ChuckV

I'm making the jump from compact digi (Nikon 'Coolpix' 5200) and film SLR (Nikon F100), and I think I've narrowed it down to three choices.

Pentax K200D, Canon 450D XSi, or Nikon D80

Nearly all of the flim SLR work I do now is outdoors stuff, mostly wildlife and landscapes, with some macro, and a bit of action. Of course, I also like taking pictures of cars, but who doesn't! I've been using the same film SLR for a good 8 years now, and picked up the compact digi about 4 years ago.

I much prefer the versatility of the digital format, but I'm getting frustrated with the lack of quality in my compact digi, even compared to my nearly decade old film SLR.

I decided to go with something intermediate level to jump into the DSLR thing, and I think one of these three would be the best fit for me.

The Pentax appeals to me because of the weather proofing. Since I do a lot outdoors, it's very nice to be secure in knowing that a little dust, blowing sand, fog, mist, or light rain won't do any damage. It's also my understanding that the photographs it captures are excellent for a camera in the sub-$1000 range, and it's fairly powerful in terms of adjustability. On the downside, I've heard the camera can be a little slow. The buffer size is small enough that it's difficult to get more than a few rapid-fire images of a moving subject, and I've also been told tha the autofocus system isn't the fastest.

The Cannon is pretty state of the art, and from what I've read, seems to be positioned to be the class leader. It has all the nifty features that would be helpful, and is supposed to offer excellent image quality. Cannons intermediate cameras are also reputed to have very low noise at moderate and higher ISO settings, which is a big plus for trying to photograph subjects outdoors in natural light, as mother nature doesn't always cooperate and provide a sunny day. It also has a fairly large buffer, and a high FPS continuous shooting. On the downside, it's touch pricy, and very new. There isn't all that much out there yet in terms of actual end user reviews, and though I'm sure it's an excellent piece, it's good to have some reasurance before you buy!

The Nikon is a very solid all around camera. It doesn't really have any frills, but it offers lightning fast AF, high speed shooting, and a fair amount of versatility. The dynamic range control is also supposed to be excellent, and it will accept some a couple of the lenses I already have. Overall it seems like a very capable camera at a moderate price, just lacking in frills.

Does anyone have any feedback? I'm stuck bouncing from one to the other to the other. One second, I think the Pentax's weather proofing is a must have, the next I'm thinking it's too slow, and I should go with the state of the art Cannon, that offers a bit of everything, the next I'm thinking I should go with the sharp, fast, and capable Nikon, then I get back to its lack of "nifty stuff"...

I was also bouncing around the idea of a K20D, which seems to offer absolutely everything I want, but I'm not sure if it would be too advanced for someone just getting into the DSLR world.

AngryTurtle

I assume you have nikon lenses so a nikon camera would make the most sense.

F1-Fanatic

Nikon is not known for it's AF system but rather for how it handles it's metering and ability to work in concert with it's flash systems. Canon on the other hand is quite the converse with it's strengths lying in what is arguably the best AF system on the market. (The reason why us sports shooters love them) So, if you are going to shoot mostly wildlife and moving subject matter, I personally would go with the Canon system.. But Gigdy does raise a good point. Evaluate how much you have invested in glass and whether or not the quality of lenses, and compatibility, with the new camera you are looking at is enough to offset a system change. I would steer clear of the Pentax... It's slower than two old people making love on a vinyl couch in the summer!

ChuckV

Thanks for the thoughts everyone.

Most of the lenses I have are compatable, with the notable exception of my tele-zoom lens... I do have serveral other Nikon leses that would work with the D80, but their combined cost is still less than the cost of a good tele zoom lens. I must admit that when I was using the camera exclusively before I had my comapct digi, I cheaped out a little on my wide angle, normal zoom, and 50mm prime lenses, at the time I was still in highschool and budgetarily limited, and even then spent more time shooting at wildlife than anything else. The 50mm f/1.8 prime is a good lens which I used mainly for portraits, and shooting aquarium fish, but it would NOT be expensive to replace, because I opted for the cheap plastic housing :-D.

For that reason, I don't feel "locked in" to the Nikon, because I'm going to have to spend a few bucks with any of the cameras to pick up a good telephoto lens, because that's what I find myself using at least 70% of the time. Also, most of the lenses I have I would want to replace in the relatively near future, given I would be retiring the compact-digi from everyday use, and the lenses I have for the Nikon with the expection of the telephoto are not top-quality units.

Thanks for the info on the Cannon, I was under the impression that the Nikon was faster, but that's what you get for just reading reviews and manufacturer descriptions rather than talking to real people who have experience with both.

I also appreciate the feedback on the speed of the Pentax, I didn't know it was THAT bad, and it would probably end up frustrating me as soon as I tried to get a good shot of that fox that popped out of the brush on the other side of the clearing, without the intention of holding still and posing. I'll cross that one off my list.

I'll have to really look at how much additional money it would cost me in terms of glass on the Cannon vs the Nikon. I've always had good experiences with Nikon's products, but I have buddies that use Cannon DSLRs and swear by them. All off the "extras" the Cannon has also add to its appeal.

F1-Fanatic

Both systems are good... Nikon and Canon both make quality units, but they are very different tools for very different jobs. There is a reason why you see the majority of pros using the Canon system for sporting events. I would even venture a guess that there are more pros in the field using Canons for sports than the major manufacturers COMBINED!

As for glass, both Nikon and the Canon counterparts are expensive...