Digital SLR - Nikon or Canon?

[AUZambo]

I'm looking to get a nice digital camera in the next several months and was wanting a little help in deciding what to get. I enjoy photography, and would like to take a photography course and really get into it. I don't know of any one particular object I'd shoot more than another (i.e. more sports over landscapes shots).

I currently have a 35 mm Canon Rebel I bought about 10 years ago and have enjoyed it. I've got the standard lens (35-80 mm?) as well as a 75-300 mm zoom...both are autofocus but that's all I can tell you about them. Since I already have those lens, I'm leaning towards the canon. However, I plan on using the camera for a while and don't want to buy an inferior product just because I already have lenses that work with it.

I know there are cameras made by Canon & Nikon that cost well into the thousands, and I'm not looking for those. I'm not a pro by any means and can't justify spending that much. I'm looking for something a little simpler...like right around $1000...hopefully less.

Thanks!

 

[fmw]

http://www.bhphotovideo.com

 

[ksmattfish]

Since I already have those lens, I'm leaning towards the canon. However, I plan on using the camera for a while and don't want to buy an inferior product just because I already have lenses that work with it.

Canon and Nikon both make great DSLRs. You can't go wrong with either. If I were you I'd look into getting a Canon body (without the kit lens), and a lens that would compliment the lenses you already have (wide angle, or a fast normal zoom, or something like that).

 

[Alex_B]

I currently have a 35 mm Canon Rebel I bought about 10 years ago and have enjoyed it. I've got the standard lens (35-80 mm?) as well as a 75-300 mm zoom...

regarding your lenses, keep in mind that in your price range all cameras have sensors smaller than the 35mm film you are used to. therefore, if you were happy with your lenses on 35mm bodies, you might miss some on the wide end when you migrate to digital crop sensors with those lenses.

if i remember right, that old 35-80 was an ok-ish lens.

the old 75-300 however, which i once owned myself, that one had severe problems towards the edges of the frame: strong chromatic abberations and it got rather blurry there.
But actually on a crop sensor those problems will be reduced, as the far corners aren't used.

my suggestion ,if you like the camera handling with Canon, and since you have to canon lenses already, stick to canon.

But i would at least try Nikon, just in the shop, to see if you like the touch and feel and handling better by any chance. I doubt it, but still I would give it a try.

 

[JIP]

Buy what you like this has ben discussed a billion times here before and that has pretty much been the consensus.

 

[Alex_B]

Buy what you like this has ben discussed a billion times here before and that has pretty much been the consensus.

i think we would need a sticky thread on this .... so people can first read it.

finding something deep down in the archives is hopeless on this board, so it is no wonder that newbies come up with this same question again and again.

 

[ksmattfish]

i think we would need a sticky thread on this .... so people can first read it.

It should include a poll with all the brand names. As everyone who comes to the forum passes through they can pick the brand they would recommend to someone buying their first DSLR. No waffling! No "They're all pretty much the same." Stand up and pick your brand.

 

[AUZambo]

Thanks a ton...I figured this was a pretty common thread, so I browsed the first page for a similar thread and saw one comparing two specific models of Canon & Nikon, but I wanted something more generic.

I agree on the sticky thread idea for this.

 

[Don Simon]

It should include a poll with all the brand names. As everyone who comes to the forum passes through they can pick the brand they would recommend to someone buying their first DSLR. No waffling! No "They're all pretty much the same." Stand up and pick your brand.

Fine by me... Avoid cheap toy cameras and systems that need a book to tell you what's compatible with what. Buy Pentax and live a long and happy life.

this is why there should never be another poll on this subject

 

[JIP]

It should include a poll with all the brand names. As everyone who comes to the forum passes through they can pick the brand they would recommend to someone buying their first DSLR. No waffling! No "They're all pretty much the same." Stand up and pick your brand.

Even though I am a Nikon diehard I would be willing to bet on this forum Canon would be tops in a poll ok someone start the thread with the pollthat woukd be a more interesting one than the people who start the "tell me wich to buy" threads.