Nikon D60 10.2 MP Digital SLR Camera - Black (Kit w/ 18-55mm Lens)

The Nikon D60 Overall is a great camera for anyone. I would reccomend it for people who consider photography a hobby, and not just a way to record moments in time. The D60 is a lighter and more compact version of the D80. The funtions and settings on the camera are very easy to use. The user manual describes every aspect of the camera in a very detailed manner. The manual will basically take a new Nikon user and train them to know their new camera inside and out. Nikon really takes pride in the production of their cameras. The D60 is very well built. It is made to last, and the 10.2 megapixels allows the camera to have very clear pictures. The megapixels allow the pictures to be over 300dpi when printed, which means each picture is high quality. Most cameras are able to achieve 300dpi prints, but the difference is the size. Most cameras will have 300dpi prints around the size of 3x5, but the Nikon D60 has 300dpi prints at 11x15. Overall, this camera has every feature that a professional camera has, but it is about half the price. Yes, the price still isn't exactly cheap, but as people are know to say "quality comes at a price". In my opinion, the quality of this camera is well worth the price, the warranty is great, the battery life is amazing, and the self sensor cleaning is genius. I will not buy any other camera besides a Nikon, and the D60 burned that thought in my mind for life.

For the price, this camera does more than expected. It provides a great range of functions that make it easy for people that are used to the standard 'point and click' cheap digital cameras that we are all used to, but also provides more advanced photographers the control to tweak almost any setting (only big limiting factor is white balance, however that is more a digital v. flim issue). Having the ability to take continuous shots (approx. 3/second) is great and overall speed of this camera (focusing and shutter delay) is a dream compared to 'consumer' point and click cameras.

Life of the stock battery is impressive, however the charger is relatively bulky in my opinion and a better option when traveling would be to purchase a second battery.

For point and shoot users, this camera can provide some amazing shots compared to the compact digitals many people are used to right out of the box without making any adjustments.

For people used to using film SLRs, the menus can be tedious and reading the user manual to figure out how to change settings can be a headache. The 'P' setting minimizes these issues to some degree since once set, you won't need to fumble through the menus to get to your favorite settings.

The kit lens that usually comes with this camera (18-55mm) is a good fit for this camera and its focal length allows it to also serve as a pretty decent macro lens. If you are looking for a zoom lens, this is probably not the best and one that runs out to 200mm is a better choice.

Overall, this is one of the best entry level dSLR cameras out there (especially when you combine the quality of nikon lenses). As long as you are looking for a camera to only be a camera (no video recording), this is the hands down winner in this price range. It performs well for prints up to 8x10 compared to traditional film cameras as well as much more expensive dSLRs at that print size.

Getting into SLR ( Single Lens Reflective ) technology like I did twenty five years ago with my Minolta XD-11 [ film based, btw ], I made the mistake of buying the expense camera body first and then building my lens up. It was frustrating. Having learned that lesson, I found that this camera makes a good start into the DSLR ( Digital Single Lens Reflective ) camera arena. It is packed with features that let you take phenomenal pictures. Now, as I said, while it is a good camera, it does have its flaws which make it only a good camera, not a great camera. It only has three focusing areas which will confuse your camera about 1% of the time when you are out in the field. The sensor could be better, 10.2 megapixels is nice, but the sensor is only average in the amount of light it collects which means in low light situations, it delivers performance akin to a 6 megapixel camera. The 10.2 megapixels are great though in well lit situations and deliver the quality of photo that will achieve most of your needs out of a good DSLR. Another thing is that the ISO only goes up to 1600 with noise ( like grain in a film camera ) while great DSLR camera's today can shoot up to 6400 ISO with little noise at all. Still, I got it principally so that I could start buying the expensive Nikon set of advanced VR lens that deliver fantastic optical results for their size ( And there are great choices too, 18-55mm, 18-105mm, 55-200mm, 55-300mm, 18-200mm, 400mm, 55mm, 35mm [ please note: DX Nikon Lenses act at 1.5 times the mm number for comparison to a standard 35mm lens. i.e. a 100mm lens for a DX camera acts as a 150mm lens on an old 35mm camera ). As soon as I have gotten to the point that I have all the lens I need, then I will want to get the kind of Speedlight Flash I need ( SB-800), the external flash battery pack I need, and the backdrop flash kits I want to use for family and friend portraits. Then, and only then, will I then purchase the great camera body I really want, say the D90, D5000, or a D700 to be my main camera. Yet, because I will have by then a collection of lens to support my photographic interests, the D60's small and compact footprint in a camera bag will mean that I can keep the D60 and use it with another lens while I use the main camera to shoot say sports, weddings, graduations, etc. And, since it uses a cheap wireless remote, I will even be able to set it up on a tripod and just take pictures of an event from a different angle while I shoot the event with my main camera. In conclusion, the D60 is that good starter DSLR that lets you build a good base of lenses and not feel cheated while you wait for the kind of camera you really want in your bag like the D90, D5000, or the D700. ( In all likelihood, I will buy the D90 since it uses the same battery as the D60 and the same wireless remote )

Ok, this is a great camera. I'm not going to cover the features of this camera, there are lots of places to learn about it. Let me point out a few things to watch out for.

*****LOUSY LENS KITS**** The Nikon D60 is a fantastic camera, but lots of sellers will try to getcha by bundling a $650 camera body with one or more really mediocre lens. If you're going to spend that kind of money on a camera, don't get seduced by these horrible lens kits.

First, decide if you are planning on using a camera bag everywhere you go or not. This is important. Unless you are planning on taking a camera bag with you everywhere, you do NOT want 4 lenses -- 3 of the 4 will just stay home 95 percent of the time. What you will need in this case is ONE REALLY GREAT LENS.

The most common lenses offered with this camera is an 18-55mm lens either alone or bundled with a 70-300mm lens. Now the 18-55mm a really nice wide angle lens down at 18mm. However, you really get very poor (55mm) telephoto capacity with that lens. If you're looking for a great all purpose lens, 18-55mm is not it.

Next, you'll see the 70-300mm lens. That's a great telephoto zoom and gives you lots of pretty nice range. But keep in mind that 70mm is NOT wide angle. That means you'll struggle to shoot close-ups of anything. No wide-angle shots of buildings, landscapes, mountains, or even large groups of people at the dinner table. A great second lens, but not a great single all-purpose lens.

Any lens kit that mixes up 2 or 3 of the above lenses are still leaving you short of ONE GREAT all-purpose lens.

The best value in an all-purpose lens is the somewhat rarely offered Nikon 18-135mm zoom. 18mm is plenty wide-angle enough for anyone. And 135mm gives you enough zoom lens to shoot the kids soccer game close-up from across the entire field. With 10MP, you can still crop down for a nice close-up and get great high-quality prints. With this lens, you won't need a camera bag for 90% of you who are buying this camera for non-professional work. To get that lens, you'll have to buy the camera body and lens separately.

For the big spenders, a better choice is Nikon's $700 18-200mm lens. You'll get the single best all-purpose lens Nikon makes/ You'll pay as much for that lens than the camera body itself.

***BE AWARE*** Many sellers package non-Nikon lenses with this camera. Do yourself a favor and buy a great genuine Nikon Lens.

Next, a lot of sellers advertise four lenses, but really give you two lenses and then two "over" lenses that give you extra wide-angle or telephoto capacity. Avoid these lens correctors that screw into the end of your lens and give you more or less "magnification". These lenses are uniformly lousy.

Also, the "bonus" items in these kits, like the tripods and camera cases are cheap, cheap, cheap. Lowepro makes good camera bags. If the camera bag is not a name brand bag, it is the bottom-of-the-line junk. Better to buy these components separately. Same goes with the tripod.

On the whole, I recommend buying the camera body and lenses separately since neither 18-135mm nor 18-200mm are not currently available as a kit with the D60. Buy your memory cards, straps, cases, tripods, filters and other accessories separately and as you need them. 99 percent of people won't carry around all that stuff anyhow.

I also recommend "Camera Armor" to protect your SLR against bangs and scratches.

***PLEASE VOTE for my review if you found it helpful***

The Nikon D60 is obviously the next step "up" from the D40x, but the similarities stand out much more than their differences. As everyone else has probably said, self cleaning, stop motion video, and a slightly more user friendly GUI are the only "real" differences that you will notice if holding them side-by-side. This isn't a negative thing at all, it's actually impressive. Nikon found ways to enhance an already great camera.

I chose this camera because I'm a photography student, and I needed something that could produce impressive pictures, and was lightweight and small. That's exactly what this camera is. I have a few complaints, but overall this camera has met my expectations. The only potential dealbreaker was its lack of auto bracketing, but I figured that I would probably only use that for specific times, and I could always do that manually, which I have done. I was really disappointed that it didn't at least have exposure bracketing, but I'll deal. The lens compatibility wasn't much of an issue since I don't own any Nikon lens', but if you have an assortment of lens', you should probably consider the D80, but otherwise, don't let the comparison reviews fool you. This camera produces equal quality pictures to the D80, if not slightly better. I've used both cameras, and would definitely rather hold the D60.

I read a lot of reviews complaining that the Nikon series doesn't have VR built into the body, but Nikon did this for several reasons. The first reason is that each VR system can be built specifically for the lens itself, instead of using somewhat limiting technology. Also, you can actually see the VR working through the viewfinder, which is quite helpful. You actually feel as though you are holding the camera steady, as opposed to having the body compensate for your movement without you actually being able to visualize it. That's definitely a plus.

Overall, the complaints that I've read about this camera haven't lived up to their expectations, but the camera itself definitely has. If you're looking for a camera that is expandable, that can take awesome snapshots with little effort, but also want the option to create creative photographs, this is the camera you should be looking at. Nikon has a very affordable lens collection that is only going to expand. There are very few things I would change about it, and none of them effect the pictures it takes. The buttons are very easy to memorize, and you can zip through the menus with little to no thought whatsoever, which is exactly what a GUI should provide. If you are considering a D80, or similarly priced DSLR, you should definitely save your money on the body and buy this and an awesome lens with the price difference.