Canon 350D or Nikon D50?

[Domo]

Just a quickie - about to venture into digital SLR.

350D or D50 seem like the obvious choices but which one?. Any advice would be greatly appreciated.

 

[philio16]

A lot of people have said the only downside to the 350D is its size, it is a bit small for their liking....so I guess in this respect it is worth handling the 2 down your nearest shop to see which you prefer

 

[Shimmyhill]

I agree, i think the 350D is the worst DSLR handling wise but it is a good camera, if you like the feel of it i would have it over the D50 (but im a Canon man, i like mirror lockup and dop preview)

The D50 handles far better and is still a great camera so you really need to play with both to decide.

 

[yak.h'cir]

I think the 350d is a better camera for features and quality, but theres not a great difference in it.

The size of the 350d lets it down, but you can get a battery pack which makes it nice and chunky!

 

[reddeathdrinker]

Best advice I can give you is to go to a shop, and play with both, then decide

I found the Canon just a tad too small to hold comfortably, and I felt the price difference did not justify an extra 2MP, for an uncomfortable camera. I bought a D50.

Practical Photography (July 2006) did a D50 vs EOS 350D test, and the end verdict was:

"As two of the most popular D-SLRs on the market today, the 350D and the D50 both have plenty going for them. What the D50 lacks in one area, the 350D excels in, and vice versa.....(The D50) consistently proves itself to be a solid performer. It's more comfortable and easier to use than the Canon, will produce the best results straight from the camera, and best of all, it's over £100 cheaper."

Unless you have a white lens fetish..... (ducks the incoming Canon fire!) <--actually, not a bad pun that!

 

[Shimmyhill]

I think the 350d is a better camera for features and quality, but theres not a great difference in it.

The size of the 350d lets it down, but you can get a battery pack which makes it nice and chunky!

Not picking on you here m8, but the battery grip imo adds nothing to the handling - its the hand grip itself that is too small and the controls etc. The grip will help balance the camera with bigger lenses but do nothing for *that* grip !

 

[whitecrook]

This has been beaten to death everywhere you look.

 

[Col_M]

I think what is being overlooked here is that you aren't just buying a camera you're buying into a system. Think about your future use and do some research into lenses for both systems. I've bought into the Canon system as it's what suited my needs best.
Yes the 350D is a little smaller and more expensive, but being smaller makes it easier to slip in a small bag, for me it isn't uncomfortably small, and the noise at higher ISO is much better, handy if you're often taking pics indoors or low light.

 

[elroberto]

I've got quite large hands and I can handle the 350d fine. Pop into a well known high street camera store and ask for a look and hold of both. If you can hold the Canon comfortably and won't miss that extra £100 then buy the 350d. I did and it's one of the best decisions I've ever made!

 

[tonyzero]

well my dad got the 350D at the weekend and took it back as he didn't like it.

i have just ordered a Nikon D50

 

[Domo]

Thanks for all the advice. Will pop into a retailer at the weekend to take a look. I thought I'd get some tips of you lot first as you know a thing or two + you don't have a sales pitch!

Sounds like the D50's the preferred choice in this thread but will check out the D350 too.

 

[Prophet]

I've not checked out the D50 so can't comment on it. However I own a 350D and have large hands. Never had a problem with the size of the body or how it handles. Its smaller than the others but not tiny as some people seem to portray it!

 

[Felix]

I actually like the canon being smaller than other cameras. I can't see any real need/benefit to have a "larger" camera!

 

[BananaDunka]

it's small, it's light, what more could you need for a walkaround camera

btw, rumour has it canon will update the 350D akin to the 30D taking the 20Ds place quite soon so it may be worth hanging about for a bit to see what changed the 350D update brings!

 

[bigredshark]

It's worth noting (and I'm saying this as a D200 user) that canon have a much wider selection of lenses and some of the L glass is reasonably priced compared to nikon stuff.

In contrast nikon have a narrower selection (particularly in VR, canon have a load of IS options) and high qality glass is *really* expensive (then again cheap lenses like the 18-70 kit lens are very capable)

My point being that there is more to it than the camera itself.

 

[Mr_Sukebe]

To add to the comments already made here, chosing a camera body really is the least of your worries. As digital SLRs tend to date very quickly, you should really be thinking more about what lenses you'd like to own in the future, as they could well last you for SUBSTANTIALLY longer.

Unfortunately I don't know much about Nikon lenses, but can comment that both Nikon and Canon lenses tend to hold their value quite well and there is certainly a wide choice for each lens system.

Ref the bodies, go handle one in a shop to see which you prefer.

 

[bigredshark]

yeah, it does depend where you want to go with your photography. It's stuff like, if you want a good tele zoom, with nikon you're looking at the 70-200 VR (£1300 ish) whereas canon have some L lenses with similar reach for £400 or so. True the canon isn't as good as the £1300 nikon but nikon just don't have a £400 offering at all!

that said, I hear talk that the (currently pretty bad) 70-300ED is being redesigned and might get VR in the process. Hopefully they'll make it a little sharper too...

 

[Combat squirrel]

350 D !! Awesome camera, im about sell mine if ya want a bargin

 

[King_Boru]

350 D !! Awesome camera, im about sell mine if ya want a bargin

Kind of contradicting yourself,... made me giggle.

 

[h2ocooler]

(but im a Canon man, i like mirror lockup and dop preview)

My D70 has mirror lockup! thought most DSLR's had and did you mean depth of field, coz the D70 has that too.
One thing with canon's watch out for the lenses when upgrading its not a case of all canon digital lenses fit all canon bodys, they keep changing them, AFAK Nikon digital lenses will interchange.