Best buy has a few D200s left in their warehouses and dist. centers and it seams they're trying to close them out. They dropped the price to $599. I payed that for my D60 a year ago. Is it worth the upgrade, I am going to finally step up from my 55-200VR to the 70-300VR. The only real reason I'm interested is because my purchase would qualify for 18mo. no interest which would sweeten the deal a bit.

The only advantage I can really see is the 11 pt autofocus to the 3 pt on the D60. If the 11 pt is not a necessity I am content to stay with the D60...it has gotten about 10 photos accepted here and with a better set of lenses I can only imagine its capability.

So I guess the question here is invest in a couple new lenses such as the 70-300VR and maybe a Sigma 50-500, 150-500, or 120-400...or go for the Nikkor lens and add the D200 body and sell the D60 before it becomes completely obsolete.

Thanks for the help as always ladies and gents!

I would go for new lenses.

Go for the lens, my still not-so-obsolete-almost-5-year-old D70   is still taking pictures.

KS/codeshare

[Edited 2009-05-10 00:20:51]

The D200 is a good camera body, but I can't see the point in going for this camera in this day and age - it is superseded technology.

If you were saying that you could get a D300 or D700 at bargain price, I might say otherwise. But in this case - buy better lenses.

I'd warn against the Sigma 50-500mm. Surely better can be had than this lens. Why not a 70-200mm F/2.8 VR lens and a 1.7x TC? That combination would yield better results, even if it is a bit more expensive.

It'd also negate the need for a 70-300mm lens.

Thanks for the info guys. CPD I'd love to have a 70-200 but I don't have the $2,000 USD at the moment. I'm trying to stay under $1500 or so. It looks like I could do a used Sigma for around 749 and the 70-300 for 550 which would give me a very versatile bag, for a decent price.

Cobra, if you have a $1500 budget your lens is the $1300 Nikkor 300/4 AF-S. I'll never get tired of saying how good it is optically. It will autofocus on the D60 (but be sure to get the AF-S version, as the earlier ones won't.)

Skip the Sigma big zooms, and skip the Nikkor 70-300 VR too unless you really need shorter focal lenghts. Go with a sharp, fast, easily handholdable Nikon prime and get blown away. For handheld aviation photography, the 300 AF-S is perfect.

If you REALLY feel like you need a 70-300 zoom, the Nikkor 70-300 ED (the one with the aperture ring, not the cheaper, too-light 70-300 G without) is now a bargain and goes for 250 tops, used. No VR, but stay at 1/250 or faster and you won't need it.

And you don't need a D200 either -- take it from someone who has two.   The D60 is just fine and will serve you well for a couple more years. Happy shooting!

I still use my D200s as much as my D700.

Still a great camera if you take the time to learn it. It has a great metering system.

I can make mine sing. $600 is a steal.

Quoting Clickhappy (Reply 6): I can make mine sing

I don't believe you Royal.....

  

Quoting Alberto Riva (Reply 5): Cobra, if you have a $1500 budget your lens is the $1300 Nikkor 300/4 AF-S. I'll never get tired of saying how good it is optically.

I second this. Go for the prime!

Joey

You won't see any real improvement in photo quality in most situations by going from a D60 to a D200. You'd be getting a more durable body, faster continuous shooting, more control options, and the better autofocus, but not much directly related to image quality, I daresay.

I just upgraded from the 55-200 VR to the 70-300 VR myself. I was looking for a little more reach and slightly better sharpness at the long end. It seems to have justified the cost in my opinion, but I wouldn't recommend the upgrade to everyone unless they find themselves consistently using the longer end of their 55-200.

I wouldn't sneeze at a 300/4, however.

Quoting Alberto Riva (Reply 5): If you REALLY feel like you need a 70-300 zoom, the Nikkor 70-300 ED (the one with the aperture ring, not the cheaper, too-light 70-300 G without) is now a bargain and goes for 250 tops, used. No VR, but stay at 1/250 or faster and you won't need it.

His current camera is a D60. That lens won't autofocus with his camera.

Ended up buying the 70-300VR, didn't see a single bad review about it on the net. Also trying to pay for my final year of college without a loan so decided to save the extra $$ Over the Bigma and the Nikkor 300 prime. Headed to DFW tomorrow afternoon after my final exam in the morning to see how she does!