Mary Anderson's Page

Thank you very much for the comment Mary  :-)

Mary, I want to thank you for the friend. :-) In this day and age, there is so much information that is available, but, we have to be careful of the sources. What I'm finding is that much of the information floating around the internet is basically good, however not all of it is complete or as factual as it should be which can cause confusion and misinterpretation. I'm glad I saw your post and was able to respond and have it well recieved. Thanks again for the friend.

Oh man...my comment was too long and got cut off near the end... Anyways, I was basically saying stick with a reputable dealer, don't fall for any 'great deals', they are usually scams.  If you buy used, consider KEH, Adorama, or BH Photo.  But most of all...go, play, touch, have fun!

Happy shopping, 

Dan. 

Hi Mary, 

wow, thats a loaded question, no matter what photography forum you place that one on. ;-)  Everyone is going to have their own personal preferences between those two cameras and they will be die-hard in defending their beliefs on which one is better.  Of course I already know the answer...Nikon is better.  ;-)  Nah, I'm just kidding...sort of... I shoot Nikon.  Why?  I like their set up better.  I like how the camera feels, I like how the buttons are layed out, I am quite happy with the results I achieve using their equipment.

All that being said, either company is a good choice.  They are both tops in their field, and you really can't go wrong with either one.  They both make exceptional equipment and they both make amazing accessories and lenses to follow up the bodies.  

Look at a sports-cast, or news report, or celebrity sighting, scan the crowd, all you will see are a sea of Canon and Nikon straps attached to their cameras.  Both have great 'beginner' cameras and both have beautiful 'pro' cameras.  The differences are so minimal now its hardly even worth discussing, besides, if one company outdoes the other, its only a short while later when that one will catch up and do over their competitor again.  

A couple of minor little things I've noticed...Nikon's bodies in the mid-level category have always seemed a little more 'robust' than Canon's, (pick them up, play with them, you'll see what I mean.) Nikon tends to offer a few more tricks across the board that Canon does not.  One example here that I, for my own personal style of shooting, feel is important...exposure bracketing, especially when it comes to HDR shooting. 

On both Nikon bodies that I shoot with, I can frame up to 9 bracketed shots in camera.  Canons bodies tend to only shoot three bracketed frames.  Here is actually a really great, and handy list ...

http://www.hdr-photography.com/aeb.html

You'll find only in Canon's top end cameras can you bracket more than 3 shots.  This may or may not be important to your shooting, but its something to consider.  

I would take your time, talk to many different people, go to the stores and hold the cameras, borrow/rent them, see what your friends own ( you can borrow gear from them if they have the same set up ;-) ).  See how the different models feel in your hands.  

Just remember one thing to consider...you are buying into a system.  You are not just buying 'a camera'.  Once you make that purchase, from that point on you will need to consider lenses, and accessories.  

you mentioned you have an interest in learning portraiture (my personal passion), look into Nikons CLS...(creative lighting system) You can use Nikons camera bodies with pop-up flashes to control an off camera flash system...one thing to consider...

I'd also consider buying used, getting a great body at a lower price, then using the extra $ to get the best lenses that you can afford.  The lens makes a great deal of difference.  Cheap lenses give you cheap looking shots.  Some people say 'you can't see the difference'.  Oh how wrong they are.  I used to know someone who bought cheap lenses for 50$ off ebay and tried to convince me they were as good as the lenses I use ( a great deal more than 50$ believe me...) When you saw the photographs, there was no comparison, it was that obvious.  

Feel free to ask me any questions when you start your search.  I'll give you my opinions, and dig up links and information for you to help you reach the best possible decision.  

Bottom line, I'd stay with one of the two big names out there, you won't regret it.  Take your time, don't feel pressured into anything, take any information given to you and research it on the net.  There is so much info out there now, its hard to not be well informed.  Don't be afraid to ask anything at all, to me, or anyone on this site.  We are all here as we love this art, we lov