Too late!! Cells have been the "Instamatics" used by the public for quite a while now!!

I have to disagree!! Oodles and oodles of megapixels are NOT NECESSARY to make outstanding prints, even large ones!! In fact, there are some valid arguments as to the advantages of having 12.5 megapixels compared to a more densely packed sensor! However, this thread is about a guy with $600 looking for the best "walk around" Nikon body and lens for his money. I'll stick to focusing on that for now. I DO love your recommended lens suggestion! The more I've looked at, and thought about its cost/value, the more I wish I had one myself! I don't own a lot of autofocus glass (yet). I'm a recovering manual focus film shutterbug with some quality 1980s vintage glass in the bag that still fills some purpose. I also have a lot of darkroom muscle memory to aid my megapixel arguments!!

The VERY BEST "bang for the buck" Nikon is currently the D700!! In fact, I have to call it an incredible value, so much so that I bought one myself a few months ago even though I haven't been doing much photography lately! I wanted a FF Nikon for years! With some luck, and careful shopping you might then afford that 24-120mm to go with it!! A good choice! Don't let anybody fool you, the D700 is one damned good camera!! In fact, it's kind of become a legend among digital cameras with previous owners!! Get on the Google machine and do some research, it's worth your time!!

Well said!! God, they need a LIKE button around here!!

Well said!! God, they need a LIKE button around here!!

Hi Andy, I think what you would be most pleased with is to get an adapter to use old OM manual focus lenses and look for an affordable older manual focus OM mount macro lens either Olympus or third party (Vivitar, Tokina etc) in OM mount. There are very good practical reasons for this including the best and easiest focusing plus the best image quality for the buck your going to get. You may need to do some searching but you may be able to do it for under $50 with some luck.

You answered your own question! Until YOU become unhappy and it doesn't do something YOU want it to do, then what you are using IS the best camera for YOU. Don't let anything or anyone mislead you differently. I use a 10 year old D200 myself. The only reason the D40 would not be useful for me is I use a number of older Nikon AI manual focus lenses which the D40 can not couple it's meter to.

I always found after a rain to be the very Best time for photography. I've got to tell you, your pics really make me want to get out to shoot! VERY NICE!

I could live with that!

Actually, some were still available in the early '80's. I played around with them a little as they were much more powerful then flash units and allowed longer range shots. You just had to learn to like that old press photographer look of harsh light.

I'm sorry you take it that way. I wasn't being, nor did I mean to be rude, rather I was direct and it wasn't a lecture. If you thought it rude, I apologize. I answered in that fashion because, and this is not directed "at you", these things are brought up quite often, too often actually, and are commonly "brand centric" in nature more then photographic.

I do suppose I might have been a bit testy. I woke up hurting a bit, as has been the norm recently, recovering from surgery and going bonkers to get around outside and get some things done. I don't have a lot of patience right now, but I didn't mean or intend to single you out. I'm sorry if I offended you.

The lesson to be learned is, choose a system and stick with it. Which system, is nowhere near as important as sticking with ONE system. Unless of course you don't mind spending a lot of money and/or wasting time and effort, whether it be yours or somebody else's.

If the question of WHICH system is burning you in the area of your back pocket, the only way to honestly know is to use the same rule of sticking to ONE system and FORGET ABOUT IT for 6-10 years when you will magically no longer need, or want, to ask the question.

It works every time! More then that, you will always be right. :wink:

It would be a whole lot easier if you used a 7000 series or three digit series Nikon, then the MF AI/AIS lenses will couple to the meter. Then you can utilize the cameras meter or shoot in Aperture preferred mode.

My suggestion is based on money being an issue. I was kind of in the same situation after I bought a used dslr to utilize my older manual focus Nikon lenses. I decided to find a general purpose, affordable (price was a big factor), but good auto focus lens. It soon boiled down to an 18-55 f3.5-5.6 DX or the older 18-70 f/3.5-4.5 G IF DX. After comparing the two, I went for the 18-70 for two reasons: It has a more practical focal length range (35mm equiv of 28-105) and the clincher for me, it is a better build quality. It isn't the cheap consumer plastic mount design of the 18-55, it is the higher quality metal design of the higher end lenses. Originally the 18-70 went for over $300. You can find a good one for about or just over $100 today. Either of these lenses are very good optically. I've been more then happy with mine and it's still the only auto focus lens I own

That was cute! :)