whats better the Rebel Xti or the nicon D80

[quattro4life]

Want to upgrade from my shizzy point and shoot. looking at both the Rebel and the D80. Im not an expert protographer however have been getting into it alot more lately. cost isnt a constraint so which model should i go with? any input is great! thanks

 

[fmw]

Want to upgrade from my shizzy point and shoot. looking at both the Rebel and the D80. Im not an expert protographer however have been getting into it alot more lately. cost isnt a constraint so which model should i go with? any input is great! thanks

Canon and Nikon are competitors with comparable equipment and service. Obviously you can make great images with either. I think I would go handle the units and understand how they feel to you and how they operate. Most likely one will ring your chime more than the other and that's the one to choose. Getting subjective advice from owners will only tell you what they like, not what you like.

 

[dewey]

Not another Nikon vs. Canon thread!

I agree with fmw... go touch them! I had read TOO MANY reviews, bought TOO MANY magainzes and asked TOO MANY questions before I made up my mind to buy the Canon.

Then I went to the store and held it in my hand. I bought the Nikon right then. To me the Canon felt too small and cheap. (I know it's not cheap... all you Canon phreaks calm down)

Everyone has their own personal preference, and before you go and kill yourself comparing every little detail between the two I'd go handle them both. Which one is comfortable in your hands? I think it's a factor that many people overlook, but after a 10 hour day carrying my camera I'm glad I chose the one that felt better to me.

~Dewey

 

[surfingfireman]

I am a pretty neutral observer (I have a Minolta 7D) but I was in a camera store the other day, kind of looking at cameras for my dad. The salesperson said he thought the Canon Rebel XTi wasn't a good enough upgrade from the XT to warrant the price increase. He reccommended the XT, but with price not being a big factor to you, maybe this doesn't matter. This salesperson did say he thought the Pentax K100 was much better in comparison to its similar (but highter) priced rivals....

 

[Don Simon]

As a K100 owner and long-term Pentax user I'd happily recommend it, but I don't think you can say it's much better than either a XTi or a D80... not without being eaten alive by the Canon & Nikon folks anway.
The K100 is small and fairly light but still feels well-built, the design is very good, and the anti-shake is useful... but in terms of the images captured by the sensor it's basically comparable to a D50 with the addition of 3200 ISO. That's not a bad thing, but it may not seem that great if what you're after is the 'next big thing' or more megapixels for the money. IMO the K100 is more comparable to the D50 and Rebel XT rather than the D80 and Rebel XTi, so it's difficult to say it's better than the latter... the new K10 on the other hand is a different matter entirely, with its 10mp and weather-sealed goodness...

Anyway to reply to the original question... if you've never used a dSLR before then any of the current or previous generation will be a significant step up from a point and shoot. If cost isn't an issue then you can afford to go for a newer model, but more importantly you can afford to buy good lenses. Glass is very very important. A really good lens on a 6mp dSLR will produce better results than an average lens on a 10mp model. Of course if you can afford the latest dSLR model then go for it, but understand that to have the range of lenses that gets the most out of that camera may cost several times more than the camera itself. Lenses, they're important. Did I mention that already?

With that said, if you have no specific brand preference and no previous experience with film or digital SLRs then you are free to consider the offerings from Canon or Nikon and also Pentax or Sony. Honestly, they all make good cameras and good lenses are available for all. A lot of people will talk about what the professionals use, or how much each company spends on R&D, but you're the one who has to use the camera and you have to feel comfortable doing so, so I really think the best way for you to make this decision is to go to the shop and try out the different models.

 

[ravikiran]

An excellent reference ZaphodB. Yes you were very true in saying that the lens play a major part in the final output.

Quattro4life,
Welcome to the forum. Why don't you look into some more cheaper models (such as D50 and contemporaries) and go for some very good latest lens with VR (vibration Reduction) technology. Ofcourse, this is a mere suggestion. But as everyone suggests, first go to a local stores and feel every model in your hands and then choose the right one with the right price.
Have a nice time in this forum.
amiably,
ravi.

 

[forzaF1]

An excellent reference ZaphodB. Yes you were very true in saying that the lens play a major part in the final output.

Quattro4life,
Welcome to the forum. Why don't you look into some more cheaper models (such as D50 and contemporaries) and go for some very good latest lens with VR (vibration resistant) technology. Ofcourse, this is a mere suggestion. But as everyone suggests, first go to a local stores and feel every model in your hands and then choose the right one with the right price.
Have a nice time in this forum.
amiably,
ravi.

VR stands for "Vibration Reduction," not "resistant."

 

[Mohain]

Of those two cameras probably the D80 but they're not really directly comparable. Nikon seem to aim thier body specs between the Canon ones (or the other way round). So, arguably, you could say the Xti (400D) is better than the D50 but not as good as the D80, which in turn isn't as good as the 30D which is not as good as the D200, etc... (talking about bodies only here). You'll be OK with any Nikon or Canon DSLR tbh.

EDIT: amended so it actually makes sense now!