So I have a dilemma, I want to buy a digital camera but cannot decide between a Canon EOS 500D or a Nikon D90. Someone told me that Canon is the better but I saw pictures taken with Nikon and its really beautiful with the colors and all. The Canon EOS is almost 300chf is cheaper than the Nikon so Im leaning towards Canon for the price. Please help me because really I don't know what to buy

I can take any camera and make it look bad. On the other hand, I can
take any camera and make the photos look great.

The color and quality is (usually) not a camera feature, but the
photographer and the post-photography editing.

My suggestion for your question: Hold both in your hands, take a few
shots with your own memory card then take those home and look at them
on the screen, without editing. Then, a few days or a week later, after
thinking about it, buy your favorite.

Good luck!

Thanks Scott! I will definitely try that one out. I also have one more problem, I don't like editing photos. I usually just take many photos and choose the best one. Im thinking with a good camera you don't need to edit so much or not at all. Well I prefer the not at all

I'm using Canon EOS for years and no complaints whatsoever. If you want to use it for general photography like travel, social etc., you shouldn't care. Both are just fine. Choose the one just like some girls choose the car -- look for what looks good/feels right and don't care what's under the bonnet

Hi,

I use a Canon and I have being using them for over 25 years and I am very happy with the results. However, I have friends who have used Nikon cameras for years and are very happy with them. In the end it comes down to the lens that you use with the cameras and your ability to compose a picture. If you do everything in automatic mode then you will not get the best out of either camera.

In both Zurich and Basel there are camera groups where keen hobby photographers meet on a regular basis to take photos together and to learn from each other. You will find a fairly even split between the Canon and Nikon camera users ..if you average it across the various meetings. If you look at the pictures that are posted to the flickr group you will see that the results are more dependent on the ability of the photographer and their ability to get a good picture on any particular meeting than whether they are using a Canon or Nikon camera.

Why not come along and chat to the people at the next meeting.

Have fun

Martin

Hi Aboutagirl03,

I can also recommend Canon, I switched to an EOS 450D from a regular digi camera a couple of months ago and it's performance has been fantastic.

On the post-processing, I'd suggest you give Adobe Lightroom ago, although you will need to make sure you shot in RAW mode to do so.
I used to do little to no post-processing, but then tried Lightroom and found I could get more out of my photos with it.

Hope this helps

Well I'm going to stick a word in for the Nikon here. I use a D90 and It's a fantastic camera.

That said it really makes no difference at all whether you buy Canon or Nikon. The quality of the images are pretty much equal. But you'll look much cooler with a Nikon

It is no doubt that both cameras are good. Both take great shots when
a skilled photographer is behind the camera. As I said before, it helps
when an experienced photo editor is behind the photo as well.

One thing I have noticed in the courses that I have given for Migros
Klubschule... so many people are buying up dSLRs without a pinch of
knowledge how to use them OR any interest to learn. Those think the
dSLR is a better snapshot camera Actually (IMO), 90% of the
people that buy dSLRs today would be just as happy with a high-end
compact. The compact cameras today are very smart and the results
very impressive.

But, if the OP wants a dSLR then they should have one! Take
everybody's advice and hold both models. Consider the extra costs,
memory card, extra lenses, other accessories that may interest you in
the future... then make your decision and don't look back.

After all: To each his/her own

Just yesterday I got Canon 1000d from digitec in Zurich for 600 chf. I was in the same dilemma between canon 1000d or Nikon D60 and finally went for Canon as it has LiveView. But from what I read on Internet the image quality of these 2 camera are virtually similar

If I have to choose just between 500D & Nikon D90, i would go for D90

I recommend Canon, I have had them for 9 years now, both SLR (EOS) and several Powershots. Excellent, no complaints, and I like their Zoombrowser photo management program. I did actually buy a Nikon SLR a few years back, it took great pics but drove me crazy because after many years of using Canons, the location of the zoom lever on the Canon SLR is the on/off lever on the Nikon, so I kept switching off the Nikon camera in the middle of framing a shot. Eventually the Nikon got stolen (I suspect the cleaning lady at work), it was a blessing in disguise...I bought a Canon EOS and have been happy with it ever since.

Well I have a Canon, with a Sigma lens and it has had problems from the first 6 months - the shutter would freeze and not move until the battery ran out of power. I took it back to Canon 3 times before they agreed there was a problem. They then blamed it on the lens "you must use a Canon lens". But I have known quite a few people who have used other lenses with their Canon without a problem. Maybe I was just unlucky.

In any case, I agree with Scott. For most cases a compact is sufficient. I rarely take my big Canon out these days (with kids I have enough to lug around). My little compact does enough for most photos and it can even take videos. The only time I take my big camera out is when I want additional flexibility and the photos are important to me - scenery, birthdays, sports, etc.

I'm going to go out on a limb and say that it doesn't matter. More important than the camera you choose now is the lens system you're buying into. Over the years, you'll end up replacing the body as newer models come out, but you'll hang onto the lenses forever.

Both Canon and Nikon make excellent lenses, so you won't go wrong with either system. But before you purchase, think about the lenses you might want to buy over the next few years and do a comparison.

It all depends on what sort of photographer you are, but in my case, my lenses are worth at least 5-6x what my camera bodies are worth. FWIW, I bought into the Nikon lens system, and have 2 Fuji bodies and a Nikon body.

I agree with the others, though -- a camera cannot make you a good photographer any more than a computer can make you a good writer. The camera is a tool, and in the hands of the right guy, any camera can produce amazing results.

This has less to do with the camera and more to do with the photographer. A "good camera" used properly, however, can lead to well-exposed, well-composed shots that can be used straight from the camera. The key word is "used properly".

I keep trying to convince myself about this, and I own a number of compacts as well as several DSLRs. I never seem to get the results I want from the compacts (probably down to my shooting style -- I like to shoot wide-open to pick out the main subject, nice bokeh in the background, then oversaturate in post-production). As a consequence, when I pack my compact cameras, they tend to stay in the bag; when I pack my SLR, I take it everywhere with me.

I'm tempted to buy a used D40 and use it with my 45mm pancake lens: the perfect combination of light-weight, nearly the size of a compact, but all the control of an SLR.

Personally I'm with Canon but remember that any Nikon cameras can be used with any Nikon lenses no matter how old. New Canon cameras will only be able to be used with older autofocus lenses & apparantly there are complications if you have a EOS 5D or EOS 1DS.

I completely agree with this advice by VillageIdiot. Cameras don't take good photos... people do.

An $8,000 Nikon D3X in the hands of an unskilled photographer will still only take amateurish snapshots whereas a $400 D40 in the hands of a pro is capable of producing amazing images.

It doesn't matter which brand you choose as long as the camera has the features you want and is comfortable to use. I also wholly concur with Scott's advice about actually holding and firing a few frames with the different cameras you are considering at your price point. That alone will probably help you make the decision.

Check out these links for some useful info:
http://www.kenrockwell.com/index.htm
http://www.dpreview.com/learn/?/Guid...g_guide_01.htm

Good luck and welcome!

I have used both professionally and I would be very happy to use either. I have gone completely Canon as a personal choice.

Post production editing, in my opinion, is where much of the magic is. I love it.

If you take many photos Lightroom is a great program.

IMHO it's like deciding between BMW and Merc. You won't be disappointed by either. I have a Canon D20 and the reason I didn't get a Nikon was the Canon "felt" more substantial. How's that for scientific.

What helps is some good lenses and ability. Both of which I lack at the moment but I think I can fix the lense problem. Oh yes and learn what your camera is capable of. Even some of the new compacts can produce REALLY good pics in the right hands.

Have fun!

Thank you guys for all the useful posts I have already decided what to buy, the only problem now is I have to replace my old Iphone 2G first because it fell down the pavement yesterday and the LCD broke I have to save for my new camera or buy a second hand from ricardo.

I bought an EOS 500D the other day, and I find the photos it takes to lack sharpness. I've read that with the Camera+"Lens Kit" - the lens is fairly lo-fi, and this accounts for the softness in the resultant photos.

Of course, maybe it's just me.

It could do with a CPL filter for bright day shots.

Works fairly well in the dark, but I haven't had much of a play. I want to go do some night photos of Basel - but will wait until it's dark a bit earlier.

Attached photo: Fireworks over the Birs river valley, ~ 9:30pm, tripod & cable release. (Resized to meet the forum image size rules *sigh*)