What Digital SLR Should I Buy for Christmas?

60 Replies to “What Digital SLR Should I Buy for Christmas?”

1. you can also go w/ the EF 50mm 1.8 and save about $200, that way you can invest that $200 in a few higher end filters (polarizer, ND grad)

2. Very informative. I needed this when I was getting into DSLR photography about a year-and-a-half ago. Man, I’d like a 5D, for sure.

   Any experience with the Sigma Normal 30mm f/1.4 EX DC HSM?

3. One thing to note about the 5D though, it has no onboard flash. So you really need to get something, and I recommend the canon 580 EX Speedlite with an stoffen omnibounce diffuser.

4. Loved your writeup and the canon commercial. I joined the world of digital SLR by picking up a Canon Rebel Xti. Woohoo!

5. I bought my 5D from B&H; just I have bought all my other photographic equipment from B&H; over the past five years. Their service and selection are impeccable. And you can’t go wrong with the 5D. It’s simply amazing.

6. Philip Greenspun has a comprehensive guide on the subject (and more). I recommend reading that before deciding.

7. I’m curious where you got your statistics that Canon is dominating the field? I’ve heard this sentiment expressed by a couple of other people but their evidence is always anecdotal.

   Obviously the biggest bonus with Canon is the full-frame sensor on the 5D (and 1Ds mk ii). And if Nikon doesn’t put something like that out soon it will be to their detriment. However, there are still plenty of pros who use Nikon, especially in the studio.

   I personally don’t like the Rebel series because they feel too small and uncomfortable in my hands. They certainly take great shots, but I prefer the Nikon grip. I would highly recommend actually picking up both kinds to see which feels “right” for you.

   The Nikon D80 is very comparable with Rebel XT and XTi, at about the same price as the XTi.

   One thing I do recommend is avoiding kit lenses (most of the time). They generally are cheap and don’t last. The one exception I’ve read about is the Nikon 18-70mm lens (the kit with the D70 and some D200s). Instead of a kit, consider a plain ole 50mm prime lens. You don’t get any zoom, but pictures will be sharper, and you have much better functionality in low-light.

8. Thomas – Nice article. I just bought a Nikon D80 and Love it. I looked at the Canon D30 and found it just felt cheap compared to the Nikon. I also have a father and good friend with Nikons and very expensive lens I can borrow ;-). Just thought I would toss out a tip for the folks that do go with the Nikon. Buy the body only and if you can only buy one lens get the Nikon 18-200. It isn’t cheap ($800-$1,000) if you can find it. But it is a really nice lens that allows you to travel light and still capture a wide range of photos.

9. Hey Scott, my own comment that Canon dominates the Pros is based on my own anecdotal experience just being out there and shooting. I’m not sure if there is empirical statistical evidence out there to support this or not.

   Certainly Nikon’s are very professional cameras and I think are some of the best out there. Whether Nikon or Canon someone is not going to go wrong either way.

   Speaking of the Pro’s though check out all of the Canons that the pros were using on display in Vincent Thain’s shots from the 2004 Olympics.

   http://www.pbase.com/vthian/athens_olympics_2004

   Tom

10. I bought a Pentax K100D recently and I’m very satisfied. For a small amount of money you get 6 megapixels and shake reduction. For most people 6 mp is more than enough.

    Check out Pentaxs pancake lenses if you haven’t, tiny lenses with great quality. You should also take a look at the new Pentax K10D, 10.2 mp, shake reduction and weather sealed body, and it costs even less than a Nikon D80.

    Here in Sweden I see more Nikon cameras in the streets than Canon, but it’s just a matter of time before Pentax takes over the streets 🙂

11. Thomas, wow, them’s a lot of fancy cameras. Those 1200mm lenses are insane.

    All said, I would probably sell some of my internal organs to be able to afford a Canon 5D or Nikon D2X. My employer has a bunch of D2X’s in the warehouse that I’m allowed to look at, but not touch; very painful.

12. Thomas,

    I tried the XTi and ended up with the D80. I liked the size and build quality of the Nikon a little better.

    I got my D80 and the XTi at Costco. As far as I know there is no time limit for Costco’s 100% Satisfaction Guarantee, except for 6 months on computers. A manager told me that they do not sell extended warranties because “..if you are not satisfied, just bring it back..” From their website:
    Costco’s Risk-Free 100% Satisfaction Guarantee On merchandise: We guarantee your satisfaction on every product we sell with a full refund.

    I tend to think that my membership fee is buying me a three to five year extended warranty with every purchase. Nice feature – especially with electronics.

13. If you buy the Rebel XT with the 28-135MM lens, you WILL NOT be able to take wide angle photos. To take wide angle shots of buildings, landscapes and so on, buy a lens designed for the Rebel XT’s sensor. The 18-55MM kit lens only adds $80 to the cost of the Rebel XT body. The 18-55MM lens is cheap and its image quality isn’t great, but at least you have the OPTION of taking wide angle photos. The 28-135MM is a fine lens and will be perfect for the Canon DSLR with a full-frame sensor you’ll buy in a few years. For now, you’re going to kick yourself if you don’t buy a wide angle lens. Spend the extra $80 and just buy both lenses.

14. Good post Thomas, I too favor Canon in most cases, although I have to say that in the Rebel price range Nikon and Sony are producing some real contenders. I would agree with some of the other posts that the Cheaper Nikons seem to have slightly better build quality than the Canon XTi/400. I think the most contentious issue you raise is the one the of the full frame sensor in the EOS 5D necessarily being the overriding factor that makes you buy it. There are a whole range of article both on the web and in the printed media on full frame vs cropped, and I have to say I like the theme of Rob Sheppard’s article in this months Digital Photo Pro titled ‘Misinformation’. It boldly states; MYTH: A full-frame digital SLR is always better than a small-frame camera. I think the key is, what type of photography are you into? If portrait photography is a major part of your work then perhaps yes, but if not then perhaps you can live with a small-frame 30D (ok I will accept I am biased, I own a 30D). If you are in to wildlife / nature photography then having a 1.5x factor on your lenses may be an advantage, or for that matter sports photography (the 20D and 30D have higher frame rates). I don’t profess to be an expert but I would suggest thinking carefully before splashing out on a 5D when you could buy a well built small-frame camera and use the difference to invest in other gear. There are plenty of good reviews about, I liked the link by Per Christian above, but I would also check out cameralabs 5D review. Their concern is regarding vignetting – if you can’t afford the top lenses then don’t buy the 5D.
    Great comments Cheers…

15. Speaking of the Pro’s though check out all of the Canons that the pros were using on display in Vincent Thain’s shots from the 2004 Olympics.

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16. Great post Thomas. I’d rank myself a little higher than an amateur photographer, and I picked up a Canon Digital Rebel about 6 months ago. So far I’ve been very pleased with it – any recommendations for a good “all purpose” level for someone at my level (I don’t want to spend more than $300-$400)?

17. I have the Canon EOS EF 50mm f/1.8 Lens, and it’s very good. And at $80, pretty affordable to boot.

18. I’ll second the pentax K100D, and the K10D if you need 10mp to float your boat.

    What really makes the K100d special is the k-mount lenses it can use. Many companies have been making k-mount lenses since the k1000 was introduced in the 1970’s so you have thousands of lenses to choose from. That allows you to pick up very good used lenses at a good price (or use the ones you had for your K100/Super-M/Super-A/etc) If you _need_ auto focus then you’ll want to stick with newer lenses.

    With all of it’s features, and shake reduction it’s one heck on an entry level dSLR.

19. My preference is still for Nikon’s DSLRs (the D70s, D80 and D200). Not only are the controls laid out better and come with a vastly superior lens, but the body on these are purposely larger than that of the Canons. Not a big deal if you’re a photographer with small hands, but for those of us with meathooks for hands, the Nikon is a huge step up.

    Just my two cents.

20. Brandon to answer your question about a lower-budget DSLR, the Nikon D40 has recently been released and has gotten some good praise as a perfect entry level DSLR.

    I’ve seen some pictures taken with it, and they are certainly better then any point+shoot I’ve seen out there.

    You aren’t going to get all that these higher priced DSLR’s offer, but if you want a DSLR at a great price, the Nikon D40 weighs in at around $500-$600.

    I’d also like to thanks Thomas for publishing this information. I emailed him about what he uses and recommends. I am glad that he made this information public.

    There are too many great review sites out there, but to actually see a photographer’s work daily, and then find out what he uses to take such beautiful pictures helps out the buying process tremendously.

    Thanks again Thomas, I have a feeling a DSLR is on my Christmas Wish list.

21. Robert,

    All your suggestions are valid for someone familiar with photography and an understanding of DSRL nuances. It seems they might be coming from the point-n-shoot world where the cost of equipment is much lower than DSLRs.

    I had started photography with an old film Minolta before getting a Canon A70. Being on a budget, I lurked many photo forums (dpreview) and settled on the Olympus E-500. Final cost for the 2-lens “kit” was $629.

    I especially like the feal and handling of the camera. Yes everyone ranks abouts it noise at 16000, but with good glass, your get comparable shots to Canon and Nikon.

    The 35-90mm F3.5-F5.6F works just fine in daylight and flash conditions – although I am planning to upgrade to a faster wide lens. The other 38-360mm F3.5-6.3 kit lens is supurb and does very well in low light situations.

    I actaully found many of the postings at flickr.com to be very helpful in choosing equipment.

    When recommending any sort of camera, I think that one needs to understand the “budget” and what the subject will be. That will help determine if “idiot” modes will be used vs. manual settings. What size prints might determine the quality of the glass that should be used. And more megapixels do not always mean better photography. It all comes down to the photographer knowing how to use the equipment.

    -andy

22. Great post. I’ve been shopping around for a SLR but I compeletly blanked on Costco and even Sam’s Club. I might hold off for boxing day but the Nikkon that you reviewed is looking pretty good. Thanks!

23. For an amateur photographer, I bought the Rebel XT and it works great…even for those simple point and shoot shots. Love it.

24. Looking at sports photography is not a good judge of which manufacture is dominating the pro market. Canon dominates the sports photography market because they came out with the first internal lense focus motors making their lenses much faster than nikons at focusing and maintaining focus, and everyone switched to canon. Nikon was late to the party, but has since come out with their own internal drive autofocus lenses that are comparable to canons, while maintaining backwards compatabilty with the rest of their lenses. This means you can buy better glass cheaper for nikons if you are willing to have the camera drive the focus motor and deal with the focus lag, but if you need the speed(and the vr more and more these days) you will be paying as much if not more that for canon glass.

25. I have the canon xt. I’d get the xti since it is 10 megapixel.

    Instead of getting the zoom lense you should get the 50mm f/1.4 lense. It costs a bit more than the 50mm f/1.8 but it is a great lense. Here are some sample images using the f/1.4 on the canon xt:
    http://www.flickr.com/photos/3rdfoundation/sets/72057594140347429/

    I several friends who use the f/1.4 and they swear by it as well.

26. Strange that blogger at up the url…

    sample f/1.4 images

27. Yeah, the K100D is what I have, and the old telephoto lens I have from my k1000 works just fine, and the best part is if I am lazy I just start focusing till I hear a beep and see a red square indicating I am properly focused. I am picking up the K10D after I get a new car (monday I got read ended and my car was totalled along with one of my better lenses (24-135mm F2.8 AF). If you want to see some pictures I have taken check out my blog.

28. I am thinking (almost positive) on buying a Digital Rebel XTi. I am looking for some suggestions for Lenses. I have already almost set my mind on the 28-135mm Cannon Lense, but I am looking for some more suggestions on other zoom, macro, and day night lenses. Thanks.

29. I find the Rebel a bit too simplistic for someone that wants to really work a photo. For a point-and-shoot type person that wants to take better pictures, it’s great. Not that it can’t do everything the more expensive cameras can, it’s just difficult to change settings on the fly. For someone looking for easier control in about the same price range, the D80 (or closeout D70s) might be the way to go or just bump up to the 30D.

    Most of the pros do use Canon for one simple reason: they’ve been inovating faster and sooner than Nikon for over 5 years now. Nikon has no comparable answer to the 1D (in all its various forms) or 5D years after they were introduced. The 2DXs is better than any Nikon before it, but for less money you can get the 5D which is hands down a better all around body.

    I’ve always been a Canon guy for film, but I finally made the move to Nikon. Canon does have the best lenses for 35mm/Digital in the world, but I found their bodies to either be too bulky (1D) or too small (30D). I’m shooting with a D100 now and while it may not have the megapixels of the Canon it has the same sensor size of its class and it feels much better to me. My hands aren’t large by any means, but I tend to have two fingers hang of the bottom of the Canon and only one with the Nikon.

30. How nice to see someone recommend the same thing I just got recently (Canon XTi body and the 28-135 IS lenses), it’s a good combination for a beginner to DSLR like myself.

31. A good writeup why many pros use Canon can be found at Ken Rockwells site: http://www.kenrockwell.com/tech/nikon-vs-canon.htm

    Scroll down to “History”, I think he has a point with the first Nikon AF systems being slow in the late 80s, so all the pros switched to Canon.

    And as we all know: With time, the camera becomes one of the cheaper parts in between those lenses, filters, adapters, flashes and stuff…

32. I think your comment about Canon dominating the pro market is a bit speculative. I am a semi-pro Nikon owner, and in the general press and wedding photography I see many more Nikons in use. In sports you’ll see a lot more Canon long lenses (for the very valid reasons mentioned above).

    I was originally a Canon user and made the switch over to Nikon largely based on the much higher quality feel of the Nikon body.

33. Thomas,

    I would like to know, why do you sugget the EF 28-135 with the Rebel instead of the “EF-S equivalent” that is the EF-S 17-85 ?

34. Canon > Nikon

35. Nick, I think that for most people they’d rather have the extra telephoto range from 85-135 than the 17-85.

    The image stabilization on the 28-135 is nice and it’s a very solid all around offering as a basic everyday lens to shoot with at an affordable price.

    Of course I love wide angle photography and as someone’s hobby expanded they could always purchase a wide angle lens in the future. I use and love the 24mm f/1.4 for my wide angle stuff and love it. But that lens is pretty expensive.

36. … another vote for Pentax K100D – got one recently, and never looked back to my old Canon.

37. Also keep this camera in mind for what to expect from lower cost SLRs in the future:

    Sony DSLR

    It has image stabilization built in which gives you an extra 2 steps of exposure wiggle room on shot which is HUGE on indoor shots. It is also 10 megapixels. When I replace my canon xt in 3-4 years I expect to select a camera with 15 megapixel and have image stabilization built in. That, combined with a wide aperature lense (f/1.4 or f/1.2) will allow me to create great indoor shots in the worst lighting conditions without sacraficing the ISO.

38. A surprisingly unsophisticated article, but of course, hand crafted for Digg, etc.

    If I was buying a new system today, I’d get a D80 with Sigma 30/1.4 and Nikon 18-70. The major reason is the fact it has a usable viewfinder, something you didn’t discuss at all, but probably the single most important thing in dSLR usability.

39. Choices low end and too high end for most serious non pros.

    go with

    Canon 30d, 17-85mm IS, 100-400mm L IS

    or

    Nikon D80, 18-200mm VR lens.

    both setups have great versatility, good value and are image stabilized. If starting from scratch go with the Nikon just for the all in one great lens.

40. 1. while i do agree most pros use canon, the best pros are shooting with Nikon

    2. the d50 and d80 are much easier cameras to get better results out of.

    3. real men use Nikon

    4. don’t forget to laugh when reading number three.

    I can back my statements if you would like.

    e-mail-nickkessler@photo.net

41. Let your peers choose your camera:

    http://crave.cnet.com/8301-1_105-9666136-1.html?tag=head

42. The Sigma 30mm f/1.4 EX is a pretty good normal prime. Very nice colors and contrast. It’s not perfect, as you’d expect from the price point though – noticeable barrel distortion and corner softness. Check out photozone.de for their very empirical lens reviews.

    Every camera has their strength and weakness. At any given price point, Canon has better sensors, Nikon has better ergonomics (e.g. viewfinder), Sony and Pentax have image stabilization in the body, etc. You just have to decide what’s more important to you.

    A good resource for deciding between the cameras mentioned are these camera comparison pages at vsxl.com, which have links to reviews and discussions:
    Canon Rebel XTi vs Nikon D80
    Canon Rebel XTi vs Sony A100
    Nikon D80 vs Sony A100

43. I bought a Pentax 1D 1 year ago and im very satisfied. The price if lower that it’s canon/nikon equivalents and i am very happ with it.

    Omar

44. An interesting aside, my wife has the celebrity show Extra on in the background while I’m working on my MacBook right now and they just did a piece on photographer Brett Stirton who did the Getty shoot that was the most profitable shoot in the history of Getty earlier this year. It was of Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt and their new baby and reportedly fetched over $4 million which was donated to charity.

    And guess what Brad is shooting on TV right now? Yep, Canon.

45. You’re supposed to buy your kids presents for Christmas, not yourself!

    THIS IS CRUELTY!
    😉

46. I have used the Canon EOS 5D for almost a year now. It is without question the best camera I have ever owned and is miles ahead of any other digital with which I have any familiarity. Before acquiring the 5D, I had considerable experience (most of it positive) with Canon’s EOS 20D and 10D, as well as a range of non-SLR digitals, including the compact and powerful Canon Powershot Pro1 (which I still use).

    A DSLR as fine as the 5D brings with it a certain cost apart from the camera body itself. The resolution is so high and that camera will quickly reveal any flaws in the lens you use. I’ve replaced nearly all of the very good Canon EF and EFS lenses (which are perfectly fine for 35mm and semi-frame DSLR photography) with “L” series lenses. “L” stands for “luxury” in Canon’s nomenclature, but there is nothing “luxurious” about the “L” series. Those lenses are a necessity if you really want to get the most out of your EOS 5D.

    Thomas works mostly with prime lenses, but I like the flexibility of zooms. If you can handle the weight and size of a big zoom lens, you may find the L series 28-300mm to be truly awesome. It features image stabilization and uses ultra-sonic motors to assist focus. I’ve supplemented it recently with a slightly smaller and lighter 70-200mm L series zoom with both image stabilization and ultra-sonic motors, but I think it’s fair to say that I do most of my shooting with the 24-70mm ultra-sonic L series. My favorite prime lens is Canon’s 35mm L series f/1.4 ultra-sonic. This is a super-fast, super-sharp lens, much lighter than any of the zoom lenses and excellent for night photography. I’m awaiting the imminent release of the L series 50mm prime f/1.2. I use Canon’s 100mm macro lens for close-up photography.

    The huge variety of settings available on the EOS 5D can be daunting. The fact is that the semi-automatic Program setting works very well for many situations. You can experiment with the many other available settings at no cost because your images are digital and disposible.

    Canon’s user manual is pretty decent as these books go. You might want to consider a more in-depth guide, such as the one published as part of the excellent Magic Langern series. These guides are available at better photography shops and online. They are worth their modest investment.

    If you’re becoming serious about photography, consider seriously the EOS 5D. You will not regret your choice.

47. Gotta agree with the recommendations for the EOS 5D. That camera is easily the best one I’ve ever owned, digital or film. And yes, good L lenses create even better pictures on this camera.

48. I’ve enjoyed reading your blog.

    I wonder if we could “hack” DSLR camera like my Canon Rebel where I can watch LCD during the shooting rather than using eye viewer.

    I have bad habit since I had compact digital camera for 5 years before purchase SLR last year.

    gwlj

49. grant,
    do you even understand how your fancy DSLR works????

50. Great blog =) I am trying to decide which DSLR I should buy as well and would like to buy one fairly soon since I am going on safari next month in East Africa.

    Two questions:

    (1) Why the EF 28-135mm instead of the EF-S 17-85mm which is specifically made for the XT, XTi, 20D, and 30D’s 1.6x magnification?

    (2) Is it worth buying a 30D instead of an XT? (I can’t afford the 5D, unfortunately, and I can afford a bit more than the XT, but I’m not quite sure if it’s worth paying extra for something like a 30D.)

51. It seems that my first question was already asked by Nick – I didn’t read closely enough!

52. Tom said:
    “Speaking of the Pro’s though check out all of the Canons that the pros were using on display in Vincent Thain’s shots from the 2004 Olympics.

    http://www.pbase.com/vthian/athens_olympics_2004“
    Tom, I think there are more pros are using Canon in Sport and action. But pros also include journalists, wedding photographers etc. I am not sure if Canon also dominates the other fields and they did in sport.

53. WHere should one buy Nikon D80 or the Canon Rebel. I am in the market for a Digital SLR. HOwever, there is a huge price difference between CIrcuit City/Best Buys and the like versus Websites like Bestpricecameras.com and 1wayphoto.com. I would love to save the money and spend it on the lens. Any tips and recommendations would be helpful..thanks Ahsan

54. I’ve been looking a long time, and find this web site has by far the best info for me. I work for a small newspaper in a rural community, and we take turns using our personal cameras for the photos. Although I am not the main photographer, I get chances every week. I currently have a Sony HD5, but drool over my colleague’s Canon cameras’ results. My problem is I need a camera for everything from Supervisors’ meetings (low light, flurescent light) to indoor rodeo arena events to exteriors of buildings to the outdoor go kart races. I want to spend about $1,000 for a better camera. A friend who takes photos for Arizona Highways recommends the Nikon D70, but now there’s the D80, and I’m still thinking about those Canons… Can you give me a recommendation?

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