Finally! Decided on my first DSLR!

Nikon D80 - The D80 as it offers more functionalities as compared to the D40x.
@ahgong (10064)
Singapore
December 16, 2007 11:11am CST
I have been considering for many days the model to choose for my first camera. After seeking advice from various forums and sales people who shared their opinions with me on the various models I was looking at, I tried my hands on the again at the booths at the show where these vendors are showcasing their wares. The freebies they are giving out are really similar. All the bundles offer a tripod, Computer screen calibrator, memory cards, memory card reader, screen protector and a screen cleaner. They also offer a workshop for using the camera that you buy. So you be asking, what is the difference then? Looking at the Olympus, I was really thrilled by the attractive bundle that they offer. Two lenses for the price of one. No worries about getting an additional lenses for practicing my skills using the DSLR. The body is light and the grip is comfortable. The plus point for this E510 is the image stabilizer built into the body. But I was also looking at the Nikon D40x as well. It has similar capabilities with the Olympus e510. The plus point for this model is the compatability for the various lenses offered by Nikon. More lenses option to choose from as compared to the Olympus. But this model does not have any image stabilizer in its body. It is available in the lenses, which make the lenses more expensive. I was also considering the D80 as it offers more functionalities as compared to the D40x. Though the price of the D80 is slightly higher than my original budget, I was thinking, this is going to be my camera for at least the next 2-5 years. It would be better to get one that I do not have to worry about upgrades for a while. Given that, the D80 has 11 points of AF and it has more hot buttons to use for quick settings adjustments when taking pictures. This give me the flexibility to change my settings at a quick press of a button to suit the environment I am in as I snap away. This to me is a very attractive plus point. Sigh... so many considerations to take care off. It is really much tougher to make a decision than I initially thought. So I went down to the show again and tried my hands on the two cameras. Considering that I may be taking a lot of close up shots, I find the Nikon gives me more control on the lenses compared to the Olympus. With the Olympus, I have to use the auto focusing to bring the subject into focus before I can do the micro adjustments of focusing the foreground or the background with the focusing control. With the Nikon, I can do micro focusing regardless of the zoom I am using. It is this additional control I have over the lenses that won me over to the Nikon. Given the stronger in-built flash and the hot buttons for settings adjustments, I finally bought the D80. Again, the mid-term to long-term usage of this camera is the main consideration for forking out the extra money for the D80. Now I am happily snapping away with the D80 and the Kit lens that came with it. Although I am still using mainly the auto settings for now, I am sure I will be using all the different functions to get better pictures in time to come! Still getting use to the additional weight of the camera as compare to my point and shoot previously. Heh heh... I really hope this investment is a good one. So begins my journey into the DSLR world, on to the quest to becoming a professional in my photography skills!
1 person likes this
12 responses
@jessej9 (394)
• Philippines
28 Jun 08
Good choice! D80 is a good choice of a DSLR. It's the same one that I have, and it's bound to last for a long long time.
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@ahgong (10064)
• Singapore
3 Jul 08
Thank you thank you thank you! IT is good to know another D80 kaki. So, how long have you got the D80? What kind of lenses are you using? I am in the midst of setting up a site to share my pictures. Do you have one showcasing your work?
@ahgong (10064)
• Singapore
10 Jul 08
I am trying to get around to posting them on the web. Work is really getting in the way. So it may take a longer than I expected to get the pictures up. I will definitely post the pictures up once they are ready! Ohhh... I am so excited to be able to share my works!
@jessej9 (394)
• Philippines
9 Jul 08
Hi i've been using my D80 for only some months, I used to have a D40 but I sold to to buy a lens. the D80 really is a long lasting camera which you won't regret ever buying it, I do hope you will enjoy your D80, why not post your first pics?
1 person likes this
@youless (112091)
• Guangzhou, China
9 Jan 08
When I read your considerating about which DSLR should buy, it reminds me of my own experience:) If I will buy a DSLR, I will choose Olympus 510. But I think most DSLR cameras work very well, the difference is not so obvious. The camera is important, but I think the skill is much more important. Some people can just use a common camera to take high quality photo and this is what I want to be:)
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@ahgong (10064)
• Singapore
10 Jan 08
Hi hi, youless! I am also aspiring to do that. To take quality pictures with a common camera. I was also considering the 510 when I was doing my purchase. It is a good camera. Considering the features its packed, the price is great! The additional perk is that the camera is very very light! But the camera just doesn't feel right in my hands when I was trying it out at the exhibition. Some how, the grip just does not feel comfortable for my big hands. So I opted for the Nikon instead. So, did you buy the 510? Or do you own a different model?
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@ahgong (10064)
• Singapore
15 Jan 08
Hey youless, the Fuji S9600 ain't that bad. It has a 10x Zoom capability rite? And with many settings that can be controlled much like the DSLR, you camera may be able to take pretty good shots as well. It is ranged in the semi-pro camera. I think the category is the prosumer category. A pretty good camera you got there as well. Given time, prices of DSLRs will drop as well. If you are really interested in getting one at a more affordable price, ever thought of getting a second hand DSLR? They are usually prices about 20-40% off the market price and are usually quite good in conditions, considering that photographers have this thing about keeping their camera in good conditions. Let me know if you are interested and I can pass you some site to look at. Off hand, I do not have them. Need to go home to check. ;)
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@youless (112091)
• Guangzhou, China
10 Jan 08
I haven't bought DSLR yet. As it is another professional type of camera and at this moment I don't need to have it anyway. As I say, if I will buy a DSLR, Olympus 510 is my first choice. I bought Fuji S9600 and I am satisfied with it. In the future when I am rich, I will consider to buy DSLR. As you know, the lens are just so expensive.
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@sdas86 (6076)
• Malaysia
16 Dec 08
Congratulations for getting your first DSLR. Wow, Nikon D80 is a great camera and it is quite expensive too. Taking photos using DSLR is fun and exciting. There are a lot of functions to choose from. I like the Aperture priority mode. Maybe you could try it out too.
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@ahgong (10064)
• Singapore
17 Dec 08
Thanks for the congrats. The price of the D80 has dropped a little since the new D90 was introduced. DO you also have a D80? I agree, taking photos with the DSLR is fun and exciting. Aperture mode is good eh? What is the settings you use with Aperture Priority mode?
@ahgong (10064)
• Singapore
17 Dec 08
I see I see... So, which DSLR did you practice on? Do you have a blog or a gallery to show your work? I can recommend you some if you are interested.
@sdas86 (6076)
• Malaysia
17 Dec 08
Hi, I do not have Nikon D80 and I do not have my own DSLR because it is quite expensive for me to get one but I read and learn a lot about DSLR from magazines, websites and photography seminars. I borrowed DSLR from my friend to try some of the tutorials in magazines and it is very nice. I like aperture priority mode because I can control the depth of field when taking landscape scenery photos. I am not sure what setting I used because I will adjust the setting to get the effect I want. So, I always adjust the settings. My friend like shutter priority mode. He said it is good to capture motion photos. For example, he use Shutter priority to capture moving cars at night and it can produce a good effect.
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@chunter (1759)
• Singapore
23 Dec 07
Wah....bought a D80...:D I tried the D80 before and its a great camera....but unlike you, I'm too poor to afford it yet... For me, I would either choose D80 or Canon 400D....most likely I will get the 400D coz wifey also wants to use :D
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@ahgong (10064)
• Singapore
26 Dec 07
I would really be looking forward to your getting one. We can then plan trips together to go out and take pictures to learn from each other. The D400D eh? Why that model over the others? So, what other cameras have you reviewed? Which one is your favorite so far?
@ahgong (10064)
• Singapore
10 Jan 08
ha ha ha ha ha... brother, you see me to up up lah. I only laid my hands on the 400D and the D40x together with the D80. Of the three, I like the 400D and the D80. But having seen pictures taken with the Canon DSLRs, I have some reservations about using them. Their picture resolution is only 72 pixels per inch! So, I took the D80 instead. Wanted to try out the Sony alpha, but the crowd at the booth during SITEX is too big for me to squeeze in. So never really got a chance to try out that camera. The price is also out of my budget. So decided to give it a miss this time. So, you got a DSLR too? Maybe we can meet up and try to take some pictures together!
@chunter (1759)
• Singapore
27 Dec 07
its Canon 400D ....that one is sort of a low-end D-SLR from Canon and is an improvement to their popular 350D However, rumours are saying the 450D may be available next year....tough decisions... I would love a full-frame D-SLR like the Canon 5D (the most affordable one in the market from Canon), but its damn expensive...about $4k+ for body alone... I have tried the Canon 400D, Nikon D80 and the first Sony Alpha camera...The latest Sony Alpha camera I have not tested it, but I heard good reviews about it... Never bother trying the Nikon D40x etc coz they are really kiddish sort of D-SLR...
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• Australia
5 Nov 08
Well! Being on honeymoon you can't be expected to "focus" too much on your camera... but thank you for sharing your happy snaps. It takes some trust to put your work up and ask others to comment and critique what you have done. I respect that, and hope you will take the comments (which you asked for) as they are intended: positive and, I hope, helpful. Starting off with the Swiss photos, I couldn't help noticing how so many of the walls were leaning over or leaning in. It is important to hold the camera vertical, and parallel with the walls of buildings to stop that happening. Sometimes you may want to do it intentionally for effect, and REALLY make them lean, but not every time! Likewise, it is basic to good technique not to let the horizon slope, or naturally vertical lines to lean over. In the lanscapes, it was hard to be sure exactlty what you were photographing: pictures need an obvious subject to give a lansdcape form and scale, and you need to use elements of the land to lead the viewers' eye through the picture. In France, the problems with exterior walls leaning together at the top continued, and moved inside the cathedrals. Again, keep the camera as close as possible to parallel with the walls. I also noticed that in France you started to divide your pictures across the middle with the horizon line. This makes for static and dull pictures. Make either the sky or the land the main picture, and don't force them to compete with eash other. You began making some interesting "detail" shots here; nice. But when you do come in close to say, a table setting, come in even closer so that you crop out all the extraneous, distracting material around your picture. I though some of the photos were a bit down on contrast. Try addind 1/2 to 1 stop of exposure compensation, and in the dark inside shots, you would do well to try Exposure bracketing; if one shot doesn't quite get the effect you need, you could then merge several to get the highlights, midtones and shadows all in the right balance. Germany's skies were washed out. Bracketing would help here, too, and the landscapes might be better if they had something in them to suggest a sense of scale. People are ideal for this purpose, which highlights the absence of people in you pictures...or any life, for that matter. Used judiciously, people, vehicles, animals and birds birds colour and life to cities.town and the land (which is why I rather like your Venician pictures best of those I have seen). Italy shows the sames problems as the rest of the sets, but I was encouraged to see the shots you took of the skies. Not only are they interesting in their own right, but they could be used to bring more dynamism and energy to quite a few of your other photos where nature was not quite so cooperative. Finally, London: the washed out skies suggest the need for adding a little extra exposure, and making sure you have something to establish scale in your pictures will improve them greatly. Hope this is helpful. Keep shooting (that always helps) and have a look at some of my shots at www.davidrichphotography.org for examples of the thigs I have suggested.
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@ahgong (10064)
• Singapore
5 Nov 08
Oh wow, those are by far the most constructive remarks I have gotten do far from showing my pictures. Thank you so much! As a novice still learning the ropes, it is very helpful! Best response goes to you! I will take note. As for the walls not being parallel, how does one ensure that the walls are straight? I just stood there and aimed at the walls and shoot. Any tips on correcting the problem?
@ahgong (10064)
• Singapore
17 Dec 08
Looks like I have to get me a copy of PaintshopPro to try out. I have never heard of those software before. It would be fun to try something new. I wonder where I can get a copy of the software to try it out first before I make the purchase. Is it a plugin with Photoshop? Any idea where I can go to get a copy?
• Australia
5 Nov 08
Parallel lines seem to converge because the plane of the camera's film/sensor is at an angle to the plane of the object, like a wall or window. The same thing happens when a projector points upward at an angle yo the screen...the top of the screen looks wider than the bottom, or in the case of your walls and windows, the tops seem closer together than the bottoms, so a square building comes out looking more like a pyramid. If you make sure the back of the camera is parallel with building, it will look square. If the building is very tall and you have to point the camera upwards to get it all in, try standing up higher (a hill or a first floor window). When that isn't possible, using a longer focal length lens and standing farther away helps (the closer you stand, the more you have to tilt the camera). When all else fails, you can take two pictures, one of the lower half, one of the higher (or 3 pictures), then merge then together in PaintShopPro or Photoshop afterwards. For the ones you already took, PaintShopPro and other editors have a tool called "perspective correction" to fix the problem.
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• Australia
4 Nov 08
I'm very impressed! I have no doubt that you will get a lot out of your new camera, gicven thaht you put so much into choosing it. And I think taking the longer view and investing a little more in the higher specified model was wise.
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@ahgong (10064)
• Singapore
5 Nov 08
The Trevi at night - I love this place so much, I went back two nights in a row to take pictures!
Oh yeah. I am loving my camera a lot. In fact, it was my best friend when I was touring Europe on my honeymoon!If only I had master the camera when I was there. I am sure I would have taken even better shots! Here is a peek at my pictures taken during the trip. http://www.shareapic.net/378853-Switzerland.html http://www.shareapic.net/378852-France.html http://www.shareapic.net/378851-Germany.html http://www.shareapic.net/378850-Italy.html http://www.shareapic.net/378817-London.html Do leave me some comments on how to improve my work!
@rohit0471 (195)
• India
28 Mar 08
i was of the opinion that the Nikon D40X is the best DSLR you can buy right now, that is affordable to the ordinary user.... I was planning to take one, if i could get the money required for it.
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@ahgong (10064)
• Singapore
19 Jun 08
If you are a Nikon fan, yes! That is a good buy now. Of late there are also a lot of bundle deals with the D60. Maybe you can take a look at that as well.
@thebeing (657)
• Romania
28 Mar 08
lucky you. that one hell of a camera. I'm still trying to save money for a d40x...i hope that in 2 months, i'll be able to get it... again, lucky you! enjoy your camera!
@ahgong (10064)
• Singapore
19 Jun 08
I just realized that you posted in one of my threads so many months ago. So, now that the 2 months of this post has past, have you got your camera yet? I know you have a few threads. I don't know if they are taken with the D40x. It is good to find another fellow nikonian here!
@palonghorn (5479)
• United States
17 Jan 08
jumping in the snow - My dog loves it when we shovel snow and throw the snow at her.
Now that you invested in the camera, you might want to see if you can get a copy of this book; Mastering your Digital Camera by Chris Weston. Even though I have been in photography for years, and there are similarities to a 35mm film camera, there are still differences. This book has a lot of good tips and advice, I keep my copy handy, and have it marked with page finder sticky notes, and notes written in it that I've added.
1 person likes this
@ahgong (10064)
• Singapore
26 Jan 08
Hmm... I will definitely try to get my hands on this book the next time I go to the library. I recently read another book about digital photography and learn a lot from it. I am looking forward to going to the library to get another to see what other tips I could pick up. Now with spring cleaning out of the way, I am hoping that I could go out in the evenings to take some shots for practice.
• United States
19 Dec 07
Glad you are having fun with your new DSLR. I got my first DSLR about a year ago. It was a Nikon D50. I upgraded to the D80 this summer and have been loving it. I like the in camera editing. There are that much you can edit, but it still is something fun to entertain me when I am bored and only have my camera.
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@ahgong (10064)
• Singapore
20 Dec 07
OH~~~! A fellow D80 user! Great! So you have been shooting for a while? Can you add me as your friend? We can swap and share tips on taking pictures! I am now still getting myself familiarized with the various buttons. Learning how to use the correct ISO for the situation at hand is still in progress. I am also hoping to learn how to set the shutter speed faster. I noticed that when ever I set a high ISO settings for night shots, the mirror opens for a very long time before capturing the image. I want to change this so that my pictures don't come out so blurry. Do you know how to do that on the D80? Hmm... maybe we can set up a new niche category call the Nikon D80 and we can share our experiences there as well!
• Philippines
19 Dec 07
I am actually torn between buying Nikon or Kodak... Might as well refer to their cons and pros before choosing the best one eh? =) Congratulations on your new camera!
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@ahgong (10064)
• Singapore
20 Dec 07
Thank You! I am learning to use the camera slowly. In fact, just learned a new fact about ISO which is quite useful. I am now toying around with the ISO settings to see what else I can do with it. For now, taking pictures of events have to rely on the auto till I can figure out how to change settings on the go. I am still lousy at night shots. I will master this sooner or later! Kodak eh? Which model are you looking at? Nikon which model are you looking at?
• New Zealand
5 Jul 08
Just got one as an early birthday present 2 weeks ago. It's a dream came true! Took it for a few test shots last weekend. It's truly a great camera. I'm loving it! :)
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@ahgong (10064)
• Singapore
5 Jul 08
Wow... got it as a birthday present?!? You are so lucky quaintmelody! I have to work my butt off just to get one! Been to your other thread with the pictures. Beautiful! Add me as friend leh, then I can turn on the notification for your D80 postings. It is nice to meet another fellow Nikonian here. Especially one who is also honing a D80!