Canon EOS 30D or Nikon D80

[morfeas]

hi,

after some spec + price comparisons i have narrowed down my options for a digital slr between the Canon EOS 30D and the Nikon D80.

which one would you go for, and are there any significant advantages of one camera over the other?

thank you

 

[DSLR noob]

I am a Canonite but even if I wasn't I prefer the 30D. It is an Amazing Pro-sumer camera. A big advantage is the noise control of the CMOS sensor and 5 FPS burst.

Nikon's advantages are auto ISO and 2 more megapixels.


They're both magnesium body cameras that feel sturdy and in the hands nicely. I'm not sure on the Nikon but the canon has a great 9 point autofocus system. I say go to a stroe and hold both trying to imagine holding them for long periods of time. Navigate the menus and get a good feel for whichever you are more comfortable with. Remember, you aren't buying just a camera, you are buying into an entire system. Lenses and all. Both Canon and Nikon have great glass, flash accessories, and such. I am not sure but I think th eD80 uses SD cards and the Canon I know uses CF cards.

 

[DSLR noob]

If I failed to mention another difference, I wasn't trying to look biased but I do not know more than the burst rate and megapixel count.

 

[table1349]

The advantages or disadvantages are going to depend on what it is you want to shoot. I think that a closer comparison from Nikon to the 30D would be the D200 while the XTI is closer to the D80.

Both will do an excellent job. If you want to shoot sports or a lot of low light stuff, the 30D is probably the way to go. 5fps and less noise at high ISO. Nikon has made some improvements in the area of high ISO BIMHO the 30D is still the better at handling higher ISO.

If you are interesed in portrait shooting, then these things do not come into play. I shoot with a wedding photographer sometimes for fun. I detest weddings but he is a long time Monty Zucker trained photographer and his knowledge and use of light in those kinds of situations is amazing. I learn lots from him about unique lighting. I am a sports shooter. He has never done sports and goes with me to learn as he always thought it would be fun. We consistently trade cameras. I love using his D2Xs for portraits and he loves using my Canon's for sports.

The best thing is to go to a good photography shop, hold both choices, check out the controls and their locations. Look at the lenses and other accessories you are interested in. A good photography shop will let you shoot them a little. Take a couple of media cards with you. Compare the results and make your choice from there.

 

[morfeas]

thank you for your replies! sure it seems that the comparison may be a bit unfair as the eos 30d costs much more that the nikon D80.

on the other hand, i realy dont like the Eos xti series. it looks very plastic and very cheap. what does that matter you may ask, but it does matter to me cause i cant put that amount of money for a camera that looks cheap.

that may be bad cause i actualy found a good deal here for the eos 400:
http://www.pixmania.com/gr/gr/509355/art/canon/eos-400d-ef-s-18-55-mm-ef.html?itag=9698#

the 30d deal is here:
http://www.pixmania.com/gr/gr/228726/art/canon/eos-30d-oaeuo-ef-s-17-85.html#

and here is the nikon:
http://www.pixmania.com/gr/gr/354679/art/nikon/d80-oaeuo-af-s-dx-zoom-ni.html?itag=6615

unfortunately the D200 is considerably more expensive and way out of my budget.

even the canon 30D sometimes i think is too expensive for me.

i would go for the nikon because of the price but maybe i have to reconsider this now that you said that the 30D is better for sports and low light.

mainly i will be shooting action stuff (sports, animals etc) both outdoors and indoors.

portraits and other 'planned' photography i'm not very interested as i can always use my analog monster for this (Canon A1).

i just wish canon made a camera between the 30d and the 400 series (pricewise).

mind you that i'm not biased with canons from the A1 , which although is a hell of acamera, the digital world may be different.

currently i'm more inclined to the canon 30D now.

i'm not sure going to the shop and trying them is a good idea although i see this advice in here often. one may not feel at all confortable, but after a couple of months of using any , i think one can get used to any of them equaly. Besides, i'm sure they will both feel like toys compared to the A1

thank you again for your advice, wil let you know what happend, in the meantime if you have any additional advice please let me know.

 

[BAB]

I am a Canonite but even if I wasn't I prefer the 30D. It is an Amazing Pro-sumer camera. A big advantage is the noise control of the CMOS sensor and 5 FPS burst.

Nikon's advantages are auto ISO and 2 more megapixels.


They're both magnesium body cameras that feel sturdy and in the hands nicely. I'm not sure on the Nikon but the canon has a great 9 point autofocus system. I say go to a stroe and hold both trying to imagine holding them for long periods of time. Navigate the menus and get a good feel for whichever you are more comfortable with. Remember, you aren't buying just a camera, you are buying into an entire system. Lenses and all. Both Canon and Nikon have great glass, flash accessories, and such. I am not sure but I think th eD80 uses SD cards and the Canon I know uses CF cards.

Also, do not forget in your comparison that Nikon also holds the advantage in flash with a more sophisticated system that lends itself very well to multiple flash use. This may or may not be important to the person posing the question.

 

[Seefutlung]

Honestly controls between a Nikon and a Canon really doesn't matter. Many people claim that Nikon has better layout for their controls than Canon. But after a few shootings ... you will adapt to the system whether it's Nikon or Canon. Nikon's layout is not significantly better that you will get more properly exposed shots than Canon. Canon's layout is not significantly better that you will get more properly exposed shots than Nikon. Controls is trivial.

As to how the camera feels ... once again, insignificant. For me Nikon feels better than Canon, a better design grip for my hands ... once again it doesn't matter because you will adapt ... and once the viewfinder is at your eye ... "feel" is the last thing you think about.

Both Nikon and Canon make cameras which will deliver similar images. If you have a series of photos, some taken with D80 and some with a 30D, you wouldn't be able to tell them apart. (hell, you could also toss in photos from a D200, 30D, DX2, MKII, MKIIN, 5D and MKIII ... up to an 8x10 at ISO 200 you wouldn't be able tell which camera and or even which system the photos derived.)

There are two principal reasons for moving up to a dSLR. The first being The System. The main component of the system are lenses ... so when you buy, don't think in terms of camera but think in terms of lenses. I heard it described that a camera is like a wife, they can come and go ... but lenses are like children ... they are with you forever.

The second is capability. What can and cannot the camera and the camera system do for you? Do you have any specific interests ... and which camera system addresses that interest best? (like astro-photography or macro)

At this point in time Canon has the better system. More lenses for digital photography (but how many do you need ... right), better availability of lenses and more options for upgrading (including a full frame camera which Nikon doesn't even make.)

This doesn't mean that in a few years Nikon won't close the gap or even supersede Canon. But Canon isn't standing still either. Presently Nikon seems to be concentrating on the entry level cameras and lenses while Canon is focusing on the higher end cameras and lenses.

Personally, I would go with Canon because I feel (having used both systems) that the Canon CMOS sensor and associated firmware is significantly better than the Nikon/Sony CCD sensor and firmware at ISO 800 and higher. And I shoot a lot of sports and available light photography and routinely need high ISO.

A wedding photographer I know just switched from Nikon to Canon because of the better image quality (IQ) at higher ISO of the 5D. He even had a Fuji S3 which is supposed to be the ultimate in IQ at all ISOs ... he found Canon to be superior.

To recap-

Canon has a better system. (But how many lenses can you use ... if you don't plan to upgrade this isn't all that important.)

Nikon feels better. (While true, personally I love the feel of Nikon ... but then again Canon's feel is not painful or horrible. Kinda like car seats, one type of car has a very comfy seat while another has a seat that is comfy but not quite as comfy ... after a block you won't notice the difference between comfy and very comfy as you'll just be concentrating on getting to your destination.) - Trivial

Controls Layout - Trivial

Nikon has superior flash control firmware. May be significant may be trivial ... all depends on what and how you shoot.

30D has 5 frames per second - D80 2.5 to 3. This is significant if you shoot action. I shoot a lot of sports, 5fps will allow you to follow the action ... the 3fps is so slow that you have to release the shutter at the peak of the action. In sports/action photography the dif between 3 and 5 is like night and day.

Nikon 10MPs vs. Canon 8MPs - insignificant

Image Quality under ISO 800 - any difference is trivial

30D has better image quality at higher ISOs. This is significant if you shoot low light and available light. (example: Yesterday I shot a graduation with a "Bigma" 50-500 zoom. I shot from the stadium seating at 500mm with a 20D. It was late afternoon ... plenty of light but to handhold the 500mm required at least 1/1000 shutter speed, wide open at 500mm the Bigma has an aperture of 6.3 ... so I had to crank up the ISO to 800 and finally 1600 to get these once in a lifetime shots ... and I did so with confidence knowing that the IQ will be acceptable.)

Personally I think that the D200 is closer to the 30D feature wise ... Canon and Nikon seem to leapfrog between features and pricing so an apples to apples comparison is difficult.

Gary

 

[cedew]

The Nikon D80 was my first dslr, I bought it when it first came out for 999 shipped with kit lens. I really had no clue what kind of photos I would be taking, but I thought it would be pretty close to everything. After a couple months, I noticed that I enjoyed mostly motocross, and nature of any sort. The fps of the D80 was a little disappointing, but not a deal breaker. I also liked shooting as the sun was going down, or down but still light. The high iso performance was a little disappointing, but not a deal breaker. So after a couple months of shooting, I had passed 5k actuations. Just for kicks, I looked up how many clicks you can expect from the D80, which is 50k. I thought...wow, I could be 1/10 of the way through my cameras shutter life. I might have to fork out a few hundred bucks for repair later in the year. I don't know how money flows in your house, but here, spending 1k on a camera was torturous. So, that paranoia combined with poor high iso performance, and low fps, were enough to convince me to switch. I sold the D80 for 900.

I picked up a new sealed in box 30D with kit lens for 1040 shipped on ebay. I bought a bigma to satisfy my motocross needs, a 50mm 1.8 for people/pets, and I am saving for a 10-22 to satisfy my wide angle needs. The 30D has a shutter life expectancy of 100k, which gives me a little peace of mind. I don't know the size of your hands, but the 30D feel soooo much better in my hands than the D80. I definitely would not let that effect my decision though, as I can get used to ergonomics, but I can't get used to poor performance.

Enough Nikon bashing, I have some good to say! Something I really like about the Nikon, any old afs lens fits the D80 body. I love old Nikon glass, they can be had for a song, and I don't mind using them manually for stills. The D80 doesn't meter with them, though it's not a big deal, you can just take a couple of test shots. I also noticed that the D80 captures significantly more information in the shadows than my 30D. I can pull way more detail from dark areas in pics taken with my old D80. Also, you could buy(or borrow Noise Ninja, that will clean up a stop or two of noise. You could probably buy the D80 for a couple hundred less than the 30D, that would be enough to get another lens. Lenses are what give you the flexibility to be creative. Odds are, you will love either camera. It just happened that the 30D fit my needs better.

 

[table1349]

Also, do not forget in your comparison that Nikon also holds the advantage in flash with a more sophisticated system that lends itself very well to multiple flash use. This may or may not be important to the person posing the question.

Yeah, rub salt in a wound of alot of us Canon shooters.

 

[table1349]

Honestly controls between a Nikon and a Canon really doesn't matter. Many people claim that Nikon has better layout for their controls than Canon. But after a few shootings ... you will adapt to the system whether it's Nikon or Canon. Nikon's layout is not significantly better that you will get more properly exposed shots than Canon. Canon's layout is not significantly better that you will get more properly exposed shots than Nikon. Controls is trivial.

Gary

In general I agree with your statement with the exception of the above. Controls are very important to me. I shoot exclusevly in Manual mode. Shooting sports things change rapidly. When I am shooting something like sports my right index finger it on the main dial, my second finger on the shutter release and my thumb on the quick control dial. My hands are large enough to do that, and allow me to control all of three of the above. I can quickly change the apeture value and or the shutter and get the shot while the action changes. My wifes little hands would not allow her to do so. Personally I think that control placement and ease of use depend on what you are shooting. In a controlled setting such as portrait settings it would not matter but in certain instances for me at least it does.

 

[M-O-S]

30D.

If ur a n00b, use d80.

 

[cedew]

30D.

If ur a n00b, use d80.

Though I agree with your recommendation, I don't think choosing the D80 would qualify you as a n00b(god I hate 1337 text). If you wanted to make large prints, had no interest in action shots, and were on a serious lens budget...the D80 might make more sense. The lens budget is a biggie, you can score tons of quality old Nikon glass on eBay for cheap.

 

[Seefutlung]

In general I agree with your statement with the exception of the above. Controls are very important to me. I shoot exclusevly in Manual mode. Shooting sports things change rapidly. When I am shooting something like sports my right index finger it on the main dial, my second finger on the shutter release and my thumb on the quick control dial. My hands are large enough to do that, and allow me to control all of three of the above. I can quickly change the apeture value and or the shutter and get the shot while the action changes. My wifes little hands would not allow her to do so. Personally I think that control placement and ease of use depend on what you are shooting. In a controlled setting such as portrait settings it would not matter but in certain instances for me at least it does.

I think your three finger style is an exception ... and there will always be exceptions.

I shoot about 90%+ in manual and a tons of sports ... never found a need to change shutter speed in the middle of a play ... but live and learn.

As a former news photog I used to shoot every day and every once in a while, with difference camera systems. After an initial learning curve, the controls placement didn't matter because one adapted to the new/different camera regardless of the type of shooting one does. Most people can easily and quickly adapt to driving a different car ... so to a camera.

Some features/placement was nice on a Canon, other features nice on Nikon others nice on Leica, but none of the control placement on any camera system I used was so extreme or difficult to use that it was cause for one to miss a shot.

Gary

 

[M-O-S]

Though I agree with your recommendation, I don't think choosing the D80 would qualify you as a n00b(god I hate 1337 text). If you wanted to make large prints, had no interest in action shots, and were on a serious lens budget...the D80 might make more sense. The lens budget is a biggie, you can score tons of quality old Nikon glass on eBay for cheap.

Lol, yeah seriously though....

I actually didn't mean that choosing d80 would qualify you as a newbie, I guess I meant that if you're new at photography and want to get more into it, choosing d80 would be the first choice for you to learn to get into game. As you get deeper into the photography world, then I believe you might have to step it up by choosing 30D.

 

[OmlessWanderer]

One thing you might want to consider is the history of release dates. The d200 is coming up on 2 years old(Nov 05), if you are willing to wait, the product cycle is probably coming up, in which case the d200 price will certainly drop. Though the same could be said about the Canon 5D...

This might be useful as well.