First Camera suggestions, Canon vs nikon?

[P-nut]

Hey I'm finally looking into getting my first real Camera for my birthday coming up next month, and I'm looking for suggestions. I'm pretty much stuck between Canon or Nikon. Anytime I do some research I tend to look at Canons first, because someone told me that with Buying an entry level canon I could always invest in good lenses because they would work with higher models as I got better and I upgraded, I'm not sure if this is true with Nikon because I honestly haven't done too much research into them.

But it seems a lot more people are starting to use Nikons now so I would like get some insight and suggestions.

And just some more backround information, I am just looking for an Entry level DSLR, because I'm a super noob and just want something to get started with, But I would like to have one of the Canons or Nikons that do video too.

any information and suggestions are very welcome, thank you in Advance.

[P-nut]

I should probably mention, I have been looking at the canon T1i or T2i or a comparable nikon.

[al dolega]

I personally like the way Nikons feel better, but I would still go with a Canon T2i. Skip the T1i, its video mode is pretty limited/handicapped, as is the video mode on the entry-level Nikons. The T2i is much, much better in the video department, so much so that people buy them just to shoot video (and a bunch of other stuff, like fancy lenses and accessories, but still).

Lenses, the advice to invest more in glass is true. You will keep your lenses (if you buy good/nice ones), but will replace your body every year or two years or whatever. With either Nikon or Canon you will be able to keep your lenses and use them later, on whatever the next body you get is (unless you get a full-frame camera, but those are $$$$$$$ still so I'll assume that's not gonna happen anytime soon). For the T2i your lens compatibility would be completely open within the Canon EF and EF-S mounts (which is all they've made for the last 20 years or so), whereas with an entry-level Nikon, you can use any Nikon F-mount lens, which goes back to the 1950's, but only newer "AF-S" lenses will have autofocus. So you'll be able to buy really awesome old Nikon lenses for pretty cheap, but you'll have to manually focus, or bump your body choice up to a D90 or a D7000, which will autofocus the older lenses.

[digitalfilmmaker]

You've basically just opened up a can of worms by asking this

+1

[Robert1]

Go with the Nikon D7000.

[nb]

Apples and oranges.

[DanielBond]

I thought it was pretty widely accepted that Canon was making better quality cameras then Nikon at all levels of their ranges?

I think the canon layout and functions are a little more ergonomic, but I guess thats personal preference. I'd still suggest Canon though.

[nb]

I thought it was pretty widely accepted that Canon was making better quality cameras then Nikon at all levels of their ranges?

I think the canon layout and functions are a little more ergonomic, but I guess thats personal preference. I'd still suggest Canon though.

Uhmm nope, they're pretty much on par. Personal preference, buying either Nikon or Canon you cant go wrong.

[al dolega]

If by "quality" you mean build quality/fit&finish, I would definitely say Nikon's is better. Especially in the entry-level bracket; the Rebels are kinda chintsy.

Layout/ergonomics are pretty subjective, so I don't think there's really a definitive way to call one better than the other. Nikons feel better to me personally.

Now, as for what company offers a better feature set at a given price... that has a lot of variables, most of them subjective. If you care about video then I think Canon is the clear winner. If you don't, I think Nikon is just as strong at most price points, and stronger at some. For instance the D7000 is pretty amazing for the money.

[Adam K]

I had a Nikon D3000, it was my first camera. It was really good, but make sure you know what you want exactly. The camera was dope but when I started taking it out I remembered that I hate having to carry shit (in my pockets, backpack etc,) I don't have a car so it isn't like I could just put it in my backseat. I sold it and got a Canon s90 which is a p&s but with lots of manual controls. It fits a lot better for me. So think about what you really want is my advice.

[Adam K]

Do you currently take photos?

[kmediavideo]

i didn't read through this whole post, but here is my two cents...

Lenses: Both have a similar selection. Once your price range goes up though, the canon L glass is very nice. Nikon has a few nice zooms as well.

Photos/Bodies: I shoot Nikon, and I am a fan. But Canon has a handful of good options. The T2i that you are talking about is a great camera, and a buddy of mine has it and loves it. But then again, I was shooting next to a handful of professionals at a show a month ago, and they swore to nikon like it was their god. And they made some valid points about why. Keep in mind, they're professionals. For what you're doing it doesn't really matter.

Video: Canon hands down. Nikon's video is the retarded in-bred step-child of canon's video. It's complete garbage in my opinion. And I own one, so I know firsthand.

[P-nut]

Do you currently take photos?

At this moment, no. just ones with my phone, but for a while Ihad a nice film camera but I only shot a few rolls before I got rid of it. Not because I didn't like it but because it cost to much to keep bying film and having it developed (granted it's really not that expensive but I didnt make a lot of money back then, haha.

[Robert1]

I thought it was pretty widely accepted that Canon was making better quality cameras then Nikon at all levels of their ranges?

I think the canon layout and functions are a little more ergonomic, but I guess thats personal preference. I'd still suggest Canon though.

i didn't read through this whole post, but here is my two cents...

Lenses: Both have a similar selection. Once your price range goes up though, the canon L glass is very nice. Nikon has a few nice zooms as well.

Photos/Bodies: I shoot Nikon, and I am a fan. But Canon has a handful of good options. The T2i that you are talking about is a great camera, and a buddy of mine has it and loves it. But then again, I was shooting next to a handful of professionals at a show a month ago, and they swore to nikon like it was their god. And they made some valid points about why. Keep in mind, they're professionals. For what you're doing it doesn't really matter.

Video: Canon hands down. Nikon's video is the retarded in-bred step-child of canon's video. It's complete garbage in my opinion. And I own one, so I know firsthand.

Nikon fixed their video. Have a gander at the D7000's video.

[DanielBond]

If the cameras function as well as each other for photo, yet the canons have better video, then the canons are better, no?

I find the control layout of the Nikons totally unintuative and the canon completely ergonomic. That said, I'm a bit out of the loop on some modern features. I think more pro'd shooting DSLRs tend to use canon.

[dyyylan]

I thought it was pretty widely accepted that Canon was making better quality cameras then Nikon at all levels of their ranges?

I think the canon layout and functions are a little more ergonomic, but I guess thats personal preference. I'd still suggest Canon though.

nikon d3

the end

[P-nut]

So I have more questions, (sorry for being such an annoying noob.)

I have some more help in getting the camera for my birthday, and with that I may have the ability to up the level of camera I'm looking at. So I've been looking at the 60D over the T2I. I know the still Picture Quality will be much better (a friend has the 50d and the picture is great) but how is the video, is it equal to the T2i or better, or maybe even worse? Last year I was looking into getting the 50D over the rebels with my tax return because someone told me the bodies on the rebels were made of plastic and the 50D was metal and was more durable. Is the body on the T2i still plastic or did they change over to metal also?

Also when it does come to filming with the Cameras I know they film in HD, I know he hd video cameras can fill up alot of space and just eat gigs like crazy. What should I look at as far as SD cards are concerned, Sharing like an 8gb wont be enough for to hold pictures and video right? but would an extra 8 be too small? should I look at a 16 or 32gb card.

Also do they only film in HD or could I film in SD instead? (The fact of the matter is I know my computer wont be able to handle even trying just to clean up hd footage let alone maybe try to edit something) and if not is it possible to find some one (or be ghetto and use a mac at the store) to down convert the footage from HD to SD so I can put it on my laptop?

I could have sworn I thought of more but I can't remember.

Thanks again in advance!

[Robert1]

So I have more questions, (sorry for being such an annoying noob.)

I have some more help in getting the camera for my birthday, and with that I may have the ability to up the level of camera I'm looking at. So I've been looking at the 60D over the T2I. I know the still Picture Quality will be much better (a friend has the 50d and the picture is great) but how is the video, is it equal to the T2i or better, or maybe even worse? Last year I was looking into getting the 50D over the rebels with my tax return because someone told me the bodies on the rebels were made of plastic and the 50D was metal and was more durable. Is the body on the T2i still plastic or did they change over to metal also?

Also when it does come to filming with the Cameras I know they film in HD, I know he hd video cameras can fill up alot of space and just eat gigs like crazy. What should I look at as far as SD cards are concerned, Sharing like an 8gb wont be enough for to hold pictures and video right? but would an extra 8 be too small? should I look at a 16 or 32gb card.

Also do they only film in HD or could I film in SD instead? (The fact of the matter is I know my computer wont be able to handle even trying just to clean up hd footage let alone maybe try to edit something) and if not is it possible to find some one (or be ghetto and use a mac at the store) to down convert the footage from HD to SD so I can put it on my laptop?

I could have sworn I thought of more but I can't remember.

Thanks again in advance!

The T2i, 60D, and 7D all have the same video features but the 60D has manual audio controls. The 60D has a better build than the T2i but it isn't as good as the 50D/7D. All the Rebels have terrible build quality.

[P-nut]

^ Thank you

[al dolega]

The T2i is cheap-feeling plastic, and pretty small/toy-feeling in your hands. The 60D is slightly bigger and much more solid as it's more of a fiberglass-ey plastic (think of it as being like a Fifty50 frame material vs. the T2i being made from boot plastic). The 7D is metal, one step larger again, and is the cheapest Canon that feels like a "real" or "pro" piece of equipment. The 7D feels the best by far, but the 60D is pretty close behind in solidity. In size it's still kinda small if you have large-ish hands.

Video on all three is almost identical, save for four things:

-T2i only has full ISO stops (not as fine of adjustment), and they don't line up with the sensor's native ISO's (aka the "good ISO's"). 60D and 7D have one-third stop increments so you can use "the good ISO's".

-60D has the swivel screen, which seems silly but it's a pretty big difference when you're filming at any angle that's not at head height.

-60D has manual audio controls, T2i and 7D do not. They may update the 7D firmware to include it at some point, but who knows when. This is a big plus in my book.

-60D and 7D have the rear control wheel, which you use to change aperture and to navigate menus. It's easier and faster than the T2i's pointer pad.

Photo-wise, image quality is going to be almost identical until you get into high ISO's (1600 and above).

The 60D body can be had for $900 now. I think it's totally worth it over the T2i.