Slr Cameras

mrkt321

Member
Well I think I might be getting an slr camera. I'm trying to decide between the nikon d200 and the canon rebel xt they're pretty similar but i was just wondering if anyone owns or has used either one and has any suggestions or other cameras i should look at. o yeah i will probably be able to spend around $1600.
 
those packages are worthless

if u want the d200 get

D200

18-70mm dx

50mm 1.8

2GB SD Card

Backpack(apollo, burton zoom)

this will save you a good amount of money to put towards a good zoom lens such as the 70-200 2.8 and you wont be getting all worthles lenses and unnecessary gear
 
Agreed, 'cept the D200 uses CF and not SD cards.  Also I'd reccomend picking up a flash as well, SB-600's can be found used pretty easily they're solid flashes and work with Nikon CLS.  You could look into a lens with a bit longer range too, 18-200 vr is a bit expensive ($700) but would do ya good as a starter.

The D200 is a great camera, I use mine all the time.  I found that Nikon gear feels a bit better in my hands, it's more substantial, where as Canon stuff just felt like a toy.  Best reccomendation I can make is to go out and actually hold one, see what feels best to you.  They're almost the same anymore between the two companies.
 
The d200 and rebel are nothing alike.The d200 has so much more manuel settings then the rebel.Go with the Nikon.
 
Yeah, you're comparing two very very different cameras. The Canon is a $500 entry level SLR and the Nikon is a $1500 pro-consumer camera. If those really are the two cameras you're looking at, the Nikon is better hands down. If you're looking more for an entry level DSLR, I really like the Nikon D50 and D70. B&H has some good packages available for both brands.

Just remember that you're always better off saving money on the body and spending it on better glass.
 
d200 is sick, although the new d80 is pretty sweet for the price... 10 megapixels under a grand.
 
yeah the only resason i was looking at the canon was because i figured that if i got a cheaper camera i could spend more on lenses. i think it would still be better to go with the d200 though and not buy a package like that but instead buy lenses. Does anyone have a d200 they would sell or some lenses they would sell that would fit the d200?
 
I wouldn't rule out buying a package (I just wouldn't buy one off of eBay). Generally, the Nikon packages (like the ones B&H sells) are pretty good deals and include a good lens (or two) and a memory card. If you have a $1600 budget though, I would definitely recommend getting a cheaper body so you can afford a good tripod, such as a Bogen/Manfrotto, a good all purpose lens, like an 18-105, and a flash setup from nikon.

Like I said before, spend your money on your lens, it will do much more for your images then a more expensive body would.
 
It pretty much seems like the d200 packages on ebay are the best deal though. I'm haveing trouble finding this camera used which would be nice since i could spend more on lenses then.
 
How much camera experience do you have?

After comparing the D200 and the D80, I would definitely say save money and get the D80. The major upgrades on the D200 are the faster continuos drive (5fps versus 3fps on the D80) and a faster shutter speed (1/8000 versus 1/4000); neither of which are really worth the added $600 (judging by your needs).
 
ya and the 1/250 flash sync but..

I say you just get a d50 and save yourself some money for better lenses. The lenses in most of the ebay packages are garbage and without a nice lens it is harder to get a nice shot. The D50 is alot cheaper and you can take awesome pictures with it. This will save you some cash for a better lens also

Nikon D50 body

18-70mm DX Nikkor

50mm 1.8 AF

2GB CF card

Backpack

and possibly

a fisheye(10.5 DX Nikkor

or flash setup
 
I don't have any experience with a digital slr but i've used a normal slr for the last few years. I think i'd really want 5 fps for sequences and stuff like that.
 
D200 and XT are not the same level. If you're looking XT level, the D70 is more similar, and if you're looking D200 level, it's more like the 30D. I'm a Canon man, so I'd personally recommend the 30D, but the D200 is a great camera. And don't get e-bay packages, they usually come with shitty lenses, hence the "great deal." Buy just the body for either one, and get lenses on your own
 
Yeah i think i'm going to try and get a d200. what would you guys recommend as a few lenses to buy first. i think i want like a wide angle or fisheye and then one with a good zoom and maybe one other. What are the best lenses like that for the price that i could maybe find used?
 
pre-fuckin-cisely, that is the camera for you...the d200 and the rebel xt are not comparable, the rebel is more along the lines of the d50 and is in my opinion a complete waste of money..go for a canon though, fuck nikon (I've had both a nikon d70 and a canon 20d and the canon is sssssssoooooooo much nicer). So yah, get a canon, either the 20d or 30d
 
a fisheye would not be the first lens I got. Get either a 50mm prime, or an average zoom in the 40-70 range. Then I'd get wide angle or telephoto depending on what you shoot. Then the other, then a fisheye. You'll use it a lot for the first 3 months you have it, but then you will find that it's not practical for 96% of the stuff you want to shoot
 
the rebel xt is a pretty capable camera, i wouldn't toss it out like that. i mean, it does have image quality on par with the 20d...
 
all right well here is my opinion. I dont have any canon experience, but i love my d200. I was concerned i would regret spending so much money on a camera, but that is not the case. I am so happy with it. the lenses that i am shooting with are the nikkor 12-24, which is plenty wide enough imo, and the Nikkor 18-200 vr. Both are fantastic. The vr works flawlessly. When i am shooting ski photography, I usually just take out the 18-200, which covers mostly everything that i want to shoot. If you are not ready to spend 900 dollars on a lens I would reccomend the 18-70. Incredibly sharp for the price. Its a great lens to start your lens quiver with.

For those saying the D80 and D200 are pretty much the same except for a couple different features, that is not the case. If you have both, side by side, the D200 is a much more substantial camera. It is metal, not plastic. If you have felt the F100 and N80, that is pretty much the comparison. The N80 feels like a toy and the F100 feels like a pro camera. For the extreme conditions i shoot in, I feel the D200 is necessary to stand up to the elements, but that is just my opinion.

Get whatever you are more comfortable shooting, in regards to Nikon and Canon. I grew up shooting Nikons, so it was natural for me to buy a Nikon, especially since I have access to a bunch of Nikon f-mount lenses. But if i didnt have this background, I could have just as easily convinced myself to buy a Canon.

I hope this helps you out. If you have any more specific questions, let me know. And if you want to see some of the shots i have taken in the last few months of learning the D200, on my flickr page, let me know.

Also, a big fuck you to whoever is so narrow minded to say get a Canon or get a Nikon. They both make fantastic products, that are equal. However, I do not think you were comparing the right Canon with the D200. I think the 20d is the one built to compete with the Nikon. But correct me if I am wrong.
 
^Big word up to that!  Get what works best for you canon or nikon or even pentax or whatever.  Go try the camera and get the one YOU want not the one a bunch of people on the internet tell you.  You'll be happier in the long run.

 
Adding on.. shoulda read more of the thread.  That 10.5 fisheye is such a great lens but use is so limited.  18-70 is pretty OK, not the best lens nikon makes.  12-24 is probably the best wide you'll find on a nikon mount.
 
as i have been told in the photo cult, your buying into a system not just a camera. lenses, flashes, the whole deal. so keep that in mind. and some people say good canon glass is cheaper but i could be wrong. just depends on what you plan on shooting and all that jazz.
 
d70s and xt rebels compair.A xt rebel does not compair with a 20d.20d will own a d70,xt rebel anyday.
 
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