Photography Question Nikon D60 or ...

Hi, I am new to D-SLR camera's having never owned one before and I have a friend that is looking to part with his Nikon D60 since he has recently upgraded his camera. My question for you photography experts is am I wasting my time getting a D60? Should I just look for something more current? My intended uses are to photograph my kids sporting events, swimming family here :yh: so action shots, and to try my hand out at taking pictures of some lasers of course. I have read the D60 does not have autofocus motor so you need to make certain the lenses have an autofocus motor on them, which I think most of the newer lenses do, but I will make sure to check on this.

Thoughts? Input? I have to think with all the pictures we get of the lasers here some members are big into photography in addition to lasers.

Thanks for any input you can offer!

-j2k

p.s. if this is in the wrong place, please forgive me, I looked around and was not able to determine the best place for this thread, perhaps General would have been better? Please move the thread as required if I goofed here.

I have gotten pretty big into photography. I have a D3100 which shares some similarities to the camera you are considering.

1. The back screen is a low resolution, so it can be difficult to see how good your pictures came out. Not a big deal at first but after seeing the back screen of my friend's Canon T3i I wish I had something better. Yours and mine are 230k pixels on backscreen. The better ones have upwards of 900k pixels.

2. The auto focus issue is not a big deal. It will only limit the lenses you can buy. Even then you can get a non-AF lens but you will just have to focus manually. No biggie. In fact with lasers I usually focus it manually anyway as the light throws the sensor off a bit.

3. Frames per second on your camera is going to be fairly low. 3 FPS is not nearly as fast as you might think. Mine does 3.7 fps and I find myself wishing for more. That being said, you won't find more than 5 fps for under 1000 dollars.

4. Your useable ISO is going to be limited to 1600. You will be able to put it to 3200 but your pictures will come out Terribly with tons of noise. If you see yourself taking quick night shots you should think about a newer camera with better ISO range. ISO is your sensitivity to light. The higher you go, the more grainy your pictures will look. Different cameras can hold onto detail at different ISO ranges. A D5200 will look better at higher ISO than a D3300.

How much is he asking for that camera?

He hasn't mentioned a price yet. He is brining the camera for me to look at tomorrow so I can test it out over the weekend and see if I like it. I suspect the price will be more than fair for an model they no longer make. I see them used online for around $150 on Ebay so depending on if there are any lenses with it, which I don't think there are, I am thinking $100-$150 would be fair price for me to offer? What do you think is fair for that camera? Am I way to low on that number?

130 is more than reasonable. It is sad how little they are worth considering their original price. That said it is lucky for you!

Well, I am taking it for a 'test ride' today at my kids swim practice to see how well it can capture them while they are swimming. I am concerned after doing a little research that the D60 will not have a high enough ISO as you stated to fast moving potentially low lighting events like indoor swim meets where, for obvious reasons, no flashes are allowed.

So as an alternative, I am looking at a seemingly nice bundle deal at Costco right now.
Nikon D3200 DSLR Camera 2 Lens Bundle for $679.99
Nikon D3200 DSLR Camera 2 Lens Bundle

I am not wanting to spend the extra money, but I would rather get a little too much than not enough camera and it sounds more and more like the D60 is in the not enough category. The higher ISO spec alone, 6400 vs 1600, stands out again and again as something more experienced photographers keep bringing up in the discussions I am reading at various forums. Its necessary clearer action shots I am reading.

That is a great deal. If that lens is in fact a VR lens, it is about 250 for the lens. The camera is typically 599 although most places keep it on sale for 499. The adapter is usually 80 dollars or so. The bag is 70. The DVD though is not worth anything IMHO.

So 750+80+70=900

So for 679 not bad at all.

j2k said:

I am not wanting to spend the extra money, but I would rather get a little too much than not enough camera and it sounds more and more like the D60 is in the not enough category. The higher ISO spec alone, 6400 vs 1600, stands out again and again as something more experienced photographers keep bringing up in the discussions I am reading at various forums. Its necessary clearer action shots I am reading.

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Learning how to manually control your aperture, shutter speed, exposure, white balance and ISO is pretty interesting; however, once you know how, you will want to do certain things that you will be limited to by the camera you decide to choose. Just remember, higher the ISO is set, the more noise (it will look grainy) in the photo. My advise to you, spend the extra $$$ you won't be disappointed. If you do well [actually learn how to shoot], you will end up with 2 or 3 different lenses anyway $$$, look into a D7000 kit on ebay. Get the 18-105mm lens, that should be good enough to get you moving in the right direction. If you fail, you can always sell it =)

I have been schooled in digital photography, best bang for the dollar and the quality is top notch!

Feel free to ask me anything you have questions about...

Good luck!

Josh

Remember that your real investments with SLR cameras are the lenses. The bodies, especially digital bodies, are the "disposable" part of your camera system.

What lens will you receive with that D60 DSR body? If it's the decent kit lens with VR, it'll be a nice camera to learn using. If it's just the body, I would look on eBay for a better deal, because you'll have to buy a lens on top of the camera body. I saw a whole D60 camera kit with lens for $200 (auction with no bids) when I checked.

That said, it's not a bad way to go to buy the camera body and lens separately, but only if you have a specific lens in mind. The 18-55mm VR lenses are pretty decent.

Regardless, even that DSLR will be able to take better pictures than practically any compact you can find.

j2k said:

Hi, I am new to D-SLR camera's having never owned one before and I have a friend that is looking to part with his Nikon D60 since he has recently upgraded his camera. My question for you photography experts is am I wasting my time getting a D60? Should I just look for something more current? My intended uses are to photograph my kids sporting events, swimming family here :yh: so action shots, and to try my hand out at taking pictures of some lasers of course. I have read the D60 does not have autofocus motor so you need to make certain the lenses have an autofocus motor on them, which I think most of the newer lenses do, but I will make sure to check on this.

Thoughts? Input? I have to think with all the pictures we get of the lasers here some members are big into photography in addition to lasers.

Thanks for any input you can offer!

-j2k

p.s. if this is in the wrong place, please forgive me, I looked around and was not able to determine the best place for this thread, perhaps General would have been better? Please move the thread as required if I goofed here.

Click to expand...

Hi.

The D60 is *extremely* old. Both model and technology wise. I'd avoid it unless you get it for a bargain such as ~$50-$100.

Looking at an entry DSLR take a look at the Nikon D3300 or D5300.

Neither include in house AF motor. Which is used with older lenses (Usually the ones ending with a D in the model or which are not AF-S).

Looking at any modern lenses it'll have full compatibility.

Cheers.