What camera to buy...its killing me!

[sicness]

Its been over a week now of searching and asking of what DSLR I should get. I have gone to forum to forum shop to shop, Ive had some replies but its not enough. The problem is that I really cant decide which camera I should get. From Nikon or Canon. However, I have managed to narrow it down to a few. I have leaned towards Nikon since the lens are basically ace! However, there are factors that I love about canon too, the screen resolution on some models are nice and the image quality as well. im no pro in dslr's but i like to travel with my wife and take landscape, portrait, night photos, macro. What i am looking for is a camera that can do that for me. My budget is around 8000 HKD hmm converting that to USD would be around 1000 USD correct me if im wrong hehe . I have been looking at the Nikon D90 and the Canon EOS 500D for awhile now. I want a camera that can last me for a long long time until i think i would upgrade again. I want it for a long time so all i have to invest in are lenses. The Nikon D90 i was looking at includes a kit lens of 15-105mm VR AF-S Nikkor Lens which from what ive heard is a damn good walk around lens which is what i want. I dont want to lug around a huge lens. The Canon 500D includes only 15 - 55 mm lens which i think wont satisfy me So as of now what i am planning to buy is the Nikon D90, unless anybody has any other sugestions or comments, that would be perfect!

[badpickev]

my two cents

any camera over 6mp is more than enough. in todays resolution 10-14mp is the landscape. any camera can do what you ask of it, its the lens that makes the magic. lens shopping is always the last thing people learn. i would say buy the camera, a better lens than the kit lens price in a flash and maybe a grip.

[Brenda Read]

bhphoto.com has the D90 with the 18-200mm lens as a kit.

I love the D90. Here's my review of the Nikon D90 DSLR

At the bottom of the review there's a link to the D90 kit with the 18-200mm zoom lens.

[sicness]

Thanks for the advice. But Brenda, is there a lot of difference in the 15 - 105mm to the 18-200mm lens? will both produce the same quality of pictures? coz i can buy the d90 with 18-200mm kit lens but buying it will be over my expected budget. But, the price here is practically the same with B&H with the 18-200mm kit lens.

[R. House]

The kit lens is not a 15-105, it is an 18-105 and the Canon also starts at 18mm. The 18-200 is a great walk around and beyond lens. With cameras in this catagory you don't need to consider quality of the photos, but instead user controls and ergonomics particular to you. Go to a camera shop and handle each camera, one of them will speak to you..."buy me".

[Dirk]

Ok my point of view:

first things first :

It is you that makes the picture , not the camera nor lens ..

When you got that one :

Imo better a simple but good bodie with top glass (lenses) than a D3x with the chaepest kit lenses.. (think this one through)

Third :

What are you planning to shoot and do you have a good equiped photos store around ?

Nikon and Canon make both camera's in every devision from dirt cheap to extreme expensive.
with nikon you can shoot what you can with canon .. (this one has a riddle in it )

I sometimes want not fuss in menu options and than i take my Canon Eos 300D out for a trip.
But a lot of times i need the more complex nikon options and writing speed of the D50 (compaired by me in a earlier thread in car terms the eos 300d is a citroën 2cv


canon eos 300d wrting speed is a slow as a 0-100 sprint in this one ..

but the Nikon D50 is a :

Writing speed of a nikon D50 /D70 compaired with canon eos 300D

so , with both 3 camera's in my gear i can make photo's and good ones too , the d50 is the lightest , than the 300 D and than the D70.

So go to a shop explain that you want a new digital slr camera and ask for bodie prices , kit offers and package deals or offers the store can me for you.

Feel > how do the camera's feel in your hands with a lense
Looks> witch one do you like the most ?
BftB> Witch one gives you the Bang For The Buck ?

play with them, shoot some pictures inside and outside , with every camera you desire ..
than ask them to put the deal's on paper and report to us ..

goodluck

[Jeff Perry]

Sicness, the D90 is a brilliant camera, you won't be disappointed. The low-noise at high ISOs is amazing.

Also consider the Nikon 16-85 VR lens. While not as long as the 18-105 and 18-200, it is a bit wider in the short end, and serves as an excellent walking around lens. I have been very pleased with the lens.

Jeff

[sicness]

Thanks for the great advice Jeff and Dirk. I am now convinced that the D90 is the camera to get. There are good camera stores here that I will check out again next week and try every camera that was in mind to get including the D90. Ive read a lot of user reviews on the D90 and i havent found anyone ofem that are negative. Except towards the video function. but, come on its the first dslr that has the video function so i wouldnt expect a lot. and im not buying a dslr jes for the video function, its just a bonus for me. As for lenses I will check out the 18 - 85 mm but, for now i will stick with th 18 - 105 mm atm until i get used to it. I will be purchasing the D90 by next week sometime. cant wait! i noe i wont be dissapointed!

[JDN]

No, you won't be disappointed. I got a D90 with the 18-105 a couple of weeks ago and couldn't be happier. I just got back from our church camp where I was the "official" photographer and used the 18-105 90% of the time. I find the results are excellent, especially for a "kit" lens.

Plus the range is great for a single lens. Allows for you to figure out what type of pictures you like taking the most so you can expand your lens collection wisely. Folks always say get the best glass, but until you figure out what you like to shoot, how do you know what the "best" glass is for you.

[sicness]

i totally agree james, i mean awhile back when i wasnt sure which camera to choose, i was going for the 500d canon which only had like a 18-55mm lens until i saw the d90 which amazingly had 18-105 kit lens i mean thats monster! so i am definite that i am purchasing the d90!

[Dirk]

congrats on the decision , the D90 looks and is a camera to charish ..

[knobby]

Did you get it ?

[sicness]

Yes! I got it like a few days ago. I finally own a Nikon D90! but, the lens I got was a Tamron 17-50mm f/2.8 which is a monster on this camera! I have no regrets as I did my homework researching for a long time Thanks to everyones advices!

[Max@Home]

Originally Posted by sicness

...awhile back when i wasnt sure which camera to choose, i was going for the 500d canon which only had like a 18-55mm lens until i saw the d90 which amazingly had 18-105 kit lens i mean thats monster! so i am definite that i am purchasing the d90!

Originally Posted by sicness

Yes! I got it like a few days ago. I finally own a Nikon D90! but, the lens I got was a Tamron 17-50mm f/2.8 which is a monster on this camera!

...so what happened to that amazingly 18-105 ?

...as the 17-50 (although better quality) is even shorter that that 'too short' Canon 18-55 ??...

But anyway, congrats on the camera and lens, they are nice ones

...€0.02...

Kindest regards!

Max@Home

[Dirk]

c'mon max the 18-105 is not too bad but cannot be compaired to a lense with constant aperture of f 2.8 , ok it has no vr or dc or is , but thanks to the f2.8 you can shoot quicker and faster , blur only comes in when speeds are slow and f stops are going to f 5.6 or more and when the lense reaches its max mm range ..

[Max@Home]

Originally Posted by Dirk

c'mon max the 18-105 is not too bad but cannot be compaired to a lense with constant aperture of f 2.8 , ok it has no vr or dc or is , but thanks to the f2.8 you can shoot quicker and faster , blur only comes in when speeds are slow and f stops are going to f 5.6 or more and when the lense reaches its max mm range ..

...my point is: the OP disses a camera+kitlens (500D+18-55) because the kitlens is 'too short' and he favors 'cameras with longer kitlenses', but then buys a camera with an even shorter (non-kit) lens...

there is a Tamron 17-50F2.8 for the Canon mount, too....

...in all the OP posts only focal length seemed important, speed/F-stop weren't even mentioned earlier...

...€0.02...

Kindest regards,

Max@Home

[Dirk]

a ha yepp a 17-50 is shorter but better than a 18-55 form nikon or canon

both canon's and nikon's 18-55 lenses are imho lenses with a high bang for the buck
the difference between 17-18mm is less than a quart step or you have to have big feet .

with 50-55 mm it is only measurable in distance

cheers

dirk

[sicness]

I chose the Tamron lens despite its long range as im not too picky and keen on how much range i get. For me I care more bout the quality of the pictures taken at night and for the Tamron as it gives a constant f/2.8 I can take nice night photography faster. I do like the 18-105mm as it has VR which is great, but i felt that i got more of the "bang for the buck" from Tamron.

Thanks for your comments max and ur big contribution in helping me decide which camera to get Dirk. I think im prolly going to be sticking with this camera for a very long time until it gets worn out *knock on wood