Advice on which DSLR to choose.

[RaveGloves]

I can allready guess you guys get these threads alot. Sorry if you do

Now, i have been doing photography for around a year now, i have never bought or properly used a DSLR before and i want to buy one as soon as possible! i have been looking for which one to buy but im a little confused which one to buy ):.

Here is the 3 cameras i thought of

Nikon D90- Its a good starter dslr ive heard great things from it, the price isnt too bad ether.

Nikon D300- The D300 is old but its a Semi-pro dslr and apparently a fantastic camera, its got a tougher body than the D90 but beacuse its older i will be buying an old sensor and stuff like that, so would i be better with the D90?.

Canon EOS 50D- im not up to date with canon but a friend of mine who only uses canon says they are amazing cameras. This is only £200 more than the D90 but canon glass is pretty expensive compaired to nikon.

Im kinda confused which one i should buy. Can someone help?

 

[Big Mike]

Welcome to the forum.

There really isn't a 'right' answer for you. They are all great cameras.

Keep in mind that when you buy and SLR camera like this, you are buying into a system. So from then on, you will be using that brand of (or 3rd party compatible) lenses, flashes & accessories etc.

I've always heard that top end Nikon lenses are typically more expensive than top end Canon lenses. But really, both systems are very good and compare very well to each other.

The typical advice is to go into a camera shop and hold the cameras yourself. Sometime, one of them will just feel better in your hands.

If you have a friend who shoots Canon, that may be reason enough to get one yourself, because then maybe you can borrow or share gear.

 

[RaveGloves]

Welcome to the forum.

There really isn't a 'right' answer for you. They are all great cameras.

Keep in mind that when you buy and SLR camera like this, you are buying into a system. So from then on, you will be using that brand of (or 3rd party compatible) lenses, flashes & accessories etc.

I've always heard that top end Nikon lenses are typically more expensive than top end Canon lenses. But really, both systems are very good and compare very well to each other.

The typical advice is to go into a camera shop and hold the cameras yourself. Sometime, one of them will just feel better in your hands.

If you have a friend who shoots Canon, that may be reason enough to get one yourself, because then maybe you can borrow or share gear.

I have tried a D90 and its a very nice camera to hold, I like the idea about sharing gear but i think i will still go for the D90, it will be a great starter camera for the price!.

 

[wgp1987]

You cant go wrong with either brand. Nikon and Canon have great glass and have great bodies to choose from. Depending on how much you plan on investing into your equipment sometimes helps choose what to go with. Just like mike said, Canon's lenses are less expensive once you get to their top of the line. From my experiance the Nikkor kit lenses are of a higer quality than the Canon. Keep in mind that your glass is your #1 investment and pending on your budget should really determine what you get. If i had it my way when i started off i would have baught a Tamron 17-50mm f2.8 for either Canon or Nikon and go with whatever body felt the best in my hand (that had the functionality that i would need). For someone starting out their is no major advantage between a d300 or a 50d. They are both very fast cameras and will have great quality. If action shots are not your main priority then invest in the d90. The d90 doesnt have the metal body or weather sealing but that is just another feature you would have to look at to determine what is best for you. Hope this helps?

 

[wgp1987]

If you are big on ebay and craigslist then nikon has 50 years worth of lenses you could get used and save money on great glass! I personally dont like buying used things (this was factored into my thoughts!).

 

[RaveGloves]

You cant go wrong with either brand. Nikon and Canon have great glass and have great bodies to choose from. Depending on how much you plan on investing into your equipment sometimes helps choose what to go with. Just like mike said, Canon's lenses are less expensive once you get to their top of the line. From my experiance the Nikkor kit lenses are of a higer quality than the Canon. Keep in mind that your glass is your #1 investment and pending on your budget should really determine what you get. If i had it my way when i started off i would have baught a Tamron 17-50mm f2.8 for either Canon or Nikon and go with whatever body felt the best in my hand (that had the functionality that i would need). For someone starting out their is no major advantage between a d300 or a 50d. They are both very fast cameras and will have great quality. If action shots are not your main priority then invest in the d90. The d90 doesnt have the metal body or weather sealing but that is just another feature you would have to look at to determine what is best for you. Hope this helps?

I would be needing a fast camera, bmx is something i love to take pictures of, if it is a fast camera i need i would be better to go with the Stronger D300?, I know there is the D300s but apparently its not much diffrent than the D300.

 

[BuS_RiDeR]

I prefer Canon... But only because I already have an investment in them.

I own the 50D and am satisfied.

I was going to go the way of the Nikon D300S, but the price was much higher.

I also liked the D90... But I opted for the superior build quakity of the 50D.

Honestly? Hold them in your hand. Let the "feel" become part of your decission.

 

[kundalini]

My D300 still rocks! Absolutely nothing wrong with saving a few bucks on the body and investing in better lenses.

 

[wgp1987]

The d90 having 4fps is not that bad. I think that my Canon 30d i use to own was the best dslr i have ever used. The feel, the speed (5fps) and the results were perfection. I was lucky enough to find a 30d body new last year. I have recently looked into finding another which seems to be impossible. Look into finding a 40d, some people find that to be one of canons finest cameras. Personally between the d300 and the 50d ...... it would come down to the price. I dont really see any d300's (non s) available. The 50d body is on bhphotovideo.com for 929.95 with no tax and free shipping. I work in a camera store and i would say the feel of the d300 is much nicer than the 50d. I am use to shooting with the 50d all day at work and enjoy it greatly. Dont bother with the kit 28-135 lens with that body. Invest in that tamron i mentioned earlier.
EOS 50D SLR Digital Camera (Camera Body)


Zoom Super Wide Angle SP AF 17-50mm f/2.8 XR Di II LD Aspherical [IF] Autofocus Lens for Canon EOS Digital Cameras

SP AF 17-50mm f/2.8 XR Di-II VC LD Aspherical (IF) Lens

 

[RaveGloves]

All very awesome answers guys, I like the idea of getting the 50D body with a change of glass on it. Also another reason i wanted the D90 was just for the kit lense, im working on a tight budget here, so if i did get the 50D body i wouldnt have enough money for a better lense for a while, unless there is an awesome lense out there for maybe, £300? maybe a 50mm or something?

Im not an expert on glass at all, so i wouldnt be too sure what im looking for.

 

[wgp1987]

All very awesome answers guys, I like the idea of getting the 50D body with a change of glass on it. Also another reason i wanted the D90 was just for the kit lense, im working on a tight budget here, so if i did get the 50D body i wouldnt have enough money for a better lense for a while, unless there is an awesome lense out there for maybe, £300? maybe a 50mm or something?

Im not an expert on glass at all, so i wouldnt be too sure what im looking for.

The euro! lol .... i dont know how the exchange rate but if i had to guess that is around $400? The tamron 17-50mm is around $450 ..... Try not to go cheap on your glass. If you have to loose the 6.3fps of the 50d then go d90 and get that tamron lens. I did read that the sigma 18-50 hsm for nikon is better for nikon, but only the hsm version.

 

[BuS_RiDeR]

In Canada this lens sells for about $150 if I'm not too far off. I haven't got this, but have heard its a good value... (Quality vs Price)

 

[RaveGloves]

All very awesome answers guys, I like the idea of getting the 50D body with a change of glass on it. Also another reason i wanted the D90 was just for the kit lense, im working on a tight budget here, so if i did get the 50D body i wouldnt have enough money for a better lense for a while, unless there is an awesome lense out there for maybe, £300? maybe a 50mm or something?

Im not an expert on glass at all, so i wouldnt be too sure what im looking for.

The euro! lol .... i dont know how the exchange rate but if i had to guess that is around $400? The tamron 17-50mm is around $450 ..... Try not to go cheap on your glass. If you have to loose the 6.3fps of the 50d then go d90 and get that tamron lens. I did read that the sigma 18-50 hsm for nikon is better for nikon, but only the hsm version.

The Euro ? thats British Pounds man
Google tells me that 300 british pounds is 487.95 dollars. If american sites ship to the uk i will still be getting it for around the same price, delivery and stuff can be pretty crap so if anything goes wrong and the glass is damaged by the time it gets here it will be a massive problem trying to get a replacement. I think i will go for into my local camera shop tommorow and ask for a Shot of the 50D and compair it to the D90, If they have a D300 i will try that out too.

 

[wgp1987]

All very awesome answers guys, I like the idea of getting the 50D body with a change of glass on it. Also another reason i wanted the D90 was just for the kit lense, im working on a tight budget here, so if i did get the 50D body i wouldnt have enough money for a better lense for a while, unless there is an awesome lense out there for maybe, £300? maybe a 50mm or something?

Im not an expert on glass at all, so i wouldnt be too sure what im looking for.

The euro! lol .... i dont know how the exchange rate but if i had to guess that is around $400? The tamron 17-50mm is around $450 ..... Try not to go cheap on your glass. If you have to loose the 6.3fps of the 50d then go d90 and get that tamron lens. I did read that the sigma 18-50 hsm for nikon is better for nikon, but only the hsm version.

The Euro ? thats British Pounds man
Google tells me that 300 british pounds is 487.95 dollars. If american sites ship to the uk i will still be getting it for around the same price, delivery and stuff can be pretty crap so if anything goes wrong and the glass is damaged by the time it gets here it will be a massive problem trying to get a replacement. I think i will go for into my local camera shop tommorow and ask for a Shot of the 50D and compair it to the D90, If they have a D300 i will try that out too.

I wish you the best of luck in your camera purchase. I can tell you from my personal experiance that comparing cameras jpegs images "on" the cameras rear lcd with differant lenses will not give you a proper comparison. You should bring a sd/cf card down to the store. Take a shot with the lens you want and bring them home to look at the photos before you invest your money. Id hate to suggest this but put the camera in P for program. Make sure all the settings are on auto, and put the iso at 400. That will be a noisy image and show you how the camera will respond at higher iso. Not shure what other advice i could give you but good luck!

 

[jnm]

for fast action sports the AF system in the D300 is really hard to beat. if that's a major part of your shooting it's worth the consideration imo.