Overwhelmed!!

[cccott3]

Holly freak around ok so I finally decided nikon and my cousin decided not to buy my sigma 50mm 1.4 that fits a canon So now I fill like I need to go canon. Thinking 7d

 

[Majeed Badizadegan]

My opinion after tons of research into this exact topic, countless reviews read, side by side by side specs exhaustively nit-picked.

If I had to choose between the Nikon D7000 and 60d I would get the D7000 hands down. I'm sure your own research will support this.

The D7000 is probably more fairly compared to the 7D (which is supposed to be a class above the D7000), although the 7D is geared towards Wildlife and sports photography and is more of a niche camera. But it's a very good APS-C sensor camera with excellent ergonomics.

If I was going to choose between the D7000 and the 7D I could probably justify going with either of them. I would hold both in your hands and play with them extensively. Canon is known for having more user-friendly menus, where Nikon is not. Holding both the cameras will give you a better sense of what you prefer. That being said, here's an excellent starter bundle from Costco on the D7000 with a good starter lense:
Costco - Nikon D7000 DSLR Camera with 18-200mm VR II lens

If you want to eventually "charge" for pics it depends on how good you are and how well you can use the features of your camera. The D7000 is a great camera but since I primarily shoot Portrait and Landscape photography, I personally am considering the 5d Mark II which is a full frame sensor. Lot's of wedding photographers shoot 5d Mk II for the outstanding large print image quality and the many benefits of shooting full frame.

 

[cgipson1]

Ok last question ... Say I go with the nikon d7000 and get "good" glass and master the camera. If I did want to do pics for family and friends later could I get good enough result to charge for pics?

That depends on you, not the equipment. The 7000 (or the Canons) will take photos of sufficient quality to charge for... if you can get them to do that. It will be your skill and eye that will sale photos... not the equipment.

 

[Derrel]

So, you're letting a single 50mm lens lock you into a Canon that has worse sensor performance and less dynamic range than the D7000..all over a lens that could easily be replaced by a low-cost Nikon 50/1.8 ? All because somebody else got cold feet! I feel bad for you. You had a chance to get the latest technology and better performance where it really counts, but a cousin's decision is running your photo hobby...

 

[jaomul]

jaomul. Yes, I have some Canon equipment, and 4 years with Canon. I have a lot more Nikon equipment... 1982 to 2011 with Nikon.

Now, your post has one obvious hypothetical, which is the assertion "that if the results are close", there's little incentive to make any change. Unfortunately, in my book, the Nikon kicks the Canon's a$$ where it counts the MOST. The Nikon has two and a half f/stops better a dynamic range score, which is without a doubt the most-advantageous metric to improve upon with any digital capture system. And two and one half f/stops is a HUGE improvement...the Canon is limping along with the best of the rest of its older generation of sensors and electronics, at 11.5 stops. The Nikon D7000, which is a full generation newer in both sensor and noise reduction/suppression technology, is reading a 13.9 f/stop dynamic range. A difference of two and four tenths better. Each f/stop involves a doubling over the one prior...two f/stops is eight times more light...so...

HIGH-ISO performance....those low-light situations like kids' birthday parties, BBQ's at dusk, indoor sports events... Nikon's score is 1167...Canon is at 813...once again, the Canon is getting its A$$ kicked under the difficult lighting situations, which, with consumer-speed lenses, means, well, the Canon is at yet another disadvantage. While on-line reviews that need to please advertisers might show the cameras with "close" performance, I do not consider the actual, cold, impartial capability measurements to be "close". Far from it, in fact. Especially on the two most-critical performance metrics: dynamic range, and High-ISO performance. Hey, ANY automobile is fine at 20 to 40 MPH in town...when you get to a difficult,twisty mountain road, an economy-level is Kia going to come up short against a Mercedes...

There *was* a time when Canon was the undisputed better performer in image sensor technology,and Canon people crowed about Canon's "lead" all over the photographic world. Well, that time has passed Canon by. The Sony/Nikon and Sony/Pentax consortium has focused on improving image sensor performance, while Canon has devoted its resources to trying to catch up to things like in-body flash command systems, and color-aware light metering...well over a decade behind Nikon.

That's fair enough. I don't really want to go down this road as I never used a D7000. I do believe that numbers sell cameras to the masses and would take that dxomark comparison you gave with a grain of salt. I am not saying your not correct it just 4 years ago the 40d was rated almost universally as a great image producer, the newer 550d/7d/60d sensor even though packed is apparently better.The d7000 may be even better but does that make every other camera crap? I would take more interest in the final picture than the physics of the internal workings. Anyway we all like giving an opinion, thats why we post here. The OP will do what suits best. Take care all

 

[Infinite_Day]

Derrel may have overstated it a bit but one 50mm lens should not make up your mind. You wouldn't have much trouble selling it - it is a decent lens. The 7D is not a bad camera - what you really need to do is go to a shop and play with each one if possible and then make a decision.

 

[cccott3]

Ok good point... I guess I will just keep researching and hopefully at some point I will be able to decide.

 

[jaomul]

As you may change brand by all accounts the pentax k5 gives all cameras in this price range a real run for their money in all aspects

 

[Infinite_Day]

As you may change brand by all accounts the pentax k5 gives all cameras in this price range a real run for their money in all aspects

This is true and the K5 has in-camera image stabilization. The one big drawback to the Pentax line is the glass selection. They have some good lenses but their line seems to not grow/improve as rapidly as Nikon and Canon's do. Pentax has been around a long time but their lack of marketing/market share makes me wonder how long they can remain viable. It makes a solid third option but then there's also the Sony Alpha line as well. Personally, I would stick with Canon and Nikon but that's just me.

 

[ScubaDude]

As far as image quality goes, you won't be able to tell the difference unless comparing images side-by-side at high magnification. If you have Noise Ninja or any of the other fine noise reduction plugins (and know how to get the most out of it and your image editing program), you won't be able to tell the difference under any circumstances.

If you're happy with your current lenses, it would make sense to stay with Canon. If you're planning on upgrading your lenses, too, then you could go with either brand.

Ergonomics is important. Try to spend some time with each camera and see which one feels best and is easiest to use. How quick can you change settings in manual mode, manually select focus points, etc?

If you want to be a Nikon snob and look down your nose at the entire non-Nikon world, go with the Nikon and pretend that your equipment makes you a better photographer.