'good' starter dslr

I would try to get the latest one you can afford. The sensor technology is just getting better and better. Having said that I still have a D70s and a D200 and love them - but they are far and away at their best in good lighting conditions. As someone else said the ability to meter with MF lenses is a big plus if you can pick up a camera with that ability (like my D200). So many options become available. If money is an issue you can pick up some bargains. The 18-70mm lens that was standard kit with the D70s is a joy to use and can be had very cheaply. About the only shortcoming I can find is that it is not quite so good with bulding work - barrel distortion at the wider end.
 
money is a/the key factor at the moment...or i would be thinking sony and the a77...

many of my buds have the d90 so if i needed to borrow a lens it might be easier going with nikon.

i looked at that d70s in the classifieds and that is what re-started my interest. but then i wondered if i should wait for a cheap d90 to rise out of the mist.
 
A few month ago I bought for my wife the 5100 and we are both satisfied with image quality, which is very good. What I do not like is the menu system which I find not very intuitive, complicated. But I only rarely use that camera and it is possible thet using more often becomes easier. Another positive point it the camera is relatively small and light. If I had to choice a DSRL for myself had choiced the D-7000 because of the easier compatibility with older lenses. The problem with the crop sensor is (at least for me) when you are used to shoot wide angle. To find the equivalent of a 35mm I should buy the 24 G and the cost...
robert
 
i use an rd1 now and so am used to a crop sensor...it really has little impact on how i shoot.
i am not concerned about older nikon lenses as i said before, its the af auto everything that i am looking for...especially for when i have no patience for focussing manually.
a newer body is out of the question...i have about 500 bucks for a body now and i'd get a lens later on...no real rush for this...in fact if a cv 21 pops up soon the cash will go towards that.
 
back alley said:
money is a/the key factor at the moment...or i would be thinking sony and the a77...

many of my buds have the d90 so if i needed to borrow a lens it might be easier going with nikon.

i looked at that d70s in the classifieds and that is what re-started my interest. but then i wondered if i should wait for a cheap d90 to rise out of the mist.
Click to expand...


The only issue I see now is that used D90 prices are sticking high, even though the D7000 replacement is out. I'd try to spring for the D7000 or punt and go disposable with a D40 or D3100 (you'll be using AF-D lens with manual focus only, though).

It's a bear keeping track of Nikon cropper body permutations. I need a web guide like Rockwell's to keep track. The key for me is to look for old lens support, as Brian mentioned. Basically, does it matter if you need to use manual focus, AF "D" or only late model "G" lenses (all of which are still in production)? One of the best reasons to shoot Nikon is the long lens compatibility (available with the higher-end bodies). Their marketing dept has segmented products to give that "I'm carefully being manipulated" customer experience.
 
back alley said:
yes, the 40 becomes a 60, just like the rd1...my favourite combo and the lens goes for 300 new in town.
Click to expand...

the 35/1.8 DX is $80-100 cheaper and twice as fast... FOV is very close to the 40mm... all of the non-prosumer dSLRs use cheaper penta mirrors (vs. pentaprisms) so the one stop advantage will make a dim, cramped VF bearable...
 
Since high ISO is not a priority, I recommend a gently used D200. The build quality is superior to the D90 and the other two-digit Ds. But the D200 is a bit larger and heavier.

A used D300 would be better of course and more expensive. The D300 has RAW ISO performance close to the X100 and the AF system is excellent (same as the D3 and D700). The D300 also has a 100% finder which I miss more than I thought I would. The D300 AF is extremely flexible (as is the D200's which is just a bit behind). It takes most of us a while to get the AF parameters set up for how we work. There are 3 custom menus so you can set up the AF to work three different ways for different scenarios.

There are quite a few AF-D lenses that have been replaced by newer G models. It is possible to pick up AF-D lenses at reasonable prices.
 
Huh, I've had this thread open all day, but I never got around to posting in it (got a little distracted by lunch... and Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels... then dinner) but just as I'm about to post, it appears that the DSLR has to wait!

I'll post anyway, since I've been through (what is to me) a plethora of Nikon DSLRS!

If it's truly auto everything you want and you could care less about features, high ISO, or fancy lenses, maybe a D3100 is the way to go. It's cheap (around $600 for the body and a 18-55 kit lens), small, and has a decent sensor (the one they put into DX nikons before the 5100 and 7000 I believe, I'll look into it later).

My friend has the D5100, and while it's got that beautiful sensor, it's got a similar menu layout to the D3100, and to be honest... I don't think it's worth the price. Again, if price is really an issue, you want an auto camera, and lenses and image quality aren't important to you, then the 3100 offers you most bang for your buck. It's got a good sensor (just two megapixels less than the 5100/7000 sensor, and can still handle low light well), a nice auto mode, comes with a decent kit lens for a price that's less than the 5100 body only.

I've also owned a D200 and a D60... they're both nice cameras if you're not too picky about low light performance. The D60 is pretty much an old generation D3100, loaded with beginner features and a complicated menu layout. The D200 was one of my favourite bodies; rugged, had a motor, supported Nikon CLS, decent sensor.

I currently only have the D7000 left, and I used to love it alot. It's a great camera, great sensor, everything a crop-frame user could hope for. Definitely the way to go if you've got money to spend and want a nice all around crop-frame camera. The only reason why I've stopped using it is because I find DSLRs to be too big to carry everyday now that I've got the Fuji X100.

Ontop of all that, I've shot with my friend's D90 for a bit. I can't really complain about it. It's an old generation D7000 that'll still please you today.

Anyway, to conclude... seems like for what you want (auto everything, daytime camera, a simple alternate camera for when you don't wanna use rangefinders, correct me if I'm wrong) the D3100 is the way to go. Good low light performance, cheap, small. The 18-55 kit lens isn't horrible either.

If you want something more, then I'd say... you can't go wrong with a D7000 or D90. The D7000 to me is better than any other crop frame nikon I've used, and the D90 isn't far behind.

I've been thinking of selling my D7000 + Battery Grip lately. Let me know if you're interested!

Also, where do you get your CV lenses in Canada?
 
Really? I always check in with Stan at Downtown Camera in Toronto, but he hasn't had a shipment for a while. 🙁 It'd be nice to get some M-mount lenses locally!
 
i've lucked out a couple of times with buying used and local...but not often. i used to prefer new lenses but i'm just as fine with used these days.
the rff classifieds are usually good for clean, well priced lenses, especially cv lenses.
in canada the leica boutique has the same prices as cameraquest but i hear there is no longer a canadian distributor so not sure of the future.
 
D7000....

had a play with one & if I was in the market for a crop sensor DSLR, this would be it. Fast everything compared to my - now sold - D90.
You mentioned you won't be shooting low light much... but the D7000 does this well should you need to.

Re: $... well of course the D90 is the answer.
 
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