Camera opinions wanted....for 4wd pics...

Heya pal,
i have an OLYTMPUS digital, 8mpix SLR, its great for pic, and action shots. Super fast shutter speeds, and rapid fire 4 frames per sec, as well as adjustable apatue, and shutter speeds, its a bit of a beautie if your keen on learning how to take propper pics, its not a point and shoot, but its awesome.
Hope this helps mate,
cheeer
Wayne-o

Thanks for posting this - am going through exactly the same decision myself and will be interested to see replies. Have just got back from the UK and there are heaps of magazine reviews which rate the Canon above the Nikon.....also have just picked up the "Which Digital Camera" guide for 2007 from the newsagents which is very useful.

Most of the internet research I have done also seems to say that the Canon is the way to go based on price, although it seems the stock 55mm lens supplied isnt much cop which may mean the Nikon may be better.....

If I go the Canon (as I probably will) then I need to make a decision between the twin lens kit (includes a 300mm telephoto) for $1,500 or the 'enthusiast kit' which just gives you a much better stock lens (with image stabilisation) for $2,200 all up. As I am a novice to SLRs will probably just go for the stock lens and the zoom and see how I go. Not sure I would notice the difference................

Let me know how you go

Cheers
Darren

Well make it a choice of 4. We recently purchased a Panasonic DMC-TZ1, at less than $550. This is a "pocket" sized camera with a 10x (yes, 10 times) OPTICAL zoom and 6mp. It has a fantastic optical stability system which, even at max optical 10x telephoto allows you to point, shake and snap, giving blur free pictures. We got a 1Gb (=1000mb) genuine ScanDisk SD card for it (from Strathfield, the card not the camera) for $48. On the settings we have found O.K. it saves over 2,500 pictures, or about 33 minutes of fast 30 frames per second (FPS) video, or a combination of each. Has a large LCD screen, but no separate see-through viewfinder. We have found the LCD screen to be O.K. in bright light though.
For us non-professional photographers that want something small which you just point and shoot, we think it is the bees knees.

Pentax K100D. Very good with in body stabilization so you can use any of the Pentax-fit lenses. 6Mp and uses AA batteries, or:-

Pentax K10D. Supposedly excellent with in body stabilization and sensor cleaning. 10Mp and almost available.

Waiting,waiting,waiting. Yes I believe in Santa Clause, this year anyway.

Have fun choosing,

Nikon D80 landed at my door last week. Love it.

---WARNING--- Herefollows an amatuer user's opinion!

Purchased this make for a few reasons; already had a couple of suitable lenses, read a couple of good reviews, and for quite a few years I've had a Nikon N65 (picked it up in the US some time ago) while my sister has a Canon.

It may have been bias, but I preferred the Nikon because it felt to me to have better balance (but maybe I've just got chunky hands!), a bit quicker, easier to drive and much more enjoyable to use (yeh, not much science in this I know!)

Love the D80. Still pretty easy to drive (though I don't use terribly advanced functions just yet), uses SD cards which I already have, takes great pics, the rechargable battery can be replaced by AAs if required, feels great to use. Easy to change the focus area (ie from which part of frame is focused on).

Didn't look at the Canon, but certainly don't regret the Nikon on any front.

Need to do a course at some stage, but one of the things I love most is that I can stuff around with all the settings (aperture, shutter etc) and learn much more rapidly than with the old slr. Change a setting, see the difference, repeat. Fantastic!

I'm sure I've been no help, but what ever you get, I'm sure you won't regret it!

Canon 400D hands down, but not with the kit lenses. They are total rubbish ..
The Nikon Kit lenses are better ...
All in all I always prefered the Nikon system (I own a bunch of high end lenses and had a D2X .. still have an S2 - currently dead) .. better built, more solid, but image quality is just not there .. I do all my photo stuff (I do commercial catalogues) with a Canon 1DSII and the Canon sensor and processor is way ahead of all the Nikons.
With the 400D you have excellent high ISO capability, lacking a few features though, but at the ebd the image quality is way better.
Don't waste you money on cheap Canon lenses .. if you want a decent priced good lens use a Tamron 28-75DI its also a macro or for portrait and macro a Tamron 90SP .. great lenses and cheap compared to the Canon .. I have Canon high end stuff like the 200/1.8 , 85 1.2 etc for my commercial stuff but I also use the Tamron for commercial work and it holds up well.

A Canon 400D with a Tamron 28-75/2.8, Canon 17-40/4,Canon 70-200/2.8 USM non IS (Image stabelised) is an awesome combo .. and pretty cheap all in all ...
You may want an 580 EX though, but it depends what you are mainly doing with it. I also had a 1DII (sold it a year ago) .. a little after that the D2X .. I had the D2x to take under water because the case is a lot cheaper but once you are used to the low noise Canon sensor you juts cannot stand the Nikon noise although some call it "Film like" ... I can't be bothered .. when I want grain then I use Photoshop .. I also have a Sigma 120-300/2.8 for sports and some wildlife but with my FF the range is not so exciting .. I am lusting for a 300-800/5.6 but I did put it off, because I just will not use it as much and the underwater case is first. I decided now to take the 1DSII under water and use the new Medium Format as my workhorse when the 1DSII will drown :)) ... hopefully not ...
With a 1.6 multiplier like the 400D you get good reach out of the 70-200 and even the f4 is a very good and sharp Canon lens .. much lighter than the 70-200/2.8
I have shot the f4 and was really please with the sharpness ...

My only problem with all the 1.6 or 1.3 sensor sizes is the lack of dof control. You just do not get as much control of depth of field. And when you go FF its even more important to have good high ISO because you have to stop down for more depth of field which sometimes is a problem with your speed on moving subjects. So for snap purposes without too much artistic ambition the 1.6 400D is fine.

http://www.ozshops.com/iso3200_2.jpg

above is a sample of ISO 3200 and a 200/1.8 wide open
you can expect similar results from a 400D ..

and here an ISO 1600

http://www.ozshops.com/fan.jpg

also the 200/1.8 wide open at low shutter speed .. I have heaps of shallow dof examples .. it's the way I like things ... focused on the subject with everything else blurred .. just like in my real life ...

It is a hard decision because Nikon is the better system as far as lens quality and camera features is concerned .. by miles better than Canon .. but there is not a single sensor in the Nikon line-up which could convince me to give up the Canon sensor .. so I still keep all my Nikon stuff and wait for a decent body to come. But sofar nothing came up. I used the D100,D200 I owned the D2X and a D70 (I liked the high speed sync) but at the end of the day whenever I go somewhere I pick up the 1DSII because everything else I consider waste of time .. even the Fuji S2 which has great skin tones but is just too slow to really like it ...

You could now argue and say .. I do not need that much high ISO .. I only do daylight .. well .. there are many occasion where you want ISO1600 to get a decent shutter speed .. and the Nikon images are just not there when you want an A4 or bigger ...

good luck with your decision
have fun
gmd

here's my 2 bobs worth ...
DSLRs are not typically water/dustproof & a couple of photographers have warned me about the dust problems with DSLRs ie swapping lenses & the dust that then gets onto the sensor. Apparently the sensors attract dust (electrostatic?). Dust will very quickly degrade the quality of your photos no matter how good the camera. Apparently costs $100-200 to get a DSLR cleaned/de-dusted. Imagine the added chance of dust ingress when using these cameras in the bush!

Hence, you might want to consider some of the high-end non-SLR "sealed" models such as the:
- Canon Powershot G7 (10MP 6 x optical zoom, image stabilisation)
- Panasonic Lumix DMC-LX2 (10MP, 4 x optical zoom, image stabilisation)
- Panasonic Lumix DMZ-TZ1 (as mentioned above) (5MP, 10 x optical zoom, image stabilisation)

My pick of these would be the G7 & you can get it by most mailorder places in australia for around $727. Also by mailorder a 4GB SD card for around $150

You will be amazed at how many features/settings these cameras have .. & very unlikey to ever get dust in them too!!

I dont know a great deal about Canons. I have a Nikon D200 with the 18-200 lens.

It sounds like for your purpose you want a robust set up, which will stay clean during use in harsh conditions. This is why I went for the single lens.

The nikon 18-200 has had great reviews and I am very impressed with it. It is great not having to change the lens (ever for my use), since it effectively gives around 28-300 range on a digital slr.

Go to www.dpreview.com for unbiased reviews of many cameras/lenses

There is so little to choose between performance of these type of cameras, that its best just to go for the one you like the feel/look of. (a bit like choosing a... no i wont say it)

Jon

Didnt we do this a few weeks ago with 3-4 threads on cameras?

yea course is through Dande Photographics in Dandenong.
Call David is the teacher... pretty good actually for an old dude. been teachign 22yrs.
starts with basics.. the REAL basics.. which is what I wanted.

PS. Im sticking with my 300D.. would like a 30D, but fwiw Im not that good. 300's are bargains to buy now too.

Hi Gajm,

I bought a nikon D50 for my first SLR and I have to say for me it's been a great easy to use (and learn) camera I also find it's easy to adjust settings on the go in manual mode. My only regret is that I didn't go a bit higher to a D100 but there you go.
I got a bit of dust in it while camping but we just blew it out with the compressor, although be careful I don't think you need to much force to move the dust.

cackles

Gajm.

I'm currently using a Canon EOS 350D with a EOS 300 film camera as backup.

The wife wants the EOS 400D, so I'm thinking of selling the 300 film and getting her one with a Tamron 18-200mm zoom instead of the cannon lenses. (overpriced & lightly built)

I keep my camera bodies & lenses in a Pelican case when not in use, they hate dust.

Wife has a Canon 10D and son has a Canon 400D. Wife also has a Canon Ixus 500, which is a great little camera, but not an SLR.

As you can see, we are a Canon family.

The 10D has a couple of features that the 400D does not (but they have not been used I don't think) and is a lot heavier and more expensive. The 400D is a great camera and amazing value for money compared to the 10D. Son uses his 400D with his work (Multimedia) and has had a couple of his shots used as magazine covers.

One part of your decision might be, do you have any lenses from an old film SLR? If so, check if they fit either camera. If not, make sure generic lenses (Sigma for example) will fit, so you are not tied to the original brand which will be more expensive.

Either way, I suspect you will be happy, but if we were getting another digital (why would we?) it would almost certainly be a Canon.

Hi,

Forget Olympus, Panasonic, etc. You are right on the button with Cannon or Nikon. I chose the Nikon (D50, but whichever you like) but only because I have had a Nikon FE2 since the year dot and at least one of my zoom lenses works great on the digital. I guarantee that whichever you choose will serve you well.

Enjoy, John L.

Gajm,

Any of the two you mention should be suitable.

I'm not familiar with the Canon 400D, like Truckster, I have the 300D and I am most pleased with it. I bought mine with an Image Stabilizing telephoto lens which cost about $900 on it's own, before the money back deal on at the time. (about $400 from memory, so the lens cost me $500.

The camera takes an exellent quality photograph and I like using it, but, when I'm out and about driving in the Jack, it's usually the little compact Canon Powershot A80 that I have sitting behind the seat, but within easy reach, for that quick shot that wouldn't be there if I unpacked the DSLR. I just cannot bring myself to travel around without having the SLR cocooned in it's carry bag.

Silly hey?

I am no camera expert, my wife is the photographer in our house and until recently a committed 35mm SLR user. She was using the Canon EOS 300 model which I think is the approximate the 35mm equivalent of the 400D. She recently purchased the Canon 400D and is over the moon about it, in terms of the quality of the photos, its versatility and ease of use. Secret seems to be reading the manual (surprise surprise) and learning how to use it. She also did a one day course on digital photography that was helpful. I think 35mm is a thing of the past in our house.

BruceV

I am no camera expert, my wife is the photographer in our house and until recently a committed 35mm SLR user. She was using the Canon EOS 300 model which I think is the approximate 35mm equivalent of the 400D. She recently purchased the Canon 400D and is over the moon about it, in terms of the quality of the photos, its versatility and ease of use. Secret seems to be reading the manual (surprise surprise) and learning how to use it. She also did a one day course on digital photography that was helpful. I think 35mm is a thing of the past in our house.

BruceV

what are you going to be taking pictures off?

work out what lense(s) you want, then find a body that fits the budget.

I'm waiting to see a Pentax K10D as it has image stabilisation in the body (works with all lenses), a much higher level of weather proofing than the others and enough pixels.

I have the Nikon D70s (model prior to the D80)

Absolutely love it.

Got it via ebay (digirev) about $500 cheaper than local, but the trade off is that Nikon will not recognise the warranty in aust, would have to send it back to hong kong, so it is buyer beware.

I decided to start small with digital to get used to it first and have a Canon A60 Power Shot 2mp ....the littlest of the Canon range and probably obsolete by now. It takes wonderful holiday pics which I first download on to the Laptop and then into my main computer. Am building up quite a nice little library of pics now. (about 10,000). Dropped the camera whilst negotiating a tree and a ledge in the Calvert Ranges this year. It fell about 3 metres on to rocks. I retrieved it and for a day it was a bit confused whirring and whizzing and making other strange noises. But it settled down and is still going strong.

I my cupboard we have a Minolta X700 with Tamron, Tokina and Cosina lenses plus Doubler and Motor Drive and Remote infrared trigger, all quietly becoming extinct. I am hoping that one day the time(when prices come down) will come to buy a DSLR so that I can use the lenses again.

Still, the A60 does well for my purposes.

Cheers

Wow - you got some answers there.

Here's a digital camera buyer's guide to help you think through all the issues - well a lot of them anyways, but you have a lot of experience in these posts to go on as well:

Digital Camera Buyer's Guide link is at the bottom of the page

I have a lot of Canon equipment - 5D, and 30D and have a lot of hands on experience with almost all the DSLRs except perhaps the most recent Pentax or Samsungs.

If you have Canon or Nikon lenses already, you can use these. That is one good reason to go one way or the other.

To me, if you like the feel of the Nikon, learn how to clean it (I recommend Visible Dust) and you won't look back. Equally, if you're scared of cleaning it, look at a camera - there are only a few, that have a genuine sensor cleaning set up. For me, cleaning becomes a habit - especially after the desert. I like the build of the Nikon - feels a bit more substantial than the 400D, but I like the low light performance of the Canon equipment better.

Find someone who has one and get some serious hands on.

I disagree with one of the earlier posters on the kit lens questions - sure, both Nikon and Canon have better lenses than their kit lenses, but looked after properly, both company's kit lenses perform very well for their negligible prices.

I also find in Australia that you get better deals on the Canons, although Nikon appear to be changing distributors here from what I have heard, so that may change things. www.maxwell.com.au/company/index.html

If you want any more info, drop me an email andrew@vividadventures.com.au

Cheers
Andrew.

Just for another opinion.

Never tried the Nikon.

Upgraded to the Canon 400D last Saturday. Itching to give it a go. Been playing with it around the house.

Fairly simple to use. Battery life seems okay - about 500 happy snaps - and still good. Grip is not as comfortable as some other cameras. Could be a bit bigger.

I upgraded from a Fuji 7000 - loved that camera, but this is a totally different world. Had no difficulty walking into a store wanting a budget entry level DSLR, and walking out with the budget DSLR, plus another $4000 in lenses, and a $700 flash to top it off - good salesperson.

Now all I need is to learn how it all works.

Good Luck!

hi there i have used digital cameras professionally for over 5 years and the good brands (canon etc) are all great cameras. i have owned 2 Olympus cameras and are on my second pentax (k100d). they all take great pics so in the end it comes down to which camera you like and feels right for you. i suggest to go to dpreview which is a great site for digital camera reviews. i think that the pentax is probably the best "bang for your buck" camera available at the moment.

I bought a 400D Twin Lense kit this week. Most places had it for around $1700 and they had plenty of stock. However i found a few that were willing to lower the price but they were all sold out and desperately waiting for stock so i played a few against each other.

I eventually purchased my twin lense kit from WOW sight and sound for $1499 with a 2gb CF card. They wanted $60 less without the card, and the deal was initially for a 1gb card but they had none in stock and upgraded to the 2gb for free ;). I've had a bit of a play with it and i'm impressed very much so far. It's very fast and the twin lense kit has not dissapointed. My 28-75 lense from my 35mm EOS 300 is a great addition to the kit, so now i'm going to be carrying the standard 18-55, the 28-75 and the 75-300 in my bag so i should a good variety to play with until i decide if i need to purchase another lense. Maybe a high powered telephoto with Image Stabiliser?

Another bonus is that my Cannon Handycam uses the same batteries so i have a total of 3-4 when i go out with the 400D :)

All i need now is a suitable speedlight ;)

cheers

Hi all,
I just wanted to say thanks to everyone who replied to my post. I have already learnt a ton more than I knew. I have done a lot more reading, and have a lot more to go, then it is off to try the different models. So thanks again, I feel a lot Imore confident armed with a bit more knowledge. I will let you know which I go for.

Cheers

Glenn