slr?

[DisneyExplorer]

I'm considering buying a slr and been reading and researching different ones and found the Canon 400d and Nikon 40x, any views on these?

 

[YEKCIM]

I have a Nikon D50, so can't comment on either one from personal experience, but from all I've read, they are both excellent cameras. The D40/D40x both "suffer" from the lack of an in-body focus motor, meaning that only lenses with built in focus motors will AUTOfocus with those camera bodies. Nikon makes a lot of these lenses, which carry the AF-S designation, so that may not be a problem. I have one lens, the 50mm f/1.8 that does not have an in-lens motor, which is no problem with the D50, but would be with D40/D40x.

I suggest you read some online reviews of both cameras AND think about your purchase in terms of the total system, not just the camera body. The lenses you choose are arguably more important than the camera body, and you should (IMO) make sure that the lenses you purchase now or may purchase later are the best ones for your intended uses.

~YEKCIM

 

[Steve's Girl]

The lenses you choose are arguably more important than the camera body, and you should (IMO) make sure that the lenses you purchase now or may purchase later are the best ones for your intended uses.

~YEKCIM

I agree with this! I was originally looking at Canon, but once I started looking at lenses, realized that Nikon's current offerings were a better match for what I was looking for. You will likely change camera bodies before you will change lenses. So, take a serious look at lens options not just to start out, but lenses you may want to add to your collection in the future.

 

[YEKCIM]

Not necessarily trying to make a shameless plug for Nikon, but they do offer a couple of pretty unique all-purpose lenses, the 18-135mm, which I have and the 18-200VR, which I do not have and cannot afford!

You Canon folks correct me if I'm wrong, but I don't think Canon offers anything with quite this kind of do-it-all range.

~YEKCIM

 

[webshark3]

In the long zoom department (which is typically a bad way to go; less-superior optics, but nonetheless verstile) Canon offiers a 28-200.

http://www.usa.canon.com/consumer/controller?act=ProductCatIndexAct&fcategoryid=149

Otherwise, it looks like the go the way of combos: 18-55 and a larger zoom.

 

[MarkBarbieri]

The D40/D40x both "suffer" from the lack of an in-body focus motor, meaning that only lenses with built in focus motors will AUTOfocus with those camera bodies.

All Canon DSLRs "suffer" from this same limitation, but then all Canon AF lenses have focus motors in them, so this isn't really a problem.

While Canon and Nikon are the two largest players in the DSLR market, Sony, Pentax, and Olympus also make some very good DLSRs. Sony bought Minolta's old camera business, so their cameras are compatible with Minolta lenses. I would suggest that you look at each brand and find cameras of comparable price and then compare them. Each has its advantages and disadvantages and you might find that one model suits you better than the others.

If you intend to make this a serious hobby rather than just a one-off purchase, you would do well to research the different brands in more depth than just comparing current models. When you buy a camera, you buy into a complete system. There are fans of each system that post regularly here and they can give you a good idea of the strengths and weaknesses of their favorite brand.

 

[alex1963]

Hey Mark, those were incredible shots on your slide show and the music was great! Thanks for sharing that with us! I have to know where the pic was taken of your two sons in the room where your youngest looks really tiny and your oldest is rather big (in comparison)? I love that! The pictures of the architecture are beautiful, I always want to do that but come home with 9 million shots of characters and 3 good non character photos. We just bought a Nikon D40 last night and can't wait to use it in a month at the parks! This time promising myself to slow down with the characters and use this camera for it's intentions.

Thanks again for sharing and giving me some great ideas!

 

[MarkBarbieri]

Hey Mark, those were incredible shots on your slide show and the music was great! Thanks for sharing that with us! I have to know where the pic was taken of your two sons in the room where your youngest looks really tiny and your oldest is rather big (in comparison)? I love that! The pictures of the architecture are beautiful, I always want to do that but come home with 9 million shots of characters and 3 good non character photos. We just bought a Nikon D40 last night and can't wait to use it in a month at the parks! This time promising myself to slow down with the characters and use this camera for it's intentions.

Thanks.

Are you trying to imply that my kids are freaks just because one is gigantic and the other is tiny? Actually, that was taken in the Wonders of Life pavilion in Epcot. It was a health themed pavilion sponsored by MetLife. After they dropped their sponsorship, Disney started closing it up. They opened it during crowded periods. I understand that it was recently gutted and now has only Body Wars and Cranium Command.

 

[Groucho]

FWIW, if you're looking at entry-level DSLRs, the ones to consider are (in alphabetical order)
Canon Rebel XT (older) and XTi
Nikon D40 and D40x (just a D40 with a more megapixels)
Olympus E410 (still fairly new so relatively expensive)
Pentax K100D (also K110D but I'd stick with the K100D)
Sony A100

All are capable of taking superb photos, and each has its own strengths and weaknesses.

 

[DisneyExplorer]

Is there a great difference between the two manufacturers- Canon and Nikon?
What about the range of equipment, do both offer similar diverse amounts of lens etc or does one struggle against the other?
Is the dust reduction machine (Canon 400d) highly benefical or is it not an essential?

 

[MarkBarbieri]

Is there a great difference between the two manufacturers- Canon and Nikon?

They are very, very different companies. Canon dwarfs Nikon in size. They both sell cameras, lenses, and optical tools like scanners and binoculars. Canon also has a major business equipment business selling copiers, printers, etc. Nikon is much more focused on photography equipment and SLRs in particular. Canon makes their own sensors. Nikon buys theirs from Sony.

I'm not sure that any of that is relevant. Both were in the DSLR market from vitually the beginning of that market. Both now have healthy balance sheets. Canon has a larger share of the market, but not by a huge margin.

What about the range of equipment, do both offer similar diverse amounts of lens etc or does one struggle against the other?

Both sell similarly broad lines of gear. Both sell entry level, mid level, and professional level DSLRs. Both are widely used by professionals throughout most areas of the industry. Each has pockets of dominance (Canon with sports photographers, Nikon with landscape photographers).

The complaints that I hear from Nikon shooters are that they are slower in bringing out new technology (IS, FF) and that their high end lenses cost more. This is particularly true in the very long (400mm to 600mm lenses). The complaint that I hear from Canon shooters is that specialized third party accessories sometimes come out for Nikon first or Nikon only. Also, the used equipment market for very old lenses favors Nikon.

Is the dust reduction machine (Canon 400d) highly benefical or is it not an essential?

While dust reduction systems sound like a great idea, I've not heard good things about them in practice. It's not clear whether the complaint is that they don't help at all or that they help but don't solve the problem. Either way, you will still have to deal with dust issues. I don't think I've seen anything that indicates that the dust reduction systems should be a major selection factor.

In my opinion, the differences between the four most similar brands (Canon, Nikon, Sony, and Pentax) are relatively small at the entry level. They start to widen only as you get into more exotic gear. Even there, the gaps have been narrowing, at least between Canon and Nikon. If you don't expect to buy very specialized stuff, I'd pick more on the basis of which camera system you are the most comfortable with. If you do plan to get specialized, talk to the specialists in those areas.

I left Olympus off of my prior list because their DSLRs are different. They use a smaller sensor, which has benefits (longer reach) and drawbacks (more noise). Their sensor is also a different aspect ratio, which adds it's own benefits and drawbacks. They are also much smaller, which mitigates many people's biggest complaint about DSLRs - they are too bulky. I'm not trying to discourage someone from buying an Olympus. Instead, I think they should be viewed as a significantly different alternative.

One other thing I like to stress is that if you have friends that are into photography, consider buying into the same brand that they have. That gives you more opportunities to share equipment and knowledge.

Each brand has its strengths and weaknesses. Find the one that is best suited for your particular needs.

 

[DisneyExplorer]

does either Canon or Nikon have better accessories?

 

[Master Mason]

Personally I don't really think that one is "better" than the other. Each has its strenghts and weakenesses.

From my reading, Cannon tends to have better stuff for action and motion. Nikon tends to lead in the portrature market.

You honest can't go wrong IMO picking either side.

The problem, is they do the same thing that car companies do, they do not make products that line up directly from each other, so you really can't make a one on one comparison very easily or fairly.

 

[DisneyExplorer]

it will be mainly used for holidays (disney world) and other ocasions-xmas,birthday etc. any suggestions on the best suited?

 

[Master Mason]

Both would work just fine for that, best bet would be to go and handle both and see which one you like better for feel and ease of use