Legit Reviews

I'm in the market to buy a DSLR.

I've been eyeing up the Canon EOS 400D (Digital Rebel XTi to US types), but have recently been swayed by the design of Nikon cameras. Specificly the D60.

I understand that canon just about edges nikon in terms of image quality, but other factors are swaying me like ergonomics of the camera. Things like how comfy the camera is to hold, and from what i have seen the nikon grip is much better than the canons.

I have the nikon D40 at work and am impressed with it both in how easy it is to use and the general feel of the camera. Are canons as easy to use, or do they require more tweaking to get the most out of them?

Nate, i understand you have the XTi, how is that to use? Did you go with the standard lens, or buy the body and a better lens?

Thank for input,

Dan

Get the Canon 40D. Body only. I have the Canon 30D and bought it with the lens kit. One week later I bought a Canon L-series lens from canon. No plastic in either.

Go with the Cannon EOS, can't beat the Cannon optics.

I got the XTI and have the lens that came with the kit... Impressed with the camera not so with the lens. If I had to do it all over I'd buy a body and then the lens I wanted.

As much as I'd love to, I don't think I can justify the extra expense for the Canon 40D, and L series lenses are going to be a long way away for me yet

I've found a cracking deal on a 400D (get the body/lens kit for the same price everywhere else is selling the body (£360)) and then there is the current Canon MIR money back thing which nets me a further £45 off the total price, so now I think I need to go to a camera shop and see that I am happy with the 400D handling and then get on with buying one

But if I'm not happy with how it feels, it's wide open again (I'm that fickle!)

Dan

Your not going to be happy. Buy the Digital Rebel XTi body only. I don't like plastic anything but you have to do what you have to do.

I think our Nikon is a D50. Pretty impressed with pic quality and ease of use. I know, my post is lame, I'll see if I can add something more meaningful later tonight.

The 400d is two years old. Check out the reviews, it is highly recommended! But, it's still two years old. http://www.dpreview.com/reviews/canoneos400d/. I think you can do better.

Bear in mind that this will be my first DSLR and my funds aren't limitless.

Grrr, thanks for planting a seed of doubt about the 400D now

I've been reading lots of dpreviews lately, and so I'm going to have to wait for them to do the 450D before I make my decision I think. Oh well, a bit longer to save up I guess.

Dan

vbironchef wrote:The 400d is two years old. Check out the reviews, it is highly recommended! But, it's still two years old. http://www.dpreview.com/reviews/canoneos400d/. I think you can do better.

8/2006 makes it just over a year and a half old... not a bad deal for the price

We could go round and round about what camera to buy. I feel it is important to note that the lens one uses makes a big difference. The cost of the camera body is just the starting point. You get what you pay for. The most important thing is that you have fun. Most good lens cost more than the camera body anyway.

That reminds me, the camera nut at work said that if you nice inexpensive lens to check out Sigma lenses.

I hope this helps: http://www.bobatkins.com/photography/di ... s_40D.html

DMB2000uk , What did you buy? I hope I helped.

I tried to post back earlier today, but was about 200 miles from home, at my girlfriends house (and her internet was dodgy). Anyways, I basically tried to say something like this earlier today:

So despite liking the 450D's smaller size (and lightweightness), I really wanted to get the 17-85mm lens from canon, as a lot of you have said the 18-55 doesn't quite cut it (echoed on numerous reviews around the web). I've also had experience of an 18-55mm on my works Nikon D40, and pine for more focal range. I didn't have time to check out sigmas offerings as I've been spending an extended weekend at my girlfriends parents house, and haven't lots of access to the net.

Well on Sunday I went into a camera shop and tried the 400D, 450D and 40D. Went back Monday with my girlfriend, and after talking about what options I could get with the 17-85mm lens with the different camera bodies I ended up getting the 40D.

Vbironchef, It's your fault I spent all this money
(I had the money to spend so its not that bad really)

But anyways, I'm loving the 6.5fps shooting, I feel like a paparatzi with this thing. Briefly took a few pictures of my girlfriends town, so if there are any good ones I'll post them sometime this week (haven't had time to check through them all yet, what with all the travelling back I did today).

I guess it hasn't quite sunk in how much the camera cost, but I'm sure it will last a long time and serve me well.

Dan

You made a wise choice.

nice choice man..

i'm also looking at buying my first DSLR - can't decide really but choice has come down to Canon 40D being the leading contender as well

Getting to grips with the camera and all the settings is proving to be fun. I think I've just about got my head round the basics, but this is one toy you can't skip reading the manual (at least the important bits). I haven't read it properly yet, but I plan on doing so in the near future.

On a rather sad note, I was shooting some low light pics today (trying to get used to some manual settings) and I've discovered a hot pixel.
Its a red blob on the far right of every* picture, about half way up and an eighth of the way in from the left.

(*Depends on the settings used, it doesn't show in bright pics, but anything dark it's there, with varying degrees of red glowing brightness)

I'm glad that the shop I bought the camera from is a chain and has a store in my town right about now, as having paid so much for the camera I'm not prepared to put up with stuck pixels and plan on getting it fixed/replaced.

Dan

Well good news for me is that I was able to find a trick that gets the software to somehow ignore the hot pixel, and interpolate it out of the picture. (Basically its the same kind of pixel remapping that canon would have done if i had to send it in for repair).

So I was able to fix it and don't have to be without my new toy. ^_^

Dan

Great! Now, very important! Buy yourself a UV. Filter. To protect that new lens you bought. You will thank me later. They cost about 12 US. dollars.