Nikon D90 vs. Canon 40d

[ibelonginprison]

Um... so I'm out of my league here. Those of you who know me know I'm a canonhead. So I don't know much about the Nikon or it's lenses.

My boss came to me and is asking for my recommendation on a dSLR for his wife. He found a Nikon D90 with an 18-105 lens. I showed him the 40D with the 28-135 IS lens as an alternative. The D90, evidently, shoots 720p HD video as well. (WTF!!)

Anyway, I could take the time to do a lot of research into it, but I was curious if any of you have already done some comparing between the two? How's that 18-105 lens? POS, or a decent walk-around piece of glass? I know I'll never own a Nikon, since I already am neck deep in Canon stuff, but I have no problem recommending it to him if it seems like it's a nice piece of equipment.

[GeeWillikers]

Can't help you bro. 40D driver and like you, too much Canon gear to consider changing.

Besides, I'm happy with the performance of the Canon - it's much smarter than I am.

[shipsaeki]

I'm happy with my D90... AWESOME high ISO quality.

The video part I could car less about. The quality is good and it does do 720p. however, sound is so sensitive that it pick up every little movement you make on the camera... even down to zooming and focusing the lens while recording.

the 3 inch screen on the D90 is great too.

Basically, it just comes down to which one you like better. tell him not to fall into the megapixel hype. it's really a marketing gimick for most people to fall into. Once you buy a canon/nikon, you'll probably favor one brand over the other forever. I know I'm really into Nikons and would look into buying another Nikon before a Canon.

Also, it's important to get a feel for the camera before buying it. For me, the Nikon's felt more comfortable than the Canon. I also like liked the Nikon menu layout much better.

Here are some pictures I took over the weekend... remember, photobucket turns the quality of the pictures to sh!t

[HellaFly]

^^^
tigo bitties.

[TRIG]

I guess it all depends. If he wants the latest and greatest then the D90 is a option to look at because it does have the video mode. I personally am not that impress with it because it only does 24 fps at 720p but that's just me. If he wants the best bang for the buck camera (not the cheapest) it has to be the 40d. I say that because if you look on craigslist you can easily find a 40d body that is a month old with receipt and blank warranty card for $750. I would take that one step further and get a used 70-200mm F4 L lens for another $450-$500. So for the same price as a D90 with kit lens (from Amazon) you get a 40d with 70-200mm L F4. Yes, I know that the focal range is crazy on that lens but with some distance that lens (along with the 40d) can produce amazing results.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/2936730...57004/sizes/l/


If he has an additional $220 to spend, he can get a Sigma 24-60 F2.8 for a more general purpose walk around lens. This lens kicks butt and is by far Sigma's best kept secret. Sharp, easy to use, quick lens (constant F2.8), and cheap.

Linkies:
Sigma Lens:
http://www.amazon.com/Sigma-24-60mm-...10594&sr =1-1

40d body (list price):
http://sfbay.craigslist.org/sby/pho/861171098.html

70-200 L lens:
http://sfbay.craigslist.org/sby/pho/861948669.html

Just my 2 cents.

[ibelonginprison]

1. He will never buy something like that off of eBay or craigslist.
2. The sigma 70-200 2.8 is chosen by many people over the canon f4.0. I've known people to sell the canon f4.0 and buy the sigma and be happier with it.
3. He won't be buying lenses outside of the kit lens, which is why I'm curious about the whole kit quality for the nikon. I've shot with a 40d before, but never that nikon or that lens.

[TRIG]

Originally Posted by ibelonginprison

1. He will never buy something like that off of eBay or craigslist.
2. The sigma 70-200 2.8 is chosen by many people over the canon f4.0. I've known people to sell the canon f4.0 and buy the sigma and be happier with it.
3. He won't be buying lenses outside of the kit lens, which is why I'm curious about the whole kit quality for the nikon. I've shot with a 40d before, but never that nikon or that lens.

1. I agree Ebay is lame. Craigslist can also be equally as bad if you don't know what you're doing. IF he wants a new 40D body for the best price then do this: buy the 40d with lens kit new from Amazon for $1,139 (no sales tax to Cali) and then sell the kit lens as new on craigslist etc. I did and it was easy. I got $320 for it. My net cost was ~$800 for my 40d body. Still a good price for this camera.

2. The review on the Sigma 70-200 2.8 is not consistent. Some were happy with it and some weren't. I owned both and I am very happy with the L F/4. It is much sharper even wide open at F4 and the USM is much faster and more accurate than the Sigma (widely known thing for Canon bodies). Not to mention you save money and weight since the f2.8 is significantly more expensive and heavier.

3. You need to tell you friend that no matter what camera he chooses he needs to ditch the kit lens as quickly as possible and if he can't sell it (or doesn't want to) for more than he got it for (as part of the kit) then he should just buy the body and look for a better lens. This is very very fundamental! I much rather have the $220 Sigma 24-60mm EX f2.8 than the kit lens on both the 40d and d90.

[ratedxmarcel]

Canon FTW, I hate the buttons on Nikons and the noise. On a side note if you have buddies that shoot it will be much more convenient if you buy the same manufacturer as they have, This way you can save a TON of money by borrowing or swaping out lenses.

[ba-b4]

I returned my 40d for the 50d. If I didn't have my lenses I would have gone with the d90.

[cafmike]

I would go with the Nikon D90 . I just got one, and I love it The pictures are amazing. I got mine for $850 using cashback

[tkman00]

holy resurrection batman

[C]

Especially for a first post, lol.

[jake_91306]

Lol... i thought the title looked familiar...