Which Camera?

In the lens !!!!

My Sigma’s both motor driven focus…

Is the motor in the lens or the camera?

Flood.™

My Sigma’s both motor driven focus, not the fastest in the world or the quietest but quite adequate for the purposes I use them for.

However when funds permit (next year) I will invest in a Canon 100-400 ISM.

Sometimes, just sometimes, a tripod won’t fill out the detail. And people will stand in front of you anyway.

Flood.™

Flash?
😮
Hmm I’m not really a great lover of flash photography – much prefer naturally lit subjects. I suppose that I tend to consider the flash as just a necessary evil?

If I can join in…
My (company) Nikon lenses have the focus motor built in, my (personal) Sigma lenses don’t (although I would accept that the recent lenses will almost certainly have motors in too; I just don’t know for certain): therefore (in my case) they are cheaper but slower focusing.
If you can afford marque lenses then do so, but do be aware that every up has a down. If they focus as quick as the manufacturers lens, if the glass is as good as the manufacturers lens, then it will be brand snobbery that is the low point (paying – or not – for the name…).

Have you thought about a flash yet…?;)

Flood.™

Well my experience tells me, that third party lenses (like Sigma or Tamron) are close on some occasions, but also in the end the original lenses are a tad better.
So I would always decide based on the lenses. There is no sense in getting a 10D or something and adding a medicore Sigma (those cheap lenses from them) to it.

The reverse could said about buying a Canon or Nikon Lens. if you go for the lens and at a higher premium and for that reason can’t afford a decsent body it will defeat the object. Personally I think it would be much better to go for a reasonable body and good third party lens, and up grade at a later date if funds allow.

Well my experience tells me, that third party lenses (like Sigma or Tamron) are close on some occasions, but also in the end the original lenses are a tad better.
So I would always decide based on the lenses. There is no sense in getting a 10D or something and adding a medicore Sigma (those cheap lenses from them) to it.

Apart from that I think the buffer size is important. I´m using the Nikon D100 and it has about 6 frames buffer. Which is adequate for my needs. More would be nice. On that I would strongly recommend the D70 which has a pratically endless buffer with a high-speed CF-card when shooting JPGs.

I have the D100, which has the same power pack as the D70. One fully charged pack is good for about 500 spotting pics. My current one still shows full after 568 pics. I recommend to buy a second unit, but that should be enough.
Apart from that, let me give you some more advice. If you have lenses that you can use on one of the cameras, then it is obvious to go with that camera. If you are starting with no equipment for both, then take a look at the lenses Canon and Nikon offer. Then decide which you would want and then buy the body that fits. Lenses are much more important then the body and they last much longer.

Thanks you lot – very helpful!

Oh ! ……

Wait a moment I’ve just realized…..

(how’s this for suspense? 😉 )

This’ll be my 50th post then! Hurrah for me!! :p

Thanks you lot – very helpful! 🙂

Hmm. I would have said – a few years ago – Nikon, since ‘Fleet Street’ and associated hangers on all went over to Canon, trading them in at camera shops all over the West End (I was told). Ring up the Jessops second hand hotline (that said I have just looked through a catalogue and failed to see it) and ask what they have in your required lens lengths (although that might be an indicator of duff lenses…).
You will find a lot of nice Nikon lenses out there, but some will be cheap (or cheapish – its all relative) since they are not autofocus. Canon ditched their ‘D’ fit (or ‘FD’ fit – I forget) bayonet lens system for the EOS system which is, in the main, completely autofocus. I have a Sigma lens which works on my Nikon D1, but much slower than the Nikkor ED lump of glass with its Silent Wave Motor; the early Canon EOS lenses might be the same.
Suck it and see.

Flood.™

Thanks Chaps!
Some good points made.

At present I have a Canon Ixus 300 (Digital) and an old (1980’s) Minolta X300 with a selection of Tamron lenses. I purchased the Ixus (2/3 years ago) just to have “something” digital that I could slip into my pocket for snapping (Oooerr missus!) but now I miss using the old SLR so have decided that I’ll have to stump up for some new bits’n’bobs.

My planned purchases are either the Eos D300 or Nikon D70 complete with the standard supplied lens, I also intend to purchase a telephoto zoom of circa 80-200/300mm.
The aspect of focal length ratio isn’t of prime concern to me.

The next question is having purchased said DSLR I may consider a second hand telephoto zoom – which one (Canon/Nikon) would give me the greatest scope for used lenses?

I bought the Canon 10D because I already have Canon lenses. I too miss the wide angle and will have to purchase an 18mm to replicate what I previously could get on a 28mm, more or less.

Batteries are cheap, especially clones, they use the same lithium ones as Canon camcorders and last for ages especially when new as said. Mine are about a year old now and I’m noticing the difference.

Write speed is fast and it’s generally a very pleasing camera. I believe the 300D is very similar with a few features stripped out and in a cheaper body casing. There are hacks apparently to reinstate the disabled features. Naturally I’d expect this to invalidate the warranty ?

What this means is that whilst the long lenses are even longer, the wide lenses become ‘standard’, and you’d have to buy the expensive ‘super-wide’ lenses just to get a wide angled lens. On my D1 I frequently have a 17-35mm lens which is fantastic on a film Nikon, but just a wide angled lens on a digital camera. Having used a 17mm lens on a film camera before going over to digital I really miss not being able to ‘go wide’ so often: strange how you miss things…
Where would you use wide angled lenses? Museums, compact areas, that sort of thing.

Flood.™

I have been reliably informed by a tame camera shop owner that Nikon are working to correct this on their bottom range cameras, however Canon are at the moment only looking to supplying the top end of the market i.e the EOS 1D with a 1:1 focal length.

http://www.canon.co.uk/For_Home/Product_Finder/index.asp

What this means is that whilst the long lenses are even longer, the wide lenses become ‘standard’, and you’d have to buy the expensive ‘super-wide’ lenses just to get a wide angled lens. On my D1 I frequently have a 17-35mm lens which is fantastic on a film Nikon, but just a wide angled lens on a digital camera. Having used a 17mm lens on a film camera before going over to digital I really miss not being able to ‘go wide’ so often: strange how you miss things…
Where would you use wide angled lenses? Museums, compact areas, that sort of thing.

Flood.™

In line with EN830s advice, the sensor on the D70 gives a 1.5 time multiplier on focal length (for 35mm equiv), so a 50mm lens becomes 75mm.

The present MRSEN830 uses a 300D, it basically has all the features of the more expensive 10D for 2 3rds the price. The write time is superb, probably one of the quickest which is an advantage when taking photos of fast moving objects, such as an aircraft, The batteries cost no more than £30.00 each. It of course takes the full af range of Canon AF lenses. However the one thing the may influece is the focal length, the Canon system causes the focal length of any lens fitted to be increased by approx 1.6, i.e a 50mm lens will become an 80mm lens. To rectify this Canon are developing a special digital range of lenses. I believe Nikon are trying to or are introducing a 1:1 system which will not effect the lens fitted.

Personally and as in all things it is personal choice, I have always used Canon.

I can only speak for the Nikon D70. My choice was directed (but not dictated) by my having older Nikon kit which I could use with it.

Write speed: with the camera set at raw, there is a buffer of 4 pics after which the shutter locks, but as each pic writes, the buffer is freed and you can shoot again, you do not have to wait until they have all written. The number of available shots is displayed in the viewfinder with the shutter release held half down, (eg r04 means space for 4 shots in the buffer). As you decrease the resolution and increase compression the buffer accordingly holds more shots. At Hi res, and fine compression jpegs the buffer holds 9 shots.

I find that there are a lot of variables with the battery. Use the monitor more and you use up battery. Use a lot of flash and you get the same. I’ve only had the camera for 2 weeks, but from a fully charged state I got a full day shooting at Sunderland and a full day on the PS Waverley, taking around 600 shots plus all the playing around getting to know it with the battery showing no indication of running down (I’ve only recharged it because I’m off to the Highlands for a week or so).

Over time, the capacity of Li-on batteries does decrease, so in a years time I won’t get the same number of shots out of a charge, but it depends on usage. The Nikon version of the D70 battery is around £50, but there are cheaper equivalents available in the likes of Jessops.

Whichever camera you go for you should budget for storage, either large capacity compact flash or microdrives. Shooting in raw mode on the D70 gives a file size of around 5Mb (there is a degree of lossless compression in the nef format used in the D70 (but not other Nikons!)). HighRes/Fine jpegs around 3Mb

Go with Floods first paragraph. Visit a couple of shops, handle the cameras, and read the specs. Visit the respective companies web sites and read their support FAQs for the camera, maybe even download the manuals (if you have broadband). Then shop around for the best deal.

I choose the D70, because I felt it was the best for me, it may not be best for you.

Before anybody else comes on and patiently explains that they use the 300D fullstop I’d advise you to go and have a look at both in a camera shop. See how they feel – if one feels more comfortable then that will be a bonus; maybe one is lighter than the other, maybe there is a deal involving the other required bits and pieces that are usually extra, that sort of thing.
Have you got an old SLR? This could influence the choice – but only if you already have Nikon or Canon EOS lenses (lenses which can be used on these cameras).
Have a look at the specifications: I have heard moans about one of the cheaper Nikon digital SLRs having a slow write speed – this would mean that it takes a second or two to write the image on to the card; very important if this means the camera will not allow you to take another image until the last one is stored (my Nikon D1 will do 21 writes before it stops until it has written them up!). I have no idea about the Canons write speed.
Have a look at the battery: my D1 uses a special battery which costs about £90 each – and I have four of them. I am lead to believe that the Canons battery lasts quite a while, whereas the best battery I have will give me between 150-200 images if I don’t check the preview (one of the others will only give me 30-odd shots).
Also check the best prices for the kind of lenses you expect to use – if you can get a camera for £300 but the kind of lens you want is £1500, compared to, say £800 for a camera and another £800 for the lens then, all other things considered, which would you seriously choose?

Let the flaming begin!

Flood.™