good place to get nikon d40x or d40

[Kodiak]

??

does anyone have a good place to get one of these and opinions on the two?

[RogersMN]

Beach Camera online. I got the d40x a couple weeks ago from them. no sales tax. about $90 cheaper then best buy.

[Moose]

If you purchase online make sure you google the camera store and check out there ratings. When you do a google search an independent rating site will be one of the options. Check out the store ratings. I purchased my camera through Buydig. They were rated quite high and still gave good pricing without the pressure to buy accessories. Some stores give really good pricing and then really pressure you hard to buy accesories.

Online purchasing is great there is usually no sales tax if it is not a minnesota based company and several offer free shipping. Just my .02

[Steve Foss]

I've bought all my camera gear online from Canoga Camera for four years with great service and lower pricing in general than B&H and the other big ones.

[Kodiak]

so what do you guys think between the two?

[Steve Foss]

Between the two cameras or the two places mentioned to buy the cameras?

[Kodiak]

cameras

[mpester]

Be sure you are shopping at a reputable online shop if you go that way. A lot of the online pages are less than reputable. Beach Camera and BuyDig are the same company with two different pages. Check out the contact information for the two - it is the same. I did not trust that setup when I was shopping for a VR lens recently. I got that lens (and a D40 camera earlier) form Adorama and have been very happy with the service and price.

[MountainJam]

B and H Photo Video out of New York is THE PLACE for all photo gear, I work as a photographer and this along with West Photo in Minneapolis are the only places I buy from.

Go for the D40x it is worlds better than the D40, my second choice would be Canon's Rebel XTI.

[MN Shutterbug]

 Originally Posted By: stfcatfish

I've bought all my camera gear online from Canoga Camera for four years with great service and lower pricing in general than B&H and the other big ones.

I purchased my Canon 100-400 from them a few weeks ago. They gave me better than great service and it was also the best price I could find. I also bought a filter at the same time. After I received the filter, I changed my mind and I sent it back and got an immediate and uncomplicated refund.

[yakfisher]

currently shoot the D50 and someday I would like to jump up the the D80 or equiv. at some point. I personally don't like how the D40 bodies fit my hand, but I don't like the small feel of the Canon Rebel XTi's either. The D40x would be my choice between the two because it is the updated version of the D40.

[Steve Foss]

B&H (the biggest kid on that block for a LONG time) and West are excellent. So is Hunt's. So are some other online camera gear retailers. And there are some duds and some out and out crooks online, as well.

On the rare occasions when Canoga was out of stock on a piece of equipment AND I needed it overnight, I've gone with B&H because, even though their prices are higher than Canoga's on a lot of things, they are a known quantity. And of course I had to have it right away.

The moral of the story is, if you're shopping online (or even from a traditional store), go with a store with a proven track record of service, price and quality, and if you want to look for a new store, ask for the opinions of those you trust with experience.

yakfisher, I agree on the size of the XT/XTi. I occasionally use an XT as one of my backups, and even with the battery grip it's a little small for my blocky hand.

[finnbay]

I happen to be a B&H fan, but the big ones, those mentioned, are all good. In all honesty, you will find cheaper prices than those places on a search but I've heard (and have one personal experience) on trying to save a buck with a cut rate company. Most body prices sound good until they want to sell you a charger in addition (should come with the camera body anyway) or insist that you need a "high-speed" card at an exorbitant price to use in that camera, or ship you a "grey" model that may cause issues with warrenty work. If you here any of those lines - beware! Returns can be difficult if not impossible. Though it may seem that you are paying a little more from a big name, IMO you'll save money in the long run.

[mmeyer]

If I had to choose between the 2 I would go with the D40x because it has some of the newer bells and whistles. I also have the D50 and would really like to upgrade to at least the D80. If you're serious about photography you might outgrow that D40 rather quickly. Also, with the D40/X you can only use lenses with the built in focus motor (AF-S). There are a lot out there now but if you want to get something used to save money you might have a hard time finding one. Just my opinion.

Good Luck

Mike

[Fish Toys]

I looked at the prices of the cameras that are mentioned. Figured they are a little out of my price range. What would you recommend that wouldn’t cost so much$$$$$$$?

[Steve Foss]

Fish Toys, these are the least expensive entry-level digital SLRs on the market. Beneath those, you're looking at point-and-shoot cameras, which have very nice capabilities but are not as flexible as a DSLR.

I'm sorry I'm not up much on the point-and-shoots.

[mmeyer]

Fish Toys,

There is nothing wrong with those cameras but just know going in that they may limit you somewhat as you go along. We all have to start with what we can afford and we can upgrade from there. Just think, if you bought the new Nikon D3 what would you have to look forward to.

Mike

[Kodiak]

i am going to start hunting for a d40x,,,it will be awhile before i outgrow it!

thanks guys!!

[yakfisher]

Locally you can check out National Camera. They have a large selection and very helpful staff. Good luck with the search.

[Fish Toys]

Ok a good point and shoot. With a good optical zoom. I don’t take that many pictures yet. I carry the camera in the pickup & in the tractor when I’m doing field work. Lot’s of times there is wildlife around especially out in the field. The old camera doesn’t have much optical zoom. Any ideas of what I should look for? I would have to purchase online being there aren’t many dealers up here.

[mmeyer]

FT,

Before I bought my DSLR, I had a Sony Cybershot DH-1 I think it was. It was a very nice camera. It had 12x zoom and lots of features that you find on SLRs. The new ones have even more zoom. They're around $500.

[MN Shutterbug]

I just upgraded from a Panasonic DMC-FZ7. This is a very decent camera and I'm hanging onto it as a backup. Panasonic now has a DMC-FZ8, which is 7 mp. and runs about $250. They have a 12X zoom and full manual controls. The Panasonics sport a highly reputable Leica lens and have about the shortest lag time for P & S's. If the 12X zoom (432mm) isn't enough, you can always get an adapter and add the Olympus 1.7 conversion lens which would give you 20.4X (734mm). I have that 1.7 and it works great with the Panasonic. It focuses very nicely in decent light.

[WifeKidsandDog]

I was going to suggest the fz-8 too. Seems to be getting good reviews and has a ton of features for the money. I think you can shoot RAW on it too.

[Steve Foss]

While my knowledge of point-and-shoots is limited, I have worked with the Panasonic Lumix series mentioned by WKD and X-T. It seems to have basically the same features as most other excellent P&S cameras, but what has impressed me is that truly fine Leica f2.8 lens. Clear as can be, sharp and full of contrast, that glass.

[Fish Toys]

stfcatfish you have mail.

[email protected]

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