Nikon, Canon, Sony, Pentax?

[mtlost]

Hey guys

I'm new to photography. I'm looking at buying myself a DSLR. It will be for holiday photos, Nature photos, family photos and then just starting to enjoy this hobby.

I'm looking at the following options. Please give me your advice as I have no idea where to start. I'm still reading up on things and learning what is what.

Nikon D40x

Nikon D60

Canon 1000D

Pentax K200

Sony Alpha 200k.

All of these are available locally (South Africa). I've only visisted a few shops though. I like the feel of the Nikon and the Sony. The pentax aren't bad either. The canon though just doesn't feel right. At this moment, I;m thinking Nikon D60.

The Nikon you get a free training course of one day. Don't know what the training offers but it's a start. You also get a free point and shoot (good for the ladies handbag), battery, charger and strap. Don't know about the bag. The sales guy was pushing for the Nikon. Any good reasons why he will choose the Nikon above the rest?

Guys, please give me advise on what to look at and what to avoid. I'm looking at getting something that will last me a few years or so and when I do buy extra lenses, I wan't to use them on my future camaras as well.

Thank you

Moller Thompson
Very new photographer.
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[Saralonde]

If the Nikon feels best to you, I would go with that. I don't know why he was pushing Nikon; maybe he makes more selling them, maybe he prefers them personally, maybe he's got a bigger stock of Nikons and he's trying to push them. All 5 are decent cameras, but there is one thing to keep in mind: the Canon and Nikon cameras have a much larger selection of lenses than the others have.

[Mr Guy]

Correction, Canon and Nikon have a larger selection of newer made for digital lenses, and they are easier to get a hold of most places.

Pentax arguably supports the most lenses....

That said, Canon and Nikon are generally easier to obtain and somewhat cheaper because they are more popular. He's probably pushing the Nikon because that's whats on sale and that's what they have the most accessories to try and generate future sales with.

You'd likely be happy with any of the choices, if you liked how the Nikon felt, you can't go wrong with it, because YOU like it, not because of what the salesguy liked!

[inkista]

Originally Posted by Mr Guy

Pentax arguably supports the most lenses....

Say fully supports or without adapters, and yeah, you can argue that one. But if you happen to like autofocus and you're not an eBay/used market fiend, your choices narrow considerably.

And you can mount M42 and K-mount lenses (and Olympus OM, Nikon F, Contax/Yashica, Leica R, etc.) onto Canon EOS with adapter rings, you know, so at actual count of glass-I-can-put-on-the-front, Canon's ahead, although Olympus/Panasonic four-thirds is the clear winner on that count [grin].

I agree with everyone that for the subject matter the OP mentions, all five cameras are a great choice.

But the cost and availability of lenses and other equipment is another consideration. I'd recommend learning the basics of lenses, and thinking about which ones you'd like to start with, and then go see what's available at what prices. With SLRs, the body is just the platform, and likely to be upgraded within 3-5 years. The lenses are your permanent purchase.

[ToPpS]

Well with cameras today I think it's generally safe to say that there aren't really any bad ones out there any more. Having said that people still generally stick to the 2 "top" brands that are Nikon and Canon. There are various reasons for this, quality construction, after market support, lenses, software, features, etc.

When it comes to sales people.... he either really believes that the Nikon is the better or what is often the case but not always... he's getting a higher commission on the Nikon so he makes more money from you choosing it.

The first thing that i always advise when choosing a body is to clear your head of everything you've heard about the brands.... and then pick up the bodies and have a feel. If the Sony and the Nikon felt better to you, that's all that matters because at the end of the day, it's YOU who is going to be using it and not anyone else.

Having read a whole bunch of reviews... They are all very similar, with not much between them. It's a tough one to call. In terms of the Nikon D40X and the D60... You're arguably better off going with the D60 based on the fact that the D60 is the upgraded replacement for the D40X. The Pentax and Sony both have internal image stabilising but then both the Nikon and Canon have lenses with IS, so that's a "zero sum" game.

Lenses are another matter. The Nikon D40x/D60 don't have a built in focusing screws. This means that you will be confined to newer lenses that have a built in motor within them. It's not a "deal breaker" though because Nikon/Sigma/Tamron are released/ing lenses that are compatible with them. So the future bodes well.

Nikon and Canon are (again) arguably producing the best (glass) lenses around in terms of quality and specifications. 3rd party manufacturers produce excellent value lenses for almost all lens mounts.

If you're looking for a good single lens that will do everything, especially since you're still new to photography. It's advisable to wait until you have a better understanding before diving in and buying a whole bunch of lenses. Possibly a 18-200mm???

You're in the right place for some great advice. So keep your eyes peeled

[Mr Guy]

Originally Posted by ToPpS

Having read a whole bunch of reviews... They are all very similar, with not much between them. It's a tough one to call. In terms of the Nikon D40X and the D60... You're arguably better off going with the D60 based on the fact that the D60 is the upgraded replacement for the D40X. The Pentax and Sony both have internal image stabilising but then both the Nikon and Canon have lenses with IS, so that's a "zero sum" game.

Not really, if that's an important feature to him. Body stabilization works on ALL lenses, even crappy old second hand ones. Lens stabilization has to be bought with the lens. That may be enough to skew his opinion. It's enough to make me really wish I'd sprung the extra money for a K200D over a K110D.

[inkista]

Originally Posted by ToPpS

...The first thing that i always advise when choosing a body is to clear your head of everything you've heard about the brands.... and then pick up the bodies and have a feel.

I only really recommend this if you know for absolutely certain-sure that the person asking a) has no legacy glass, and b) has nobody they can borrow lenses from. I hate to say it but mount-compatibility to me trumps "feel in your hands." If you like the feel of a Canon in your hands better than the feel of a Nikon, but great-uncle Ste has two dozen Nikkors you're welcome to use? I'm sorry, I still say get the Nikon.

Also, a lot of folks find the Canon entry-level bodies to have a grip that's too small. Simply adding a battery grip can substantially change the feel of a camera, so you might want to give that a try, too, at the store.

... The Nikon D40x/D60 don't have a built in focusing screws. This means that you will be confined to newer lenses that have a built in motor within them.

Actually, you're not confined to AF-S lenses, you just don't have autofocus without them. This is only an issue if you plan on shooting action photography like sports or wildlife that demands fast autofocus performance. With family snapshots, portrait, or landscape photography, this isn't much of an issue.

But if you can see sports, wildlife, or event photography in your future (e.g., weddings), then autofocus takes on slightly more importance, and a Nikon D80 or a Canon 1000D might be worth slightly more consideration.

Nikon and Canon are (again) arguably producing the best (glass) lenses around in terms of quality and specifications. 3rd party manufacturers produce excellent value lenses for almost all lens mounts.

It depends on the lens you're looking at. Nikon's kicking butt on wide angle. Canon tends to offer more high-quality lenses at better prices in the telephoto and supertelephoto arenas. And one third-party manufacturer, Zeiss, has offerings that easily beat both in terms of CA and micro-contrast and manual focus use.

If you're looking for a good single lens that will do everything, especially since you're still new to photography. It's advisable to wait until you have a better understanding before diving in and buying a whole bunch of lenses. Possibly a 18-200mm???

Ok, here's where I respectfully part ways. If you really want a good single lens that will do everything, stick with a P&S camera. That's what it's designed to be: a swiss army knife of cameras. The SLR is the big red tool box. You want specialized tools to do specialized jobs. An 18-200 specializes in being an all-in-one travel lens. But the image quality is where you compromise, much as with a P&S camera. Doesn't mean you can't take terrific photos with one, but you're more limited. The point of going with an interchangeable lens mount is being able to change lenses.

A kit lens is a good way to start. It's cheap, but it does what it does pretty well, and it gives you the experience you'll need to realize what you personally find important in a lens: focal length, max. aperture, cost, autofocus performance, build quality, etc., and then you can start to figure out what's the best fit for you.

[arlon]

The camera body is the cheapes part of the equation. Look at the cost and variety of lenses that are available. I went with a Nikon just because I already had a bunch of good old manual focus nikon lenses. They work fine on the digital cameras but all manual.

Look at the available accessories for the various bodies. What kind of flash is available, remote releases, battery type, cost, memory type (cf/sd), etc.

In the end, I think all the bodies are very capable and no huge difference between them. Where the difference comes is is when you start to look at expanding your kit. Some brands are VERY limiting and or expensive, others a little more flexible. Personally (as good as some of the others are) I'd stick with a Canon or Nikon just because of the volume of accessories available for them both new and on the used market.

I just got a D90, that and an 18-200VR will cover a LOT of shooting situations..
I'd rather have a used D80 than a D40x or D60 but that's in part because I shoot several old screw type auto focus lenses. They become manual focus only on those bodies.

[ToPpS]

inkista is definitely i think, showing that he is indeed very knowledgeable in this department. He makes some very good points... As

Also, a lot of folks find the Canon entry-level bodies to have a grip that's too small. Simply adding a battery grip can substantially change the feel of a camera, so you might want to give that a try, too, at the store.

I have to agree with you on that one. I find that the entry level camera's from Nikon (D40/X) and Canon (400D) don't really fit in my hands. Not that i have big hands mind you, yet i like something that i can grip and hold properly without my bottom fingers holding nothing but air.

Actually, you're not confined to AF-S lenses, you just don't have autofocus without them.

Again you are correct. You can use any lens that will fit a Nikon mount, it's just the auto focus ability that you will forgo. I'd imagine that a manual focusing lens would not be ideal for a novice photographer to cut his teeth on.... And that the kit lenses that come with the bodies these days are (especially in the case of the D40/D60) AF-S lenses.
Oh and as you say, the D80 is an excellent camera body, no question about it!

Not really, if that's an important feature to him. Body stabilization works on ALL lenses, even crappy old second hand ones. Lens stabilization has to be bought with the lens. That may be enough to skew his opinion. It's enough to make me really wish I'd sprung the extra money for a K200D over a K110D.

I agree with you as well Mr Guy. Although the point i was, i think unsuccessfully trying to make (please do forgive my writing capabilities) is that Canon/Nikon/Sigma and Tamron are bringing out more IS/VR/OS lenses to the market. If you're going for lenses that don't have built in IS/VR/OS then the K200D would give you that ability regardless of the lens you're using. Quick question though, if you have a IS lens on a IS body do you have to turn one off or can you use both IS options at the same time??

[mtlost]

Wow, that's alot of information. Ok, cash is a problem. I'm looking at spending about R7500. Thats about $700 I think. BUT, remember that you can't convert $ to R just like that, so thats why it might sound alot for a D60 or so.

Found this one on special though, just need the cash
http://www.orms.co.za/product.php?a=...81&src=special

If possible, can someone just browse through their website and see if they will be able to support me with all the stuff I'll need in the future? Its just because I'm still not sure what to look at.

The shop I went to sells electronics, HDtv, Sound systems etc, cameras is just another corner in the store. Unfortuanatly I don't have a photography shop that specializes in photography. So I have to go to the mix and match shops.

The Nikon and canon both comes with a 18 - 55mm Lenses(I think its 18 - 55mm)

I see there is mixed feelings about IS in the body and IS in the lense. For a noob, what will be the best option? Taking into consideration that I will for the first year or so just use the kit lense.

Thank you for all the help, all of you.