CM_laptop wrote:
Errr... I already mentioned eBay in my earlier post, did you miss it? As for purchasing overseas, that brings with it the added costs of shipping and insurance and the possibility of having to pay customs duty and VAT. Furthermore, from a private seller the item will naturally be sold as seen without any form of warranty. Quite a risk considering the amount of money a functioning D50 can fetch:
http://snipurl.com/olix6 £265
http://snipurl.com/olivt £260
http://snipurl.com/oliz9 the USB connector is faulty on this one and yet it still almost reached £200!
The D50 discontinued 3 years ago is till fetching more (not hundreds of sterling more, mind you)......that is a testament to what a camera it is & that it's features are still sought after.
The D50 was a great camera and still is, but its cult-like status has pushed its second hand value to unrealistic levels. Furthermore, the OP has stated that the D40 would be preferable
for his purposes , so there is no need to argue this further -
his decision has been made.
I wonder if we come back to this forum in another three years if people like you will continue to offer it as a recommendation?
Yes; unless Nikon in the meantime offers a low cost solution that can benefit the OP. This snide remark of yours only shows your intention to spoil for a fight....will you still be doing that in 3 years time?
Not snide, it was a genuine question. Too many people are too quick to offer the D50 as a suggestion without realising the practical difficulties of obtaining a model that is 3 years out of date.
Sigh. You mentioned ebay. Just so you know: there's no VAT if you're a UK buyer purchasing goods from the EU.
From the EU yes, but the largest second hand market is still the US and any purchases from there would be subject to VAT and import duty. Aside from this, you will still have costly postage/insurance from EU. Above all of this nitpicking, however, the main issue remains that if the OP were to purchase a D50 from a private seller and a fault was to develop he would have
zero recourse.
Not to mention the fact you completely ignored the OP's requirements, which he has since addressed in his response to you.
Not really, no. Not to mention the fact that his last post was very misleading to lurkers who might be gleaning for info.
There was nothing misleading in this thread until you showed up. Any lurkers that read his last post will see that it was fully justified in the context of his requirements.
Finally, I find it laughable that you should accuse me of being snide when you prefaced your initial post to the OP with a thinly veiled insult! It might be a good idea to practice what you preach, if you want people to take your posts seriously in future.
Really? You might want to revise your comprehension skills; just make sure you're doing it in the mirror
Again, you are the only person that has
failed to grasp the OP's
clearly stated requirements. I would suggest that you read his response to your initial post again, but I fear you're a lost cause when it comes to reasoning and logic.
Just to get you off the warpath & back on track; what in your opinion makes the D40 a better choice than the D50?
Once again (can you see a pattern forming here?), the OP has
already made his decision, so my opinion is now irrelevant. However, in the OP's
specific case, the following reasons stand out in favour of choosing the D40 over the D50:
- Cheaper
- Still available new or second hand with guarantee
- Smaller size ( a key requirement for the OP's application )
- Larger LCD screen with higher resolution (2.5" 230,000 pixel vs 2.0" 130,000 pixels)
- Better viewfinder
- Improved JPEG engine
- Improved Auto ISO mode
- Improved user interface
Granted the D40 lacks the inbody focus motor, but this has become less of an issue than it once was now that Nikon appear committed to releasing cost effective AF-S DX lenses (take the AF-S 35 mm prime as an example).
Let's set the record straight CM_laptop. The OP made a simple request for advice on which of the D40, D50 or D60 would be preferable for his young son. He was given enough opinions to make an informed decision and went on to choose the D40. He outlined his reasoning unambiguously for anyone to read in the following posts:
"
To be fair I would go for a bigger body if I was the main user, but it is for my 8 year old son. The D40 ticks all the boxes. I can get a refurb with 3 months guarantee for less than £200. "
http://forums.dpreview.com/forums/read.asp?forum=1034&message=32551179
"
Not really, I much prefer heavy gear. But this is for my 8 year old son. I know the choices - just wondered if there was a reason for choosing one over another. Decent high ISO performance is reason enough. Light weight is another. The D40 seems to tick all the necesary boxes whereas the D50 and D60 don't.
I understand the difference between heavy gear and light gear. I just didn't know the differences between light gear and other light gear. "
http://forums.dpreview.com/forums/read.asp?forum=1034&message=32563379
This however, was not enough for you was it? You proceeded to insult the OP and, due to your anti-D40 prejudice, went on to say that his reasoning was flat out wrong! Now, clearly the OP is not a newbie, having owned more than one semi-pro Nikon DSLR, so the more level-headed amongst us would realise that he is more than capable of making his own decisions on this issue. It's your attitude of "
I know what's best for you better than you do yourself " that makes your posts so hard to swallow and unfortunately that same arrogance and condescension is reflected in most of your contributions on this site.
