A choice of three DSLR's

Hello, I know this is a canon forum and you guys will probably favor canons, but im just asking for your take on my situation.

Me
I am new to the world of SLR's and Lens's. I currently use a simple pocket digital camera and would like to hop into the DSLR world!

What i will be doing
I wont be doing anything two serious and I would like a camera that will be easy for me to use, but will have some nice features to play around with when i advance. I will preferably just be using one lense for general purpose such as landscapes, buildings, close ups, animals people etc..

The problem/question
I have read all the reveiws of the Nikon D40x, Canon EOS 400D and the Sony Alpha A100...Help, which one! I like the idea of anti dust that the sony and canon has, and i like the idea of the Anti shake that the sony has. I will probably only be using the standerd lense and so would these features actually make much difference for me? I like the idea that the nikon has help features and seems good for beginners.

I really need some help as i am a complete dummy and do not know which one to go for! Price is an issue and i dont really want to go much over the £400 mark.

Im currently in canada but live in the UK. I want to buy one of these cams out here so i can use it for the rest of my holiday but will it be better for me just to wait. Im a bit worried about the power adapter and warranty issues.

If you are planning on using just one lens, I'm not sure that you will reap the maximum benefit of an SLR system. You may be better off with an advanced P&S camera.

This being a Canon forum, you'll probably get the most recommendation for the 400D, but the Nikon is also a very capable camera and system. I haven't studied the Sony system at all, so I wouldn't even start to make a recommendation on it. Personally, I think the in-camera IS system is over-rated as when you need IS the most is with longer lenses, and in-camera IS is least effective then. With the Canon and Nikon systems, the IS is built into the lens and is optimized for the focal lengths involved.

Mark

400D by far very easy to use, and pickup a copy of understanding exposure while your at it.

im not going to comment on the 400d or the d40x, as others can certainly tell you a lot about those two bodies. however, being a a100 owner, ill say that the camera can be a bit of a pain to access the important settings (ISO, metering, etc). that being said, the a100 makes a great point-and-shoot. yes, it makes for a very big and bulky point and shoot, but the a100 is a camera that seems more relaxed, and very comfortable with being left in auto-mode. hope i helped.

Go for an advanced P&S - SLR isnt worth it for you to spend all that money on it if you dont plan to use it at its full potentual, which is in manual and with different lenses.

The D40x does not have a motor drive so you can only use auto focus with Nikons AF-S lenses. I found that to be a big limitation in where I expected to be with my photography so I ruled it out fairly quickly. Not saying its not a nice camera, but you can't just use any lens an have auto focus available.

Not much research on the Sonys, but I did move to my 350D from a Sony DSC-S50 that I used for many years..and dropped down a mountain, yes from the top...one of my friends found it near the bottom as we descended and I got out, picked it up, turned it on and took a pic...used it for 3 more years after that.

I am waiting for delivery of my 400D, replacing my barely used 350D. The fact that I can grow in to the 400D and the lens selection for it is ridiculously huge I couldn't really see going with any other DSLR at this point (well that 40D looks really nice, but I think I can wait a bit on it).

My suggestion, from my recent research would be the 400D simply due to the lens selection and usbale auto focus for all lenses followed by the Nikon, then the Sony (only because I don;t know a lot about it).

Good luck!

im hoping to eventually use different lense's when i learn more about them and what they are better for, but most often then not i will just be carrying one lense around with me. For example im currently on holiday and would take it with me to places like niagra falls where i would be walking around and keep it round my neck.

Go for something like the Canon G7 or G9 You will love its smallness and zoom

The thing is im after a camera with improved image quality and quick/rapid picture taking that SLR's seem to accell at over compacts.

If you are going to get a body and one general purpose lens then I'd recommend the Nikon D40x over the Canon. Here is my reasoning.
I think the Nikon has a nicer feeling body and as you mentioned, you seem to like the help menu to learn more. Personally, I prefer how the Nikon body feels/works more than a Canon. Sure the Canon may have slightly better noise control at higher ISO's but that not a big difference.

Then Nikon D40X is not compatible with some Nikon mount lenses but if you get a general purpose lens that works with the D40X, then this is a moot point. Either Nikon or Canon is fine if you intend to upgrade bodies/get accessories later on as they have a vast array of accessories/flash/lens​es/etc, OEM and third party.

If you are using a point and shoot and using a SD card, then you may not have to chage to a CF card that Canon has as well. Plus the Nikon is about $20 cheaper as well from Beachcamera.com.

If you are getting one lens for a while then consider the Sigma 17-70mm macro, I think it's a very versatile lens if you intend to only have one lens.

Good luck.
P.S. you just posted that you intend to have a few lenses, then I'd go with a Canon since there are a lot of lenses available for it and the Rebel can use any EF mount lens, unlike the D40X which only works with certain Nikon lenses.

Ok then maybe go for the Canon 400d with its Kit lens, you will always get a biased opinion towards Canon here.

You can then upgrade to high quality lenses etc

You'll also need to purchase Photoshop or some other kind of post processing software as well. Unlike compact camera images that are processed in the camera, DSLR images are soft and require some post processing for enhancement. As for lenses, there isn't one decent lens that does it all. Hyperzooms really stink in terms of image quality. Most people have at least two lenses.

are the standard lense's that come with these two nikon and canon camera's any good for what i want to do? I have read that the nikon one is better?

nikon: 18-55mm Lens

Canon: 18-55mm Lens Kit


Another quick question, Im used to measuring magnification in X2, X10 etc.. What would these lense's be in this term and how do you convert the mm measurement on lense's so this format so i can get an idea as to what they are like?

Is the integrated lense cleaning system in the canon useful or will i probably not notice or need this feature? I read that if lense's become dirty it is best to pay for a professional to clean it. would this feature stop this from happening?

S5 or G9

tobywuk wrote in post #4208660
The thing is im after a camera with improved image quality and quick/rapid picture taking that SLR's seem to accell at over compacts.

That's one good way to look at it and I agree with this way of thinking. Even if you're using a DSLR with a single lens most of the time and also leave it in Auto mode, you will still reap the benefits of improved dynamic range (ie. less clipping of the highlights and shadows), more detailed images, greater quality at higher ISOs and very quick response with low shutter lag.

For this reason, I'd rather have a 400D and a Sigma 18-200mm OS for example, instead of an S5 IS (given money is no issue) even if the former setup will be heavier and larger.

And as time goes by and you get more 'stuck into' photography, read more about it and get more involved, the DSLR system will give you more opportunities for expansion.

I have not used any of the three cameras you mentioned, so I am not qualified to comment on them.

BTW, have you considered the Pentax K10D? Looks like a great camera, at least on paper. Very feature-rich. If you're prepared to shoot RAW all the time and spend time processing at the computer, you will get great image quality. If you shoot JPEG then the images are very soft, as the samples at DPReview would suggest. If I were starting from scratch like you are, I would definitely have a close look at the K10D.