Upgrading my camera??

[Pipeman]

Great news Sheryl - have fun!

[Sheryl]

Thanks Pipeman! I can't wait to get started!

[Seven_Wishes]

Nice one Sheryl, I hope you have many hours/days/months and years of shooting with your new best friend.

[shooters_desire]

sheryl here's a site that has blue crane videos. I'm not sure but they could be free . Nows the time to learn your camera inside and out. Then when you get it your ready for  action..http://gigabitdownload.com/search/Blue+Crane+Nikon+Introduction+D40+D40x+Training
In reality your paying more for the glass then you are for the camera like twice as much. I read up on this camera and sunday we had a meetup to go over camera settings and adjustments to indoor and outdoor lighting and one of the people had a d40. I was impressed with the camera

[Sheryl]

Thanks Ed for all your input.
 
Thanks David once again. You're the information highway. I will definitely be checking out the link. And its good to hear that you were impressed with the camera. I am breathing a sigh of relief now that the decision has been made. I can't wait to learn how to use the new camera! If anyone wants to donate to my gas fund for my car so I can go out and shoot lots of pictures with the new camera , I'll be glad to give you my address! lol

[scoundrel1728]

Nows the time to learn your camera inside and out. Then when you get it your ready for  action..http://gigabitdownload.com/search/Blue+Crane+Nikon+Introduction+D40+D40x+Training

I don't advise this approach; you can void the warranty if you take your camera apart.

[Harry7mc]

HI,D40x, You will enjoy learning to use this very capable camera / lens combination.
My soninlaw used mine staring from scratch & produced excellent results.
I myself had this as a backup to my D70 kit originally but I used it more eventullay.
Enjoy & many years of good shooting.

[Sheryl]

Thanks Harry for that boost to my confidence and the validation of the camera I chose. I'll need all the confidence I can get, there's so much to learn. I'm looking forward to it! 

[Sheryl]

Good one Scoundrel!!

[Harry7mc]

Sheryl, there is an  Auto setting on the D40X & when you go out for the first time try it!
 you may just be surprised.
I do this with my camera & give it to my 7&4 yr old grandsons They love taking photos & get some interseting results.
Another setting is "P", set this & go out & try adjusting shutterspeeds/ f stops. In "P" the camera is ajustable by you unlikr 'Auto'
\\\\\good luck

[Sheryl]

Thanks Harry, great tips! I'll take all I can get. The more I know before I get the camera , the more confident I'll feel trying it out for the first time.

[busybee]

Sorry I missed this whirlwind of decision making Sheryl - I'm SO excited for you!!!!!

[Sheryl]

Thanks Busybee! I'm excited too! Can't wait to get the new camera and start playing!

[x372sailor]

A friend has recently bought a Sony A55. This is a very interesting camera with some great features at a reasonable price point. You get 16 megapixels, panorama shooting, fast frames per second (10, I believe). No movable mirror. This is worth looking into, unless you see yourself regularly adding components and wanting to build a system of quality components. Personally, I started with a D70s Nikon and built up a collection of lenses and worked through ever more expensive bodies until getting to the full frame body (D700). If you don't see yourself working with an array of lenses and ever-increasing expectations of top quality equipment, you don't necessarily need to settle upon a system (i.e. Canon vs Fujifilm vs Nikon, etc) and simply look for a full featured camera that lets you explore your creative side for now and the next few years. The Sony packs a lot of features into a very reasonable price point.

http://www.popphoto.com/2010/12/camera-year-sony-a55

[Sheryl]

x372sailor, Thanks for your imput. I think I would really like the panorama shooting. It would be great for landscapes. Thanks for the link as well. I guess I'm not sure what you mean by a full frame body as compared to the D40x I'm considering. ?

[Hatter]

I guess I'm not sure what you mean by a full frame body as compared to the D40x I'm considering. ?

The sensor on most DSLRs is smaller than a frame of 35mm film, Sheryl.  This means that your photo is only the middle 2/3rds of what it would have been if you'd taken the photo on a 35mm film SLR.  This has the effect of making lenses behave as if they're a longer focal length than they would be on a film camera.  As an indication, the  standard 18-55mm kit lens gives around the same field of view as a 28-90mm lens on a film camera.  This isn't a problem - it's just something you need to be aware of when choosing lenses.  (For Nikon, the effective focal length is 1.5x the actual focal length.  For Canon DSLRs it's 1.6x.)
The "full frame" DSLRs have sensors that are the same size as a 35mm film so a lens will give the same field of view as it would on a film SLR.  Full frame bodies cost more, obviously - I don't think it's something you need to worry about at this time.

 

[Sheryl]

Thanks Gareth for clearing that up somewhat. Its all so new to me. I'm embarrassed to know so little. But I'm determined to learn which may involve asking a lot more questions. I was wondering about a couple of things. One, does everyone who has a dSLR use a tripod all the time? And two, do most photographers use a uv filter to protect their lens? I was informed that it was a good idea to do. If anyone can answer those questions for now, I'd appreciate it. Thanks.

[Hatter]

I was wondering about a couple of things. One, does everyone who has a dSLR use a tripod all the time? And two, do most photographers use a uv filter to protect their lens?

Just answering for myself, obviously:
One - no.  I should probably use one more than I do, but most of the time I find it's not convenient.  I guess it depends on the type of photography you do.
Two - yes.  I have a UV filter on all my lenses - purely for protection against knocks etc.

  

[x372sailor]

Just lost my lengthy write-up so this is a summary of what I was writing when it disappeared.

Sony also has a Sony A33 camera - similar to A55 but less features but about $200 cheaper.

http://www.imaging-resource.com/PRODS/AA33/AA33A.HTM

Sony bodies have built-in image stabilization (google it if you need to).

Nikon low end bodies don't have autofocus motors so you need AF-S lenses (with built-in motors) for auto focussing. This limits you to availability of lens choices.

Most of the consumer DSLRs are 1.5x to 1.6x crop factor bodies. It means the sensor that captures the image is smaller by a factor when compared to 35mm film (36mm x 24mm).

Nikon cameras are about 24mm wide so the crop factor is 36/24 = 1.5x.  Canon bodies are 1.6x crop factor so their sensors are that much smaller than 24mm.

Non-DSLRs are usually that much smaller again. Sorry, but I don't know those relative sizes.

[Seven_Wishes]

Always with UV on the front of the lens ... Much cheaper to replace that should it get scratched or cracked than the repair bill or replacement for a new lens.

Tripods, as a rule of thumb, your shutter speed should equate (or be higher than) to the focal length of the lens. For instance if you have a 300mm lens you should aim for a shutter speed of 1/300 of a second. Obviously with image stabilization you can get a way with less, but this is down to trial and error and other variables ... The slower the shutter speed the more likelihood of an out of focus image. For general everyday shooting a mono pod is just as good as a tripod ... Night time shots, macro, HDR (where bracketing exposures), and daylight long exposures a tripod, you don’t need to spend a fortune on a tripod, just one that is sturdy enough to support your camera and heaviest lens combination.