2 Cameras, which one?

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Koolpc

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Nikon D3000 with 18-55mm VR Lens

Canon EOS 1000D + 18-55mm Kit

Quite like these 2 and i have been to a camera shop to 'feel / check them out' but still unsure if one is a better bet than the other. Want a DSLR for general family use with maybe some more specialised photography sometime in the future.

I only have a max of approx £350 to spend and i really want to buy new. Not sure about 2nd hand as worried about problems arising with faulty goods and nowhere to turn when needed!

Any advice about the above 2 would be great or if you want to point me towards another of the same price that you think might be better then please do.
 
Both cheap, both good value and both worth buying. The only difference of note for me would be that the D3000 lacks the AF motor, leaving you with a (very slightly) more limited selection of lenses. However if you have no money in either system get whichever is cheapest. These are both cameras you will end up upgrading anyway!
 
Was in a similar situation last Christmas. Mum was buying me my first DSLR for joint Christmas and birthday present so went to check a few out. Narrowed it down to the D3000 and I think it was the 450D. Both pretty good spec on paper but after handling them both I found that the Nikon was much better. The Canon felt quite cheap and as if it would break quickly. Got on well with the Nikon from the start so will probably stick with them :)
 
I would go with the Nikon, not due to being a 'fan boy' or anything, purely down to value for money.
 
I had a similar choice when I started out. Was between I think the D40 or D60, cant remember now, and the 1000D. In the end I went for the 1000D. Buying into the Canon system just made more sense to me when comparing the two, and that is no slight on the Nikons, in the right hands, either are capable of incredible photographs. The lack of an AF motor is a big deal to me, and thinking to the future, the Canon seemed more futureproof, larger selection of lenses etc...

Again its all so personal and the topic will no doubt descend into a Canon vs Nikon war. End of the day they are both great cameras, capable of great photos, and both Canon and Nikon have their positives and negatives.
 
menthel said:
Both cheap, both good value and both worth buying. The only difference of note for me would be that the D3000 lacks the AF motor, leaving you with a (very slightly) more limited selection of lenses. However if you have no money in either system get whichever is cheapest. These are both cameras you will end up upgrading anyway!
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This answer is superb and exactly what I was thinking! (y)

Only thing I have to add is - go have a play- see which one feels better in your hands.
 
Yea, as said, already looked at both. Can't decide which to buy!
 
Oodid sorry - meant did you take a memory card and take some shots with them? Feel in hand is good but also check out the control wheels when using etc.
 
I'm kind of going through a similar thing though my comparison is between the D5000 and the 500D.

Going on spec and reviews, the nikon wins, but looking a little deeper the differences become more apparent .

The nikon has a smaller pixel count, lenses will be more expensive and a remote release more expensive.
The canon will be cheaper in both respects with wide third party support for accessories and has a higher pixel count.

Pretty much similar for you, think ahead to likely future costs, use of the lenses you will buy with an upgraded body ( we all upgrade in the end)

I think my mind is made up on the canon.
 
what about :-
  • what will you shoot with it?
  • what lenses will you need?
  • what extra's will you need?
Which range / family meets your needs best...

You start with a kit and expand rapidly as you get the bug :)

Make sure you consider the future....

Happy snapping ...
 
if I were you, I would spend a lil more for the D3000 + 18-105Vr, or ideally D5000 + 18-105VR :)
 
For my customers I simply ask them to hold both and ask them what feels best. In short my honest option is the D3000 is better built as per it's previous D60 incarnation, hence why I now use the Nikon system also the ISO performance is better, but in all fairness this ISO was a battle always won by the Nikon counterpart in most models and stands even today except for the D90 vs the 550D, that 550D is an awesome camera. Also a big nod for the 5D mkii vs the D700. I would be 5D mkii all day long (y)

The lack of motor drive in today's lens options only becomes an issue when you buy your first 50mm F1.X as in canon you can instantly buy the cheaper 50mm 1.8 but in Nikon you have to opt for the full pro 50mm 1.4G (£300ish) or the more affordable 35mm 1.8 (£160ish) that gives you a true 50mm experience vs the crop sensor when compared to film as the 50mm of today on a crop is closer to the 85mm of film days.

You'll know what feels right. I have to say it's an even playing field out there these days until you hit the very top end and Cannon have dropped the ball on the 1D mkiv against the full frame clean D3s. Also I prefer the dual dial control system on the Nikon but that's because it feels right for me.

Also the D3000 comes with a full VR lens the 1000D does not an that's a fail for me as they are so close in price...
 
Koolpc said:
I only have a max of approx £350 to spend and i really want to buy new. Not sure about 2nd hand as worried about problems arising with faulty goods and nowhere to turn when needed!

Any advice about the above 2 would be great or if you want to point me towards another of the same price that you think might be better then please do.
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Personally I would recommend ffordes, MPB & Digital Deport (both TP members and advertises on TP), Mifsuds, Camtech, Park Camera's as all good reputable 2nd hand dealers and you might get abit more for your money. I've (or friends have) bought from them and have been very pleased with the equipment they have bought.

You could get a canon 30D with a kit lens for about that amount, better spec camera than either of them above.

As for the 2 camera's, not a great deal of difference between them spec's wise, the Nikon D5000 a better camera than the D3000, but at the end of the day you need to handle both and see which one you prefer, its your money.

Personally I don't the way Nikon have divided their camera and lens ranges. The D3000 forces you down the route of buying their newer lenses with inbuilt focus motors because certain models (D40, D60, D3000, D5000) do not have one, this is a missed opportunity to use some great lenses in their back catalogue , and for that I prefer the canon, but that's my personal opinion.
 
Ok, lets make this 3 cameras. What about:

Olympus E-520 SLR

Got the chance to buy one 2nd hand ( I know i said i don't like 2nd hand but.....)

Is the Olympus a step in the right direction or should i say a better camera than the 2 i listed in my first post?
 
Just buy one - both are great cameras for your money. I have a canon 550d. For you I would say go for the nikon (slight edge in my view) as per Chris but both are very very similar
 
Of course, lens choice in the future matters too as i would love to get a good zoom sometime towards the end of the year. So, this makes my decision harder.

Sony have just brought out the new A290 DSLR. approx £400 brand new, over budget but it does have in-body image stab.

The Nikon D3000 feels like a really nice camera to hold and use. Is it a worthy camera to buy? How much would a good zoom cost me in the future?

So confusing guys!
 
I personally would stick with Nikon or Canon, for the greater selection of 2nd hand lenses and such available.

I preferred the feel of the Nikon but really there's very little in it. Have a feel of the D5000/D90 and their Canon equivilents - most people get a body and lens, keep getting better lenses, then upgrade the body to match the lenses (as I've seen on here anyway!), so if you prefer the feel of 1 or the other higher up that may help?

You say general - Nikon I think have slightly better performance at higher ISO. Clutching a bit though and I may be biased :D



Alternatively... you say about worries with 2nd hand. I went for a new body for the same reason, however lenses I'd not worry so much. You seem to be looking at over budget, now I'm not recommending these in particular as no experience, but I've found a D5000 here for £398, Jessops have them at £429, others inbetween.

And then pick up the cheapest possible 2nd hand lens you can find for now?
 
Koolpc said:
Of course, lens choice in the future matters too as i would love to get a good zoom sometime towards the end of the year. So, this makes my decision harder.

Sony have just brought out the new A290 DSLR. approx £400 brand new, over budget but it does have in-body image stab.

The Nikon D3000 feels like a really nice camera to hold and use. Is it a worthy camera to buy? How much would a good zoom cost me in the future?

So confusing guys!
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Depends what you mean by a good zoom and what you want to photograph. Motorsport / Aviation that I photograph. At the top end I would be looking at the Nikon 200-400mm f4 @ £6000 new, £4000 used, or a sigma 120-300mm f2.8 @ £1700/1800 for top quality glass. On the budget end, your still looking to pay £500-1200 for a reasonable zoom, of course buying 2nd hand would reduce costs.

Canon and nikon have well established ranges. Sony and Olympus have a limited range and their braned lenses aren't cheap, although in current times, all photographic equipment has gone up significantly.
 
I got a d3000 and i think its superb and eventually if i needed/wanted to i would move to a d90

J
 
littlemonster said:
You say general - Nikon I think have slightly better performance at higher ISO. Clutching a bit though and I may be biased :D
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Only on there pro bodies like the D700 and D3 models
 
Sony Alpha a450 + 18-55mm Lens

This a good camera guys?
 
Nikon D3000 has the "best' kit lens of the three. i.e. the other two are completely awful. Nikon has less annoying shutter sound too. Just remember to keep the pop-up flash off at all times, use manual modes, get better lens and all will be well.
 
littlemonster said:
Alternatively... you say about worries with 2nd hand. I went for a new body for the same reason, however lenses I'd not worry so much. You seem to be looking at over budget, now I'm not recommending these in particular as no experience, but I've found a D5000 here for £398, Jessops have them at £429, others inbetween.

And then pick up the cheapest possible 2nd hand lens you can find for now?
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Koolpc,
If you are looking a 'little over budget'? the D5000 is a great camera, for personal reasons, I have recently 'downgraded' to a 5000. Essentially it is a D90 with a few things added, a few revamped, and a few left off, but the way I see it, its still a D90 where it matters? The no motor lens issue? again personally, if all your going to do is 'bandy' pictures on the net . . . its no issue, IMHO;)

Reading reviews, one generally gets the impression when they make comment, Nikon entry level and lower end models have a 'better built feel'? I'm biased, but did have the opportunity recently to feel a whole batch of cameras at the Warehouse Express Showrooms, like a kid in a sweetie shop I was:LOL: The build quality and general difference in feel where quite distinct . . . !

. . . and yes, Nikon kit lenses seem to always come out on top . . . (y)

I'm no expert, but do like what I like, and try to go with my own feelings not peer pressure or flavour of the month, have no interest in 'making an impression, just taking good pictures that I like'. I take on advise and consider it carefully . . . enjoy your final choice . . .
 
Build quality of the lower end Canons is far worse than the Nikons, its immediately obvious when you play with them......
 
If you can scrape together an extra £100 ...

PC World (and all related companies) have the Pentax Kx back on with both the 18-55 and 50-200 for £450.
The Kx is far superior to both the Nikon and Canon you are looking at. I can now say this without the bias off being a Pentaxian as the Kx was voted best entry level DSLR.
 
As previously stated, when I was in the market for my first DSLR I was choosing between the Canon and Nikon. Initially both handled reasonably well but once I tried the controls on the back it was immediately apparent that the Canon and a much cheaper and flimsy feel to it. Not wanting anything to break or snap off I went for the Nikon which has a much more solid feel to it and simple things like opening the SD slot cover just feel much higher quality by comparison.
 
This is getting confusing.

I think the 'feel' of the 1000D is worse than the 3000, and indeed worse than the 400D I recently lost :crying:

I did the same as you, but I found the Canon felt better in my hands (compared to the Nikon and Sony I was eyeing up at the time). All of them are way better than my meagre talents could differentiate.
 
Koolpc, I've seen you post everything from which camera threads to rants about not getting a good Sony deal. You also have put up WTBs for Canon lenses when you don't have a body and haggle people for lenses on classifieds.. :) And now you're again asking how to choose between Canon, Nikon (and Sony as a late entry).. :cautious:

I'd seriously recommend you buy a used body + lens, you can move them on at very little loss if buyers remorse sets in or you want to try something different. It will also allow you to concentrate on taking pictures instead of all the latest bells and whistles. But £350 is not a lot to spend on a DSLR + lens though, even second hand.. you might be disappointed by the quality & ergonomics and put off the whole DSLR game :|
 
vaizki said:
Koolpc, I've seen you post everything from which camera threads to rants about not getting a good Sony deal. You also have put up WTBs for Canon lenses when you don't have a body and haggle people for lenses on classifieds.. :) And now you're again asking how to choose between Canon, Nikon (and Sony as a late entry).. :cautious:

I'd seriously recommend you buy a used body + lens, you can move them on at very little loss if buyers remorse sets in or you want to try something different. It will also allow you to concentrate on taking pictures instead of all the latest bells and whistles. But £350 is not a lot to spend on a DSLR + lens though, even second hand.. you might be disappointed by the quality & ergonomics and put off the whole DSLR game :|
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Yea, i have asked for certain lenses as i was offered a camera body which fell through.

As said before Pentax K-x looks great, can be had for £380 if you look around but still unsure about non AF lights.

Nikon D3000 is another contender for me. Seen a 2nd hand one in a local shop for £280.

Then, someone pointed out the SAMSUNG NX10 18-55mm lots of different advice from lots of different people.

What i don't want to do is go in head first and regret it later. That is why i have been asking around all the time.

My budget is almost rigid give or take £40+-.

Sorry for all the question guys!
 
Koolpc said:
What i don't want to do is go in head first and regret it later. That is why i have been asking around all the time....
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face it ....you are NOT going to get all you want on your first camera

just get the D3000 [before the summer ends..:D ] .... start learning/shooting/analyzing and in 12 months reassess your requirements
 
Yardbent said:
face it ....you are NOT going to get all you want on your first camera

just get the D3000 [before the summer ends..:D ] .... start learning/shooting/analyzing and in 12 months reassess your requirements
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Someone on another forum, who teachers photography, says she has the D3000, Canon 450D, Sony etc and says the Nikon D3000 takes the worst pics of the bunch!!
 
I just went through this myself.

If you fancy a Nikon more, or a canon more, then buy the brand you like - it will take excellent pictures.

After looking and handling a few options, I bought a Pentax k-x (available with a 18-55 lens for £399 or less).

Why? I liked it.

Pentax is obviously a good camera brand, it does video (nice to have but not essential for me) and I think it will last me longer and I will not need to upgrade as early as it is more often compared to the Nikon D5000 than the D3000.
 
Kid_UK said:
I just went through this myself.

If you fancy a Nikon more, or a canon more, then buy the brand you like - it will take excellent pictures.

After looking and handling a few options, I bought a Pentax k-x (available with a 18-55 lens for £399 or less).

Why? I liked it.

Pentax is obviously a good camera brand, it does video (nice to have but not essential for me) and I think it will last me longer and I will not need to upgrade as early as it is more often compared to the Nikon D5000 than the D3000.
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How do you rate the pics you take with it?

Does the non Lighting up of the AF points annoy you?

Where did you buy yours?
 
Koolpc said:
Someone on another forum, who teachers photography, says she has the D3000, Canon 450D, Sony etc and says the Nikon D3000 takes the worst pics of the bunch!!
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that's why I got the D5000 after my D40..............:D

you will continue to confuse yourself with questions

clarify your requirements - you will not get a "bad" entry level

HOWEVER you WILL upgrade, so get Nikon or Canon which IMO will be easier to sell
 
you need to think beyond today and think about when you want to up grad If you get the Canon you will have a large range of lens that you will be able to us on your upgrade.
I don't know what the entry level cameras are like but I do now what the lens on Canon are like and they are good.
 
Koolpc said:
How do you rate the pics you take with it?

Does the non Lighting up of the AF points annoy you?

Where did you buy yours?
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I've only had it a short while - but I'm really pleased with the pictures taken so far - they look excellent to me (of course probably any camera would produce images that look excellent to my untrained eye).

The non lighting points on the AF are not a big deal for me. Of course, you can see what's in and out of focus to some degree through the viewfinder anyway - and you know what the camera will be focusing on based on the AF setting and of course you still get an audible beep when it's focussed.

I bought mine from Camera World (actually paid the extra and got the twin lens kit for £530). It's slightly smaller than the others I looked at and has Shake reduction in the body rather than the lenses.

The other point on the k-x is that it runs off AA batteries. Some might not like this, but for me it was a big plus. My Fuji ran off AA's so I have a number of rechargeable AA's and the biggest benefit is that if I'm out and the battery goes flat, you can buy power at almost any shop.
 
Koolpc said:
How do you rate the pics you take with it?

Does the non Lighting up of the AF points annoy you?

Where did you buy yours?
Click to expand...

Every picture on my flickr site is taken with a Pentax Km or Kx, 99% with the 18-55 and 50-200 kit lenses, a few with old manual lenses bought very cheaply. For the money, the Kx is superb.
Does the non Lighting up of the AF points annoy you?
Not really sure what you mean by this, I thnk you mean the overlay of AF points showing what point is focused, I have never had this so it would not annoy me.
Kx advantages ...
1) Vibration reduction in body, therefore even my old M50 F2 lens bought for under a tenner has vibration reduction
2) Huge amount of old glass at great prices, very high quality lenses and manual metering and focus is great for learning photography
3) Live view (but I do not use it)
4) Selectable auto focus point (total 11 focus points, five selectable)
5) Good built in features like HDR
6) very good build quality
7) Good sensor and metering (for this level camera)
8) Very good at higher ISO compared to the Canon and Nikon you are considering

Only gripes I have with the Kx
1) Only IR remote, no jack plug for wired remote
2) Cannot use IR remote when bracketing exposure
3) Tends to slightly under expose, I usually have +0.3 almost permanently dialled in.

Thats it. I would love to upgrade to the K7 now I have learned and pushed the boundaries of my Km (Kx is my camra at work so mainly use Km) but for the money and against all the other comparable cameras the Kx will not dissapoint you.

HTH
 
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