I have never owned an SLR, but am reading as much as possible. I am coming from a point and shoot, so I am looking for entry level, possibly something from eBay 2nd hand. What Canon camera would be comparable to the Nikon D70? Which would you use and why?

Thanks for any input guys

 

Comparable? I'd say the Canon XTi would be your best bet. If you can afford it though, go with the 30D.

 

For a beginner, is the 30D really the best camera for the money? I was going to go after the XTi (400d) because it's fairly inexpensive, considering, and would then be able to spend more money on lenses, particularly a Tamron F/2.8 18-50mm.

 

I wonder if a 30 and all it's features would be over my head at all?

 

Well, I went with the 30D since I was fairly certain I was going to be taking a lot of pictures (9k in less than 3 months so far), so I wanted a body that was built to last. Not saying the XTi isn't, but the 30D just is better made and more of the features I was looking for like the rear wheel, better low light noise and shutter speed.

 

IMHO, a camera body is like a computer, its value drops by the day and its feature set is always being upgraded. Unless you're a pro and can actually take advantage of the various features, your money is better spent on the lens. Its value holds better through the years and the quality of the glass can be seen on the photograph.

I have to admit the XTi by itself feels small and light compared to the 20D/30D but you can make up for it by getting the battery grip which balances the size out and gives you a much longer battery life for only about 100 bucks more

 

used 20D or 30D > new 400D

If you plan on getting serious into photography, spend the few extra bucks on the prosumer body. most will outgrow the 400D due to a few features that are missing. the 400D is more than capable of great images, it's just not as ergonomic as some of the other bodies (small size, 4 button rear layout instead of a wheel, small viewfinder, etc).

 

check out the reviews at:
http://www.dpreview.com

They will give you some idea of the quality and comparable other cameras in the range you are looking at.

Instead of used, take a look at the D40 and D50 from Nikon. They are great entry level dSLR's.

 

Good feedback, thanks for all the help guys. I will take a look at these this weekend. :thumbsup: