View Full Version : Nikon D40 or Pentax K100D?
Hi,
I'm new to this forum, and im 16 years old, looking to get my first DSLR :)
I'm looking at either the D40 or the pentax K100D, they are both the same price. The lack of an internal focusing motor on the D40 is not an immediate problem for me because I will be using the kit lens or the nikkor DX 55-200m f4-f5.6 G lens, both of which are AF-S.
I realise that the K100D has better features, including shake reduction, a information screen, 11 focus points, etc. although from what I've seen, the D40 produces better images. I'm not sure how useful I will find the secondary information LCD because right now I have a super-zoom Fuji S5200 point and shoot, which doesnt have an info display anyways.
Anyways, rambling aside, I would like to get some second opinions about the cameras, from people who own them, to try and make the right choice.
20 more days until I have enough money :D.
Thanks,
Nick
angeleyes216
07-01-2007, 06:50 PM
I just got my first slr. a nikond40 and so far i am really enjoying it. I had a point and shoot olympus previously and although i was happy with that i wanted something with a few more options. I have had no problems with the nikon so i think its a matter of colour and quality of photo. Maybe you can check out a few of the photos ive taken and see what you think of the results. Good luck with the new camera.
jdepould
07-01-2007, 07:09 PM
Nikon and Canon have arguably better anti-shake technology (VR and IS, respectively), because they use in-lens stabilisation. It's a little bit more effective, and the major benefit of this is that you get to see the effect through the viewfinder.
The most important thing to consider, however, when purchasing a new camera is comfort. If the ergonomics of a camera don't work for your hands, then it doesn't matter what features it has (even if it makes waffles), you'll hate using it.
Thats a good point, I have used a family members D50 and found it comfortable enough to hold, although I'm aware that the D40 is quite a bit smaller. I'll be sure to try it out.
jdepould
07-01-2007, 07:54 PM
Thats a good point, I have used a family members D50 and found it comfortable enough to hold, although I'm aware that the D40 is quite a bit smaller. I'll be sure to try it out.
I absolutely love Nikon's ergonomics, that was the biggest single selling point for me. Really, there isn't much difference between the top players, they all produce quality products capable of producing very good images.
Saralonde
07-01-2007, 08:06 PM
Here are some things to look at that may help you decide:
Newspaper article (http://www.usatoday.com/tech/products/2007-06-27-pentax-olympus-digital-slr_N.htm)
Side-by-side comparison (http://www.dpreview.com/reviews/compare_post.asp?method=sidebyside&cameras=nikon_d40%2Cpentax_k100d&show=all)
One thing to keep in mind, at the moment, heavyweights like Nikon and Canon have more lenses and accessories to chose from. Also, as Jdepould pointed out, hold the cameras you are considering and see how they feel in your hands.
The D50 is a bit heavier and bulkier than the D40 (not least because it has to incorporate an internal motor for driving non AFS lenses and because it has the top mounted LCD). I imagine that if you were used to it, it would make the D40 feel like a toy (although, as a happy D40 owner, when I pick up my friend's D50 it feels like a brick! ;) ).
If your family member lives close by, has some lenses and is likely to be generous, then that might be a good reason to lean towards the D40; my (great) D50 owning friend was the primary reason I ended up in the Nikon fold.
Wulf
If your family member lives close by, has some lenses and is likely to be generous, then that might be a good reason to lean towards the D40; my (great) D50 owning friend was the primary reason I ended up in the Nikon fold.
That is a good point, as she lives around 20 minutes away and has had several Nikon DSLR's... I looked at a side by side comparison of the two cameras and the D40 is lacking in certain features whereas the pentax is lacking in other places. Its just a matter of figuring out which ones are important for me.
The problem is I have no clue, lol.
I think the good news is that you can't really go wrong. You will discover limitations to either camera, but if you are enjoying yourself you will overcome them. (Disclosure -- I am a happy D40 owner.)
A few things on the similarities/differences:
1. If you aren't used to a top-mounted info screen you aren't going to miss it on the D40. Even DSLR vets who thought they could never live without one adjust pretty quickly. You can change your basic shooting settings pretty easily on the D40s backscreen.
2. From what I can gather, the 10D and the D40 are more or less tied on lens compatibility. Both are backwards compatible with a large number of lenses, but in both cases you have to consider limitations like no AF and sometimes no metering. My friend who has a 10D says that there are tons of cheap Pentax K-Mount lenses out there -- and of course they all come with anti-shake technology once you mount them on the 10D.
3. While everybody notes the 3-point auto focus system on the D40, I haven't really seen anybody say that it has been a real problem (except a few people who complain that it is a limitation when shooting portrait, and even then it is simple to get around).
4. The anti-shake is a nice feature -- it will give a noticeable difference especially zoomed out on a telephoto.
4. The one thing that gives me a bit of pause about the 10D are reports that it performs poorly auto-focusing in low light. I had a point and shoot that did this and it drove me completely crazy. The AF on the D40 is excellent in low-light.
Don't sweat too much though -- as I say, you can't really go wrong.
EL
4. The anti-shake is a nice feature -- it will give a noticeable difference especially zoomed out on a telephoto.
It is a nice feature, although my Fuji did not have problems with motion blur if used at slightly higher ISO's. Perhaps a VR lens would be a good compromise?
I'm hesitating about the D40 mainly because I would like the 50mm f1.8 lens, which will not autofocus on this camera. But I'm doubting whether than it a major issue, as manual focus is not a huge deal.
The one thing that gives me a bit of pause about the 10D are reports that it performs poorly auto-focusing in low light. I had a point and shoot that did this and it drove me completely crazy. The AF on the D40 is excellent in low-light.
I HATE when cameras won't focus, lol. Reminds me of my old Nikon coolpix 5600. Most. Frustrating. Camera. Ever.
I suppose Its a matter of getting the seller to let me use them with the batteries charged, etc. to see the difference. Our highschool has several pentax *ist D's and the photos are alright, but I think thats just a lack of knowledge on how to use them.
Anyways, all the advice is very helpful so far. Once I figure out how to actually post pictures on this forum, I hope to participate more.
Anyways, all the advice is very helpful so far. Once I figure out how to actually post pictures on this forum, I hope to participate more.
Check out the relevant section of the FAQ (http://digital-photography-school.com/forum/faq.php?faq=vb_faq#faq_img) and the sticky thread (http://digital-photography-school.com/forum/showthread.php?t=5) at the top of the Assignments section.
Wulf
I'm hesitating about the D40 mainly because I would like the 50mm f1.8 lens, which will not autofocus on this camera. But I'm doubting whether than it a major issue, as manual focus is not a huge deal.
I wondered about the prime issue. If you are looking at buying a DSLR at this point, and if you are enrolled at a school which has a stock of Pentax asterisks, then it seems to me that you are maybe setting out pretty seriously to tackle photography.
If this is the case, I imagine that you are going to want to move to a prime fairly quickly, and then you will be a bit stuck with a D40. There is a Sigma f/1.4 30 (35? can't remember), but after that you will be looking at the older Nikon AF lenses, which as you know won't autofocus with the D40. At least until Nikon makes a fast AF-S in the 30-50 range. I don't for sure, but I seem to remember there are a few Pentax K-mount primes that will autofocus with the 10D.
I have the f/1.8 50 for my D40, and while I don't mind having to manual focus, there is no doubt that I would prefer to have autofocus available. At least 1/2 my shots come out noticeably soft, due I think to poor focus.
EL
I'm not too bothered about the lack of autofocus for the 50mm lens I have for my D40 - for the kind of situations where I would use that rather than the kit lens, I often want quite precise placement of the focus (eg. on a musician's hands rather than their face); getting autofocus onto exactly the point I want would probably be trickier than doing it manually and perhaps taking several shots with slight adjustments so I can pick from them back on the computer.
Having said that, if the school has a stock of Pentax cameras, do they also have a range of lenses you could borrow; if so, that might be another mark for leaning that way.
Wulf
jdepould
07-02-2007, 06:57 PM
The D50 is a bit heavier and bulkier than the D40 (not least because it has to incorporate an internal motor for driving non AFS lenses and because it has the top mounted LCD). I imagine that if you were used to it, it would make the D40 feel like a toy (although, as a happy D40 owner, when I pick up my friend's D50 it feels like a brick! ;) ).
If you think the D50 is heavy, try the D200, then add the battery grip :p
As far as I know the pentax's at my school all use the kit lens, apart from a few, which have telephoto lenses. So I don't think borrowing lenses would be quite so much of an issue.
At this point, I have no idea why I am leaning towards the D40, because the K100D has more features. It just seems more... well hard to use. The menus on the D40 look alot more user friendly, and the pictures on the internet seem to look nicer on the D40, although that may have to do with the weather, etc.
As for the prim lens thing, well... I think it would be the only thing I would bother to manually focus, atleast for now.... And I wouldnt be in any hurry to take a shot. Its mostly a learning camera, I can certainly upgrade in a few years if I find It's too limited.
Ugh. 2 cameras that are the same price and the same in alot of ways... but different . Point and shoots were never this hard to choose from, lol.
stevesutt89
07-03-2007, 06:33 AM
2 cameras that are the same price and the same in alot of ways... but different
I am also a student looking to upgrade to a dSLR. At the moment the K100D is at the top of my list simply because in australia the D40 is quite a bit more expensive. I have no idea what price the D40 is where you live (i'm assuming in the US), but i did find a K100D with Kit lens for $469 (US) at Abes of Maine which give free shipping. (i just checked the D40 at the same place--its $528 with the kit lens)
Other reasons why i like the K100d include the built in image stabilisation (simply because being on a budget means that i'll not be able to afford IS lenses of many years)
Oh and if you dont mind manual everything lenses (focus, apeture....), then there are a heap of very old, cheap, good, fast prime lenses which will work with the K100D when an m42 screw mount adaptor is used.
Not sure if all that is helpful, as i don't know much about Nikons, but i posted it anyway
What it really comes down to in the end is deciding which features you need and which you don't, and chosing the camera which suits these needs..........i hope you get something fantastic
In all the decision making, keep in mind what Elay said earlier - you really can't go wrong. Whichever of those cameras you get, you almost certainly won't use a good number of the features (for example, I haven't done any in camera retouching on my D40, so there is a whole menu worth of stuff there that sits unused) and there will be plenty of facility to take excellent pictures.
After all, I presume you are setting out to learn to be a photographer, not just someone who is very good at comparing different cameras!
Wulf
am also a student looking to upgrade to a dSLR. At the moment the K100D is at the top of my list simply because in australia the D40 is quite a bit more expensive. I have no idea what price the D40 is where you live (i'm assuming in the US), but i did find a K100D with Kit lens for $469 (US) at Abes of Maine which give free shipping. (i just checked the D40 at the same place--its $528 with the kit lens)
I live near North Bay, Ontario, in Canada. And here the cheapest SLR anywhere with a kit lens is 699.99$, which both the D40 and the K100D are. The 100D is also quite a bit harder to find, as far as i know of, it is only available in one place in my area.
Also, I'm having the issue of finding alot of lenses in my area. Ive found the nikkor prime lens and telephoto VR and non VR lenses in North Bay, but as for pentax, I've only seen a Sigma 55-200mm and a pentax 55-200mm. It just means I would have to look a little harder.
After all, I presume you are setting out to learn to be a photographer, not just someone who is very good at comparing different cameras!
Wulf
Yes haha. That is my goal, to actually be able to achieve things which I've wanted to do but my old camera would not let me do. I'm pretty commited to the whole photography thing. My friends get annoyed by it sometimes, never going anywhere without a camera :p I suppose either camera will allow me to improve my skills, its just a matter of taste of which one i end up getting. I'll try them out in the store, and see which one feels sturdier, etc.
Nick,
I don't know if you are prepared to go mail-order, but if you're not already aware of it, Henry's (http://www.henrys.com/webapp/wcs/stores/henrys/index.jsp) is a great place to buy gear. I'm fortunate to have a shop here in Ottawa, but I would certainly trust them on mail-order.
EL
I trust Henry's, I know its a good place to buy equipment. I would rather try the cameras themselves before, but I have family members in Ottawa, its only 4 hours away, I could go there to get gear.
I have purchased things online before, and have never had a problem. I would never have the guts to do ebay though, I would rather know the store I'm buying from :rolleyes:
I never thought about it. Thanks haha.
jdepould
07-03-2007, 05:47 PM
You don't necessarily have to purchase wherever you try the gear. I just went to the camera store at the mall when I was looking, then when I was ready to buy I got it from J&R in New York.
uvsub
07-05-2007, 02:04 AM
D40 all the way. I owned a D50 before I got the D80 as back-up for my D200. I test drove the D40 and was really impressed with the performance and flexibility of the camera. Tremendously impressed! When the body only version comes out, it will take the back-up place left vacant when I sold the D80 the other day.
Let's face it, Pentax is way behind the two biggies Nikon and Canon. You are about to buy a system dude. That means you're limited or blessed with the lens, and all the accessories which come with the system you go with. I'm sure the Pentax performs well enough, but their system is nowhere near that of Nikon.
Canon is sitting on it's hands for the moment in response to the D40. Nikon is taking it to Canon at the moment in terms of the consumer and enthusiast camera scene. Go with the leader.
That is my unbiased opinion of course.
Well, I finally made the choice to get a d40, after trying them both out extensively in store, etc. The pentac was heavy and felt sold, and the images where good, but it was slower and more difficult to use.
I'm really enjoying it so far, even though I've only been able to actually use it for about half an hour now... :)
Congratulations on pulling the trigger.
Once you get yourself oriented and comfortable with the camera, can I suggest you go on over the (yes, I am going to recommend it again) Strobist site, read through Lighting 101, and consider jumping into Lighting 102?
I don't know that there is anything that will have as big an impact as learning about lighting, and David's site is a fabulous place to do it. The great thing is that he is very, um, frugal, and therefore has set up his site for those of us trying to get by on a single strobe or two. He believes very strongly that "light gives you far more bang-for-the-buck than does fast glass or the latest digital camera or 300/2.8," and I have come to agree.
Site's here (http://strobist.blogspot.com/).
EL
Saralonde
07-19-2007, 02:45 PM
Congrats on the new camera, Nick:D! So, when are you posting your first shot;)?
Congrats on the new camera, Nick:D! So, when are you posting your first shot;)?
Um... as soon as it stops raining in northern Ontario...lol. Hopefully soon!
kirbinster
07-19-2007, 04:26 PM
Think you made a good choice - i have had my D40 for about 6 weeks and love it. I am up over 5000 shots already. I got the 55-200VR lens as well, and a spare battery although the life of the battery is so good I probably wasted money on a second one.
jeffegg2
08-01-2007, 07:11 PM
I would have to vote for the D40.
perhaps I am biased!!
jdepould
08-01-2007, 08:36 PM
Think you made a good choice - i have had my D40 for about 6 weeks and love it. I am up over 5000 shots already. I got the 55-200VR lens as well, and a spare battery although the life of the battery is so good I probably wasted money on a second one.
All it takes is for the battery to die on you once and you won't be saying that. ;)
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