Nikon D60 10.2MP Digital SLR Camera with 1855mm

Gadget Owner Blog: The Nikon D60
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
I’ve been an owner for over a year and it remains a popular choice among prosumers. I’m not going to go into the the features or comparisons to great extent but I at least wanted to give an idea of how the Nikon D60 has served me.

This camera is for entry-level photographers that need more than a point-and-shoot.

In short, I love the D60 and I’m glad I bought it. It produces incredible RAW images that I can tweak with Photoshop. It’s a full-fledged DSLR and not one of those in-between types. I’ve taken countless photos of family and friends and it hasn’t failed me yet. I have several different lenses for it and it works with most of the older lenses (however not all auto-focus).

My level of expertise at this point on photography is modest and I didn’t find it too difficult to get started. I do recommend several books if you are just starting out:

David Busch’s Nikon D60 Guide to Digital SLR Photography – This is the manual that should come with D60′s.

The Digital Photography Book – Scott Kelby

The Digital Photography Book, Volume 2

Pros

- Small

- A true DSLR

- Great image quality

- Can use a remote – which I also own

- Can use external flashes – I own the Nikon SB900

- Price

Cons

- Cannot be used as a master flash

- Cannot auto-focus older AF lenses

- No live view

- No video

Love this camera!!!! Nikon D60
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
My husband bought this camera for me last Christmas as a gift and I love it! I was a little afraid of all the features at first but now (11 months later)I cannot put it down! I take it everywhere! Two months ago I bought a new lens (for distance) to use at football and soccer games…etc. Now, I love it even more! It is light-wieght for the most part; we took it on our Disney vacation (in September) and I wore it all around the parks for 7 days. It did not feel heavy at all. The D60 took pictures that were the same quality as the Photo Pass pictures offered by Disney. The shutter speed is fast– literally click-click-click; I never miss a shot now. The battery lasts quiet a while before needing recharging. If you are considering this camera…go for it! Everyone who touches my camera wants to buy one. The only “con” I can think of is that when you take a picture you have to hold the camera to your eye and look through the “view-finder” and then pull it back to see the picture display on the LCD screen. I do not mind but a few people I know have said they don’t know if they could go back to the “old way” of not being able to see the picture on LCD before taking the shot. I highly recommend this camera. If it were stolen or lost I would buy it again without hesitation.

Nikon D60, Great Budget Camera
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
Review for the Nikon D60 with 18-55mm VR Nikkor lens

Cons:

-No live preview (fine if you were a film SLR user like I was, but not so fine for point and shoot step-ups)

-Lens must be AF-S to autofocus (Lens must have inner moter to autofocus)

-Autofocus is considerably slow

-Alot of grain present at 1600 ISO

-Only 3 Autofocus points

-Uses unique .NEF raw format (so not many programs can edit it)

-Included lens it not that high end, (it does not smoothly blend out the BG at times)

Pros:

-Very well priced on behalf of Amazon

-Excellent VR system

-Sensor Cleaning

-Ergonomic Design

-Ease of use ++

-Lightweight

-Sharp pictures

-In-camera Retouch

-Vibrant colors

-Simple GUI (Graphic User Interface)

-Its a NIKON!!!

I did my homework comparing this camera to its predecessor, the Nikon D40.

I took about 2 weeks going to local photo shops, comparing various cameras side by side, as well as quality, and for the price, the D60 took the gold

I heard alot of reviews recommending the D40 over the D60, but I decided to go against the flow and purchase the D60. Purchased it from Amazon for a staggering $517 (~125 $$ cheaper than a local photography store), very prompt shipping on their part FEDEX /USPS .

I got this camera today, and I am pleased to say this is an awesome camera for its price. First of all, you are going to get a quality product from Nikon, (in my opinion, one of the best camera brands), along with an excellent 18-55mm VR Nikkor lens. You also get the nice camera neck strap (which was an extra back in the ’70s ).

This camera takes amazing pictures! I went outside to my garden and shot a couple of flower test shots, very satisfying! The quality is very sharp, even at a 100%. The colors are also very vibrant and lively. The camera is also relatively light, as compared to the Nikon FM-2 we already own. It is also nice to know that this camera comes with the VR lens, allowing you to take pictures with 3X slower shutter speed, as claimed by Nikon.

Another plus of this camera is the fact that it has the sensor cleaning, which if you own 4 lens like I do, comes in very handy, to keep your pictures “dust free”. It is also nice to know, it cleans the sensor everytime you turn it on and off. It also features an orientation sensative LCD screen, which if you rotate the camera, the screen rotates as well.

However, Nikon could have made more autofocus points (9 + would have been fine). They also could have added the shaft to the lens mount, to autofocus AF lenses.

I would definately recommend this camera to others for its simplicity of use. It has intuitive LCD menus, easy to navigate through, and perfect for the beginning DSLR user!

*Please do not base your purchase off of this sole review, as some of the above info may be slightly off.

Nikon D60 or Canon XSi
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
After doing much reading and going back and forth trying to decide which camera was the one for me I went for the Nikon D60 – Price wise the Nikon is a little less than the Canon but if you are looking for an SLR camera you can spend a few bucks more to get the better quallity item, in my case after much web surfing I learned that the Canon has issues with service and the equipment itself, more than Nikon. As a customer I should be able to buy something and get what I paid for, if such item doesn’t work 100% out of the box I should be able to get a new one and not have it sent for repair (then what is their quallity control good for?) – I barely found any issues with the Nikon brand, I found more praises that anything else. The picture quallity is stunning, easy to use (I’m one that plays first then reads the manual) – colors are superv – the only thing I did not like is that it doesnt have “live view”, meaning that you can’t see on the screen what you are getting ready to shoot at, you have to use the viewfinder. But even then, after using it and seing the results I don’t care for that feature any more, I rather have a camera that is going to give me great pictures and a warranty that is going to cover it as well, the camera itself comes with a one year but the lens comes with a 5 year warranty from Nikon. It also has a feature that allows you to add filters after you have taken the picture, keeping the original intact. The viewfinder is very brigh and of good size. I also looked for a good and convinient bag for it and the best I found was the Mytho Swiss Gear (model GA-7865-02F00) that you can find for 49.00 bucks at your local electronics store. And as a last note, I love buying from Amazon, they have good prices and good customer service.

GREAT CAMERA!
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
I received this camera for Mother’s Day this year(2009)and I love it! It is so much better than I could EVER have imagined! I love that I can take incredible up close pictures with it and the settings are easy even for a novice to understand! I have had many compliments about the clarity of my pictures now I am starting to believe I am actually a good photographer! This camera is a great one for someone stepping up from a point and shoot but is not too simple to take more sophisticated pictures.

Not perfect, but a good camera
Rating:4 out of 5 stars
I have owned the D60 since November 2008 and for the most part have been pleased with my purchase. I have been able to improve my photography skills considerably with this camera’s more advanced functions, but was also able to take amazing pictures right out of the box on the automatic settings. I am still learning about all that this camera is capable of and I’ve enjoyed owning it, with a few minor exceptions.

Things I don’t like about this camera are:

- Only 3 auto-focus points

- Having to dig into the menu to change nearly every funtion (although there are a few buttons that you can designate which function you’d like them to control)

- No Bracketing

- Closure over SD card area flips open easily, usually when I’m not meaning to open it.

I hadn’t had a problem until last weekend when all of a sudden all my pictures were coming out blurry despite all my efforts to combat the problem. I ended up taking it in to the store I bought it from (Ritz Camera) and they told me that my lens was defective. It wasn’t always defective and I’ve never dropped my camera, so I don’t know what caused this, but I was pleased that the lens had a 5 year warranty and they just swapped out a new one for me. The new lens has worked well for the past few days, but I’m disappointed in the lack of durability of the first lens.

The D60s in-camera editing is a nice feature that was one of the selling points for me. But honestly, I rarely use it and now wish that I wasn’t so hung up on it to begin with. I do everything I need to do in Photoshop and hardly ever touch the editing menu. I think if I were buying my first SLR all over again I’d probably go with either the Canon XS or spring for the D90 instead. The XS doesn’t have the extensive in-camera editing features that the D60 has, but judging from the way I use my camera I think I would’ve been happier with the Canon instead (at least at the entry level SLR): more autofocus points, less digging through menus to change functions, bracketing, live view (if that’s important to you), etc. It just has more of the features that I want, but being new to digital SLRs, I didn’t know that I wanted them until 8 months after I purchased my D60. The D90 has all these features too but it’s more than I was prepared to spend at the time.

Having said this, I do enjoy my D60. It is a very nice camera and I’m learning to work well with it. It is easy to learn on and easy to use. My gripes are mainly just small nuisances, not anything major with the camera. The battery life lasts forever and the start-up time is nearly instantaneous. So if you’re leaning toward the D60 and are just reading reviews to confirm your choice, you should be very happy with it, as I am for the most part. If, on the other hand you are torn between the D60 and the Canon XS/XSi, I’d go for the Canons or just make the jump to a D90. Not that the D60 isn’t a great camera, I just don’t think I was as informed a buyer as I should have been for what my photography needs are.

Great camera, good price!!!
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
I am very happy with this camera. Great condition, great photos, easy to use. No problems, would never know it’s refurbished. Good price for D60 with VR lens, you wouldn’t find anything better for this price. (Beware of scam companies that advertise a new one for this price. After you order, you’ll find out it’s in Japanese without a battery and without any accessories. You’ll have to pay more to get a complete USA version).

It’s all I expected it to be. No disappointments.

all that you need to take great picture
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
This camera takes amazing pictures. I dont have to be expert. It can take 3 frames per second, but remember that 3 frames are only possible when you dont need to use flash. Charging of the flash takes time between two shots.

Great entry level camera
Rating:3 out of 5 stars
I really enjoy using this camera. The Active D Lighting is an awesome feature of the D60. I have just recently discovered the world of SLR’s and don’t have too much photography experience, but I used this camera when I traveled to Alaska and Japan and was happy with the picture quality. The camera went everywhere with me and had its fair share of bumps scrapes, so it is durable. I didn’t mind carrying the D60 around because it is more compact than the D90 and full frames, but at the sacrifice of a smaller LCD screen (among other cool features).

The stock 18-55 VR Nikkor lens that comes with the camera is a decent all-around lens; very versatile for many situations. However, with many DX lenses available for the D60, you’ll soon be shopping for better lenses.

Really happy with this camera, although after seeing my friend’s D90, I want to upgrade soon. A great buy for a beginner to intermediate photographer.

Awesome camera for new dSLR users
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
For a long while I had the desire to make my pictures “grow up” by taking the step to dSLRs. After much research I decided on the Nikon d60, although all our other cameras are Canon. I have not been disappointed!

The manual helps you learn how to operate the camera on a basic level. I learned how to improve my pictures and use all the features with the help of books from Amazon or Barnes and Noble. Do not rely on the manual to teach you everything. LOL

I have taken thousands of pictures with my camera and continue to improve. I love my d60 and get a thrill each time I put in my hands.

D40 vs D60? Go for the…
Rating:3 out of 5 stars
Using D40 for about a year, amazing camera! Bought the D60 ’cause thought the 10MP would produce noticeably better pics. Unless you need larger than 11×14 prints, you won’t see a difference. The sensor-cleaner sounds out-of-sight, but…it’s REALLY not needed. And, the 10 vs 6MP actually produces more NOISE (traslation, a less sharp looking image).

If you can live without autofocus and can handle using manual exposure setting, the D40 used with a SUPER-SHARP single length, prime NIKKOR AI lens, for example, will give you amazingly bright, sharp, clean images that NO zoom lens (VR or otherwise)can compare with (regardless of price). Anyhow, the D40 is about $100-150 less than the D60, which is lighter but feels a LOT cheaper made.

Net, net…the D40 and D60 both produce great images. But if you want the best of the best, sharpness and impact-wise, do yourself a favor and try the D40 with a single length (such as a Nikkor AI f1.8 50mm which can be bought used for about $50). Definitely still use the supplied kit D40 autofocus 18-55mm zoom for everyday snapshot type pics. But…when time permits, experience real quality and shoot with the single-length to capture the most outstanding images you’ll ever take!

Decent camera, but 3 AF points is a major issue
Rating:3 out of 5 stars
I purchased a Nikon D60, and ended up returning to to the store for a D5000. (Nikon D5000 12.3 MP DX Digital SLR Camera with 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6G VR Lens and 2.7-inch Vari-angle LCD) I used to use film SLRs extensively, but have been away from photography for some time and have been wanting a dSLR forever. Now is the perfect time. I am taking a major vacation where I will be shooting some shots in the jungle, so I wanted an improvement over my point-and-shoot camera in low light and other scenarios. Although the D60 is definitely such an improvement, after playing around with this camera in low light, I just decided it would not do the trick.

Let me start by listing the things that I do like about this camera, because there were many (these also apply to the D5000):

-Takes good pictures in bright light

-I like Nikon’s menu systems. Although it takes some learning and some menu options require multiple “clicks,” I found it intuitive and straight-forward. You also can set-up “my menu” where you have fast access to your most-used features. I recommend utilizing this feature.

-The on-board help button that explains the features to you

-The vibration reduction lenses really are helpful in reducing camera shake. Out of the box, I didn’t realize VR was automatically set to off on the lens, and turning it on really did make a difference in low light.

-Definitely is an upgrade over a point-and-shoot. Also with the lens kits, appears to be a fairly good value.

Despite these positives, the D60 was not the camera for me. First, when taking photos indoors (even the lights on), I found that I typically had to manually focus the camera because it would not find the correct focus. Even then, the quality of the low-light photos is not great. (Although it is an improvement over my canon point-and-shoot.) I’m sure this is in part due to its processor and in part due to the fact that it only has 3 Auto-focus points. Whatever the cause, the mediocre quality of low-light photos is something you’ll want to seriously consider if you’ll be shooting indoors.

If you’d like to see the comparison yourself, you can view images I have posted for both cameras in the customer image galleries for the D60 (Nikon D60 10.2MP Digital SLR Camera with 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6G AF-S DX VR Nikkor Zoom Lens) and D5000 (Nikon D5000 12.3 MP DX Digital SLR Camera with 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6G VR Lens and 2.7-inch Vari-angle LCD)

The 3 autofocus points is also just a general concern overall. Even in the short time I had the camera, I found that the lack of auto-focus points affected my photo composition capabilities. I do not like to have to hold the button half-way down to focus and then move my desired subject to a different part of the frame. Plus, it makes it extremely difficult to shoot moving subjects. For a bit more money, the D5000 has 11 autofocus points which adds many more possibilities in terms of composing the photo in the viewfinder. It also has a 3-D auto-focus mode, which allows you to focus on a subject, and then keeps the focus on that subject when it moves by choosing a new focus point. The D5000 is more expensive, but the upgrade from 3 to 11 focus points is an extreme improvement that I think will make a difference for even amateur photographers. (Perhaps it doesn’t make much of a difference for simple point and click, but if you are shopping for a dSLR, I doubt that is all you are planning to do.)

In the few hours since I exchanged this for the D5000, I know that I have made the right choice. I have noticed a dramatic improvement in the quality of the photos I have taken over the D60. I have also discovered a number of additional features lacking in the D60 that are very useful. Specifically, bracketing. With bracketing, you can set the camera to automatically take multiple shots using different settings. For example, you can use exposure bracketing, and it will take one shot at the normal exposure, one under-exposed, and one over-exposed. This is extremely useful in difficult lighting settings where you may not have the time to fiddle with exposure compensation. (There are other bracketing options as well.) According to some things I’ve read, Nikon removed this feature from the D40 series and D60 to “dumb it down,” but I really don’t understand that at all. This isn’t a difficult feature to grasp, and it seems like it would be extraordinarily useful for novice photographers (like me) who haven’t completely mastered getting the perfect shot, but who might face situations where they don’t have time to fiddle through the menus.

Overall, the things that this camera (D60) is missing that I already love about about my D5000 are:

-11 auto-focus points(this has only 3. I think this will affect most users’ capabilities with the camera)

-An improved processor and better image quality, especially in low light

-Bracketing (missing from this camera)

-Numerous additional Scene modes (in addition to those this one provides)

-More choices for Active D-Lighting (Ultra-high, High, low, etc. as opposed to just on/off in D60)

-3-D Tracking Mode for auto-focus (which allows you to choose a focus point, and if the subject moves, the camera keeps focus on that subject… haven’t tried this yet, but I’m anxious to.)

-More on-camera retouching options

-Higher resolution (although I’m not sure this will make a difference unless you’re planning to blow up photos)

(Some of these things may sound technical, but I didn’t know what they were yesterday either! You’ll be amazed at how fast you’ll learn by reading the manual and doing a little playing around.)

It is up to you whether these improvements are worth the extra several hundred dollars. For me, they were. I simply don’t want to be disappointed and end up buying a new dSLR in a few years.

I also would like to briefly mention the fact that this camera is missing a live view, which is present on the D5000. Personally, I would not use this as a deciding factor in your camera choice. Although you are probably used to live view from your point-and-shoot, I think if you can manage to go back to a viewfinder for awhile, you’ll actually like it. It gives you a better eye for composition, and you don’t have to mess with covering up the eyepiece to avoid light leaking in. Plus, keep in mind that even in the D5000, the liveview is probably not what you’re accustomed to from point-and-shoots. Liveview systems in SLRs tend to be slow have have difficulty focusing, so if you switch solely for the liveview, you may be disappointed. So give the lack of live view a shot and practice composing your photos in the viewfinder. I think you’ll be pleased once you get used to it.

On that note, the D60 may lack video, which is present on more expensive models, but you should never, ever buy a dSLR because you want to take videos. It may be a perk, but if your hope is to shoot amazing video, you will surely be disappointed. Get an HD-camcorder instead.

In sum, this is a decent camera, but only having 3 autofocus points makes it not worth its price, even though that price is quite reasonable. The D5000 is a few hundred dollars more, but its capabilities and quality are vastly improved. (Note that you could go even further upscale for just a bit more to the D90, although that is a bigger, bulkier camera, which may not be as good for travel.) If you’re going to spend the money to spring for a dSLR, you might as well get something that you’ll be happy with for a long time.

If, on the other hand, you’ll be photographing primarily outdoors, and you really don’t think you need the D5000, the D60 is a perfectly acceptable camera. Although, if that’s the case, you may also consider the cheaper D40. I have never tested one and cannot speak to the differences between the D40 and D60, but with only 3 Auto-focus points, I wonder what the D60 really adds. (I know it has a cleaning system and D-Lighting, but I’m not sure those features are worth the price difference.)

Good luck!