Really need help... should I upgrade?? (DSLRs)

[nomdeguerre]

Okay a few background info on me:

I am a student.
I have very little to no disposable income as of right now.
I enjoy photography as a hobby.
I currently own a D40.
I am about to get large sums of money for graduating high school.

Now, my dilemma.
I love what the D40 can offer, but I have a bitter sweet relationship with it. I feel like I already outgrew it in the few months I've had it. This wasn't my first experience with photography, so I should've known it would happen. (Big film person beforehand.)

Now, if I sell the D40 now, I can get about $400, which is only a $100 hit from what I paid, including tax.
I really WANT to upgrade, but of course wants are never needs. I want to be able to play with other lenses. I want to be able to experiment with flashes, and I want more flexibility in general.

Now, what would you do? My options are:
1. Keep the D40 until I have a real job. (4+ years from now, after graduating college)

2. Sell the D40 and use graduation money to buy a D80, or possibly a D90. (I have enough already, but I could use the money towards a laptop for school next year.)

3. Sell the D40 now while I can get $400 and put it towards a 'camera fund'. Then slowly save money over the summer. Photography is a hobby, but it can always wait.

Right now, option 3 seems smartest. However, I also need to start a 'car fund' as well as having money on hand for just hanging out.

[Uncle Erik]

What about your headphone fund?

In what ways have you outgrown your D40? I got my Dad one for Christmas and think it's a very capable performer. Not terribly different from my D70s, either.

Unless you're doing heavy professional work or need a new feature, I think you're suffering from upgraditis. That's OK; we all do. Why not try a new lens? And it takes all the Nikon flash systems, I believe.

Something to keep in mind is that a lot of the great photographers did their work with cameras nowhere near as good as a D40. They would have killed to have 2,000 exposures on one chip, not to mention doing away with light meters and physically carrying film.

If you really want an upgrade, take a photography course. Buy a book on composition and better your skills. A few hundred hours devoted to compensation will make much more of a difference than a few more megapixels or a more sophisticated autofocus will.

The D40 is a good camera that takes great photos. Use the hell out of it and make yourself a better photographer. When it breaks or you really need the features, get a new one.

[Braver]

I also own a D40, and I'd love to have more buttons and switches for quickly getting to those settings like metering mode etc. You know, those things you can do just a bit easier on a more expensive model.
But really, technically, I don't think body upgrades will improve my pictures much. Perhaps a couple megapixels, but I don't think one should worry about that too much. ISO performance only improves when you go to a D300, and that's just a bit too much.
No, if you want more flexibility, I think money is better put towards more glass. Ofcourse, a D80, would allow you to use older and cheaper glass. But if that body upgrade means you won't be able to buy lenses for a while, what's the use? Hell, even then, manual focus could be seriously inspiring.
Flash wise, the only thing the D80 has over the D40 is the ability to use the built-in flash as a commander for an off-body flash. That's cool, but still a compromise. You still really want a SB800 as your commander. And there a lot more ghetto solutions for people on a budget, that work with a D40. Student+Ghetto=Good let me tell you
If you want better pictures, money is better put towards theory, experience and inspiration.
Read this and rethink your camera upgraditis: Alex Majoli points and shoots
Anyway, that's just my two cents.

[skyline889]

The D80 won't meter with AI glass, only the prosumer and up bodies do that, ie the D200/D300 and up.

[anubis404]

You should probably stick with the D40 if it works for you and you like it. I wouldn't up grade the whole body just to get a few extra features.

[mercbuggy]

In what ways have you 'outgrown' the D40.?? Replace you kit lenses with some better glass. Then hone your technique and picture making skills.

[meat01]

I would spend the money on new lenses or wait until you can make a substantial upgrade. If you get a D80, you are going to want a D300. The D40 is a great camera.

[anubis404]

I agree with meat. If you have the extra money, get some good glass.

[vibin247]

Go to photography courses and learn, learn, learn. If you got the money for some gear upgrades, sit back and think about what you're going to use it for.