which one is better Sony DSLR-A100 or canon D400 for professional photography?

Answer 1

Read my other answer in "Photography" first and then continue here.

Nikon vs. Sony

Which would you choose - a Nikon or a Konica/Minolta? Sony basically bought out Minolta and put their name on the camera. This is Sony's first DSLR and the D80 is simply the latest evolution of Nikon's years of experience. I wouldn't want to own anyone's "first ever" product, even if it was named "Camera of the Year."

When it comes time to buy lenses, do you want to be stuck with the limited amount of lenses that fit the Sony/Konica/Minolta mount or the endless selection of Nikon and Nikon-compatible lenses?

Yes, my bias is showing, but I'd buy the Nikon in a heartbeat over the Sony.

See the noise level in the Sony at this page:
http://www.dpreview.com/reviews/nikond80/page27.asp

http://www.dpreview.com/reviews/compare_post.asp?method=sidebyside&cameras=sony_dslra100%2Cnikon_d80&show=all

Click on "Our in-depth review" and "Read owner opinions."

In the owner opinions, I gleaned a few interesting comments, even from positive reviews:

"If I had the bucks, I'd go Nikon."

"I have some noise issues at ISO400 and above... for professional use only ISO up to 200 seems acceptable."

"...please start performing at your full potential as soon as possible.We all know you can perform better."

"This seems to say, 'Sony doesnt care about photography, Sony cares about money'."

"I think this camrea is a nice beginning for Sony, but not the camera I will buy."

"Would like dual aperture and shutter control dials... [instead of a single dial for everything]."

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Nikon vs. Canon - General

I've heard some people here say that the Nikon DSLR's are more suited for people who want to move up in the world of SLR photography and the Canon Rebel DSLR's are for people who do not want to leave the point and shoot world behind, but want access to some nice lenses.

The Nikon is definitely "better made" and seems like it will hold up better than the Canon. I don't like the fact that the Canon lacks a spot meter. They have a "large" central spot that covers 10% of the frame. A real spot meter zeroes in on 2-3% of the frame. This can really make the difference between getting an accurate exposure and getting lucky.

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Nikon D80 vs. Canon 400D/Rebel XTi

One of my boilerplate answers......

Comparing the Nikon D80 vs. Canon 400D/Rebel XTi

Check this page:

http://www.dpreview.com/reviews/nikond80/page21.asp

The first thing I notice is that the Canon does not have a spot meter. I thought they added that in the XTi, but I guess past criticism was not heard at Canon.

The Nikon user-definable Auto-ISO is an interesting feature that lets you define a couple of parameters about what's acceptable to you and what's not. I don't think this would be the tie-breaker, though, if you can't decide between cameras.

The D80 has a pentaprism and the Canon uses mirrors. "They" say that mirrors are getting pretty good, but I would expect the pentaprism to be a brighter viewfinder.

The Nikon lets you do actual multiple exposures in the camera and some people think this is pretty cool.

Click "next" and move to page 22 and you'll see some image comparisons. Click "next" a couple more times to see more direct comparisons on page 25. Click "next" a couple more times to see some noise level comparisons on page 27. It looks to me like the D80 has actually tamed the noise better than the XTi, but read the comments about image softness.

Click one more time and see that the D80 is clearly the winner in image sharpness.

Go on to the next page and read the conclusions.

You can go to the side-by-side at

http://www.dpreview.com/reviews/compare_post.asp?method=sidebyside&cameras=canon_eos400d%2Cnikon_d80&show=all and also click on "Our in depth review" and "Read owner opinions" for each camera.

The last line in the Nikon D80 review reads, "If you're a more discerning photographer who can see the advantages offered by the 'all round' D80 you may well consider the extra money well spent."

The last line in the Canon 400D/XTi review reads, "Thanks to its blood line and low price the EOS 400D will no doubt be a huge success for Canon. However unlike the EOS 350D, for me it's no longer the first or obvious choice, so before jumping on the bandwagon make sure you've weighed up the competition."

In other words, you've selected with the two best cameras in their price class.

Canon is probably saving a little money using their CMOS sensor and this will bring them some market share. Whether the sensor and images are better or not is open to wild debate based on personal preferences. Whether one camera feels better in your hands might just be the determining factor. You have got to go to a real camera store and handle them both. I guess Costco, Circuit City or Best Buy would also have actual samples on display, but you may not get as much help from the staff.

As far as lens choice, I'd rather see you start with one decent lens instead of the kit lens, although Nikon's kit lens (18-55) has actually tested pretty will. (Canon's has not.) For Nikon, I like the Nikkor AF-S 18-70 f/3.5-4.5G ED DX. This costs about $300. I bought this for my wife on her D50 and liked it so much (for the money) that I bought it as a backup for one of my cameras. For Canon, one of our best answerers (Panacea) recommends the EF-S 17-85mm f/4-5.6 IS USM. This costs about $500, so there goes the $200 price difference.

Of course, you'll need a decent memory card and I recommend a genuine Sandisk Ultra II (60X) or Extreme III (133X) of at least 1GB - preferable 2 GB - for either camera. Lexar is another excellent card supplier and they have the "Professional" 133X as well as the Platinum 80X to choose from. Both Lexar and Sandisk come with image recovery software and limited lifetime warranties.

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Nikon D80 vs. Nikon D200

Comparison between the Nikon D80 and the Nikon D200:

http://www.dpreview.com/reviews/compare_post.asp?method=sidebyside&cameras=nikon_d80%2Cnikon_d200&show=all

If you want to compare current models, compare the D80 to the D200. This is a tough call. Here is the recent Popular Photography review of the D80. They make comparisons with the D200 throughout the article. They also have capsule summaries comparing the D80 to the Canon EOS Digital Rebel XTi (400D), the Pentax K10D, and the Sony Alpha 100. In the conclusion, they suggest that Nikon has "gone crazy" releasing this camera for $700 less than the D200, stating that the D80 is nearly the same camera without a few features and without the industrial strength of the D200.

http://www.popphoto.com/cameras/3231/camera-test-nikon-d80.html

I own a D200 and a D70s, which should feel quite a bit like the D80. The D70s by no means feels "cheap," but it is lighter and somewhat smaller than the D200. If I had all of the image quality of the D200 available in the D70s, I doubt I would have spent the money for the D200. In other words, if you are looking to move up from a point and shoot, the additional price is probably not worth the difference unless you need the superior construction and all the subtle features of the D200.

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Nikon D200 for Professional Use

The Nikon D200 is an excellent camera that will probably stand up to the demands of professional journalism. It is somewhat lighter than the D2Xs and it is 10.2 MP instead of 12.1 MP, but its performance numbers are similar with 5 frames per second in continuous mode. The autofocus is not quite as quick as the D2Xs, but it blazes compared to most "mere mortal" DSLR's out there. The D200 has weather and dust seals which are lacking on most lesser cameras. While it is not an underwater camera, you can use it with less fear of damage to the camera in some "real world" situations.

I can't provide a direct link to B&H Photo on Yahoo! without getting into trouble, but if you go there and search for these cameras, you will find critical user reviews for each model. There are over 80 for the D200. I suggest you read these reviews (or many of them anyhow) and decide. If you are serious about going professional, I think the D200 is the place to start.

To be fair, though, if I am going to make that leap, you could also consider the Canon EOS 30D and then this game starts all over again.

Just don't get the Sony.

Answer 2

Canon is by far the better choice, not necessarily that Sony is not a bad camera, but that Canon has been around the SLR world alot longer and so their reputation preceeds them. Plus, any lens investment you make with Canon (if it is the canon brand) will be guaranteed across their SLR line, including future models. That means that once you have purchased your lens, it will work on a future camera you might get if they come out with something "bigger and better". I have the Canon 350D and LOVE it!

Answer 3

the d400 has proven itself
canon has proven itself
now prove yourself
by making the right choice

Answer 4

here's a link on ebay where you can read reviews of them by ebay members