SteveB Ohio
Forum Enthusiast
Wow... after a year of thinking about it and trying to justify the cost, I can now say that I am the proud owner of a bouncing baby D30! It just arrived today, so I have yet to even crack open the manual... but my first impression of the camera is... Hey, this is a substantial piece of equipment!
I've followed this forum for quite some time, and I've seen many of the questions asked by people considering the D30 over other cameras. If anyone is interested, here is why I sprung for it: To put things in perspective, I've had lots of experience with film cameras of the pre-autofocus era (Canon F-1, A-1, Pentax 6x7) and got my first digital two years ago. I started with an Oly C-2020Z, then graduated to a Canon G1. Both were excellent cameras and I've gotten some great pictures with them, but using them never did "feel" right compared those precision mechanical beasts I had cut my teeth on. The first time I picked up my new D30 I felt like I had come home. This thing is supposed to be the lightest and most compact digital SLR available, but it feels almost as meaty as my trusty F-1. I like it!
I got a Tamron 24-135 for my first general-purpose lens. The build quality is outstanding, and I'm amazed at the amount of zoom range it has in such a small package. People here have complained about the slow autofocus of the D30, but based on my initial impressions, it is several orders of magnitude better than any P&S prosumer digicam I've tried.
Oh, I've seen some people refer to the D30 as a "digital Rebel." Well, after playing with some Rebels in the stores, I can say that the D30 is no Rebel! The heft and build quality are worlds better than those cheaper consumer slr's.
So, the point of this is to say that if anyone here is teetering on the edge of deciding whether or not to get a D30 now, I'd say, go for it! There will always be rumors of something better coming just around the corner or future price reductions, but if you don't get into it sometime you never will. For me, the extended microdrive and extra warranty offer was icing on the cake.
I'd be interested in hearing others' first impressions of their cameras, as well.
SteveB
I've followed this forum for quite some time, and I've seen many of the questions asked by people considering the D30 over other cameras. If anyone is interested, here is why I sprung for it: To put things in perspective, I've had lots of experience with film cameras of the pre-autofocus era (Canon F-1, A-1, Pentax 6x7) and got my first digital two years ago. I started with an Oly C-2020Z, then graduated to a Canon G1. Both were excellent cameras and I've gotten some great pictures with them, but using them never did "feel" right compared those precision mechanical beasts I had cut my teeth on. The first time I picked up my new D30 I felt like I had come home. This thing is supposed to be the lightest and most compact digital SLR available, but it feels almost as meaty as my trusty F-1. I like it!
I got a Tamron 24-135 for my first general-purpose lens. The build quality is outstanding, and I'm amazed at the amount of zoom range it has in such a small package. People here have complained about the slow autofocus of the D30, but based on my initial impressions, it is several orders of magnitude better than any P&S prosumer digicam I've tried.
Oh, I've seen some people refer to the D30 as a "digital Rebel." Well, after playing with some Rebels in the stores, I can say that the D30 is no Rebel! The heft and build quality are worlds better than those cheaper consumer slr's.
So, the point of this is to say that if anyone here is teetering on the edge of deciding whether or not to get a D30 now, I'd say, go for it! There will always be rumors of something better coming just around the corner or future price reductions, but if you don't get into it sometime you never will. For me, the extended microdrive and extra warranty offer was icing on the cake.
I'd be interested in hearing others' first impressions of their cameras, as well.
SteveB
