Better value? (d90 vs t2i)

hawkeye293 · May 6, 2010

So I'm looking at two deals. T2i with kit lens, 18-55mm is lens. Also includes an extra ef 55-250mm is zoom lens. 999.99 at Best Buy.

or

Nikon d90. Includes the 18-105mm af lens. 1030.00 on Amazon.

So I'm undecided on which camera. Id like opinions on the better bang for buck here. The Cannon comes with the extra nice zoom lens, but I like the idea of just using one lens (plus id add a 50mm) with the Nikon. My budget is about 1k. I'm not partial to either brand and i don't have a bunch of lens' that put me in one camp or the other. Video is only a minor consideration. Both have it, but I know the Canon is a little better. I'm more concerned with picture, but I'm a novice and new. Thanks.

hawkeye293 · May 6, 2010

erose86 said:
http://www.thephotoforum.com/forum/...icking-d90-t2i-please-read-before-assume.html

Ps... welcome

Thanks, but I'm not asking which is the better camera. Im asking which of these deals is a better value..

emh · May 7, 2010

Really depends on what you want.

The Canon 55-250mm lens is a very entry-level zoom with less than stellar image quality, so I don't consider getting a good price on that really a "deal". There are also other problems with that lens (plastic mount, front element rotates during AF, can't manually fine-tune focus in AF mode, slow AF etc.). But if you are okay with all of that, the T2i is probably the cheaper option for getting a larger focal length range. But if all you care about is the lowest price, you can do much better with a Pentax K-x with 18-55mm and 55-300mm lenses for under $700 from Adorama.

Personally, I felt I would outgrow the T2i very quickly. The ergonomics didn't feel right for my hands, and the lack of a second LCD, the lack of a second control dial, the lack of dedicated buttons for some key adjustments etc. would probably have meant a fairly quick upgrade for me. The D90 has all those features, so for me, it would remain usable longer as I grow into photography. From that perspective, I felt the D90 was a better "value". And once I factored in the prices of some better glass than the kit lenses, the D90 was actually cheaper for my needs.

But, that was for my needs. What are yours?

Vinny · May 7, 2010

The better bang for the buck really depends on what you plan on doing in the future. If you're picking up a DSLR and don't plan on swapping out lenses for better lenses the the Canon may be the better buy as you are covering a wide focal range. But from what I was told by the salesperson the Nikon lens is a better quality lens than most kit lenses (she shoots Canon but said she loves Nikon lenses - may also have been BS) so it may be a better deal due to possible better quality (?).

D-B-J · May 7, 2010

Well, canon offers a lineup of their f2.8 l (im not a canon guy, so please correct me if im wrong), and then they offer a lineup of the same focal lenghths, but in f4, at a much more affordable price.

Me, being a nikon guy, gets angry when nikon doesnt offer affordable lenses for us people who arent rich, or who are still in hs. Haha.

I don't know much about the t2i, but i do know that the d90 is an EXCELLENT camera.

prodigy2k7 · Oct 15, 2010

The two cameras are VERY similar. Remember, these are ENTRY LEVEL slr's and as such, the differences wont matter AS MUCH to a newbie. You will be happy with either. The D90 is slightly better but also costs a little more. Personally for the simple fact its newer and has similar sensor and metering system as the 7D, I would get the t2i over the D90 but thats just my opinion. Then get some good glass after that. The t2i will be perfectly sufficient and spend whatever left over money on better lenses if you want quality, because that is what matters.

In my opinion, you cant go wrong with either brand especially with entry-level, because at entry-level, it doesnt matter as much, because you aren't pixel peeping (yet).

oldmacman · Oct 15, 2010

Having handled and shot both, the D90 is a much more solid camera in build quality. The T2i feels smaller and much more plastic in comparison. It is the type of thing that you need to experience by holding and testing them in the store. Look through the viewfinders. IQ will be very similar.

emh · Oct 15, 2010

prodigy2k7 said:
The two cameras are VERY similar. Remember, these are ENTRY LEVEL slr's and as such, the differences wont matter AS MUCH to a newbie. You will be happy with either. The D90 is slightly better but also costs a little more. Personally for the simple fact its newer and has similar sensor and metering system as the 7D, I would get the t2i over the D90 but thats just my opinion. Then get some good glass after that. The t2i will be perfectly sufficient and spend whatever left over money on better lenses if you want quality, because that is what matters.

No they are not that similar. The T2i is an entry-level camera. The D90 is a solid mid-range offering.

The D90 has a bunch of significant advantages compared to the T2i:

Dedicated AF assist lamp (T2i does the annoying flash strobe while focusing)
Much better battery life (almost 2x better)
More AF points (11 vs 9)
Focus tracking
Built-in remote flash support
Pentaprism viewfinder (vs pentamirror in T2i)
Status LCD
Better controls (incl. two control dials)
Faster continuous shooting (4.5 vs 3.5 fps)
Better viewfinder coverage and magnification
Better low-light performance
Better dynamic range

T2i's advantages are better video and phase-detect AF in LiveView mode -- features that are nice to have, but not fundamentally useful in a still camera.

The T2i also has more megapixels but I don't consider that an advantage in and of itself. If more megapixels improved image quality it would be an advantage, but it doesn't -- at least not compared to the D90 (see low-light performance, dynamic range etc.)