? for Pierce (or suggestions from anyone)

Hi...My niece is majoring in photography...she is ready to purchase a camera...she came to me asking, since I own three cameras and love to take pictures..which camera to get...here are her picks:

Canon EOS Digital Rebel XS 10.1 MP SLR on sale $549 with 300mm

Nikon D40 $450 w/o any extra lens

Nikon D60 $699 with 200mm

I lurk alot around the photo section on here and value your opinion :)

I personally, going by prices, would go for the Canon since its $549 including the 300mm lens..If price wasn't an option I'd go for the NikonD60.

Thank you In Advance for any suggestions..

Nikon D60.

Why? because I have one! :) -and it's really nice

Hi...My niece is majoring in photography...she is ready to purchase a camera...she came to me asking, since I own three cameras and love to take pictures..which camera to get...here are her picks:

 

Canon EOS Digital Rebel XS 10.1 MP SLR on sale $549 with 300mm

Nikon D40 $450 w/o any extra lens

Nikon D60 $699 with 200mm

 

I lurk alot around the photo section on here and value your opinion :)

I personally, going by prices, would go for the Canon since its $549 including the 300mm lens..If price wasn't an option I'd go for the NikonD60.

Thank you In Advance for any suggestions..

These are all fine cameras

D40 is a much older 6 Meg, it will be viewed by many as to few pixels but in realty is a very nice beginner camera. The big draw back beside the 6 Meg is only 3 focus sites, very marginal in my opinion ( it was my first DLSR)

D60 is a step up at 10 Meg but is shackled with the same marginal focus system. Don't get me wrong its still a good camera but there is lots of competition as much as it pains me to say...

The Canon Rebel is the best of the bunch if you are really choosing from these 3. I don't think the non IS 300mm zoom is a "value" You'd be better off getting the Rebel with kit 18-55 and later add the much better IS lens for a few dollars more.

Remember you are buying into the system including the lens. If you have a few extra $$$ you really should consider the Canon 40D. It is a top notch camera that will more then be capable for any aspiring photo student. The entry level cameras are capable but likely quickly outgrow if for nothing else spec envy of the other students

Hi...My niece is majoring in photography...she is ready to purchase a camera...she came to me asking, since I own three cameras and love to take pictures..which camera to get...here are her picks:

 

Canon EOS Digital Rebel XS 10.1 MP SLR on sale $549 with 300mm

Nikon D40 $450 w/o any extra lens

Nikon D60 $699 with 200mm

 

I lurk alot around the photo section on here and value your opinion :)

I personally, going by prices, would go for the Canon since its $549 including the 300mm lens..If price wasn't an option I'd go for the NikonD60.

Thank you In Advance for any suggestions..

The D40 is a 2-year-old model and is a little dated.

Nikon's D60 is a good camera but attention needs to be taken that any lenses purchased for it have the focusing motor in the lens since Nikon dropped the in-body motor on the D40 and D60 series. This should not be a problem since all newly-released Nikkor lenses and most third-party lenses have lens-based focus motors. For image stabilization, you need to be sure to get VR lenses which have the stabilization mechanism in the lens.

The XS is Canon's new entry-level DSLR and has received decent reviews. All EOS lenses have motors, so that's one less thing to deal with. For image stabilization, Canon has IS lenses which have in-lens stabilization similar to Nikon. The Canon has the new live-view feature, but I find the way this feature is implemented on most entry-level DSLRs is more of a marketing thing than truly useful. (I am not alone on this. Steve's Digicams review said the following about live-view: "The usefulness of Live View on the Rebel XS (and XSi for that matter) is something that I could not find. Not only is it difficult to engage when compared to say the Sony A300/A350, but its at least a three step process to capture a single image.")

In this range and feature set, I would add the Sony A200 which sells for $549 with the 18-70 & 75-300 lenses. The Sony uses sensor-based stabilization instead of lens-based stabilization, so all Sony and Minolta AF lenses are stabilized. It is currently the #1 seller in Europe where Sony has a stronger marketing presence.

Full disclosure: I shoot with a Sony DSLR and am very pleased with it's handling and controls. All of the cameras mentioned above are good, solid performers and the best advice I can give is to have your daughter go somewhere and hold, shoot and play with the controls on all three. That's how I ended up with my A700...it just felt better and the controls were easier to use (for me). The brand name or who is pimping the camera on TV doesn't make one camera better than another, they're all good and all have superb lenses available. She'll be happier in the long run if she picks the one that's good for her.

Good luck! It's a difficult choice.

Dave

Dave...thank you so very much for responding...I appreciate the time & effort you took with a response..I'll bring up some suggestions to her and hope she makes the right choice :) Thanks for pointing out such good features to look for.. She is very antsy to purchase one Tomorrow! I wanted to do reviews and researches for her to help her in the decision...I believe she is opting for the D60, but if the Canon is just as good, I'd feel better knowing she could save a few hundred bucks! But, as you said , She'll be happier in the long run if she picks the one that's good for her.

BTW, it's my niece and not my daughter...if this was my daughter I would probably peer pressure her into the Canon :o:D ROFLMAO!!

If I was able to purchase myself one...I'd grab the Canon!

Thank you chipmaster and aplmac for responding as well :)

I do not think you/she can go wrong with Nikon, Sony or Canon. They are all good cameras. Just write back to let us know what she picks (and then give us your review).

---

Personally, I shoot Canon and I have to say I am not sure why Canon released the Xs (1000D) other than to have something less expensive. I would vote for the Xti or Xsi. The Xti offers a better 9 point focus system for a good price while the Xti offers a fair number of advantages but is more expensive. I don't really consider live view or megapixes in the equation (just flashy marketing talk) and even though the Xti's screen is only 2.5" it has the same number of pixels as the Xti and Xs larger 3" screen.

Gear is only as talented as the operator. She will be fine with any of them.

Hi everyone...Well...I was supposed to go with my niece tomorrow to help her pick her camera out...I called her tonight to set the game plan up and she had already went and got a camera with her younger sister...With other encouragement, she got the Nikon D60..Best Buy, IMO, took advantage of her and sold her a package deal for $850 which included the camera, 200mm lens, tripod, and carrying case :eek: I didn't have the heart to tell her that I believe she was taken advantage of and spent way more then it should have been..I so wish she would have waited for me...

In the mean time...I will be wishin' for some extra money because my next camera will be the Canon Rebel :) I just got my last cruise pictures processed and received them tonight...I used my Canon Powershot S3 IS and they turned out so gorgeous that I'm in no major hurry to upgrade.

Thanks again everyone :)

Dave...that Sony you told me about looks saweet also...

thinkin'....thinkin'...thinkin'....

Well...when the time comes when I can upgrade I've got a decision of my own to make...the Canon or the Sony...LOL unless the D60 comes down in price...then I'll really be in a mess of a decision to make :rolleyes:

Hi...My niece is majoring in photography...she is ready to purchase a camera...she came to me asking, since I own three cameras and love to take pictures..which camera to get...here are her picks:

 

Canon EOS Digital Rebel XS 10.1 MP SLR on sale $549 with 300mm

Nikon D40 $450 w/o any extra lens

Nikon D60 $699 with 200mm

 

I lurk alot around the photo section on here and value your opinion :)

I personally, going by prices, would go for the Canon since its $549 including the 300mm lens..If price wasn't an option I'd go for the NikonD60.

Thank you In Advance for any suggestions..

Here is a recent review of the major entry cameras: http://www.popphoto.com/cameras/5429/dslr-shootout-five-top-cameras-compared.html

Of course depending on wha you view is most important one will stand out.

Here is a recent review of the major entry cameras: http://www.popphoto.com/cameras/5429/dslr-shootout-five-top-cameras-compared.html

 

Of course depending on wha you view is most important one will stand out.

Great website...Thanks so Much :)

Gear is only as talented as the operator. She will be fine with any of them.

Gear is only as talented as the operator. She will be fine with any of them.

Which is exactly why I'm not in a hurry to upgrade to a saweeter camera yet...like I mentioned my Canon S3 SI takes amazing pictures for me...I'm a point and shoot person, which tags me as not so talented (LOL)..However, that doesnt' keep me from wanting an upgrade....that would be a financial issue right now :o

Thanks for chattin' with me ya'll!

Hi everyone...Well...I was supposed to go with my niece tomorrow to help her pick her camera out...I called her tonight to set the game plan up and she had already went and got a camera with her younger sister...With other encouragement, she got the Nikon D60..Best Buy, IMO, took advantage of her and sold her a package deal for $850 which included the camera, 200mm lens, tripod, and carrying case :eek: I didn't have the heart to tell her that I believe she was taken advantage of and spent way more then it should have been..I so wish she would have waited for me...

 

Just a thought...(a little late, I know!) But several places including Costco, have the genuine Nikon D-60 kit with 2 lens set (18-55 VR & 55-200 VR) along with a Nikon case & some extra educational dvds.... for $699.

No tripod, but I'm pretty sure the one BB gave her isn't worth taking home anyway....

So with two VR lenses & $150 less...it might be worth returning it to BB (unless they have a restocking fee...) as I think she still has a few days on BB's return policy...

(and if she shops around...tell her to make sure wherever she gets the kit, that it has the VR lenses as some places are selling kits with the non-VR lens...:mad:)

Just a thought....:)

When I bought my G10 at Best Buy there was a big Restocking Fee sticker on everything. So I'm guessing if she were to bring it back to best buy she would be charged the restocking fee. I think it was 15%.

Costco is a good place to buy a camera. I bought both the Nikon D60 and the Canon Xsi and tried them both out. I liked the Canon much better and returned the Nikon. No restocking fee and you have 90 days for a return. Both came with 2 lenses, both Nikon were VR and Canon were IS. Those restocking fees can really add up.

When I bought my G10 at Best Buy there was a big Restocking Fee sticker on everything. So I'm guessing if she were to bring it back to best buy she would be charged the restocking fee. I think it was 15%.

I just checked online and you are absolutely right! That would cost her about $120 after the lower sales tax...kinda takes the big savings out of it...:mad:

(Hopefully if her D60 only came with one lens....it was the Nikkor 18-200mm VR! That's about a $600 lens,... would make the deal a little better!)

Costco is a good place to buy a camera. I bought both the Nikon D60 and the Canon Xsi and tried them both out. I liked the Canon much better and returned the Nikon. No restocking fee and you have 90 days for a return. Both came with 2 lenses, both Nikon were VR and Canon were IS. Those restocking fees can really add up.

I agree!!! Costco has a great return policy...(It used to be even better!)

I just got my youngest daughter a D60 kit there....it won't get opened till Christmas, but I'll still have a few months to return it if something dosen't seem right or she dosen't like it!

(Couldn't get the wife to go for the D90, the Santa wallet's a little thinner this year!)

I just checked online and you are absolutely right! That would cost her about $120 after the lower sales tax...kinda takes the big savings out of it...:mad:

 

(Hopefully if her D60 only came with one lens....it was the Nikkor 18-200mm VR! That's about a $600 lens,... would make the deal a little better!)

This is what her D60 came with:

Nikon 2166 Zoom-Nikkor 55-200mm f/4-5.6G IF-ED AF-S DX VR zoom lens...so it looks like she's good for that...I don't believe it was a $600 lens though...I still think that she could have gotten a better price if she didn't jump into it :rolleyes:

This is what her D60 came with:

Nikon 2166 Zoom-Nikkor 55-200mm f/4-5.6G IF-ED AF-S DX VR zoom lens...so it looks like she's good for that...I don't believe it was a $600 lens though...I still think that she could have gotten a better price if she didn't jump into it :rolleyes:

Looks like it was originally a $299 lens...

Well at least it was the VR lens....:)

But if she had purchased the $699 factory kit, it would have included that lens , PLUS the 18-55mm VR lens!

(And I think she will end up missing some sort of wide angle lens sooner than later....)

The 18-200mm VR I mentioned is (perhaps!) a better lens, certainly with a much higher price tag! You do see it sold sometimes in a "kit".

(Although some do think you are better off with the two lens set of 18-55 & 55-200, than with Nikon's "do it all" 18-200 lens anyway....)

And at $600 for 1 DX lens vs $700 for the whole kit with body & two lenses...I agree! At least for the D60..

Anyway she will enjoy her new camera, I'm sure! I know my 16yr old is going to have a blast with her's in just about a week !!!!

This is what her D60 came with:

Nikon 2166 Zoom-Nikkor 55-200mm f/4-5.6G IF-ED AF-S DX VR zoom lens...so it looks like she's good for that...I don't believe it was a $600 lens though...I still think that she could have gotten a better price if she didn't jump into it :rolleyes:

The Nikkor 55-200VR (runs about $200 new, by the way) is way too long to be one's only lens. That being said, I doubt Best Buy would sell the D60 without the 18-55VR kit lens. Are you certain she didn't get 2 lenses?

Hi RichYak...Sorry....it was a given that the 18-55VR lens was included since it was a package deal, that's why I didn't mention that...she did not buy the body only...

this is what was included but the special she got isn't offered online...she also got the cheapest tripod they sell, a memory card, & and carry case....for $150 more :mad: What a ripoff deal that was...but she's happy so that's all that matters

http://www.bestbuy.com/site/olspage.jsp?skuId=9999103100050005&type=product&id=pcmprd103200050005

Here's the $299 55-200VR lens that came with it...

http://www.bestbuy.com/site/olspage.jsp?skuId=8565368&st=lens&lp=3&type=product&cp=1&id=1194050331723

By the way...she brought the camera over tonite...very saweet camera...she is excited to begin college photography classes! Once she has all the photography tips down....I'll look forward to her teachin' me a few lessons:D

Well at least it was the VR lens....:)

But if she had purchased the $699 factory kit, it would have included that lens , PLUS the 18-55mm VR lens!

(And I think she will end up missing some sort of wide angle lens sooner than later....)

 

The 18-200mm VR I mentioned is (perhaps!) a better lens, certainly with a much higher price tag! You do see it sold sometimes in a "kit".

 

(Although some do think you are better off with the two lens set of 18-55 & 55-200, than with Nikon's "do it all" 18-200 lens anyway....)

 

And at $600 for 1 DX lens vs $700 for the whole kit with body & two lenses...I agree! At least for the D60..

 

Anyway she will enjoy her new camera, I'm sure! I know my 16yr old is going to have a blast with her's in just about a week !!!!

Hi Rllyfun...You are correct...the 18-55 is standard in the package...the 55-200 was added to the package.

She loves the camera so far, but, obviously has alot to learn! One thing she didn't know before she purchased the D60 is that you can only shoot through the viewfinder and not the lcd...that was a surprise to me also...I'd imagine it would take some getting used to...

Wow...your 16 year old is one very lucky girl! I'm sure she will have a very Merry Christmas....

Nikon D60.

Why? because I have one! :) -and it's really nice

BTW....I totally loved your pictures from your Nikon D60 in the review on the Carnival section! I love your writing style also! Kudos to you aplmac!