Another new DSLR thread!

[Flibb]

You can manually exposure bracket with a D40, and most other cameras
Discussion Forums @ Nikonians - D40

As to lenses with focus motors, the speed up focus on all bodies and are a godsend. The benefits far outway the small additional cost, and a 55-200 VR AF-S is down to £120.

[BUFF]

Originally Posted by Flibb

As to lenses with focus motors, the speed up focus on all bodies and are a godsend. The benefits far outway the small additional cost, and a 55-200 VR AF-S is down to £120.

not true.
It's quite possible for a screw driven lens to AF quicker than a sonic motor one depending upon the motor fitted to the body.
The only incontrovertible advantage to sonic motors v screw driven is that they are quieter.

[Flibb]

Well on every lens I have tried HSM focuses faster than in body, thats various lenses including bigma, on a variety of makes and models.

[shiato storm]

a sonic driven focus lens tends to be quicker focusing than motor driven variety, simply because thats the way modern technology is heading and hence more resources given...it is definitely quieter. good for all applications that.

[colmo]

Originally Posted by Flibb

Well on every lens I have tried HSM focuses faster than in body, thats various lenses including bigma, on a variety of makes and models.

With what camera bodies? Entry level, or high end? Recent, or a few years old? That's a lot of unknowns to base your comment on. Without details, it's a gross generalisation.

The main quibble with the AF limitations of the D40 is that it denies access to excellent, old/used glass which can be had reasonably priced. Further than that, it won't meter old manual-focus lenses which physically fit the mount - compare that to the Pentaxes (K10D and newer, and the equivalent Samsung clones), which not only meter 30 year-old Pentax-fit lenses, and others fitted with converters, but stabilise them (you manually enter focal length) and give focus confirmation! Deliberate obsolescence by Nikon? You decide.

One of the most valuable lenses in my bag is an original 50mm f1.7 Minolta AF lens (cost me about £60 with a free Minolta camera attached) - there are only two 'standard' fast prime lens that will work fully with the D40 - Sigma's 30mm (cost £200+) and (soon to be released) 50mm f1.4 HSM lenses. Try shooting indoors without flash - you'll likely need ISO 800 (about the limit for entry-level CCD-sensor based dSLRs before noise decimates IQ), F2 and 1/50th sec, and stabilisation helps enormously - it won't freeze the people, but it will at least freeze the backdrop and anything inanimate.

As far as legacy glass is concerned, Olympus (as they have a brand new system) and the D40 are poorly catered for. Canon (EOS) and Pentax/Samsung (if you count MF lenses) are great , and Sony is good (Minolta AF lenses - prices are high on eBay atm, but used photo dealers have more sane pricing).

On the subject of HDR, manual bracketing doesn't help much when the clouds/animals/people etc. in the shot are moving, or for whatever reason you need to rattle off those sequences quickly; some of the best cameras (listed below) for the job are actually discontinued:

Auto Exposure Bracketing by camera model

The Pentaxes look particularly inviting with EV increments of up to 2, and the K10D/K20D (and Samsung GX10/GX20 clones) allow up to 5 shot sequences, giving an EV latitude of 8 stops (not including the dynamic range of the camera). Sony doesn't fare well for this specific application.

[Whiternoise]

Ok, so i forked out for a D40.

First impressions are that it's surprisingly light, the autofocus is very fast and the menus are pretty nice too!

Here are some HDR photos taken by the D40, i assume they are anyway, so it's definitely possible: The World's Best Photos of d40 and hdr. Flickr Hive Mind

I might do some sort of review of it from a new user's point of view if i can be bothered

[Flibb]

Originally Posted by colmo

With what camera bodies? Entry level, or high end? Recent, or a few years old? That's a lot of unknowns to base your comment on. Without details, it's a gross generalisation.

Owned AF wise
Minolta AF7000, think this was the first AF SLR
Nikon F4 (briefly)
Pentax Z1p (still have)
D70

Worked with
Various Nikon film pro bodies
Fuji S1 or could have been a S2
D2x
D100
Things I cant remember
Custom built high speed cameras
20ft long miniaturization camera used to make photographic masters
Zenit TTL!!


Played with
D70s
D200
20D / 400d cant remember the numbers
1D mk2?
isDS
Alpha100 or whatever the current sony was
D2x
5D, possibly
Various odds and sods while looking at upgrading the D70 to a D300.

Think the models are right, memorys a bit flakey nowdays.


I spent 2 years working as an optical engineer making imaging systems used in various applications, including space probes, military kit, and automated digital microscopes. They made some of the optical components that went in to hubble, dont think it was the bits that had to be replaced. Pyser SGI
I mainly worked on the graticule side, but did some other stuff as well including QC. I currently work for a different mob but have been involved with some imaging projects.

Hobby wise I do a bit of bird spotting (hence the bigma and trying a digiscoping setup), and have tried other people setups while considering upgrades, or just for the hell of it. Nearly forgot, had a brief play with a contax equipped with a digital back, camera club member at work retired and cashed in his shares.

[Lemsip]

Originally Posted by Whiternoise

First impressions are that it's surprisingly light, the autofocus is very fast and the menus are pretty nice too!

Agreed - isn't a pain to take around. I've also taken quite a few HDR photos with the D40, but you do have to do it manually since it doesn't have the autobracketing feature as mentioned. Just means you have to spend a couple more seconds moving the dial.