havinv trouble choosing between canon EOS 350D and Nikon D70S

[Venzy001]

Hi

i posted this in the photography lounge but thought id put it here too to ensure i get some good replies

I have been shopping around for the past week trying to make a decision on a DSLR camera. Basically every store i go into has been trying to push either the D70S nikon or the EOS 350D.

I definately like the feel of the nikon in my hand much more than the canon, it feels small and uncomfortable and i know its going to bug me later on. However, the canon has an extra 2 megapixels over the nikon, has a system im familiar with (i own a EOS 3000v already, only with one lens) and i have been offered it with a canon 17-85 AFS lens with image stabalising for a price very comparable to the D70 with the AFS18-70mm IF ED Zoom lens.

I have been reading all over this site, and others and i just cant make a decision, its a fair bit of money and i want to make sure im making the right choice. The 30D would be the next step up but is a little out of my price range at the moment.

any help you can give me would be great.

[digitalcam]

I just went through the same struggle. I am a large person (6' 2" and 260 lbs.) and was concerned about the size of the Canon. I ended up buying the Canon 350D or Rebel XL and have been real happy with the ease of use and learnng curve. It has been a while since I used an SLR. I had a heavy 35MM film unit. This Canon is a dream compared to that one.

I am also a backpacker, so every ounce of extra weight matters. I have been shooting macros, portraits and landscapes. The feel and handling of the Canon has been more than satisfactory to me.

For what I am getting I just couldn't justify the additional cost of the body and additional lenses I wanted, to go for the Nikon. Oh, by-the-way, I started my inquiry with a definite Nikon prejudice, but converted.

[Venzy001]

thanks for the reply.

say i did choose the canon. Now i have the choice of getting the:

Canon EOS 350D with Canon 18-55mm zoom, and additional EF75-300mm lens for $1359 australian dollars or

Canon EOS 350D with Canon EF-S 17-85mm f/4-5.6 IS USM lens with image stabalizing for $2000 australian dollars.

The second lens is obviously alot better than the standard ones, but im tossing up if the price difference is worth it.

any thoughts?

Im not sure the Rebel range is available here, i have seen no sign of it anywhere.

[digitalcam]

The EOS 350D and the Rebel XL are exactly the same camera, just marketed differently in the USA and elsewhere. I get noticeably better shots with the stablizer turned on than when turned off when using the camera as handheld. If it sat on a tripod, then stablization wouldn't matter. But I am out and about and need to take quick shots. That is when the IS makes a difference. Even though I am in Hong Kong, I think in US dollars for making price comparisons, so I am not sure what you are paying in Austrailian bucks. I would say just be aware of the concept of false savings. Sometimes money saved means lessor quality.

Oh, I have the 17/85 mm IS usm and a 50 mm Macro. The kit lens is stored away. Hope this helps.

[Buddy4344]

Right. the 300 is the digi rebel and the 350 is the rebel xl in the US. I have the 70-300 IS and love it as big lenses can create lighting/shutter speed challenges and I shoot a lot from a distance like college field hockey shots.
As a main lens, I have the basic kit lens. It does adequate. As I have gotten more serious, I have used tripod more for landscapes, flowers, whatever. In that case, the IS would be turned off anyway.
My view - get the standard kit lens and put the savings toward a macro or larger zoom with IS.
Buddy

[Venzy001]

thanks for that buddy. I have been looking through your photos a bit, are many of them taken on a standard lens? If so i can see that for now at least the standard will be plenty good enough for me at the moment as you have some really good shots in your gallery. It is tempting for me to get the IS lens, but with the other deal i get 2 lenses.... im yet to make a decision. but thanks both of you for your comments.

[Buddy4344]

All of my shots before Sept of 2005 are non-IS shots. All shots at less than 100mm are with non-IS. ALL SHOTS less than 70mm are with the kit lens that came with the camera. Many of the flower close-ups and macros are 100mm and were with the canon 100mm macro lens (which I got for my birthday in January 06.
Buddy

[Aladyforty]

as far as DSLRs go i started with the rebel/300D which came with a 90-300mm lens which I would not recommend and the kit lens which is OK. I got rid of the 90-300mm and purchased a 100-300 canon USM lens on Ebay secondhand and that has been the best thing I ever did. I also got a second hand 28-105 usm canon lens on Ebay which is quite a good lens for portraits. the rebel is a great starter camera and has been passed on to my husband with a new 75-300mm canon lens which does quite a reasonable job.

I had considered moving up to the 350D but it seemed way too small and plasticy for my taste and I have heard that if you put a big lens on it they over balance and make it hard to hold. So I hung out for the 30D which Ive just got and have to say its an awesome camera.

Id really like to get a macro lens but dont know which one to go for.

[Venzy001]

so finally after a few weeks of shopping around and asking people online for their views on this problem, i decided on the 350D by canon. However i could not get past the fact that it was just too small for my hand, i have really big hands by the way, can easily hold a basketball in one hand. So i paid the bit extra for the 30D. Its on lay by, and should be mine in a couple of weeks

thanks for all the advise everyone, ill post some pics as soon as i get started