which nikon camera is better?

Question

i need help finding a great nikon camera. i'm not sure which is better to have....
the:
D300
D80
D40X
D40
D60
or the
D200

i want to use a nikon for photography. not really of myself but things around me. i need one that comes in great and is fast and digital...i dont want film....

Answer 1

I have, or do, own many of the above cameras and your question is great even though you miss a few points. (1) your camera will not take better photo's- you will ( check out Ansell Adams - box brownie art work !). (2) My D300 cost me $2700 body only, the D40 will set you back less than $800 with two lenses. Thats the financial implications of each end of your spectrum.(3) your experience level ? (4) you dont buy a camera you buy a system -sold on Nikkon ? so am I !.



The output from all will be very similar up to A4-A3 size. In fact as the D300 has no AUTO mode you will probably end up with unusable - unseeable - unfathomable shots and lose your passion for photography. I love it, awesome bit of kit, but it has thrown me a few times in past month. ( 20+yrs exp)



The D200 which is not being discontinued has practically the the same sensor ( different processor) as the D80, D60 D40X. It's the size weight and features that'll make up your mind. Hold them in your hands its a big part of the experience.



This year the D200 will be great value and a real semi pro - if older camera. The D80 rocks !! - it followed the D200 in reclaiming Níkkons market share & this is a genuine enthusiast camera.



I would'nt worry about the D40,D40X and D60 not being able to drive the manual lens auto focus either.... you will get new shiny Vibration Reduction , motorised lenses anyway.



At the end of the day the soon to be replaced D80 is not a beginners camera but it will teach you and grow with you. The D200 was a market leader and will be very affordable soon. The other three are comprimises around features which may or may not make a difference to you.



For me, i'd suggest D80 or D60 with stabilisation kit.... thats a lot of resolution for a good price and a camera that will grow with you & when time comes be a trusty back up to your D400... PS put your money in glass not bodies and don't forget to look at Cannon and Oly they have great offerings too !! & GOOD LUCK ENJOY THE SEARCH

Answer 2

The D300 is the most expensive of the bunch, but if you have the cash, then it's the best of the models listed.



The D200 is a rung above the others as well, and you will get a good price on it if you shop around, both the D300 and D200 are fantastic cameras, metal casing, build for heavy use and many nice touches you just don't get on consumer models.



Must you go Nikon though? The Canon 5D is a good buy just now, and has the benefit of being full-frame, though a wee bit slower than the Nikon at processing.

Answer 3

In order of "greatness":



The Nikon D300 is the best of your list. It's also the most expensive. But it's worth it.



The next is the D200

D80

D60

D40

D40x



The reason I rate the D40 above the D40x...the D40 does better in low light and it's significantly less expensive than the D40x. In fact, in many ways it's a better value than the D60, but the D60 is a much newer camera with improvements.



So for value, the D40 is a winner. For features, it's the D300.



Personally, if you can afford it, I say, get the D300.



Don't skimp on the lenses. In many ways, you'd be better off with a lesser body, like a D80, with better lenses than with a better body and cheaper lenses.



EDIT: OMG has a good list, but there is no D3x (yet). It's just called the D3. I have one, but it's quite pricy--about $4600 now--and it's not on your list.

Answer 4

Here's the Nikon lineup, from high to low. I've slotted in the non-current models from your list as well.



Professional:

* D3X

* D2X (recently discontinued)



Semi-pro:

* D300 (6 frames per second, fast auto-focus, etc)

* D200 (recently discontinued. 5 frames per second)



Entry level:

* D80 (cameras in this segment are roughly 3 frames per second. If you're interested in the D300/ D200 you might also be interested in using prime lenses such as a 50mm f/1.8. The D80 is the only body in the entry level segment that can auto-focus with these lenses.)

* D60

* D40x (recently replaced by the D60)

* D40



The D40 is plenty for most people. It will produce magnificent full-page prints with practically the same image quality as the $1800 D300 and the $5000 D3x.

Put a $1000 lens on any of these cameras vs. a $100 lens on all of the others, and what ever camera has the $1000 lens will produce the best image quality.

All of these cameras are also very responsive (no shutter lag), and great in low light.

The price difference between the various models is justified by other things, such as more megapixels, faster auto-focus, more frames per second, better build quality, more buttons to change settings on the fly, and so forth.

The trick is to decide which features you're willing to pay extra for.

I personally bought a D200 because it was the cheapest model that offered 5 frames per second and a metal body (I don't baby my equipment).

Here's a side-by-side comparison of the specifications for all of the entry level and semi-pro models:

http://www.dpreview.com/reviews/compare_post.asp?method=sidebyside&cameras=nikon_d40%2Cnikon_d40x%2Cnikon_d60%2Cnikon_d80%2Cnikon_d200%2Cnikon_d300&show=all

You can also use this page to jump to in-depth reviews for all of the models.

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added:

Anthony, whoops, I got carried away there.

Please invite me over some time to toy around with that D3 :-)

Answer 5

i personally own a D80 and it is great for a starter camera. The D40, D40x, and the D60, if you are going to use auto focus, limit you from using some lenses. The lens would have to have it's own autofocus motor to use auto focus with the D40, D40x, and the D60 but you can still use those lenses manually. I almost never use my auto focus with my D80. i just find it a lot more fun to manual focus. All the D40, D40x, D60, And D80 give similar quality pictures, which are all really great quality.



The D200 and D300 are the top camera's on your list, giving really high quality pictures, with many more features than the others, but if you're a starter, many of those features probably will not be touched for a while, but once you learn, they're great.

Answer 6

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