Nikon D40X or D80--can someone tell me the difference in plain English?

[Elinor Everywhere]

I've looked on the website but I'm new to camera lingo, and other than $300 I can't tell what the differences are and how they would affect my picture-taking.

 

FWIW, I have always used a "point and shoot" and currently have a Canon 550 SureShot. But I want to move to a digital SLR, and I *think* I've narrowed it down to these 2 cameras.

 

Thanks for any help you can give!

[fiddledeedee]

We just bought the D40x last month, and my DH ended up going into a local camera store and talking to the owner for help. We couldn't afford the choice between the two, so we went with the 40x, but I just wanted to let you know, he told us the D40x is soon to be replaced by the D60, so if you want to get the D40x, you'd want to do it pretty quick. To make matters more complicated, you can look up the D60 and see if you'd want that! We are enjoying playing with our camera. We also purchased Photoshop Elements.

 

I stayed out of most of the technical stuff,so I can't help you there, but if you have local camera shop, they can be quite helpful with choosing which.

 

One other thing we learned, if you find a really really cheap price online, it's called a 'grey market' camera. They carry a different kind of warranty, not through Nikon.

 

HTH!

fiddledeedee

[pixelroper]

compare

 

the grey market thing is something to consider.

[Elinor Everywhere]

compare

 

the grey market thing is something to consider.

Wow, that chart was really helpful. In looking at it, I think I can live perfectly well with the 40X! It looks to my inexperienced eye that they are very similar, and for $300 I can't see why I'd be very much happier with the D80.

 

Thanks, I appreciate you finding that for me!

[Elinor Everywhere]

Yes, I saw the D60 on the Nikon website, but I closed my eyes because I don't want too many choices! ;)

 

The prices I saw came from Amazon, and I think (hope?) that they would not be grey market.

 

Thanks for the help!

[pixelroper]

you are very welcome- D40x: slightly smaller sensor, lighter and different auto focus- Its a Nikon, I recommend anything they make, use their products exclusively (film & digital), professionally.:) Also dpreview is a great resource for photo info, you may want to bookmark it.

[percytruffle]

Dh just bought the D80 today. He was going to go with the D40X, but Best Buy had the 80 on sale for just over the cost of the 40X, so it was a no brainer! Good luck with your shopping.

[genie]

Here is a post that helped me decide. When I first read it, I didn't understand all the terms, so I made a list of them, and looked each of them up and studied until I felt like I understood the what they meant. The biggest factors for me (I ended up getting the D80) were the larger, brighter viewfinder, and the additional buttons on the camera body. I knew that having to look through menus to make changes would deter me from trying knew things. If it's just a push of a button, I'm much more likely to try it out. Many many people have no problem with dealing with the menus, this was just a person issue for me.

 

The D80 is definitely heavier. I personally like that.

 

Both cameras have an Auto mode where you can just point and shoot, just like you are used to. The D40x will have punchier colors and slightly more sharpening to the pics. (It is geared to people switching from point and shoots.) The D80 is slightly more subtle, but you can easily achieve the same effects with Photoshop.

 

Let me know if you have any more questions, and I will explain specifics as much as I can. I spent several weeks immersed in educating myself before this decision with the help of the posts at the board linked above. But beware, if you spend much time looking at the photos posted and the comments critiquing them, you may never be able to look at your pictures the same way.

[Janna]

I bought the D40 last June. I chose the D40 over the D40x because the megapixels were the only difference and unless you're printing a huge picture, you won't be able to tell a difference in the picture quality.

 

However, there is one thing that I have discovered that bums me out and makes me think I would have been better off getting the D80. If you are wanting to change out lenses, you are limited to basically the 18-55 or the 55-200, both of which you can get as a kit with the camera. They are fine lenses, don't get me wrong. But if you decide to learn more about photography like I did, you quickly realize there are some other lenses that would be esp. helpful. Such as a macro lens or a 50mm or a telephoto. The problem is, Nikon specifically made the D40 for amateur photographers who most likely would be satisfied with the 18-55 or 55-200 lens. Therefore, they were able to make the camera smaller than the D80 by reducing the motor. This means that the only lenses that work with the D40/40x are the AF-S or AF-I lenses. Most of Nikon's lenses are AF. Basically this means that the only way to have the D40/x autofocus is to use th AF-S or I lens. Otherwise, if you use a different lens it will always have to be manually focused. I don't know about the D60 - whether they limited the type of lens with that or not. The d50, which is what the d40 was supposed to be comparable with, could take all the lenses, so maybe the D60 will too.

 

If that is important to you, or has the potential to be important to you, I would go with the D80. I couldn't afford the D80, and I struggle with my decision on the D40. I love, love, love the camera and I desperately needed one because I had lost my other camera. But sometimes I wonder if I should have held off a few more months and saved to be able to buy the D80. But, I didn't know I was going to want other lenses when I bought the D40, either. So I am happy with what I have, just wish I had known, kwim?

 

Hope that helps you some. Either way, you're getting a fine camera. Enjoy it!

 

Wow, that chart was really helpful. In looking at it, I think I can live perfectly well with the 40X! It looks to my inexperienced eye that they are very similar, and for $300 I can't see why I'd be very much happier with the D80.

 

Thanks, I appreciate you finding that for me!

[pixelroper]

However, there is one thing that I have discovered that bums me out and makes me think I would have been better off getting the D80. If you are wanting to change out lenses, you are limited to basically the 18-55 or the 55-200, both of which you can get as a kit with the camera. They are fine lenses, don't get me wrong. But if you decide to learn more about photography like I did, you quickly realize there are some other lenses that would be esp. helpful. Such as a macro lens or a 50mm or a telephoto. The problem is, Nikon specifically made the D40 for amateur photographers who most likely would be satisfied with the 18-55 or 55-200 lens. Therefore, they were able to make the camera smaller than the D80 by reducing the motor. This means that the only lenses that work with the D40/40x are the AF-S or AF-I lenses. Most of Nikon's lenses are AF. Basically this means that the only way to have the D40/x autofocus is to use th AF-S or I lens.

 

So I am happy with what I have, just wish I had known, kwim?

 

 

not sure why you are bummed??

the mount on all three: D80, D40 & D40x is the same- Nikkor AF / F-mount, D-Type- you shouldn't be bummed over your choice of the three-

 

Such as a macro lens or a 50mm or a telephoto.

 

the 18-55 and 55-200 are telephotos and 50mm is in the range of the 18-55mm, so I'm confused about what you mean-

I may be able to point you in the direction of a lens that will fit your purpose or expand your collection.:)

[genie]

not sure why you are bummed??

the mount on all three: D80, D40 & D40x is the same- Nikkor AF / F-mount, D-Type- you shouldn't be bummed over your choice of the three-

 

The difference is that the D40, D40x, and the new D60 do not have an in-camera focusing motor, the D80 does. So all the Nikon lenses will mount on her camera, but they won't autofocus. Therefore she is limited to only using lenses that have an in-body focusing motor (the AF-S line), or having to manually focus. This is very frequently discussed as a "crippled" factor on the 40/60 line on dpreview.

[pixelroper]

I use manual focus old Nikon lens all the time-

 

I also should add that I'm not personally familiar with these particular Nikon cameras, obviously.

[Janna]

I'm bummed because only an AF-S lens will work if I want the camera to autofocus. I cannot use an AF only lens unless I intend to manually focus. I didn't know this until after the fact. The D40/x does not have the coupling motor that allows for the other lenses. The other Nikon SLR cameras have both the coupling motor and the silent wave motor (which is the only one the D40 has). That is why the other cameras are bigger and heavier than the D40/x.

 

That's my understanding anyway. Feel free to correct me - I would love it if I were wrong! :)

 

edited to add: I forgot to mention the other part of your post - about the 50mm. My 18-55 doesn't have a low enough f/stop that the 55mm does. Therefore, I have to use the flash more often than I'd like. I really would love a 50mm 1.8 f/stop to allow for more light, kwim? But it does not come in the AF-S line.

[Elinor Everywhere]

But also now I have more to think about! I can really appreciate what was said about wishing later to have the auto-focus lenses. As a point-and-shoot person who has NEVER manually focussed a camera in my life, that may be a very important point.

 

My dh thinks I should go for the D80, but my cheap side just cringes at the thought. Hmmmm. Decisions!

[pixelroper]

I see-

yes, fast lens are ideal- IMO I'd get a fixed 50mm and manually focus- if lighting is an issue-

 

I've taught photography & consulted off & on over the years & find people get swept up in the gadget race, in most situations there are acceptable workable solutions, that is why I asked for more photo situation specifics.

 

IMHO it really is all about budget vs how much a piece of equipment would actually get used.

 

Of all my cameras- the one that gets used the most is a very small p&s. It cost less than most of my lens.

[genie]

edited to add: I forgot to mention the other part of your post - about the 50mm. My 18-55 doesn't have a low enough f/stop that the 55mm does. Therefore, I have to use the flash more often than I'd like. I really would love a 50mm 1.8 f/stop to allow for more light, kwim? But it does not come in the AF-S line.

 

One thing that I have read that many people use is the Katzeye focusing screen. I don't really know much at all about it, other than it helps people with D40(x) focus manually with the 50mm 1.8.

 

If you really want that lens, you should go ahead and get one. They are super-cheap (in terms of lenses!) and if you buy from Amazon, you should have a 30-day return policy. I have returned a couple high-price items recently, and have had NO problems whatsoever. Thirty days should be more than enough to decide if it is too hard to manually focus. Oh, and apparently there will be a green dot in your viewfinder when it is focused, so you aren't completely shooting "in the dark". Likewise, you can try manually focusing using your current lens in good lighting conditions to get a feel for it, if you haven't already.

 

Many people say that having to learn to focus manually has really improved their photographic skills, and like you said, you will be able to get shots that you might not be able to with the kit lens without flash.

 

Another option is to wait it out a few more weeks/months until the D80 successor is released. (Most are calling it the D90, but that is just speculation.) Once it is released, the prices of the D80 should really drop (they already have started to). Then, if you really wanted to, you could probably sell your D40 for a decent price (it is a well-loved camera), and upgrade to the D80 at that time. (The D90 will most likely be well over $1000 when it is released.)

 

The ability to autofocus with non AF-S lenses was another big reason that I went with the D80. Plus Adorama was offering a killer deal on the kit with the 70-300mm VR that I just couldn't pass up.

 

There's SO much to learn when entering the dSLR world!

[pixelroper]

Many people say that having to learn to focus manually has really improved their photographic skills, and like you said, you will be able to get shots that you might not be able to with the kit lens without flash.

 

 

this is VERY true, I prefer all students start with the old school Pentax K1000, which are totally analog- (I provide the cameras) then we move into using their specific camera which as of late are digital. I kept the film development portion of my darkroom for this purpose (I occasionally do film myself). I'm not a purist but very old school:)

[Stacie]

If you are wanting to change out lenses, you are limited to basically the 18-55 or the 55-200, both of which you can get as a kit with the camera.

 

If you are interested in a larger range of lenses for your D40, here's a list of compatible lenses at Nikonians.

 

Also, here's a list of compatible lenses by Sigma. Don't be afraid to buy a non-Nikkor brand lens. Some of my favorite lenses are made by other companies.

 

Keep in mind that Nikon is releasing new lenses for this camera (and it's following generations). There will be quite a few hit the market this spring, from my understanding. I have read, but can't remember where, that a 50mm fixed will be in the offering for 2008. I'm sorry that you are bummed about it, but many Nikon users are clamoring for more compatible lenses and it seems Nikon and others are listening. Keep practicing and save up for them!!

 

And finally, don't worry about using flash. There are many ways flash can be used to look more natural. I can give you some ideas if you'd like. I'd suggest looking at the SB400 or 600 flash units. I have the SB800 and love it for natural-looking flash shots.

[genie]

Keep in mind that Nikon is releasing new lenses for this camera (and it's following generations). There will be quite a few hit the market this spring, from my understanding. I have read, but can't remember where, that a 50mm fixed will be in the offering for 2008.

 

Nikon will be releasing a 60mm f/2.8 soon.

 

Sigma will be releasing a 50mm f/1.4 soon.

 

My guess is that they will both be quite a bit pricier than Nikon's 50mm 1.8m, though. But it is a step in the right direction, and I do agree that all the companies will be releasing more and more prime lenses that are compatible with the AF-S system.