Nikon D40 vs. Sony Alpha A200k any thoughts/suggestions?

[abear1979]

Hi,

I'm very new to the DSLR world and haven't even bought a camera yet! I have a film SLR that uses Minolta lenses and I have two 35-75mm .and 75-300mm. I'm wanting to upgrade to digital but unsure what camera to choose. I currently leave all my setting on auto until I can learn how to use the other ones correctly. I was wondering if anyone had expierience with the Sony as it's an option for me because it's compatible with the two Minolta lenes I have as compared to the Nikon which I would have to buy lenses for. But it's between these two models. I currently use my camera for concerts (which is why I love my zoom lens so much and is making this difficult to choose!) and taking pics of the family. Any thoughts or suggestions is much appreciated.
Thanks so much,
Angela

 

[Crono_DL]

To begin, I have an A200 and an A700, and my girlfriend has the Nikon D60 (bigger brother of the D40, almost identical physically), which I play around with.

In terms of ergonomics, I would choose the A200 as it has a bigger grip. You should get a hold of them and see for yourself what's more comfortable. If a camera was uncomfortable for me, I wouldn't even consider it. Though the D60

In terms of interface, the A200 is much better than the D40/D60. The A200 has dedicated buttons for ISO, drive mode, as well as the usual exposure compensation. It also has the "quick navigation" Function button which lets you make changes to other parameters more quickly.

The D40's interface is crippled, IMO. There are no dedicated buttons except exposure compensation and for Nikon's D-Lighting. Making changes takes some menu diving, and is a big turn off.

Image quality wise, I do think that Nikon has better noise reduction, and overall better image quality. Keep in mind that the D40 does have a different sensor and processing engine, so I'm sure they're not identical, but I am sure that it will produce great images.

Also, if image stabilization is an important factor, then you should know that the Sony has built-in stabilization, while Nikon is lens-based. Both have their advantages and disadvantages.

So it depends what's most important to you. Personally, I do find ergonomics and interface very important. Being able to make changes quickly is crucial sometimes. And menu-diving can be irritating.

Best thing to do is to play around with them and see what you like better.

Good luck, and if you have more questions, feel free to ask!

 

[poliscijustin]

If you already have lenses that would work, I'd get the sony. I agree with the previous poster, the nikon has marginally better image quality, but it's interface is lacking compared to the sonys
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