Virgin user! What System?

[fandango]

Well I should start by saying hello:thumbsup: to everyone prospective replyee's or not as this is my first foray into the world of forums on any subject. The last technological purchase i made of any note was a packard bell laptop and as you can tell by that statement I hadn't researched or checked out the quality of goods before purchase! never again!!!!:mad2:

Sorry to start with a question but here goes, I am by no means a photographer just for fun and occasionally work ( I am a designer and maker of the fantastic), and i am looking to buy a new digital SLR entry level that best suits me or maybe with a veiw to progress quickly? I have about £500 - £750 to spend... in dollars.....errm....$1300- $1500. And so far have been looking mainly at Canon and Nikon. I have seen a Nikon D50 body with Nikon 18-55mm and 55-200mm lenses, 1Gb Ultrafast SD card, spare independent battery, padded camera case & SD card reader for sale at http://www.bristolcameras.co.uk/page443.htm for £640 and also the Canon 400D & 18-55 with 2Gb Ultrafast CF memory card, spare independent rechargeable battery, independent zoomster case and USB card reader for £595.
As i have said im no photographer and would mostly be taking shots of static furniture etc studio and on site. People and nature also have a few ideas relating to light and smoke!!!! weirdo.
Sorry for being a little wide ranging but would appreciate any response as for me as for anyone it is a big outlay and would like others opinions on the age old question of Canon Vs Nikon Question. Many thanks and hi to all Carl

[Franglais]

Well I should start by saying hello:thumbsup: to everyone prospective replyee's or not as this is my first foray into the world of forums on any subject. The last technological purchase i made of any note was a packard bell laptop and as you can tell by that statement I hadn't researched or checked out the quality of goods before purchase! never again!!!!:mad2:

Sorry to start with a question but here goes, I am by no means a photographer just for fun and occasionally work ( I am a designer and maker of the fantastic), and i am looking to buy a new digital SLR entry level that best suits me or maybe with a veiw to progress quickly? I have about £500 - £750 to spend... in dollars.....errm....$1300- $1500. And so far have been looking mainly at Canon and Nikon. I have seen a Nikon D50 body with Nikon 18-55mm and 55-200mm lenses, 1Gb Ultrafast SD card, spare independent battery, padded camera case & SD card reader for sale at http://www.bristolcameras.co.uk/page443.htm for £640 and also the Canon 400D & 18-55 with 2Gb Ultrafast CF memory card, spare independent rechargeable battery, independent zoomster case and USB card reader for £595.
As i have said im no photographer and would mostly be taking shots of static furniture etc studio and on site. People and nature also have a few ideas relating to light and smoke!!!! weirdo.
Sorry for being a little wide ranging but would appreciate any response as for me as for anyone it is a big outlay and would like others opinions on the age old question of Canon Vs Nikon Question. Many thanks and hi to all Carl

Nikon users will say choose Nikon and Canon users will say choose Canon. Neither manufacturer is really ahead. Best thing to do is to go into a real camera shop take the things in your hands and see which feels best, which one you understand.

Charles

[danag42]

Go and look at the specifications and reviews for cameras in your price range. Any of the current top brands will give you excellent resultsl

I'm a Pentax user (former Canon user) so of course I'll advise you to look at the Pentax K100D or K10D, but there are lots of good cameras out there. Make a point of learning what you can from your camera before making major purchases, so you will know what will suit you the best.

[Jumpseat]

Boy have you asked a question! Even though I am a devoted Nikon user the previous respondents are correct; both Nikon and Canon will give you excellent results. That said let me give a few reasons I use Nikon.

1) Exposure control. In my experience Nikon has one of the best exposure systems on the market and the D50 has one of the best in all of the Nikon line below the D200.

2) Flash system. Nikon’s current flash system (iTTL) is simply superb. With the D50 you can add an SB-800 and an SB-600 or two for an extremely versatile wireless flash system.

3) Build quality. Nikons are very sturdy and durable cameras.

4) Lenses. For decades Nikon has been renown for their optics. And today they are making some fantastic lenses for very little money. You can buy great lenses from any manufacturer for $1000US or more, but Nikon is selling some unsurpassed lenses for $350 to $750US.

By the way; the 18-55mm is a good lens, but the 18-70mm Nikon is much, much better. Unless you have a specific need for the longer telephoto (55-200mm) I’d go for the 18-70 (which will give a 35mm equivalent of 27-105mm). You can always add the telephoto later if you find a real need for it.

Now this is admittedly the ravings of a rabid Nikon snob. And, I am sure there will soon be posts extolling the virtues of Canon and others. As I said above, either brand will give you excellent results. So, it’s still up to you to do some research (preferably from online review sources and not a salesman) and make the decision.

Here is a web page I put together for friends with similar questions: http://theoldbarx.com/photo_tips.htm

Good luck -Bill

[masdog]

Technical aspects are just one of the reasons for buying a camera, and both Canon and Nikon have their pros and cons.

But assuming that there isn't a particular technical reason for selecting one system over another, you need to look at functional and intangible. Franglais is right when he says to go to a camera store and try both out. See how they feel in your hands. If it is too small or too big, it won't be very comfortable, and you won't feel comfortable using it.