First DSLR - considering Canon 60D vs Nikon D90 vs Nikon D7000

[insomniac]

Hello,

After a few years of using the G10, I have decided to make the jump to full-blown SLR. On a recent holiday trying to photograph some Northern Lights, I discovered just how vast the difference the difference is between compacts and basic SLRs.

I'd like a machine that I can grow into, and not something that I'd feel compelled to upgrade after a few years. Am principally interested in night-time (cityscapes, the night sky, the moon), landscape and wildlife photography. I'm tempted to get the Nikon D90 and spend the savings on lenses, filters, etc. I also have smallish hands, so that would be a consideration.

My budget is ideally about £800, I realise that the D7000 will probably push the ceiling on that limit a little bit. However, a colleague of mine wants to get rid of his D7000 (it has about 5000 actuations and 18 months left on the warranty) and had offered it to me for £800 including the 18-105 kit lens.

Someone had also suggested the Nikon D5100 as a possible candidates, as the image quality is similar to that of a D7000 at a fraction of the price sans a few features.

Am quite confused to be honest.

[Fit]

I can only say I have a D90, purchased last year, and so far haven't come close to fully exploiting it as I continue to learn. It can be a workhorse for a long while.

But it IS an older camera... I bought it late in it's life cycle so there have been various bits of tech that have improved or come along since. But all at a price for the most part.

The most important advice I got from CiC before buying was to decide based on BRAND since each have lenses and accessories that may be limited to their brand (Nikkor lenses for example). So, for various reasons, I opted for Nikon. I have friends who have opted for Canon, some for Sony... and we all know we're committed to that brand "track" now lest we spend substantially more.

[Polar01]

I have the D90 and it was and still is a great camera and now use if as a backup to my D7000, like Chris above I bought it near the end of it's life cycle. If you can get the D7000 for a colleague or new I would strongly sugguest you do so. I have shot images at ISO 6400 and almost no noise in the shadows. The senser in it is the very best and is the same one in just upsized in the new D800. You are looking at a camera that will shine for the next ten years or more. Get the D7000.

Allan

[Carl in Louisiana]

It is very difficult to decide which one to buy. When I started looking and reading reviews it totally got mind boggling. Then I had to decide what I most wanted to use my camera for. (Picked that up from forums before I purchased) For me it came down to two cameras, the 60D or the 7D. I wanted a camera, with lenses, that would be as good as possible in low light conditions and also had SDHC...ect cards, as that is what my computer accepts without having to buy a card reader. Also I wanted to shoot video with it. Well after studying both cameras I found that the 60D would be the one for me. It would take an external mic and allow for adjustment of recording audio without extra equipment other than the mic. The 60D is an all around good camera for night shots and will use it in the day time too. Well you kinda get the picture, pick one that will best do what you want it for. For me the 60D will take a long time for me to grow into it. I made the decision on it and I am very happy I picked this one. I did look up video's for the different cameras to see what they could do, another plus for me with the 60D. Oh and it is a fairly large camera. Go to the camera shop and try them out before you make up your mind. I hope this helps you out some. B&H Photo to me has about the best prices around.

[JohnR48]

I was having the same problem when I made my purchase. Cannon or Nikon. I was advised by a member here to go to the store and hold them both and that would make my mind up for me. How true. The D90 was a perfect fit for me and just felt right. I have sort of large hands.
I have never regretted my decision and seriously doubt that I will ever need to update. It's a great piece of equipment.
Hope this helps a little.

[Tringa]

Hello Anuj,

Just to give you even more to think about. How about a Pentax K5. Same sensor as the D7000, I believe.

Any Pentax K mount lens from the mid 1970s onwards will fit and the image stabilisation is in the body so every lens, including all the old ones are stabilised lenses. At present a K5 plus the 18 - 55 kit lens and case can be had for £729 from a reputable retailer in Watford.

[M R VIJAYARAGHAVAN]

Hi

After going through a number of websites and reading...reading and re-reading I decided on 60d and bought it! D 7000 is a very good camera but, its ergonomics, the dual sim, feel-in-hand didn't impress me as much as the swivel LCD of 60d. Later I learnt the secret of d7000's high DR and high ISO performance. This is my first DSLR and I want to do a lot of experiments not just in still photography but more in videos. Hitherto, I had those old film SLRs (Olympus and Yashika). d60, take my word for it, is really..really fast in AF! What's amazing, it is fast in low light as well. No doubt, its image quality is superb (even Nikon d7000 has excellent image quality). I personally feel that 60 d has a much better metering system than d70000. Most forums certify that. The plus with 60 d is its versatility in making movies!

Well, certainly, if you are shooting in low light, then d7000 is good. With 60d you can easily go up to ISO 1600; certainly not beyond (compared to d7000).

Its swivel LCD is the deal killer! It is so beautiful and you can shoot (live mode) from any angle with ease. I have personally experimented it and it has no match! It is very practical.

I got mine for 1299 USD (with kit lens 18-200 3.5-5.6 f). Don't know whether I paid more OR less, but I really enjoy shooting with it. Don't bother about plastic body vs magnesium alloy; you don't really feel it. All the best.

[Manfred M]

I have the D90 and have been shooting with it for about 3 years. If I were to go out today and buy another crop sensor camera, I would probably go after the D7000, as the technology is about a half step newer. It is my first digital SLR; prior to that I was shooting film or Point & Shot on digital cameras.

I had no preference between Canon and Nikon (I discounted any other make, just because on the DSLR side, all of the other players have such a small market share, it would not surprise me if some of them got out of the business). I went to my local camera store and tried out three Canons and three Nikons. The Nikon worked for me from an ergonomics standpoint, while the Canon did not; pure and simple personal preference. You can't go wrong with either; both companies make classs products.

Buying a camera is a long-term commitment; once you have some accessories; chances are you will stick to the brand you started with.

[patrick9x9]

I have the 7D and an older XTi and have loved them both. A friend just bought the 60D and to me seems to be great too.
When i first bought my XTi, i had the same dilemna. read a lot of reviews on dpreview, narrowed it down to a couple Canon and a couple Nikon. sent my choices to a friend of mine asking for advice. He basically said Canon because he had Canon and we can share accessories. I've never regretted my choice. Only advice is that like Manfred said, unless you have unlimited money, pic a brand and you'll stay with it. I think you can't go wrong with Canon or Nikon

[beechdale basher]

Hi see if this helps.

http://snapsort.com/

[Dizzy]

Hi Anuj,

Have a read through this thread:

My first DSLR - making a good choice

I raised the very same questions a while back, and the thread is filled with
pro's - con's, and my ultimate choice in the end. Keep in mind that once you
settle on Nikon or Canon you are somewhat committed to the brand due to
lenses, etc., so in addition to the kit lens the body might come with, consider
the plethora of available lenses, bodies, etc. for each.

Most importantly, pick a body that feels good in your hand, and that your
fingers can easily reach/manipulate the various buttons, menu's and dials.
If it's not comfortable in my hand, then I don't want it no matter how good of
pics it's supposed to take.



Mike

[rpcrowe]

Buying a DSLR is like marrying a gal with a very large family. If you like or, at least, can get along with the famly members, your relationship will be happy. However if for some reasons you don't get along with the famly, your relationshp may not be as happy.

Virtually all of today's DSLR cameras can produce very good to excellent imagery. Probably the greatest mechanical parameter in getting a good/great image is the lens or lenses you use. I would always strongly recommend that the lenses are your first consideration in choosing a setup. A lesser camera with top-line lenses will produce better imagery than the best camera with lesser lenses.

There are however, some very important ergonomic differences in the various cameras. Size is one difference and the control setup is another. However, unfortunately, it is sometimes difficult for a beginner to decide if the camera is a good ergonomic fit by just handling it in a camera shop.

Finally, unfortunately, price is a parameter we all have to live with. Some photographers can or are willing to spend more on their equipment than other photographers. I always stress that for most folks, this is a hobby and as such should not make a dent in the family lifestyle with the equipment cost.

[Momo]

I see a lot of talk about the sensor of the D7000. If you're on a budget and you want a pretty darned good camera, then take a serious look at the Nikon D5100. It has the exact same sensor as the D7000 but the camera does not come with a spiral staircase or tassels coming off the handle bars. Put your money into lenses first! If you really want to compare cameras, be it Canon to Nikon or whatever, then go to dpreview.com and line them up side by side. In fact, line up the D7000 next to the D5100 and see how little difference there is.

[g7adrian]

I do not own 60d, but I was put off by the fact that in all the stores I tried it, the model camera had the rubber from which you hold it with the right hand peeling off the body in an unsightly manner. This was the only camera with this issue (Canon T2i, T3i, 7d, and all Nikons were fine). I actually owned T3i and fell in love with it, but because of this I am really hesitant to upgrade to 60d.

Is the construction of this camera really so poor? Have 60d owners ran into this issue?

[Dave Humphries]

I see a lot of talk about the sensor of the D7000. If you're on a budget and you want a pretty darned good camera, then take a serious look at the Nikon D5100. It has the exact same sensor as the D7000 but the camera does not come with a spiral staircase or tassels coming off the handle bars. Put your money into lenses first! If you really want to compare cameras, be it Canon to Nikon or whatever, then go to dpreview.com and line them up side by side. In fact, line up the D7000 next to the D5100 and see how little difference there is.

I agree Darren, it is why I chose the D5000 over the D90 back in 2009.
The movable LCD screen is still why I might buy a D5100/5200 over a D7000/7100 when the time comes.

The only thing I would urge caution on is with respect to the range of Nikon (and third party) lenses that will AF on the D5000/5100, it is about 1/3 than the D7000, because of the lack of a body mounted AF motor in the 5000 series.

[Momo]

Truth be told, I wanted a D7000 a while back. I compared the D5100 to the D7000 side by side. I have since come to realize that I don't need/want all those flashy buttons and spinning knobs on the D7000. I was in the midst of doing all this camera research when the D5100 popped up on radar at Costco. It was a sweet deal that I could not resist. I read recently that the D5100 won "camera of the year" for 2011. Since I already knew that the D5100 had the exact same sensor as the D7000, pulling the trigger on it was a no-brainer. I knew I could spend the extra money I saved on better glass.

insomniac, check out this article and read a bit about the D5100. It will explain the differences from the D5000/7000.

Dave, are you saying the auto-focus is 1/3 the speed of a D7000? I use all AF-S lenses with their silent wave motor technology. They seem pretty fast to me. So, if I am 1/3 the speed of a worm drive, then I can't imagine how fast that must be. Regardless, my current focus speed is more than adequate for my needs.

To summarize, if you ever find yourself deciding between the D5100 or D7000, my suggestion would be to save a few bucks and go with the D5100. Then, throw more weight behind expensive glass.

This reminds me of what someone told me when I was younger...

Q: What is the most important part of a race car? (probably could apply to any car)
A: The tires! Without good tires, your car will handle like crap.

I take this approach with my camera. No matter how sweet the body and sensor, if you put garbage glass in front of that sensor your images will look bad.

[Dave Humphries]

Hi Darren,

Dave, are you saying the auto-focus is 1/3 the speed of a D7000? I use all AF-S lenses with their silent wave motor technology. They seem pretty fast to me. So, if I am 1/3 the speed of a worm drive, then I can't imagine how fast that must be. Regardless, my current focus speed is more than adequate for my needs.

No, sorry; I am saying (not very well - and probably not very accurately either ) that the number of different lenses that will AF on a D7000 is about 50 more than will AF on the D5000/5100 bodies. Wildly guessing numbers; 140 lenses will AF on D7000, but only about 90 will on D5000/5100.
Not wishing to guess numbers, I thought I'd suggest a ratio (90/140), the difference of 50 giving about 1/3 more lenses available with working AF for the D7000.

If you have a lens that is "AF-S" (or with SWM/USM/HSM) - i.e. with a focus motor built in, it will always use the lens' motor and not the D7000's internal motor - hence the nice fast focus speed on either camera body.

On the D7000, you can also use Nikon's older "AF" and "AF-D" lens ranges on a D7000 and they will AF; using the camera's internal motor (and that will be slower than SWM lenses).

However, with a D5000/5100, there being no internal motor in the body, you get no AF with those other lenses.
With a wide angle, especially an UWA, lens, this is less of problem because of the wide DoF, but on a telephoto, having to manually focus for wildlife may make it unusable. Sure, if you're up a tree in a hide (blind), with camera on tripod trained on a nest in another tree, again; no problem, but for birds in flight or sport shots, it'll be a major pain.

The lack of AF therefore restricts the range of usable telephoto lenses available to us compared to a D90 or D7000 shooter.

Probably over explained that, but it never hurts for the new 'togs to avoid disappointment.

Cheers,