Nikon D50 or Canon 350D

Thinking up upgrading my Kodak 6940 to a proper DSLR.

focusing on the two above. Not too fussed on 8mp vs 6mp.

Any views ... from a beginner to DSLR perspective of course.

Alex

 

I bought the Canon 350D - it's excellent (as the Nikon probably is). If you
buy the Canon you will not be diappointed. I also invested in L lenses, then
when Canon produce a full frame sensor camera for reasonable money (2 or 3
years away perhaps) I will have a good set of lenses.

I don't know how big you can print from the Nikon but I am producing 32cm
by 48cm prints from the Canon and they are very very good.

John

 

I'd definitely second this. Go to a store and try all of the cameras
you're considering in person. See how they feel/fit in your hands, run
through some settings, take a few shots. If you have your own memory
cards already, bring a couple with you (CF for the Canons and D70, SD for
the D50), so that you can see what the shots look like when you get home.

It would be better still if you could borrow one or more from a friend for
a few hours (or days?) so that you could take shots of something other
than the inside of a camera shop.

 

Smart man. Put money into the lenses! I also have a good set of full frame
lenses including one L. Now I'm waiting for a full frame dSLR at a
reasonable price. It may be a few years yet, but I'll stick with the
original dRebel until then. I won't have worry about buying a whole new
batch of lenses.
-S

 

The kit lens for the D50 is not the same as the kit lens for the D70.

This is a key point that many people overlook. Still, Nikon has
sufficient lenses and accessories, they just lack the higher-end,
full-frame bodies that Canon has.

 

Assuming that low-light performance is important to this person.
Personally, if I had no existing Canon lenses, I'd get the D50 over the
350D.

 

Probably not a problem for a while I would guess.

 

A friend of mine had a Canon 10D, decided to "upgrade" to a 350D, took it
back after a couple of weeks and swapped it for a 20D, he really hated the
feel and handling of the 350D (and he has small fine hands). Personally I
have never liked the feel and handling of the 350D even with a grip it does
not improve, go on try it for yourself.

 

Note that I'm biased toward Canon because I own Canon glass, but the
general info is relevant either way.

A long time ago (2004), in a galaxy far far away (here actually), a war
was raging inside me. I considered the original Digital Rebel/300 when I
decided I needed to go to a digital SLR because I was sick of processing
film (a digicam spoiled me). But I didn't go for it because it lacked
some needed features.

Then the 20D came out and I considered it, but the price was a bit too
high at the time. So I waited to see if prices would fall, and by the
next year, the Rebel XT/350D arrived with virtually all of the
performance features of the 20D but at a much lower price.

So some time ago I was mulling over the 20D and 350/XT. And to be
honest, I didn't care for the "feel" of the 350/XT at first either
because it seemed so small and it didn't have the rear control dial or
top display screen which I was used to using. But then a friend who has
both the 20D and XT suggested I use his XT for a day, and I was
intrigued. Surprisingly enough I became accustomed to the size, weight,
and handling and didn't mind using it at all...it was familiar to my
Canon digicam.

The menu and controls are different from the 20D, but not at all
difficult to navigate once you learn the menus. Many of the functions
have shortcuts too, so changing ISO from 100 to 400 is just 3 buttons,
tap the shutter, and you're back to shooting.

So after a day of use, I realized I could EASILY learn to live with the
differences between the 20D and XT. So I mulled it over some more,
checked out the accessories list, and found all of my current gear fit
the XT already (my flash, remote release, lenses) which meant less new
toys to buy. So I bought the XT and haven't looked back.

The savings over the 20D body ($800 CDN at the time!!) was a big
incentive too - it would help pay for some new glass which I needed for
the 1.6x crop factor.

Because it's so small though you definitely want the grip, especially
with any serious lenses on the front.

Getting back to the topic, I don't think it really matters which camera
you get. Buy whatever is easier for YOU to use, fits your current lenses
if you have any, and whatever has the features you need. The glass on
the front is FAR more important than the camera body.

 

I chose the Nikon D50. I owned the precedessor of the 350D, the 300D, and I
was highly disappointed with what Canon did with the 350D which ultimately
replaced it.

One, they made it too freaking small. OK maybe that's subjective, but I
found the size & feel of the 300D just fine. I could get a grip on it. I
pick up the 350D, and it's like picking up a Pentax Optio S. This is an SLR!
Don't make it so freaking small! OK, you can overcome this with a battery
grip, but I shouldn't have to--and it adds to the cost.

Second, they moved items to the menus which formerly hadn't been. ISO, white
balance, image size (if you had the "hack" for the 300D), flash exposure
compensation (again, if you had "the hack"), these were all non-menu items
previously, they were handled through the LCD control panel as an SLR should
do. Canon foolishly moved them to the MENUS. (Yes, with hard buttons, but
still in the menu system.) This is an SLR. Those do NOT belong in menus like
it's a point & shoot camera!

Granted, the D50 does make some menu compromises--the meter-mode, AF-modes,
and bracketing--but the irritating thing about the 350D is that it was right
the FIRST time with the 300D, then they botch it on the "new" model; you
don't regress like that.

The D50 also is the perfect size, I think; it is smaller than the D70 and
even the 300D I think, but not TOO small, and it's not as plasticky on the
outside (I'm sure on the inside both are fine). Besides not having as much
menu-itis, it also doesn't go into slow-sync flash in Av mode unless you
specifically TELL it to, and I much prefer that. (The 350D requires you to
go into custom functions to prevent blur-inducing 1/4 second shutter speeds
with flash in Av mode; I HATE that.)

I also like the ability to create folders in-camera so that shots are
separated by subject matter, who shot them, et al right off the bat. I like
its thumbpad being used to move the active AF-sensor.

I wish Nikon had stayed with Compact Flash, though I got two 512 SD cards
(regular speed) for $55, and they are stored in CF-card sized cases so that
helps. Plus, the omitting of the backlight was silly--but in reality,
half-the-time you need a flashlight anyway to see the buttons, this is the
case with ANY brand of SLR pretty much.

As for image-quality--6 vs 8 is very tiny. I just got back some 11 x 16 1/2
blowups from the D50 in straight Large-Fine JPEG mode and they were totally
righteous.

LRH
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