Digital Photography

[Thomas Moore]

I'm looking to purchase one of these two cameras, Nikon D60 or D80, but can't make up my mind which one to buy or where to buy it from. Can I get some feedback from you shutterbugs?

I was also looking at picking up the body at Sonic Cameras and the lens from B&H photo. Has anyone delt with Sonic Cameras in the past?

Thanks

[EricW]

Head to: http://www.kenrockwell.com

Go to the Tech/FAQ section and check out his Nikon DSLR recommendations. It's probably the best Nikon resource on the net.

Never heard on Sonic. B&H is well-known and very reputable. Unless you know someone that's dealt with Sonic successfully in the past, I'd be leery of sending big dinero to them.

[XRe]

Avoid them: http://www.yelp.com/biz/sonic-cameras-new-york

They're a typical, Brooklyn "rip-off camera sales company".... B&H, Roberts, KEH (for used gear), or your local camera store. Possibly Best Buy or Dell for some types of items where you don't need or want tech support. Avoid everything else...

I have no experience with either of those bodies, so I can't offer anything direct.

[galt11]

Head to: http://www.kenrockwell.com

Go to the Tech/FAQ section and check out his Nikon DSLR recommendations. It's probably the best Nikon resource on the net.

Never heard on Sonic. B&H is well-known and very reputable. Unless you know someone that's dealt with Sonic successfully in the past, I'd be leery of sending big dinero to them.

Eric,

Thanks for the great link. I have been looking for a SLR for a while for a little of everything shooting and his advise seems to be right what I was looking for. I do shoot fast moving sports but I think the D40 should work fine.

Adam

[rtr]

I have a D80, considered the D40 or D40x when I bought it. Reason I went with the D80 was that the D40/D40x didn't have button to adjust WB, ISO, etc. Basically you can adjust your settings on the D80 by pressing one button instead of navigating through a menu to do so.

I haven't played with a D60 but from the pictures it looks to me like it has the same case and buttons as the D40.

The D60 is smaller and lighter however.

[Thomas Moore]

I thought there may have been something shady about sonic cameras. They offered a camera body really cheap but the lens to go with it was twice what B&H wanted for the same lens. I think I'll go with B&H and play it safe, I've done business with them in the past. I was hoping to save a few bucks but after reading the reviews from the link Xre posted I think I'll keep my distance.

Thanks

[Thomas Moore]

Thanks for the link EricW, this guy has made up my mind for me. I think I'll get the D40 with the 70-200mm VR lens.

[EricW]

I thought there may have been something shady about sonic cameras. They offered a camera body really cheap but the lens to go with it was twice what B&H wanted for the same lens. I think I'll go with B&H and play it safe, I've done business with them in the past. I was hoping to save a few bucks but after reading the reviews from the link Xre posted I think I'll keep my distance.

Thanks

Good move. If somebody is posting a radically better price on a new DSLR than the rest of the pack, there's usually something rotten afoot. The usual determining factors in who you buy from are sales tax, return policy and availability. If you're a Costco member, that is another good source for cameras with a VERY good return policy (90 days).

E

[Front Man]

A friend of mine from Bakersfield strongly suggested buying at Samy's.

http://www.samys.com/browse.php?cat=101&mfg=152

They even have refurbised D-40's at a killer price.

For me the D-40 is the way to go now; go cheap on the body and buy decent lenses for when I can afford a more expensive camera.

But according to Lew Rockwell, I won't want to!

(Buy a more expensive body)

FM

Edited March 5, 2008 by Front Man

[edwin garcia]

If you decide on D60, take a look at D40X as it really does not have that much of a difference, except the price.

Whatever you choose, they are all great camera bodies with strengths and weaknesses(Just like S_I's, Glocks, ARs, etc.) .

Soon enough, you'll want another one(just like S_Is, Glocks, ARs, etc.). So, consider investing on good glasses as camera bodies come and go, but good glass

lasts a long time.

My 2 cents

[quigibo]

...good glass lasts a long time.

I could not agree more!

I've got three or four Nikkor lenses that are over 10 years old. Those lenses took beautiful pictures on the N90 film camera I had back then and they take beautiful pictures on the D70 I have now. Over the past 10 years Nikon has updated each of those lenses with new features like internal auto focus motors, but my 10 year old glass will still take pictures that are visually indistinguishable from pictures taken through the new lenses.