Nikon Vs. Canon

[Horrorcosmic]

My dad wants a good SLR camera thats easy to get new lenses and a kit. I did alittle searching and came across 2 that i can't decide on which

Nikon D3100
D3100 from Nikon

Canon EOS Rebel T1i EF-S 18-55mm IS Kit
Canon U.S.A. : Consumer & Home Office : EOS Rebel T1i EF-S 18-55mm IS Kit


I like the Rebel, my dad likes the Nikon so we're stuck.

[thephilosophizer]

Ultimately their both going to be really good cameras, both good brands, with lots of different lenses available. I'll add this though, I use a sony alpha dslr that's been good to me, but I think more interestingly I was able to 25% of retail getting it ebay. If you go through one of the larger resellers on there, you usually can get a pretty good guarantee of quality.
I don't think you'll go wrong with either, but if you're dad likes the nikon best, I'd go with that.

[vass0922]

have two friends that have purchased the 3100, one a few weeks ago and the other very recently.. both new to SLR's.. both happy with it thus far.
I've been using a Nikon D90 for the past few years and have loved it, been quite happy with it.
Overall canon vs. nikon is like mac vs windows etc.. the argument never ends, but they're both great brands.
I dont know offhand the comparison of the 3100 vs. Rebel T1i though
this is a great site for reading reviews
Digital Cameras: Digital Photography Review, News, Reviews, Forums, FAQ

[nemowolf]

My dad used Nikon so i use Nikon. The T1i is an amazing camera but check into some of the requirements, for instance to do HD video you cant use "any ol' memory card" because it specifically requires Class 10 memory. Even a 4GB card will run you over 50 dollars and the 8GB ones can get ridiculous prices.

Don't skimp on cheap cards for anything important. You should test any card you don't know comes from a quality source, SanDisk, Kingston, etc, prior to anything you really want to save. Take at the very least a hundred pictures or so and mix in a few movies to ensure that the write speed is up to par.

Cheers!

[MTAtech]

I wouldn't consider the T1i. Instead, the T2i is better because it also does HD video. I recently bought the Canon 60D, which has a swivel LCD display but is more money than the ones that you are considering. If it wasn't for that swivel, I'd get the new Nikon D7000, which has the best metering in the class and has dual SD cards -- I believe it RAIDs the card.

[Horrorcosmic]

I started looking at another camera that i think i'm gonna try and convince him to buy.

The Sony a55 DSLR

My dad is a beginner and he's not use to digital cameras so i was looking into this translucent mirror and it seem to be good for him cuz he usually misses great shots because of bad focus or something.

He's reluctant to looking into it but i think he'll like it, anyone know about the a55?

[thephilosophizer]

I use the a330, I make good use of the tilting display, my one major gripe is that I'm not able to record video.

[tony_j15]

Ultimately, what you should consider when purchasing an SLR is lenses. The camera is irrelevant. It'll become outdated, and you'll buy a better one. Lenses last forever. If you are semi-serious about cameras, research lenses and figure out which manufacturer's style you prefer. Personally, at the high-end, I think Canon has better lenses, but Nikon seems to have better camera design/layouts. Of course, if you're just going to stick with the stock kit lens, then all this isn't the least bit helpful.

[MTAtech]

I think Canon has better lenses...

I think Nikkor lenses are excellent as well as the top Canon lenses. The problem with the better lenses is that they dwarf the price of the camera. My Canon 70-200 L f4 IS was $1,200. The f 2.8 (which I don't own) is much more.

To save money, there are many fine 3rd party lenses. The new Tamron 70-300 VC is a fine lens for the $400 price.

[Horrorcosmic]

Well i showed him the Sony and he basically fell in love with it, I do like that it had a large selection of carl zeiss lenses and it even uses older konica minolta lenses which i was a huge fan on K/M cameras.

Also he plans on having a camera that will lasts along time the sony uses a transparent mirror instead of a rapid return reflex mirror, which means 1 less moving part. Even on the nikon and the Canon it listed a life span meaning that those mirrors must wear out, that was one thing i liked about this, less moving parts is better imo.

[nemowolf]

If you want more of a point-and-shoot style that is simply top notch ... Check out the Canon G12 which just came out end of Oct/beginning of November. It will set you back 500ish but it has some amazing scene settings like underwater!

[tony_j15]

To save money, there are many fine 3rd party lenses.

QFT. I skimped on a zoom and got a Sigma 70-300 f4.5. It's good for outdoors, but sucks at everything else. The price was great, though.

[MTAtech]

QFT. I skimped on a zoom and got a Sigma 70-300 f4.5. It's good for outdoors, but sucks at everything else. The price was great, though.

It "sucks at everything else" not because it's a Sigma but because it's f4.5, which is slow for indoor us -- especially non-IS. A Canon or Nikon f4.5 would not be any better for indoor use. I find this a good resource for lenses: The Best Canon EOS Lenses - Bob Atkins Photography

[MTAtech]

But to the topic, Canon vs Nikon, that's a debate that's been raging for years. Since there is no clear answer it means that either will serve your needs well and likely either will exceed a novice photographer's skill.

[tony_j15]

Very true. Choose whichever makes you the most comfortable and go with it. I went canon because I also do video work, and their lenses are cross-compatible with both their still and video cameras. I've found Nikon's to have a better body layout/design, but was willing to forgo it so that I can consolidate and build a lens collection around a singular spec.
Bob's website is one of the best on the web. I also enjoy Ken Rockwell's superb site (don't let the ancient HTML layout fool you!).

[Nawin]

Well both brands are good. You can have anyone, but I heard that Nikon is best brand.