 5'-0'' using the 18mm end of your 18-55mm lens.
6) Make sure the camera is perfectly level. Nothing ruins a landscape photograph quicker than a tilted horizon.
7) Use the camera's self-timer to release the shutter.
If you are confused by DOF this site will teach you about it. http://www.dofmaster.com/dofjs.html
Three factors control DOF:
1) Lens focal length.
2) The f-stop chosen.
3) The subject distance.
Your shutter speed and ISO have absolutely NOTHING to do with DOF. Only the three factors listed affect DOF.
Choose your camera from the list and then choose a focal length (18mm), an f-stop (f16) and a subject distance (5'-0''). The table on the right will show that your DOF is from 2'-0'' to infinity. This means that anything from 2'-0'' in front of your camera (3'-0'' in front of your subject) to as far as you can see - infinity - will be in focus.
Here are some examples:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/drifter45h/4032748624/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/drifter45h/3721056971/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/drifter45h/3529681412/
ISO 100, 21mm lens @ f16 and "focused" at 6'-0''. DOF from 2'-2'' to infinity. Camera tripod-mounted and perfectly level. Yes, I still use film.
The usual Pavlovian response in here is NIKON! CANON! as though there were no other choices. If one does a little research one finds that Sony and Pentax offer excellent alternatives.
Sony and Pentax both have their versions of image stabilization in the camera body. They also have a focus motor in the camera body so any auto focus lens made for them will auto focus. The Nikon D3000 does not have a focus motor so you have to buy Nikon's AF-S lenses. Nikon and Canon have their versions of image stabilization in some of their newer lenses.
The Sony A230 w/18-55mm lens is $429.95 at B&H. http://www.bhphotovideo.com You can use every legacy Minolta Maxxum AF lens made back to 1985 and that 25 yr. old lens will be an image stabilized lens.
No camera, however, "... takes good landscape photos ...". That is the photographer's responsibility.
Tips for good landscape photography:
1) Use a tripod. Make sure to turn image stabilization "OFF" when using a tripod.
2) Shoot at your camera's highest resolution.
3) Use ISO 100.
4) Shoot in Aperture Priority. I tend to maximize depth of field (DOF) for landscapes.
5) Use manual focus. To maximize DOF don't focus to infinity. Manually set a focus distance of 5'-0'' using the 18mm end of your 18-55mm lens.
6) Make sure the camera is perfectly level. Nothing ruins a landscape photograph quicker than a tilted horizon.
7) Use the camera's self-timer to release the shutter.
If you are confused by DOF this site will teach you about it. http://www.dofmaster.com/dofjs.html
Three factors control DOF:
1) Lens focal length.
2) The f-stop chosen.
3) The subject distance.
Your shutter speed and ISO have absolutely NOTHING to do with DOF. Only the three factors listed affect DOF.
Choose your camera from the list and then choose a focal length (18mm), an f-stop (f16) and a subject distance (5'-0''). The table on the right will show that your DOF is from 2'-0'' to infinity. This means that anything from 2'-0'' in front of your camera (3'-0'' in front of your subject) to as far as you can see - infinity - will be in focus.
Here are some examples:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/drifter45h/4032748624/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/drifter45h/3721056971/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/drifter45h/3529681412/
ISO 100, 21mm lens @ f16 and "focused" at 6'-0''. DOF from 2'-2'' to infinity. Camera tripod-mounted and perfectly level. Yes, I still use film.
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