CONFUSION NIKON D5100 OR CANON 550D

[BunnyHugger]

Since my post of probably a month or more back, I have done some serious research. I have looked at camera specs and prices. I have looked at the cameras themselves. And I am still confused.

Like Roo, in another post, I have looked at the Nikon D5100, and it ranks as my number one choice. Price not too bad but a major budget stretch. It will limit other things I could be doing and I'm not talking about adding to my photography tool box. (I need some junk for my main hobby which is cycling.)

Risk factors aside (I will test the camera before making payment so I will assume that it is going to work) the Nikon outshines the Canon in every department. The "feel" of the Nikon is better and the feel of the lenses is better to me. Only thing is Nikon comes with a bundle and the bigger lens is 55 to 200mm. Because I will be doing a lot of wild game shooting, 200mm is too lightweight.

This makes the Canon a resonable consideration because it comes with a 55 to 300mm lens and being second hand, it fits my budget a whole lot more.

So maybe this is a time for the Canon and Nikon fans to boast of the abilities of their cameras and convince me one way or the other.

If budget wasn't a problem, I would definitey go Nikon D5100.

 

[cybercavern]

I can't speak about the Cannon but I own the Nikon D5100 it is a great camera. It has on board abilities such as color selective, Post shot white balance correction, Post shot exposure compensation, and other editing that you can do right on the camera. The flip out and tilt screen is also a great feature of the camera.

 

[BunnyHugger]

I can't speak about the Cannon but I own the Nikon D5100 it is a great camera. It has on board abilities such as color selective, Post shot white balance correction, Post shot exposure compensation, and other editing that you can do right on the camera. The flip out and tilt screen is also a great feature of the camera.

Acording to snapsort, the D5100 is a better camera but there's not a lot in it. (not the camera, the differences.

Some recent developments regarding our car have cropped up so it kind of forces my hand. Not much choice now but to go for the cheaper Canon option.

I know this is a photgraphic forum but the lessons learned from autos in the last year and a bit have me convinced of one thing. NEVER buy a Renault. Especially not a Diesel (DCi).

 

[enzodm]

The Nikon has a sensor behaving better in low light. Canon is better on video. On the rest, they are grossly equivalent.
Both tele lenses are on the cheap side.
If have to buy the Canon for budget reasons, do not worry: it will be a good choice anyway.

 

[Goldcoin79]

You can also get the D5100 with the twin lens super zoom kit which is an 18-55mm lens and a 55-300mm lens. I got my D5100 last week and am very pleased with the quality of the pictures I have taken so far.

 

[David444]

I can't speak about the Cannon but I own the Nikon D5100 it is a great camera. It has on board abilities such as color selective, Post shot white balance correction, Post shot exposure compensation, and other editing that you can do right on the camera. The flip out and tilt screen is also a great feature of the camera.

Acording to snapsort, the D5100 is a better camera but there's not a lot in it. (not the camera, the differences.

Some recent developments regarding our car have cropped up so it kind of forces my hand. Not much choice now but to go for the cheaper Canon option.

I know this is a photgraphic forum but the lessons learned from autos in the last year and a bit have me convinced of one thing. NEVER buy a Renault. Especially not a Diesel (DCi).

First I would like to say that you are not just buying a camera, you're buying into a system and you should base your decision on what lenses and accessories that are most important to you. Cameras come and go, the D5100 and 550D that you are trying to decide between will be outdated in a couple of years and their value will go down considerably leaving you with an old camera and whatever lenses you manage to accumulate.

Second, Canon has never made a 55 to 300mm lens. It is probably the 75-300mm and is regarded as one of Canon's worst (IQ wise) lenses ever built.

If you never plan to get serious about photography then disregard everything I said. If you are buying the 55D only because of budget then you would be better off saving longer and getting what you want.

 

[2WheelPhoto]

google for the difference too, you'll get another 20,000 answers =)

 

[BunnyHugger]

I can't speak about the Cannon but I own the Nikon D5100 it is a great camera. It has on board abilities such as color selective, Post shot white balance correction, Post shot exposure compensation, and other editing that you can do right on the camera. The flip out and tilt screen is also a great feature of the camera.

Acording to snapsort, the D5100 is a better camera but there's not a lot in it. (not the camera, the differences.

Some recent developments regarding our car have cropped up so it kind of forces my hand. Not much choice now but to go for the cheaper Canon option.

I know this is a photgraphic forum but the lessons learned from autos in the last year and a bit have me convinced of one thing. NEVER buy a Renault. Especially not a Diesel (DCi).

First I would like to say that you are not just buying a camera, you're buying into a system and you should base your decision on what lenses and accessories that are most important to you. Cameras come and go, the D5100 and 550D that you are trying to decide between will be outdated in a couple of years and their value will go down considerably leaving you with an old camera and whatever lenses you manage to accumulate.

Second, Canon has never made a 55 to 300mm lens. It is probably the 75-300mm and is regarded as one of Canon's worst (IQ wise) lenses ever built.

If you never plan to get serious about photography then disregard everything I said. If you are buying the 55D only because of budget then you would be better off saving longer and getting what you want.

Ok, that makes sense in a lot of ways. My heart says Nikon and everything else is pointing to canon. (budget and logic in so far as it is a more popular Camera in Africa South of the tropics, making the range of lenses and other used (abused) and slightly used lenses and accessories more abundant)

Yes, the bigger of the two lensesis a 75 to 300mm lens. Apparently not a kit lens but I would be interested to know why (what makes you say) it's the worst lens ever made by Canon.

 

[BunnyHugger]

I just went and read the review of this lens. So looking at the budgetary constraints, it would seem like a fair idea downspec the camera to say a Nikon D3100 and go for better lenses.

I was at a large chain store the other day and they just happened to have a Canon 550D demo with an 18-55mm lens. It felt really cheap and nasty and it was rough when using the zoom mode in manual. Focus also felt rough as though the bits inside were worn out completely. Like gears not meshing and sticking due to massive wear and very poor alignment.

Bally heck, back to the drawing board. (AGAIN) must now be the 6th time I am changing my mind.

 

[2WheelPhoto]

I just went and read the review of this lens. So looking at the budgetary constraints, it would seem like a fair idea downspec the camera to say a Nikon D3100 and go for better lenses.

I was at a large chain store the other day and they just happened to have a Canon 550D demo with an 18-55mm lens. It felt really cheap and nasty and it was rough when using the zoom mode in manual. Focus also felt rough as though the bits inside were worn out completely. Like gears not meshing and sticking due to massive wear and very poor alignment.

Bally heck, back to the drawing board. (AGAIN) must now be the 6th time I am changing my mind.

D800 and proper glass will feel better!

 

[Roo]

Acording to snapsort, the D5100 is a better camera but there's not a lot in it. (not the camera, the differences.

Some recent developments regarding our car have cropped up so it kind of forces my hand. Not much choice now but to go for the cheaper Canon option.

I know this is a photgraphic forum but the lessons learned from autos in the last year and a bit have me convinced of one thing. NEVER buy a Renault. Especially not a Diesel (DCi).

And who just bought a 1959 Renault Caravelle thats not running? This girl xD
But I wish I could help you with your decision but i haven't gotten my camera yet, probably wont for about a month :x

 

[hirejn]

Don't buy just for the price or kit lens. Those things change. What doesn't change is the overall style of the camera. Choose the camera brand you want to stick with the rest of your life. Nikon cameras have had similar layouts since the 80's, maybe even since they were invented. This means photographers have become familiar with them and won't switch. The camera becomes an extension of your mind. Canon and Nikon work very differently. If it means spending a bit more, spend a bit more to get the one you'll keep. Once you invest in a body and lenses, they're interchangeable only within that brand. You can't just switch brands later without switching everything else. If you have one lens set, you can use different bodies of the same brand with it for the rest of your life. Nobody can tell you which brand to pick. You have to like it.

 

[AndyC362]

As I mentioned in another post, if you havent pulled the pin yet and gone with the Canon, I would check with your local camera shop and see if they have any Nikon factory reconditioned D5100's. If they do they are selling for around $480.00 rather then the $599.0 for a new one and this includes the 18-55mm lens. This may be enough to sway you in that direction. Since its from Nikon it has a 90 day warranty and depending on the shop may have up to a year warranty throurgh them.

Good Luck!!

 

[BunnyHugger]

I just happened to be in a newish large shopping mall on Friday last week and while I was passing a large retail chain store, I was tempted to go inside and have a look, almost decided against it having more or less made up my mind on the Canon and then made an about turn and marched in. The staff were very friendly and helpful and I had a look at what they had to offer. They tried hard to get me to buy a Nikon D3200 (Which is an awesome camera) and we got to talking about bundles and competitor prices and availablilty. They told me their store policy was to beat any price I could get anywhere else so I put them to the test.

Where I'm from one US dollar will get about ten of our local Rands. Dep store one has the D5100 with 18 to 55 and 55 to 200 lenses, for R6,999. These guys asked me to wait and came back saying the only D5100 they had was a shop demo and they would give it to me for R6,200. Not much of a saving (about 70 USD) but they are willing to give me the full warantee on the equipment. So all in all its about 70 USD more than the Canon, and still 70 USD less than another chain store. The higher cost gives me a lot of peace of mind. If the camera is faulty, I'm covered whereas if I get the Canon, I have no recourse to the seller. (Yeah, I would have tested the equipment and lenses but it would have been a cursory check and not a full test at all settings - not possible to do that.)

I have a preferance for Nikon, the stock lenses feel like they are better quality than Canon but unfortunately, the 55 to 300 lens bundle is not available in our country and import duties are hoorendous.

So, I get new kit with warantees and an all round good deal. Now to find a 70 to 300 mm lens for the nature reserve we are going to in a bout 3 weeks. Probably going to go with a Sigma for now and then see later what I can save towards a 170 to 500mm. :smileys:

 

[BunnyHugger]

Acording to snapsort, the D5100 is a better camera but there's not a lot in it. (not the camera, the differences.

Some recent developments regarding our car have cropped up so it kind of forces my hand. Not much choice now but to go for the cheaper Canon option.

I know this is a photgraphic forum but the lessons learned from autos in the last year and a bit have me convinced of one thing. NEVER buy a Renault. Especially not a Diesel (DCi).

And who just bought a 1959 Renault Caravelle thats not running? This girl xD
But I wish I could help you with your decision but i haven't gotten my camera yet, probably wont for about a month :x

Good luck with the Renault.

I have decided to go with the Nikon. Found a great deal on the D5100 and even though it has lightweight lenses (200mm being a bit short for intended purpose) I think the Nikon is a much nicer / better camera.)