Help me decide!!

something_greater · March 28, 2008

For the past few months i've been reading up on the Canon 5D and the Nikon D300. I've viewed shots from both and read LOTS of customer reviews, and really, I don't know which way to go. I'm leaning towards the 300 at this point, but the having full frame with Canon is really appealing.

I need some advice. I can pick up the camera whenever I decide...
So the sooner I decide, the better.

Thanks!!

Cameron · March 28, 2008

Do you have any lenses already? What kind of stuff do you shoot? What features are important to you? You'll get excellent image quality from either one. Have you held them? I wouldn't buy either one without handling them personally - the "feel" can make a big difference.

The D300 is packed with more features: 6fps, self-cleaning sensor, live-view, 3" high-res LCD, etc.
The 5D has been around for over 2 1/2 years and will likely get replaced in the next year (pure speculation). However, it is still an excellent value - an affordable full-frame camera with phenominal image quality. I think the D300 has more features, but if you're dying for a full-frame camera then there's no contest.

That said, the sensor size of the camera is only one aspect to consider and you'll need to weigh your needs. Both will give you great image quality so you really can't go wrong!

Don't forget that you'll be buying into a system so consider more than the body - what lenses do you anticipate buying? What is your budget? Anyway, share a bit more info on what your wants/needs are so we can give more targeted advice.

theinlawjosie · March 28, 2008

I'm definitely no expert and like the previous poster mentioned a lot of it is going to depend on if you are already commited to one system over the other, but if I had my choice I would go with the 5D. Of course I am partial to Canon, but if I had that much money to spend I would definitely go with the full frame.

ziggy53 · March 29, 2008

something_greater wrote:

...

I need some advice. I can pick up the camera whenever I decide...
So the sooner I decide, the better.

Thanks!!

What will you do with the camera? A camera is simply a tool and which tool you decide on should be based on your needs or intents.

For sports there is no contest, the Nikon D300 is an excellent choice for sports. The Canon 40D and 1D MKII/IIN/III are as well. These cameras are also pretty nice for wildlife because they have a reduced field of view which makes lenses seem longer than normal 35mm format full-frame.

The Canon 5D is pretty special because it is currently the only full-frame camera in its class and price range. Full-frame is great for scenic and vista landscapes and better control of DOF for portraiture and some real estate photography.

Do handle the cameras as was suggested. IMO the Nikon cameras have a more traditional layout and "feel" if you come from the film SLR world. Take your time and choose wisely because once you become entrenched in a particular make and format, it gets expensive to change.

Joves · March 30, 2008

I agree with what was said on handling both first and, see which you like better in your hands. If you do shoot wildlife then the crop sensor is a great advantage if you use a dual format lense i.e film/digital. For example my 80-400mm on a film camera has a magnification of 5x but, on the DX snesor it is 6.5x. A good amount of extra reach. The only lenses you wont get that advantage from are the DX series so, I dont own many of them. The only DX lenses I will use are wide field. I have the D300 myself and, am loving it as I learn to use it more. One thing I love over my D80 is I can adjust all of my White Balance settings, even the presets. I have yet to try out the 3D tracking as, I havent had any reason to use it yet.

Freezframe · March 30, 2008

I've always wantd a 5D sense hey came out ,,but !!!
With the announcement of a 5D MK2 that's a tuffie !!!! The 5D is a great camera only "bettered" by newer technology....The Nikon D300 is newer and more advanced camera for sure... I don't own either one .So hands on I can't give you advice ....Though I have had the chance to play with the D300 but,limited.....( Very Nice)
Myself I'm looking for more fps and a sensors that cleans its self(advantage D300)....Don't care about mega pixels.....

My fear is- what is Canon up to ??

Good luck: Brady

APK · March 30, 2008

What announcement?
Canon has not announced a 5DMkII that I am aware of. Lots of speculation. Nothing concrete.

Freezframe wrote:

With the announcement of a 5D MK2 that's a tuffie !!!! The 5D is a great camera only "bettered" by newer technology....The Nikon D300 is newer and more advanced camera for sure... I don't own either one .So hands on I can't give you advice ....Though I have had the chance to play with the D300 but,limited.....( Very Nice)
Myself I'm looking for more fps and a sensors that cleans its self(advantage D300)....Don't care about mega pixels.....

My fear is- what is Canon up to ??

Good luck: Brady

claudermilk · March 31, 2008

No, Canon has not announced ANY upcoming bodies right now. There's a tone of wishful thinking and speculation that can be safely ignored as noe of it has any basis in reality.

Back to the original question, I'll add another "what are you going to do with it?" We cannot recommend anything without knowing more. Use? Budget (I'm guessing we can safely assume $3-4k available)? Current gear?

something_greater · April 9, 2008

I do ALOT of sport photography and portrait. I'm not much of a wildlife person. My husband and I love to travel, so majority of my pictures are candid shots of people. BUT, I've recently started doing wedding and pregnancy shoots as well, which I love.

I went and shopped around today and looked at some lenses.
I really liked the Nikon 18-55mm f2.8 and the 70-200mm as well.
We were originally going to go with the 18-200mm f3.5 vr as a standard lens, but I was pretty much talked out of it. Any thought on the lenses as well?

Thanks for your help everyone!! I really appreciate the feedback!

ziggy53 · April 10, 2008

something_greater wrote:

I do ALOT of sport photography and portrait. I'm not much of a wildlife person. My husband and I love to travel, so majority of my pictures are candid shots of people. BUT, I've recently started doing wedding and pregnancy shoots as well, which I love.

...

In sports I doubt you would be happy with the Canon 5D. It's not designed for sports and I think you would find the responsiveness sluggish.

The 5D would excel at portraiture with more subtle flesh tones and better shadow response.

The Nikon D300 (and Canon 40D for that matter) are much preferred for sports where the tremendous shooting speed is enhanced by the crop magnification factor. I would recommend using single point focus as the D300 is slowed somewhat with 51 points enabled.

The Nikon also has both 12 bit and 14 bit acquisition, but the speed of acquisition is slow in 14 bit mode. The Canon 40D is much better in this regard.

ziggy53 · April 10, 2008

something_greater wrote:

...

I went and shopped around today and looked at some lenses.
I really liked the Nikon 18-55mm f2.8 vr and the 70-200mm as well.
We were originally going to go with the 18-200mm f3.5 vr as a standard lens, but I was pretty much talked out of it. Any thought on the lenses as well?

Thanks for your help everyone!! I really appreciate the feedback!

As far as I know, the new Nikkor 18-55mm VR is f3.5-5.6. Specifically it is the Nikkor AF-S DX 18-55mm, F/3.5-5.6G VR. It is an upgraded "kit" lens with improved optics and the VR. The Nikkor 17-55mm, f/2.8G ED-IF AF-S DX is a much better lens and would focus faster and probably more accurately, especially in low light.

The Nikkor 70-200mm, f/2.8G AF-S VR is another fantastic lens and very nice for many sports situations. A lot of outdoor sports shooters also carry the Nikkor 300mm, f/4 ED-IF AF-S.

There are, of course, Canon equivalents for these Nikon lenses.

Help me decide!!

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