Canon or Nikon...cant decide

[sr71 1]

I have been taking a photography course in college, using my uncles old Minolta SRT100 its 35 mil, I love the whole process that goes along with film processing and print development, But I have started to take more of an interest in photography and would like to buy a nice DSLR Camera. I'm Not looking to spend thousands of dollars on a High end system, Just something that I can shoot all the standard ISO's and has a good selection of lenses a good meter and all that good stuff?

what should I go with

the Nikon brand DSLR's

the Canon EOS Or Rebel series's

Edited November 6, 2008 by sr71

[flyboy14295 4]

I have a Canon EOS Rebel XTi and love it! The 10mp is great if you don't really have the longest lens and you can really crop the photo. The newer version of the camera is the XSi.

[Guest]

Nikon.

Better lenses, better cameras.

Get the 18-200mm VR DX lens (~$700 but WELL worth it).

I'd recommend d40 or d90 (depends on how much you want to spend).

I can give you some sites if you're interested.

[sr71 1]

So Nikon's have better lenses?

I was doing a little reading about how Minolta left the camera business, The company sold there DSLR stuff to Sony, has anyone tried or seen the new Sony Alpha cameras?

[grumpyff 1,159]

Go to a store and try them out. I went to Best Buy one day to look, and when I first picked up the Canon products I thought they were to light, and had a feeling that it was not that durable. The Nikon was heavier, and felt like it would take some abuse.

[jayhalsey 6]

Canon.

Better lenses, and better cameras.

Seriously though, anytime anyone asks this question, there are always the two camps.

Best bet is to try a bnch of cameras, and see what works for you. Whether you have to beg, borrow or steal, try a bunch. I tried my cousins canon 20d, then tried the nikon d40, then the canon 40d and ultimately went canon. It felt like it was constructed way better than the nikon, the nikon almost felt like a toy to me, seemed to take better pictures out of the box than the nikon did, and there are tons of lenses out there for it.

Edited November 6, 2008 by jayhalsey

[X2321 133]

I'm glad to hear that college courses are still teaching you developing and printing, its good to know before jumping into the digital world. As far as what camera to choose, both Canon and Nikon are just as good. I know people with the Canon Rebel and they love it, and I know people with the Nikon D40 and they love that.

[Guest]

Cant beat the Cannon Elf series. Great price and excellent pictures. Hands down

[SteveOFD 176]

When I bought my Canon SD700IS (not a DSLR) I researched various cameras. The most informed reviews I found were at Digital Photography Review. They rated it as highly recommended and that is the way I feel about it. It is another resource to form your opinion.

[SpartanML 0]

I have an 07 Canon Rebel XTi... its the supreme camera.

And it's newer counterpart, the XSi, well I admire that thing.

Whatever you wind up getting, I highly recommend getting this superior product to go along with it.

Camera Armor.

[sr71 1]

Thanks for all the great info guys!!, I will be shopping around and getting the feel of the camera brands.

and since Konica Minolta transferred their camera division to Sony, I will also be checking out the Sony Alpha DSLR series Cameras, which from what I hear are really Minolta's in Sony skin. Its a shame that Minolta ended its camera business in 2006.

so around Christmas time I should have made my pic and ill let you guys know how it turns out.

[Guest pentax02839]

what happen to pentax.I know there still in business.But all I ever hear about are cannons and nikons.I still have my k 1000 and even my spotmatic.are they not good digital camera?

[Guest TFD125]

If you end up choosing a Canon, which is my personal choice, here is a great website. He reviews the lenses, bodies and takes sample photos to allow you to view the images the lens can produce. Chock full of information!!

I shoot an XTI with a number of L series Lenses and will be upgrading to a full frame body soon. Love the quality of Canon lenses and body!!

http://the-digital-picture.com/

[Guest pentax02839]

So, does Canon have good starter camera? I was told in Nikon's d40 is a good one to start with. But I'm still interested in knowing if any still uses Pentax cameras? Or are they not that good of a camera?

Edited November 23, 2008 by DOC22
spelling and grammar errors

[Guest TFD125]

That would be the XSi. It is the upgraded version of the XTi I use. If you are planning to be more serious and spend more money it would be a 40D or 50D. You basically want to invest your money in Glass early. Lenses really make the DSLR System and will interchange with any body they come out with. The Manufacturers come out with new Bodies with all the bells and whistles all of the time. The Sensor in the XSi is pretty much the same sensor you would find in the 40D/50D. I would compare the two bodies to see which would fit better into what you are looking to do. Where things really change is when you get to the Full Frame sensor of the 5D (Mark I or II) and the 1Ds lines of bodies.

The L Series Lenses are an amazing addition to any camera bag but are pricey. If you look on the site i posted above he will have lenses that are not L series, but he says aside from the material in construction and some other differences they can take just as good a picture. If you do plan to get more serious the L is definately the way to go.

Pentax is still in the game, but i dont know that they are much of a competitor in the DSLR market. Canon and Nikon are really the two big contenders. I believe Canon really took the digital wave early and advanced very well. Nikon from what I remember was a little slower in the beginning but has now caught up pretty much neck and neck again. Now we are back to that battle of who is better which can get ugly.

Bottom line is both systems are really nice and offer perks over the other, but its mainly preference.

Canon L Series Information

Edited November 23, 2008 by TFD125

[markmets415 524]

How about the Canon EOS Rebel XS, 10.1 megapixels DSLR comes with a zoom lens 18 mm-55mm- f/3.5-5.6 canon EF-S lens.

[squ1d30 3]

personally nikon for me nothing against canon never really ued them i got into nikon and loven them ever since. just got rid of my d70s a nice little starter, only lthis past thursday to be exact. i have a d80 and have just got the d300 so the 80 will now be my backup or second. my brother in law has the d50, no complaints just too small for me. whicever brand or camera you chose to go with just do your research, not only on the brand but options as well. not sure if the d40, d60 or d90 have the avalable options as the d80, d300 and others have. all in all good luck in your search and best of luck with whichever one you choose.

squid

cdcphoto.com

[Guest TFD125]

The XSi is a better quality camera for the extra $100 or so. Well worth it IMO.

My camera came with the 18-55 and I wasnt very fond of it. The XSi and XS kit Comes with the IS version of the lense which should give you 3 stops of stabalization. The IS lens had a better review as well and is said to be optically better. It's a great place to start.

Just like squ1d30 said do your research. And also go to a camera store and actually hold the different cameras. The differences in the grips and body sizes just may be a tie breaker for you. Chances are you may be shooting the camera for hours on end and the smaller grip of the rebel may drive you crazy. It bugs me but i wanted to start off with a cheaper body like the rebel xti and invest my money in lenses. Then my next step is to the new Full Frame 5D Mark II :-).

BHPhoto XSI kit 18-55 IS

Edited November 23, 2008 by TFD125

[Guest patrickfd]

I started with a Canon rebel XTI and several canon lenses and a canon flash. After a year I upgraded to a Canon 40d. I use a canon 28-135 mm IS lens 90% of the time. Both camera's are very good. I just upgraded because I felt the 40d was a better fit and had afew more options I wanted. I also could still use the lenses and flash that I had.

[Guest pentax02839]

How big of memory card should I get? do they use recharable? are there some good recharable ones that are recomened? what is a good maker of lenses?

[joetnymedic 43]

I had a Canon EOS both a 35mm and a digital, the actual reason I went with the Canon, was because of the quality and feel the old 35mm gave me. I actually gave the 35mm to someone on this board. For regular everyday I can throw it in the back of my truck camera, I use a Kodak Z710. It's cheap,durable, and takes good shots and can be replaced without me having to spend an arm and a leg. I have a good camera bag which cushions it and protects it, but I kill my regular everyday use cameras and I am not going to kill a good one. I'd rather kill a camera that costs me under 200 bucks as opposed to a more expensive one, but that's just me. And the Kodak actually takes some pretty good everyday shots at 7.1MP. Personally if you ask me, unless you are doing big blowups of shots, anything over 6 mp is overkill anyways, but like I said, that's just my opinion.

[Guest TFD125]

A 2GB, 4 GB or 8 GB CF Card would give you a good amount of images. Depends if you are shooting raw or what quality of JPG. Raw images out of an XTI or XSI would be around 15MB or so each picture, but will require post processing. Raw is the most flexible image format to shoot if you learn to use photoshop or another editing program. Raw write the RAW sensor data to a file so essentially you can edit what the camera sees. Jpeg will be easier in the sense all the white balance, saturation etc.. is set in camera. The camera processes the image. You also have the option to shoot RAW + JPG at the same time to get the best of both worlds, but sucks up more space.

(1) Large/Fine : Approx. 4.3MB (4272 x 2848 pixels)

(2) Large/Normal : Approx. 2.2MB (4272 x 2848 pixels)

(3) Medium/Fine : Approx. 2.5MB (3088 x 2056 pixels)

(4) Medium/Normal: Approx. 1.3MB (3088 x 2056 pixels)

(5) Small/Fine : Approx. 1.6MB (2256 x 1504 pixels)

(6) Small/Normal : Approx. 0.8MB (2256 x 1504 pixels)

(7) RAW : Approx. 15.3 MB (4272 x 2848 pixels)

Exact file sizes depend on the subject, ISO speed, Picture Style, etc.

Just remember the more you can store on one card the more you stand to lose if the card goes bad. The cards are reusable.

As far as lenses if you go Canon for the body I would use Canon lenses. That is where the quality of their product really sits. However there are other options such as Sigma which may offer a more cost effective solution. The Glass quality may not be as good though.

Edited November 24, 2008 by TFD125

[Guest TFD125]

Same goes for Nikon. If you choose a Nikon body, most of the R&D and investment is in the Lens technology so go with their lenses.

[abaduck 123]

1. I personally would never go Canon because of how they screwed us over with the change from FD to EOS lens mounts, but that's just me (Nikon have enhanced the mount over the years, but you can still use 30-40 year old lenses on current bodies). I shoot a D3 and love it to bits.

2. It doesn't matter whether you buy Canon or Nikon: whichever you buy, if in doubt buy a cheaper camera and buy better lenses.

3. If you do go Nikon, hunt up a used AF 28-200mm f3.5-5.6G ED Nikkor - for the price it was and is (they stopped making it a year or two ago) an astonishingly good gem of a lens.

Mike

[Guest TFD125]

From what I understand they dropped the FD lens mount to switch to the electronic interface mount which is where the future of things was heading. This allowed the Canon to break free from the mechanical linkage of the FD lens. It allowed Canon to shoot ahead and become a real condender in the DSLR market. They were also able to build the new lens system from the ground up and not play second runner to Nikon as they were with the FD system. I have also heard of problems using the old Nikon lenses on the new Nikon bodies. Who knows.

I definately see your reason for jumping over, but since I am younger I am not affected by it.

Here is some more info on the switch.

http://photo.net/canon-eos-digital-camera-forum/008sJi

I personally like the two companies constantly battling back and forth. Gives all of us Canon and Nikon users better cameras and lenses.

[Patch6713 18]

I use a Nikon D40. It is a great camera for more everyday use.

I am taking the photo class at college also and have learned to appreciate all the abilities a DSLR has over a film or regular digital camera. The D40 is 6.1 MP and it shoots great pictures. Unless you plan on really enlarging the pictures to extreme sizes, I think a 6 or 8 MP camera will do you fine.

Who is your photo teacher?

[mfkap 0]

If you are looking to get the Canon, Costco has the XSi with 2 lenses for around $900. You get a large zoom lens (75mm-300mm) and both lenses are IS if I recall correctly. You can add the 50mm f/1.8 prime lens for less than $100, which might be the best lens for the money that is made for any camera at the moment. This will give you a good camera, lenses from 18-55 and 75-300, and a decent portrait/low light lens for less than $1000. If I didn't already have a long lens I would buy the package just for the lens and to upgrade my XTi to live view (which the XSi has).

[Guest TFD125]

If you are looking to get the Canon, Costco has the XSi with 2 lenses for around $900. You get a large zoom lens (75mm-300mm) and both lenses are IS if I recall correctly. You can add the 50mm f/1.8 prime lens for less than $100, which might be the best lens for the money that is made for any camera at the moment. This will give you a good camera, lenses from 18-55 and 75-300, and a decent portrait/low light lens for less than $1000. If I didn't already have a long lens I would buy the package just for the lens and to upgrade my XTi to live view (which the XSi has).

What a great deal. That 50mm f/1.8 prime is a great lens for the money plus two more lenses. I would jump on that deal.

[OnTheWheel 43]

If I may jump on the band wagon, Im going to be purchasing the Canon xsi (2 lense package $780 or so from B&H. Does anyone know of any good digital photography courses to take so I can get the most from the camera?

[jayhalsey 6]

If I may jump on the band wagon, Im going to be purchasing the Canon xsi (2 lense package $780 or so from B&H. Does anyone know of any good digital photography courses to take so I can get the most from the camera?

Dont know about your town, but in my town the Board of Education offers Continuing Education courses at the local high school. I know they offer several courses on photography, and some of those specifically on digital photography. I would also check out some local photo shops to see what tehy say, and maybe a local photography club.

Edited December 7, 2008 by jayhalsey