Sep 8, 2009

Nikon OR Canon?!



I have birthday money that needs to be spent. :) (Yes, my birthday was in April, which makes this more like my half-birthday present). I have been trying to decide between a nice camera or a road bike (which are both on my wish list, along with a house, Lasik, a piano, a Mediterranean cruise, the list could go on and on and on...). Well, summer came and went and I figure that now I'll get more use out of the camera. Maybe I'll get the bike next year. Anyway, this is where I need your help. I'm seeing a lot of mixed reviews about Canon and Nikon cameras and I can't decide which camera to buy. Please share your expertise and tell me what kind you have and why you love it, and if you know where I can get a great deal (I've been looking on www.slickdeals.net to compare deals, but they aren't all current). There are so many different cameras, I have no idea where to start! I'm a total novice when it comes to SLR cameras, so I don't need anything fancy, but I'd like one that I can learn a few things and take some nice pictures. I'd also love to take a photography class sometime. It's something I've been interested in for a long time. Anyway, any advice or suggestions would be greatly appreciated! Thanks!!!

10 comments:

Humanist mom said...

So, I don't know anything about cameras, but my friend is an amazing photographer and she said that she would choose a Nikon because they are easier to use.

Also, we do need to go out again soon! Game night or dinner or something! Cory and I never have friends to hang out with.

Jeff and Stephanie said...

Holly-we have a cannon and we love it, but I think that either camera is a good choice. I think that the cannon has more things you can do (not that I know what they are-need that photo class) but I know Emily Curfew has a Nikon and loves it too! Both are great!
PS-I need to get my road bike too so we can meet up for triathalons!

The Pearsons said...

Check out www.cameralabs.com. The guy walks you through the main features of all kinds of cameras and he is unbiased so he doesn't hold back if there's something he doesn't like. When we got our digital camera, I researched it for months. We just didn't get an SLR.

MaryClaire Brown said...

Oh welcome to the fabulous world of photography. It's so much fun and can be so addicting. So, I was in exactly you're position about a year and a half ago. I went to Inkley's multiple times, and talked to multiple people there and other photographer friends I knew. I ended up going with a Nikon. Really, they're both awesome, and in many ways, equally so. Canon's tend to shoot brighter in auto mode. The great thing about a Nikon is that they end up being cheaper in the long run. There are a lot of features that the Nikon has already built into the camera rather than the lens whereas with the canon you often have to go buy a fancy lens to get things like image stabalization. Also, when I was buying my camera I ended up getting a Nikon D80 rather than the D40x. The D80 at the time was way more of a camera than I needed, but I didn't want to regret spending a little bit more from the beginning. And, the new version of the D80, the D90 has video capabilities. I'm jealous of that.

So, I have way to much to say about all of this, and I'd love to talk your ear off about it if you want to know more. Happy shopping!

The Olsons said...

I'm a Cannon fan. I don't think one is easier than the other. I think they are both very similar. Both would be nice cameras but if I were you would start off with a Cannon Rebel, and get a nice zoom lense to go with it. My favorite thing about my camera is having the bigger lense it makes picture taking so much more fun.

The Birds said...

I have a Nikon and I love it! From the research that I did they are pretty close to the same so which ever one you choose you'll love.

Celia said...

Hey! Haven't been here in a while -- your baby is SO BIG! I can't believe it! Her hair is adorable. Such a cutie.

My 2 cents: I have a Canon XT (the newest version is the XS) and I love it. I've heard great things about both Nikons and Canons. I got mine for a pretty good deal from bhphotovideo.com last year. Check Amazon too. I would definitely recommend taking a class -- there is so much to learn about SLRs!

By the way, take a look at the Giveaway I'm doing on my blog -- it might be of interest to you and your little lady!

Let's get together next time I'm in Utah!!

Kimberly said...

I love my Canon SLR. It's a couple models old, but still pretty awesome. A pro I know uses a Nikon, but it's because her dad is also a photographer and gave her a Nikon for her first camera so she has always used them, but says Canons are good too. I think the new Nikon SLRs can shoot videos too, but Canon should be coming out with that feature soon (if you care about that). You can also look at accessories you would want (other lenses etc) and see if the price difference on those is enough to push you one way or the other.

Molly Koch said...

i love my cannon. i got the 50D on ebay. we got a ton of "extras" with it from buying it on there for the same price as just the camera elsewhere. if you are trying to keep it simple- i know the cannon rebel is a great camera, but if you are thinking classes and a real hobby down the road maybe go bigger now than regretting it later. i just put some pics up on my blog that i used my camera for. good luck!

JS said...

I am a Canon fan. I love it. I haven't left the automatic settings yet, :) but it has so many things you can do with it!