BootsnAll Travel Community

I am purchasing a new DSLR as an upgrade from my Canon point and shoot.

What are your preferences between a Canon vs. Nikon?

Right now, I'm deciding between the Canon Xti and the Nikon D40x...

hmmm...

The age old battle royale begins......
Talk to 10 Photogs and the lines will be pretty well split down the middle. Both Canon and Nikon are great manufacturers and both are worthy of praise.
I shoot Canon, not because its necessarily better but because I am comfortable with it and have been shooting Canon awhile now.
My best advice is to see which one feels more comfortable in your hands and also be mindful of the controls, are they intuitive and easy to locate, are there buttons is odd places or maybe somewhere you may trip them by accident?
Its more a personal choice than a "this is better than that"
Check out reviews for both - dpreview.com and cnet.com are good places to start.

I read the review....good info...and thanx for replying

I think I'm gonna go with the Nikon...hmmm...at first I was all about sticking with Cannon but in the end it came down to a matter of which is cheaper

You made your decision in a day?

That had gotta be a record!

Honestly though I'd have to agree with #1 even though I'm a canon girl that is because that is what I am comfortable with. My primary thought when I first brought my SLR years ago was that both my Father and Sister had a Canon. Which meant that I could share lenses if I brought one as well.

After all these years, while I've used a Nikon for work I continue to get a Canon for my own personal camera because I like it better. I'm more comfortable with it.

They are both at the upper end. There really isn't much between them.

I've been shoppin for about a month now and had just decided to ask the community here to verify my decision. But yeah, I went with the Nikon D40x with an 18-135mm lens. Word?

I have a Nikon D200 with an 18-200 and a 12-24 lens. My only problem is that the D200 tends to underexpose.

I've never used a Canon so I have no basis of comparison.

I have a Nikon D200 as well. I have the 18-200 mm VR, the 60mm Nikkor and 50mm f1.8 lens as well.

Some reason I liked how the Nikon felt in my hand.

Its an age old debate...I really have not used a Canon DSLR so can't really say. I have heard about those who switched and it was mainly for their sensors.

Hope you are happy with your choice.

so I havent purchased the cam yet. People who like Nikon...

I've been offered a kit with a Nikon D40x and an 18-135mm lens, tripod, extra battery, 4GB card for $700

or a Nikon D200 with an 18-55mm lens for $400

wchich would you prefer

Alot of what you hear about the sensors may change recently with Nikons introduction of their new sensor. From the initial reports (only been out about a week and half) the critics are silenced. The quality appears to be amazing.
Canons sensors have been hailed as the best for a long time but finally it appears Nikon is getting into the mix again.

The entry level SLRs for both Canon and Nikon are both excellent values. I shoot Canon, mostly because I have always had Canon lenses and have become intimately familiar with Canon's controls. Canon has also performed better in the past in reduction of image noise. The new Nikon sensors may have finally caught up. The Nikons tend to be quieter when snaping too. Eiter way, you can't go wrong. The big winner in the Canon/Nikon competition is us.

Getting (and using) a tripod definately a big plus. If you are ordering the camera online, be aware that there have been probelems with bait-n-switch tactics and hard upsell pressure from some distributors. Research the seller's ratings.

Like Heathbar says, you can't go wrong with either.

One thing I'd add: Factor in the lenses a bit more -- especially if you're to buy more than one or two all-purpose superzoom lenses. Think about what you want now, what you want in a year, and what you want in 2-3 years. Then look and see what Canon and Nikon offer in their respective lineups.

I shoot Canon and love Canon. My only complaint is that they're somewhat lacking in the reasonably-priced, do-it-all walkaround lenses for 1.6x crop cameras (like the XTi). There's no Canon equivalent to the 18-200 VR unless you want a third-party lens. There's not even an 18-135 (a 28-135, yes, but who wants a 28 on a crop camera?).

But even with this shortcoming, Canon's lens lineup is amazing and I can heartily vouch for the XTi.

quote:

There's no Canon equivalent to the 18-200 VR unless you want a third-party lens.

Although having a slight bias towards getting a Canon, this is the exact reason I ended up going with a Nikon a little while back.

Speaking of lenses, when I started getting more serious about photography I thought that a long zoom was the end all and be all lens. It wasn't until a photographer friend of my let me borrow (made me borrow) his wide angle that I understood the power of getting close to the subjects. Now I generally shoot wide to medium angle about 80% of the time.

"or a Nikon D200 with an 18-55mm lens for $400"


$400 for a D200...oh my how things have changed in a year.

I'm in the same position, D40X v's the Canon 400D.

At the moment I'm edging towards the D40X, mainly for two reasons, I've been told that the standard lens on the Canon isn't very good, and the Nikon feels more comfortable to use. My only concern is that it only has 3 auto focus points.

I'm new to SLRs so am taking my time before I spend my money. Need to make my mind up soon though, my trip starts in 4 weeks and I want to get used to it before I leave.

Well, the standard lens that comes in the Canon kit is fine, meaning it'll take sharp images, but it is not great. I am not sure that the Nikon is better. It would be wise to check out comparisions. Try http://www.dpreview.com/

BTW, I don't very often use the lens that came with my kit. If find it to limiting. I shoot with lenses that are rated higher and have more zoom range (reach wider or zoom closer).

To tell you the truth, if I were buying my first DSLR again, right now, I'd go with the Canon D30 or D40. To be fair, I also like the way that the Nikons feel and I appreciate their silence when shooting.

i bought a d70s and it came with two lenses and a 4gb card and case. $650

Happy shooting. Let us see some of your pics when you return.

quote:

Originally posted by missxlollyx:
so I havent purchased the cam yet. People who like Nikon...

I've been offered a kit with a Nikon D40x and an 18-135mm lens, tripod, extra battery, 4GB card for $700

or a Nikon D200 with an 18-55mm lens for $400

wchich would you prefer

That is CHEAP. I got my D200 about 6 months ago and it was a lot more than that. For $400 and a lens, I'd be tempted to buy a second body so I wouldn't have to switch lenses.