SLR question

[pecan2phat]

Can the photographers out here tell me what is a better camera to get, a used Nikon D40 or a new Nikon D3000?
It's for the wife who is interested in an entry level SLR camera for macro pics of jewlery designs.

Someone told me that I was better off looking at the old D40 vs the newer D3000, is this true?

TIA

 

[Widdy]

Did this person elaborate why he/she would prefer the D40 over the D3000? The D40 is at least 2-3 generations behind the D3000. D40/D40X/D60/D3000 in that order. I think the most significant difference between them is the D40 utilizes a 3 Autofocus points whereas the D3000 uses a 11 Autofocus points.

Which macro lens are you planning to pair the Nikon with?

Nothing official, but here's a few posts comparing several of the entry level bodies.
http://photo.net/nikon-camera-forum/00U6Mp

 

[bad coffee]

Are you going to be blowing the jewelery pics up poster sized? If not, any DSLR body that has about 7MP works.

Spend the money for the better macro lens and use whatever body you end up with.

B

 

[pecan2phat]

Thanks Widdy,
The article clears up some puzzling questions since I know nada about digital SLRs.
My buddy that I had asked basically summarized that the newer D3000 were built with less quality then the older models but now I tend to side with the article that you linked.
I'm not quite sure why he lead me to consider a used D40 that sells at about 80% of a new D3000 :scratch:

 

[pecan2phat]

Not poster sized, just close detailed images. I am already prepared that a so-so macro will cost more then the D3000 kit.

Any recomendations? (remember, this is only entry level stuff )

 

[Widdy]

I agree with Bad Coffee's post... only concern I have, and reason I asked about which macro lens you're looking at is, the D40 lacks a internal focusing motor. For Autofocusing, you'll need to get either AF-S or AF-I lenses. This puts the Nikon 60mm Macro out of contention if you need autofocus. If you plan to shoot all manual, then the 60mm is fine with the D40. The D3000 will AF with the 60mm. NOW, if you're looking at the higher model, Nikon 105mm Macro then either of those 2 bodies will work fine, autofocusing that is. Maybe take a trip over to B&H or Adorama and ask to try a D3000 with both those lenses and see which one suits you better? The 105mm is definitely nice for reef shots

 

[smoq]

My $0.02- if I would have to buy one, I would get D40 because it's cheaper, but I strongly recommend you spending a little more for D5000, mainly because it shares thesame image sensor as in D90-D300. What's your budget?

 

[bizzarro]

I agree with Bad Coffee's post... only concern I have, and reason I asked about which macro lens you're looking at is, the D40 lacks a internal focusing motor. For Autofocusing, you'll need to get either AF-S or AF-I lenses. This puts the Nikon 60mm Macro out of contention if you need autofocus. If you plan to shoot all manual, then the 60mm is fine with the D40. The D3000 will AF with the 60mm. NOW, if you're looking at the higher model, Nikon 105mm Macro then either of those 2 bodies will work fine, autofocusing that is. Maybe take a trip over to B&H or Adorama and ask to try a D3000 with both those lenses and see which one suits you better? The 105mm is definitely nice for reef shots

D3000 and D40 both lacks internal focus motor and there's a newer 60mm AF-S designed for their cameras that lack the focus motor and costs $100 more.

Anyway, here's a review of the D3000 that I found. Seems like the D40 would be a better choice.
http://www.kenrockwell.com/nikon/d3000.htm

If your wife is selling lots of jewelry like gold or something then I would probably spring for a DSLR but if it's something like handmade jewelry then some point and shoots macro capability is adequate enough with good lighting and a tripod. If you own a P+S you should try the macro setting, you'd may be surprised how well it comes out. Even a used D40 will cost you $200-300 and the 60mm macro lens will run you $550. If you get a new D5000 you'd probably spend over $1000 easily w/ the macro lens.

 

[Alex]

pecan2phat, I did some jewelry photography a while back and I'm sure things have not changed. I dealt with an artisan that wanted to capture the most intricate details of her jewelry. mainly because she had put a lot of work and detail into each piece. with that said I used a small white tent and a macro flash. The camera i used is not important since it was a medium format camera. However I recommend that your wife make a small decision as to whether she wants this for cataloging, showcase, or brochure work. what you need will be determined by the photos final job. Feel free to ask any questions.
By the way an entry level DSLR coupled with a 60mm macro will do an excellent job for general jewelry pics. Also bizzarro has a valid point most P+S have good macro capabilities, G9 for example has a great macro setting.

 

[pecan2phat]

Thank you for all the info, it has been very helpful

 

[pecan2phat]

Hey guys, you all have been very helpful and I would like to ask one more question regarding the D3000,
Is it better to wait for the D3100 that bumps up the MP from 10 to 14 and has Live View for about $250 more?

 

[grknyer]

Hey guys, you all have been very helpful and I would like to ask one more question regarding the D3000,
Is it better to wait for the D3100 that bumps up the MP from 10 to 14 and has Live View for about $250 more?

The D3100 was announced on Nikon's website as of the 19th of this month. Not sure if all stores carry it yet. Looks like a sweet entry level dslr. Imo I would say it's worth it.You mention taking pics of jewelry which live view can come in handy. I use live view when shooting macro and love it. I have used it alot just not for taking pics of corals(yet).
It is the first camera to have autofocus when shooting video. The video is good if you need one in a pinch.
The 14 Mp is a +. That's more than the D90.
Overall it has some new features than previous models. Log onto Nikon to see for yourself but something tells me you probably did already.

 

[pecan2phat]

Thanks grknyer, B&H is taking preorders at $699 for the D3100.
Wife mentioned that Live View is a feature that she would want and the D3100 was a bit less then the D5000 that had Live View, also bumped up the MP a bit.
Her craft club members like the Canon T2i but that is hitting the $900+ range and over what we can spend.

 

[smoq]

I don't know about D3100, but D3000 is quite average camera. The big thing in 3100 will be continuous focus while shooting video though. I would wait till the it'll be professionally reviewed by dpreview.com or some other good site. We'll see what Nikon has for the christmass time this year after photokina in Germany. I can't wait, the rumors are there's gonna be new D90 replacement. I would jump into that without even thinking and then my D40 wil retire

 

[pecan2phat]

smog,
The current D90 is over my budget and the wife doesn't want something too complicated.
I'm sure that the D3000 would suit her purposes as a newbie with digital photography but she says she needs Live View, ugh..........

 

[smoq]

smog,
The current D90 is over my budget and the wife doesn't want something too complicated.
I'm sure that the D3000 would suit her purposes as a newbie with digital photography but she says she needs Live View, ugh..........

I got you buddy. I hear a lot of people can't live without live view, but your wife wi se that with DSLRs shooting thru viewfinder is much better experience and gives you much more control of what you're trying to shot. I would look into D3100 over D3000 then, for the 11 point autofocus, brand new sensor and higher iso capabilities. What's your define budget? Are you panning any additional lens?

 

[pecan2phat]

I will definitely tell her about the viewfinder tip, thanks
She crafts polymer clay jewlery and started getting serious with it in the last year. She went to obtain her business license a few weeks ago and have been trying a lot of photos with a Nikon P&S. They have gotten much better since when she first started. All the reading and photo box, lighting has helped and I can see that she is willing to learn, so I thought the next step with someone like that who has the initiative would be to step up to an initial entry level DSLR camera. I wanted to keep the initial cost of the camera below $600 because I kind of knew in the back of my head that the macro lens will cost as much or more then the camera when she is ready for it. The D3000 at $454 seemed like a good choice and within my budget but I didn't want to get something that would need upgrading in a short time. On the other hand, I also didn't want to get a complicated camera either since her main passion was the making of the jewlery and the photography was only a requirement in order to show her work.
I think the D3100 is a good starting point as you had mentioned.