deciding between 2 kits

s-t-e-v-e

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Hi, I'm new on the forum and looking for some help choosing my first dslr.

I'm sure you guys get loads of these threads, so i did some searching first but i couldn't find anything comparing the two exact kits I'm interested in.

Anyways I've narrowed it down to either a nikon d60 kit with 18-55 and 55-200mm lenses for $699, and a canon rebel xs kit with 18-55 and 75-300mm lenses for $774.

Links to each kit:

Nikon- Nikon D60 Kit with AF-S 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6 G ED II DX and AF-S


Canon- Camera Canada - Canada's dot.com for Cameras - Product Information

Like i said this will be my first dslr camera, so my knowledge of all this is pretty basic. What i do know is that i will be using the camera to take pictures of pretty much anything in all kinds of lighting, but a fair amount of my shooting will take place at my track&field meets where it will usually be bright and sunny. I'll also be taking a lot of bmx photos as well so it's important that the camera is well suited to sports photography.

A few things I like about the Nikon are the price, ease of use (according to reviews), and the fact that both kit lenses have the autofocus motor. A few things I'm not to crazy about is the camera body not having the AF motor built in, and the fact that the bigger lens only goes to 200mm.

The main things i like about the Canon is the amount of AF points (7 compared to the Nikons 3) and the lens kit. A lot of the photos i take at track meets will be from farther away, so the 75-300mm lens should be better than the 55-200 in the Nikon right?

So if you were to compare these two kits which one would you say is better overall? Also which one has a better value? The Canon kit costs more, but do the lenses make up for that?

A few other little things,
I notice the 75-300mm Canon lens has the usm motor built in, but the 18-55mm lens does not. Does that mean the 18-55 doesn't work on AF? or does it just use a different system?
Also since the Nikon requires the AF-S lens to autofocus will it end up costing me alot more in the long run to add lenses to a Nikon kit? That's one thing I'm worried about since whichever one i buy now i will likely be committed to that company for a long time as i build up my kit.
And last, are there any really important accessories you would recommend i look at? I've already tracked down a decent tripod and I'm looking into some hoods for the lenses.

Sorry for the millions of questions, and thanks a lot in advance for any help you guys give me. It's greatly appreciated.
 
What i do know is that i will be using the camera to take pictures of pretty much anything in all kinds of lighting, but a fair amount of my shooting will take place at my track&field meets where it will usually be bright and sunny. I'll also be taking a lot of bmx photos as well so it's important that the camera is well suited to sports photography.

Both cameras are good and will give you the job you need to do.

the fact that the bigger lens only goes to 200mm.
200mm on a d60 is equivalent to 300 in 35mm

The main things i like about the Canon is the amount of AF points (7 compared to the Nikons 3) and the lens kit
Depending on how you'll be shooting, 3 might be enough (continues focusing).

so the 75-300mm lens should be better than the 55-200 in the Nikon right?
based on specs? yes. Quality of the glass (soft,sharp,vignette)? Don't know.

Also since the Nikon requires the AF-S lens to autofocus will it end up costing me alot more in the long run to add lenses to a Nikon kit
yes and no. really depends which was you'll take your photography to. If you'll be using the same camera and lenses for next five years shooting tracks you might be happy with results and won't have a need to upgrade.
and I'm looking into some hoods for the lenses.
Check the package carefully. It might already be included. many folks I know, including me, have UV filter on their lenses - not so much for the effect but for extra protection for the lens.

Try to get your hands on these two bodies and see how they feel in your hand. The one that is more friendlier to you, probably should be your choice. As I said, both cameras will do the job but regards to brand - its like ice cream (vanilla vs chocolate).

Good Luck
 
gah .. i know nothing about canon cameras
edit:

if its the 18-55m kit lens it comes with .. i think it will autofocus :D

"Focus Adjustment: AF (DC motor), with manual focus option "

thats on the 18-55mm IS
so yes.. it will autofocus :D

+ the xs has liveview . d60 doesnt

DX lenses arent exactly cheap

made a comparison in amazon:
Canon EF-S 18-200mm f/3.5-5.6 IS Standard Zoom Lens

$554.00

Nikon 18-200mm f/3.5-5.6 G ED-IF AF-S VR [Vibration Reduction] DX Lens

$699.00


i suppose because theyr new? . meh idk

i still prefer a nikon anyway :p
 
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This is going to turn into a Canon NIKON Fight!

They are both great camera's and you will learn to love which ever you get!!!

Just get one and start shooting!!!
 


haha funny, but let's not have a canon/nikon fight


I know the cameras are pretty comparable so I'm thinking it might be good to worry more about the lens kits? because I don't want to spend more than i need to on them in the first little while.

so how do canon's and nikons lenss compare quality wise? and is it worth the extra $75 to get the canon based on the 75-300mm lens over the nikons 55-200mm?
 
so how do canon's and nikons lenss compare quality wise? and is it worth the extra $75 to get the canon based on the 75-300mm lens over the nikons 55-200mm?


there is NOTHING on the market comparable to the quality of canons L glass. (less of course some high end zeiss glass, but that stuff isnt really in anyones budget.
so, yes, its worth the $75 if you take your photography seriously.

of course, if its just a hobby, and you dont plan to be taken seriously, do what i do and just use a kodak disposable. dont even bother with a DSLR
 
there is NOTHING on the market comparable to the quality of canons L glass.

I think you need to step off your Canon soap box. Reality is that the best from Canon is matched by the best from Nikon. I shoot with a pro wedding photographer who has the best Canon offers, and our shots are so close that if I remove the EXIF, I will offer you a thousand dollars to tell me which is which... however you make the wrong choice, how about you pay me the money?

So.. I am sorry if reality bites, but though Nikon may not have all the focal lengths that Canon does... that doesn't mean they are utterly useless and inferior. On top of that, in this thread we're not even talking top of the line L glass... but 2 KIT lenses for pete's sake... the lenses in this case BOTH suck!

Get a grip, Mr Canon.


S-t-e-e-v-e, in this case, the results from either camera will give you the same final results. Why not go and test them both out yourself at a local photography store and make your own choice based on YOUR OWN preferences. When you ask someone else to spend your money for you... you will get their preferences and those rarely will always be the ones that are the best for YOU.
 
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someone once said in this same forum -

go to your local camera store.. test out the both of em

get the one that you feel comfortable holding/handling :D

.. or something along those lines
 
A hands-on would make a lot of sense. I think it would be pretty shoddy to go to a local store and demo the gear and then order it on-line. If you go to a store and waste a salesman's time,then order online to save 1.5%, you're slime in my book...

The Canon Rebel does have 7 AF points to the Nikon's 3. The Nikon kit lens is noticeably better than Canon's exceedingly poor 18-55 kit lens...I have a Canon 18-55, my wife has a D40 and Nikon 18-55...the Nikon kit lens is easily the better everyday lens. Long-distance track photos shot from a stadium vantage point will not be much of a test of the AF of either camera,and neither camera is a sports specialist camera. (I was at one time a very avid track and field photographer but at field level,and have shot stadium-based football a fair amount from one,single position-Center AF is usually adequate for that easy type of long-range, slow-changing AF need.)

About 31 or 32 of Nikon's roughly 50 or so current lenses are AF-S models, and the few remaining screw-driven AF Nikkors are probably out of your budget if you're looking for a D60 or Rebel outfit. "Most all" of the Nikkor lenses you'd want are AF-S models.

I own mostly Nikon cameras and lenses, but also have 3 Canon cameras and 10 Canon lenses...I prefer the Nikon ergonomics quite a bit, but then I am not you. You really ought to handle the cameras before buying.

Nikon has, in my opinion and the opinion of many others, a much better,more-sophisticated wireless flash system,and the D60 has (I think) a better in-camera retouching menu option,as well as a pretty advanced D-Lighting dynamic range expansion system. My feeling is that Nikons are the best-engineered cameras photographers have ever designed, and Canons are the best-designed cameras engineers have ever designed. I see quite a bit of difference in design ethos between Canon, which treats you like an "end-user" idiot and Nikon, which assumes you're a photographer. As far as one company's cameras being far better than another company's offerings, at the entry level of bodies and lenses, the two outfits you are looking at are pretty close. The Canon might have a longer zoom at 300mm, but the 75 or 70mm short end is too-restrictive for many things,and the Nikon 18-55 is a significantly better performing lens than the Canon 18-55. My feeling is that Nikon has better light metering systems in its beginner and mid-level models than the Canons I have used have in them. (20D, 5D, Rebel Xt)

Moving past the entry-level bodies, Nikon's ergonomic,body control,autofocusing, and flash system advantages become more pronounced over Canon's mid-level and enthusiast cameras. Canon has some great sensors,all slapped into what was basically a $300 EOS Elan body,even though you pay $1500 to $2700 for their mid-range and enthusiast models, whereas Nikon has built its mid- and prosumer level cameras on basically a $1,000 F100 type film body, not a $300 Canon Elan.
 
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The Nikon kit lens is noticeably better than Canon's exceedingly poor 18-55 kit lens...I have a Canon 18-55, my wife has a D40 and Nikon 18-55...the Nikon kit lens is easily the better everyday lens.
You may be referring to the old EF-S 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6 USM lens that was discontinued a few years ago. EOS Rebel XSi, XS, T1i and newer cameras come equipped with the Canon EF-S 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6 IS lens. The current kit lens is significantly better than the old discontinued one. Most independent reviews show that it provides superior image sharpness when compared to the Nikon AF-S DX 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6G VR (especially wide open at 35mm), though the more expensive Nikon lens may be built more ruggedly. Here's a comparison at DPReview:
dpreview.com - Lens Review - Fullscreen


More than a third of the Nikon auto-focus lenses currently produced lack the internal focus motor included in the newer and more expensive AF-S lenses, so they cannot autofocus on the entry-level Nikon cameras. This can make the Nikon D90 camera a better value than a D3000 once you've added the cost of just a couple of lenses. There are also many more AF than AF-S lenses available in the used market.
 
thanks for the help everyone, especially derrel that post helped alot.

i think I'm leaning more towards the nikon at the moment, i haven't felt a d60 before but I've fooled around with a d70 and it felt right in my hands. and i can get the d60 with a decent tripod, hoods, and shutter remote for the same price as the canon kit alone.

one last question about the nikon 55-200mm lens, let's say I'm near the end of the Finnish line at a 100m race, will that lens be able to zoom right in on the sprinters at the start line? i could do that no problem with my coaches 70-300mm on his d70 so yeah that's one main things that appealed to me about the canon kit...but if the 55-200mm lens can handle that then I'll just stick with it.

thanks again
 
someone once said in this same forum -
go to your local camera store.. test out the both of em
get the one that you feel comfortable holding/handling :D
.. or something along those lines

Thank you. It is nice to be noted... When I asked photographer with whom I was working (may he RIP) which brand to get, that is what he told me.
I got my first Nikon b/c it was $200 less then Canon. I had full intentions of returning it and going with Canon but friend was selling his old glass so I bought the glass, flash, etc...
Looking back on it, especially after working with Nikon and Canon, NO REGRETS. I like the way Nikon feels.
Image Quality - my wedding was shot primarily with D70 and 20D (these were the hired CREWS) while another friend came with his 5D and another friend was using my D50. I'm more of an old school, so I printed everything from all four cameras. Comparing candits, all cameras gave amazing result.
 
someone once said in this same forum -
go to your local camera store.. test out the both of em
get the one that you feel comfortable holding/handling :D
.. or something along those lines
Thank you. It is nice to be noted...


lol and yet my name wasnt in the quote :lol:

no worries :D
 

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