photography question

as far as printing goes,

3000x2000 pixels = 6,000,000 pixels, or 6MP.

10mp is generally 4000x2500 pixels

my nikon shoots at 240dots per inch (dpi) as well, so a 11x14" would need to be blown up 6% to get the picture to match the print size.

322dpi for an 8x10 at 6mp

409dpi for an 8x10 at 10mp

11x14" its 225dpi for 6mp

11x14" its 290dpi for 10mp

164dpi for 13x19" print at 6mp

213dpi for 13x19" print at 10mp

what it boils down to is that you can make a 12.5" wide print with a 6mp camera and a 16.5" wide print with a 10mp camera before the software needs to start making up pixels and the image starts getting blurry.

i've printed a super sharp 6mp image (a portrait) in 13x19 print size and you need to get right up to it and look at individual eyelashes to realize that they're slightly blurry. if its something that would be mounted on a wall behind a couch or something, theres no need to worry about the difference. granted, you can stretch a 10mp image to probably 24" or something, but you better have a damn good picture and plenty of real estate to want a framed print that large sittin around ;D

if you think that you'll only be buying newer lenses anyway, and letting the camera do a lot of the fine tuning (white balance, metering type, iso settings) then i would say go with the d40x. but again if you think you'll want instant control of those things once you get used to when to use them, you'll be sorry you poured money into the d40x. have you looked into a used d80? its 10mp and has more of the external controls.

ps, one of the best for the buy lenses out there is the nikon 50mm f1.8. its about $130 and is AMAZING, regardless of the super cheap price. Check out the 'destinee' folder on my website. her default image that pops up was shot with that lens. the canon lens for comparable specs is not as expensive but has been known to have some build quality issues. anyway, it doesn't work with the d40 because the lens has a screw focus, and the d40 has no internal motor to drive the screw.

i would suggest the two kit lenses to start, the nikon 18-55mm (for gatherings and some scenery) and 55-200mm (for cars, outdoor events and some scenery). i have a barely used 55-200mm VR if you're interested.

 
what Evan says. blow your money on good lenses, technology changes so fast a $2000 camera body will be $1000 in year or two but that $500 lens will still cost $500 in 5 years. Nikon is good because the mount system stays constant, and the lenses are very good. I'm using manual lenses from the 70's on my dslr.

these were shot with a nikkor 55mm macro, it came out in 1979. (actually, if you flip through a recent LLBean catalog 80% of the pictures you're seeing were shot through a 55 macro ) ;D

http://homepage.mac.com/macomber/Nikon/index.html

PS: I love my 18-55 kit lens, only AF lens I own actually. only two I want to complement my older manual lenses are the nikkor 18-200 VR zoom and the 10.5mm wide angle...

 
not a bad price if it comes with the batt charger and all that. in my opinion its not worth the premium for the d70. in an everyday sense it just has a lit lcd up top, but most of that info can be seen through the eyepiece, and it only matters at night without nearby light. it also can control remote flashes better than the d50, but it doesn't sound like you'll be setting up a studio anytime soon.

d40's come up on there once and a while, but the d40x is less common.

 
I am also in the process of getting my first SLR, and this thread has been really helpful. But I've got a question about operating temperature. I am sailing above the arctic circle to Greenland and Labrador this summer, and am wondering if the d40x will be able to handle working in temps around 10-20 degrees For colder. The operating temp listed by a review I read was 32-104 degrees F. Has anyone had any experience using the d40x outside during the winter? How much does the battery life suffer? Do the lenses fog up? Is exposure affected? Any input here would be really helpful.

I was also wondering if the lenses in this kit are acceptable.

http://www.amazon.com/Nikon-3-5-5-6G-55-200mm-4-5-5-6G-Zoom-Nikkor/dp/B000O161V2/ref=sr_1_4?ie=UTF8&s=electronics&qid=1205764006&sr=1-4

 
Biggest concern would be condensation when you go from the cold back into a warm area. I'd suggest a higher end model with full body seals like the D200/300, that'll help keep moisture out.

or get an underwater case for it. I've got one for my point and shoot that I use when i take it out when it's super cold (also lets me do some fun shots not having to worry about getting it hit with snow etc. )

 
I was also wondering if the lenses in this kit are acceptable.

http://www.amazon.com/Nikon-3-5-5-6G-55-200mm-4-5-5-6G-Zoom-Nikkor/dp/B000O161V2/ref=sr_1_4?ie=UTF8&s=electronics&qid=1205764006&sr=1-4
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those are the ones we've been suggesting as good starter lenses. in my mind, that's what they do perfectly. the fact that they're fairly 'slow' lenses (you'll need to run slower shutter speeds in low light) is their biggest drawback. this can be counteracted with higher iso settings (although you'll get more grainy pictures and need to go into the menus on the d40 to change it) or use a tripod (which isn't always feasible).

you can get the telephoto lens with 'VR':

http://www.amazon.com/Nikon-55-200mm-4-5-6G-AF-S-Nikkor/dp/B000O161X0/ref=pd_sim_e?ie=UTF8&qid=1205764006&sr=1-4

which helps a lot, it reduces camera shake and generally allows you to be able to hand hold the camera with a much slower shutter speed before you get camera shake. the general suggestion is anything below 1/60th of a second should have a tripod, but it would be 1/20th of a second with VR, which is a speed to use for many indoor/dusk environments. shutterbug magizine called that lens the 'steal of the year' for value. i use it for most of my autocross stuff. these reasons are why i got it, but despite not using it much, i'm still thinking about upgrading it, hence me casually trying to sell it.

 
i think i've managed to make a decision. Being that I'm just starting, d80 is just too much for me to part with for the time being. the d40 seems like a very reasonable starting camera with the ability to grow with, albeit for a bit more expensive than the d50. if i decide to upgrade, it would more than likely be in the d80 range, or maybe as high as d200ish. resale value on these cameras are insanely steady so i'm not worried i'd be stuck with such a solid camera like the d40.

all that being said i can't order it till i get my commission check next week anyway so who knows how many times i'll swap between the d40 and d50.

evan and co. any reason why i wouldn't order this http://www.bestpricecameras.com/prodetails.asp?prodid=902313 and pick up a battery/charger on ebay (where there are insanely cheap)

and if i waffle and end up devoting a bit more any reason i shouldnt get this d50

http://www.bestpricecameras.com/prodetails.asp?prodid=561942

or this one

http://www.bestpricecameras.com/prodetails.asp?prodid=561952

and if so which one would be the better lense

 
if you think that you'll be buying a bunch of lenses, i would start with the 18-55 kit above and get the 55-200 next.

the 28-80mm isn't bad, but its isn't super wide angle, or long zoom, its just a nice compromise in the middle. its a nice 'walk around' lens if you dont want to carry a bag with other lenses (that's what i do). if you end up getting the 28-80, then the 18-55 and the 55-200, you may find the 28-80 becoming obsolete.

are you sure that d40 doesn't come with the battery? maybe i just missed where they said that.

a battery at 'photo market' on congress street is about $40, and you can get a pair of batteries for probably $15 on ebay. i went with both and now have 3 batteries. the official one definetly always lasted the longest, one knock off is still ok a year later, and the other knock off almost doesn't take a charge. i've numbered them and rotate them one after another so they all have the same number of uses.

but, for the money, there is something to be said about buying 8 knock offs for the price of 2 official ones....

if you plan on getting a d200, buy the d200 battery and use it in the d50 (not sure if it works in the d40). the d200 has a 3rd connector it needs, yet the battery still works in the d50. that way you dont need all new batteries when you upgrade cameras
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well i need to call the company to find out the specifics but i assume no battery/charger is one way to make their prices seem so low.

 
not sending the camera is another way to make them cheap ;D

there are differences between the 'usa' versions and the 'gray market' or 'import' versions. same goes for lenses.

the main differences are that they're made in china more than likely and may not have the same warranty, but are cheaper. they also may be refurbished items (pretty likely for that price).

 
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