I am looking at a DSLR Camera

[King James]

I'm a canon guy.

Won't get into Canon vs. Nikon (as that discussion can end nowhere good lol)

BUT, you can get a 40D for relatively cheap right now (and it is has a better sensor than the newer 50D )

Or, the new rebels that Canon has come out with are really not bad, then you can save $$ on the body and focus on the lens.

I am assuming the Nikon you looked at comes with a kit lens. It is my opinion that kit lenses are FAR less superior than spending some money on a better lens. The body is not what is important for quality pictures (having the most MPs, etc doesn't matter) Sacrifice a little bit on the body if you are on budget and put it into a better lens. A faster, sharper lens will help out way more than an extra MP or two for the body.

[Tazziedevil]

Originally Posted by King James

I'm a canon guy.



BUT, you can get a 40D for relatively cheap right now (and it is has a better sensor than the newer 50D )

I'm a Canon guy as well, and the 40d is one of the best cropped sensor dSLR's out there. Canon's lenses are far superior to Nikon's...especially in the pro level (which you may never need- but notice next time you watch a pro sports event- 95% of all the photogs have big, giant white Canon L lenses on a monopod. That's not a coincidence.

By the way, megapixels are no longer an issue, unless you are a professional commercial or fashion photographer. You can make poster size prints from an 8mp camera that look great. Lots of megapixels just mean less space on your memory cards and unwieldy file sizes if you do any post-processing.

It's already been said, but you're better off buying an older body and investing in good lenses. Bodies go obsolete every 3 years or so, but good lenses can be used forever if you take care of them.

[Blueface]

Originally Posted by Tazziedevil

I'm a Canon guy as well, and the 40d is one of the best cropped sensor dSLR's out there. Canon's lenses are far superior to Nikon's...especially in the pro level (which you may never need- but notice next time you watch a pro sports event- 95% of all the photogs have big, giant white Canon L lenses on a monopod. That's not a coincidence.

By the way, megapixels are no longer an issue, unless you are a professional commercial or fashion photographer. You can make poster size prints from an 8mp camera that look great. Lots of megapixels just mean less space on your memory cards and unwieldy file sizes if you do any post-processing.

It's already been said, but you're better off buying an older body and investing in good lenses. Bodies go obsolete every 3 years or so, but good lenses can be used forever if you take care of them.

As a professional photographer in my past life (although at that time, medium format was the choice as digital did not exist), I agree with Canon being far superior and the one of choice for professionals.
HOWEVER, that is on the very expensive and professional level.

On "hobby" level, they are all quite comparable and a matter of personal preference for look, feel, and features. I happened to like the features of the D80 for the money at the time as compared to the next level up on Canon. For the stuff I do now, would never need anything other than my 28-105 mm from Nikon, which is a very nice lens and higher quality than the other common ones that come with the camera.

Totally agree on the overhype of MP. I have done tests taking an 8x10 and then taking a quarter of that 8x10 and making a new 8x10 out of that. Did it with 3.2 MP and did it with 5. It was only in that manner I could detect any type of minimal difference. If comparing a 3 MP to an 5 MP to a 10 MP 8x10, with nothing other than these 50 yr old eyes, heck if I can notice what I would call considerable difference for the average buff in spite of having spent years seeing photos and negatives. No need for 10 MP other than to take up space or blow up it up to the size of your bedroom wall.

[Blueface]

Lots of good advice/info in this thread.
Here is one item I consider well worth every penny of the $49 it costs, which I alluded to earlier.

Darrell,
You put this on an SB800 or any good digital flash and you will shoot like a Pro.
Not one indoor shot needing flash should ever be without this device.
Lots of other variations in the market but I truly like this one.
What most photographers accomplish with multiple lighting and 2 to 1 ratio for portraits, this can accomplish almost the same look, without the multiple lights.
Knocks out any harsh glare on subjects, eliminates shadows cast by the flash, eliminates red eye as no direct light to eye to bounce off iris, opens up the background to simulate what the eye sees as opposed the darkness when flash straight on, etc.
http://store.garyfonginc.com/lsu-cloud.html