alleggerita

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The beginner's dSLR.

Jul 26, 2008

Rating: 8 out of 10 (Excellent)
Pros: Lightweight, good grip, good kit lenses.
Cons: Only 3 AF-points, autofocus sometimes slow in dim conditions, very little buttons.
Opinion:
I'm someone amateur upgrading from a Nikon Coolpix L11 to a dSLR. I was initially considering the Canon 450D and Nikon D60. In the end I went for the D60 because it is much cheaper and mine came with two lenses. The standard 18-55mm VR lens and a 55-200mm VR telephoto lens.

PROS:
It is quite light for a dSLR. The body is only 495g; add the 18-55mm lens and it is around 810g. I personally weighed it myself. The D60 also has a good grip. My palms are quite big in size but I have no problem holding my D60.

These kit lenses do a very good job, especially the 55-200mm telephoto lens. Purple fringing is non-existent in most pictures, possibly due to the fact it has a ED glass. Pictures come out very sharp too.

The VR (Vibration Reduction) works a treat in bright conditions all the way until early evening kind of lighting. Anything darker and you'll need very steady hands or tripod, because VR is no longer that effective in very dark conditions.

CONS:
Other competitors are offering more AF-points and Live View, like Canon's 450D. The 450D has 9 AF-points and Live View, albeit at a higher price. I'm not saying I want Live View in my D60 too, Live View is a nice feature but eats up a lot of battery life, but at least more AF-points please? And in dim conditions, the autofocus system will sometimes have problems finding focus on something.

The back of the D60 is very clean with very little buttons. That is a problem because setting the ISO, Metering mode, AF mode and etcetera all becomes very troublesome. You will have to navigate quite a lot to setup these things. But luckily, like most Nikon's shooters, its user interface is very user-friendly and intuitive. I have no problems navigating its menus.