Canon 30D and Nikon D200

[jo1to6]

Hello,

I am looking to upgrade from my prosumer P&S (gonna try my hand at digital photography as a serious hobby). So, I'm looking at a midrange dSLR with kit lens (not the 17-55mm but more like the 17-85mm lenses). I was wondering if anyone had any experience with the 30D and D200 and could talk about their experiences using them.

I mostly take nature/landscape and macro shots. P&S's don't seem to cut it anymore since they are too slow to catch wildlife and lack the wide angle and zoom capabilities I need.

I did a search on the web but most of the threads turn into heated debates between Canon and Nikon camps... it would be nice to get some less heated discourse.

Also, has anyone ever used the the image stabilization (IS) Canon lenses? If so, does it work well? Finally, I wear glasses and I hear that the Canon optical viewfinder isn't so hot if you wear glasses... is that so? I'm also not so hung up on the 8-10 mexapixel difference... it doesn't really matter too much to me (I don't intend to do much photo cropping).

Thanks!

[ares]

There are so many sites to read about this. I'd suggest spending a lot of time doing it:

http://www.kenrockwell.com/
http://www.bythom.com/index.htm
http://www.bobatkins.com/photography/
http://www.outbackphoto.com/
http://www.daveblackphotography.com/
http://www.fredmiranda.com/
http://www.grubesteak.com/leavingapple.php
http://www.imaging-resource.com/
http://nikonians.com/
http://www.robgalbraith.com/bins/index.asp
http://www.the-digital-picture.com/Default.aspx

[Atealtha]

http://dpreview.com

I think the Canon handles noise better at 1600 ISO compared to Nikon in general (not model specific). But if you have the budget for such an expensive camera I'll assume you're getting a professional flash kit with it. Don't rely on some image stabilization feature. Use a tripod or get some physical accessory to help you. Other than that, focus on features that the body offers.

As for the type of photography, that depends mostly on the lens and filters you use. No one brand of camera body is better for landscape, food, architecture, macro, etc. over any other brand.

You said you want a good zoom, but I think an 85 mm lens isn't going to be enough for you. Want to do macro? Start saving now.

Yes the Canon's viewfinder is close to the body. You can buy an extended one. Compared to lenses it's practically free, so don't let this affect your decision. Focus on more important features such as buffer size, startup time, and general robustness. And lastly, you might not care about a two mega pixel difference, but 10 is still better quality compared to 8. When you start printing them out you'll want every pixel you can get.

[mr. x]

I use a rebel xt, but anyway you ultimately will probably decide based on althea's specs plus extras you'll want to think about, such as how many frames per second it can shoot in multi-mode (sorry dono the proper term). My Rebel XT for example, can only do about 3 per second which is a big meh for many sport photographers shooting fast motion things.

Cost wise you will have to shop around, I did a lot of a searching around the net, most people have standard kits (Rebel XT was usually a silver version with probably one standard lens, two if you are lucky. I wanted black and after an epic Hebrew journey of going through shadyass New Jersey websites, found a reasonable kit for sale at a local San Jose photo place).

It's all in the package deals, if you are really serious about this I would recommend getting a package that offers the most at a relatively cheaper cost (meaning you save on the cost of lens, for example mine came with a 18-55 + 75-300 lens kit and carrying case + 1 gig memory card) I would recommend shopping at a local shop, only go to a chain photography shop in order to compare, odds are they won't have the best deal.

If you do shop online the only reputable site I can think of off the top of my head is B&H photo (bhphoto.com) That's not to say there aren't better deals floating on the net, but remember if it's too good to be true it most definetely IS, I learned the hard way. If you do find something by all means post it here before you buy. And again, a lot of photography's brand loyalty comes from people simply already owning Canon and Nikon lenses, in both our cases we just got in the digital game so it probably doesn't apply, but something to keep in mind if you decide to upgrade down the road. Beyond that, both Nikon and Canon make good cameras and you can't go wrong with either.

here's a starter,

bhphoto's 30D lineup (scroll past 20Ds), but only includes one lens as well
http://www.bhphotovideo.com/bnh/controller/home?A=search&Q=&b=8&a=706_6374&mnp=0.0&mxp=0.0&Submit.x=19&Submit.y=7&Submit=Go&shs=&ci=6222&ac=

here's Bh's deal on the Nikon
http://www.bhphotovideo.com/bnh/controller/home?A=search&Q=&b=2&a=706_6375&mnp=0.0&mxp=0.0&Submit.x=4&Submit.y=10&Submit=Go&shs=&ci=6222&ac=

costco's online site has a deal here for 30D: http://www.costco.com/Browse/Product.aspx?Prodid=11118105&whse=&topnav=&browse=

unfortunately BHphoto's sweet D200 18-200 lens is sold out, which you'll often find happens when you deal with good online deals, which is why shopping locally can be advantageous. Costco doesn't have D200's unfortunately.

in this case it only comes with one lens, not a telephoto one in this case. If you want a better memory card you will have to buy that as extra. If you plan on shooting in RAW format and shoot intensively this WILL be very very important, as my XT can only shoot on average 100 RAW images (varying depending on ISO setting)

[ares]

http://dpreview.com
No one brand of camera body is better for landscape, food, architecture, macro, etc. over any other brand.


:) I'm not so sure. Talk to some pros and they'll definitely have some options. I've read people say Canon's auto focus a lot better (is that how they became more popular in action and sports?).

Flash sync is also important in determining how much of a flash you need for flash fill, essential in any landscape or maybe any photography.

I'd really recommend reading sites from pro photographers. Not review sites, you won't get much beyond specs. Go to real photography stores where pros go and talk to them.

For a landscape lens, I'd suspect you'll want a 12-24mm. It's the widest available for DSLRs.

[Atealtha]

You are right, some things are better. Most important feature would be the multishot performance if you're into sports photography.

Not sure about the auto-focus. I had to switch to manual a few times with my Canon Rebel XT.

Also, flash sync is not a big deal. I used to think it was until I started shooting. 1/200 is enough for most basic photography and for sports you can not (or should not) use flash anyway. You have to depend on the strobes provided by the stadium or daylight if it is outdoors, and use a lens with a wide aperture throughout all focal lengths. If you are taking landscape photographs use long exposure on a tripod. No flash in the world will help fill that up.

[ares]

For what it's worth, I'd choose Nikon. I never got around to getting a DSLR yet but spend a decent amount of time trying out the 2 lower end Canon's and some Nikons.

I think Nikon's are easier to use. When you want to take a quick shot, setting white balance, quality, and ISO as fast as possible are critical. Nikon makes those very quick.