First DSLR purchase
I'm about to venture into the world of DSLR. My point & shoot (Canon IXUS 40) just bit the dust and instead of replacing it with another P&S I'd like to upgrade.
I travel quite a bit and most of my photographs are taken during vacation tours, by and large in the Middle East so lots of sun & desert light. I'm interested in archaeology so also lots of stone arches, columns and other buildings. Nothing professional, just wanting to showcase some of the places I visit to my family & friends at a higher standard than I've managed to date. (And yes, I realise my skills are more important than the camera - that goal is underway separately :thumb )
So far I've narrowed my decision to:
Canon EOS 450D
Canon EOS 40D
Nikon D80
Again I realise the lens is important but bear with me as I decide on a body first - I intend to play with the kit version while I increase my skills & knowledge. (Of course, all lens suggestions gratefully accepted!) Budget at this point is not a major issue, even if it involves buying a separate lens.
My dithering essentially comes down to:
1. Is the weight associated with the magnesium alloy body (40D) worth it given I wouldn't be using a tripid & would be carrying the camera on day-long tours?
2. Is the dust/water resistance of the 40D good enough to mark it out from the others? (Sand is my constant companion!)
3. Is the top LCD panel (D80 & 40D) worth it for the associated battery power savings with not using the LCD monitor, or other reasons?
All three felt great in my hands so the above items are currently all that keep me from making a decision. Please help me wise forumites!!
I travel quite a bit and most of my photographs are taken during vacation tours, by and large in the Middle East so lots of sun & desert light. I'm interested in archaeology so also lots of stone arches, columns and other buildings. Nothing professional, just wanting to showcase some of the places I visit to my family & friends at a higher standard than I've managed to date. (And yes, I realise my skills are more important than the camera - that goal is underway separately :thumb )
So far I've narrowed my decision to:
Canon EOS 450D
Canon EOS 40D
Nikon D80
Again I realise the lens is important but bear with me as I decide on a body first - I intend to play with the kit version while I increase my skills & knowledge. (Of course, all lens suggestions gratefully accepted!) Budget at this point is not a major issue, even if it involves buying a separate lens.
My dithering essentially comes down to:
1. Is the weight associated with the magnesium alloy body (40D) worth it given I wouldn't be using a tripid & would be carrying the camera on day-long tours?
2. Is the dust/water resistance of the 40D good enough to mark it out from the others? (Sand is my constant companion!)
3. Is the top LCD panel (D80 & 40D) worth it for the associated battery power savings with not using the LCD monitor, or other reasons?
All three felt great in my hands so the above items are currently all that keep me from making a decision. Please help me wise forumites!!
0
Comments
At the risk of mixing you up even more!!! I own a D80 and I am very very satisfied. This being said, there are some points to ponder;
1. In my opinion, the weight of the body becomes negligeable compare to the lens you will attach to it. So a magnesium body will likely get more resistant if you drop it but it is not that important.
2. If sand is your constant companion, you should really consider Pentax K20D with its fully sealed body. The D80 is lacking in this area while the 40D has dust removal system. The pentax seems far superior on paper for dust and wheather resistance. It is also quite small and lightweight.
3. The top LCD is a must in my opinion, I am looking at it every shot.
Look for review about the K20D, it might change your mind. I hope this help
JY
My Gallery
I think the battery life of the 40D is better than the 450D but if you carry a spare battery and a charger to charge the batteries at the hotel, then that should be fine. I like the top LCD very much.
If weight is a concern and you are looking for a smaller body as well, the 450D would be an option, especially if you intend to get it with the optically excellent 18-55mm IS kit lens and would make a great kit to learn on that is light.
I think the Nikon D80 is nice, but I'm not a fan of the 10MP CCD sensor that it uses. I think compared to the Canon's CMOS, it has more noise. This will be a difference if you shoot above ISO 400 IMO, so if you shoot in daytime only, then it's a moot point, but if you intend to do a lot of indoor and low light shooting, then it would be a factor for me.
Before we proceed, let's back up.
All of these cameras mentioned so far can take great photographs. I don't think durability is going to be a problem with any of them unless you are really rough with them.
I shoot with Canon and my father uses Nikon and I could be happy with either. I also have a friend and another acquaintance who shoot Pentax and I helped 2 people purchase Minolta (now Sony) dSLRs.
Each and every one of these cameras and systems has advantages and features.
I currently own Canon entry level (consumer), prosumer and professional level dSLR cameras, so I feel fairly comfortable and qualified discussing their differences.
Since you noticed the top LCD, the "Control Panel" LCD or the "Data" LCD, let's start there. This display shows you at a glance important shooting information all the time. The entry level cameras tend to put this display on the back of the camera while the prosumer and pro cameras put it on top. Either is workable. If you do tripod work you might appreciate one over the other depending on the height of the camera relative to yourself. The Canon 40D can display that information on the rear display upon request.
The entry level cameras use more plastic in the body, to be sure, but they are solid enough. I have used old heavy lenses to 500mm, f4.5 on the XT/350D with no problems. I do think that the prosumer cameras can sustain more abuse without damage (dropping mostly) but the entry level cameras do not have any problems if they are not abused.
The bigger differences occur in areas like shooting performance.
The prosumer cameras have improved performance over the entry level cameras. The improvements are generally related to:
Faster (potentially more accurate) autofocus.
Faster continuous shooting, fps.
Deeper shot buffer.
Better low-light and high-ISO performance.
Better exposure and metering system.
(Generally) larger battery system with longer shooting between battery changes.
Improved cusomization through advanced configuration options.
More durable shutter and mirror mechanism.
ISO 3200 (not available on Canon entry level cameras)
etc.
Between Canon and Nikon I suggest that, since you said price is not so much an issue, the Canon 40D and the Nikon D200 or D300 should be your primary considerations. (The Nikon D300 is greatly improved over the D200, but the D200 is still a pretty great camera none-the-less.)
If blowing sand is going to be an issue then you need to establish some method of preventing the invasion of sand dust into the camera system, any system. Despite the dust reduction system of the Canon 40D, which seems to work somewhat, sand dust does not belong in any camera.
I suggest a clanging bag of some sort if you cannot change lenses in a car or some other enclosed environment.
The Pentax and Olympus systems also have (somewhat) environmentally sealed cameras as "ifocus" described before.
The top end (professional) Canon and Nikon cameras are the most sealed cameras if it is a concern.
The prosumer cameras will also allow certain lenses to be exploited. For instance, the Canon 40D center focus now has extra sensitivity and speed and accuracy when a lens of aperture f2.8 or better is mounted. This is especially important in low-light situations.
There is much more to say about the differences between these different cameras, but hopefully you will now explore for the differences yourself.
Please do let us know if you have any more questions and do relate your decision and reasons so others may learn.
Honestly, you cannot make a horrible decision these days as almost any current camera is pretty amazing and capable.
Moderator of the Cameras and Accessories forums
TheFireGuysPhotos.com
Hmm… I think the consensus is for the 40D and I have to admit I was rather hoping that would be the case, it felt & looked so good but I was concerned about the weight. Guess I just needed someone to agree with my uneducated feeling!
On the dust issue: I’m in Kuwait so obviously dust/sand is a constant issue but I wouldn’t be photographing in sandstorms (the camera lens isn’t the only thing that dislikes that environment, my contact lenses aren’t keen and neither my teeth nor clothes like being sand blasted either).
ifocus - The Pentax K20D looks interesting, my immediate concern though is that I haven’t seen any Pentax cameras here and I’m not willing to buy a camera online that I haven’t handled.
Tee Why – I do take photos of building interiors so your opinion on the advantage of the CMOS sensor in that situation is appreciated. Those are the photos that I’m currently always disappointed with when I get home.
Ziggy – thanks for that wealth of information. I certainly don’t intend to abuse the camera but there’s a picture of me in the dictionary under ‘klutz’ so the possibility of whacking the camera into a rock when scrambling around archaeological ruins worries me. I appreciate your comments on the Nikon D200/300 – they were actually on my original list but got pared out because I didn’t find them here.
So thanks everyone – my plan now is to go research prices online (way too high here in Kuwait, even with shipping costs) and get me a 40D!
Regarding your three points. #1-In very many cases the lens will outweigh the body; it's also partly a matter of preference, myself I like a bit more heft to the body. #2-IMHO no. I personally think that aspect is overblown in people's minds online. My 20D doesn't have it and I haven't considered the lack any issue at all after shooting in many conditions. #3-I personally much prefer having the top LCD, but that likely comes from long use of film SLRs where I learned to depend upon it; I typically have the rear LCD turned off & only chimp or run the menus when really needed. Again, a personal preference; I know some people really prefer the use of the rear LCD on the Rebels & Sonys.
Having played briefly with the K10D and K100D, I'd say Pentax has some nice cameras. They seemed well-built and the controls fell to hand (at least for me) pretty well. Definitely worth a look.
http://www.chrislaudermilkphoto.com/
If my informant was correct, it has sealing *only* on the battery and CF card doors. Sand and blowing dust is every bit as deleterious to electro-mechanical innards as is rainwater.
No, the K20D or its Samsung equivalent; or one of the others of like stripe (don't forget that all lenses have to be sealed, not just the body). I happen to know that the Olympus E-3 and all ZD pro-line lenses are well-sealed; surely there are others. Somebody please add to this too-short list. (If money isn't a problem, nor weight, the Canon and Nikon flagships are not just sealed but also ruggedized)
Don't forget some kind of filter over each lens. Most companies offer UV, but Heliopan offers a plain glass one which they call a protective filter. There is great debate about whether one should use a protective filter of any sort, and I must confess I haven't decided for myself. However in your case, I think it advisable. Remember that even before the front lens element scores, the chemical coating will be damaged and *that* is *soft*.
It goes without saying that the selection of lenses is just about critical. Even if money isn't your limit, the load, both weight and bulk, might be.
No fair; the two are of different generations. Of course the 40D does better. Very soon to appear is the D90. *Then* compare the two, although Nikon makes four cameras instead of the three that Canon offers (not counting the 5D).
Delightful commentary. I have a second sort of observation: A second body for alternate use. One of the point-and-shoots with real sealing. Or, if you need a larger sensor, then how about the Olympus E-420 with pancake lens (25mm f/2.8)? It can fit in a coat pocket, and be kept in a baggie till time for use. As I previously stated: *alternate* use; when space and weight become strong considerations.
I could suggest a monopod rather than a tripod. 4-section ones are compact.
On Monopod Technique
<http://www.nikonians.org/monopods/what_monopod_3.html>