another ... Which one?

JDP

JDP

Messages
512
Name
James
Edit My Images
Yes
Hello.

I am ready to ditch my S9600! but i am debating which one to go for...

Canon EOS 450D or the Nikon D60.

Which is the better camera? i will be trying to specalise in Aniimals, Wildlife, Landscapes, astronomy.



thanks,

JDP.
 
Nikon D300 :D
seriously though, I have a Nikon D60 and it is quite basic, although once you have upgraded, the higher end Nikon cameras are, IMHO, streets ahead of the Canon aquivalents.

HTH

Oscar ;)
 
I have a 450D & can say that I use it more now than I use my 30D. No idea about Nikon though, but I know the 450D is a pretty nifty little piece of kit!
 
I don't shoot animals, wildlife or astronomy, but here's a couple of seasidey examples from my 450D with a siggy 10-20mm on the end of it :)

3506900387_573e765662.jpg


3550230248_eb562dfcd4.jpg
 
I'd look at the lenses available for each as well - if a 70..200 would be likely to be an "every day" lens for you, that could swing it to Canon. Nikon I'm sure have their gems as well of course.
 
Okay thanks guys for the help!! - louise, got some lovely shots :), by the look of it i will go for a canon 450D, im going to see if my budget will let me get the D90, but then i will be stuck for a telephoto lens.

I would love a D300, on my x-mas wish list, but i doubt it will happen lol.

Thanks again for the helps!

i think the 70-200/300 would be used most of the time.
 
go play first

but if you want long canon wins for telephoto primes

you can have f4 glass or f2.8 through the whole range depending on how much you want to pay (16-300mm)

or you could go nikon and ya know ..... FAIL
 
JDP said:
Hello.

I am ready to ditch my S9600! but i am debating which one to go for...

Canon EOS 450D or the Nikon D60.

Which is the better camera? i will be trying to specalise in Aniimals, Wildlife, Landscapes, astronomy.

thanks,

JDP.
Click to expand...

That's a tough one, especially because it's mostly lenses that will have the biggest impact on your possibilities and final output in those categories.
Are you a RAW shooter? Google some samples first. If you can't, try http://raw.fotosite.pl/ and similar sites.
I believe your question was actually which one would be a better camera for you, and that's something you have to decide - download the manuals to those cameras and read through them, you'll find there are some rather unsurprising similarities.
Maybe you'll need to go into more detail in your requirements to get this sorted.
If you can, try out both bodies to see how you like the grip.
Maybe you'll just flip a coin in the end.
 
Hi

For animals \ wildlife you will generally need lenses with a long focal lengh, or macro lenses for the small bugs etc.

For birds etc you really want to be starting at 400mm minimum (other than ones you can get in the garden by the feeder, ducks in ponds etc). so have a look at the prices of thoses lenses, finish crying, and then maybe companre the Nikon \ Canon options and see what might suit your budget best (including in the long term).

For Macro bugs people tend to use the 90mm eg Tamron, sigma 105mm and canon 100mm (or nikon one) so have a look at those prices too.

You can then also search for landscape lenses etc and get an idea of the prices of lenses for each maker (not forgetting Tokina, Sigma, Tamron make lenses to fit all as well).

I remember when I started searching for my first DSLR, I had no idea what an F number was, and every review says all the cameras are great and you have no idea what to choose and I slowly sunk into a pool of confusion and indecision.

The reality is most DSLRs will take great pics for you. The lens quality will affect the image quality more than the body as a general rule.

I got a 400D as my first DSLR. I now have a 40D partly because it just fits better in my hands and I prefer the layout (this is much more important than you might think). So as others have mentioned get down to your local camera shop and feel the cameras inyour hand and see which feels best. If you go down the Canon route my advise would be to get a 400D or 40D based on which feels better for you, and with the money you save on the body (if you get the 400d anyway) you can spend more on the lenses.

Good luck

Al
 
Agree with all above posts, initially you need to see which size of camera feels best for you (the 40D is a larger body than the 450D) and which make / model's controls feels most natural. If you still don't have a preferrence, then as mentioned above, look at the lenses, accessories etc and see which you can get the best deal on.

Good luck with your search :clap:
 
Awesome, thanks again for the additional advice! i didn't actually think about looking at the different prices of the accessories.
I was just comparing the quality of the image. (I am picky.. i spent a week in Spain with my S9600, some were okay but i deleted them all because they were rubbish quality)

Cheers again! :D

Just found the 500D which looks quite nice... So many reviews on these cameras. I'm going for Canon! no doubt the 500D!
 
what are Opteka lenses like??
 
Of the 2 you quote I would go for the 450D, the D60 is limited to AF-S & AF-I lenses for autofocus. For the Nikon I would contemplate the D80 which beats the 450D in lots of areas.
 
I'm a Nikon user and would obviously recommend one :)

Have a look at the following:
http://www.dpreview.com/reviews/canoneos450d/page23.asp

TBH there's not a lot between them...

The main things are to see how both cameras feel to use and to remember you are buying into a system -- if you become serious you will soon find that the camera is one of the cheaper bits!

Canon: http://www.dpreview.com/reviews/canoneos450d/page34.asp
Nikon: http://www.dpreview.com/reviews/nikond60/page29.asp

There are also the Canon 500D and Nikon D5000
 
so im asuming the Opteka are not actually that good then.

Thanks for the two links!

I have actually reserching the D500 & 5000D... i'm looking at the D500 tbh. But the telephoto lens' in my price range is the Tameron 70-300mm.

too many cameras, not enough money!
 
JDP said:
so im asuming the Opteka are not actually that good then.
Click to expand...

Their lenses would severly restrict what you could do with your DSLR and you would be better spending your money on something else.

JDP said:
But the telephoto lens' in my price range is the Tameron 70-300mm.
Click to expand...

One thing to consider is that on a lens that long (over ~200mm) you'll likely have problems holding it steady -- you'd really need to be looking at a tripod or an image stabilised lens (Nikon VR or Canon IS lenses).

You might be better going for a higher tier xx-200mm lens like (using a Nikon example) the Nikon 55-200VR, which has a very good reputation despite being a kit lens.

The trouble is that you're hoping to cover so many bases from the start: "Aniimals, Wildlife, Landscapes, astronomy".

If you're unclear what you want to concentrate on you might be better getting one of the body + lens kits and seeing how you go.
 
WillieL said:
Of the 2 you quote I would go for the 450D, the D60 is limited to AF-S & AF-I lenses for autofocus. For the Nikon I would contemplate the D80 which beats the 450D in lots of areas.
Click to expand...

Good to see the (very capable) D80 getting a plug. :)
 
I can't talk about the Canon but maybe I can offer a little advice on the Nikon. I had a D50 which I absolutely loved and which took great shots. It got damaged while on a trip to Egypt so while in Singpore we bought the D60 which I wrongly assumed was the D50's replacement.

First issue was that we had to buy a new zoom lenses as my existing 70-300mm would not autofocus in it.

Then when I started to use it I really hated it. The camera body is a lot smaller that the D50 (or the D70,80 or 90), and when you attached the zoom to it the whole thing felt very unbalanced. So much so that a lot of my sports shots were out of focus due to too much camera shake.

Once the insurance paid out on my origional camera I went out an bought a D90 and the wide got given the D60.

I would recommedn you go into a shop and ask to try out the bodies with the long lenses that you intend to us on it and see how it fits in your hand.
 
First off forget Opteka the price alone should warn you, as for makes of camera there will always be those that favour one make or another. The main ones being Canon or Nikon, in truth they are both as good as each other, its the person behind it that makes the difference. It really all comes down to what your comfortable with and how easy you find using the settings.
Yes there are differences obviously with one trying to outdo the other. I went for Nikon because of the faster maximum shutter speed and I liked the sturdier feel in the hand but that was my choice.
The D60 if my memory serves me correctly is smaller than the others in the Nikon range and lighter.

Which ever camera make you choose one important point often missed is balance (as already mentioned), a light camera with a heavy lens can make taking photos just that bit harder as the lens tends towards getting the camera pointing down, so you are having to make that extra effort to hold it. A heavier camera with a light lens or a heavy lens the balance is far better. This is something I have come to appreciate after holding several At the Focus 0n Imaging show held at the NEC in Birmingham.


Realspeed
 
acs said:
Their lenses would severly restrict what you could do with your DSLR and you would be better spending your money on something else.



One thing to consider is that on a lens that long (over ~200mm) you'll likely have problems holding it steady -- you'd really need to be looking at a tripod or an image stabilised lens (Nikon VR or Canon IS lenses).

You might be better going for a higher tier xx-200mm lens like (using a Nikon example) the Nikon 55-200VR, which has a very good reputation despite being a kit lens.

The trouble is that you're hoping to cover so many bases from the start: "Aniimals, Wildlife, Landscapes, astronomy".

If you're unclear what you want to concentrate on you might be better getting one of the body + lens kits and seeing how you go.
Click to expand...

Okay thanks mate, ill avoid them at all costs!!!.. Yeah i plan to use my tripod with the long lenses, i got a rather good light one from 7dayshop for £11 it's rather good and light! (y) free nylon bag too (which ive lost :bonk:)

I have been looking at the D90's which come with a 18-105mm VR which is abit short! (i idealy want to do animals & landscapes!.. i work with animals almost everyday!)

I have also been looking at the 500D with lens kit. with these lens kits.. the 18-55mm IS Lens + Tamron 70-300mm f4/5.6 DI LD Macro (Canon AF). Its so confusing. Im glad this only happends once in a blue moon! lol

MScotts said:
Good to see the (very capable) D80 getting a plug. :)
Click to expand...

My grandad has this camera, i like it allot. But i cant find it anywhere. (I'm not a fan of getting second hand!!)

whittyp said:
I can't talk about the Canon but maybe I can offer a little advice on the Nikon. I had a D50 which I absolutely loved and which took great shots. It got damaged while on a trip to Egypt so while in Singpore we bought the D60 which I wrongly assumed was the D50's replacement.

First issue was that we had to buy a new zoom lenses as my existing 70-300mm would not autofocus in it.

Then when I started to use it I really hated it. The camera body is a lot smaller that the D50 (or the D70,80 or 90), and when you attached the zoom to it the whole thing felt very unbalanced. So much so that a lot of my sports shots were out of focus due to too much camera shake.

Once the insurance paid out on my origional camera I went out an bought a D90 and the wide got given the D60.

I would recommedn you go into a shop and ask to try out the bodies with the long lenses that you intend to us on it and see how it fits in your hand.
Click to expand...

Okay thanks for that info!!.. i did try the D90 with the Tameron 70-300mm lens. it did feal very nice and to too heavy!

realspeed said:
First off forget Opteka the price alone should warn you, as for makes of camera there will always be those that favour one make or another. The main ones being Canon or Nikon, in truth they are both as good as each other, its the person behind it that makes the difference. It really all comes down to what your comfortable with and how easy you find using the settings.
Yes there are differences obviously with one trying to outdo the other. I went for Nikon because of the faster maximum shutter speed and I liked the sturdier feel in the hand but that was my choice.
The D60 if my memory serves me correctly is smaller than the others in the Nikon range and lighter.

Which ever camera make you choose one important point often missed is balance (as already mentioned), a light camera with a heavy lens can make taking photos just that bit harder as the lens tends towards getting the camera pointing down, so you are having to make that extra effort to hold it. A heavier camera with a light lens or a heavy lens the balance is far better. This is something I have come to appreciate after holding several At the Focus 0n Imaging show held at the NEC in Birmingham.


Realspeed
Click to expand...
Thanks for that, im going into town on Wednesday, so ill take a visit to Jessops (Imo, that is what its the best for.. everything else it abit too expensive) and try out the diffrent cameras!

Thanksss all for the advice(y)
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top