Which DSLR?

[sascha 17]

For my 21st a couple of weeks ago my better half gave me a DSLR, only catch is I have to choose it.

So after lots of online research I've come to the conclusion that I can't decide

I know a few of you are pretty into your photography, so I'd like to know your opinions/advice.

I've narrowed it down to a choice between a Nikon D5100 and a Canon 550D.

The Nikon D3100 is quite a bit cheaper but has quite a few disadvantages it seems (according to some websites). If anyone thinks this should also be considered as well as the other two I've mentioned feel free to say so.

Seems like the whole Nikon v. Canon thing is much of a muchness, all personal preference.

Would like to buy this week (going to Aussie next week)

Cheers for any help

[huff3r 347]

You've got the first bit right, by picking the two best brands. Pretty much from then on its down to personal preference. Personally i prefer the canon, but thst just cos i have a 500D myself..

Basically they will both do the job you want them to equally well, and its down to what you like the look of more

[leithcm 0]

I have a Nikon D200 - a little different to the one you are looking at - but would still recommend you go for the Nikon. If you are a real noob at photography, you will want to upgrade at some point and in my view the Nikon has a better pettigree for the future.........

[3 SERIES 93]

Asking the Canon Vs Nikon question will only confuse you more as the rivalry is fierce ha ha.

I have a Canon but im not biased in any way.

Looking quickly at the spec's it seems the Canon has the upper hand.

18mp vs 14.2

Up to 6400 ISO vs 3200

3.7 fps vs 3.0

End of the day, they're both going to be much of a muchness in terms of image quality.

Go with what feels best in hand.

Edited June 20, 2011 by 3 SERIES

[hybrid 1043]

Hmmm I wouldnt say theyre the two best brands .. but they ARE the best options for your price bracket.

I would do canon as its supported more around the world.

[OP6 27]

Canon.

Check out the prices at Duty Free and in Aussie - you may be able to upgrade to a 600D or add a lens to the 550D

[3 SERIES 93]

I have a Nikon D200 - a little different to the one you are looking at - but would still recommend you go for the Nikon.

Canon.

Case in point!

[sascha 17]

Cheers guys for the replies.

Re- the cheaper duty free, I had a look on their websites and it didnt seem that good. I think I'll be going with a parallel import shop called expert info tech, they have great prices - a 550d with lens for something like $1070 for example.

Yeah so it's pretty much as I thought with the whole Canon vs. Nikon thing. Anyone got any negatives about either that could help me decide?

Edited June 20, 2011 by sascha

[_Matt_ 42]

Canons of that price range feel like toys, Nikons feel like cameras.

Unless your talking 1D quality I wouldn't go near a Canon

Have a look at the Nikon D60, it's very good camera. And they capture a great image even if you don't know what you're doing.

Edit. If buying from EIT go there in person. They aren't the most reliable store in the world.

Edited June 20, 2011 by _Matt_

[camera doctor 25]

From a technicians point of view, either model listed are built to similar build quality, despite the 'feel' of the cameras as suggested by another poster.

The Nikon lenses seem to be a little more delicate when it comes to damage due to abuse or impact, but if you look after them, no issue

In my game I am often asked what is the best camera to buy etc, and my answer is the one that feels right in your hand, and gives you the features YOU need, not necessary the 'top specs' or 'most pixels' as is the case in cars too, the numbers do not always bear out true life results

I always say, buy the cheapest camera body that gives you the features and feel you want, and spend the $$$ on lenses, that is where you will see the quality difference.

Shame you need it so fast, i could point you to a seller that has the 550D with standard 18-55is lens for under $1500, but they do not have stock on hand to get it to you for this week

Duty free is a waste of time in my experience - NZ is one of the cheapest places to buy camera gear in the world.

[DRTDVL 0]

Left field comment, but have you held the two camera's?

I find they feel very very different and the older Nikon's i played with felt awkward in my hand and the buttons where a pain to get to vs the Cannon's.

It would be a big influence in my purchase of a camera at that price range, give that it's a much of a muchness to which is the better one.

Edited June 20, 2011 by DRTDVL

[sascha 17]

Canons of that price range feel like toys, Nikons feel like cameras.

Unless your talking 1D quality I wouldn't go near a Canon

Have a look at the Nikon D60, it's very good camera. And they capture a great image even if you don't know what you're doing.

Edit. If buying from EIT go there in person. They aren't the most reliable store in the world.

Will have a look at the D60, but I was thinking the whole HD video capability of the newer ones was also a nice touch.

I had a feel of both yesterday, and to be honest while they feel different I have no idea which feels better, or which buttons I like (since the shop didnt even let me turn them on to have a play).

From a technicians point of view, either model listed are built to similar build quality, despite the 'feel' of the cameras as suggested by another poster.

The Nikon lenses seem to be a little more delicate when it comes to damage due to abuse or impact, but if you look after them, no issue

In my game I am often asked what is the best camera to buy etc, and my answer is the one that feels right in your hand, and gives you the features YOU need, not necessary the 'top specs' or 'most pixels' as is the case in cars too, the numbers do not always bear out true life results

I always say, buy the cheapest camera body that gives you the features and feel you want, and spend the $$$ on lenses, that is where you will see the quality difference.

Shame you need it so fast, i could point you to a seller that has the 550D with standard 18-55is lens for under $1500, but they do not have stock on hand to get it to you for this week

Duty free is a waste of time in my experience - NZ is one of the cheapest places to buy camera gear in the world.

Are the canon lenses really more robust? I suppose I'm not planning on throwing it around or anything anyway, but it would be a point for canon.

Oh cheers for the offer, but yeah would really like it this week.And +1 on the duty free from what I've seen

Left field comment, but have you held the two camera's?

I find they feel very very different and the older Nikon's i played with felt awkward in my hand and the buttons where a pain to get to vs the Cannon's.

It would be a big influence in my purchase of a camera at that price range, give that it's a much of a muchness to which is the better one.

Yeah held them yesterday, but since I'm not already used to holding a SLR, they both felt foreign. The shop wouldn't let me switch them on to have a play around and get the feel for which buttons do what which was annoying.

Anyone got any comment on the usefulnes of the D5100's rotatable LCD screen? (I suppose it depends on what you're shooting, but do you really use it?)

I thought one good thing about it is that you can fold the screen away and it doesn't get dirty or scratched.

Cheers for the help guys

[3 SERIES 93]

Yeah held them yesterday, but since I'm not already used to holding a SLR, they both felt foreign. The shop wouldn't let me switch them on to have a play around and get the feel for which buttons do what which was annoying.

Anyone got any comment on the usefulnes of the D5100's rotatable LCD screen? (I suppose it depends on what you're shooting, but do you really use it?)

I thought one good thing about it is that you can fold the screen away and it doesn't get dirty or scratched.

Cheers for the help guys

It'll be more expensive but go to a propper camera shop, not some cheap parallel importer if thats where you've been. The knowledge you'll gain will be invaluable, their warrenty and service backup will exceed some parallel importer and you'll actually be able to have a play with the cameras to get a feel for what suits you best.

IMO, Live view, rotating screens, HD movie functions etc are all gimmicks that you'll never use. Dont think ive ever seen a photographer use any of these TBH.

From what I can gather you're new to this so just learning how to take a photo successfully in manual mode (not auto) will keep you busy enough.

My 2c

Edit: Listen to Camera Doctor. He know's what he's talking about!

Edited June 20, 2011 by 3 SERIES

[joshnz 2]

550D for the win.

I have one, I knew little about DSLRs when I got my 1000D not that long ago, but its pretty damn easy to use and it i capable of taking epic photos.

Understanding Exposure is an excellent book for beginners too.

[KwS 2425]

It'll be more expensive but go to a propper camera shop, not some cheap parallel importer if thats where you've been. The knowledge you'll gain will be invaluable, their warrenty and service backup will exceed some parallel importer and you'll actually be able to have a play with the cameras to get a feel for what suits you best.

IMO, Live view, rotating screens, HD movie functions etc are all gimmicks that you'll never use. Dont think ive ever seen a photographer use any of these TBH.

buying from a known camera shop is HIGHLY recommended imo. Come time to get it serviced, you may have issues if its parallel imported. With my old pentax DSLR the local repair agent wouldnt cover the repair under warranty as it was a parallel import.

I know im not a pro photographer, not by a long shot! but for me as a novice, i regularly use my live view, movie mode, and rotating screen.

The rotating screen is AMAZING for over the head shots or ground level shots.

I went with the old "get what feels best and has the features YOU want" and ended up with a Sony SLT-A55. Sure, the lens range is crap, but no other camera came close to being as awesome.

just my 2c. Personally i prefer nikon over canon, have seen much better results from nikons (straight from the camera, no post processing)

[curryinahurry 39]

I own a 550D and I have frequently used the D5100. I'm too lazy to write a full paragraph, so I'll summarise in bullet points:

1. Both cameras are excellent for its price.

2. The 550D takes better quality day time photos, the 5100 have less noise at higher iso (for night photos) and also is able to autofocus alot more effectively at low light.

3. The EF 50mm F1.8 Lens is very cheap <$200, equivalent for Nikon is over $300 - You WILL need this lens, if you want to take good photos (on a budget).

4. Both cameras only have 1 wheel (to adjust settings), Canon's one is adjusted with the fore-finger, the Nikon is adjusted with the thumb. Personally, I find canons setup a lot nicer to use.

5. The interface of the 550D is a lot more user friendly.

6. The D5100 can auto focus while shooting videos, the 550D can not. - this is VERY important if you intend to shoot videos.

7. With Nikons, often you're able to re-use old lenses from old SLR cameras due to its built in focus motor, however, with this particular model, it can not (But neither could the canon).

Thats about it off the top of my head.... oh, and don't worry about the number of megapixels, you'll never need more than 7 lols.

oh, forgot to mention the rotating screen - this could come in handy, but definitely not essential. The 550D has a capacitive sensor, which shuts off the screen when your shooting - its a very nice feature!

If you've got any specific questions, let me know.

Cheers,

Andrew

Edited June 21, 2011 by curryinahurry

[mrad01 0]

buying from a known camera shop is HIGHLY recommended imo. Come time to get it serviced, you may have issues if its parallel imported. With my old pentax DSLR the local repair agent wouldnt cover the repair under warranty as it was a parallel import.

I know im not a pro photographer, not by a long shot! but for me as a novice, i regularly use my live view, movie mode, and rotating screen.

The rotating screen is AMAZING for over the head shots or ground level shots.

I went with the old "get what feels best and has the features YOU want" and ended up with a Sony SLT-A55. Sure, the lens range is crap, but no other camera came close to being as awesome.

just my 2c. Personally i prefer nikon over canon, have seen much better results from nikons (straight from the camera, no post processing)

+1000 for the Sony SLT-A55. I've had many entry level Canon/Nikon owners check it out and blown away at the built in GPS(Yes, super cool if you have Aperture or iPhoto), 10fps rapid fire mode, HD video, size and shooting modes. Because the steady shot mechanism is in the body of the camera, you can use any Minolta lens - which opens up the lens range a bit.

Its all about what YOU need as you say. GPS was super important as was the HD video and shooting modes. Yes, you can get more lenses for a Canon and Nikon - but I doubt they will have the same tech. Some people say this is the "next gen of camera tech" and Canon/Nikon will be heading down this path on their next models.

Worth a read: http://www.pocket-lint.com/review/5131/son...-slt-a55-review

Edited June 21, 2011 by E90 M3

[KwS 2425]

i completely love my Sony, and would never hesitate to recommend to anyone wanting a good "step up from entry level" camera. In fact, one of my old coworkers just purchased one after playing with mine and a mate with a Nikon D700 was even amazed at it.

Built in focus motor

Built in stabilization

Built in GPS

Built in gyroscope thing (displays virtual "level" on screen so you dont end up with wonky shots)

Full HD movie mode

Articulated screen

Lightweight

10FPS shooting

Built in auto panorama mode (can also do 3d panorama, but never tried that)

Edited June 21, 2011 by KwS

[my_e36 43]

Have you think of trying the new breed of mirror-less cameras? (Sony NEX, Panasonic GF, Olympus EPL, etc...) They are essentially a compact body with SLR sensors in them.

I had a Nikon and now I have Sony NEX5. For 90% of the time, I can do/achieve what I want/need on the Sony vs Nikon. The 10% I can still do but need to fiddle with settings to do the same thing.

[sascha 17]

Cheers for all your help guys, I went for the Kiss X4, which is the japanese? version of the 550D. I got it from Expert info tech, and while they're not the most helpful/knowledgable shop and it's the parallel imported version, I felt it was worth saving the $500!

Went for the canon because it felt more comfortable, and the buttons were all easy to reach

Let the learning begin

Edited June 23, 2011 by sascha

[3 SERIES 93]

Fine choice Sir

Canon rules the world ha ha

[my_e36 43]

Canon rules the world ha ha

Not quite, depends on which country.

In their native Japan, Nikon > Canon by miles.

In here, Canon has their own HQ, support, marketing, etc...

Nikon only has a distributor. Hardly seems fair.

[*Glenn* 854]

Let the learning begin

Here's a good place to start :

http://www.hellophoto.co.nz/

[mrad01 0]

Not quite, depends on which country.

In their native Japan, Nikon > Canon by miles.

In here, Canon has their own HQ, support, marketing, etc...

Nikon only has a distributor. Hardly seems fair.

Oh christ, not the Holden & Ford thing again...

[sascha 17]

Here's a good place to start :

http://www.hellophoto.co.nz/

Cheers for that Glenn, I'll have a look through there.