Upgrading Nikons

[CJ]

First off, if this has been discussed, I apologize. I searched here and could not find what I was looking for.

Alright, as all of us do, I was pricing out new gear the other day, comparing specs, prices, etc. Right now I am shooting with a D40x. It's a very nice little camera, but it seems to lack just a little punch (a well as only being able to do 3 fps.) I have 3 lenses, the 18-55 kit, a Sigma 70-300, and a Tamron 17-35, non of which are great, but they do the job. I bought the kit (body and all lenses) from a friend/teacher for a ridiculously good price before I could do much research. I've been using it for a while and I always think 'what if...' The friend I bought it from went to a Canon 7D, so there was obviously something missing for her too.

So, my question is, will I see much difference upgrading bodies? Am I going to see a big difference in going to a D90 or will I have to go higher like the D300s or even the D700 to see a big difference? OR do I keep my body and invest in some high quality lenses? I assume most everyone will agree that the body is only as good as the lens thats on it, but will putting a high end lens on a low end body counter act it's self?

i've read reviews and watched videos but nothing seems to be to clear or honestly that helpful. This is by no means a decision I have to make quickly, it will be a while before I do anything drastic, but I just though I'd see what you all had to say.

And if anyone wants to pitch Canon to me...I'm listening! (But please don't make it another Nikon vs. Canon thread, no more please.)

Thanks everyone!

 

[Roger]

Hi CJ.

Check out Sony. ; With that being said, you may want to think about what kind of pics you plan on taking and if video is important to you. ; Because maybe buying better lenses first would be beneficial.

For starters you may want to try Nikon's 35/1.8 DX lens to give you something with a little more punch and better low light capabilities. ; And maybe try adjusting your camera settings to see how those change the way your pictures look before you go beyond there.

The D90 is probably going to be replaced in the next few weeks so the current prices should drop until the new ones are gone. ; But it's also the first dSLR with video, but it is very restricted with it - no AF at all[nb]If video is important to you, another reason to look at Sony. ; First phase detect AF in video mode.[/nb], can't adjust most settings, etc. ; But it uses the same sensor as the D300/D300s. ; I wouldn't recommend going up to the D300s unless you think you need the full pro AF module, which you will only notice if you are shooting moving objects on a regular basis - sports (at night), birds in flight, etc. ; I think the D90's AF module would be able to keep up with daylight sports no problem. ;

The D700 is for wide-angle or lowlight shooters. ; For most uses you won't be able to tell the difference between a D90/D300s or a D700 shot. ; Except for those two kinds of shots. ; Yes, you have shallower depth of field with the same lenses, but that is mostly going to be a matter for portraits IMHO. ;

So....I guess the first step is to know what you want to take pics of first.

 

[zackiedawg]

I wouldn't worry too much on switching brands, unless there is something particular you don't like about the Nikons like design, grip, layout, or menus...you've already started some lens basics, and it doesn't matter if you're shooting Nikon, Canon, Sony, Pentax, or Olympus - they can all produce with the right lens and the right photographer.

As for upgrading body vs upgrading lens - a classic debate - and my take on it is that you would see some benefits from both. ; So look to what you feel you're missing and what you want to be able to do better or more. ; If you find your photos are a little dull, soft, or lacking in that certain texture or perfect background blur - upgrading to some nice lenses will make a pretty big difference...putting a serious fast prime on any DSLR will let the sensor give its best and make the details pop and the out of focus areas just look creamy and gorgeous. ; They're expensive, but once you buy them, they're yours - a future body upgrade can still enjoy those lenses. ; You can get more speed, better depth of field, better color, better detail and sharpness, better focus speed...lenses can make many big improvements.

On the other hand, if the key shortcomings you are finding are in camera controls, or you wanted to be able to shoot more at higher ISOs and still get clean results, or you want to take faster burst photos...then the body upgrade will impact you more. ; The D90 would be a very respectable upgrade from your current D40 - giving you faster focus, faster burst, and much better high ISO, as well as more direct control and more customization...and will also open up the possibility of using additional older Nikon lenses that don't have focus motors in the lens - the D90 (and all mid and upper Nikons) have focus motors in the camera body so they can work with all kinds of Nikon AF lenses. ; And of course, if you upgrade the body, you can keep using the lenses you have, hunt for new lenses to buy (or great deals on used ones), and those can carry over for any future upgrades too.

So both methods will work - it just depends on what areas you would most like to see an improvement!

 

[mPower]

I think you need to define 'lacks a little punch'. You mentioned speed, however, it sounds like there is more to it then that. Justin breaks it down pretty well above in terms of what lenses/body will get you. You have to figure out where the shortcomings of your D40x are for you first!

Again, I agree with Justin, switching brands is silly since you already have lenses that you can reuse - why spend more to replace those lenses then you could get from selling them?

 

[Scottwdw]

First, how much have you learned about the D40x? ; There are ways to get more "punch" right out the camera. ; I got plenty with the D70 which is about 3 or 4 years older than the 40x.

What settings are you using? ; I am not familiar with the 40x's menus but this guy is: Ken Rockwell's Nikon D40 User Guide

Though based on the D40, this guide should be fine with the D40x. ; Ken likes a lot of punch so check out the Performance link where he shows how he sets up his D40 to get great colors.

Once you have tapped out the D40x, as I did the D70, then you'll be ready to upgrade, IMHO.

 

[CJ]

Thanks guys. I had a though earlier, that maybe I would rent a couple nicer lenses, just to see what happens. I have been looking into a prime for a while because of all the rave reviews on clarity, but I just haven't done anything yet.

The performance link on Ken Rockwell's site was quite nice, I've read that review before, but never the performance section.

As for what I like to shoot...it varies quite a bit. I do quite a bit of still life, landscape, some abstract, etc. I do shoot a good amount of low light, but generally it's nothing that's moving and I almost always have my tripod. Video for me means nothing, I'm not even factoring that in to any decision, if I have it fine but if not the chances I will actually use it are very slim.

 

[jbwolffiv]

Scott, that link to Ken Rockwell is going to come in handy for me, thanks. ; I too use the d40x but feel I should learn more about how to use it before upgrading and that should help!

 

[ddindy]

Here's a tip for anyone thinking about upgrading bodies: ; Try before you buy. ; Lensrentals.com and similar places (and possibly your local camera store, if you have one) rent them. ; Good idea for lenses as well.

 

[Roger]

Here's a tip for anyone thinking about upgrading bodies: ; Try before you buy. ; Lensrentals.com and similar places (and possibly your local camera store, if you have one) rent them. ; Good idea for lenses as well.

Ditto on that. ; While for the less expensive bodies it doesn't seem economically viable to do so, that's what I'm currently doing. ; After I gave the A550 a whirl over the summer, it was clear that a rental body was most useful to give a system a try.

And that's what I'm using right now - a rented A550. ; Which has to go back on Monday, at which time I'll be cameraless[nb]Excludes point and shoots[/nb] until or around 10/10.[nb]Date subject to change, holidays, and deliveries to the Brooklyn Navy Yard[/nb]

 

[Scottwdw]

The performance link on Ken Rockwell's site was quite nice, I've read that review before, but never the performance section.

Scott, that link to Ken Rockwell is going to come in handy for me, thanks. ; I too use the d40x but feel I should learn more about how to use it before upgrading and that should help!

Ken is a bit..no, a lot controversial. ; He is very cocky about his opinions which is fine by me. ; His guides have helped me get up to speed fast for both my dSLR cameras. ; I bought his D700 guide for my iPhone and it was great to have that information at my fingertips last weekend.