Here's the deal

[subhuman]

I believe it was Outdoorsman who told me to look at camera's and tell you what I found. So i went to the lone camera shop and looked at the Rebel Ti , Elan 7 the N75 and the N80.....The Rebel was $299 with the 28-90mm lens. The N 75 was $309, with the 28-80mm lens, both looked and felt about the same. the Elan and the n80 were basically the same too (I dont remember their prices). the salesperson said that the Rebel and the N75 were for a "person who just went around taking pictures" and the Elan and the N80 were "semi-pro" (her words not mine) Also they had a deal with the Nikon with the N-75 with the 28-80mm lens and a 70-300mm lens and a camera bag , batteries, & I think one other thing I cant remember. All that for $499 . I didnt want to spend that much but I thought it was a good deal.... but then I remembered y'all saying something about USM lenses so I asked the salesperson about those, she said they carried " the manufacture lenses" Could someone explain to me the differences in USM and a manufacture lens. I thought that the Rebel Ti for $299 was a good deal when B&H wants $279 and the N75 for $309 and B&H is $269. I thought I would get one here where I can take it back for support if needed, but if B&H has USM lenses for about $20 to $30 cheaper Oh man I dont know what to do what do you guys think ? Thanks

[Franglais]

I believe it was Outdoorsman who told me to look at camera's and tell you what I found. So i went to the lone camera shop and looked at the Rebel Ti , Elan 7 the N75 and the N80.....The Rebel was $299 with the 28-90mm lens. The N 75 was $309, with the 28-80mm lens, both looked and felt about the same. the Elan and the n80 were basically the same too (I dont remember their prices). the salesperson said that the Rebel and the N75 were for a "person who just went around taking pictures" and the Elan and the N80 were "semi-pro" (her words not mine) Also they had a deal with the Nikon with the N-75 with the 28-80mm lens and a 70-300mm lens and a camera bag , batteries, & I think one other thing I cant remember. All that for $499 . I didnt want to spend that much but I thought it was a good deal.... but then I remembered y'all saying something about USM lenses so I asked the salesperson about those, she said they carried " the manufacture lenses" Could someone explain to me the differences in USM and a manufacture lens. I thought that the Rebel Ti for $299 was a good deal when B&H wants $279 and the N75 for $309 and B&H is $269. I thought I would get one here where I can take it back for support if needed, but if B&H has USM lenses for about $20 to $30 cheaper Oh man I dont know what to do what do you guys think ? Thanks

Canon USM is about the same as Nikon "Silent Wave". It means that the lens has a motor that is almost silent (UltraSonic Motor) - and that globally it's better made and longer lasting than an all-plastic kit lens.

The Canons and the Nikons are about the same. It's just a question of which one you feel more at home with.

Between the "person who went about etc" F75 and the "semi-pro" F80 I have both and they turn in the same results. The F80 has a more solid feel, better viewfinder it's always nice to go back to it after using the F75 (though it's nicer still to go back to my F100 or Leica).

As for buying from B&H or the small guy - I would be happy to pay more and go to the small guy if I was happy with the service I got. At least with the small guy you can go in and actually handle the things, which is important. After all you're going to have to live with the camera for years.

Charles

[Liz]

"I thought that the Rebel Ti for $299 was a good deal when B&H wants $279"

B&H price is only $229 - unless you want the "date" which personally, I don't think you do.

http://www.bhphotovideo.com/bnh/cont...=261869&is=USA

The price difference is signifcant.

Liz

[Clemmie]

Not to further confuse you in your considerations - but while you're checking prices at B&H, also take a look at the Minolta line - which is a great value, and has a friendlier user interface than either the Canon or Nikon.

The Maxxum 5 and the new Maxxum 70 would compare most directly to the models you're considering.

I have the Maxxum HTsi Plus, a recently discontinued model which falls in between these two, and may still be available at a good deal. And I have the top-line Maxxum 7.

One engineering difference with the Minolta Maxxum line, is that the focusing motor is in the camera instead of the lens - allowing it to be a real motor instead of a 'ring drive'. This allows the lenses to be slightly lighter and less costly, and somewhat less troublesome. Also allows you to gain the latest focusing speed advances, for your entire lens collection, when you trade up to newer cameras in the line in the future.

[Outdoorsman]

Right, the USM is the AF drive in the lens. A non-USM lens uses a small DC motor (or something like it) to move the focusing element. The motor is hooked up to a gear train and it makes a little buzzing noise (or a loud one depending) and there can be slack in the gear train, making AF not-so-accurate. The USM (UltraSonic Motor) is a ring-type motor that uses high-frequency vibrations to initiate circular motion. This uses no gears and is almost silent. It is more reliable and more accurate, and so is more desirable. There are versions by various manufacturers that are all pretty much the same, the Sigma HSM (HyperSonic Motor), the Nikon Silent Wave, etc...
The N75 kit sounds pretty good. You get a lens focal length range that will do fine for pretty much everything. Hopefully that "one other thing" is a flash unit!
I spent $500 on my first auto SLR- the body, two lenses, a flash, a mini tripod and a camera bag. At a pawn shop, all items in perfect condition. But this equipment was all from the late 1980's. By comparison the N75 setup for $499 sounds good. But also look at what you're getting in the kit and see if you can't put it together yourself for less.
I spent less than 10 minutes at B&H just now and I put together all Nikon gear- the N75 ($189.95), the 28-80($74.95), the 70-300($99.95), total (minus S&H) is $364.85. A decent bag for $40 or less, a $20 cheapie tripod, and you're in business for less than the shop is asking and with a tripod to boot.
This is exactly what I meant- once you've used the shop for a "test drive" you can buy it online for cheaper! I know it seems like there's too much to think about, but when you're not sure what you want, the choices can seem overwhelming. You're doing your homework, though, so you should be fine. Good luck!

[Clemmie]

Nice example there on the wonders of 'kit pricing'. It PAYS to compare.