nikon d40/d50

paulmallon

Thinking of buying a nikon d40/50 and im told there is a big difference in memory cards. Any advice?
I am only a beginner to dslr's.

GristlyEnd

The both accept SD cards. You can get SD cards up to 4GB. The D40 will accept SDHC cards with the biggest available now at 8GB. I'm not sure if the D50 take SDHC cards as well.

The D40 is a great starter DSLR but I would try to pick up a D50. You should get a good deal on one.

melekalikimaka

Nikon's choice of "compromises" with the D40 are switching to a new three area AF sensor (although it seems to be just as fast), removing some of the flexibility (you can't change the CW average area, exposure steps are fixed at 1/3 EV and there's no bracketing) and removing the status LCD (although this has more to do with making the camera smaller than saving money). What the D40 shares with the D50 are some of the important things, the six megapixel sensor, the 420 pixel metering sensor (also used on the D80), the more 'consumer like' default IIIa color mode and 2.5 frames per second continuous shooting (although now unlimited in JPEG mode).

On the plus side you get ISO 3200 equiv. (HI 1), the ever useful customizable Auto ISO, a larger viewfinder view, shorter shutter lag and viewfinder blackout, a larger LCD monitor, a considerably nicer user interface, SDHC support, a new image processing engine, unlimited JPEG continuous shooting, in-camera retouching (including D-Lighting) and of course a smaller and lighter body. It would not therefore be fair to describe the D40 as a 'dumbed down' D50, far from it, the range of improvements and new features out-weigh those which have been removed or reduce, which would most likely not be missed by the average D40 owner.

Perhaps the biggest negative on the D40 is that it doesn't have an internal focus drive motor and hence no mechanical focus drive pin, instead it only has CPU contacts which means it can only Auto Focus with AF-S and AF-I lenses (those with built-in focus motors). Indeed our 'standard' lens the Nikkor 50 mm F1.8D (and the F1.4D) are manual focus only on the D40. The images below show the difference between the mount on the D40 and D80, the D80 has a mechanical focus drive pin at about the 7 o'clock position.

(yes its cut and paste )

mtracey

I'd have to agree that you should try and get a D50 if possible.
Ideally with a lens other than the standard 18-55mm also.

thebaz

mtracey wrote:

I'd have to agree that you should try and get a D50 if possible.
Ideally with a lens other than the standard 18-55mm also.

I started out on a d50 -- and find it good to learn with - it is hard to buy the camera without the kit lens here in Ireland , as they do a good bundle package in the shops , and it is difficult to buy with the 18-70 lens -- i have switched to a second hand 18-70 -- but i found the 18-55 fine to start with. Think the d80 comes with the 18 -70 , but i'd still reccomend the d50 itself .