Buying a DSLR - Canon/Nikon advice please

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Hi,

I have been doing a lot of research for weeks now (as has my girlfriend). We are looking to buy a DSLR mainly for her, it will primarily be used to take pictures of our whippets out on walks. So think 30+mph running pooches with glorious backdrops as we ll as being used for landscape shots and for her to generally use to learn and improve her photography skills (a nice hobby would be good for her, hence I am pushing this a bit).

She has spotted a few second hand Canon 50D's and all she has been looking at are Canon's. This being because she spoke to a few people from work who fancy themselves as photographers and they all said "Canon only, it has to be a Canon". But I have decided this is nonsense and have come to the conclusion that price versus features, the Nikon D5200 is an absolute cracker. I am comparing this to the 700D or 60/70D and do not understand why so many people wouldn't even consider Nikon but opt for Canon regardless.

I am coming from a completely brand neutral point of view looking at specifications and cost over anything else, so this is a general question I am hinting at re: why should I buy a D700 and not a Nikon D5200?

Please also feel free to nominate other cameras for consideration to my above scenario versus a D5200, as at this moment really I am looking to be advised why not to buy the D5200. Can be had second hand with the kit lens to get her started for £410 in mint condition.

The factor I cannot consider is lens/accessory buying, general use and all of the other little things that come through actual ownership. These are the things I for now assume to be the reason people love Canon?

Many thanks for any advice and input you can provide, it is much appreciated

 

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It doesn't have to be Canon, anyone who says that has no idea what they're talking about. Try out some bodies from all manufacturers, not just Canon or Nikon and see which ergonomics and layouts you like, read up reviews and make an informed decision based on the prices, lenses and accessories available. If you can get on with an electronic viewfinder there are lots of other options. Don't assume that a DSLR is the best solution either, there are some cracking bridge and compact cameras available that may be more portable and appropriate for your uses.

There is perceived wisdom that Nikon have very slightly better sensors than Canon, and in lab tests that holds up in some cases. In real life there isn't anything substantial in it- Technique is far more of a factor.

Thanks for the reply

I agree with everything you say. I got her to confirm with colleagues why they say Canon and the reply she got was "Canon's just feel better than Nikon and they have better lenses"... So I have told her to disregard whatever this guy from work tells her as that's not helpful in the slightest. Sounds like he has no reason to dismiss Nikon completely like this and taint others with poor advice.

We already have a good Fuji bridge but it's simply not up to the task of taking pictures of the dogs at all. We have tried and tried different things and just cannot get the shots we want, we feel it's limiting us greatly so looking to "step up" to DSLR because of this and to learn a bit more and something new.

Going by your advice on price/spec/lens/accessories comparison. The D5200 is a no brainer. But we do plan of course to get hands on with each fo the camera's we have been looking at from all brands and see if the D5200 still comes out our favourite to take the plunge on.

 

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Thanks everyone for the replies

That wex link is great, thank you very much for that. We are primarily looking second hand to be honest with you anyway, but never knew about that - It's a damn sight nicer than eBay risks! Looks good so will definitely be scanning that over the next few weeks.

Inazuma it is also good to hear positive feedback, and some negative, about the D5200. Hoping to get a play with one at the weekend

 

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We got to play around with a few cameras at the weekend so I can now see first hand why people always seem to say "canon feels better".... The first camera I picked up was the D5200, I thought it was very nice. Light, solid feeling and it felt good in my hands.

I then picked up the Sony A77 and again this felt good, bit heavier than the Nikon and a bit cheaper feeling but still to me felt solid enough and good in the hand.

Then I picked up the Canon D60 and thought, wow, this thing is serious. I don't know what it is, it's larger, heavier but it's not that making it feel more sturdy or higher quality, it just feels more substantial and comfortable. More natural in the hand. Can't describe it very well but it felt by far the best camera to hold and use.

The Nikon did feel great though, if it was down to £50 difference I'd take the Canon, but the Nikon spec wise for our needs and bang for buck money wise I just cannot justify the price of the Canon for what you get over the Nikon.

It is ultimately for her (I have to remember) and she actually prefered the Nikon as it's smaller for her wee hands and lighter etc. I tried explaining the menu's to her but she is of the stance that she'll be spending a lot of time learning and using anyway, so if the menu is more complicated or harder to use, she is willing to learn it all anyway so it's no point factoring this against cost and other features.

So still favouring the D5200 currently!

 

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What lenses are you looking at getting...?

I'm assuming as you mention your dogs you'll want a long lens to shoot them, otherwisethey will just be blobs in the distance when running... If that's the case (and considering you don't seem to have a huge budget and a GF that wants to shoot when she's walking) I'd recommend a second hand Canon 70-200 f/4. Relatively small, light and around £400 used but it will focus fast and will probably keep up with the dogs, unlike a cheaper zoom lens like a 55-250 or 70-300. Nikon also do one but they are unlikely to come up used at the moment as they are pretty new.

Initially it'll be the starter lens to see how she gets on and learns a bit more before spending any more money on a lens. But yeah, as you suggest it'll need to be something capable of focusing and catching the dogs running at silly speeds. I honestly haven't done that much research on lenses yet as I knwo both Nikon and Canon will do lenses suitable as the ranges are massive, however you do make a good point regards second hand lenses! Thanks for that input, we'll factor this.

Worth a gander at the D7000 as well I'd say, should be more or less the same price as a 60D (~£500 after the Nikon xmas cashback) and will give you that feel of build quality that you thought was lacking in the D5200 compared to the 60D, whilst still being marginally more compact than the 60D. But if your girlfriend prefers something smaller then maybe that's a moot point, and its never a bad thing to have some spare change to put towards lenses.

I was wanting to get a good look at D7000 and see how it stacked up. The D5200 was the top Nikon they had in the shop but I was wanting to compare the higher price point variants to see as the Canon 60D versus 600D etc I was able to compare effectively. So a good shout and I will try to get my hands on one for sure, thanks.