Canon 350D or Nikon D40??

[Stetwin]

I have been looking at getting a dSLR camera for a while now and my choice has come down to these two, I can get either for about the same price so what I need to know is which is the better camera….. I’m not talking about your preference I just want the facts

Also which one will be the cheaper when it comes to purchasing additional equipment and is there much difference in quality between both brands?

/Ste

[Frog]

side by side comparison http://www.dpreview.com/reviews/comp...n_d40&show=all

[Medley]

No, I don't think there's much difference in quality between the two brands. Basically, it comes down to personal preference. And, since you're talking about the top two major brands, you'll find a LOT of personal preference on these boards.

Not sure about the price of additional equipment, nor which eqipment you'd be interested in. That should be easy enough to research though.

The one "fact" that I will relate is that Canon still seems to be the industry standard in in-lens image stabilization, if that's something you'd be interested in down the line. However, with ever-evolving technology, this is becomming arguable as well.

My advice is to go to camera shops in your area, find both cameras, and try them out personally. See which one feels more comfortable in your hand. Check out the features of each camera, how they're laid out on the body, and how comfortable it is for you to change the settings.

They're both fine cameras. In the end, personal preference is what it's going to come down to.

-Joe U.

[Stetwin]

Thanks for the replies

I'm going in to town tomorrow to take a look at both of them so i can get more of a feel for what they are like, is there anything else i should take a look at while i'm there?

And i know i said it at the start but go on then give me reasons which is best based on personal preference :thumbsup:

/Ste

[Has He Lost His Mind?]

The D40 only has 3 AF points, while the 350D has 5. I think.

[mjs1973]

Be sure to check on lens compatability as well. The Rebel XT will be able to use any lens made for the EF and EF-S mount. I remember reading something about the D40 not being compatible with all of the current Nikon lenses. Something to do with the auto focus motor not being in the body, instead it has to be in the lens. Someone please correct me if I'm wrong. Be sure to ask the sales person about this.

[Tel]

While I do love my Digital Rebel, I love my dad's Nikon. Honestly, There both great choices, you can't go wrong with either. If you want though, you can buy a D50 Body for 380$ Refurb on Beach Camera.

[Franglais]

First a question for PJ - why are the dates in this post coming out as 03-13-2007? A bit early for 1st April?

Now try to stick to the facts, assuming that you can get the two for the same price:

- the D40 is an entry-level camera aimed at the mass market while the 350D was aimed slightly higher so it has more features. Advantage Canon
- the 350D has 8Mpix whereas the D40 has 6Mpix. Slight advantage to Canon (but 6Mpix is already enough for most people)
- the 350D is two years old (and discontinued) whereas the D40 has Nikon's latest image processing chip giving better high-ISO performance. Advantage Nikon
- reviews usually say that Canon's entry-level lenses are mediocre while Nikon's are good. Advantage Nikon
- Nikon have much wider range of designed-for-digital lenses. If you want a decent lens from Canon then you often find you have to buy a big, expensive designed-for-film lens. Advantage Nikon
- The D40 can only auto-focus with AF-S lenses. With older lenses - and most third-party ones - you have to focus manually, assisted by the focus-OK indicator. Advantage Canon.

I could go on with snippets I've read about flash performance, autofocus, etc. but you get the picture - both are very good systems. If I were you I would go down to Jessops, take each camera in your mighty hands for a few minutes and see which one you are more comfortable with.

Charles

[dante]

- The D40 can only auto-focus with AF-S lenses. With older lenses - and most third-party ones - you have to focus manually, assisted by the focus-OK indicator. Advantage Canon.

for me it came down to the fact that none of the economical primes (I think) work with the D40, as they're AF instead of AF-S. as for 3rd party lenses, while the Sigma's work (some/most?), Tamron doesn't. I can't even recommend the D40/D40x to my mother to replace her N80 film SLR since she owns Tamron lenses...