which camera: another thread

[darktardis]

I know these threads are a dime a dozen, but I'm looking to get my first DSLR. From what I have seen so far I have it narrowed down to two. The NIkon d52oo and the Canon 60d. They both seem like great cameras. Here is some information I have read and here are the pro of each of how I feel about them.

Canon:
weather sealing on the canon for raining shots
longer battery life
swing out screen
uses AA's
higher shutter speed

Nikon:
Higher MP
better night shots
swing out screen

Most other details seem to be about the same for them, these are just the ones that stand out for me. I plan on getting a battery grip for which ever one I get. I'm just looking for some opinions on what other people think of these. I know it's ultimately up to me but I never have had much luck in trying to make decisions.

ps: another feature I'm looking at is filming with them. I do short films with some friends and we have a good camera for that, but I was thinking of using this as a backup for b-roll and other shots, so video capabilities is also a plus but not absolutely essential.

 

[robbins.photo]

Well my recommendation would be that instead of looking at the D5200 and the 60D, look at the cameras that are newer and more advanced than both - the D7100, the 70d, then the full frame offerings like the D610, 6D. I'm not recommending you purchase them, but I do recommend you research them.

The thing to consider is that you are not so much buying a camera as you are buying into a camera system. Once you get yourself invested in lenses and accessories it becomes much, much harder to change directions. So what I would recommend you do is take a look at these higher end, more expensive cameras and compare the features and think about the sort of things that are going to be important to you going forward. Odds are good in a few years you'll be wanting to upgrade from whatever you purchase, be that the 60d or the D5200 - so compare the features of their more expensive brethren and ask yourself which camera system is going to suit your needs better over the long haul.

For me I went Nikon - I think they produce better still images and their lowlight capabilities are generally much better when compared to the Canon offering at the same price point - both of which were huge considerations for me personally. I own a D5100 currently and I love it, and when I do get ready to upgrade I'll be upgrading to the D7100 which will give me even better IQ, better lowlight, etc.

One of the other major reasons I chose Nikon over Canon is because of that upgrade path - I'm not a pro and won't ever be one so for me I'll most likely stick with the APS-C sensors for quite some time to come, and when you look at the Nikon line up you'll see they update their sensors fairly regularly. Canon on the other hand really doesn't - they generally stick with the same sensor for quite a while, and while they did finally update it for the 70d I have a feeling that they will most likely stick with that sensor for a long time before it finally gets an update. It's pretty amazing when you realize that my old D5100 has better high iso/low noise capabilities and a better dynamic range than a brand spanking new 70d.

Don't get me wrong, Canon does have some advantages - I'd definitely give them the edge in video capabilities and in shooting speed when compared to a Nikon at the same price point, but for me image quality was the most important, followed by low light performance, so I went Nikon. If it helps I've never regretted that decision at all.

 

[darktardis]

That does help, and after looking a bit more I do think the Nikon is looking better. I see that it does come weather sealed in the newer models. though they don't have the swing out viewer, that's not absolutely necessary. I should ask thought. I'm looking at the kits they have on ebay. and I saw something that I wasn't sure about. There was a note at the bottom of the page:

This camera is a direct import model and is 100% identical to the USA model. It is manufactured in the same factories by the same workers. Direct import models come with a 1 year parts & 90 days labor store warranty. Please contact us for further details.

Does that mean this is or is not the actual camera. I just want to make sure that I'm not wasting my money. As for battery grips, there seem to be several on there, is there a certain brand I shoud watch for, or keep away from?

 

[wyogirl]

That means that it was manufactured for sale in another country. Its called Grey Market. There is nothing wrong or illegal about that even though it sounds bad. The problem comes with the warranty. The manufacturer will never service or warrant the camera because it was made to be serviced and warranted at a facility in another country.

 

[The_Traveler]

That means that it was manufactured for sale in another country. Its called Grey Market. There is nothing wrong or illegal about that even though it sounds bad. The problem comes with the warranty. The manufacturer will never service or warrant the camera because it was made to be serviced and warranted at a facility in another country.

Before buying an ebay 'kit', read about lenses and look at the same price from any of the reputable actual companies for what you actually want. For a 'beginner' there is no good reason to buy a set of stuff you may not need to save 15 or 20 dollars and have no backup for service.

I have been buying camera stuff online for 10 years and, except for little things with no warranty, have never bought anything new except from B&H, Adorama or a few others. Those places have superb customer service and a reputation to protect.

 

[robbins.photo]

That does help, and after looking a bit more I do think the Nikon is looking better. I see that it does come weather sealed in the newer models. though they don't have the swing out viewer, that's not absolutely necessary. I should ask thought. I'm looking at the kits they have on ebay. and I saw something that I wasn't sure about. There was a note at the bottom of the page:

This camera is a direct import model and is 100% identical to the USA model. It is manufactured in the same factories by the same workers. Direct import models come with a 1 year parts & 90 days labor store warranty. Please contact us for further details.

Does that mean this is or is not the actual camera. I just want to make sure that I'm not wasting my money. As for battery grips, there seem to be several on there, is there a certain brand I shoud watch for, or keep away from?

Like the other's have mentioned there are a couple of kits on Ebay that are "grey market" and as such most Nikon authorized repair centers here in the US won't service them under warranty. As it was mentioned earlier there is nothing illegal about buying a grey market, but I generally shy away from them myself because as Lew pointed out your usually not saving a huge amount of money and me personally if I'm going to pay for a new one I would much rather spend a little extra and get one that I can actually get serviced without any hassles, but really that's entirely up to you as to what you think will benefit you the most in the long run. I've seen a couple of grey market's where the Ebay seller is actually offering a 1 year warranty on them but of course that would mean if you did run into any problems you'd have to send it back to them which would probably be a bit more of a hassle I would think - for me I'd rather spend a few extra bucks and keep my options open.

 

[KmH]

About weather sealing:

Non-weather sealed DSLR cameras can be used in the rain. Just be sure and dry the camera and lens off as soon as possible.
As an added precaution, you could put the cameea and lens in a large plastic bag with a cup or 2 of uncooked rice. The rice will absorb any moisture you could not get to with a cloth.

Not all Canon DSLRs are weather sealed. Looking at the Canon USA web site it appears the only Canon's that have any weather sealing are the flasgship 1DX, the 5D MK III, and the 7D.
Weather sealing is generally associated with DSLR cameras that have partial or full metal chassis'.
From the Nikon D7000 (metal top and back plate) and up, all Nikon's have weather sealing.

That means that it was manufactured for sale in another country. Its called Grey Market. There is nothing wrong or illegal about that even though it sounds bad. The problem comes with the warranty. The manufacturer will never service or warrant the camera because it was made to be serviced and warranted at a facility in another country.

This may help explain Gray Market - U.S. & Grey Market Products | B&H Photo Video

B&H provides the warranty and basically pays to have the gear repaired.
Some other sellers do the same.

While Nikon USA Service will not work on non-US serial numbered gear, I do not think the same applies to the other camera makers.
In the case of non-US serial numbered Nikon gear B&H may use Nikon Canada's service center, and just pay for the repair.

 

[trevorjb1406]

I know these threads are a dime a dozen, but I'm looking to get my first DSLR. From what I have seen so far I have it narrowed down to two. The NIkon d52oo and the Canon 60d. They both seem like great cameras. Here is some information I have read and here are the pro of each of how I feel about them.

Canon:
weather sealing on the canon for raining shots
longer battery life
swing out screen
uses AA's
higher shutter speed

Nikon:
Higher MP
better night shots
swing out screen

Most other details seem to be about the same for them, these are just the ones that stand out for me. I plan on getting a battery grip for which ever one I get. I'm just looking for some opinions on what other people think of these. I know it's ultimately up to me but I never have had much luck in trying to make decisions.

ps: another feature I'm looking at is filming with them. I do short films with some friends and we have a good camera for that, but I was thinking of using this as a backup for b-roll and other shots, so video capabilities is also a plus but not absolutely essential.

Hi, I read your post with interest and I agree with the recommendation that is made below. I have recently done a review of the D7100 for my squidoo lens and in my opinion this is one of the best value dslr's around. I have to admit that I am a Nikon fan because I like the build quality. I normally shoot with a D2sx which is brilliant as well. I do own a Nikon F5 as well which I now use as a back-up, mainly because I'm lazy and don't want to get film processed! If you want to read my review it may help you. You can find it at:
[TABLE="width: 744"]
[TR]
[TD="colspan: 3"]http://www.squidoo.com/workshop/nikon-D7100-35mm-dslr-camera-review-and-price[/TD]
[/TR]
[/TABLE]
Good luck with whatever you choose!

 

[jaomul]

Just to point out the 60d was considered the competitorwith the nikon d7000, which is a model higher up that the d5200 is on the nikon dslr food chain. If both are the same price (nikon d5200 and canon 60d) you would be well advised to look deeper into the specs. The 60d should be a more user friendly experience and geared for more towards the enthusiast photographer than the casual one. It seems to be agreed by most that nikon at the moment have the sensor and therefore ultimately image quality advantage

 

[pixmedic]

Canon 60D vs Nikon D5200 - Our Analysis

Nikon D5200 versus Canon EOS 60D - Side by side camera comparison - DxOMark

I wouldnt take any comparison site as the gospel and your last word on choosing a camera, but they do give some good information and allow you to look at different specs of both cameras.

 

[bribrius]

If you are considering gray market. Maybe just consider direct. I bought a few things over the years direct from overseas. Sometimes it takes a little bit to find out the phone number to call and find someone that speaks English. But I actually think overseas customer service might be better than in the u.s.a.
I order ten things out of hong kong for example, they were at my door step in a week with a thankyou note at about 1/10 the price I would have paid in the u.s.
Ordered stuff out of brazil more than once, not quite as good as hongkong but still, different product and I couldn't complain the quality was better than I would find in the u.s.a
The product line in the u.s.a is a lot of hype. Even china makes some really good stuff, they just send the crap over here for us to buy.

When overseas I mean like overseas though. NOt Canada. I used to import from Canada and they are a pita to deal with you might be better off dealing straight from hongkong.


edit: this actually has me thinking . wonder what the Chinese equivalent of canon would be and how good it is. Or if you can order a Nikon straight from japan.