[Calgary Agent]

Joonsup -

Either of the cameras you're considering will give you years of enjoyment. Each is well engineered, but one consideration is which one feels better in your hands. Try each .... have the store put some glass on them and take some photos, paying particular attention to where the adjustment buttons / dials are on each.

I have the XTi .... but have no doubt the Nikon is pretty much a comparable body. That being said, these are higher quality upper end consumer SLR's ... they're not professional quality.

Most important is the GLASS and attachments (Flashes aka Speedlites). The built-in flashes work, but are next to hopeless for better quality shots. As far as the GLASS (lenses) go, if I were to buy either I'd purchase only the body and take the money you save and upgrade to a couple of quality lenses. The better the lens, the better the photos (well ... most often ). I'd stick with NIKON glass for Nikons and CANON glass for the Canon. I've spent almost $5K on glass and assorted accessories, and consider it a sound investment (these lenses will fit on the higher end professional bodies should you wish to upgrade)

[Joonsup]

Originally Posted by TurboFan

You understand grey market now?

yes i understand it now thanks to you. great help man. i was at circuit city yesterday to get a feel for both the nikon and canon and i still can't make up my mind. I may have to flip a coin or something. haha.

[Joonsup]

Originally Posted by Calgary Agent

Joonsup -

Either of the cameras you're considering will give you years of enjoyment. Each is well engineered, but one consideration is which one feels better in your hands. Try each .... have the store put some glass on them and take some photos, paying particular attention to where the adjustment buttons / dials are on each.

I have the XTi .... but have no doubt the Nikon is pretty much a comparable body. That being said, these are higher quality upper end consumer SLR's ... they're not professional quality.

Most important is the GLASS and attachments (Flashes aka Speedlites). The built-in flashes work, but are next to hopeless for better quality shots. As far as the GLASS (lenses) go, if I were to buy either I'd purchase only the body and take the money you save and upgrade to a couple of quality lenses. The better the lens, the better the photos (well ... most often ). I'd stick with NIKON glass for Nikons and CANON glass for the Canon. I've spent almost $5K on glass and assorted accessories, and consider it a sound investment (these lenses will fit on the higher end professional bodies should you wish to upgrade)

Thanks for your advice Calgary. As i am a beginner I think the lens that the kit comes with will be sufficient enough for me until i learn more of how to become a better photographer. At first I wanted a camera to take pictures of my car, but I would like to be able to take pictures of other things as well ie people, nature, etc.. And i think by the time i become more sufficient in taking pictures, I'll be ready for different lenses.

[Joonsup]

I'm looking at the canon rebel xti online and I notice it comes in eitiher black OR silver. Silver looks flashy, but not sure if it's too "loud". Not as classy as the black body. I wonder if anyone that's "serious" about photography goes for the silver one

[TurboFan]

Originally Posted by joonsup

I'm looking at the canon rebel xti online and I notice it comes in eitiher black OR silver. Silver looks flashy, but not sure if it's too "loud". Not as classy as the black body. I wonder if anyone that's "serious" about photography goes for the silver one

It's not about the look of the camera, it's about the look of the image. Canon is known for their white lens bodies, so it's hard to say. Most higher end cameras only come in black.....idk, I've always liked black as it wont show wear as quickly.

[Joonsup]

Originally Posted by TurboFan

It's not about the look of the camera, it's about the look of the image. Canon is known for their white lens bodies, so it's hard to say. Most higher end cameras only come in black.....idk, I've always liked black as it wont show wear as quickly.

I will have to meditate and go back to the store and mess around with both the nikon and canon. I know compared to the professional quality cameras the d40x and xti don't seem that expensive, and that either one will be a good entry level camera, but for me it's a big investment and I just want to be sure of which one I want before purchasing it. I appreciate all the help everyone has contributed from my posting. Thanks guys.

[Calgary Agent]

Originally Posted by joonsup

Thanks for your advice Calgary. As i am a beginner I think the lens that the kit comes with will be sufficient enough for me until i learn more of how to become a better photographer. At first I wanted a camera to take pictures of my car, but I would like to be able to take pictures of other things as well ie people, nature, etc..

LOL ..... The lens that comes with the body (at least for the Canon) is sh*t. Let me dig mine out .... it's in the bottom of my bag, where it's been since I replaced it with some higher end Canon glass.

Here it is, Canon EFS 18-55 (zoom). What a piece of cr*p. Fortunately I knew the quality of the photos from my new camera were suffering due to the quality of lens, and simply bought some superior glass. Save yourself a lot of frustration and skip the 18-55 lens ..... get yourself the EFS 10-18 if you want some quality shots of your car. A portrait lens (something close to 85mm) would also be recommended.

BTW ... the XTi (and all Digital SLR's) have what's called a focal length conversion factor (1.6 for the XTi). Be aware that any lens you use will have an effective focal length of 1.6 times what appears on lens .....

[Joonsup]

Originally Posted by Calgary Agent

LOL ..... The lens that comes with the body (at least for the Canon) is sh*t. Let me dig mine out .... it's in the bottom of my bag, where it's been since I replaced it with some higher end Canon glass.

Here it is, Canon EFS 18-55 (zoom). What a piece of cr*p. Fortunately I knew the quality of the photos from my new camera were suffering due to the quality of lens, and simply bought some superior glass. Save yourself a lot of frustration and skip the 18-55 lens ..... get yourself the EFS 10-18 if you want some quality shots of your car. A portrait lens (something close to 85mm) would also be recommended.

BTW ... the XTi (and all Digital SLR's) have what's called a focal length conversion factor (1.6 for the XTi). Be aware that any lens you use will have an effective focal length of 1.6 times what appears on lens .....

ok im gonna have to copy and paste what you just said about the focal length, etc.. haha. what else do i need to remember... ok 18-55 lens on the xti is sh-t. How about the standard lense on the nikon. i wonder if that one is any better than the canon lense

[IND-Distribution]

I just picked up a D40x while at the Sema show in Vegas. It came with two lenses. The 18-55 and the 55-200. I shot about 400 pictures so far in auto mode and they look pretty nice. Now I just need to take a photography class to learn how to use this thing.

[Calgary Agent]

Originally Posted by joonsup

How about the standard lense on the nikon. i wonder if that one is any better than the canon lense

I seriously doubt it .... . My wide-angle (10-22) lens cost nearly twice what the camera body did ...... .

[Etnies]

Originally Posted by second_2_nun

d40x all the way this was my first slr I love it 10.2 megapixels versus I think 8 megapixels on the canon

Canon Rebel XTi is 10.1MP.

[TurboFan]

Originally Posted by joonsup

ok im gonna have to copy and paste what you just said about the focal length, etc.. haha. what else do i need to remember... ok 18-55 lens on the xti is sh-t. How about the standard lense on the nikon. i wonder if that one is any better than the canon lense

There's an 18-70mm kit lens with the nikon that is quite good. You can also get an 18-200 in the package, and while I've not shot it, it is reviewed as one of the greatest lenses that Nikon has made. It would be worth checking, as 18-200 (27-300mm effective) is a broad range, and it includes VR.

[Joonsup]

Quick question. For either camera, if I wanted to take black and white pictures, would that be possible or is that only for non digital cameras?

[jerrym]

i like the XTI better.

[remmib]

Originally Posted by joonsup

Quick question. For either camera, if I wanted to take black and white pictures, would that be possible or is that only for non digital cameras?

Yes you can shot B&W.

[TurboFan]

Originally Posted by joonsup

Quick question. For either camera, if I wanted to take black and white pictures, would that be possible or is that only for non digital cameras?

Yes you can. You can setup the camera to do B&W, or you can do it in software. With the Nikon, the Capture NX does this in post-processing just as if it were being done in the camera when the image was recorded, assuming you shoot in RAW.

[Joonsup]

Originally Posted by TurboFan

Yes you can. You can setup the camera to do B&W, or you can do it in software. With the Nikon, the Capture NX does this in post-processing just as if it were being done in the camera when the image was recorded, assuming you shoot in RAW.

cool. thanks again for the help.

[Joonsup]

Originally Posted by jerrym

i like the XTI better.

it'd help if you gave some supporting arguments to why that is. But be prepared b/c turbo will have a very strong rebuttal probably. haha

[TurboFan]

Originally Posted by joonsup

it'd help if you gave some supporting arguments to why that is. But be prepared b/c turbo will have a very strong rebuttal probably. haha

hahaha....naaa, to each their own. I had my reasons for choosing Nikon over Canon, but everyone is different. Canon is a very good brand of camera, nothing wrong with them at all. A camera is a light tight box with a hole. What really matters is getting a camera and learning to use it.

I do think that if your going to come out strongly for one thing over another, you should post supporting reasons, but hey, what do I know.

[Joonsup]

Originally Posted by TurboFan

hahaha....naaa, to each their own. I had my reasons for choosing Nikon over Canon, but everyone is different. Canon is a very good brand of camera, nothing wrong with them at all. A camera is a light tight box with a hole. What really matters is getting a camera and learning to use it.

I do think that if your going to come out strongly for one thing over another, you should post supporting reasons, but hey, what do I know.

a helluv a lot more than a lot of these monkeys. lol. i ended up purchasing the canon (i'm ashamed to say as you made so many good points about the nikon). I went to the store and got a feel for both and i just liked how the canon felt as I was holding it. Just felt more comfortable to me. I just went with my first gut feeling since now I know it's the photographer and the lense that makes a huge difference, and not the body. It should arrive tomorrow and I know i'll be reading every single word in the manual this weekend. Thanks for all the help turbo. I"m sure I'll be posting some new threads as I have more questions since i'm a newb. haha.

[TurboFan]

Originally Posted by joonsup

a helluv a lot more than a lot of these monkeys. lol. i ended up purchasing the canon (i'm ashamed to say as you made so many good points about the nikon). I went to the store and got a feel for both and i just liked how the canon felt as I was holding it. Just felt more comfortable to me. I just went with my first gut feeling since now I know it's the photographer and the lense that makes a huge difference, and not the body. It should arrive tomorrow and I know i'll be reading every single word in the manual this weekend. Thanks for all the help turbo. I"m sure I'll be posting some new threads as I have more questions since i'm a newb. haha.

Congratulations! I look forward to seeing your pictures.

A camera should be an extension of your mind and body. The camera that feels the most natural is the one you should buy. The name on the front is meaningless. Happy shooting!

Start saving for your first lenses. This is an addicting hobby!

[knight]

Originally Posted by TurboFan

Congratulations! I look forward to seeing your pictures.

A camera should be an extension of your mind and body. The camera that feels the most natural is the one you should buy. The name on the front is meaningless. Happy shooting!

Start saving for your first lenses. This is an addicting hobby!

+1, congratulations on the camera

who cares that you didn't get a nikon like turbo wanted you to, stick it to him!!! CANON FTW!!! all jokes turbo

now it's time for you to put that camera to use and take some pics!!!