Which camera?

[liza1880]

Hi,
I am buying my first DSLR camera and taking the right decision among such a broad range of products is very difficult, specially for beginner. I am generally interested in outdoor/travel/landscape/wildlife photography.
I have done a bit of research and have decided for semi pro (enthusiastic) camera. I don't want to go for entry-level model, I will probably have to upgrade it to quick. I have done some research and have narrowed my choice to 5 cameras Canon eos 50d or Nikon d90 on one hand (those two are cheaper, what is a big +) but I much rather spend more if it is worth the money. And Nikon300s, Nikon d700 and Canon eos d7 on the other hand.Sspecially last 2 cameras are more expensive, but have some very interesting features and I simply cannot see which one is the best since every model has some advantages and some disadvantages. On one hand I really like Nikon d700 which produces better results when shooting in higher ISO and crop factor 1.0. What bothers me the most with Nikon is its lower resolution in Mp. In comparison with Canon d7, which has more Mp and is faster, and so on. As you can see I am in big dilemma and would really need an advise after all taking wrong decision is an expensive mistake in the case of cameras. So which model would be the best for my needs and (the one that provides quality pics and is worth its price) which lens is the best to start with?
Thanks for help.

[tybo78]

I just bought my first DSLR and price was more of a factor for me so I went with the Nikon D5000. However, I picked up shooting technique rather quickly and soon realized that I will never use all the auto "scene" modes that the camera offers. PASM is all you need so don't let the myriad of auto settings sway your decision unless you really want those auto settings. Also, I cant see myself ever using the video function on my DSLR. The fact that the LCD screen can be tilted and turned in any direction is a big plus though. It lets you get some interesting angles. I've had my D5000 for only a few months and think I'm ready for an upgrade. So that's my experience. Hope it shed some light on your dilemma! Happy DSLR shopping!

[WooD]

I think it would depend on your budget.

If you can afford a D700 and some pro glass to get the most out of it, I'd go with that choice. If you plan on shooting stuff like weddings, you'll never regret the D700, and it's high ISO capabilities.

If you have a limited budget, I'd go with the D90, and spend the rest on some good lens.

When I bought my first DSLR, I had a $2,000 budget. I could have got the D200, and a kit lens, or the D80, and the lens I really wanted. I went with the D80. I've upgraded since then, but still use the D80 as a back up.

[RichardTaylor]

@ liza1880

#1 What feels best for you when you are holding it. ie; does it feel good to use?

#2 How does it look through the viewfinder? ie; Is it like looking through a tunnel or does it have a big bright viewfinder.

#3 What lenses and accessories are available to meet your needs now and possibly in the future?

#4 What is your budget, including lenses?.

#5 what is the end use of your photographs? EG A4 prints, web publishing or poster sized prints. Keep in mind that 12MP will be ok for A3 prints @ 240DPI

#6 How much gear are you willing to carry?
=========================================
Quote:
I am generally interested in outdoor/travel/landscape/wildlife photography.

"outdoor"
Any of the cameras you mentioned will be fine.

"travel"
If you are shooting with available light I would go with on of the full frame camera mainly because of the better low noise performance.
Also keep in mind you may find a one "good" lens solution for 90% of your travel pic needs. I did with a Canon 24-105 F4 IS L lens for my Canon 5D. Nikon make similar lenses for their cameras as well.

"Wildlife"
Here you are looking at fast accurate focussing and good low light performance, and fast FPS cameras and lenses and possibly very long reach - the requirement are very similar for sports. If you have more MP you may be able to crop.
If your budget will allow what fast primes are available?
Or what zooms are available.
I shoot motor sport and mostly urban (birds) wildlife, and at motor sport events some of the Nikon photographers wish they had had a lens as versatile as my Canon 100-400 F4,5-F5.6 IS L lens while I wish my Canon 40D would focus as well as their latest Nikons. .

Two other thing to keep in mind is that if you will be using off camera flash a lot you may want to look at Nikons creative lighting system, and that High MP and/or full frame cameras demand good lenses.

For a starting general purpose lens I would suggest a 24-85/105/120 (I don't know enough about Nikon lenses to make a specific recomendation) for a full frame body. For a crop body similar lenses would be ok if you like "long" or possibly a 17-50 F2.8 IS (for a Canon) or similar for a Nikon. Again it depends on your budget.

[nokiN]

Originally Posted by liza1880

...... What bothers me the most with Nikon is its lower resolution in Mp. In comparison with Canon d7, which has more Mp and is faster, and so on.....

Be careful because raw MP numbers can be misleading if you don't take pixel pitch (8.4 µm for the D700 and only 4.3 µm for the 7D), and image sensor size into account.

Of the cameras you mentioned the Nikon D700 has much more resolution than any of the others, including the Canon 7D. Resolution is not synonomous with pixel dimensions.

The D700 has a full frame sensor which means though it has fewer pixels, they are larger pixels because they are on an image sensor that has 40% more surface area than the APS-C size image sensor in a 7D. Canon is packing a ton of tiny pixels into a much smaller area because they know the Mega Pixel marketing hype sells cameras more effectively than does objective measurements of image quality and ISO performance.

Which brings up the issue of "faster" (ISO performance). Photographically "faster" speaking, the 7D is a hare to the D700's rabbit by virtue of it's full frame sensor.

Look at this independent technical comparison: Compare cameras .

Notice also the D700 has a burst mode of up to 8 frames per second, the same as the 7D.

If you want to compare the D700 to it's equivelent in Canons line up you need to look at the full frame Canon 5d MKII, but even with that comparo the Nikon D700 still prevails:
Compare cameras.

In short, get the Nikon D700

[masonsklut]

I'm an outdoor photographer. For the past two and a half years, I've been using a Canon Rebel XTi. It performs quite well for landscape/wildlife/outdoor photographs. If you're on a budget, the Canon lenses are excellent. I currently have these Canon lenses: 28-105mm ($249), 50mm ($99), and a 55-250mm ($249). I've never enjoyed using the Nikon cameras. The Nikon interface is clunky compared to Canon's. Bring in a list of cameras you're interested in to your local camera store and try them out there. Once you find one you're comfortable with, buy it online on Amazon or B&H. Look at some of my pictures in my Flickr photostream (in my signature) to get an idea of how well the Canon SLR cameras perform for landscape, outdoor, and wildlife pictures.

[sk66]

D90.
For what you want to do, I actually think the FF is a mistake. EVERYTHING is more expensive and heavier when going FF, and for nature/wildlife/outdors, the crop of the smaller sensor is a bonus.
The only negative of the crop sensor compared to FF is High ISO noise/ Low light performance, I really believe it is more cost effective to buy faster/ better lenses to gain the 1-2 stops than it is to buy a FF body.

Now, a FF body AND fast lenses has it all, but it is EXPENSIVE. To equal my 500mm f/4.5 on my D300 (750mm effective) I had to buy a 800mm f/5.6 for use on my D3 at about 2x the cost. Same was true when replacing my 10-20mm for D300 with a 12-24mm for D3.