D40x or Xti for fast moving children

Hello, I have been over and over the different forums here and still need a bit of advice. I have looked at several camersa, the Xti, D40X and the E510 and am still at a loss. I currently have an Olympus C-750 ultrazoom and am looking to upgrade to a dslr because I keep finding myself wanting to use my old Minolta Slr simply because it focuses faster on my moving children and I'm tired of missing out on all the moments.

I've pretty much decided against the E-510 even though it was the most comfortable fit in my hand because I've read reviews that it has trouble focusing in low light conditions. Our main living area in our house is rustic and pretty much all wood. Wood walls, wood floors and wood ceilings. I'm afraid without an external flash I won't be better off than with my C-750.

I've also looked at and held the Xti and D40X in my hand several times and at first I felt the Xti was more comfortable but the more I've held the D40x the more comfortable it fells as well. I geuss it comes down to this. I really am looking for a camera that has very little shutter delay, that will focus fast on movement, that the flash will work well enough and quickly enough inside our home, that has low noise at 1600 ISO, that I can make decent sized prints with and that is not going to break the bank.

I realize that the lens has alot to do with the my requirements but knowing that I can't afford any 2.8 lenses at this time what are your suggestions.

If I purchase the Xti body only I will purchase the EF-S 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6 IS lens and eventually the EF-S 55-250mm f/4-5.6 IS lens.

If I purchase the D40X body I will purchase the 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6G AF-S DX VR lens and the Nikon 55-200mm f/4-5.6G ED IF AF-S DX VR lens.

Then Nikon would be just a little cheaper in the long run but may not meet my needs as well as the Canon.

I know that I could upgrade to a 30D or a D80 but am not sure if my needs require that much camera since this is my fist dslr and I'll primarily be taking photos of my ever moving children and their activities.

Any advice or input is greatly appreciated.

I think either of those camera's would suit your needs. There's another consideration. You mentioned an old Minolta SLR that you have. If it is of the Minolta Maxxum line and uses AF lenses, those lenses would be compatible with Sony DSLR's. That could save you a bit of money. The Sony a100 isn't great at high ISO, but with money saved on lenses you could opt for the a700 which is much better at high ISO. Sony also has announced it's a200, which is priced less than the a100 and should be available in February, and offers better high ISO.

--
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I did look at the Sony A100 but had decided against it due to the noise at high ISO. The A200 might be a good option but I am concerned that my 28-70 lens wont be wide enough with this being a dslr. The two lenses I have are Sigma lenses 28-80 3.5-5.6 mini zoom macro and a 70-300 4-5.6 dl macro super. I'm not sure what the equivalent is mm wise on the A200.

Either one will work great but think about it too long and your kids will be teenagers sleeping on the couch.

I bought my daughter a Canon xti with a 50mm f1.8 lens. At $79, you can't beat that lens for indoor or natural light portraits. Ive been impressed with how sharp it is and at f1.8, it's several stops faster than the kit zoom.

NickC20D said:

Either one will work great but think about it too long and your kids
will be teenagers sleeping on the couch.

Click to expand...

Very well put!

You're looking at two fine cameras there. There's no reason to prefer one over the other for the purpose you require (or indeed for most purposes). it's just splitting hairs to try and work out if one is "better" than the other.

Buyt the one you like the best, and go for it!

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Will the 3 autofocus points on the 40X campared to the 9 points on the Xti make much of a difference as far a fast focus and movement is concerned?

rmnypt said:

Will the 3 autofocus points on the 40X campared to the 9 points on
the Xti make much of a difference as far a fast focus and movement is
concerned?

Click to expand...

Hmmm, I don't know. I have a D80 with 11 points, and although I no longer have "fast moving children" I do have dogs so you might think I'd be seeing a huge benefit with that.

I reality, I'm not sure. A problem with having many focus points is that there is an increased risk that the AF will pick up spurious subjects - eg a chair or whatever - just because it happens to be closer to the camera, is better lit than the desired subject, etc.

When I’m photographing dogs, I prefer to select a single focus point and track the subject with that.

On the other hand, the camera’s ability to track a moving subject, and retain focus, once the subject has been identified in the first place, is enhanced by having more focus points.

So on balance I suppose yes, more focus points is good, but it can have drawbacks in some circumstances.

The 3 points of the D40x may be sufficient for tracking moving children, the 9 or 11 points may not be a big advantage for that sort of subject (where they would be for other subjects such as sport, perhaps). I don’t know, I’ll defer to those who have more experience in this area, but off the top of my head I’m not seeing this as a major criterion for selecting a camera. But I may be wrong : )

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For fast moving kids get a flash. The only way to stop them in their tracks! I recommend the D40 with the SB400.

A wide aperture such as 2.0 or wider helps too. Higher ISO too.

get the xti with a 50mm f/1.8 lens... this is the best solution for fast moving kids. the d40 is a great camera but it won't focus a fast prime, because nikon doesn't make any with the hypersonic motor.