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The ultimate question: What camera?
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I’m hoping to move from a point and shoot to my first DSLR. As far as I can see, the entry level cameras are the D40X and 400D, but any advice on which to go for? Is it worth pushing the boat out a little further for a D80?
I know asking this (Nikon or Canon) is like asking some of you guys what religion you are :) so any advice greatly appreciated!
I have the 400D and I’m very happy with it. Remember the most important thing is that bit you attach to the front of the camera. If was starting again and had the finance I would go for the canon 40D.
Dave.
kvnbrdrck wrote:
I’m hoping to move from a point and shoot to my first DSLR. As far as I can see, the entry level cameras are the D40X and 400D, but any advice on which to go for? Is it worth pushing the boat out a little further for a D80?
I know asking this (Nikon or Canon) is like asking some of you guys what religion you are :) so any advice greatly appreciated!
I has been said many time before:
The best advise is to go to try them out and handle them and see which one feels the best for you.
There is little between them in regards to quality and abilty to produce sharp images.Another consideration is the size.
I have the 400D which many people find quite small.
But I like that because I like to bring it hiking or to the pub in my bodhr?n bag.
I have a battery grip for those times that I need a bettter handle on it.Hi I have a Nikon D70 but I rarely use the lense that came with it as part of the kit.
I generally use a 50mm 1.4 or 18-35mm lense, neither of which are digital lenses but give good results.
As already said the body is not as importnat as the lens.
I like the feel of the Nikon but a friend of mine got rid of his Nikon D200 and got the smaller Olympus (can’t remember which model) because he didn’t like the feel.
As madra rua said try to road test first to get the feel of the camera.
Good luck
just something small
i believe the d40 wont work with some of the older lenses, because it doesnt have the focus motor in the body. (please corrct me if i am wrong)
so if you want to buy some of the nice old nikon glass you might have a problem
Nothing more to add to the above but have to agree with Seaview the lens is the most important thing,You will go through a few bodies in your lifetime as a photographer and you will always have the same lenses (if chosen carefully too)
About the Canon V Nikon I am a believer that its not what your religious beliefs are. Its what you start off with.I had a Canon in my early photographer days and got used to the controls etc and just stuck with it since.Even if they rob you with the small add-ons. But if you were to hand me a Nikon I would probably be looking at it for a while before pressing anything.And the debates are just meer slagging , a bit like Soccer really,although some guys take it too serious.What matters at the end of the day is the final result,as long as YOU are happy with it then thats it!!
The best advice I received when I pondered this question was to go for the best you can afford. There’s no point in buying something that you feel you may replace in a short time – it’s a false economy. Whether it’s Canon, Nikon or any of the other reputable cameras that are out there (remember – they can all take photographs in the right hands) have a look at what you like but don’t skimp.
However, I do agree with the above inputs where glass, and good glass, is probably your primary concern. I got a kit lens with my first camera. They sell on Ebay for ?20 so that’ll tell you what you get as a kit lens. You might want to consider a body only and choose your own lens. That’ll be cheaper in the long run. Have a look at the “for sale” section in this forum…and best of luck! :)Alan.
stcstc wrote:
just something small
i believe the d40 wont work with some of the older lenses, because it doesnt have the focus motor in the body. (please corrct me if i am wrong)
so if you want to buy some of the nice old nikon glass you might have a problem
Correct D40 and D40x will only work with AF-S lens for the reason Steve gives.
The D80 is a quality camera. The kit lens that comes with the D80 is the 18-70mm and its a very fine lens.Is there any real difference between media? The Canon uses Compact Flash and the Nikons are SD. Is one preferable over the other?
I’ve read that the 400D and D40X use a mirror rather than a prism, which the D80 has. I assume this is better?
Canon 400D is a fine camera but it is very small and feels a bit “plastic”. If you can stretch your finances the 40D is the one. It is almoat a mini 1D Mk III. I have one and am delighted with it.
guthrij wrote:
Canon 400D is a fine camera but it is very small and feels a bit “plastic”. If you can stretch your finances the 40D is the one. It is almoat a mini 1D Mk III. I have one and am delighted with it.
Dude, there’s stretching and there’s stretching! If I was buying a 400D for each hand I could see your point :)
I like your style though :) Would you recommend a 30D over the 400D?
Dude, there’s stretching and there’s stretching! If I was buying a 400D for each hand I could see your point
I like your style though Would you recommend a 30D over the 400D?
The 30D would be my choice over the 400D. The 400D is a great starter camera but you get the bug you will upgrade. I think the 40D is the best DSLR (1D series excluded) on the market.
I’m gonna throw the cat amongst the cameras here. Have you considered the Sony A100. Before you say what Sony, they don’t make SLR’s!! They bought over Minolta about 18mths ago and make very fine cameras indeed, the A100 and A700. I have the A100 and have been using it for the past year. It’s brilliant. Recently I nearly moved to the Canon 400d’s big brother, the 40D, but I just couldn’t bring myself to move.
Two major advantages it has over both the 400d and D40 is the Sony has a sensor cleaning functions (not sure if the 400d has) for those dust bunnies and it also has anti-shake technology in the body. Helps combat shakey hands.
Anyway, it’s all personal taste. All the cameras mentioned Canon 400d, Nikon D40 and Sony A100 are more than capable of producing stunning images.
I’d also suggest getting on to http://www.dpreview.com and reading some reviews.
Have you considered to have the famous Sony Alpha A700?
The only minor problem with it is, it does not have a live view feature.When I decided to bought such camera I simply went to shop to test them all. And don’t listen assistants in the shop too much, they cannot give a good advice really because they have “their own opinion” but you buy a camera for yourself. I preferred Nikon D50 that time because it wasn’t too expensive (I thought about Nikon D70 really or about similar Canon ). I bought Nikon because I felt it better. It was subconsciousness and nothing else. Now I have D50 and D200 and I’m glad to have Nikon cameras. I know a lot of people who prefer Canon though.
So, go and test them both. :D
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