To choose between Canon S5 lS -8MP(powershot) & Nikon D40 SLR-6MP, which one is better & why ?

Question

Which one is better in terms of :
-Picture Quality
-Ease of use
-Reliability / repairs or durability
-Functions
-Worth the money spent
Thanks !

Answer 1

I think that the Nikon D40 has been replaced with the D40X which offers 10MP instead of 6MP. Both are nearly the same price. (About £50 difference).

I would not hesitate in buying the D40, even if it was just the 6MP version.

I know this isn't the greatest answer, but the clarity of the picture of an SLR will always be better than the clarity of picture of a "near-slr". You are more likely to capture "that" moment on an SLR than on any other camera!

Try dpreview.com for further information

Answer 2

When you open the box of the Canon S5 IS, what you see is what you get. The camera is very capable, but it begins and ends there.

When you open a dslr like the Nikon D40, it's just a beginning. You have flashes, lenses, and other parts of the vast Nikon system to expand with. A dslr will grow along with your growing skills and interests.

Picture Quality?
The D40, even with the 6mp quality (yes, it's not been replace by the D40x) will give you razor sharp photos.
http://www.dpreview.com/gallery/nikond40_samples/

Ease of Use?
Set the D40 on autofocus and the metering to Auto and you're set. All you need to do is compose and shoot.
http://www.stunningnikon.com/picturetown

Reliability/repairs or durability?
Though light in weight, this Nikon should give any user many years of quality service.

Functions?
To begin with, more than you'll know what to do with.
http://www.kenrockwell.com/nikon/d40.htm

Worth the money spent?
Absolutely. You won't outgrow it in a year or two and you won't be kicking yourself over pictures you've missed.

Answer 3

No question at all! the D40 SLR will blow the S5 IS out of the water.

Picture quality: D40, especially above ISO 400. Much less noisier image, faster responding.

Ease of use: essentially a tie, but the D40 will be more flexible. If you want a point and shoot, just set the D40 to automatic and it's like a point and shoot.

Reliability/repairs/durability: The D40 wins here. The S5 IS is essentially a one piece unit and there's more to go wrong. Bang the lens and the camera is done. With the D40, just swap lenses and keep going.

Functions: D40, by far. Much better flash system options. More lens options.

Worth the money: D40.

Answer 4

If you don't mind spending additional $ to buy lenses to get optical reach, then the DSLR is likely to give you better shots in the long run. The 'kit' lens will likely give you comprable of 3X zoom from wide to tele. However, as your needs change and you gain experience, you can add other lenses and change as you need to do so.

If you are more inclined to want a point-and-shoot, then the S5-IS is the better buy. The big selling point to the S5-IS over a DSLR is it have more zoom range out of the box, and the picture quality is very good, and like the DSLR, has both 'auto' modes and 'creative' modes which will allow you to try your hand at using manually setting aperture, shutter speed or both.

If you are unsure which is better suited, I would also suggest you pay a visit to: http://www.dpreview.com/

I have both an S3 (older version of the S5) and a DSLR. They each have their place. When I'm out on a vacation with the family, I don't always want to lug around my DSLR - and the S3 does a great job. But when it comes to shooting action sports (my '2nd job'), my DSLR is the way to go.