Fifty Plus (50+) - A spending dilemma

Hubby told me I could order the new camera if I want to. I was constantly taking pictures on Christmas with our pocket-size point and shoot (Nikon L12, which takes excellent photos and does a very good job even with low indoor light). I've wanted the Nikon D40, an entry-level, highly praised digital SLR, for at least the past year, and it is still coming down in price. Amazon now offers $100 off with the additional purchase of a qualifying lens, including the Nikon 70-300 which would be a great companion for this camera.

As much as I would like this outfit, I cannot help but think how I could put that money towards an even better new bike when I buy it in the spring. My budget was around $1000, but putting the camera money toward the bike instead would buy me a bit more bike.

Or, I could get just the camera and buy the lens later when the prices comes down a bit more, saving me about $400.00 [correction: $473.32].

How would you spend it on your bike?

You might want to think if the D40 is really what you need.

Many people do fine with the point and shoot cameras. These cameras do not cost much. They perform very well within their set parameters.

It makes sense to go into an SLR if you enjoy taking photos that go well beyond the limits of a point and shoot. In order to do this, you need to be willing to understand photography. A photographer is an artist and you are presenting your view of the world. Two different photographers working with similar equipment, with similar skills and similar subject matter can take high quality photos that are very different.

If you are interested in just taking snaps, sticking with a good point and shoot is probably the way to go. If you are interested in more sophisticated photography, I think the D40 is probably a bit too limited. You might want to think of the D80 or the D300 instead. Those unfortunately cost more $$ and the D40 will take superb photos handled properly.

Can't talk about the quality of the camera you are thinking of- but I used to be into photography---Pre digital. Nowadays- I find that a point and shoot quality digital camera is good enough for me. It takes far better pictures than I used to take and with a good photo edit programme- they can be improved on


Now $1,000 going towards your next bike- Boy will that add up to a decent bike. May even get you a C.F. Racing bike that sails up hills.

Can't talk about the quality of the camera you are thinking of- but I used to be into photography---Pre digital. Nowadays- I find that a point and shoot quality digital camera is good enough for me. It takes far better pictures than I used to take and with a good photo edit programme- they can be improved on


Now $1,000 going towards your next bike- Boy will that add up to a decent bike. May even get you a C.F. Racing bike that sails up hills.

+1 with stapdam. I have US$10k's worth of Contax and Nikon camera bodies and glass sitting in my closet. I love those cameras and took some great pictures with them all over the world. But now with the convenience and performance of small digital cameras they mainly gather dust. My lifestyle is just too active to carry a large SLR around unless I am mostly focused on photography.

Taking great pictures is about 90% opportunity and 10% equipment (unless photography is priortity #1). If you aren't carrying a camera then you aren't going to get the photo.

Thanks everyone for the helpful feedback. I have a 35mm Olympus film camera and I know how to set depth of field and shutter speed in manual mode and all of that. What I'd like in a digital SLR is the ability to add a bounce flash (such as Nikon's SB-400) to get better indoor shots of people. We also enjoy taking pictures of our grandsons playing baseball... a tele zoom with built-in VR (vibration reduction) would be great for sports. Also enjoy travel and wildlife photography. We took some portrait-type pictures on Christmas using Hubby's older Nikon film camera and, honestly, we felt handicapped by the lack of an LCD to view the shots and delete bad ones. A D40 w/bounce flash would have been great for that. Of course I'd love a D80, D200, and up but I am not in that league; the D40 would be enough for me.

But so would a nice Roubaix......

I bought my wife a DSLR and lenses for xmas 2 years ago. She's actually been wishing for a point and shoot lately. A lot of times pictures are missed because its not in hand. This is esp. true of grandchildren. You never know when they are going to do something cute!

I always liked and practiced Henri Cartier-Bresson's technique of carrying very minimal equipment making the freedom to move around quickly.

I'm no photographer beyond point-and-shoot, but my best photos are spontaneous, there-at-the-right-moment....more a matter of composition and timing than equipment. Just depends, Yen, on how into photography you are.

I am into theater productions. My students and I put on sweet little, hopefully inspired, performances a few times a year. Two years ago, I got a federal arts grant and buried us in lights, sound system, a smoke generator, strobes, etc. Lotsa gear. Trouble was, we spent more time incorporating the hardware and less time with the "art". Performances in some ways looked better but seemed to be a little without soul.

My point: each of us has a point of balance between what we need and can well use, and what we think we want. Goes for bikes as well as photography, computer, cooking, etc. gear. Hopefully you'll find personal balance point with photog and cycling, Yen.

Me, I'd go for the bike and try to further my photography technique until I was convinced the camera was limiting my self-expression. But, I'm biased. ;)

I'm a Nikon fan with "several" of their high end cameras and three or four pretty good lens. Hence, I'm probably not a good non-biased source. All I'll add is that balance in one's life is important. I don't see any conflict with cycling and photography. It's your life, do both. Waiting until the lens price comes down is not a bad idea, although this could take some time.

Kinda of a hard question to answer for someone else. Don't know your real priorities. Don't know if you can get the camera and still reach for the better bike later too, or if one really does preclude the other.

It sounds to me like you know what the trade-offs are and you know a good bit about the equipment and costs for both cameras and bikes.

The advice that I normally give to people is for them to be honest about their financial assessment. If you can't afford it without assuming a real risk to your financial stablity, then use wisdom and make the most of what you can afford.

If you really can afford it and are just being conservative, then I think one should assess their life situation. If you really want those better pictures then you've got to take them while you can. And if you are in good health and really want those cycling experiences now - and they are helping you to improve your health, then perhaps you should throw a little caution to the wind and enjoy life.

Don't spend money that you will later regret not having. And don't save money that you will later regret not having used it. Sometimes it can be hard to determine where you are on the continuum, I can appreciate that.

If you can really only afford one, then you have an interesting choice. You already have a bike and a camera. Which one is most limiting to your achieving your goals?

As to the bike, sounds like you are leaning toward a road bike. You can get a pretty good bike for around $1000, although the prices are creeping up. You certainly get much more than 67% of the performance out of a $1000 bike as compared to a $1500 bike.

For my needs out of a flat-bar road bike, I have found that bikes in the $1100'ish range better meet my needs than bikes in the $2000 range.

This wouldn't be true for a more traditional road bike, but you get a pretty nice Trek, LeMond, Specialized, Giant, etc., road bike for $1000. Especially if you can find a 2007 in your size. Like a Specialized Dolce Elite, listed at $1100, I've seen in the mid-$900's. Very nice.

I really, really love photography, so that's my bias, but here's my take: Get the best camera and best lenses you can afford. You will never regret having excellent equipment. And as you know, with a good digital SLR, you have all (or many of) the same creative controls you have with your film camera. [edit] And you also get a lot of the ease-of-use found in modern point and shoot cameras.

I just gotta weigh in.
I was a professional photographer for 20 years. I now teach photography at Los Medanos College.
I have a D200, old film cameras and a ton of expensive glass. I also have a fuji finepix f31 point and shoot.

When I go into work mode I use the big camera and big stuff about. I get into the photo zone. I see, but I don't hear. I don't interact with others much. I become PHOTOMAN. I shoot well, but I miss the event.

I find more and more, unless someone pays me a bunch, I don't want to do that. I want to ride my bike, smile with my wife, listen to the music and enjoy my friends. That funky FinePix lets me have my photos and my life too.

So, the question you need to ask is: What do you want to do? My father, a fine man who isn't a pro, finds his big cameras are a way to zen-like happiness. I find my carry-able P&S the key to having a life.

Enjoy.

IThat funky FinePix lets me have my photos and my life too..

Curtis....if the pic you posted of that tiny Mt. Diablo rider silhouetted against the morning sun radiating from the upper left was taken with a FinePix....then I'd live with that camera under my pillow. I had it as desktop for several days. Reminds me of that movie where the art, grace, and simplicity of the samurai defeats those supposedly better armed with modern technology. A sword by Fuji?

Hai !

My all powerful and all knowing psychic powers see that you have posted this question in a bike forum. You have already decided, you want support that the decision is a good one. Only a great powerful wizard can see that you are right!

I have found happiness with a Canon S2-IS. For about $300, you get a great lens, your choice between full manual controls or point/shoot, and, most importantly, a great zoom.

Why is the zoom important? It's a 4x manual and 48x optical with image stabilization so you don't need a tripod. There is nothing* like Canon's Image Stabilization, if you ask me. I don't use the optical unless I'm trying to shoot something very* far away and in a tree.

The point is, it makes a 5 megapixel camera more like an 11 megapixel camera if you can zoom in and crop out stuff you don't want, instead of taking a smaller picture and blowing it up.

It has a great, fast continuous shooting mode with about 2 shots per second. Great for action shots, although there are some irritations with that. They have the S3 IS out now, so maybe they fixed that.

Anyway, this camera takes lovely photos, and can take a telephoto and a wide angle lens, also. Not an SLR, but a lot of bang for the buck.

Having said all that, I'm in the market for a teeny camera I can throw in pocket. The S2 IS is pretty hefty by modern standards.

http://www.steves-digicams.com/2005_reviews/s2is.html#specs

Wow, thank you for all the great responses. All of you made some excellent points and I like all of them. I think I like cccorlew's best:


I want to ride my bike, smile with my wife, listen to the music and enjoy my friends. That funky FinePix lets me have my photos and my life too.We went up the coast to Cambria a few years ago. While we were there I was obsessed with taking pictures of everything and anything with my Olympus C-700 with the aim of putting them in a slide show when we got back. Hubby wasn't too happy with my focus that weekend, and I still regret it. A point and shoot would have been sufficient, stayed in my pocket, purse or on the table, and taken decent pictures.

I am a simple person and I do agonize about spending a lot, but I also understand the difference between "cheap" and a good value. I'm fiscally conservative but I'll spend more on good quality and something that I can grow into and adds quality not only to my own life, but also to our marriage and to other people I love. A D200 is way out of my league at this time; the D40 is an excellent camera, would be everything I need, and I can afford it AND still afford my new bike.

I really appreciate the input you all took the time to share. Honestly, I expected some off-the-cuff replies like "you have to ask??? get both!!". ;) And then again, this is the "older and wiser" group, so I was expecting some thoughtful answers too.... and got them. :-)

Don't know a lot about digital cameras (I have a decent Fuji compact digital and a decent older Nikon SLR film camera), but one of the local mtb club members is selling a Canon, here's the link in case you are interested:
http://www.kymba.org/main/?q=node/1143

I've had everything from Nikon F4s to cheap point & shoot digicams. I had a Nikon D70 for a while and got tired of carrying everything around. There are some really good superzoom digital cameras out now. The Fuji S9100, Panasonic DMC 18 or DMC 50, Canon S5 IS to name a few. These will cover pretty much any shooting you'll need to cover. Many have an external flash hotshoe. The Canon shoots TTL flash with a properly matched flash. Depending on the flash, bounce and swivel are in the picture (no pun intended ;)). The Fuji lens is 28-300 mm (35 mm equivalent). The Canon 36-436 mm equivalent. Both with an f2.8 max aperture. Both are 8-9 megapixel. Pic quality may be slightly less........if you're making big enlargements. Both will also shoot VGA quality video at 30 fps. Something the dSLR won't do. These superzooms are also smaller and lighter. Shutter lag has pretty much been eliminated with these new cameras. Start-up time is also extremely fast. IMO, unless you're making big enlargements, these superzooms are every bit as good as the lower end dLSRs. And cost less. The Canon, which I'm going to buy, can be had for $350. Get a 4 GB card for under $100 (which you'll need for any digital camera anyway) and you'll have everything needed to take good pics and video. BTW, batteries are something to consider as well. AAs are a big plus as opposed to proprietary batteries. You can always get batteries at the store in a pinch, should your battery go dead unexpectedly.

OK, I just pulled the trigger at Amazon.com. They are offering $100 off on the lens if also purchased with this camera... it's a very desirable well-liked lens at half the price of the much-coveted 18-200, and we'll have many uses for it. I'd love the 18-200, but maybe later.

I ordered:
Nikon D40 6.1MP Digital SLR Camera Kit with 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6G ED II AF-S DX Zoom-Nikkor Lens
Nikon 70-300mm f/4.5-5.6G ED-IF AF-S VR Zoom Nikkor Lens
Nikon D40/D40x Digital Field Guide
Tamrac Explorer 2 DSLR Camera Bag (Blue)
Nikon SB-400 AF Speedlight [ for bounce flash and quick response while taking those tricky indoor shots of family/friends ]Since Hubby also loves photography, it's a gift for both of us. I thought long and hard for more than a year; during that time, the prices came down, I fully researched my purchases, and I'm comfortable with my choice.

:D:):eek::cry:

Thank you again for your thoughtful, and very helpful, replies.

OK, I just pulled the trigger at Amazon.com. They are offering $100 off on the lens if also purchased with this camera... it's a very desirable well-liked lens at half the price of the much-coveted 18-200, and we'll have many uses for it. I'd love the 18-200, but maybe later.

I ordered:
Nikon D40 6.1MP Digital SLR Camera Kit with 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6G ED II AF-S DX Zoom-Nikkor Lens
Nikon 70-300mm f/4.5-5.6G ED-IF AF-S VR Zoom Nikkor Lens
Nikon D40/D40x Digital Field Guide
Tamrac Explorer 2 DSLR Camera Bag (Blue)
Nikon SB-400 AF Speedlight [ for bounce flash and quick response while taking those tricky indoor shots of family/friends ]Since Hubby also loves photography, it's a gift for both of us. I thought long and hard for more than a year; during that time, the prices came down, I fully researched my purchased, and I'm comfortable with my choice.

:D:):eek::cry:

Thank you again for your thoughtful, and very helpful, replies.

I love it when people make choices they are happy with......way to go Yen.


Oh, by the way, I would have responded with a "buy both"...:p

OK, I just pulled the trigger at Amazon.com. They are offering $100 off on the lens if also purchased with this camera... it's a very desirable well-liked lens at half the price of the much-coveted 18-200, and we'll have many uses for it. I'd love the 18-200, but maybe later.

I ordered:
Nikon D40 6.1MP Digital SLR Camera Kit with 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6G ED II AF-S DX Zoom-Nikkor Lens
Nikon 70-300mm f/4.5-5.6G ED-IF AF-S VR Zoom Nikkor Lens
Nikon D40/D40x Digital Field Guide
Tamrac Explorer 2 DSLR Camera Bag (Blue)
Nikon SB-400 AF Speedlight [ for bounce flash and quick response while taking those tricky indoor shots of family/friends ]Since Hubby also loves photography, it's a gift for both of us. I thought long and hard for more than a year; during that time, the prices came down, I fully researched my purchases, and I'm comfortable with my choice.

:D:):eek::cry:

Thank you again for your thoughtful, and very helpful, replies.

OK, now we want pictures, pictures, pictures of everything! Hope you enjoy your new equipment.

Good Show!

Nice gear. I'm envious.

I think you will enjoy the 70-300 Nikkor. This was taken with the previous model (no VR) on a D70. Handheld, rested on the car window @ 300mm.

http://www.pbase.com/billd9/image/41056197.jpg

Very impressive, and nice shot. Where was that taken? I love the contrast of the bright white w/red roofs against the darker background.

The VR will come in handy while shooting the grandsons playing soccer or baseball. I intend to practice a lot this winter and in the house, compare the different flashes, the zoom w/without a tripod, and work through the field guide to really learn this camera and increase my current knowledge about photography in general. The book provides a section for just about every type of situation

I think you will enjoy the 70-300 Nikkor. This was taken with the previous model (no VR) on a D70. Handheld, rested on the car window @ 300mm.

http://www.pbase.com/billd9/image/41056197.jpg

Wow......that's probably a better picture/view than what I could see with my naked eyes!!!

Good decision, but it's a shame you went to the Dark (Nikon) Side. No white (Canon) lenses for you! :D

The black Nikon matches my bike.:p

It also matches DG's Cypress, but that doesn't matter any more. Poor, forlorn bike.

:roflmao::roflmao::roflmao:

Very impressive, and nice shot. Where was that taken? I love the contrast of the bright white w/red roofs against the darker background.

............................................

That is Heceta Head lighthouse, about 12 miles north of Florence, Oregon. I was on my way to the State Park at the lighthouse when there was a traffic delay for construction. I put the 70-300 on and poked the camera out the window while we were waiting. Those are the Coast Guard colors on the buildings. Unfortunately, now that the CG no longer maintains the lights, the state has seen fit to revert to the old color scheme with black roofs. I prefer the CG colors but nobody asked me :(

New (old) color scheme, Cape Meares lighthouse.
http://www.pbase.com/billd9/image/40200615.jpg

The VR is a good feature to have. I have a 24-120 VR Nikkor... it's my favorite all around lens for the D70. I can get away with handheld shutter speeds as low as 1/60s.