first DSLR, but which brand?

[Mike in Cincy]

Ok, here's my current line-up of 35mm cameras.
-Nikon F3hp
-Nikon FM3a

I want to get my first DSLR, but not sure which brand. I will shoot mostly landscapes, but also use it for portrait, people photography, travel, etc...

I was leaning toward Nikon, HOWEVER, they do not offer mirror lock up or a vertical grip in their consumer SLRs. Canon (I believe) offers both.

Should I even consider Pentax's line up?

My goal...
-to start off with a consumer SLR, then move up to a full-frame model. Also have a 35mm film camera of the same company so I can use the lenses on both cameras.

Opinions please

 

[tgarza]

What brand is your film SLR?

 

[moonshine44]

I have an older Canon Rebel digital that takes great pictures. At the time that I bought it, one of the salespeople I talked to asked me what I would use it for, and when I said rodeo action shots, he recommended the Rebel over a more expensive Nikon...

The new Rebel is higher megapixel and has even more features than mine does...

 

[Lavaine]

Also have a 35mm film camera of the same company so I can use the lenses on both cameras.

Opinions please

This is the one area that I think Pentax has a distinct advantage. All Pentax DSLR's are compatible with all Pentax SLR lenses. There are some simply spectacular manual focus Pentax lenses out there. Manual focus is just fine for landscape photography, so why not take advantage of it? Pentax sensors also seem have lower noise than Canon / Nikon.

Downsides of Pentax include no FF models, and generally less feature rich cameras. They are dead reliable, but if you want a pro camera, they are probably not your cup of tea.

 

[mbrooks]

I'd suggest Canon or Nikon because the lenses for those are the easiest to come by. As for which brand is better than the other, people will argue about that until the end of time. In reality, they're both very capable and you'll be happy with either. It'll come down to minor differences that you'll really have to dig for and that probably won't matter in the beginning. Nikons seem to run slightly higher, both for the bodies and the lenses, but historically that's been the premier brand. If I'm not mistaken, Canon didn't get on the same level until consumers started looking to buy DSLRs.

I bought one in January. I ended up picking a Rebel XSi over a D60 mostly because I found it dirt cheap at a Circuit City liquidation sale. The only real difference between the models that I thought I might care about was the metering modes: the XSi has spot metering and the D60 does not.

Of course, two months later Canon brought out the successor to the XSi. Oh well.

 

[aquilla]

peronally id always (having used pentax and nikon aswell) suggest canon as i find it to have a much more user friendly operating system and the availability and pricing of lenses and accesories, including some great quality third party products, is excellent.

 

[miamijuggler]

peronally id always (having used pentax and nikon aswell) suggest canon as i find it to have a much more user friendly operating system and the availability and pricing of lenses and accesories

I'm afraid I would have to respectfully disagree. From what I've seen, Canon has usually been the more expensive of the brands. That's not to say that you don't get what you pay for; their image quality is amazing. But I wouldn't say that pricing is one of their strong points (especially on their lenses).

In response to the Original Poster's query, seeing as you already have two Nikon 35mm SLRs, I would definitely look at buying a Nikon brand DSLR. The reason I say this is that I've heard that Nikon's lens mount currently still accepts their older lenses. So if you have lenses from your F-series SLRs, you should be able to use them with the Nikon DSLR. Of course, keep in mind that this is hearsay from what I've managed to garner from the internet, and I haven't tried it out myself, so you may want to check with someone who knows more about the current Nikon model lineup before you lay down your money.

Also, Nikon has what you're looking for in terms of the entry-level SLR as well as a full-frame offering, so you'd be able to use your lenses however you please.

I have a couple vintage Pentax SLRs, and Pentax is the other company who has maintained a backwards-compatible lens mount over the past twenty or thirty years, so when it was time for me to buy a new DSLR, of course I went with the Pentax K20d. And of course, I love it

Best of luck,

--miamijuggler

 

[jazzman]

In no particular order:

I've been a happy Canon customer for many years. I'm currently using their 40D, which has an available optional (not cheap or light) grip. Nikon and Canon typically play leapfrog with features and prices, and I don't think you can go wrong with them, Pentax, or Sony (Minolta). If you have Nikon lenses that you like, you'll save a bundle by sticking with them. If you start with a consumer model, intending to move up to full frame later on, you might feel compelled to buy an ultrawide lens that won't be compatible with the full frame.

 

[Carnivore]

Do you have a large lens collection for your film SLRs? If you do, then I think the choice is pretty clear. If not, your options are more open.

If MLU is a killer feature for you, then go for the Canon.

At this point in tech, all of the major players, especially Nikon and Canon, produce spectacular equipment. You can't really go too wrong.

Take a look at the sample shots for each camera at dpreview.com and see which one you like better. Each company's software emphasizes different qualities of the images.

Jazzman brings up a good point re: the APS-C size sensor vs. 35mm, I have decided that I'll probably never get a 35mm sensor camera so getting the "made for digital" lenses like the Canon EF-S line is the way to go. Since you lose out on the wide end with a crop sensor, you may want to avoid such lenses in case you pick up a 35mm sensor body later.

 

[johsa]

I was leaning toward Nikon, HOWEVER, they do not offer mirror lock up or a vertical grip in their consumer SLRs. Canon (I believe) offers both.

Maybe I misunderstood, but what do you mean by consumer SLRs?

I got a D80 and it offers mirror lock up and vertical battery grip. So at least D90 and up should have these features.

 

[mbrooks]

Maybe I misunderstood, but what do you mean by consumer SLRs?

I got a D80 and it offers mirror lock up and vertical battery grip. So at least D90 and up should have these features.

As I understand it, D80s and D90s are considered "pro-sumer" cameras, as they straddle the line between average consumers' demands and those of the pros. I'd call the D40s and D60s consumer cameras, but maybe the OP has a different idea.

 

[ponyplayer]

Mike in Cincy,

I own a Nikon D200 and it take fantastic shots. If you don't need to shoot anything above ISO 400 I would highly suggest the D200.

What lenses do you have for the Nikon film cameras that own?
If you want to spend a good chunk of change....the D700 is a wonderful piece of technology....full frame and just takes incredible photos.
This will no doubt be my next camera.


The lens in my opinion is the most important factor....a great lens will make an okay camera much better.....and an okay lens will make a great camera look ordinary.

Patrick

 

[Mike in Cincy]

Thanks for the great advice guys. I currently have a 28mm, 50mm, and 85mm, for my MF nikon cameras. I'm not opposed to selling them with my cameras because it will be a while before I can justify a full-frame camera. I really like the Pentax design and build, so that's a possibilty. Plus their line of MF lenses are fully compatible (I believe), the MF Nikon lenses are not with the DX series cameras. They mount but don't meter from what I understand. It's a tough choice for sure. What I'd really love to have is a bare bones, 6mp or so, 4fps or better, full-frame SLR with very basic manual controls (I love the old style knobs on top) and very few bells and whistles, mirror lock up, and vertical grip capability.

 

[Mike in Cincy]

Just a quick update. I think I have it narrowed down between the Nikon d90, Nikon d5000, and the Pentax k-7.

 

[tgarza]

Out of these three, I would choose the d90.

Just a quick update. I think I have it narrowed down between the Nikon d90, Nikon d5000, and the Pentax k-7.

 

[SMG]

get the D90 at least. There is a battery grip available for it from Nikon, as well as aftermarket ones. There is a pseudo MLU on these cameras, but it is not advertised well. There is a shutter delay that you can use in conjunction with the timer to get shake free shots.

I have used Nikon D50, D80 and now a D300 and absolutely love the systems. The only issue I have is the price of Nikon pro series lenses. I use an 80-200f2.8 nearly all the time as I got a good deal on a used one for less than $700US. The new lens which replaces this one is the 70-200 f2.8VRII and is well over $2000 CDN up here.

With some MF lenses on the D300 system (not sure about the D90) you can input the lens particulars into the camera and it does some metering. I am not totally sure on how this works though as I do not own any MF lenses. I believe that you are stuck with either full matrix metering or spot metering only, but I cannot recall which.

As for the D5000, it is a consumer camera which has video. I have heard ok things about it, but the image quality of the D90 appears to be better from what I have seen.

Cheers,
Sean

 

[Subcutaneous]

I used to sell cameras in a previous job, the canon has to be the way to go, the number of different lenses you can buy is superior to any other brand, even some of the old manual focus lenses work on the new canons. The only time an old lens doesnt work is if its an old auto focus lens as the camera cant pick up the signal. when i was selling them we would sell 5 Canons :3 Nikons: 1 Pentax or Sony

What ever you decide just dont decide on the pentax!

 

[Mike in Cincy]

Subcutaneous-
What is wrong with a Pentax? Just curious what your prospective is. thanks

 

[tgarza]

Pentax make a fine camera, but you got to look at as you are not only buying the camera but the "system" is what you need to look at,eg: flashes,lenses,other accessories, aftermarket accessories, and how these things fit into a future upgrade.In other words Nikon and/or Canon have more complete "systems". Pentax not so much.

Subcutaneous-
What is wrong with a Pentax? Just curious what your prospective is. thanks

 

[Mike in Cincy]

Yes, but each of these small sensor systems have isolated themselves from their 'big brothers'. In other words, a DX lens will not work with an FX full-frame camera. So it seems I'd be out the same amount of money with any brand when I eventually upgrade. Lenses and grip would be the only accessories I'd ever buy. Besides filters of course.