There's no scale. We can't say it is 7, say, or 9..

It all depends on what you shoot, where, why, and more..

It's a nice feature we all lived without it for decades..

Not a deal breaker..

BAK..

To some, it's a gimmick. To others, it's vital. I fall into the first category, but that's because I'm an old git.You name it, I've broken it...

I will be shooting landscape, animals,flash indoors, trip to europe, but pretting much simple stuff..

If you will shoot RAW, and do post processing afterward, then you can change the white balance and exposure at this time. I found that I use bracketing less and less eversince I shoot RAW..

One post processing technique called HDR requires AE bracketing. It's useful only on high contrast conditions, like when the sun is very bright, and the shadows on the ground are dark. This technique takes multiple different exposures of the same scene, using the darker photo for the blown out parts of the image, and the brighter photos for the dark parts. With that said, if you bring a long a tripod, the you probably won't need bracketing neither..

The truth is that Canon needs bracketing more than Nikon. Some people who used both systems said that Nikon is more consistent with exposure, while Canon exposure isn't very dead-on at times. No wonder Canon has bracketing for all of their DSLR's...

Could I use raw only when it appears conditions warrant since that way I can get more pictures out of the card?..

How important are the other features of d40x vs d80 for a very basic amateur photographer?..

Yeah, you can always switch back and forth between RAW and JPEG..

The differences between d40x and d80 are not that important for a beginner. The truth is that there's a lot of competition in the entry level DSLR, so even a cheap d40x will do very well. This is unlike a few years ago, where my first DSLR was so crippled..

Anyways, the only problem I can see with he d40x is that it doesn't work with some of the good old lenses, like the Nikor 50mm f1.8. So just do some lens research before you commit..

Mf999 wrote:.

How important are the other features of d40x vs d80 for a very basicamateur photographer?..

Yes, d80 has a motor inside, so it will worth with both types of lenses..

Mf999 wrote:.

Thanks, does it work with the d80?..

Than I guess I should consider going with the d80..

2 cents..

Braketing for exposure is more valuable than braketing for WB (IMO)..

I still find it easier to braket for exposure manually but I don't braket for action (I really question the effectiveness of that, I just take test shots before the action)..

As far as WB you can correct this in either JPEG or RAW, but you can go further with RAW. I find that with auto WB and RAW I never have a serous problem..

As for using RAW as a replacement for braketing (as suggested), for white balance I agree, for exposure I don't. Raw can correct for errors in exposure but you will still benefit from having a properly exposed file to start with!.

CheersJamie.

Mf999 wrote:.

How important is automatic bracketing for AE and WB?i am considering the Nikon d40xThanksmarty..

Mf999 wrote:.

I will be shooting landscape, animals,flash indoors, trip to europe,but pretting much simple stuff.

For landscape bracketing is a very useful (if not essential) feature..

It is true, you can adjust exposure in RAW, however the best quality is when you get exposure right. If you blow highlights nothing will help you. If you uderexpose increasing exposure is equivalent to increasing ISO, that introduces noise..

Edvinas..

I am confused. I guess I should not worry about having bracketing for ae or wb since automatic settings for exposure are very good...

Sorry I didn't mean to confuse you..

Let me try to simplify.

White Balance (WB)- I don't think braketing for this is very useful or productive.

- Better to shoot with RAW to correct for this later (IMO)(although you can also correct white balance in a JPEG file)..

Exosure Braketing-Far more useful..

-Does not require an "auto braket" feature. People have been doing this for years with fully manual cameras..

You can braket exposure with any camera..

James.

Mf999 wrote:.

I am confused. I guess I should not worry about having bracketing forae or wb since automatic settings for exposure are very good...