[Rabies]

I am currently undergoing a bit of a dilemna as to what to do with my camera.  At the mo I only have a D40 which has been great to learn the basics on but I am looking to progress.  One option is to buy a few new lenses before potentially upgrading to a D60 or D90 body in the future.  The other option which I am considering is going for a new Canon 550d, the bonus being that it has HD video.

I've kind of made up my mind already but any thoughts would be appreciated. I guess it's just a question of whether you prefer Canon or Nikon.

[Tris]

What lenses have you got already for the D40?

If you need autofocus, then the choice of lenses is pretty limited (as I'm sure you know) for the D40.

My missus has a D40 which I pinch fairly regularly and I still love it... tis a great little camera!

Stay with Nikon 

[Rabies]

I only have the basic lens hence why I want to buy some new ones.  I have borrowed various mate's lenses from time to time but could do with some of my own.  Autofocus can be handy but I don't think that will be an issue if I upgrade the body at a later date.

[Johnny Brown]

The Canon 550 is the pick of the bunch of value DSLRs at the mo, but it won't be for long. Nikon's replacement for the D90 will be out in a couple of months, and other models will follow. Canon and Nikon's product cycles are roughly two years, so they tend to alternate at being ahead.

I wouldn't switch brands unless there's a strong reason to do so. Putting cash into lenses is a much better long term investment. Decent lenses hold value well; bodies don't.

Hard to recommend any specific lenses without knowing what you shoot, budget etc, but after cheap zooms most beginners find something like a 50mm f/1.8 prime a bit of a revelation.

[Tris]

Have you picked up and played with the Canon in a shop? You may find you don't like it anyway 

If it was me, I would keep the D40  -  the D40 with a 35mm f/1.8 AF-S is a great compact combination. The other lens which works well with a D40 is the Sigma 10-20mm HMC.

[Rabies]

I shoot mainly landscapes and of course climbing so I think I'll start with a prime lens and get a better zoom lens and then maybe a fisheye.  A few people have recommended the 50mm prime so I might go with that.

Cheers for the advice.

[Johnny Brown]

Either the 35mm or 50mm f/1.8s would be good choices. The 35 is standard - ie fairly neutral perspective, the 50 is more of a portrait lens - ie tighter framing, slightly compressed perspective. What have you got at the mo - 18-55?

[Tris]

A few people have recommended the 50mm prime so I might go with that.

Only the 1.4 AF-S version will autofocus on the D40, if you shoot mainly climbing/landscapes then you may not get too much use out of it. I have the f/1.8 version and did use it on the D40 manually and got some good shots - you do find you miss the AF though (especially through the D40's tiny viewfinder). I reckon you're best off getting the 35mm first. My 35mm is pretty much glued to my D300.

[Johnny Brown]

Good point.

[slackline]

The other option which I am considering is going for a new Canon 550d, the bonus being that it has HD video.

The D90 also has HD (upto 720p) if its a particular feature you are hankering after.

Second the 50mm f/1.8 as a good next lens choice as its a real bargain for the price.

Listen to JB with regards to lenses being where to invest your money.

Also if a replacement to the D90 is due on the market soon prices on D90's will likely drop when it comes out (if you can resist) affording you more money to buy lenses. 

[Rabies]

Thanks, so it's a choice between the 50mm f/1.8 and the 35mm f1.8.  Any zoom lenses you would recommend?

[Johnny Brown]

No, as Tris pointed out, the 50mm f/1.8 is a pain on a D40 (no AF), and the 50mm f/1.4 that will work is £££. I'd go for the 35 f/1.8.

Zooms - although cheap, Nikon's 55-200 has a good rep. Worth paying the extra for VR. For wide, look at Sigma's 10-20 and Tokina's various options like the 12-24/4. One of the Tokinas (11-16?) is a fisheye zoom - proper fisheye at one end, more normal at the other.

[Tris]

The only one that will work on the D40 is the Sigma 10-20. I used to use it with the D40 and got some good results.

I now have the Tokina 11-16, this will not AF on the D40 (also it's just an ultra wide not a fish-eye, the fish eye is the 10-17).

[dave]

Of all the lensese at least a wide-ultrawide zoom is one that you'll miss AF on the least, you should have enough depth of field to guess focus if the main subject isn't right in your face.

[Tris]

Good point Dave. The Sigma was the cheapest though (some might say for a reason  ), not sure if it still is?

[Paul B]

I've got a 550d and I love it. Having said that when someone hands me a Nikon I struggle with it as I haven't a clue how they work so switching might be a bit of an arse.

The Full HD (slackers take note) is great, however, be aware of the fact that its a vdslr not a camcorder and as such is a bit trickier to use 

[slackline]

The Full HD (slackers take note) is great, however, be aware of the fact that its a vdslr not a camcorder and as such is a bit trickier to use 

[JamesD]

4K DVD is the future, bluray players will become obsolete soon, and HD will become the new SD 

Besides if you believe the rumours.....Nikon are working on firmware/hardware that will enable you to record full RAW video footage in an SLR body, for under £5k.
That could be a game changing move that would force the video companies to start offering far better value for money, and I don't think they will be able to get away with sticking ancient sensors in their pro level bodies for much longer, people will start to demand more for the astronomical prices the video industry are charging for their cameras now that the pro-camera big shots are starting to offer such excellent quality video, that is getting more and more user friendly........

[Rabies]

Thanks for the info everyone.  Opted for the 35mm f1.8 prime in the end as well as a 55-200 VR zoom.

[Johnny Brown]

Nice. Should be a versatile set up.

[JamesD]

Good choice, you will not regret it, it'll blow any cheap zoom outta the water in terms of image quality, good lenses stay with you for a long time