Photography takes an instant out of time, altering life by holding it still.–Dorothea Lange
For starters, I want to thank everyone who has left me comments here helping me out. It’s great that there are so many people out there willing to give advice, and you have all been very helpful.
What I want to talk about today are the two cameras that it pretty much boils down to for me. I’ve heard from a couple people that it’s not so much the camera that matters, as the person operating the camera; and what that person sees. That’s great, but not really something that helps my decision a whole lot! =) I’m looking to make this my full time career. I’ve dreamt about nothing else since I was 12 (so you’d think I’d know a little bit more than I do!!) and the camera is very important to me.
My choices before were pretty much just between the Nikon D3000 and the Nikon D5000. What it really boiled down to in the end (between these two) was budget. I really wanted the Nikon D5000, so I was pretty much sold. I’m very stubborn when it comes to making up my mind on something I want! (It’s all in the genetics!! lol) So I would much rather wait an extra week or month or two, and then get the camera I really wanted.
Then I just happened to get a comment from someone whose tips I have come to value quite a bit, as it seems there’s a lot of experience there. He told me to check out this page that had the Nikon D5000 vs its “archenemy,” the Canon EOS Rebel T1i. It’s a head to head review between the camera I have wanted for months now (the Nikon D5000, in case you already forgot) and this Canon that has really begun to worm it’s way between me and my previous choice!
So I checked out the website, and within the first paragraph and a half I was sold on this Canon! But as I continued to read, there were more and more points that just made it harder to choose between the two. To be honest, I think the logical choice would be to go with the Canon. Although I’ve never been much of a Canon fan, I’m starting to like them more and more. There is this point and shoot camera I am absolutely in love with, and I can’t wait to get that one too!! It’s the Canon PowerShot SD780, and it’s great!! But anyways, back to my point! There are a lot of great features on both cameras, and I hate having such a hard time making a decision. So check out the website, and leave me some feedback!! Which camera would you choose??
Here are my favorite points on both cameras::
Nikon D5000
- $50 less expensive than the Canon
- Rotating LCD screen
- Shoots 4 frames per second
- HD movie recording
- lots of Advanced Scene modes (the cheaters way, I know) lol j/k
- Live View shooting
- In-camera image editing
- Battery life is slightly longer
and then, there’s the
Canon EOS Rebel T1i
- 1080p movie mode
- ISO sensitivity up to 12,800
- 15.1 megapixels
- larger image area
- 3″ monitor size
- larger monitor resolution
- exposure modes
- live view
- depth of field control
- smaller and lighter than the D5000
As you can see, my list is slightly longer on the Canon, so it just makes more sense to get that one. Yet at the same time, just a few little features I was so looking forward to are hard to let go of! Such as all the in-camera editing options, and, of course, the screen that rotates. I may have made my decision, but it’s currently not set in stone. Again, I ask, now that I’ve narrowed my search down, what do you think? Which camera would you go with?
{ 14 comments… read them below or add one }
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Hi Brittani,
I know I’m a little late to the party, but I must say that I agree 100% with your decision to go with the camera that feels right when you try it out. There are plenty of people that would tell you to go with one brand over another primarily because they’ve had a good experience with one and not another, or because they have had one brand in the past and refuse to switch.
Now I see that you have decided to go with the Nikon D5000, once you’ve purchased your super-duper DSLR and have acquainted yourself with its controls and settings, I would recommend looking for better optics rather than just sticking with the stock 18-55mm. Choosing the right body is only one-third of the battle when it comes to photography, having the right lens is the second-third. If you think that a certain lens might be the one that you are looking for and want to field-test it, there is a website called lensprotogo.com that will let you rent high-end lenses at reasonable prices allowing you to get a feel for what lenses you might want to add to your personal collection.
And the last part of the pie for incredible photography is talent which you have plenty of! I cannot wait to see what beautiful images you’re going to produce once you have gathered all the equipment you need!
Your Fan-To-Be,
Cory
Britanni,
You asked me to join you on Twitter so I had to check out your blog. Saw your decision making process and decided to add my 2 cents. If you want to ‘go pro’ you will need to buy the best lenses, i.e. f 2.8. Forget the variable speed lenses, i.e. f3.5 – 5.6.
You might want to read the very complete tests on ANY camera you’re interested in at: http://www.dpreview.com It’s unbiased reviews, but be prepared for some technical info, which will help you learn.
Often times you get better results with the camera/lens, depending upon what software you use to process the RAW file. As a Nikon shooter, my final image preparation is done with Nikon Capture NX2. I agree with others – put a camera in your hands and use it. Can you shoot vertical without cranking your hand around? A big deal if you want to photograph children.
Also consider a used camera/lens if you’re just starting out and money’s tight. I still have and use a 200mm Macro lens that I bought used. People upgrade their gear on a regular basis as new bodies come out. (Disclaimer: I’m presently selling my D300 with MD-B10 Multi-power battery pack)
Lastly, remember that your camera is a tool – nothing more, nothing less. It’s what you do with it in camera and post-production that counts. Good luck deciding!
I have a early Canon Digital Rebel, which I had to get the sensor replaced on. Now it works well enough. I have a 70-300 sigma macro lens on it, so I have lots of trouble with blur.
One thing I remember when I went looking at cameras when I bought this one… I liked Nikon’s better, but was limited by my budget.
I have a lot of issues with blur and halos in my images when you zoom in, but at 1:1 they are fine.
Yes it is very hard to make the camera see what you see…HDR is one way to do it.
Hi there, sorry I’m late.
I’m a Nikon girl, just got my D90 10 min ago, but looked hard because Canons are doing great lately.
I agree with the commenters that recommended holding them both in your arms. I just found out I don’t really like the buttons’ placement on the canons or the plastic feel and that made the final decision.
About the high ISO, you really won’t be using it that much. It gets dirty, unprintable.
Plus the canon cams have a slight red turn (talking about color temperature) that bothers me because I’m a perfectionist.
But it’s all about how they feel in your hands. You’re gonna spend quite some time with them so just make sure they feel right. I consider my cam like a boyfriend: I don’t really wanna spend time with someone I’m not fully comfortable with
(joking)
Look at the lenses you would use as well. You’ll end up replacing the bodies much more often than the glass.
My advice is to try to get your hands on both of the cameras to see which one you like more. This way I found out that I don’t like how Canon feels, especially the ‘reversed’ zoom, and went with the Nikon (the d80, some time ago..).
This might be more important than slight differences in features
Hi Brittani,
I agree with the first post, go hold them both, then decide. What do your friends use? can you borrow lenses or flashes from them? Will you want to lend friends your gear? May be nice to have the same as your friends just for help in learning how to use your new camera (or teaching them how to use theirs).
Don’t worry about high ISO, you can’t use it… unless your buying a Nikon D3 $$$$. from first hand experience with the Canon 50D, anything at or above 1600 ISO gets grainy. 3200 is bad, 6400 is worse, and at 128000 you get stripes with your grain… totally unprintable. I can’t tell you about the Nikon cameras, but i don’t know any Nikon shooters that are posting anything over 400-800 ISO either. A good fast lens (50mm 1.4, or 1.8 if your budget constrained) and a good tripod are what you need for low light.
as for shooting modes, M, Av, and Tv are all you need.
And Shoot RAW. Use GIMP (free), LightRoom (same price as that 50mm 1.4 lens), or Aperture (Mac only) for processing in camera stuff never looks the same on the monitor, or paper.
Hold both cameras on your hand to help you decide which one feels better. You can’t go wrong with Canon or Nikon. I can’t give you a more specific recommendation because I’m biased…I shoot Canon.
You’re never going to find the “perfect” camera because as soon as you purchase one, another one comes out that has more/better/different features. I fought a similar battle (as I’m sure almost everyone does) when I picked up my Nikon D80. I knew as soon as I purchased it that there’d be better cameras and wow, was that an understatement. But you know what? I love my D80. It’s my “starter” camera, it’s the camera that I’m learning with and growing with, and the thought of upgrading to a “better” camera kind of makes me sad. I love my D80 and I’d miss it if I didn’t get to spend time with it every day.
But some day, I’ll move on.
I recommend you go to photo shop and check out both models. Hold them, play with them, talk with the clerk about them. You’ll probably leave the store with a much more solid idea of which is “perfect” for you. If not, at least you know a little more about each.
Canon, of course, no doubt
Hi Brittani, Both Canon and Nikon make exceptional cameras. You can’t go wrong with either. That said you want help choosing one. Here is a link to an article by dxo mark labs which measure the actual data coming off of the sensors. Digital images are only as good as the data their sensors produce. Both do well, but Nikon does a little better.
http://www.dxomark.com/index.php/eng/Insights/Canon-500D-T1i-vs.-Nikon-D5000/Conclusion
Just more data to consider.:)
Once you’ve made your decision just love it and don’t second guess it.
Good luck!
Hi Brittani,
In regards to your dilemma, I think I may be able to help you out here a little bit. As a (weekend) photographer myself, I always am more concerned with the final result of my images, and anything that contributes to that end is a plus. The canon in my opinion fits the bill.
The higher ISO, coupled with its digic 4 processor – will allow you to shoot in darker situations with surprisingly little grain.
With a 15.1 megapixel sensor, you’ll capture a lot more information for better detail and color reproduction.
This camera accepts both EF and EFs lenses.
These are all great advantages but I think one of the most brilliant features is the ability to shoot broadcast quality video! How cool is that? In fact, I work in the movie industry and on my last show, we had a guy shooting behind the scenes footage for the 2nd dvd, and he was using the EOS 1D with a shoulder mount setup as a video camera.
So I would definitely go with the Canon. I am actually on the hunt for one myself. Hope this helps.
Giles