Canon EOS 5D or Nikon D80?

ajdesq

ajdesq

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Hi Folks, new person here, so sorry if this subject has been done 100 times before...

It's time to upgrade my Fuji Finepix S7000 to a DSLR. Most of my photography ends up with my articles in motorhome and caravan magazines. The reason I went for the S7000 at the time was that it was the only affordable camera that could do a double page magazine spread (DPS) at 300dpi, the industry standard. But a recent DPS looked really fuzzy, with very poor detail. Otherwise, I do fairly wide-angle shots of tiny interiors, regular shots of the outsides of the vehicles, and 'snaps' of readers interacting with their vans. Other than that, I enjoy photographing beach scapes, and windsurfers and kitesurfers in action.

My question is: I've aspired to the EOS 5D since it came out. At 12MP with the big sensor it should be good. But is it worth spending £2400 on a bundle when the Nikon D80 is only about £800? I hasten to add that I'm not a good photographer, just pretty average.

I've noticed the EOS has no pop-up flash. The cheapo Jessops flash I've been using on the Fuji would be no good for people snaps as the shutter speed is too low. So I'd probably need to spend another £300 on a decent flash straight away. So we're looking at almost £2000 more for the Canon.

£2000 could buy me a lot of lights, lenses, flashes, and other such gizmos for the Nikon.

Is the Canon really worth it? But will the 10MP D80 produce good enough DPSs? But I don't want to get the Nikon then upgrade later, loosing money on the bodies and lenses.

Over to you, guys n gals...

Many thanks in advance. Boy, I'm glad I found this forum! :D

Andrew
 
The Nikon D200 is more on a par with the 5D but it's still a long way short in terms of build and performance. You're asking should you get a £2000 camera or a £700 camera, the two don't really compare as they are for different markets.

I think you should look at the D200 or the EOS 30D. Both are around £1200 for a decent kit and you could add on a nice lens and a flash gun to hit the £2000 mark.
 
Onboard flash with a DSLR is for use as an emergency measure rather than a serious light source so a flashgun is a must whatever system you buy.

As to which camera only you know that one. Have you held the ones you are considering in your hand in a shop? Places like DPreview let you download sample images (or ask here for a straight from camera image file) so the best way to see if you can get the print you need is to try it. Somehow I think anything from the 350D or upwards would be fine.
 
i think you'll find the d200 much closer to the 5d than you think. some reviews infact rate it higher in some respects, auto exp for one.

whilst the canon is a fine machine the full frame sensor will mean you have to spend a small fortune on glass to get the best from it. it will show all the shortcomings of average/good lenses as they tend to be in the corners which you won't see on a 1.5x crop camera. also if you want windsurfer/kitesurf pics you will be needing a good zoom, these get very expensive very quickly the longer they get, that 1.5x crop of the nikon will save you hundreds of pounds there. as for wide angle nikon, sigma, tokina or tamron all make ultra wide lenses from £270+ which perform very well.

there are advantages to the canon, it will just take lots of money to exploit them, and they really aren't much imo.

edit: the d200 is somewhat weather sealed too which i'd kill for on the beach taking surf shots.
 
BBW said:
The Nikon D200 is more on a par with the 5D but it's still a long way short in terms of build and performance.
Click to expand...

What utter tosh ... :razz:

The Nikon more than holds its head up in pretty much every comparison review ... and in a most areas outguns the other marque ... quite stunning really given the huge price differential ... :geek:

As for what is best for you Andrew ... as has been said ... only you can know that ... ;)

Your thought processes should go something like (although maybe in a different order as it's a personal thingy !) ...

First
...decide what sector/s of photography most interest you
... set your body/lens/accessory budget
... check out the competing camera specs and their supporting cast (system/s)
... go to Jessops or somewhere similar and actually hold/handle the short-listed cameras
... preferably with a variety of the lenses you are likely to go for
... find the cheapest reputable source to buy your selected system/beastie
... order it
... sit back (im)patiently and wait its arrival
... simple innit ... :D

Of course the likelihood is you will join the Darkside fraternity ... so in anticipation ... :welcome:

... :naughty:






:p
 
LOL. First off let me say I'm a Nikon man from way back now turned Canononite. No particular reason for the change other than when I sold my film gear I could choose either marque and the 20D was the camera at the time which appealed to me.

Firstly, there's no way the 5D is built to pro 'knockability' standards, it's a 20D/30D with a full frame sensor. The cost of producing full frame sensors is enormous, and thats what the cost of the 5D really represents. The Nikon 200D with it's weather sealing is arguably better built.

They're both great cameras! Noah summed it up... to really exploit the benefit of a full frame sensor you can only use top end lenses, and it gets very very expensive.

Truthfully, you wont go wrong with either camera as far as capability is concerned, but take your time, read all you can, and if you have any specific questions, we'll try to rise above our brand loyalties and help out. :D
 
People who buy a 5D typically know exactly why they need a full frame camera and regard it as the only choice for them, unless they've got piles of cash sitting around and consider the 1Ds Mk II as well.

The D200 is the better all-round camera (and I'm a Canon owner, so listen to me) and it strikes me that's what you need most. It will handle a DPS ok, but no more.
 
I do fairly wide-angle shots of tiny interiors
Click to expand...

That's about the only reason I can see for choosing the far more expensive canon. Given that 10mm is about as wide as you'll get on the Nikon and 12mm for the canon, that full frame sensor is going to get a good bit wider.

... but at a hell of a cost increase. Only you will know if you reall need those extra degrees but I know I@d be leaning towards to the Nikon in your shoes.

That's from a canon user to btw. ;)
 
Oh yeah, wideness. Forgot about that.

Seventeen millimetres (eg the wide end of a 17-40L) on a 5D will look about the same width as 10mm (eg the wide end of a Sigma 10-20mm) on a D200 but the distortion on the 17mm/5D will be a bit less and what there is will likely be more easily correctable.

Might be something to consider.
 
i know it's only 2mm but i noticed quite a difference from 17mm on film to 10mm on nikon digi. but yeah you have to be careful with distortion at the edges.
 
Wow, thanks for all the replies! :thumbs:

I did go into Jessops today and had a fumble and a pick of the people's brains, taking along some examples of my pix.

Basically, they agreed too about the Canon being a sledgehammer to crack the walnut, so it's the Nikon for me. I know the D200 has the better build quality, but the D80 produces images that are just as good (according to the reviews) so that's what I've gone with, saving the £300 that'll pay for a Tamron wide-angle lens.

That's a very good point too about the Canon needing really expensive lenses. I'm sure if a Fuji S7000 has been good enough for 2 years, the D80 will be fine.

I ordered it from my Jessops shop today, arrives Friday. I prefer to be able to go into a real shop, and it's the only one nearby.

Right, now I've discovered this forum I have about 1000 topics to read! :nuts:

Thanks again.
 
Welcome aboard anyway, and congrats on your choice. :thumbs:
 
congrats mate, i'm sure you'll be very pleased :thumbs:
 
Good to hear you made a decision on the camera, hope it arrives soon and look forward to seeing your pics :)

:thumbs:
 
Well done - I would have advised that the D2x is on a par with the 5D, both price-wise and in picture quality.

Others will disagree I know, but they'd be wrong...:razz:
 
Got it! :woot: :woot: :woot:

So far so good, although still ploughing through the manual so no real photos yet, just test snaps. Already though I'm super-pleased with the colour, tone, and detail on the pix.

Another HUGE benefit for me is the super-duper flash system. I bought the Nikon 600 flash which I can use wirelessly as the D80 has an internal controller. So when snapping caravan interiors I can put the Nikon flash halfway down the van, my old Jessops digital flash on the camera (used as a slave), and the pop-up as a 'Master'. Sounds great in theory, let's hope it works ok in practice.

The only minor drawback is that the lens on my 18-135mm jobbie is nowhere near wide enough, but I'll do a separate posting about that.

Exciting days ahead! :D
 
ajdesq said:
Hi Folks, new person here, so sorry if this subject has been done 100 times before...

It's time to upgrade my Fuji Finepix S7000 to a DSLR. Most of my photography ends up with my articles in motorhome and caravan magazines. The reason I went for the S7000 at the time was that it was the only affordable camera that could do a double page magazine spread (DPS) at 300dpi, the industry standard. But a recent DPS looked really fuzzy, with very poor detail. Otherwise, I do fairly wide-angle shots of tiny interiors, regular shots of the outsides of the vehicles, and 'snaps' of readers interacting with their vans. Other than that, I enjoy photographing beach scapes, and windsurfers and kitesurfers in action.

My question is: I've aspired to the EOS 5D since it came out. At 12MP with the big sensor it should be good. But is it worth spending £2400 on a bundle when the Nikon D80 is only about £800? I hasten to add that I'm not a good photographer, just pretty average.

I've noticed the EOS has no pop-up flash. The cheapo Jessops flash I've been using on the Fuji would be no good for people snaps as the shutter speed is too low. So I'd probably need to spend another £300 on a decent flash straight away. So we're looking at almost £2000 more for the Canon.

£2000 could buy me a lot of lights, lenses, flashes, and other such gizmos for the Nikon.

Is the Canon really worth it? But will the 10MP D80 produce good enough DPSs? But I don't want to get the Nikon then upgrade later, loosing money on the bodies and lenses.

Over to you, guys n gals...

Many thanks in advance. Boy, I'm glad I found this forum! :D

Andrew
Click to expand...



Go on ebay A J PURDY Imaging division are doing the D5 for 1,499.00 body only but a good lens will only set you bake £ 200 or £300 iv just order one
 
Welcome Sherlock, but more detective work and you'd have realised that ajdesq bought a D80 a while back. :D
 
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