buying new dslr :) need help! :)

[ssil2000]

hi everyone,
i am going to be buying a dslr in the next few days, i have been a user of olympus cameras for some time now and am thinking i may stick with them as they have not let me down in the past...

i am looking specifically at the e510 with the 2 lens kit, but now that i am ready to buy i am starting to wonder if i should spend a bit more and get a Nikon d80 with the 18-135mm f/3.5-5.6G ED-IF AF-S DX Zoom-Nikkor Lens, reviews have been quite good for the olympus from what i have seen... the addon lenses do seem to be quite expensive, but if the lenses in the kit are any good i may not need to buy a new one for a year or two. as for the nikon, i was just wondering if it is worth spending the extra cash, i mean without buying a crazy good lense will i see any benefit? will the IS in the olympus stand out in a entry level kit lense situation?

any help will be appreciated guys :)

thanks!

SS

[toriaj]

Have you been to the store and played with the cameras? How the camera feels in your hands is more important than any other consideration. Have you read Jeff's reviews on the cameras? Don't get the E-Volt just because of the live preview feature. You really don't miss it on a DSLR. And it looks like it's not great at low-light focusing or RAW conversions. But if it feels better to you than the D80, get it anyway :D and enjoy it!

[ssil2000]

no they both feel fine, i don't really care about the live preview, its more about which is going to perform better with kit lenses, the Nikon is quite a bit more expensive so if i buy it i don't want to be disappointed with the kit lenses, i do a bit of motorcycle racing shooting but i like a broad range of shooting, from landscapes to portraits to over exposures, fireworks etc etc so i need a good all round package, and not have to worry about buying a lenses for a year or two. from what i have read the Olympus seems to be a good package (4:3 doesn't bother me as i crop every image i print) i also don't intend on upgrading for a long time unless i start getting paid for it :)

[Rooz]

the e510 is a very good dslr and you're getting alot of range with the dual lens kit. 14-150 is equivalent to 28-300mm zoom range which is excellent for the price. the nikkor 18-135 is the equivalent of 28-215mm, (without changing lens' though).

i owned the 18-135 when i first bought the d80 and it is a very sharp lens but it does have some barrel distortion and vignetting. i never found it to be much of an issue when i used it.

if your budget conscious, the olympus will suit your needs just fine. just buy it and enjoy. :)

[ssil2000]

thanks rooz, that was very helpful :)
i think i will stick with my first instinct and get the e510, with time i will get more lenses and from what i read you pay more but get a great lens... i will go play with an e-510 tomorrow then order it from bhphotovideo as that is where i have purchased all of my cameras and equipment over the years and never had a bit of trouble :)

thanks again, any more comments will still be appreciated :)

SS

[Norm in Fujino]

The Oly kit lenses are generally reputed to be about the best there are, for kit lenses. Oly's other lenses are also generally excellent, if you stay away from the extreme range zoom 18-180mm, which is quite a bit softer, based on the examples I've seen.

[fionndruinne]

You will probably get slightly faster auto-focus with the Nikon, when using a motorized lens like the AF-S, AF-I types (does Olympus make lenses with focus motors), which might be useful for fast action. Plus better high-ISO performance, but only at 800 and up will this be important. Basically the Olympus gives you a lot to like, for less cash, so it is a good choice.

[coldrain]

Sensor wise (and so, the sensor part of image quality) the Nikon D80 is much better. The D80 does produce not the bets of JPEGs, but when you shot in RAW it is quite a bit better than the Olympus E-510.

The E-510's much smaller sensor, and Panasonic CMOS sensor type, just is quite a bit more noisy. The noise recustion from either software or the camera itself will soften the image and get rid of detail, but if you shoot both cameras in RAW and take care that the Olympus' RAW software does not apply noise reduction, you will notice the huge difference in quality, both in noise artifacts and even in dynamic range.

But if you are not going for best possible image quality, and you do not mind the 4:3 image format, you will have a nice camera in the E-510. And its kitlenses are better than the 18-135mm Nikon lens.

[ssil2000]

hi guys, thanks for the replies! :)

i would love to own a nikon, but i would need to get a better lens so i am guessing my start up cost would be significantly higher, a d80 with the kit lens is about the extent of my budget, i can get a two lens kit and a flash for the e510 for the same price...
as for nikon, which would be the cheapest (decent) motorized nikon lens i could get for a d80 body? this will be the last math i do before i buy :)

thanks again!

SS

[coldrain]

Cheapest decently motorized lens for Nikon? Nikon 18-55 f3.5-5.6 kit lens. Very good for the price, nice contrast.
Add to that the 55-200 VR which costs under $250 and you have a good and cheap 2 kit lens system, like the Olympus.
And your tele will be image stabilized.

[fionndruinne]

I've used both of the lenses coldrain mentioned, and they are indeed the best bang for limited buck. You should be able to acquire a D80 body for $999, if I've got the prices right, and a new 18-55mm for a little over $100, plus a 55-200mm VR for just under $250, bringing your total to $1350. Not cheap, but a great starting kit with faster auto-focus, better high-ISO performance, and more effective VR stabilization in your zoom lens (where it's most important).

Mind you, you'll come to the point where better optics start to really appeal to you; I'm getting to that point, but this kit would really last you a good while, and Nikon's better glass should be more readily available and a little cheaper than Olympus. Plus there are some great, reasonable Sigma options for Nikon, they seem to be favorites for pairing up.

[ssil2000]

thanks guys!
i have priced it out and it seems the nikon package will be about 1400 US (3-400 dollars more then the similar oly package) for the 2 lense package with 5 year international warranty and 2 gig memory card, i am going to make a decision on this in the next 24 hours so i just have to find a way to be able to justify the extra 400 :)

could someone just make sure the lenses i have chosen are correct, here is my wishlist at b&h http://www.bhphotovideo.com/WishList/204AED37AF&BI=28

really appreciate all the help with this! :) :)

SS

[Rooz]

thanks guys!
i have priced it out and it seems the nikon package will be about 1400 US (3-400 dollars more then the similar oly package) for the 2 lense package with 5 year international warranty and 2 gig memory card, i am going to make a decision on this in the next 24 hours so i just have to find a way to be able to justify the extra 400 :)

could someone just make sure the lenses i have chosen are correct, here is my wishlist at b&h http://www.bhphotovideo.com/WishList/204AED37AF&BI=28

really appreciate all the help with this! :) :)

SS

the lens' are fine. although you have picked an imported 55-200VR. (not that i think thats a big issue, just as long as you know, there is a USA version for around $20 more.). the filter kit is pretty average quality. you may be better off picking a CPL thats better quality and forget about the other 2 filters.

you do know the d80 is quite a bit larger and heavier than the oly right ?

[fionndruinne]

I don't think that's the same 18-55mm; the new one, which comes with the D40, bears the 'II' designation, which this one doesn't have. If I'm correct, this 18-55mm is the older one which came with the D50? The new version is said to be better. The ED II version is $119 by itself.

Yeah, you're looking at about $1250 for the D80 + 2 lenses, and just under $900 for the E-510 with 2 lenses. That's $350, so it's up to you whether that's worth the advantages mentioned for the Nikon. If you don't feel that it is, then save the extra and buy yourself another lens... or use it for gasoline.:rolleyes:

[ssil2000]

hi guys,
thanks again!
i think i am going to get the Nikon, i changed the lens to the II version, there was no kit for it so i had to do body only camera version, i also scrapped the filters and just a got a $50 UV/protection one for now.

the only thing that is making me lean towards Nikon is simply the longterm of the camera, i don't intend on buying a new camera for at least 5 years (if not more!) and the Nikon has more to offer as a long term investment... the live view feature wasn't anything i would of used, i rarely use it on my point and shoot unless i am just being lazy :) and if i can get IS in the lens that seems the smarter way to go.

hopefully i will be posting my first pics in the next few weeks!

wish me luck!

SS

[Rooz]

good luck and most of all enjoy your new dslr ! looking forward to seeing you post some images. :)

[ssil2000]

wow... how quickly happiness can turn to complete anger...

"International Manufacturers Restrictions

Due to the manufacturers restrictions, B&H Photo is unable to ship the following item(s) to an international destination:

Nikon NID80
D80 SLR Digital Camera (Camera Body)

We apologize for any inconvenience this may have caused you. Please click on the link below to go back to your cart and delete the item(s) or select a USA shipping address before proceeding to check out."

looks like i need to find a plan B...

SS

[Rooz]

where are u from ?

[ssil2000]

canada, i have bought all my cameras and equipment from b&h (usually from their store so no issues)

anyway i will get some shut eye and check for options in the morning.

cheers for the help guys,

SS

[Rooz]

try adorama ? otherwise, i have bought alot of gear from HK Supplies on ebay and they are very reliable.

[fionndruinne]

Amazon.com? Good pricing and service.

[ssil2000]

good morning,
it seems that Nikon has put a restriction on us sellers to ship their cameras internationally, and to top that off i have called 6 online camera merchants and all have no stock and apparently on back order with nikon canada...

back to the search, i will go check out that seller you recommended rooz

thanks again,

SS

[ssil2000]

yay!
i actually called B&H and we did a telephone order and all is well now, my new d80 will be here in a couple of days :)

thanks again for all your help guys!

SS

[speaklightly]

Congratulations!

Enjoy your Nikon D-80, and post some photos.

Sarah Joyce

[ssil2000]

hey guys,
now that the expensive stuff is out of the way, any suggestions for a moderately priced camera bag to carry the camera 2 lenses, a flash (soon) extra batteries etc. ?

thanks again for all the help, i cant wait to get my new toy!!!!!!

SS

[Gintaras]

i wonder why people feel so sceptical about Evolt-510?

from what i have seen camera is great, tons of controls, scenery mode one of the best among DSLR...Olympus offers pretty decent lenses and if you plan add more lenses they are not as expensive as branded Canon or Nikon. Plus you get the best working Dust Reduction and decent in-camera stabilzer which means no need for VR or IS lenses which can cost dare (check Nikon or Canon prices).

Of course 40D with L lenses might be a greater choice but then you cannot have everything and E-510 body make and mateiral are top notch quality, feels so professional. when i had my hands on it i loved it, and i liked smooth functionality.

I am actually thinking about E-510 for my wife (unless I decide swap my XTi for new coming 40D), and I find E-510 package being the most complete and attractive one can find on the market for a simple minded consumer. it was really strong tech effort on part of Olympus.

As regards digital noise, oh yeah this damn noise, Iso 800-1600 is only for extreme needs as otherwise even Canon gives visible noise at such Iso but I can assume competition might be worse... ? still I am shooting mostly at Iso 100-200 and sometimes 400, and only very very rare at 800 or 1600.... and in this sense Olympus can deliver goods at iso 100-400 I assume.:eek:

[Gintaras]

ssil, congratulations, D80 is a great machine (having tested it in a shop loved it), it would have been my choice if not XTi. somehow I lean more to Canon... like others to Nikon :D