New to D-SLR!!!

Maybe another choice
http://forum.keypublishing.co.uk/showthread.php?t=81523
Here You have my photos with Pentax K100Super + Sigma 70-300 APO – my forst airshow photos with DSLR. Photos could be better, but i had sun into my face – not so good for photos…
When i asked in photographic shop about D40 (D40X has bigger noise) they tell mi that any Pentax is better that D40 🙂 (No, they had no any Pentax in the shop 🙂 ) – Now You don’t find K100S, only new K200.

(Sorry for my english)

More Questions..!

Thanks Paul,

When taking photo’s with your D-SLR, do you let the camera do the focusing and use your hand to zoom in and out?

I’m now looking at the Sony A200k as is much cheaper than the Canon and Nikon but also came out on top in a latest test in DIGITAL PHOTO magazine for entry level D-SLR. I also found out that Sigma do the 70-300 APO lens in this fit. What does APO stand for??

Thanks again,

Phil.

Thanks guys,

Now that is out the way, I’m going to need a decent zoom lens going up to between two and three hundred. Like I said, I’m on a budget and don’t want to be spending more than £200 on the lens. What would be a good buy in this price range for action shots (Sigma 70-300 APO looks good??). Also if anyone has shots taken with a budget lens on an entry level D-SLR please post them for me to have a look at what quality I’m to expect. No photoshop enhancements please haha.

Thanks in advance.

Phil.

The problem is that posting an unedited, reduced size image on the forum here won’t really show you anything about what the lens can do. The only way to really judge anything is to have a look at some full sized un-edited images as they came from the camera. That said, so much how the image looks in the end simply depends on how good your editing skills are.

These were taken on a Nikon D50 and the cheap, basic Sigma 70-300 lens, so with decent editing you can certainly expect to get smilar results.

http://www.jetphotos.net/viewphoto.php?id=6233714&nseq=5

http://www.jetphotos.net/viewphoto.php?id=6233735&nseq=1

http://www.jetphotos.net/viewphoto.php?id=6233730&nseq=2

And these were taken on a 350D with the £170 EF 75-300.

http://www.jetphotos.net/viewphoto.php?id=5889682&nseq=5

http://www.jetphotos.net/viewphoto.php?id=5889613&nseq=7

http://www.jetphotos.net/viewphoto.php?id=6238635&nseq=

Paul

Now for a telephoto lens…..

Thanks guys,

Now that is out the way, I’m going to need a decent zoom lens going up to between two and three hundred. Like I said, I’m on a budget and don’t want to be spending more than £200 on the lens. What would be a good buy in this price range for action shots (Sigma 70-300 APO looks good??). Also if anyone has shots taken with a budget lens on an entry level D-SLR please post them for me to have a look at what quality I’m to expect. No photoshop enhancements please haha.

Thanks in advance.

Phil.

BOTH the D40 and D40x (and D60 for that matter) can only be used effectively with AF-S lenses!

Having just checked, you’re absolutely right! I have no idea how I managed to get that confused. Ahh well… 🙂

Paul

One thing I will say about the D40/D40x… If you have a choice between these two you’re probably better off going for the D40x. You can only use AF-S lenses with the D40 which limits your choice a little, whereas the D40x will accept any of the lenses that work with the rest of the Nikon DSLR range.

BOTH the D40 and D40x (and D60 for that matter) can only be used effectively with AF-S lenses! The major difference between the D40 and D40x is the sensor; 6MP vs 10MP. Also the D40x is slightly faster with 3 fps versus the D40 at 2.5 fps.

D-SLR

Many thanks Paul!!

Hi Phil,

The simple answer is that no camera is really ‘better’ than another, it’s just a case of personal preference. All the DSLR’s you mention will provide excellent image quality if they’re used well and have decent lenses attached. Personally I have a slight preference towards Canon as opposed to Nikon (even though I own DSLR’s by both manufacturers). I prefer Canon metering and exposure, and I find I generally have to do less to the images from my 350D and 30D when editing to make them as I want them to be than I do to those from my D50, or I have to do more to the D50 when taking the shot in the first place. I also find Canon auto white balance far, far superior to Nikon. My D50 in Auto WB always seems to be around 1000k too cool for the conditions I’m shooting in (and I’ve noticed similar on the D1x and D2x as well), but if you shoot RAW that isn’t really much of a problem.

That said, Nikon cameras do tend to be a little ‘chunkier’ and more solid than Canons. My D50 feels much better in my hand than my 350D, even with a battery grip on the 350D, so you may find just the physical feel of a certain type of camera sways you more towards buying it. The best thing I think to do is to go to a local camera shop and try out a few cameras. See how they feel in your hand, because the last thing you want to do is order a camera online and then not like the feel of it. You can always try a few cameras out and then take advantage of the better prices online if you make a decision.

One thing I will say about the D40/D40x… If you have a choice between these two you’re probably better off going for the D40x. You can only use AF-S lenses with the D40 which limits your choice a little, whereas the D40x will accept any of the lenses that work with the rest of the Nikon DSLR range.

Hope that helps anyway. Feel free to contact me if I can help in any way.

Paul