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I want someone to help me to choose the camera.

For about 15-years I have had great passion towards photography, but
never used any camera as it is/was costlier for me to afford. I also
attended a very very basic photographic class (which is more of film
and focal length basics) 10 years ago. At that time some photographers
suggested me to buy Nikon SLR.
I was collecting money for sometime to buy Nikon SLR and came to know
that DSLR is taking the world--so again started collecting money. Now I
have some money to buy DSLR.

While searching I came to know Canon EOS 350D and Nikon D70s are
competitors and also good for the price. I have high difficulty in
choosing the camera as I just have enthusiasm and no knowledge on this.
I have also read many reviews including DPreview, but for me it's very
very difficult to decide.

1. What is the better among Canon EOS 350D and Nikon D70s? (I do not
have much of money to play with; so I want to buy the best for the
money. I hope, being a geek I can easily become pro once I get camera.)

2. Is it *really* true that Canon EOS 350D is cheaper than Nikon D70s?
(some sites say Canon kit costs $999 while Nikon kit costs $1,199)

3. It seems that in India, Nikon Thailand make alone is available. Is
it advisable to go for Thailand make (if you're suggesting Nikon)?

4. Is there any better version available for these two cameras?

Thanks for any help or comments.

--
<?php echo 'Just another PHP saint'; ?>
Email: rrjanbiah-at-Y!com Blog: http://rajeshanbiah.blogspot.com/

Really depends on your personal preference - I started out using a Canon F1
SLR and thus all I know is Canon!
Here's a great place to review DSLR's http://www.dpreview.com/reviews/


"R. Rajesh Jeba Anbiah" <> wrote in message
news: oups.com...
> I want someone to help me to choose the camera.
>
> For about 15-years I have had great passion towards photography, but
> never used any camera as it is/was costlier for me to afford. I also
> attended a very very basic photographic class (which is more of film
> and focal length basics) 10 years ago. At that time some photographers
> suggested me to buy Nikon SLR.
> I was collecting money for sometime to buy Nikon SLR and came to know
> that DSLR is taking the world--so again started collecting money. Now I
> have some money to buy DSLR.
>
> While searching I came to know Canon EOS 350D and Nikon D70s are
> competitors and also good for the price. I have high difficulty in
> choosing the camera as I just have enthusiasm and no knowledge on this.
> I have also read many reviews including DPreview, but for me it's very
> very difficult to decide.
>
> 1. What is the better among Canon EOS 350D and Nikon D70s? (I do not
> have much of money to play with; so I want to buy the best for the
> money. I hope, being a geek I can easily become pro once I get camera.)
>
> 2. Is it *really* true that Canon EOS 350D is cheaper than Nikon D70s?
> (some sites say Canon kit costs $999 while Nikon kit costs $1,199)
>
> 3. It seems that in India, Nikon Thailand make alone is available. Is
> it advisable to go for Thailand make (if you're suggesting Nikon)?
>
> 4. Is there any better version available for these two cameras?
>
> Thanks for any help or comments.
>
> --
> <?php echo 'Just another PHP saint'; ?>
> Email: rrjanbiah-at-Y!com Blog: http://rajeshanbiah.blogspot.com/
>

I had the Nikon D70 and was happy until I compared photos from the
Canon 350D when shooting in low-light. The Nikon is a very high
quality camera with excellent optics BUT has a sensor (made by Sony)
with much more noise (speckles) when using a high ISO setting as needed
in low light. The Canon sensor (made by Canon) is far superior in the
noise category and produces silky smooth images even at ISO 800 and is
even usable at ISO 1600 allowing photos in very low light, especially
with a fast lens. So, I sold the Nikon and switched to Canon.
Suggest the Canon 350D with the 17-85mm IS lens. This lens has a very
good 5:1 zoom range and has image stabilization (IS) which you can turn
on or off. The IS allows you to hand-hold the camera at 3 stops lower
(8 times slower) shutter speed than without IS. You can take photos
without flash in much lower light without getting image blur due to
normal hand shake. There are some reviews on the internet comparing
the Nikon and Canon which show the advantage of the Canon in image
comparisons at high ISO. Good luck.

Mike


R. Rajesh Jeba Anbiah wrote:
> I want someone to help me to choose the camera.
>
> For about 15-years I have had great passion towards photography, but
> never used any camera as it is/was costlier for me to afford. I also
> attended a very very basic photographic class (which is more of film
> and focal length basics) 10 years ago. At that time some photographers
> suggested me to buy Nikon SLR.
> I was collecting money for sometime to buy Nikon SLR and came to know
> that DSLR is taking the world--so again started collecting money. Now I
> have some money to buy DSLR.
>
> While searching I came to know Canon EOS 350D and Nikon D70s are
> competitors and also good for the price. I have high difficulty in
> choosing the camera as I just have enthusiasm and no knowledge on this.
> I have also read many reviews including DPreview, but for me it's very
> very difficult to decide.
>
> 1. What is the better among Canon EOS 350D and Nikon D70s? (I do not
> have much of money to play with; so I want to buy the best for the
> money. I hope, being a geek I can easily become pro once I get camera.)
>
> 2. Is it *really* true that Canon EOS 350D is cheaper than Nikon D70s?
> (some sites say Canon kit costs $999 while Nikon kit costs $1,199)
>
> 3. It seems that in India, Nikon Thailand make alone is available. Is
> it advisable to go for Thailand make (if you're suggesting Nikon)?
>
> 4. Is there any better version available for these two cameras?
>
> Thanks for any help or comments.
>
> --
> <?php echo 'Just another PHP saint'; ?>
> Email: rrjanbiah-at-Y!com Blog: http://rajeshanbiah.blogspot.com/

R. Rajesh Jeba Anbiah wrote:

>I want someone to help me to choose the camera.
>
>1. What is the better among Canon EOS 350D and Nikon D70s?

First I suggest you visit a store and handle the two cameras. How they
feel in YOUR hands can be an important factor. Some people don't like
the tiny size of the Canon, others don't like the big bulky feel of the
Nikon.

Next, concentrate on the handling and features of the body, and optical
quality of the kit lenses. There's a big difference between the two.

> (I do not
>have much of money to play with; so I want to buy the best for the
>money. I hope, being a geek I can easily become pro once I get camera.)

If you don't intend to buy more lenses for a long time, then I suggest
you get the Nikon with the 18-70mm kit lense right now. It's the better
deal for optical quality, and it covers most of the common zoom range.

You can also consider the lower priced Nikon D50 and get the 18-70mm
lense for it. That would perform just as well, but lacks some of the
features in the D70s. If you can live without those features, the D50 is
a great camera.

>2. Is it *really* true that Canon EOS 350D is cheaper than Nikon D70s?
>(some sites say Canon kit costs $999 while Nikon kit costs $1,199)

While the camera bodies have similar features and performance, the kit
lenses are very different.

The Canon has an 18-55mm lense that is fairly good, and gives a field of
view equivalent to a 29-88 on a 35mm body. The lense is fairly quick to
focus, and not too noisy, but it's not one of Canon's silent USM models.
You can use it wide open, but it lacks sharpness across the aperture
range - it's a useable lense, but unless all you want is 4x6 or 5x7
snapshots, you'll probably want better glass. For $100 or so, it's not
bad...it's just not great either.

The Nikon has a much better 18-70mm lense that is sharper and covers a
wider zoom range, 28-105mm equivalent. The lense is quick to focus and
uses a silent wave motor (AF-S). You can use it wide open and it's sharp
across the aperture range. It has noticeably better resolution and
contrast than the Canon kit lense. At 18mm and f/3.5 there is a minor
vignetting issue, but stop down a notch or more and it vanishes. The
18-70 zoom range makes for a great "walk-around" lense.

Obviously the Nikon 18-70 lense makes a big difference in the kits,
hence the price differences and my recommendations.

>3. It seems that in India, Nikon Thailand make alone is available. Is
>it advisable to go for Thailand make (if you're suggesting Nikon)?

Sure. I believe the Nikon D70s sold in America is made in Thailand too.

>4. Is there any better version available for these two cameras?

That's subjective and difficult to answer. There are many options
available, but only you can truly decide which is right for you.

What do you plan to do with the camera - what kind of pictures?

I've just returned a 350D I purchased on Thursday.

I simply couldn't get sharp images from it, despite having one of the
sharpest lenses made for it (Canon 24-105L IS) fitted.

I did a comparison between the Canon 24-105L, with a much cheaper Nikon
24-120, all at f11, shot in RAW, both cameras at ISO 200 and converted with
the same sharpening. The Nikon images were sharper out of the camera than
the Canon ones after sharpening and the noise in the Canon images at ISO 200
was more noticeable than from the Nikon.

I only bought the Canon in a fit of pique because I've not been able to get
hold of a Nikon D200.

Bad mistake.


"R. Rajesh Jeba Anbiah" <> wrote in message
news: oups.com...
>I want someone to help me to choose the camera.
>
> For about 15-years I have had great passion towards photography, but
> never used any camera as it is/was costlier for me to afford. I also
> attended a very very basic photographic class (which is more of film
> and focal length basics) 10 years ago. At that time some photographers
> suggested me to buy Nikon SLR.
> I was collecting money for sometime to buy Nikon SLR and came to know
> that DSLR is taking the world--so again started collecting money. Now I
> have some money to buy DSLR.
>
> While searching I came to know Canon EOS 350D and Nikon D70s are
> competitors and also good for the price. I have high difficulty in
> choosing the camera as I just have enthusiasm and no knowledge on this.
> I have also read many reviews including DPreview, but for me it's very
> very difficult to decide.
>
> 1. What is the better among Canon EOS 350D and Nikon D70s? (I do not
> have much of money to play with; so I want to buy the best for the
> money. I hope, being a geek I can easily become pro once I get camera.)
>
> 2. Is it *really* true that Canon EOS 350D is cheaper than Nikon D70s?
> (some sites say Canon kit costs $999 while Nikon kit costs $1,199)
>
> 3. It seems that in India, Nikon Thailand make alone is available. Is
> it advisable to go for Thailand make (if you're suggesting Nikon)?
>
> 4. Is there any better version available for these two cameras?
>
> Thanks for any help or comments.
>
> --
> <?php echo 'Just another PHP saint'; ?>
> Email: rrjanbiah-at-Y!com Blog: http://rajeshanbiah.blogspot.com/
>

"Bloggs" <> wrote:
> I've just returned a 350D I purchased on Thursday.
>
> I simply couldn't get sharp images from it, despite having one of the
> sharpest lenses made for it (Canon 24-105L IS) fitted.
>
> I did a comparison between the Canon 24-105L, with a much cheaper Nikon
> 24-120, all at f11, shot in RAW, both cameras at ISO 200 and converted
> with the same sharpening. The Nikon images were sharper out of the camera
> than the Canon ones after sharpening

The D70 has one of the weaker AA filters around (and thus has nasty Moire
problems (see the color and maze artifiacts in the test chart images)), so
it's images _appear_ sharper _at 100%_. The 350D, though, actually resolves
a lot more detail. So you are doing something wrong.

http://www.dpreview.com/reviews/nikond70/page26.asp
http://www.dpreview.com/reviews/canoneos350d/page27.asp

> and the noise in the Canon images at ISO 200 was more noticeable than from
> the Nikon.

You are again in Journal of Irreproducable results land here. (See the chart
at the bottom of the page: they

http://www.dpreview.com/reviews/canoneos350d/page19.asp

You really shouldn't be able to see a difference in noise at ISO 200, or any
other ISO for that matter. (The D70 is very good, of course. The 350D
sacrifices just a tad of noise for the better resolution, but it's ISO 100
noise is lower than the D70's noise at its lowest ISO.)

> I only bought the Canon in a fit of pique because I've not been able to
> get hold of a Nikon D200.
>
> Bad mistake.


Well, you must have made several mistakes. But buying the 350D wasn't one of
them.

David J. Littleboy
Tokyo, Japan

tough_dog wrote:
> I had the Nikon D70 and was happy until I compared photos from the
> Canon 350D when shooting in low-light.
<snip>

(Many thanks for everyone who replied me in this thread.) Thanks
for sharing your experience. But, I guess you're supposed to compare
Canon 350D with Nikon D70s--not D70 as it's older(?)

--
<?php echo 'Just another PHP saint'; ?>
Email: rrjanbiah-at-Y!com Blog: http://rajeshanbiah.blogspot.com/

Bill wrote:
> R. Rajesh Jeba Anbiah wrote:
>
> >I want someone to help me to choose the camera.
> >
> >1. What is the better among Canon EOS 350D and Nikon D70s?
>
> First I suggest you visit a store and handle the two cameras. How they
> feel in YOUR hands can be an important factor. Some people don't like
> the tiny size of the Canon, others don't like the big bulky feel of the
> Nikon.

Yes, this is what I'm reading in every review; some people say
Nikon is bulky and hence ergonomic. And, thanks for your advice. I'll
try to see it; but last time when I visited the shop, they didn't allow
me to see closer as it's quite costlier.

> Next, concentrate on the handling and features of the body, and optical
> quality of the kit lenses. There's a big difference between the two.
>
> > (I do not
> >have much of money to play with; so I want to buy the best for the
> >money. I hope, being a geek I can easily become pro once I get camera.)
>
> If you don't intend to buy more lenses for a long time, then I suggest
> you get the Nikon with the 18-70mm kit lense right now. It's the better
> deal for optical quality, and it covers most of the common zoom range.

Does it mean that I have to buy the lenses separately?

> You can also consider the lower priced Nikon D50 and get the 18-70mm
> lense for it. That would perform just as well, but lacks some of the
> features in the D70s. If you can live without those features, the D50 is
> a great camera.

Today I bought the "Smart Photography" magazine (Indian). And gone
through the buyers' guide:

Canon EOS 350D: Rs. 56, 995 (Street price: Rs. 39, 000)
Nikon D70s : Rs. 55, 000 (Street price: Rs. 37, 000)
Nikon D50 : Rs. 55, 400 (Street price: Rs. 32, 000)

And, it definitely looks like that D50 is a good alternative.

> >2. Is it *really* true that Canon EOS 350D is cheaper than Nikon D70s?
> >(some sites say Canon kit costs $999 while Nikon kit costs $1,199)
<snip>
> Obviously the Nikon 18-70 lense makes a big difference in the kits,
> hence the price differences and my recommendations.

Apologies for my ignorance. Can't we use Nikon lenses with Canon?

<snip>
> >4. Is there any better version available for these two cameras?
>
> That's subjective and difficult to answer. There are many options
> available, but only you can truly decide which is right for you.

This is what every review in the 'net says; but I'm lost as I never
used any cameras

> What do you plan to do with the camera - what kind of pictures?

I'm interested to shoot everything--objects, nature, people,
etc--for example, scattered sandals near temple, running school boy.

--
<?php echo 'Just another PHP saint'; ?>
Email: rrjanbiah-at-Y!com Blog: http://rajeshanbiah.blogspot.com/

Bloggs wrote:
<snip>
> I only bought the Canon in a fit of pique because I've not been able to get
> hold of a Nikon D200.
>
> Bad mistake.
<snip>

Thanks for sharing your experience. Here D200 costs Rs. 1, 09, 500
and it's double in price as compared to D70s

--
<?php echo 'Just another PHP saint'; ?>
Email: rrjanbiah-at-Y!com Blog: http://rajeshanbiah.blogspot.com/

R. Rajesh Jeba Anbiah wrote:

>> > (I do not
>> >have much of money to play with; so I want to buy the best for the
>> >money. I hope, being a geek I can easily become pro once I get camera.)
>>
>> If you don't intend to buy more lenses for a long time, then I suggest
>> you get the Nikon with the 18-70mm kit lense right now. It's the better
>> deal for optical quality, and it covers most of the common zoom range.
>
> Does it mean that I have to buy the lenses separately?

I believe so...the Nikon D50 kit includes the 18-55mm lense which isn't
as good. You can buy the D50 body and get the 18-70 at the same time,
and probably talk them into a deal.

You'll also need to get a memory card.

>> You can also consider the lower priced Nikon D50 and get the 18-70mm
>
>Canon EOS 350D: Rs. 56, 995 (Street price: Rs. 39, 000)
>Nikon D70s : Rs. 55, 000 (Street price: Rs. 37, 000)
>Nikon D50 : Rs. 55, 400 (Street price: Rs. 32, 000)
>
> And, it definitely looks like that D50 is a good alternative.

The D50 can take pictures just as good as the other two. The only
difference is a few features and settings. For a newbie, you'll never
notice the difference.

>> Obviously the Nikon 18-70 lense makes a big difference in the kits,
>> hence the price differences and my recommendations.
>
> Apologies for my ignorance. Can't we use Nikon lenses with Canon?

The two systems use different mounts so they are not immediately
compatible. It's like trying to use a Mazda motor in a Ford, they just
don't fit together.

>> What do you plan to do with the camera - what kind of pictures?
>
> I'm interested to shoot everything--objects, nature, people,
>etc--for example, scattered sandals near temple, running school boy.

Since this will be your first DSLR, I'll take a chance and say you
should get the D50 with the 18-70mm lense. It should do everything you
need for a relatively long time.