what camera to go with?

[Flashdragoon]

Which camera should I buy?

This short questionnaire will help the rest of us make good camera recommendations for you. Please answer each question carefully and succinctly.

The questions marked with a * are the most important.

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Budget
Entry lvl DSLR price 500-1000.00 (not terribly much more)

Size
Not important

Features
6+

What optical zoom will you need?
Something for macro and architectural work

How important is “image quality” to you?
10+

Do you care for manual controls?
Yes

General Usage
* What will you generally use the camera for?
Mainly Macros and architectural work, non pro lvl stuff for now

Will you be making big prints of your photos or not?
yes occasionally

Will you be shooting a lot of indoor photos or low light photos?
Yes

Will you be shooting sports and/or action photos?
Yes again only occasionally

Miscellaneous
Are there particular brands you like or hate? Love Canon n Nikon


Are there particular models you already have in mind?
Yes, Nikon D50 and Canon Digital Rebel XT

Do you need any of the following special features?
Wide Angle
Hot Shoe
Image Stabilization


I am another victim of the Canon Nikon debate, so they both are outstanding cameras, and I am having trouble deciding which to go with. Thus far my descision is still midair but the Nikon has the better price and feels better in my hands then does the canon, however the canon seems to get sharper images off of it's kit lens...sooo im stuck! convince me one way or the other!

[Duwenbasden]

I'd pick the Canon -- Nikon's notorious for soft images. But then again, the D70s is better in features than the XT... I'd jump the gun and buy the EOS-20D. :D

[Flashdragoon]

haha yeah if the 20D would come down about 400 in price I would definitely spring for it!

[Flashdragoon]

awww c'mon guys I know the debates done out but help a fella out here. OK how about putting it this way, to the NIKON and CANON guys out there, by that I mean those that own the rebelXT (or have owned) and those who own/ed the Nikon D50 what made the descision for you, what factor determined it? was it the lenses? the image quality? the price? the features? the reputation?

[sjseto]

Not an owner of either, but 5 years ago when I was making the decision between the film-based Nikon F80 and the Canon EOS Elan 7, I chose the Nikon primarily because my brother had a Nikon that he was hardly using anymore, and I had access to his lenses and flash. So that was several hundred dollars worth of equipment that I didn't have to pay extra for. If you have any family members who have equipment that you would have access to, you might consider that.

If I was in the market for a DSLR right now, I would choose the Nikon D70s because I have an investment in their system, which has expanded to include several zoom and prime lenses. It would take an incredibly superior product (for a similar price) from Canon to sway me away from Nikon, and right now the differences between the D70s and the Rebel XT aren't nearly enough to make me want to jump ship.

As for soft images, I can increase the sharpness setting in-camera if I find the default setting too soft for my liking, or use unsharp mask in my photo editor later.

Plus, I agree with your assessment, Flashdragon, about the way the Nikon feels. There's something about it that just feels right in my hands. The Canon simply wasn't the same.

Stephanie

[SpaceMonkey13]

Plus, I agree with your assessment, Flashdragon, about the way the Nikon feels. There's something about it that just feels right in my hands. The Canon simply wasn't the same.

Stephanie

Just how important is this? I'm going through the same decision as the OP, and have pretty much settled on the Rebel XT. Yet everytime I pick up the Nikon, it just feels better, in a subtle way. Will the Canon grow into my grip, or will I develop camera carpal tunnel in 1000 shots?

thx,

Dave

[Flashdragoon]

Not an owner of either, but 5 years ago when I was making the decision between the film-based Nikon F80 and the Canon EOS Elan 7, I chose the Nikon primarily because my brother had a Nikon that he was hardly using anymore, and I had access to his lenses and flash. So that was several hundred dollars worth of equipment that I didn't have to pay extra for. If you have any family members who have equipment that you would have access to, you might consider that.

If I was in the market for a DSLR right now, I would choose the Nikon D70s because I have an investment in their system, which has expanded to include several zoom and prime lenses. It would take an incredibly superior product (for a similar price) from Canon to sway me away from Nikon, and right now the differences between the D70s and the Rebel XT aren't nearly enough to make me want to jump ship.

As for soft images, I can increase the sharpness setting in-camera if I find the default setting too soft for my liking, or use unsharp mask in my photo editor later.

Plus, I agree with your assessment, Flashdragon, about the way the Nikon feels. There's something about it that just feels right in my hands. The Canon simply wasn't the same.

Stephanie


thank you for your response, unfortunatly I am the only one in the fam who has taken any interest in photography so no one even has a camera other then the small point and shoot variety haha so far Nikons ahead in my reviews

[sjseto]

Just how important is this? I'm going through the same decision as the OP, and have pretty much settled on the Rebel XT. Yet everytime I pick up the Nikon, it just feels better, in a subtle way. Will the Canon grow into my grip, or will I develop camera carpal tunnel in 1000 shots?

thx,

Dave

:D I doubt that you'll get carpal tunnel from holding a camera. But how important is the "feel"? It isn't necessarily a deal-breaker, in my opinion. If I was looking for a DSLR and had absolutely no ties to either system, I might have gone for the Rebel XT. I'm a woman, so I have smaller hands, and the smallness and lightness of the Canon might even have appealed to me more. But now, after having owned the F80 for some time, I appreciate the feeling of something slightly more hefty and solid. The Nikon just feels like it's better built.

I suppose if you have large hands you might find the Canon more difficult to handle, and you have to consider what that's going to be like, handling that camera repeatedly. In that case the feel of the camera would be quite important.

I wish I could be more definitive, but the truth is that they're both excellent cameras and I don't think you'll go wrong with either.

Stephanie

[SpaceMonkey13]

...
I wish I could be more definitive, but the truth is that they're both excellent cameras and I don't think you'll go wrong with either.

Stephanie

Thanks for your reply. We shall soon find out...ordered the Canon last night.

Dave