Welcome to the MacNN Forums.

cla · Mar 21, 2006, 03:35 PM

Hot topic - 49 replies in less than 24 hours.

Anyway, davesimondotcom, I asked myself the same question about 27 hours ago before I went to the camera store. Nikon or Canon... I've read about everything there is to read about the Nikon D50 and the Canon EOS350d (as it's called over here), but after holding the two cameras, my choice was just as easy as ASIMO's: Since yesterday I'm the happy owner of a Nikon D50, and I'm not having anything even remotely related to second thoughts. The "feel" of the D50 (I'm sure you know what I'm talking about, Mac users amongst...) is just so... CAMERA, as opposed to the 350 which falls into the category of plastic toys in comparison.

I would go for the Nikon D50 with the 18-70 lens any day of the week (though I've never seen them sold as a kit). I bought my D50 with an 18-55 Sigma lens (better than Nikon's 18-50 according to the salesman), which is a really good lens for that price.

Here's one of my first shots (from yesterday - first day with the camera)

Good luck :>

davesimondotcom · Mar 21, 2006, 08:05 PM

I'm still leaning towards the D50 with the 18-70 lens, but also considering the 2 lens kit, which covers 18-200mm.

The guy at F11 (local camera shop) recommended the D50 body and the Tamron 18-200 lens, covering a lot of range with one lens. However, after looking at some reference photos online, it seems to suffer from fairly poor contrast and strong distortion.

Montanan · Mar 21, 2006, 08:19 PM

Originally Posted by davesimondotcom

The guy at F11 (local camera shop) ...

A bit of advice from a local (and hard core) photographer: beware the staff of F-11! A couple of them are fairly well-informed, but the majority of them are idiots.

I would definitely stick with the two-lens kit. I've no experience with the Tamron 18-200, but consumer-grade lenses of that range often exhibit noticeable distortion, vignetting, or other problems.

cla · Mar 22, 2006, 05:19 AM

Originally Posted by Montanan

I would definitely stick with the two-lens kit. I've no experience with the Tamron 18-200, but consumer-grade lenses of that range often exhibit noticeable distortion, vignetting, or other problems.

What lens would you recommend if I want to go above 100mm?
(And oh, yes, price does matter :> )

Montanan · Mar 22, 2006, 08:35 AM

Originally Posted by cla

What lens would you recommend if I want to go above 100mm?
(And oh, yes, price does matter :> )

Well, I wouldn't want to give a specific recommendation without doing some research, but in general I think that lenses which combine wide-angle and major telephoto capabilities in one unit are more prone to optical issues. The solution is to get a lens like the 18-70 for primary use, and a second lens to take you above 100mm or so.

I had cost issues, too, so I hit the used camera store for my second lens. Depending on your system, you could almost certainly find a decent used 100-300 mm zoom there for a hundred bucks or so.

Dr Reducto · Mar 22, 2006, 10:58 AM

Originally Posted by cla

What lens would you recommend if I want to go above 100mm?
(And oh, yes, price does matter :> )

Nikon 70-300G, or 70-300 ED if you have the money.

cszar2001 · Mar 22, 2006, 02:34 PM

Originally Posted by cla

What lens would you recommend if I want to go above 100mm?
(And oh, yes, price does matter :> )

I bought a Nikkor 75-300/4.5-5.6 for 150$.
The guy I got it from never used it.
I use it exactly twice a year: to shoot Marathons.
You could couple that with a TC200 (30$ used) to double the range.

If you are serious about photography get the 80-200/2.8. Good luck finding one for less than 600$.

Dr Reducto · Mar 22, 2006, 03:02 PM

Originally Posted by cszar2001

I bought a Nikkor 75-300/4.5-5.6 for 150$.
If you are serious about photography get the 80-200/2.8. Good luck finding one for less than 600$.

If you go to Keh, there are quite a few for under $600, of course they are used, but Keh is a great place to buy from, and I bought my 80-200 f/2.8 for $450 and am totally happy

davesimondotcom · Mar 22, 2006, 03:06 PM

Went ahead and bought the D50 kit with 18-55 lens. For now I'll work on my skills before I get another lens.

I'll add something longer later this summer. Possibly the 18-200 VR.

Just have to wait for the battery to charge!

cla · Mar 22, 2006, 07:16 PM

Charged yet? :>

davesimondotcom · Mar 22, 2006, 07:53 PM

Originally Posted by cla

Charged yet? :>

Yep, and after 2 or 3 years with a broken 35mm and only a point-and-shoot, I'm having to re-learn photography.

Here are a couple of early shots (Presented in TookieVision™ 480wide as prescribed):

Chinook in profile...

Humphrey meowing as always...

Humphrey (the cat) isn't as freaky as he looks, I just caught him mid-meow. Pixel, our other cat, had the afternoon off, sleeping somewhere where she's hidden from view.

DeathToWindows · Mar 22, 2006, 09:47 PM

That's not freaky, that's cute.

Good choice.

SimeyTheLimey · Mar 22, 2006, 10:11 PM

Originally Posted by davesimondotcom

Pixel, our other cat, had the afternoon off, sleeping somewhere where she's hidden from view.

Maybe she just walks through walls.

davesimondotcom · Mar 22, 2006, 10:26 PM

Originally Posted by SimeyTheLimey

Maybe she just walks through walls.

I've seen her walk INTO a wall before. Of course, being a cat, she played if off like she meant to do it.

SimeyTheLimey · Mar 22, 2006, 10:43 PM

Originally Posted by davesimondotcom

I've seen her walk INTO a wall before. Of course, being a cat, she played if off like she meant to do it.

Please don't tell me you didn't know about Pixel before you named your cat!

davesimondotcom · Mar 22, 2006, 11:05 PM

Originally Posted by SimeyTheLimey

Please don't tell me you didn't know about Pixel before you named your cat!

Huh!

I didn't know about that Pixel until you posted that link.

awcopus · Mar 23, 2006, 02:25 AM

I'm a Canon shooter (5D with plenty of L-glass) but in your price range, my experience and that of peers is that the Nikon is a great choice. Remember, though, that once you start buying lenses, you're essentially making it harder and harder to evaluate options down the line. In other words, when it comes time to get a new camera, you're probably going to stick with the brand that your lenses are compatible with. So, with that in mind, many people have settled on Canon because of its apparent lead in the DSLR realm.

Just food for thought. In the end, you really should get your hands on these cameras and buy the one you're going to feel great using. B&H Photo has a pretty great return policy that might give you the chance to really try these cameras out. Good luck!