Nikon or Canon? (DSLR) ... please see details?

Question

I am hoping to purchase a good DSLR in the next 6-12 months, and need some help in deciding between Canon and Nikon.

I recently bought a Canon Powershot S3 IS to fill in the gap, and I love this camera, my first experience with Canon.

I have a Nikon N70 SLR that I also love, and had thought to stay with Nikon, to use my existing lens. It is a Nikkor AF 24-120 zoom lens, and also have a tele-adapter for it. Will this lens work on the Nikon DSLR's?

All things considered, which brand, if either, would be a better camera for my uses? I take a lot of nature shots: flowers, trees, insects, animals, more close up than wide angle.

Oh ... my budget will be $900-$1,200 (I hope).

Thanks for any advice! Would especially like to hear what Dr. Sam's opinions are ... appreciate your expertise.

Thanks fhotoace!
I DO appreciate the statement of the obvious ... that IS the camp I was coming from ....

Answer 1

Considering your budget, I'd get a Nikon D80 and use the 24-120 lens as your main lens for a while. It will translate into an equivalent of 36-180, so it's not ultra-wide or anything, but it's a decent lens. You didn't say if your lens was the newer AF-S VR lens or the older non-VR lens. If it's not AF-S, you can rule out the Nikon D40, which I'd rule out for someone with your experience anyhow.

I own a D70s and D200, so I can't comment on the D80 from experience, but between the size and feel of the D70s and the sensor and processing of the D200, I have formed an opinion. One of these articles is subtitled, "Psst - Want a D200 at half the price?" If the D80 came out before I bought my D200, I may have bought that and been happy enough to stick with it. There are only a few tricks the D200 can do that the D80 can't and the D80 can even do a couple that the D200 can't. Here are a few links, in case you have not seen this material yet. They will give you more pros and cons than I could dream of.

http://www.popphoto.com/cameras/3476/editors-choice-10mp-dslrs.html

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

http://www.popphoto.com/cameras/3157/nikon-d80-competitive-set.html

http://www.popphoto.com/cameras/2794/hands-on-nikon-d80-dslr.html

http://www.dpreview.com/reviews/specs/Nikon/nikon_d80.asp

http://www.dpreview.com/reviews/nikond80/
(Note: There are 30 pages to this article. Don't stop after reading page 1.)

http://www.dpreview.com/reviews/read_opinions.asp?prodkey=nikon_d80
(Note: There are over 60 owner opinions, including pros and cons in almost all of them.)

http://www.steves-digicams.com/2006_reviews/nikon_d80.html
(Note: There are 11 pages to this article. Don't stop after reading page 1.)

http://www.kenrockwell.com/nikon/d80.htm

http://www.popphoto.com/cameras/3569/10mp-dslr-shootout.html

I do hope that you read other opinions here. Some will vote in favor of the Canon Rebel XTi and I won't fight them - even though it doesn't have a spot meter, which you are used to using in your N70. I happen to prefer Nikon. At this level, the way the camera feels in your hands makes all the difference in your enjoyment and success with the camera.

I've answered so many times comparing the D80 to the XTi that you can find these answers easily by clicking on my icon and looking at the questions I've answered. If you narrow your choise down to these two cameras, please post a new question asking specifically for those two cameras and I'll post the whole thing. There is a comparison in the last link I listed above, though, where Pop Photo gave the D80 top honors.

Answer 2

I have a Nikon D50 and love it. Preveiously I had a Nikon Coolpix 3100. Never used a Canon, so I can't say if they are better or worse.

Depending on what you buy with it, a D70 is also in your price range.

Answer 3

both canon and nikon are great cameras...
as before i would recommend a canon..instead..why simply because its the most value for buck camera...low noise lvl..and they hav fast-af speed..

but lookin at ur criteria...the best choice would be a nikon dslr instead. cause ur subject is mostly used for nature shots...so there is no need for that fast-af speed. noise shouldnt affect ur abilty in ur shots...

get the d80 if ur a lil tight on budget...but i rather u get teh d80 instead of the d200..cause the d80 noise lvl control is better than the d200...

if ur interested into gettin a canon go for the 30d... a great camera indeed.

i hav used both cameras...and they dun disappoint at all...
just chose one...and u wont regret at all...

head down to ur nearest camera store and feel which camera best suits ur needs...

Answer 4

I am not a fan of the Canons, for the simple reason that it takes four times the button presses than you need on a Pentax or Nikon, and the sequence is not all that intuitive. Get the Nikon. The "user interface" is vastly superior.

Answer 5

Nikon D50, and use the left over money to get 55-200 VR lens.

Answer 6

i go with Dr. sam go for D80, D70 is a old model it does not have many futures like D80

Answer 7

Ditto. The D80 has your name written all over it.