Quick Switch Decision Help

[ipodtoucher]

Ok so my grandmother has just been wheel-chair bound and asked me last week if I wanted to trade her Canon 20D for my Nikon D50. She wants a lighter camera and I am the only other family member with an SLR. I was looking on DPReview and there were goods and bads for each, I just don't know what to do...

The Canon has a smaller screen...
The Nikon has +-5 in Exposure compensation, Canon +-2
The Canon has more MPs...
and so on and so forth..

Another thing is her lens array, I think she has the kit and a Sigma 70-300... I have a semi-broken kit (still works), sigma 70-300, and my fav, 50mm f/1.8... I leave for NYC 3 4 days after Christmas, and wanted the 50mm for shooting in Times Square for New Year's but maybe I would have to make a stop at B&H, oh darn

I just don't know what to do, I'm getting the Canon XSi in January in a start-up package for The Art Institute, so I thought maybe a good time to switch over, but then again I want to be fluent in both sides so I don't have to pick and choose, so when I get really rich I can have both the 5D Mark ii and the supposed D400

Just looking for some opinions...She probably wants to know by Christmas, since that is the next time I see her.

 

[ChrisA]

There is little point in switching. Stay with whatever brand of camera you are happy with. 4 oz make little difference.

My brother is in a wheel chair too. He solved the same problem, camera to heavy to hold, by buying a kind of clamp-on camera support. It's a small aluminium pole with a tripod-stype pan tilm head on one end and a clamp to attach it to a wheelchair on the other end. Place a quick release plate on the camera that fits the pan tilt head.

Bogen/Manfrotto makes all the stuff you need. Any camera shop that caters to professionals will sell this stuff and it's not expansive. All the parts are common studio camera support accessories and are very high quality.

With this setup he has in effect a camera tripod built into his chair. It works well and is usable by someone who can not otherwise hold an SLR at eye level. Not really expansive either.

 

[Digital Skunk]

Find the one thing that would sway you toward one brand or the other, then choose based on that.

 

[epicwelshman]

If you're getting the XSi anyway, then go with the 20D to get a head start with lenses, etc.

But there's no point in being 'fluent' in both sides. It's not like the difference between Vista and OSX, which is marginal anyway. I'm a Nikon guy, but drop a 5d in my lap and I'll be happily snapping away. It's really not a big deal.

 

[PCMacUser]

I'm a Nikon guy, but drop a 5d in my lap and I'll be happily snapping away. It's really not a big deal.

Yep I agree, most people know where the shutter buttons are located and for Av and Manual modes it's usually self explanatory.

Canons are supposedly less user-friendly than Nikons, so I figure that if I can use a Canon, I can use a Nikon

 

[Digital Skunk]

Yep I agree, most people know where the shutter buttons are located and for Av and Manual modes it's usually self explanatory.

Canons are supposedly less user-friendly than Nikons, so I figure that if I can use a Canon, I can use a Nikon

As a former Canon shooter, I can agree to that. Don't know if it's 100% true, but I do know that I had an easy time adjusting to using the Nikon dual scroll wheels.

 

[ipodtoucher]

Thanks for all the replies guys!

Mainly I'm sad to trade my baby, she was my first DSLR, but she won't be too far away.

I totally agree though, if you handed me a 5Dmark ii I would abandon all I know to use it.

I'm still just kind of worried about trading mainly because the XSi is better than the 20D, so what would I do with the old body...

I dunno, I guess i'm just antsy.. I should probably just do it and get over it...

 

[compuwar]

Ok so my grandmother has just been wheel-chair bound and asked me last week if I wanted to trade her Canon 20D for my Nikon D50. She wants a lighter camera and I am the only other family member with an SLR.

Seroiusly? You have to think twice to figure out what to do when your wheelchair-bound grandmother asks you this?

The relative merits of the camera bodies really shouldn't come into play.

You're going to have a limited number of chances to make your grandmother happy by fulfilling her wishes around a holiday. Unless you have a seriously antagonistic relationship (well, actually even then what to do should be obvious at first blush) there's no need to go into the logic of having a good backup for the camera you're about to get. Exposure is exposure, there's no Nikon magic just like there's no Canon magic- learn to expose well with the tools you'll use, if you switch tools you'll adapt.

 

[PCMacUser]

I'm still just kind of worried about trading mainly because the XSi is better than the 20D, so what would I do with the old body...

The EOS 20D actually has better overall image quality compared with the XSi, according to the sensor report linked below. The XSi is a consumer-level camera and the 20D is a 'prosumer' level camera. Who knows - you might find that you actually prefer the 20D.

More info here.

 

[ipodtoucher]

Seroiusly? You have to think twice to figure out what to do when your wheelchair-bound grandmother asks you this?

The relative merits of the camera bodies really shouldn't come into play.

You're going to have a limited number of chances to make your grandmother happy by fulfilling her wishes around a holiday. Unless you have a seriously antagonistic relationship (well, actually even then what to do should be obvious at first blush) there's no need to go into the logic of having a good backup for the camera you're about to get. Exposure is exposure, there's no Nikon magic just like there's no Canon magic- learn to expose well with the tools you'll use, if you switch tools you'll adapt.

Hahaha, welll she was was the one that bought me the D50 for graduation. She's confined to a wheelchair by her own means, don't get me wrong I love her but she never took care of herself so she is experiencing he effect...

I think I'm coming around to just doing it. I think also that I will buy the 50 f/1.8 at B&H when in NYC for New Year's. That was one thing drawing me away also, because I wanted to use my f/1.8 while in Times Square for the celebration and such, so I feel a bit weary because I hope B&H is open

 

[Doylem]

She's confined to a wheelchair by her own means, don't get me wrong I love her but she never took care of herself so she is experiencing he effect...

Call me up in 50 years, and let me know how well you've looked after yourself...

 

[anubis]

Hahaha, welll she was was the one that bought me the D50 for graduation. She's confined to a wheelchair by her own means, don't get me wrong I love her but she never took care of herself so she is experiencing he effect...

Wow. I'm speechless.

 

[ipodtoucher]

Call me up in 50 years, and let me know how well you've looked after yourself...

To be quite honest, it's more ignorance than resources...

Wow. I'm speechless.

I guess you have to be there... I know it makes me sound horrible, but I guess if you knew the situation then I would maybe accept the comments.

 

[Doylem]

To be quite honest, it's more ignorance than resources...

Whose ignorance??

 

[PCMacUser]

Leave the guy alone. He's said that there are circumstances. It's his private family business.

 

[epicwelshman]

Alright, alright. Back on topic people.

Can I ask though, why are you getting the XSi? Is there some kind of special deal, some kind of package? Does the school support Canon and offer lens rentals?

 

[ipodtoucher]

Alright, alright. Back on topic people.

Can I ask though, why are you getting the XSi? Is there some kind of special deal, some kind of package? Does the school support Canon and offer lens rentals?

Good question haha... When you go you buy this huge package that has everything you could ever need, like papers, pencils, paints, an external hdd, a light meter, the XSi kit, etc and it is a really good deal. The school supports both formats, the equipment room is orgasmic!! I do know that the head of the department told me that she was trying to get 2 or 3 5D Mark II's so I'm pretty stoked for that. You can use their equipment, but I don't know the restrictions on that yet. They just get a good deal with Canon so that is what they offer in the package.