Hey, I already have a Nikon F55 with a Nikkor 28-88 lens, and I was wondering if it were possible just to purchase a Nikon DSLR with no lens (assuming it'd be cheaper...).
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Can one buy just a Nikon DSLR body? No lens?
- Thread starter Mavimao
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I believe that the entry-level Nikons (D40, D60) all come with the kit lens. The higher levels ones can be gotten as body only.
Of course, a camera shop might be able to sell you a D40/60 without the lens, but it wouldn't be the official Nikon kit.
And if you buy used, you can get whatever you want (provided someone is willing to sell).
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Well, now I feel stupid. I keep looking online and in the newspaper ads and all I see are kits. Can one go about anywhere and find a body only option?
Bodies sold at the lower end of the price scale are customarily sold as kits, just as your F55/N55 was. FWIW, the 28-80 lens that came with your body will not autofocus on the D40 or D60, so you would need to buy a D80/D90 or better to make use of that feature. Also, a 28mm lens is not very wide when you're working with digital bodies that use sensors that are smaller than 35mm film. The utility that you are accustomed to with this lens on a 35mm body will change when you use it on a digital body. You're probably better off just going with a kit and getting a lens intended for use with the new body.
Newspaper ads for retail electronics stores...yes, you're usually going to just see the kits. Look around online and you'll see that pretty much every DSLR is available body-only. Amazon, Adorama, B&H, etc, all sell body-only.
The only Nikons that must come with kit lenses from the factory are the D40 and D60; the D90 comes both as a kit and as a body only; and everything above that I believe comes body only. Some etailers will build their own kits to offer in addition to the body, but you can get every model D90 and above as body only.
The only Nikons that must come with kit lenses from the factory are the D40 and D60; the D90 comes both as a kit and as a body only; and everything above that I believe comes body only. Some etailers will build their own kits to offer in addition to the body, but you can get every model D90 and above as body only.
Agreed. You will be much better off with a D40 kit than with a body and your existing lens.
Yes, BUT... You will want a lens that is wider then your 28mm. Your 28mm lens will act as if it were 42mm long. The best why to get an 18mm lens is to buy the 18-55 kit lens with the new dSLR body.
I was under the impression that Nikon-authorized dealers like B&H can only sell kits for D40/D40x and D60s, since that's the only way Nikon USA sells them. Can you provide a link to B&H selling the body only for a D40?
When I got my D200, it was only available with a kit lens at that time due to the shortage of cameras and the number Nikon USA shipped to dealers as kits. It was a Nikon USA kit, from an authorized Nikon dealer. I'm pretty-sure the D300 and D700 bodies are both offered as a factory kit option with a lens as well.
I'll put this bluntly. Your 28-80mm is a terrible lens. Buy the kit lens if you can't afford anything better, because it will be much better than the 28-80.
Cameta isn't B&H, B&H doesn't sell body-only and neither does Adorama (except for refurbished units.) According to Nikon USA, the D60 "Includes AF-S DX NIKKOR 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6G VR (Vibration Reduction) Image Stabilization Lens."
Therefore, either the D60's sold by Cameta (a) aren't USA units, (b) are refurbs, (c) likely have the lenses removed from the kit by Cameta or (d) Nikon USA have sold one dealer bodies where they're not selling them to other dealers. My bet is on A or C.
I've submitted question 090119-001167 to Nikon USA to find out if the Cameta body-only package is a USA warranty product. We'll see if they answer and what they say.
I just bought a D60 body only factory demo from Cameta Camera. They are a real brick and mortar store. I went there to pick it up and they get very good reviews from the locals. The Nikon Corporate office is not far from their store so they tend to get a lot of the factory demos directly from Nikon.
Great deal. $299 for the D60 body. Since I was local, I was able to go to the store to inspect the camera before accepting it. They do have a return policy if you get one that happens to have a scratch on it or something. Mine looks brand new. I wanted something to learn on and figured I'd be upgrading in a few years anyway.
Great deal. $299 for the D60 body. Since I was local, I was able to go to the store to inspect the camera before accepting it. They do have a return policy if you get one that happens to have a scratch on it or something. Mine looks brand new. I wanted something to learn on and figured I'd be upgrading in a few years anyway.
I poked around on Amazon some more
http://www.amazon.com/gp/offer-listing/B0012OELSA/ref=dp_olp_1
So, it's not sold as shipped by Nikon USA to Cameta. I'm still waiting to hear back from Nikon, but it's not the official Nikon USA package but is a Nikon USA body. It also explains why other Nikon Authorized Dealers don't sell body-only units.
Addendum:
Nikon USA says they'll support a body from a Nikon Authorized Dealer if it's separated from a kit and sold stand-alone.