How do you choose a new camera???

[fidsey79]

Went into Jacobs today and had a proper look at the Canon 60d and Nikon D7000. Really hoped that one would 'feel' 100 times better than the other but I found they both had different advantages and disadvantages. For me, the Canon felt long but lighter, whereas the Nikon felt a bit more cramped but felt nice and heavy. I have been reading reviews and magazines seem to swap and change which one of the two is better. Very confusing! How on earth will I get anywhere near making a decision??? Sarah

 

[SussexBlue]

for a start don't limit yourself to Canon/Nikon, take a look at the other manufacturers as well such as Olympus, Pentax, Sony etc.

 

[fidsey79]

I have been looking at this for aggggggeeeeeesss, and in fairness it is still not a done deal yet - he who holds the purse strings must still be convinced!!! After a lot of research these were the two that I thought would probably fit the bill. I am, however, definitely open to suggestions!!! Thanks, Sarah

 

[gunnar]

Nikon d7000 beats canon 60D hands down. And I'm canon user mind you.

Better dynamic range
Lower high ISO noise
Better IQ
Better colors
Better built
Weather sealed
Much better AF
Larger viewfinder
2 card slots

 

[Dale_tem]

Whats your budget? What are your aims?

If you only have £1000 and you want to do wildlife photos, you may want a long lens and spend less on the body

 

[Alastair]

When choosing manufacturer choose based on the lenses, then decide which of their bodies meets your needs and is comfortable to use.

You can easily find that the difference in the three-year budget (body plus two or three lenses plus accessories) between manufacturer/model is completely unrelated to the instant budget (body plus first lens). So think long-term when considering the budget.

 

[fidsey79]

I think I will be able to afford a body, 50mm 1.8 and a something wideish not necessarily long. Of course the thing I have not really factored is whether it might just be worth looking 2nd hand for ff

 

[srichards]

Nikon D7000 is nearly a grand. The Sony A580 which has the same sensor, up to 7fps and twice the buffer size is £529. D7000 can manage a measly 10 RAWS before filling its buffer. The sigma 150, 170 and 50-500s are all available in sony fit. Unless you want the £5-£10k dustbin sized lenses sony/pentax have decent enough lenses. And with sony/pentax you have the benefit of in body stabilisation which automatically stabilises any lens you end up buying.

Picking them up is the only answer. You might find what sounds good on paper doesn't translate to usability in the real world. If neither the canon or nikon quite suits then I'd check out sony/pentax. One of them might. And with the latter you get the same great sensor as the nikon anyway...

 

[markmullen]

Why not look at older higher range bodies and buy second hand? I use Canon 1 series bodies which are their professional range, they're very very good and can be bought for a fraction of their new cost.