... VALUE FOR MONEY
After an extensive research of 3 months,like every starter, I narrowed down my buying options to Nikon D60/D40 or Canon XSI(450D) or Nikon D90.
Canon Xsi and D90 definitely have some more features than D60 like AEB,9 focus points,movie mode,in-camera autofocus motor etc.., but with a highly, unjustifiable price tag.
Also, I was really turned off by reading the negative reviews about the Canon XSI autofocus,in almost every discussion forum.Autofocus is the heart of DSLR System.No matter what,it should be the best.All other features are not always indispensable.Nikon is known for its quality optics and D60 ( D90 too ),has an awesome autofocus which is pretty fast.
I feel XSi,and to some extent D90 have feature trade-off with price.Xsi comes with 20% more price than what this Nikon D60 kit costs , and that too with the basic 18-55mm IS lens.BUT with this D60 kit($700 in Feb-09),we get a 55-200mm VR (awesome lens) + camera bag(very useful accessory) + 16 Gb Memory card + card reader + extra battery. Add $300-$350 more to already high price,if u want these accessories with XSI or D90 . BUT BUT BUT , at that budget + a little more :) i would rather consider buying a PRO level camera,than a starter like the XSi or an intermdiate like the D90.
And with regards to features,as I said that apart from a good fast autofocus all other features are not indispensable. This is how.
1) AEB --> Consider this equation.
AEB in XSI or D90 == D60/D40 + Photoshop/Lightroom
Morover u can do in camera editing(image overlay) in D60 to produce those HDR,for which AEB is being craved for.
2) 9 Focus points - Focus points are nothing but the number of points in the scene which can be focused.You can easily focus a part of the image frame, using any focus point with a 3-point or even 1point focus.More focus points find application in fast moving subjects,but only if your camera auto focus is not sluggish :). If u want that go with a 51 AF point PRO level DSLR.
3) In Camera auto focus motor: This i would consider an important feature,if you are a pro and have some old non AF lenses. But for a starter ,it doesnt matter at all
4) Movie mode: Come on , sub standard jelly like movie from a DSLR , Go for a much much better handycam for 1/3rd the price .
Conclusion:: MY Take is get a GOOD VALUE camera which is as good as PRO in normal conditions just like NIkon D60.Believe me,you will be able to grow as a pro and learn as much as u can with an intermediate level camera. So all the money I save here ( good [...]), I can use later to buy a prolevel Camera body (remem :these lenses will work :) ) , like D300,D200 or ever D700. By then I suppoz the price of contemporary pro level bodies will also come down.This is what is called value addition.
PERFORMANCE AND FEATURES
Personally I would tag Nikon D60 in a starter category-feature wise but Above intermediate-performance wise(focus and quality of pictures).
I waited for good 3-4 months after buying this camera, so that I am atleast able to provide a useful review.During this time I used D60 exhaustively,innovatively and experimentally and I must say that I am very very pleased with the results. [...]
1) Dead shot autofocus which is very fast.
2) Awesome metering performance with spot metering.More than satisfactory performance for matrix metering in high contrast scenes.
3) Good Technology EXPEED Processor , renders nice colors and nearly accurate exposure ( if u know how to do it ) on 10MP sensor.
4) Sharp ISO performance upto ISO 800. If you are a close observer , you could find some noise in ISO 1600.
5) Nice Design , i just love handling the dial,in manual mode. Would have been slightly better , if there was dedicated buttons for WB , ISO.But here also , make ISO one button touch with Fn key and keep the WB settin on menu. This is how i do it.
6) White Balance works fine with single light sources.But it does not always render accurate colors with multiple light sources, that is not a camera limitation , that is indeed a technological limitation.
7) In camera editing -: Nothing much , but sometimes you would find it as a nice timepass while experimenting with your shots.
All in all i would say that this is complete value for money.You would not repent your spending,and every penny would add to the value addition of photographic endeavours.
Personally I would recommend to buy UV filters ( multi coated ) for lens protection, A CPL filter and a Lens pen .
Hope all the information i provided , based on my experience is helpful to you all.
[...]
And remember as they say , the artist creates the masterpiece and not the camera ..Happy photographing ...
Check Amazon Price and Read More Reviews on Nikon D60 Digital SLR Camera (Black/Gold) with 18-55mm AF-S VR Zoom Lens + 55-200mm f/4-5.6G AF-S DX VR IF-ED Zoom Lens + 16GB SD Card + EN-EL9 Battery + Case + Cameta Bonus Accessory Kit
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