# Nikon D40 vs Pentax ist DS vs Canon 300d.



## anubis404 (May 24, 2008)

Which one of these cameras is the biggest, and which one do you recommend? Lets say the pentax is the cheapest, next the cannon, and the most expensive is the D40. I would really like something small, because I will be taking these cameras on hiking trips, and I don't want something weighing me down. Also, lets assume all of them are using their kit lens.


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## evo5gsr (May 24, 2008)

http://www.dpreview.com/reviews/compare_post.asp?method=sidebyside&cameras=canon_eos300d%2Cnikon_d40%2Cpentax_istds&show=all


As expected, the D40 is the lightest.


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## Joves (May 24, 2008)

Yeah I think the D40 is the smallest as well. I hike with my D80 and D300 myself.


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## anubis404 (May 24, 2008)

I'm not sure which to get. I think I can get the canon for the cheapest, or at least around the cost of the Pentax. I really want a D40, but I cant find it within my price range. The Pentax has very good and cheap lenses, and I can get a protection plan with it. I think the pentax is my best bet, but I really like the look of the canon. What camera would be better?


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## Smith2688 (May 24, 2008)

What's your price range?


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## anubis404 (May 24, 2008)

Up to $350 for body and lens.


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## usayit (May 24, 2008)

Given that the nikon D40 is 2-3 years newer than the other two, there is most likely an unfair technological advantage....  Don't think a D40 is obtainable within your $350 budget.


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## anubis404 (May 24, 2008)

I realize that. The body alone is $350. However, I want to know if the d40 is really worth waiting and saving up more money. The pentax looks like my best bet, however it looks just way too big. But, it takes SD memory, and has good lenses for cheap. I really like how the canon looks and feels (I have used a friend's before), and I have not felt or even seen a pentax in real life, and the ist ds is discontinued. Does the Pentax have anything more than the canon in terms of image quality?


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## Rogan (May 25, 2008)

Definately save for the D40

the 300D is practically an ancient camera now, its like 6 years old?

not sure about the Pentax but the D40 defiantely seems worth saving for.


EDIT* just looked on ebay for just under $350 you can get a used Nikon D70 which would mean you would have a larger variety of older lenses to chose from, thus saving you money!


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## usayit (May 25, 2008)

anubis404 said:


> I realize that. The body alone is $350. However, I want to know if the d40 is really worth waiting and saving up more money.



Any of the currently line cameras... whether it is a Nikon, Canon, or Pentax will be better than older versions of DSLR.  



> The pentax looks like my best bet, however it looks just way too big. But, it takes SD memory, and has good lenses for cheap.



Pentax big? What gave you that idea.? The pentax is pretty darn compact.... it is just a tiny bit larger in size than the D40.   We are talking 1-2mm here and there and less than 100g weight... you are really spliting hairs at that point. The weight difference in the Pentax is due to the fact that it was designed to take standard sized AA batteries instead of the compact li-ion batteries.  IMO, this is an advantage for someone on the go.... AA batteries can be found ANYWHERE.



> I really like how the canon looks and feels (I have used a friend's before), and I have not felt or even seen a pentax in real life, and the ist ds is discontinued. Does the Pentax have anything more than the canon in terms of image quality?



Honestly... if you like the Canon, you should just choose Canon.  As most will tell you here, purchasing a personal choice with no right/wrong or best/bad.  All the cameras in the market will keep 90% of the photographers out there happy.  The differences in final print usually ends up being the skills of the person behind the camera.  

I shoot with Canon and the Samsung twin of the Pentax *ist.  Neither has yet to disappoint.  The Samsung was purchased from a pawn shop as I wanted to try out my collection of manual K-mount lenses and M42 screwmounts on a digital body.


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## anubis404 (May 25, 2008)

usayit said:


> Pentax big? What gave you that idea.? The pentax is pretty darn compact.... it is just a tiny bit larger in size than the D40.   We are talking 1-2mm here and there and less than 100g weight... you are really spliting hairs at that point. The weight difference in the Pentax is due to the fact that it was designed to take standard sized AA batteries instead of the compact li-ion batteries.



Oh, then maybe I am wrong. I just saw some videos on youtube, and it looks quite big in comparison with the D40 or the Canon. However, if it really is pretty much the same size as the D40, then maybe I should reconsider.



I just want to be sure about which camera, because I will not be upgrading the body any time soon.


PS: I've also seen a Canon 350d XT, however it has a CMOS sensor. I have heard that CMOS sensors are not as sensitive as CCD sensors. Is the difference miniscule, or is it something I should consider when buying?


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## anubis404 (May 25, 2008)

Rogan said:


> EDIT* just looked on ebay for just under $350 you can get a used Nikon D70 which would mean you would have a larger variety of older lenses to chose from, thus saving you money!




A D70 for $350? I have never seen a D70 for $350 on ebay. I haven't even seen a D70 body for that much.


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## usayit (May 25, 2008)

I hear the D70 is/was a good camera..... just be aware that it is a camera that is larger than the D40.  Just pointing it out since you seem concerned about overall size/weight.


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## anubis404 (May 25, 2008)

A D70 would be great, however I don't know where to find it at a reasonable price.

I did find a Pentax IST dl. It is supposedly lighter and smaller with a larger LCD, however it lacks some of the AF modes that the ds has. It seems like a good buy.


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## Smith2688 (May 25, 2008)

You also have to be aware that these cameras are only rated for a certain number of shutter actuations.  Buying one of these old, used digital SLRs is a risk since you might be buying one that is far beyond or close to its rated shutter actuation life.  Repairing a broken shutter wouldn't be fun if you're trying to save money.  I would try to stay away from the 300D, especially, for this reason since it is the oldest of these cameras.


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## anubis404 (May 27, 2008)

Ok, I'm already staying away from the 300d. I am increasing my budget to $400 in order to get a D40, because it seems like thats the best camera on the market in my price range. I went to my local circut city and handled some cameras, and I loved the D40, and did not like the Canon XT. However, I also liked the feel of the Olympus E-510. I have found an Olympus E-500 on ebay for a little less than a D40 would cost me. Are both the D40 and the Olympus in the same class, or is one newer than the other? However, I think the D40 is still what I am going to go for.


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## usayit (May 27, 2008)

anubis404 said:


> have found an Olympus E-500 on ebay for a little less than a D40 would cost me. Are both the D40 and the Olympus in the same class, or is one newer than the other? However, I think the D40 is still what I am going to go for.



The problem I have with Olympus is the 4/3rds format sensor... its smaller than even APS-C


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## Chewbecca (May 27, 2008)

Hi, new here.  But I just wanted to say that I hope you don't mind manually focusing a bunch of lenses you might want.
You are probably aware of this already (though I wasn't until recently), but just in case, unless you plan on buying all AF-S lenses, you will have to manually focus all your lenses.
Not that it's a bad thing for me, it'll teach me a thing or two since I'm COMPLETELY new to DSLRs/photography.

From what I've read and been able to find, it's really limiting on your lens selection.  And this sucks for me because I have the D60.  But...it all depends on what you plan to photograph, too.  If you're not going to be using spiffy special lenses, older lenses, or don't mind manually focusing, then the D40 is great.  And it IS a nice camera.  Just kind of lens-limited, from what I've been able to gather.

Anyone want to correct me if I'm wrong, please?


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## anubis404 (May 27, 2008)

I have heard that the D40 has no autofocus motor, but I am fine with manual focusing the lens. I have played with these cameras before, and manual focusing is no problem.


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## evo5gsr (May 28, 2008)

anubis404 said:


> I have heard that the D40 has no autofocus motor, but I am fine with manual focusing the lens. I have played with these cameras before, and manual focusing is no problem.




You'd only need to manually focus with certain lenses, anyway.


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## JIP (May 28, 2008)

If you have a size issue and want to know how big or small a certain camera is why don't you just go to a camera store and hold them.  There is no obligation to buy when you are looking (although they may try and really put the pressure on) and it will give you a good idea of the sizes of the different cameras.


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## andrew99 (May 28, 2008)

I have a D40 also.  Don't worry too much about the auto focus issue, there are lots of lenses that *will* auto focus with the D40.  I have a Sigma wide angle lens (10-20mm) and a Sigma telephoto (50-150mm) which both auto focus and work perfectly with my D40.  Any Nikon lens with AF-S or Sigma with HSM will auto focus on the D40.


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## Chewbecca (May 28, 2008)

Gosh, I didn't mean to be overly critical about the lens issue.
I'm dealing with it, as my D60 doesn't have an in-body AF motor either, I was just trying to let you know, just in case you didn't.  I, for some reason, thought you were as brand-spanking new to DSLRs as I am.  I didn't realize you had held the different bodies already.


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## ovjamaica (May 28, 2008)

anubis404 said:


> I've also seen a Canon 350d XT, however it has a CMOS sensor. I have heard that CMOS sensors are not as sensitive as CCD sensors. Is the difference miniscule, or is it something I should consider when buying?




The CMOS sensors are just fine. When you get down into the smaller sizes that they use in video cameras you start to have issues, but in the DSLR sizes they are fine. Even the Canon 1D (which costs over $7,000) uses a CMOS sensor and I'd say it produces a nice image.

I actually faced this same debate recently and went with the Rebel XT for a few reasons. It's small, it takes great pictures and it is a wonderful way to learn. I chose it over the D40 for some of the reasons mentioned here (AF-S lenses, noisier images at high ISO, etc). Don't let that deter you from the D40 though. It's a good camera and it seems like many people here start with them and greatly enjoy them. I have a Nikon N75 35mm SLR that I really enjoy and it works very well. So I think Nikon makes a good camera. I just chose Canon because that's the line I want to continue in. Either way I don't think you'll go wrong. As usayit said earlier, you'll probably be happy with any of these cameras and it's more about the photographer than the camera. Best of luck.


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## anubis404 (May 29, 2008)

I did not like the way that the Canon XT fit in my hand. The grip seemed too small.

I just ordered a D40 yesterday, and its shipping. Thanks for all your help!


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## andrew99 (May 30, 2008)

You're gunna love it!


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## Beastt (Jun 1, 2008)

anubis404 said:


> I did not like the way that the Canon XT fit in my hand. The grip seemed too small.
> 
> I just ordered a D40 yesterday, and its shipping. Thanks for all your help!



*Congratulations!*

I bought a D40 (two-lens kit), as a surprise for a friend of mine (I couldn't afford to buy another D80 like I bought myself), and they absolutely love it!  It's become as much a part of their right hand as their fingernails.  It goes everywhere with them and partially because it is so compact for a D-SLR.

I have no doubt you'll instantly fall in love with yours and that symbiotic cooperation will simply grow from there.  I've been watching the thread quietly to this point because I believe I'm a bit biased on the issue but had I commented earlier, this would have been the choice I would have urged you to make.

P.S. I love your signature quote about liberty and security.


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## anubis404 (Jun 2, 2008)

Thanks. Yea, I ordered a warranty and a high speed sd card for it too.

I also had a question about sensor cleaning. I was told that I need to take the camera in to get the sensor cleaned once a year. Is this true? I've never heard of this.


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## Senor Hound (Jun 2, 2008)

anubis404 said:


> Thanks. Yea, I ordered a warranty and a high speed sd card for it too.
> 
> I also had a question about sensor cleaning. I was told that I need to take the camera in to get the sensor cleaned once a year. Is this true? I've never heard of this.



It's not a bad idea.  With film, your sensor is changed with every shot, so dust isn't an issue.  With point and shoots, the body is closed in, so dust has a lot harder time getting in to the sensor.  But with a DSLR, you can almost directly expose the sensor to the outside world, so dust will accumulate and eventually may even mess with your photos.  Keeping a lens or body cover on your camera as much as humanly possible will prevent this a lot, but at the same time an annual cleaning will make sure that what does accumulate never messes with your images.


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## anubis404 (Jun 2, 2008)

Thanks for the advice. The warranty I ordered came with a free cleaning. I will almost always keep the lens and body caps on. If I'm good with the lens and body caps, when should I get the camera cleaned? One year? Two?


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## andrew99 (Jun 3, 2008)

I would only get it cleaned if there is dust showing on your pictures.. the sensor is so delicate I wouldn't risk it for no reason.

My best advice is don't ever use a can of compressed air on your camera or lens.  Please don't ask me how I know this.


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## anubis404 (Jun 3, 2008)

Even if you bounce the air off something?


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## Syndac (Jun 3, 2008)

anubis404 said:


> Even if you bounce the air off something?



When your sensor needs cleaning, you'll notice it in your pictures.  The slightest speck of dust will show up as a dark blurry spot which ruins the picture.  You shouldn't be using anything other than a sensor cleaning kit which you can buy at most camera stores.  I've had my D50 for a year and I've only cleaned the sensor once when I bought it (used) because it desperately needed it.


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