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Help with buying a new DSLR

K

kwalsh1991

macrumors newbie
Original poster
Apr 18, 2007
4
0
Hey im new to the world of DSLR im looking at two different cammeras i was wondering which one you prefer and why. Oh and im not new to photography and when I get older I plan on becoming a photographer.

1. Cannon eos rebel xti
2. Nikon D40x
 
GnrlyMrly

GnrlyMrly

macrumors 6502a
Apr 23, 2006
567
71
Atlanta, GA
Neither, buy my D50!:)

Ok seriously, if I had to choose between the 400D and the D40x.. It's a toss up. Very similar. Both 10+ mp. Large LCD's. The 400D may have the edge with the 9 auto focus points and self cleaning.

I'm going to buy the 400D if that means anything.
 
jesses

jesses

macrumors regular
Apr 1, 2007
155
1
Georgia
used d50/70s if you're going nikon.
do you really wanna loose the autofocus issue with the d40x?
and if you go with canon then, i don't know. I have the d50 and it's serving me really well.
 
carbonmotion

carbonmotion

macrumors 6502a
Jan 28, 2004
983
0
San Francisco, CA
kwalsh1991 said:
Hey im new to the world of DSLR im looking at two different cammeras i was wondering which one you prefer and why. Oh and im not new to photography and when I get older I plan on becoming a photographer.

1. Cannon eos rebel xti
2. Nikon D40x
Click to expand...

I'd say try both before you buy... imho, the D50/70 is old tech... so while they're both good, they don't have nifty features like 2.5 inch lcd, which is a really big thing for me. Also size and JPG quality. The XTI's kit lens is a bit worse than the Nikons and overall build quality is not as good. However, try before you buy.
 
wmmk

wmmk

macrumors 68020
Mar 28, 2006
2,414
0
The Library.
Nikon has better consumer bodies. Canon makes the best 'pro' lenses (other than specialty companies like Leica and Hasselblad) in the world. Based on your current camera choices, you don't seem to need 'pro gear' (which is really a myth, as anything used by a professional can be considered 'pro').

Also, you may want to consider Pentax if you're in to primes. Their FA limited series (31, 43, and 77mm) is usually considered the sharpest, smoothest (in terms of bokeh), most saturated primes on the market. Their new DA* f/2.8 SDM zooms, which will be out later this year, are very impressive. Besides their great glass, the K10D, a prosumer body, has weather and dust sealing, which can only be found in Canon and Nikon's $3000+ 'pro' models. The Pentax DA 18-55 f/3.5-5.6 is certainly better than Canon's kit lens, and comparable to the Nikon kit. Also, the very reasonably priced DA 16-45 f/4 is much sharper than all three kit 18-55mm lenses. Period.

If you're interested, a Pentax lens roadmap is available here.

Please feel free to PM me with any Pentax questions. By the way, I don't work for Pentax, I'm just a loyal user and customer.
 
carbonmotion

carbonmotion

macrumors 6502a
Jan 28, 2004
983
0
San Francisco, CA
wmmk said:
Nikon has better consumer bodies. Canon makes the best 'pro' lenses (other than specialty companies like Leica and Hasselblad) in the world. Based on your current camera choices, you don't seem to need 'pro gear' (which is really a myth, as anything used by a professional can be considered 'pro').

Also, you may want to consider Pentax if you're in to primes. Their FA limited series (31, 43, and 77mm) is usually considered the sharpest, smoothest (in terms of bokeh), most saturated primes on the market. Their new DA* f/2.8 SDM zooms, which will be out later this year, are very impressive. Besides their great glass, the K10D, a prosumer body, has weather and dust sealing, which can only be found in Canon and Nikon's $3000+ 'pro' models. The Pentax DA 18-55 f/3.5-5.6 is certainly better than Canon's kit lens, and comparable to the Nikon kit. Also, the very reasonably priced DA 16-45 f/4 is much sharper than all three kit 18-55mm lenses. Period.

If you're interested, a Pentax lens roadmap is available here.

Please feel free to PM me with any Pentax questions. By the way, I don't work for Pentax, I'm just a loyal user and customer.
Click to expand...

I feel in love with Nikon by prolonged use of the D80, which I thought was smoother and connective than the K10D. For personal use, I perfer the compact D40 over the K100D .... sometimes it really boils down to how connected you feel and not numbers of specs. so try shooting around with nikon, canon, and pentax ...whichever one feels better, get it.
 
macenforcer

macenforcer

macrumors 65816
Jun 9, 2004
1,248
0
Colorado
WOW. D80 all the way. When I got my D80 I had tried them all out. Even purchased the Rebel but took it back fast. The D80 is better than the D200 in battery life, price, weight and image quality is the same. The D40 is small and quick but lacks some cool stuff like the lcd display and the lens focusing motor.

I got my D80 with 18-135 DX lense in a kit from Circuit city for $1199 on sale. Greatest camer I have ever owned. I also went online to newegg and got an 8gb SDHC card for $50. Works AWESOME!
 
sjl

sjl

macrumors 6502
Sep 15, 2004
441
0
Melbourne, Australia
kwalsh1991 said:
1. Cannon eos rebel xti
2. Nikon D40x
Click to expand...

Tough call to make. My first SLR was the Canon EOS 30 (yes, that's 30, not 30D). When it came time to buy a DSLR, I went Canon to maintain compatibility with my lenses (ironically, all of the lenses I had at the time I've replaced). The choice was between the 5D (which I passed over because I didn't have an external flash at the time), the 20D, and the 350D.

I ended up with the 20D, and haven't regretted it. The difference was the feel of the camera in my hands; the 350D felt too small. So: if you are planning on buying, visit a shop, and hold both cameras in your hands. If you're thinking you'll get a big, beefy lens (I was: the 100-400mm, which is now in my lens collection), ask the shop if you can hold the cameras with a big, beefy lens attached. Doesn't have to be the same, as long as its weight is in the right ballpark.

Other than that, they're both good cameras, they'll both do the job to get you started, and they will grow with you. I will not advise you to buy Canon over Nikon or vice versa; that choice really is a personal one, as they both have similar glass lineups. Canon might have the edge in "super telephotos" (400mm plus), but that's very specialised pro glass; if you're going to fork out the cash for one of those, you'll have enough cash to fork out for a body to go with it.
 
carbonmotion

carbonmotion

macrumors 6502a
Jan 28, 2004
983
0
San Francisco, CA
macenforcer said:
WOW. D80 all the way. When I got my D80 I had tried them all out. Even purchased the Rebel but took it back fast. The D80 is better than the D200 in battery life, price, weight and image quality is the same. The D40 is small and quick but lacks some cool stuff like the lcd display and the lens focusing motor.

I got my D80 with 18-135 DX lense in a kit from Circuit city for $1199 on sale. Greatest camer I have ever owned. I also went online to newegg and got an 8gb SDHC card for $50. Works AWESOME!
Click to expand...

ok buddy
i think if he had the money for that he'd have considered it, dont you think?
 
roland.g

roland.g

macrumors 604
Apr 11, 2005
7,457
3,204
Sorry but Nikon over Canon six days a week and twice on Sunday. Unless you already have Canon lenses, then I can't help you with that.
 
I

IscariotJ

macrumors 6502a
Jan 13, 2004
637
66
UK
Unless you really need 10MP, a D40 is a better choice. Spend the money saved on something like the 55-200VR.
 
Kardashian

Kardashian

macrumors 68020
Sep 4, 2005
2,083
2
Britain.
Got my D40 about 2 hours ago..

It's love.

I just went from the Canon Digital Rebel, too. And Canon over Nikon - for me, Nikon wins. The way it feels, looks, and acts is superior. And the Menu System is way nicer.
 
F

fall3n

macrumors 6502
Aug 17, 2006
392
0
I'm also in the same boat, except I'm just looking at Nikon. Either the D40 or D40x (I'd love a D80, but it's just a bit too much for me right now. I'd rather spend cheaper on the body and more on the lenses as the body can always be upgraded later, but the lenses are priceless ;) )

You really have to go in to the store to know what you'll like. I put my hands on both the D40 and D40x yesterday for the first time and it was like a dream. They both feel amazing and are exactly the same in design and feel, it's just the actual camera features that are different.

Personally I think I'm going to get the D40 with the 2 lens kit (55mm and 200mm) as it's about $50 cheaper then the D40x with only 1 lens. The biggest difference the D40x has over the D40 is the 10mbp and the 3 shots per second, rather then 6mbp and 2.5 shots per second.

Like I say, just get in there and try them out. Go to a camera store where the employees really know their stuff and I'm sure you'll come out being satisfied.
 
V

volvoben

macrumors 6502
Feb 7, 2007
262
0
nowhere fast
Both are great options, if you're not already tied into one lens mount I'd just try both, you'll be able to tell after some handling. I far preferred the feel of the D70 to the 300D when I bought my first dSLR (I had a Nikon F3 and lenses already, but they were all manual focus so it didn't particularly matter). It cost $100 more at the time, but it also came with the 18-70mm nikkor which is much nicer than either the nikkor or canon 18-55.

Venturing out of Canon/Nikon can still be a smart move, but for stability and lenses/strobes/accessories it's really a 2 player game unfortunately.

I'm glad I went with Nikon because the D200 turned out to be a great option. I hate fiddling through menus when in the field, so the fantastic set of physical controls on the D200 along with the viewfinder, weather sealing, image quality etc. really put it above the 30d for me, yet at half the price of the 5D.

I also like Nikon's 1 sensor size instead of canon's 3. Full frame is a nice idea but its advantages are slight for those without a large collection of wide 35mm lenses. While the cost of the larger sensors will remain high, the quality of cropped sensors will only continue to improve.

My only complaint about nikon is that I dislike their 12-24mm nikkor. It's a nice lens but for $900+ I really want 10mm on the wide end. I got the Sigma instead, but my aunt has the $700 10-22mm ef-s canon lens and it's nicer than both the sigma and nikkor (but then again, it only works with their 1.6 crop sensors, it would be wasted if I wanted to move up to a 1D or 5D).
 
A

Andrew D.

macrumors 6502
Apr 17, 2007
401
0
Chicago, IL
Sorry to jump in but.. I was wondering, where could we find a cheap/used Nikon D50. I've been really looking into buying one for some time now. Thanks!
 
G

gwangung

macrumors 65816
Apr 9, 2003
1,113
91
Basically...

...what people are saying is that

A) these two are good choices...you're not (or should not) gonna feel buyer's remorse either way...

B) Try before you buy. The differences between the two often are in the idisyncracies that you yourself has (and not necessarily inherent in the camera).
 
Butthead

Butthead

macrumors 6502
Jan 10, 2006
440
19
Andrew D. said:
Sorry to jump in but.. I was wondering, where could we find a cheap/used Nikon D50. I've been really looking into buying one for some time now. Thanks!
Click to expand...


I would get the Nikon D40 instead, for the reasons stated here:

http://www.kenrockwell.com/nikon/d40.htm

Unlike the green only, the D40 has a 3 color histogram, which is very import in helping you to not overexpose reds in low-light situations with too much red/orange lighting (incandescent indoor lighting).

http://www.kenrockwell.com/tech/yrgb.htm

VR lens would be my 1st choice for any of these cameras, as I'm always getting less then ideally sharp photos in all but bright light.
http://www.kenrockwell.com/tech/image-stabilization.htm
"even a point-and-shoot with IS is sharper than an expensive DSLR camera without IS in some conditions."

I like the relatively unique live-view LCD on the new Olympus models, that are also as small as the D40 or Rebel 400 series; due out in another month or so, but they don't have a IS/VR system. Next year I'll bet most dSLR's will come with some type of live-view LCD like on the Olympus or TOL Canon pro models, as a must have feature...something to keep in mind if you can wait that long for a new purchase/upgrade model.
 
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