Buying a Nikon D60 off a friend as my first DSLR, are they any good?

I've used a Nikon D60 for a long time and no. If you can get it for like $20 that's fine but not only is it a really old DSLR, it's a really old beginner's DSLR with many features just cut away.

It's missing some sort of drive motor for using autofocus on most lenses, the viewfinder will likely be completely useless for manual focusing which you will have to use due to the autofocus issue unless they're giving you a lens that works with it, you'll need a specific type of lens in order to get exposure metering, don't remember which since I never got one. It takes a fairly small photo with poor dynamic range, bad color, and abysmal ISO performance by today's standards, or even the standards of 2012. Chances are you'll be at ISO 100 shooting full manual and missing focus due to the viewfinder, but you can buy a new prism for the viewfinder and learn to get good at fully manual shooting. If it's real cheap you might as well get it so you have a camera while saving up for something better.

Also, read the sticky.

>>2962221
Cheers for the help, I'm buying it for like £80, so around $95, I have a Sony Bridge camera at the moment which is good enough for me, but I thought I'd upgrade to a DSLR. Also apologies for not reading the Sticky </3

>>2962222
Don't listen to >>2962221, he is obviously not very knowledgable, and probably a mirrorless shill. D60 is a little dated, but it's still a capable camera, especially for a complete beginner.

Yes you don't get autofocus with OLD lenses, but its not just D60 that lacks that. The entire MODERN range of low end Nikon DSLRs lacks this function. Nobody except>>2962221 shoots full manual and does manual focus on D60. You don't need a "specific" lens. Anything made in the past decade by Nikon will do. Don't listen to this frankly crazy advice. Bying a new prism(i think he ment focusing screen) is a complete nonsense, on this camera at least.

Yes viewfinder is on the small side, but again, its not just D60, its the entire range of entry level DSLRs.

No, 10MP is not a "fairly small photo". Its more then enough resolution for a beginner. Also, cheap zoom lenses don't resolve much detail. If you want to get the most out of higher res sensor, you need sharp(usually expensive) lenses too.

Dynamic range is not great by todays standards, but Canon is selling cameras with exactly the same dynamic range today. You will get around 2 stops more if you buy a new camera, its really not a huge difference. I think D60 has around 11 stops of dynamic range which is ok.

>bad color
Pure nonsense, at least if you are comparing it with modern APS-C Bayer sensor cameras... not large format film.
Some actually think those older CCD cameras had better color (i don't, difference is certainly very subtle):
>>2954225 that


Are you getting a lens for 95$, or just a body?

>>2962231
I forgot to mention ISO. He was right about ISO performance. It's kinda bad compared to modern DSLR and Mirrorless cameras. I think ISO400 on D60 looks like 1600 on a modern sensor, if you are shooting raw. If you are shooting JPEG its probably even worse.

>tfw my dslr was a D70
At least I got it for free

>>2962231
Cheers for the help, I'm buying the whole camera for $95

>>2962238
Is it a 18-55mm kit zoom lens? If it is its an ok price. Its not an amazing deal or anything, but for that money you cant do much better.

>>2962240
Yeah, it has a 18-55mm kit zoom lens. I could buy a more pricey camera, but I weren't sure if it was worth it, or if I just buy the Nikon and settle with that for a few months

>>2962231
Yes it has bad color, reds tend to blow out before the rest of the image and are hyper saturated. I'm sure you can adjust it in post but the red channel will still be flattened in the blown areas. Compare these colorful test shots between the D60 and the D810 which is a newer Nikon I arbitrarily picked. http://216.18.212.226/PRODS/ND60/THUMBSVAR/ND60hSLI0400.JPG http://216.18.212.226/PRODS/nikon-d810/THUMBSVAR/D810hSLI00064NR2D.JPG I understand them to be no different in contrast or saturation settings. Does it really matter if a beginner uses a camera with bad color, maybe not, but if they manage to take a photo worth keeping it'll be marred. This is a camera I've used extensively, I'm familiar with its shortcomings.

Just noting that you're calling me a shill when I suggested no camera or even a brand while you're pushing for OP to purchase a shitty Nikon beginner's camera from 2008 for one hundred dollars. So for that go fuck yourself.

Yeah I didn't have a lens from this past decade when the camera came out a decade ago so the AF issue probably isn't worth worrying about but just in case http://www.kenrockwell.com/nikon/d60.htm Ken lists off lenses and the features that'll work with the camera on this page so OP can figure out if it'll work because if OP's friend is selling them a decade old camera, how old will the lens be?

>>2962244
Getting it to use for some months while saving for an upgrade would be fine. It's not unusable by any means.

>>2962245
Compare these colorful test shots between the D60 and the D810
>D60
>D810
>...
>D810
I can't open that link, but i don't have to. I extensively used D200 and D80 which have the same sensor as the D60. Yes, blues and especially reds tend to be oversaturated, but i would never characterize these cameras as having "bad color", at least compared to other similar cameras, not 25 times more expensive D810..

Which camera would you suggest then, for 95$ ?

>>2962222
Too expensive. D70 is better and cost less.