need help Canon vs. Nikon

[ribac]

I have a problem.I want to buy probably Nikon D50.
I got $200 gift card from Best buy,so I,d like to use it.
I was thinking If I buy just a body I can buy it for $546 and use the gift card for lens,or use gift card and buy whole kit with 18-55mm lens for $749 from Best buy.I was leaning towards first choice and buy lens at Best buy but they don't have too many of them.
I'm not proff.,I'll use it for family,mainly landscapes..
What you'd do and what basic lens for beginner??

I was also thinking about Canon XT Rebel but it's kind of more expensive for beginner.

I hope you can help me decide.Thank you

[Rex914]

My suggestion would be to order the camera (or camera kit) online and then apply your gift card towards accessories like a high capacity, high speed CF card, a camera bag, and anything else. Best Buy charges list price for their cameras, and using the gift card will only bring down the price to what you'd pay online (and that's BEFORE tax is applied).

Online Prices

D50 - $550 (kit = $650) vs. $750 for BB
Rebel XT - $675 (kit = $750) vs. $925 for BB

As for a suggestion for lenses, the kit lens will do fine for your stated purposes. If you factor in Canon rebates, the Rebel XT ends up being not a whole lot more expensive than the D50 (about $100 difference), so it comes down to which you prefer.

[ribac]

It looks like you don't pay tax online on Best Buy.
There is D50 for $799(kit)-$50 mail in rebate-$200 my gift card.

And where did you find canon for $675??I found cheapest one for $740 just body.

[Rex914]

It looks like you don't pay tax online on Best Buy.
There is D50 for $799(kit)-$50 mail in rebate-$200 my gift card.

And where did you find canon for $675??I found cheapest one for $740 just body.
I still wouldn't buy online from Best Buy since they charge list price. It's your money, and I'm just saving you a couple hundred with no risks or downsides involved. :)

There's an automatic $75 MIR on the Canon (of if you buy more lenses, that can jump to $150 or $225), and I was just citing an average street price of $750 - $75 = $675.

[ribac]

So you would buy Canon,right??
What about If I buy just Nikon (Canon) body and buy lens at Best buy??

Thanks for help.Sorry for these questions but don't want to do a mistake.
Still hard to decide between those two

[Rex914]

Best Buy overcharges even more for their lenses than they do for cameras (expect to pay about 50% more for a lens at Best Buy than you would online or even in a normal camera store) and the selection is inferior. That'd be the last thing I'd do.

Spend your $200 BB gift card on a fast, large capacity memory card (1-2 GB) and a high quality camera bag instead. And since there are hefty mail in rebates on the card, you can probably translate about $50 of that gift card back into real cash. :)

[ribac]

Thanks for help.I'll probably do what you suggested.
So Nikon or Canon(please tell me)
Should I buy just the body and separate lens like 18-70mm lens for start??

[caveman017]

Id get the D50. It seemed a lot better at least for my needs and had more options

[Rex914]

Thanks for help.I'll probably do what you suggested.
So Nikon or Canon(please tell me)
Should I buy just the body and separate lens like 18-70mm lens for start??

I would stick to the kit because from your needs, you don't seem to be using it in any particularly challenging or tricky situation. Both cameras will suit you well. The Nikon has a better feel, but the Canon has more features overall. Have you tried both in the store?