SLR's: canon or nikon?

bradpierson26

bradpierson26

Joined
Aug 7, 2008
Messages
803
I'm brand new into SLR cameras and need some pro advice
I a looking for a mid range SLR with some extra goodies(long range lens, tripod, bag, couple memory cards, spare battery etc).
I was thinking a Canon EOS T1i 15.1meg with a new 55-250mm lens. thats somewhere around $1200+ $2-300 in neccessary extras

BUT

my girlfriend likes the Nikon 12.3meg version with a new 55-200 zoom lens for like $950 + the 2-300 in extras

i know i know, if she aint happy, no one is :rolleyes: but i think she is open to being convinced.

so what's the verdict?

the $1500+/- for the canon is pretty much my price limit.
 
I've always been a Canon hound, just like most people here as I am finding out in my thread. I just got a D10 today and have yet to use it much.

Go see them is my only advise. Can't just look at the picture and know.
 
I would take a D90 over any Rebel. IMO, the T1i and D5000 are a toss up. I think the D5k may have slightly better image quality (splitting hairs here), but the T1i has 1080p video if you are interested in that. The D5k will also not autofocus with some Nikon lenses. Many people prefer Nikon SLR ergonomics however. Honestly, this is probably the most important thing to consider about the cameras. Finally, I think you should be able to get the T1i and 55-250 for under 1200. The lens is under $250 at amazon, and I wouldn't pay $1k for the T1i.
 
There are plenty of professional photographers who use Nikon, just as are those who use Canon.

IMO, this is almost like asking which is better, Mercedes, or BMW?

Both brands offer extensive system that will allow you to modify and extend your kit up the yin yang while seriously emptying your wallet at the same time. My advice is to see if you have any friends who will allow you to handle their cameras to get an idea of what you're getting into. While both Nikon and Canon provide excellent products, it has been my experience that controls, switches and so on aren't always always in the same place between the two brands, let alone different models within the same brand. Sometimes these controls are placed so they are intuitive, and sometimes they're not.

Really, the only way to find out is to handle one, or two, or three. If all else fails, a trip to the store may be in order.
 
Nikon. They have better glass and even though theyre "behind" on the technology, not really, but compared to canon ( a huge company) they are. They have a lower return rate and are made out of better, stronger materials. Nikon rules :-).
 
Actually, you are looking for a DSLR, not a SLR.

The Nikon D90 with a Nikkor 18-70mm lens would be a nice set.
 
Both manufactures are stand up. I'm a nikon guy, but I went a different route with a cheaper body and more expensive lens. The lens I bought, if you go Nikon, is the 18-200 mm VR. If you go the Nikon route, I recommend that lens. It is extremely versatile. The 18-55 range gets used a tonne when doing landscape type photography. Plus the Vibration Reduction works great.
 
I haven't used a Canon since high school/college photo classes (12+years:eek:) so I can't say if I would like the Canon DSLR's better or not. What I can say is that my wife and I have had a Nikon D70 for almost 5 years now and love it. It has never failed to perform, is very good on batteries and is pretty rugged. Our D70 has been camping at least 15 times, on countless dayhikes, and has been to Hawaii 3 times. We have even used it for two weddings for friends. I can say that when I get camera lust it is for another Nikon.
Example D70 pic:
DSC_0289.jpg


If you want technical info I like this site:

http://www.dpreview.com/

Enjoy your new camera:)
 
As others have said, both make excellent cameras. Ultimately, it's glass that will be your undoing -- bodies come and go, but good lenses can give you good service for decades. That's a good thing -- if all camera gear was as instantly obsolete as current DSLR bodies, we'd be truly doomed.

I've used Nikons for 20 years, and they work great for me. I don't think anything in the price range can match the D90, which is a lot of camera.

In any case, pixel counts don't matter -- any of the midrange Canons or Nikons will be fine. Ergonomics, low light performance, and the lens lineup are far more important.

A D90 and a midrange zoom (the 16-85 is terrific, the 18-105 and 18-70 are very good for the price, too) is a good start. Add a fast fixed focal length for lower light (35/1.8 is terrific, the 50/1.8 is quite good), and you're off and running. For longer reach, the 70-300VR is also quite good.

FWIW, here's my most-used kit:

D90
16-85VR
35/1.8
85/1.4
Sigma 150/2.8
300/4
 
Also, be careful about ultra-cheap mail order dealers, especially those in Brooklyn. There's a whole pack of them, many of them fronts for the same shady companies. If it sounds too good to be true, it is.

B&H and Adorama (bhphotovideo.com and adorama.com) are the gold standard for mail order. They're not big on handholding, but they're honest and reliable. They won't screw you.

I like the forums at fredmiranda.com, as well as nikonians.org.
 
SuzukiGS750EZ said:
Nikon. They have better glass and even though theyre "behind" on the technology, not really, but compared to canon ( a huge company) they are. They have a lower return rate and are made out of better, stronger materials. Nikon rules :-).
Click to expand...


Nikon and Canon have been making fine cameras and lenses for long over 60 years, maybe even 70 or 80. It's my impression that Canon is taking the lead in digital graphics.

And if I'm not mistaken, you can take the old 35mm lenses and lock them into the new digital bodies with no problems, and there are a lot of those good old lenses around.

Which camera body to buy, pick them up and see what feels good to you. Figure out ahead of time what kind of photography you want to do, a DSLR may not be your best choice...unless you just want to buy a hot looking camera.
 
I like my Canon XT a lot. Most people look down on it as an amateur's equipment, but as long as it takes nice photos, who cares?
 
SuzukiGS750EZ said:
Nikon. They have better glass
Click to expand...
Its true Cannon does sell some lower priced lenses aimed at the casual photographer, but I would argue that their L-series lenses are as good as anything that Nikon produces.

They have a lower return rate and are made out of better, stronger materials. Nikon rules :-).
Click to expand...
Again, it depends on what models you are talking about. The Rebel cameras are mostly plastic and polycarbonate, but the mid and high end Cannons have metal frames and are rugged enough for many professional photographers.
 
TemplarKnight21c said:
I like my Canon XT a lot. Most people look down on it as an amateur's equipment, but as long as it takes nice photos, who cares?
Click to expand...


:thumbup: I'm getting better pictures now with my Canon Powershot A630, a so-called "consumer" camera, than I ever did with my "professional" 35mm's.
 
I cannot comment on Nikon but I have a Canon 50D with a 24-70mm f2.8L that goes everywhere with me and the results it produces are excellent. I cannot recommend Canon highly enough.

IMG_0088.jpg
[/IMG]
 
I'm a Canon guy here, I went that way on the recommendation of a some pro photographer friends. In 4 yrears I've never looked back, the cameras are all OK but the glass is terrific, IMHO.

My walk around is a 5D with the 24-70 lens.

Win

A few weeks ago:

orig.jpg
 
if you are going to use it for wildlife, get canon because their big lenses are a few thousand dollars cheaper than nikons. 600mm in nikon is over 10,000

if you wont be using big glass, go nikon

dlg1_JUL9223-Edit.jpg


dl6-2.jpg


dlhomer169.jpg


nikon has the newest and best technology today with the d3x, but I am sure it will flip flop back to canon and so on in the future

the key is ergonomics and price of lenses. the camera bodies seem to be replaceable due to technology...kinda like computers. nikons glass from years ago still works on todays cameras. canon's glass doesnt.
 
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I bought a Nikon D90 for my wife last Christmas. She certainly took her time deciding on what she wanted, and did a lot of research before we made the purchase. She was already leaning towards getting the D90 (because it was a brand new model and therefore better :rolleyes:), but her mind was made up the moment we walked into a store and tried it out. It wasn't just the features that swayed her, she liked the layout of the controls on the Nikon better than on the Canons we checked out.

Get yourself over to a camera store and try it out in person if possible. Ergonomics is an important, and often overlooked, part of the decisionmaking process.
 
Go to a store and try them both out. Canon and Nikon had a different feel. Try swapping the lenses and snapping pictures in rapid sequence to get a good feel for them.

I prefer Canon, that's just me. :)
 
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