D40x - improve or upgrade. Help Please...

Hi All,

I'm hoping I may be able to get some advice.

About 6 years ago I bought my wife a D40x which she has loved dearly and uses quite a lot both for architecture & animal photography, as well as close up shots of various arts & crafts that she makes and sells on her website. She currently has 3 lenses, the standard one that comes with, a 55 - 200, and a wide angle 12 - 24 (I think, sorry I'm not that up on my cameras personally!).

My dilemma is this - do i get her some new glass (i'm thinking perhaps a 70 - 300 or a micro 85mm) or is it worth perhaps getting her a whole new camera? My main questions would be:

1. Are there any newer cameras that would make a significant difference to her photography that are the same style and body as the D40x, that would also fit the dx lenses we already own?
2. Is it just more about the lens and the photographer than the box in the middle anyway? I.e. getting a new lens is better use of the money?
3. If I go for glass, is there any point actually getting a 70 - 300 if she already has a 200? Does it make that much difference of an impact or am I better saving for something like a 400?

Any help/thoughts/suggestions would be appreciated. I have about £500 or so that I can spend but not sure where best to spend it!

Thanks,
​Anthony

Hi Anthony... Welcome.
I am wondering. Are you doing this as a surprise for your wife? If not, sit down and talk to her about these options. See which way she leans.

I should have said, I'm trying to keep this as a surprise...

I think it's time a new d5200 or something like that. (Body only, you already have glass) They're dirt cheap for what they provide and she'll use it as long if not longer than the d40 she has. It's simply time for an upgrade at this point. Bodies don't last forever even with good glass!


...not to mention those brownie points!

Tough questions to answer, especially through a 3rd person.

Cameras in the running would be d3200, d5200. Even a d5100. D5100's are going at good prices. These will all take the same lenses and have a similar user interface. Any of these cameras would get her video capability and with the d5100-d5200, a swing out screen. She would get some additional camera features and some better low-light capability. She would also get more mega-pixels. More MP's would give bigger blow-ups or the ability to crop an image a little more and get a bit 'closer' through software. She will notice better image quality.

No telling if any of this would impress her or improve her photography, but there is no downside. She does have an old camera and its probably time to upgrade. D5200, best sensor of what I mentioned.

As far as lenses, a lot of people certainly upgrade from 55-200mm to 70-300mm for more reach. To argue the other side, this will be a bigger heavier lens that she might not want to carry around. It might even feel awkward on the smaller body.

The micro is nice, but if she is not complaining that she wishes she had one, it might not get much use. For true macro shots, she would probably want to set up a tripod. If she is not into that type of project, backing up and using her smaller zoom may give better close up results while hand holding.

How about a 35mm 1.8? Everybody needs one of those whether they know it or not. Better low light capability and sharp and its something worth having moving forward with a new camera.

mmm,, lots of good advice already, 5200 would be enough of a leap in sensor to make it worth the upgrade, 40X is a fine camera, so, you need enough of a leap to make it worth while.

the 70-300 might be risky, due to the size increase, like you say, she already has the 200, and is used to the lens feel, and might be unhappy with the bulk.

consider the newer

18x200,, not a bad lens, and gives her a single all day package. I still keep one and use for my DX kit (actually keep a 5100 with this lens as my perfect quick grab a camera mode).

I really like the idea of getting her a 40 mm macro,, open her world to another type of photography.

85G is an awesome lens,

and if you want to really wow her, get a D7000 before they are all gone, super camera. and will allow her to grow in photography even more, and opens up the WHOLE nikon lens universe. These are being fire-sell making way for the 7100, but the 7000 is an AWESOME camera.

Ok, thanks for all the really helpful advice thus far. Im thinking that a new camera will be best and then I guess my wife can buy herself whatever lenses best suit her projects down the line. It's coming down to a choice between the d5100 and the d5200. My final question then is, is the 5200 really worth the extra £200 than the 5100? Is the jump from 16mp to 24 no that significant for an amateur photographer?

I can tell you that the D5100 is a great camera and unless she really needs to print really big prints that camera should do just fine. You can look at http://nikonites.com/d5100/11503-your-best-d5100-photos.html#axzz2SpVE4QeY and see some examples of the D5100.

One other thing about any of the newer camera is the ability to shoot in lower light with a low less noise. Better quality.

Hi, I have no experience of either camera but the extra pixels are nice, I own a 6mp camera a 10 and a 12 while the difference when you are just looking at the image on a screen isn't really noticeable when you decide to crop or manipulate the image those extra pixels are great. While I am not (mainly because I can't afford to be) a must have the biggest/most expensive person I do believe in buying the best equipment you can afford. SO I would recommend the 5200.

misterjap said:

Ok, thanks for all the really helpful advice thus far. Im thinking that a new camera will be best and then I guess my wife can buy herself whatever lenses best suit her projects down the line. It's coming down to a choice between the d5100 and the d5200. My final question then is, is the 5200 really worth the extra £200 than the 5100? Is the jump from 16mp to 24 no that significant for an amateur photographer?

Click to expand...

I went from a D40 to a D5100 and that was a huge leap. The leap from D5100 to D5200 is not equal to the previous leap, but the D5200 is not just an increase in MP's over the D5100, it's a significantly better camera in more than a few respects. I would definitely say it's worth the difference in price. The D5200 has better color depth, faster continuous shooting, more dynamic range, far more focus points, more cross-type focus points... Oh yeah. Between the D5100 and the D5200 the D5200 wins. Hands down. Full stop.

Short and Sweet Side by Side Comparison: D5100 vs. D5200

You want a camera that has an internal motor. The d40 doesn't. Your lens options are much greater with a camera with internal motor.

misterjap said:

<snip>
1. Are there any newer cameras that would make a significant difference to her photography that are the same style and body as the D40x, that would also fit the dx lenses we already own?
2. Is it just more about the lens and the photographer than the box in the middle anyway? I.e. getting a new lens is better use of the money?

Click to expand...

I owned a D40 from when it was the latest newest thing, and my brother owns the D40X. They are both excellent cameras. I have owned about a dozen digital cameras since.

If your wife is in the habit of making large ( 1m~ ) physical prints, shooting fast-action sports, or has paying photography jobs at low-light jazz clubs, there are indeed newer cameras that would make a significant difference. Some of them are from Nikon too, and would work with your current lenses. The D5100 for example, has a truly excellent sensor at low light and a few more pixels in each direction than the D40X. The D7000 is faster to operate and weather-proof, useful for sports. It also has a focussing motor, useful if any of your lenses are AF rather than AF-S. The D5200 and D3200 both have even more pixels, though neither has a focussing motor. This fact is entirely irrelevant if you don't have, and don't intend to buy, old AF lenses.

But...

Respectfully, I suspect you may be approaching this the wrong way around. Think of "need" first, than camera equipment second. What exactly would your wife like to improve ? Does she take a lot of product shots ? A light tent and some dedicated lights would make more difference than any camera or lens change. Does she shoot a lot of High ISO pictures ? With the lenses you mention, I don't see her lacking any focal ranges so she probably doesn't need to "crop" a lot. A wide-aperture prime ( the 35mm or 50mm f1.8 for example ) might be a nice addition. The latter is excellent for portraits, if that is an area she is or may be interested in.

I think if you determine what area would be most worth improving, that would guide you towards what area to look at spending funds. Don't buy something because it is "higher spec", "newer", "has a focussing motor/24MP/GPS/This years McGuffin", or worse because some bloke ( like me ) on a forum tries to guess what photography your wife does and then recommends something that he owns and likes for his photography.

It's a nice thought to spend £500 on your wife by the way !

Paul

Nothing wrong with wanting. It's what built America, no?