OK, I've finally pretty much conned my dad into going halves with me on a DSLR as he is into photography just needed some persuasion towards digital. Thing is, he's one of those that has to look into everything for months and months and is currently finding out about the current cameras and whats best etc. Basically we seem to be down to Canon 400D or Nikon D80. I just want to see what some of you clever camera type people think on here aswell.....

I compared equivalent Canon and Nikon, and TBH there is near enough no difference in the pictures you can take with either. It was just a matter of seeing which one was "nicer" to use, and I found that to be the Canon 350D...though others have found the Nikon better.

Either way, I don't think you'll be disappointed.

Rob.

I'd go and try them both yourself .... you won't be disappointed with either I was recently debating Canon 350D vs Nikon D50 and I was sold on the Canon until I tried it out and found the Nikon much nicer to handle and use

Chris

I was sold on the Canon until I tried it out and found the Nikon much nicer to handle and use

Philistine...

Rob.

Go for the Nikon D80, much better build quality, handling , and the lenses are second to none. I have not long swapped Canon for Nikon, and although it has cost me dearly, I have no regrets doing so.

Philistine...

Freak :P:D

Chris

Got a Canon 400d and I am very pleased with it ........just trying to use it properly now though...it takes fantastic pics on auto but I am trying to get used to the manual settings

I found the Nikon a bit big for my little 'ladies' hands - and I know some fellas have said they find the Canon a bit small lol.... best idea really is to go and have a play with both and see which one suits you

Have the 350D here, and love it. Very versatile, easy to use,lightweight and takes good piccies. Third party lenses are much greater in number too so looking past the camera at the whole ensemble I would say Canon (for digital, Nikon if still 35mm)

Go for the Nikon D80, much better build quality, handling , and the lenses are second to none. I have not long swapped Canon for Nikon, and although it has cost me dearly, I have no regrets doing so.

Yes, this is what I have been told from more than one source. Nikon better build quality, easier to use and more ergonomic, also that the lenses walk all over the canon ones and thats the most important part really.... I do like canon, have a little ixus 50 which is ace.

Caz - apparently Nikon made one more for the 'female market' smaller etc, but doesn't do as much. I am going to go and try them both in the shop in the new year and see....

Got a Canon 400d and I am very pleased with it ........just trying to use it properly now though...it takes fantastic pics on auto but I am trying to get used to the manual settings

I've been playing with a couple of (film) SLRs my dad has, a Contax and a Yashica, its so awkward trying to focus them! lol! He has loads of Zeiss lenses for them, think he was panicing a bit incase I hurt them honestly!

Yes, this is what I have been told from more than one source. Nikon better build quality, easier to use and more ergonomic, also that the lenses walk all over the canon ones and thats the most important part really.... I do like canon, have a little ixus 50 which is ace.

Caz - apparently Nikon made one more for the 'female market' smaller etc, but doesn't do as much. I am going to go and try them both in the shop in the new year and see....

Defiantely go and try them out. Nikon now make a diminutive D40 which is very compact. More than the technical capabilities and the finer points of how good lenses are, the ergonomics and how you get on with the camera will make the difference between using it and enjoying it or tiring of it and not going out taking photos.

For what its worth, I think that there is not a bas DSLR on the market. Consider also the possibility of looking at the other brands. Pentax and Sony both incorporate image stabilisation and auto sensor cleaning into the camera bodys which is useful in low light or with long zooms.

For my money, I prefer Nikon of the two big brands. Just prefer the controls and ergonomics and the presentation of the images.

Chris

Wasn't reccomended the sony. Thing is, lenses do make all the difference for image quality so thats whats kinda swaying me at the moment. They have the same pixels, but thats not the be all and end all. Agree that usage is important, but the end result needs to be as good as possible. Im not a technical f*ckwit, so I will be able to pick up either I would imagine, once you learn where the controls are and what they do it will prob fall into place I guess...

I don't think you'd see any real difference in quality between a picture taken with either the Nikon or the Canon so I wouldn't get hung up on that I agree with Chris in that you want to be comfortable with the weight/size/shape of the camera so that you can get the pictures with it

Chris

No probs not, but I'm a bit of a perfectionist and wouldn't like to think I had the inferior one! I will see what I think when I hold them both. Also the canon apparently shows colour different to the Nikon aswell...

No probs not, but I'm a bit of a perfectionist and wouldn't like to think I had the inferior one!

Then just get the Nikon and be done with it, woman :P:rofl:

Chris (completely unbiased )

hahaha! We'll see. Need to wait for mon pere to stop messing about and decide that he is clued up enough on both of them to make a decision

I got the 350D Cannon and one of the reasons was the fantastic Canon lenses. The standard Canon 18-55mm isn

Also the canon apparently shows colour different to the Nikon aswell...

As I said, different presentation. The way they deal with image noise is different as well. I found Canon to smooth out skin and have a particular presentation to the sky that looks almost like a porcelaine painted image. Nikon feels more like slide film colour to me and film is where I learned my craft for 20 years before digital.

I would not suggest that one camera is superior to another as most if not all DSLRs are good. The pixel count is larglely irrelevant unless you are shooting with a need for very high resolution images, in which case the camera body is going to be the cheapest part of the system and your lenses are going to cost a fortune. 6MP does a comfortable A4 image and will go to A3 with a little more post process sharpening. More pixels can mean more image noise, so poorer shadow detail and reduced number of stops exposure latitude for the higher pixel count can be the result.

The ergonomics and control interface are key. It is all well and good knowing what all the functions do and being able to understand and operate them, but the crunch comes when you need to change something quick and right first time before the shot is lost. IT is why I bought the Minolta 7D. A button on the outside for every key function, press, dial, done. At a glance settings checks easy. It is why I have absolutely no intention of replacing it with a 10mp model.

IMO, the Nikons are just that bit more photographer friendly than the Canon equivalents where most stuff is menu accessed only. You just got to try em, but whichever one you get will be good.

Chris

As I said, different presentation. The way they deal with image noise is different as well. I found Canon to smooth out skin and have a particular presentation to the sky that looks almost like a porcelaine painted image. Nikon feels more like slide film colour to me and film is where I learned my craft for 20 years before digital.

I would not suggest that one camera is superior to another as most if not all DSLRs are good. The pixel count is larglely irrelevant unless you are shooting with a need for very high resolution images, in which case the camera body is going to be the cheapest part of the system and your lenses are going to cost a fortune. 6MP does a comfortable A4 image and will go to A3 with a little more post process sharpening. More pixels can mean more image noise, so poorer shadow detail and reduced number of stops exposure latitude for the higher pixel count can be the result.

The ergonomics and control interface are key. It is all well and good knowing what all the functions do and being able to understand and operate them, but the crunch comes when you need to change something quick and right first time before the shot is lost. IT is why I bought the Minolta 7D. A button on the outside for every key function, press, dial, done. At a glance settings checks easy. It is why I have absolutely no intention of replacing it with a 10mp model.

IMO, the Nikons are just that bit more photographer friendly than the Canon equivalents where most stuff is menu accessed only. You just got to try em, but whichever one you get will be good.

Chris

Very diplomatic. I think (IMHO) that Loz

Im a cannon man myself, however after reading the 400d vsd80 review in "Practical Photography" magazine i would go for the D80

Everytime I try to get somewhere with this I just end up more confused I will get something eventually I guess!

Im a cannon man myself, however after reading the 400d vsd80 review in "Practical Photography" magazine i would go for the D80

The Canon is around

You all keep changing my mind! lol! stop it!

You all keep changing my mind! lol! stop it!

What you have to ask yourself loz is this