New slr camera for future?

Question

For christmas i am Gunna treat myself to a new slr but, what one?

i am gunna spend about £450.

Ok i only got my slr a few weeks ago, ita a nikon d40.

But i feel i need something alot more professonial.

Thanks.

Answer 1

Depends on why you need a more professional model. The D40 will produce some lovely pictures, and much of the skill of photography lies with the operator. Get better lenses, by all means, but i am not convinced about the need for a better camera unless you are going to hammer it.

Answer 2

Well, normally I would advise the Nikon D80. But in this case, I would say your money would be better spent investing in a better lens, and some good lights, etc. The money to spend on a ore professional camera would be no less than $1400 so I recommend spending that on strobes, etc.

If you go here, you can see some of the pictures a Nikon D40 has taken. Maybe it's your photography that could get better, not the camera. I dont mean that in a rude way. http://flickr.com/cameras/nikon/d40

Particularily, look at these: (they are some Nikon D40 pics that really impressed me, quality wise)

http://flickr.com/photos/27590474@N07/27...

http://flickr.com/photos/dottielou/11401...

http://flickr.com/photos/gunnarb/2517461...

http://flickr.com/photos/ivanomak/428742...

http://flickr.com/photos/together8/22935...

http://flickr.com/photos/natashap/233726...

http://flickr.com/photos/24356676@N07/24...

However, if you still feel you need a better camera, look for a place that will give you credit if you give them the D40. I know that at henrys, if you give the camera back in the first year, they will give you half the current price of the camera back, in store credit.  

Hey, if you can't find a way to sell the D40 used, than it's better than nothing.

Answer 3

spend the money on some nice lenses. you wont believe what a difference it makes.

Unless you're actually hampered by the camera's options. The megapixel thing is irrelevant. when you see an awesome pic it's because it was taken with a good lens, not because the camera itself was good

Answer 4

Pentax K200D + 18-55II and 55-200 promobox should be approximately 450 pounds.

And if you sell your D40, then you can buy Pentax 50mm F 1.4 and will get covered quite a huge range for everyday pics (18-200) and get one  good fixed lense also.

At the moment there are no competitors against Pentax in cheaper price level.

Answer 5

Hang on first of all you say you want something more professional unless your willing to spend over £700 pounds for and pro camera and just maybe a kit lens that isn't going to happen Nikon's pro camera is the d3 a beautiful piece of equipment but ...... that costs more than 3 times the amount you want to spend the best thing you could probably do is by an entry level dslr which is still gonna go over your budget of about £600 something like the canon 450d if your lucky but if you only have £450 to spend i would go for something like the canon 400d. Anyway if you just got the nikon d40 stick with it for a little while until you get used to it you may end up liking it,it is a nice dslr to start off with and can produce some good images i would save your money and get a nikon lens for your nikon and then eventually go on to a higher dslr something like the nikon d700 or possibly the d3.

Answer 6

Actually the D40 is a great entry level DSLR. You may be better served upgrading from the kit lens, getting a good strobe like the SB800 and a good solid tripod. I have a D300 and I love it but I still often grab my D40 when I am going out shooting for fun

http://www.kenrockwell.com/nikon/d40.htm  

Answer 7

I would hang on to the D40 and spend your money and on a high quality lens, then save up and buy a better DLSR once you can afford to by a top quality one.  

If you really want to by a New DSLR I would stick with Nikon,  that way you can have your main camera and a backup both of which can use the same lenses .  

Answer 8

I think you're going to struggle to get something professional for £450, but I reckon your best bet would be the Canon EOS400d.  It's not the latest model, so is falling in price, but is actually superior to its successor according to my friends in the photography world.  The 450d (replacement) has attempted to incoporate a live screen on the back of the camera, but the technology just isn't good enough yet to make it worth using.  The 400d is more on a par with the Nikon D60 or D80 (somewhere between the two) and is very user friendly.  I have one and love it.