Nikon or Canon?

nitinha · December 31, 2005

being mostly a black & white photographer, this is the first time i'll be purchasing a brand new SLR digital camera and i'm a bit nervous.

never in my life have i purchased my own (most of the cameras i've had were hand me downs) and i finally got to save up some money and can afford one so the question is...

which one should i get? it's a lot of money which is obviously an important decision. here are my top three that i have been thinking about:

1. nikon D50
2. nikon D70 or
3. canon 350 digital rebel xt

any suggestions, comments...feel free. i will appreciate them all. :1drink

Andy · December 31, 2005

Great question, I'll be watching this thread

:lurk

In the meantime, there was a great discussion on the same subject a while back:

http://www.dgrin.com/showthread.php?t=14110

Might give you some food for thought.

3rdPlanetPhotography · December 31, 2005

Save a little more and get the Canon 20d... can't go wrong

Seymore · December 31, 2005

nitinha wrote:

any suggestions, comments...feel free. i will appreciate them all.

Well, allow me to be the first to welcome you to DGRIN!

And, on the side of Nikon, I'll inform you that 30YO Nikon/Nikkor lenses can still be used on any Nikon camera today. This includes the D50, D70/D70s with the exception that these bodies will not meter. But, the histogram is your friend at this point. I luv my MF 50/1.4 and 135/2.8 lenses.

Please let us know what you get.

david_h · December 31, 2005

It seems that when people answer these questions, they normally suggest a camera that they own. I'm going to try to be a bit different, although I confess to a certain amount of brand bias.

I have Nikon cameras, a D2H and a D70. Of the three you mentioned, I'd go for the D50. Here's why;

D70 - actually if buying new it would be a D70s - good camera. I've had mine for quite a while and I use it as a backup to my D2H. I like it, but wouldn't rush out to buy another. I feel the D50 is now a better low cost camera, and if I wanted something better I'd go for either the new D200 or a D2Hs.

350 xt - for me, the construction of the Canon consumer cameras is not quite as good as Nikon's. I also feel (I need to run for cover here) that Nikon's lens system offers better options than Canon's, although this is subjective to say the least. I've seen some great photographs from this camera, I must admit.

D50 - great value for money and has most of the features and quality construction of the D70. Image quality seems to be better than the D70, especially at high ISO.

So my suggestion would be the Nikon D50. I'd not get the kit, because I don't really like the D50 kit lens. I'd get the body only and then get the kit lens from the D70, the 18-70 DX. These are readily available on ebay at good prices from people who have upgraded to more expensive Nikon stuff or you can buy new.

The D50 with 18-70 lens would make a super first DSLR kit.

SteveLongPhoto · December 31, 2005

Since you've been primarily a BW photographer, I'm going to make an assumption that you prefer available light. Also, since you say that cost is an issue let me make a very inexpensive recommendation:

Nikon D50, very good image quality up to 1600 iso, solid build quality. $569 at B&H.

+

Nikon 50mm 1.8 lens, sharp and fast, $104 at B&H.

For $673 you get a great combo for shooting in any light. Don't be afraid to use just a normal non-zoom. Henri Cartier Bresson used a 50mm lens for most of his work and it worked just fine for him.

allan · December 31, 2005

I am going to be a lil different, too....
I have had a Canon Dreb, 10D and the 5D. presently i own a (2nd) 20D....

i say this to also say:

The Nikon D50 is THE best deal on the market on the low end of things... a lot of good features-- and remember -- it is the photographer 90% of the time... have your seeong get better and it will aleays outrun digital advances...

allan

cknyny · December 31, 2005

Try them first
I just upgraded to a Nikon D50 from several Sony camera's. I was going through the same delima you are now. I finally went to a camera store and literally spent over 5 hours in there playing with each one. I decided the Nikon D50 just felt best in my hands. I really reccomend you go out and try each one in a store before you decide.

Good luck...by the way...I LOVE the D50.

Craig

bfjr · December 31, 2005

My short answer
Buy any camera (brand) you like and then

Perfect (Practice, learn, Practice some more) your skills.

Mongrel · December 31, 2005

By far the best advice you've gotten in this thread...
was given by cknyny-

Go and try each one out *before* you decide!

Honestly, at the level you are considering (entry level dslrs that is), *any* of these models will be able to produce fantastic pictures. I don't believe anyone would argue that point.

Now, where the rubber really meets the road is how each model fits you. Everything from the grip and ergonomics to the menu and function dials is far more important than the other stuff imho.

I have handled all three cameras mentioned and each one (even the XT) feels ackward in my hands compared to my Canon 20D and 1D. But that's me.

Go to your local camera shop or Best Buy and pick them up. I'll bet one of them screams out "PICK ME, PICK ME!"

Then you will know the answer to your question.

Good luck with the choice-and enjoy the anticipation!

Mongrel

TOF guy · December 31, 2005

nitinha wrote:

being mostly a black & white photographer, this is the first time i'll be purchasing a brand new SLR digital camera and i'm a bit nervous.
.

I'd go either for the D50 or the 350xt (ie the cheapest cameras) and invest the rest of your money in the best lens you can afford.

The idea to try before you buy is also good advice.

I can't think of a reason why one would be better than the other for B&W work. B&W conversion of a digital picture is an art in itself in post-processing, IMHO, no matter which camera you use.

Good luck (but you can't go wrong with any of your options) !

Thierry

gus · December 31, 2005

TOF guy wrote:

I'd go either for the D50 or the 350xt (ie the cheapest cameras) and invest the rest of your money in the best lens you can afford.

Thierry

Good advice i recon

nitinha · January 1, 2006

You guys are freakin' amazing!
i have to say, i am so glad that i got into this because all of your replies has helped me so much in deciding what i should get/do.

my sister suggested a camera place in the city (B&H, coincidently which one of you guys mentioned here) we're going to go this weekend and i'm going to try out the cameras, get a feel for it, and make my final decision.

for some reason i feel like heading towards the canon, but it may change. i think it's because i got used to canon's style, even though i've been using the SD110 which is obviously different from a SLR. it seems that their quality is just so much better, but like you guys said, that's not what it's all about.

thank you all for your comments/suggestions and i'll let you guys know what i got in the end!

Matthew Saville · January 1, 2006

Consider this:

Canon's 18 month release cycle lends very well to buying the "2nd generation" model at DIRT CHEAP prices. Expect to find the 20D body, an absolutely amazing camera, for increasingly below $1,000 as it's replacement draws nearer, possibly even next month in Feb!

This is such an incredible camera, and at such a low price you just can't afford NOT to think about this "buying tactic" even if you're always dying to have the latest model.

On the other side of the fence:

Nikon's 2, 3, or even 4 year release cycle is offset by their incredible dedication to low prices. The D50 at $569, the D70 at $999, and the D200 at an absolutely mind-bogglingly low $1,699 are all un-beatable by far in value.

You subject yourself to "settling" for an "older" camera while you wait for the newer model, and you can get made fun of by some Canon users if you're using a 3 year old body that is "ancient", but this is nothing to worry about if you're halfway talented and technically adept. As much as I'd like to upgrade every 18 months, it takes me about that long to get "into the grove" with a new camera, so I'm better off not upgrading so often, I guess...

On the third side of the fence:

Pentax, Olympus, and Minolta all have awesome systems with their own little gimmicks that make me wish I had one. Minolta's Anti-Shake with ALL lenses and Olympus' SWF "CCD dust-buster" come to mind... Oh and if you've got a few months to wait, Sigma might even come "back" (they haven't really left but there's SO many rumors that they did or will) ...and release a new DSLR. And Sigma, with it's Foveon sensor, definitely tops my list of gimmicks that are probably MUCH more than that, and definitely worth looking into. Those who own Sigma SD10's absolutely swear by the color reproduction and image sharpness that is to be had with the Foveon sensor...

So seriously, check out them ALL. Just about the WORST thing you can do when jumping into a complicated camera system such as the SLR or DSLR systems is to simply order one online and hope that you like how it feels in your hand, how the controls jive with your brain. Go into a store and hold them!

That is the BEST advice I can give, far better than any advice concerning which brand I like etc. etc.

Take care,
-Matt-

Seymore · January 2, 2006

Matthew Saville wrote:

That is the BEST advice I can give, far better than any advice concerning which brand I like etc. etc.

Take care,
-Matt-

Well stated Matt!!!

marlof · January 2, 2006

I'm most definitely not someone who persuades others to make the same choices as I did (after all, we all like to like something different), but I agree with Matt: don't limit yourself to Canon and Nikon before testing them all out. I've been using my Olympus E-1 with tons of fun, and know several users of the dirt cheap E-500 two lens kit, who are having tons of fun as well. I also know some Konica Minolta shooters who are having tons of fun.

That said, we're very close to PMA right now, that is held in less than two months. So you might want to wait for PMA before making a decision. Not because you should want to buy one of the to be announced cameras, but the announcements are bound to show the direction the different brands are going. And some of the current offerings might experience a price drop when their successor will be announced.

On the other hand: for some, taking pictures with a current camera is nicer than waiting two months before being able to do that, just to save a few dollars. What is more important to you, I leave up to you...

Nikon or Canon?

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