Canon or Nikon

So i have a old 35 mm film camera and i really want to upgrade to digital. Right now i am looking at a Nikon D40, Canon EOS Rebel XT. I love the feel of both, i really like taking landscapes but i would probably want to do some weddings, and maybe portraits too. I was wondering if anyone could give me some advice that could help me pick which one i want to buy?

Thanks

You wouldn't go wrong with either camera. I went with Nikon because my dad & grandfather had a bunch of Nikon stuff that I could use so I bought a Nikon DSLR. At the time I actually had a Canon film camera. I personally like the ergonomics of the Nikon line of cameras. I use some Canons at one of my jobs, and they are great cameras as well.

both systems are great. neither camera are bad. the only thing you might consider is any gear you already have and if you can/want to use it with your new digital. it just comes down to which grip you like better and which menu layout you like better, really. i went with nikon because my dad had the 50mm f/1.4 and some other lenses that he gave to me.

If you do go with the D40 because you have nikon lenses make sure they are compatible as the D40 can only auto-focus with Afs lesnses.
A lot of money in lenses though so if you have some older lenses you may want to move up to a D50, D70, or D80.

This is really a matter of personal choice. Once you're committed to one system you tend to see the other one as being the wrong way to go about things. Especially on Internet Forums. This one is pretty reasonable, unlike some others..

I would say go with Nikon. Canon is really out of luck out the moment.

When I decided to purchase a DSLR I had the same questions. Reason I went with the Nikon was I take a lot of low light pictures and the Nikon images were clearer than the Canon images.
Don't get me wrong, both systems are good... but like others stated, consider what you currently have. Ask yourself what you want to shoot and do some research. There are a lot of good review sites out there. Looking at images from either system helped me decide what I wanted to buy. Maybe consider renting both and take some photos and see what fits you best.
Hard and expensive decision isn't it?... :p but fun in the long run. :thumbsup:

I'm going to go against the rest of the guys here. Lately, I've been recommending that photographers with no previous system investment look hard at Pentax, Sony, and Olympus digital SLRs. That's because those companies are all making DSLRs with built-in image stabilization. I think image stabilization is an invaluable feature. It absolutely means more usabable images - especially for people who less technical experience. If I was buying my first system, I'd be looking hard at a DSLR with an image-stabilized sensor.

The only problem I see with Pentax and Olympus is, not a great variety of lenses. If I could find a 400mm zoom lens (which would reach 800mm when factoring in the 2X crop factor), I would be tempted to pick up one of these.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by mn shutterbug

The only problem I see with Pentax and Olympus is, not a great variety of lenses. If I could find a 400mm zoom lens (which would reach 800mm when factoring in the 2X crop factor), I would be tempted to pick up one of these.

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That makes sense if you're the type of photographer that needs an 800mm lens. But most photographers aren't. And most first time DSLR buyers really aren't. Yet they're still taught to believe that Canon and Nikon are the only real game in town if they want to be serious. And that's just not true. Plus, with the built-in image stabilization offered by Pentax Olympus, and Sony, I believe most photographers will be best served by those camera makers. I am really looking forward to seeing how the new Olympus E-3 performs in the field. It was really impressive at the intro party.

Also, I just checked and Olympus has a 300mm f/2.8. Use that plus their EC-14 converter and you've got a 840mm f/4 equivalent lens. Not bad, I think :-)

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Photo-John

Also, I just checked and Olympus has a 300mm f/2.8. Use that plus their EC-14 converter and you've got a 840mm f/4 equivalent lens. Not bad, I think :-)

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I just checked the prices on these lenses and the 300mm goes for $5700 and the converter for $375. WOW. Not in my ballpark.