Ergonomics?

[RedGoblinz]

Im curious to ask whether the ergonomics of most Canon entry level dslrs are good. And whether the hand grips are good for people with really long fingers like mine . Im considering to get an entry level dslr and dont want a Nikon because it has no AF motor in its entry level ones.

Im also curious which one of the entry level dslrs are best for me if im a tight budget, or are there any older models that i should buy 2nd hand.

Thanks for any help.

[Rentham]

I'd guess my hands are about average size, and I found the Canon 450D/XSi to be extremely small. My ring and pinky fingers had no where to rest on the body. I'm not sure if the newer generation entry level bodies are any larger. I bought a battery grip for it, which made all the difference in the world. More real estate for your hands and better balance.

The 5DmkII is even a little small for my hands. It can be exacerbated by the weight of pro lenses as well. The body becomes extremely front heavy. I have my 5D gripped (and damn, that was expensive) which does balance the weight at least. Lugging around a gripped 5D with a speedlight and 24-70 2.8L for 10 or 12 hours can get miserable.

[RedGoblinz]

Whenever i think of canon, i cant think of a good valuable entry level dslr like the way i think of D3100 when i think of Nikon.

Which ones of Canon's is like the D3100?

[dlambert]

If there's any way for you to go hold a couple of them yourself, I'd highly recommend it. At any sort of entry-level price, you're looking at one of the Rebels or something in the x0D line - maybe used (30D / 40D / 50D / 60D). If you can hold the specific camera you're looking at, that's best, but if not, you should be able to get a very rough idea for fit by grabbing one from each of these lines.

A lot of people like the ergonomics of the x0D line better. These are larger and heavier bodies, and they're very "solid" feeling, which some people like. If you like the ergonomics of the smaller bodies, though, they're lighter and less expensive. It's really your call, and there's no substitute for wrapping your own hands around a couple of these cameras.