Nikon D80 versus Canon 400D and where to buy online?

fatboypee

Chaps,

Could a kindly person please comment here?
Looking at either 400D or Nikon D80 (or equivalent if you have a better recommendation)

I've budget for 1,100 Euro (very max) and wonder which you would recommend and where, securely (i.e. with warranty) I can buy and be happy ever after?

Thanks

FBP.

digitalbeginner

The D80 has 2 dials, 1 for the aperture and 1 for the shutter. The 400D just has one, it controls the shutter, to adjust the aperture you need to press and hold the Av button on the back first and then you can change the aperture. This is important in Aperture Priority (Av) mode and in manual, particularly in situations where you're change thte apertures a lot.

The Canon 30D has 2 dials and it is more of a comparison camera to the D80.

Try the DigitalRev store on eBay. I've just ordered a Nikon D200 with Battery Grip and spare battery for less than €1250. The price in Dublin is over €1650

Dave

fatboypee

digitalbeginner wrote:

The D80 has 2 dials, 1 for the aperture and 1 for the shutter. The 400D just has one, it controls the shutter, to adjust the aperture you need to press and hold the Av button on the back first and then you can change the aperture. This is important in Aperture Priority (Av) mode and in manual, particularly in situations where you're change thte apertures a lot.

The Canon 30D has 2 dials and it is more of a comparison camera to the D80.

Try the DigitalRev store on eBay. I've just ordered a Nikon D200 with Battery Grip and spare battery for less than €1250. The price in Dublin is over €1650

Dave

Thanks for the comments Dave,

looking at DigitalRev just wondering on VAT liabilities ?

Thanks

FBP

elven

Um, isn't it the case that it's when you're in manual mode that you need to hold in the button and scroll to change the aperture, but in Av mode, the dial changes the f-stop and the shutter is adjusted accordingly. The only reason the one dial thing would bother you is if you shoot in manual most of the time and adjust your aperture frequently as well...

The main difference between equivalent canon/nikons is the handling. You need to pick them up and see how they feel in your hands. The 350/400D is ideal for my girl hands, but is sometimes awkward for blokes, unless they add a battery grip, which of course adds to the price. The first thing you want to do is go into a shop and pick each one up, see what feels best. Then buy online

digitalbeginner

elven wrote:

Um, isn't it the case that it's when you're in manual mode that you need to hold in the button and scroll to change the aperture, but in Av mode, the dial changes the f-stop and the shutter is adjusted accordingly.

You're right there elven. The dial is 'smart'. This is also true of the D40's single dial was well.

I listened to a podcast interview with American photographer Vincent Versace recently and he suggested buying the camera you will eventually grow into, instead of the perceived wisdom of buying a camera just on price alone. His point was that any camera that is 'easy' or has less features is one you might well grow beyond, if this happens you have to buy the camera you wanted in first place. With this in mind I ask people to bear in mind the single dial, or twin dial approach. Once you've purchased an expensive camera you have to stay with it (unless you're independently wealthy:) )

On that basis I think a dual dial camera to start off with is better than a single one,

Dave

punchdrunk

the d80 is far superior in my opinion,worth the extra money

Oriel

punchdrunk wrote:

the d80 is far superior in my opinion,worth the extra money

Seconded.

Biker.ie

Third'ed , much better camera and should probably be compared to the Canon 30d/5d instead.

Ajpurdy.co.uk for about €800 (I'm thinking about a second body) but apart from a slightly darker viewfinder and lower resolution, the outgoing Nikon D50 is 90% as good, infact some of my best shots were taken with a D50 backup.

Canon's are fine if you have around €20k to throw into professional Canon lenses, but the mid-range (90% as good) 3rd party lenses don't work so well with them, seemingly because Canon have a policy of not releasing their AI software to other competing lense manufacturers, as apposed to Nikon being open source (and work brilliantly with sigma for instance).

Canon's are overpriced in this country when you compare an identical item being sold elsewhere for peanuts, and this 'cash back' nonsense doesn't even half make up for it, I wouldn't buy anything from them on that principle alone.

The difference between a similar spec canon and nikon is marginal, infact some would say lately that the tables have turned and Nikon are now less noisy at high iso etc.. but nice photos are all down to having the right settings on your camera for that particular scene and knowing how to take a decent shot, which can only come after lots of practice, 90% of the time anyway