I just bought a dx40 for myself. I think the d40 is a great camera also, the dx40 is just up alittle more on the mp then the d40; which is no big deal as alot of people want 6 mp rather then 10mp..
What I like about the camera is it's easy to carry around, lightwieght, small, etc. The dx80 has more bells and whistles then the d40..
I had to make this choice also between the two cameras, because I liked both of them, but I went for the dx40..
Beings, this is all new to me, I can't give my opinion on the dx80, as well as others can. The stabilzation feature that your wife is mentioning is offered on certain nikon lenses known as VR (Vibration Reduction), but you can find this feature on the bodies of other cameras though, which I'm sure someone will post. Hope this helps...
By the way, go to the forum for Nikon D80, D40. There is a post with what's the difference between the d80 and dx40. Alot of threads with alot of helpfull info about the two (keep in mind the dx40 is slightly different then the d40)...
Neither the D40 nor the D80 have image stabilization in the body. Nikon's VR (Vibration Reduction) technology is built into some of their lenses. Some of their high end lenses have this, but it's pricey..
If you're just starting off, then either the D40 or D80 will work fine. Both have full manual modes, that will let you understand exposure. Note, the D40 has a limitation where it can't autofocus with older autofocus lenses. If you intend on borrow Nikon lenses from friends, you might be better off getting a D80. But if you're starting from scratch, a D40 is fine..
Note, when you buy a DSLR, there are additional costs:1. A camera bag2. Extra memory. A 1GB card is a good start3. Extra batteries.
Just wondering, will your class involve labs in the studio? If so, you may want to get a tripod. Some people may want to get a flash, but you should ask your instructor first about what to look for. Some places teach how to use a flash in full manual mode, so you can get away with buying an el-cheapo 3-rd party flash..
Futurephotographer wrote:.
Hey everybody,My wife is taking photography classes next month and I want tosurprise her with a nice camera. I have read up on the D40 and D80and know that the main difference I see is that the D80 has more mpand comes with an extra lens,the kits I am looking at.She mentionedsomething about image stabilization would be a nice feature tohave,but it seems that the D40 doesn't have this.Is thiscorrect?Does the D80 have this? I expext to pay anywhere from600.00-1100.00 for a setup,so that's not a concern.I just want toget her something nice.Thanks..
I have checked the local Authorized Nikon dealer on the D40 and D80,he has a D80 kit with a tripod,4gb card,flash,carry case,hard case,3 pc filter kit,and 2 lenses...Nikon 28-80mm f/3.3-5.6,Nikon 70-300mm f/4-5.6,etc for around $1000.00 I have purchased alot of cameras throughout the years from him and he's knocking around 200.00 of the regular price. He also will do the same kit for the D40 for around 700.00,but just with a Nikon 18-55mm ED II Af-s Dx zoom lens...
But is he doing it with a stablized lens? This is the one feature she asked for in your posting..
Did she ask for a Nikon? Can you consider other offerings?Pentax, Olympus, and Sony all have Stablization built in..
If she wants a Nikon and Stablization then you need to look at $460 ish for a stablized 70-300 lens..
If she wants a good camera that will be easy to use and has a good kit lens 18-70 and a good 70-300 zoom (Sigma APO DG) for $220. Then you can get her a stablized, 10 MP camera, with a feature set closer to the D80 than D40 covering 18-300mm for $920 or less..
The Nikon D80 is a great camera. But on the low end sabilization adds about $200 per lens or more.. vs cameras that stabalize all their lenses because it is included in the money..
Ken - KM 5Dhttp://www.cascadephotoworks.com..
Futurephotographer wrote:.
I have read up on the D40 and D80and know that the main difference I see is that the D80 has more mp.
The extra megapixels are not the most important difference. That gets you a roughly 29% increase in the number of pixels in each direction at maximum resolution. Nice, but not essential..
The differences I notice are:.
1. The D80 has a better viewfinder (and can display "rule of thirds" composition lines in it)..
2. The D80 can wirelessly control an off-camera SB-600 or SB-800 flash, for more control of lighting..
3. The D80 supports autofocus lenses that don't have their own built-in motors..
She mentioned something about image stabilization would be a nice feature to have.
IS (Nikon calls it VR) is a nice feature to have, but there are few "cheap" lenses that have it. I believe there are three Nikon VR lenses that go for under $1,000:.
1. The 55 - 200 mm VR lens (about $250 mail-order). NOTE: The 55 - 200 mm lens in the "two-lens D40 kit" appears to be an earlier version that does NOT have VR..
2. The 70 - 300 mm VR lens (about $480 mail-order)..
3. The 18 - 200 mm VR lens. This one reportedly is a bit hard to find, due to high demand...
That seems like a very good price for that d80 with all those accessories!..
Futurephotographer wrote:.
I just want to get her something nice..
Honestly, I don't think that "nice" is the point. Personally, I'd focus on getting her something she'll enjoy using - not quite the same thing. For many people, "enjoyable to use" means light to carry and easy to get good results with. Second, I'd want as much of the initial purchase to carry forward down the road when she'd like to upgrade to the hottest new thing in 2010..
If your wife is starting out fresh with no old lenses there are two obvious best bets on the DSLR market at the moment; the Nikon D40 and the Pentax K100D. An alternative lens, the Tamron 70-300mm f/4-5.6 LD Di, would be worth considering too for it's low price - mainly with the K100D where in-camera image stabilization would help on the long end.:.
Nikon D40 kit w/ 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6G ED II AF-S DX.......US$540Nikon 55-200mm f/4.5-5.6G ED AF-S VR DX...................US$236TOTAL = US$776 with free shipping.
-OR-.
Pentax K100D kit w/ DA18-55mm f/3.5-5.6 AL lens.........US$485Pentax SMCP-DA 50-200mm f/4-5.6 ED..........................US$239Less Pentax mail-in USA rebate for combined purchase....(US$150)TOTAL = US$574.00 with free shipping.
(prices from BeachCamera.com).
Pluses for the Nikon D40 are: White Balance fine tuning, orientation sensor, flash sync to 1/500 sec (only 1/180 sec on K100D), 9 RAW frame buffer (only 3 RAW frames on K100D), the available low-cost SB-400 Speedlight and a very nice menu system. Oddly missing is an Exposure bracketing function - a feature most basic P&S cameras have..
Advantages of the Pentax K100D are: built-in image stabilization, Depth-Of-Field preview button, 11-area Autofocus sensor with 9 cross-type sites(only 3-area on the D40), LCD information display, uses standard AA or CR-V3 batteries, full-compatibility with all Pentax-mount lenses and "Quick-Shift" manual adjustment of focus even in AF mode (Pentax DA lenses only). All Pentax lenses have metal mounts while Nikon and Canon's budget lenses have plastic mounts..
If your wife won't be buying more than a body, a flash and a few camera-brand (as opposed to third-party) lenses, it may come down to this; the improved effectiveness of in-lens optical image stabilization offset by increased lens centering defects and lowered reliability (Canon/Nikon)- VS - less effective in-camera image stabilization combined with lower-cost, more reliable lenses (Pentax/Sony/Olympus). If she WILL be buying third-party lenses, the advantages of the SR feature in the K100D/K10D are even more obvious..
Taken on the whole, I'd buy the K100D for myself but probably buy the D40 for your wife..
If the site search feature is down, you can always do an advanced search on Google for results from domain http://forums.dpreview.com..
She does want a Nikon.I don't think that she will accept anything else,but we will see.Thanks..