Advice needed.

[ben_wtrs]

I have managed to save up £250 which I am quite pleased with myself about. What with having a new baby and the wife buying baby grows like there going out of fashion.
But before I buy a camera I have a few questions.
For that sort of money I have narrowed it down to 3 options.
1 nikon d40 2 nikon d3000 3 panasonic g1
My first question is why has the d40 held it's price so well and why is the d3000 which is a lot newer the same price.
The appealing thing to me about the g1 is the lens adaptors and cheap lenses. ( I know they will be manual focus only)
And also I have read on here and else where of people upgrading from d3000 after 8 months or so which I can't afford to do. So basically I think I am asking which one gives more bang for buck.
Hope someone can help
Ben

 

[ben_wtrs]

Anybody?

 

[woof woof]

I recently bought a G1+14-42mm off this forum for £200 which I think is fantastic value, although I then spent £700 on a Voigtlander 25mm f0.95

I suppose it's up to you what your priorities and aims are. If you want something with good enough image quality that's compact then something like a G1 might suit you. A DSLR might give you more options but for a casual amateur user I doubt that a micro four thirds camera system will be in any way restrictive.

Have you scanned this...

http://www.talkphotography.co.uk/forums/showthread.php?t=262800&page=59

 

[TCR4x4]

No experience of the G1, but the D40 is/was a very popular camera.
The D3000 is a good buy, the main reason people upgrade is because they feel they are being limited, or want the features in the next generation of cameras. (HD video in the D3100 and D5100 for example).

Any DSLR made in the last 10 years will take great photos, if you are happy to have last years tech, take advantage of the people who upgrade and get a nice body for a fraction of its original cost.

I'd personally choose a D3000 over a D40 simply because the D40 is quite old now and there have been some advances in sensor technology which has trickled into the D3000.

Just remember the lens is the main thing here, especially for low light indoor baby photos, which I imagine most of your stuff will be for a while.

A d3000 and 35mm f/1.8 should see you good for a long while, you can then add a few other lenses as and when funds allow.

 

[Flash In The Pan]

One of the reasons the D40 may have held it's price is that it was the last Nikon dslr that could flash sync up to 1/500 of a second, which some photographers find useful. If you don't need that then for the sake of a little more then a D3000, or even a D60, is probably a better option.