I'm buying a Digital SLRcamera and I can't figure out which brand is best. Canon? Nikon? Olympus? help!

Question

I am thinking of buying a Digital SLR camera and I don't know which brand is best. of course I don't want to spend a huge amount of money but in the $500-$1000 range I'm willing to spend. is Nikon the best route? or is Canon? or olympus?

Answer 1

I have been using Canon 35 SLRs for some 30 years and when it came time to buy my first DSLR I did some research, Nikon Vs. Canon (both 8 & 10MPs) and 4 months ago bought a new Canon XTi. I got my XTi with a Tamron 18-250 f/3.5 Macro zoom lens, it is an almost one lens does all, I love this set-up and the Tamron is mounted to the XTi body 90% of the time.

Answer 2

Do not immediately discount the Olympus, Pentax and Sony models. They all have models that have in-camera image stabilization using physical sensor shifting. While this is not quite as effective as the optical image stabilization that Canon and Nikon utilize it is nonetheless an effective mode of image stabilization and works with any lens that you can mount on the camera. The Canon and Nikon folks get charged a few hundred dollars more per lens for the privilege of having image stabilization! Of course you will be bombarded with the "buying into a system" argument about the bigger lens and accessory assortment available for Canon/Nikon but that is a point that should really only be considered by a professional as the other systems can all provide you with quality lenses. I would look at the Olympus E510, Sony's A100, and Pentax K100d and K10d. they are all worthy cameras with good to great feature sets.

Answer 3

Take a good look at the Pentax K100D Super or K10D. Both have a system for automatic sensor cleaning. The only difference is the 100 has 6.1 megapixels and the 10 has 10 megapixels plus the 10 is compatible with the new "DA" lenses Pentax is releasing. Since the sensors are the same size, the extra 3.9 megapixels may not be as big an advantage as you might think*. Read reviews of both cameras at either shutterbug.com or dpreviews.com.

Pentax has its Image Stabilization (IS) in the camera body. Since every Pentax K-mount lens ever made will mount to these bodies, the IS will work with older manual focus lenses.
IMO that is a real advantage and worth considering.

* The Nov. 2007 issue of Shutterbug Magazine has an article about "pixel packing". Although not a "scientific" test and compares digicams with DSLR's, it still provides insight into the pros and cons of stuffing more and more pixels into the same size space. You can read it at shutterbug.com.

Answer 4

I would recommend Canon or Nikon.

Nikon
D40 6MP
D40x 10MP
D80 10MP

Canon
Rebel XTi 10.1MP

These fit your price range. Check out www.bhphotovideo.com for the list prices and packages. You need ot know what your purpose is to buy lenses. You can buy a kit lens (such as the 18-55) or you can begin investing in equipment you know you need in the future. As the previous answer stated, you should go to the closest camera store and try the cameras for weight. In the end, brand is not important, but the equipment you get is. Don't worry about brand, but rather on function.

The cameras I mentioned are good choices for a digital SLR. Go through all the specifications to see which one is best for you.

Hope this helps.

Answer 5

I just went through something similar trying to decide what camera to buy. There are a couple of good web sites that I used as reference www.dpreview.com and www.popphoto.com Both have excellent info and reviews. Still my head was spinning after reading through all this and finally I went to a store to get my hands on an actual camera. I had sort of narrowed down to a few cameras and when I got to the store one of the models was deeply discounted. It was the demo model and the store wanted to get rid of it as the newest model was in. It was an excellent buy and I snapped it up right away. Don't be swayed by the bells and whistles of the latest and greatest models. Also more mega pixels isn't always what you need. There is very little difference between 8.2 mp and 10.1 mp as you will see if you look at comparison photos on the dpreview site. I ended up getting a Canon EOS 30D which I found out later a professional photographer I met uses for her business. So if it is good enough for her than it is good enough for me basically being a beginner. Look around for models that are a year or 2 old, they are coming down in price hugely and you can use that money to buy more lenses!

Answer 6

Nikon first, Canon second.

Both systems are well supported and will give you the maximum room to grow. Their lens from their 35mm AF days are compatible with current DSLR's and they remain the most popular cameras in the growing prosumer market.

Here's a survey that says it all.
http://www.jdpower.com/electronics/ratings/digital-camera-ratings/dslr

Personally, I and one of my brothers shoot Nikon. Another brother shoots Sony exclusively. Still, another shoots Canon. Which camera is best? They all are, because we chose equipment that matches our styles of photography.

That's what you need to do. Handle as many different DSLR's as you can. Find the one that feels like an extension of you, and not a burden to your creativity.

The best camera is the one that doesn't get in the way of a great photo.

Answer 7

They are all comparable, but Nikon and Canon are the most popular.

There is no better between the two, it is simply down to user preferences.

Go to your local camera store and hold both, play with both, and take photos with both (bring your own memory card and compare on your computer at home).

Decide for yourself, others are convinced that their own system is best.

I have shot with both, and like both, and as a professional photographer I can honestly tell you your preference is the only important factor.

Buy a Canon Rebel XTi or a Nikon D40, both are affordable and offer nearly equal feature sets.

Answer 8

In any normal-size print I doubt you'd be able to tell one brand from the other.

However, I'd go for Nikon, because they have the biggest selection of lenses.

The D80, for example, meters and AF's with any Nikon AF lens from current back to the 1980's, as does the D200.

Nikon's top-end bodies even meter with manual focus lenses.

This capability can save you considerable cash down the road, as there are tons of great older lenses on the used market.

Hope this helps.

Answer 9

nikon has the better entry level system right now in my opinion but overall I prefer canon.

depends what you want to shoot you can buy a used 20 or 30D now for quite cheap and still get a good lens to go with it so would suggest canon.