the thing is that my store has the body and 18-135 for around $1300 (last time I checked)

just checked the internet now.. and the prices are higher than in store.. but the body is just over $1000 and the 18-200 is around $900... stretching the budget at this time...

ahh so torn...

I agree very much. I just bought my first DSLR, after having had Nikon pro film gear in the past, and found that Nikon didn't really have the kind of lenses I was looking for. I ended up going for an EOS400 because Canon have some great lenses these days.

Digital bodies don't last all that long really - not like the good old days of mechanical film cameras - and your investment in lenses will outlast the body by many years. Choose the brand that has the lenses you want. Even if you can't afford all of what you want immediately, at least get one good lens.

I see from your last post that you're considering a really big zoom, which, for what it's worth, I would avoid personally. They require significant compromises in some direction. I would rather have less of a range but better optical quality and a smaller and probably faster lens.

Hmmm...

Ok the budget is fine you can get a lot for that these days.

I've owned the D70 & the D200. I use MF for serious stuff but you have to love DSLR's

I have never owned the D80 check www.kenrockwell.com for a no BS review on everything. He's a bit hard to take but i like his logic.

The D70 or D70s is sweet. Great package, 6 mp is plenty for up to A4 display quality prints.
The sensor is GREAT for people shoots. Perfect skin tones. It's good for landscape. Great for candids as it's light & small.
My sister is wedding photographer in NZ & uses this camera.

The D200 is not so sweet. I owned it only 6 weeks. has great design & ergonomics. But the sensor isn't good for skin tones. And believe me I tried everything Sold it.

Read the reviews, try to hold the camera in a shop. If you can take a CF card with you & shoot off a few frames with the D80 & D70s. Then have a critical look at home on your monitor.
Packages can be had for both.

Without causing a war. Why not shoot a couple of frames with a Canon body or two as well?
I've been Nikon for over a decade but Canon seems to have an edge right now with their technology. Remember it's the lenses that count. So you want to make sure that the system you choose will serve you well in future years.

Goodluck - remember to choose what you want & what you'll be happy with. It's your money afterall.

I'm still pondering over a D80 as well - and as much the selection of lenses to get. My plans were:

18-200 for general use (read: mostly outdoor), if I can get hold of it. Only the Tamron is available where I am.
35mm/f1.4 for indoor shooting (gives me the equivalent roughly of a 50mm film lens).

Something is holding me back though.

I know that feeling..

I go to Yodobashi... pick it up.... play... drool...
put down... look at tvs that I can only dream about...

pick up camera again.. drool more...

then go to the pub and buy beer and wonder what is holding me back....


PS if you want the lens Currawong I can help you out if you want (of course you can get on the net) but if you would rather someone else get it and ship it to you.. more than happy to help out.

just offering. (not the money though )

I brought a D80 and 18-200 about a month back. Was torn between the d40 and d80 mainly for the price - but the d40 was just too small in my hands.

My advice? Buy the D80. You will love it. If you buy the d40, every time you pick it up, you will think about how small it is, and how you should have brought the d80. For me, that alone is worth the extra money.

The 18-200 is a fantastic lens. buy it over the kit lens if you can afford it. But... large range zooms are a compromise compared to prime lenses or even small range, big aperture zooms. For me the convenience, space and weight saving is worth the (small) compromise in quality.
It really is a great lens. and great on a d80.

id avoid the D40x, far too crippled.

Id look at Nikon D80, Canon EOS 400D or 30D.

Hehe, this had me chuckle. Ken Rockwell wrote the book on BS reviews...

He's the Chuck Norris of photography. No, sorry, Chuck Norris is the Ken Rockwell of martial arts... http://www.bahneman.com/liem/blog/ar...Rockwell_Facts

Cheers
Steffen.

I got my D80 around xmas, I am no pro but I work in for a graphic design agency and I use it for product shots and to shoot on site for odd jobs. Its a solid camera and I am still getting a feel for it.
Just one issue is the lack of dust removal or dust prevention measures, I have just booked it in to have the censor cleaned after a mysterious chevron appeared on some of my shots. At $80 its not expensive but I imagine its not a good thing do very often.

Sensor cleaning is really easy with this (or this family of products) Visible Dust Removal
I bought one a few months ago for use on the D2x and haven't had a problem @ all since.
Incidentally I have a small collection of Nikon's pro lenses. It was brought home to me a week ago why I have them and not the cheaper ones when a friend dropped her F100 with an AF-S 24-80(?).
The lens smashed to bits and I was rather surprised at the lack of metal inside and out. That and the slow apertures!
Don't entirely agree with the statement given that Nikon has released more stuff recently than Canon which seems to be universally acceptable. However I do think Canon has a few things up their sleeve.
Don't buy into the idea that one marque is more worthy than another (or that any of the other brands are useless) - it's a bit ford v holden or bullet train v tgv!
Any dSLRs from any company all perform worlds above what you have now Kuma. You'd probably be happy with any of them (well, for a year at least!).

Canon 400d has a automatic sensor cleaner built in. Cant stress how many headaches having such a feature avoids.

Cant buy canon...
worked for them...
got my arse handed to me

sensor cleaning sounds good...
but as I will only have one lense (all I can afford at the start) Im not going to be changing it very often...

and so one would assume the sensor should not need cleaning much...

(at least I will assume that - until corrected)

I had a chance last night to buy a D80 for $1185 with the included 18-135 lense.

However coming from a Canon background (EOS 10D) wasn't that thrilled with it.

I think I will wait a few months to see if canon announce a 40D etc and see what happens.

The D200 however did catch my eye, but out of the price bracket I want to spend

I'll correct you Kuma.
An SLR is not an enclosed system like your 5700.
Dust, water, sand and grit can still get inside even if you never, ever take the lens off.
But it sure does lessen the possibility of having it happen.

according to these tests the Canon didn't fare too well...

http://pixinfo.com/en/articles/ccd-dust-removal/