[SouthernDigital]

Hi,
Which would be the better of the two for photography work? The Cannon Rebel XSI or Nikon D60 (possibly D90?)

My wife has gotten into photography work (about 8 months ago) and is mainly doing family pictures and engagement pictures. Most of the scenes are taken outside, however occasionally inside pictures are taken.

Thanks!
Cory

[jcdill]

Both Canon and Nikon are excellent brands, and all the models you are considering are excellent cameras. The key thing you need to consider in this purchase is not the purchase today but the purchases down the road.

The camera bodies lose value quickly. The lenses hold their value. Down the road you will replace the body, and get a newer one that works with the same lenses. (You take a huge hit if you sell your used lenses and buy new lenses in the other line.) So you need to make this choice based on the lenses. When I made this choice there was one particular lens that was far above the rest for the work I do (horse shows), this was the Canon 70-200 f2.8 L IS lens. This is the premier lens for this type of work because it is sealed - dust doesn't get drawn into the interior of the lens when zooming. So I picked Canon. I started with the Rebel (300D) and picked up a cheap 75-300 lens while I shopped for the 70-200. When I bought the 70-200, the 75-300 went into the box and never came back out until I sold it. When I later upgraded the 300D by purchasing the 1D Mark II, all my old lenses worked with my upgraded body. No matter what camera body she buys, she's almost certainly going to want a new one every 2-3 years, but the lenses have a 10-20 year "working life". My 70-200 is still worth 90% of what I paid for it while the camera body was only worth 10% of what I paid for it when I sold it last year! However, it is important to buy the lenses that work with ALL models. Canon makes smaller/cheaper lenses that only work with their lower-end EOS cameras and don't work with the pro level cameras (these lenses extend too far into the camera body and the large mirror in the high end cameras will hit the back of the lens).

Also note that Canon is the more widely used brand. You can rent lenses for Canon cameras easier/cheaper/at more locations than for Nikon. There are a number of lens rental sites online where you can rent a lens that costs thousands for $50-100 (including next-day shipping both directions) for a week - a great value and a great way to test out an expensive lens before making the plunge to purchase it.

You say your wife is already doing photography work, family pictures and portraits. What camera is she using now? If you can tell me more about the camera she is using now and why she's considering a new camera, I can help more.

[SouthernDigital]

JCDill,
Thanks so much for the reply and information. She is currently using a Canon S5. She does not have any lenses for it. If we go with the XSI, will any lenses we buy for it be compatible with the S5 she already has? As I mentioned, she has done several family photos, some outside engagement photos, senior pics, and an outside wedding for a friend’s parents (elderly couple) who wasn’t going to have any pictures done. She figured since they were not going to have pictures anyhow, she could offer to do the wedding as a learning experience.

The camera she now has does a decent job, however she is getting more into the photography business and wants to upgrade to a better camera, using this as a backup or spare. We really don’t want to spend a fortune at this point, at least not more than the XSI or D80 (possibly D90) would cost. She doesn't know if the XSI would be fine for her needs or pay the additional $400+ for the D90. Is there $400 worth of extra's in the two?

She uses CS2, CS3 and Corel for photo editing. Any info, help, tips, etc…. You could give would be greatly appreciated. She doesn’t know anyone in the photography business to ask questions to.

Thanks Again!

[jcdill]

The Canon Powershot S5 is a point-n-shoot camera with a built-in lens. The XSI is a SLR camera - not a point-n-shoot camera. It doesn't have a built-in lens although it is often sold in a kit with a low quality lens included. To get the best results out of any SLR you need to spend money - often a LOT of money, on good lenses. There's a world of difference between the quality of the images when you shoot with good lenses - there's a reason the good lenses are so VERY expensive. Most photographers have 75-90% of their camera expenses in the purchase of good lenses. The body is the cheap part!

It's fairly complicated to explain the differences and reasons DSLRs camera bodies are priced differently. The key features that affect price/value are:

1) Sensor size. The bigger the sensor the bigger and higher quality the file and resulting prints. Lower cost consumer and pro-sumer camera bodies have small sensors, while the pro-level cameras have large sensors.

2) Low-light capabilities (high ISO image quality).

3) Frames-per-second rate - the fastest rate is only offered on the pro cameras used for shooting sports.

4) Water resistance - the pro bodies are sealed and can be used in the rain without damaging the camera. Lower level models need to be kept dry and can short out if used in the rain.

5) Battery size, which affects how long you can shoot before you need to recharge.

Before she goes out and buys a new camera, she should take the time to learn how to use the manual modes in the camera she has now. The thing that moves someone from being a "picture taker" to a photographer is learning how to make the most of the features of the camera. There's a lot more than just knowing where to point the camera and when to press the shutter. She needs to learn how to set the camera in AV mode, TV mode, Manual Mode, and Bulb, and what settings she should use in each mode for any given situation. In learning these things she will learn about f-stop choices, how f-stop affects DoF (Depth of Field), shutter speed choices and when you want to use a fast shutter to freeze action and when action blur creates an interesting effect, etc.

The better the camera, the HARDER it is to get good quality images. The better cameras do less "for you" but give you more controls so you can take charge and do things you can't do with a lower quality camera.

If you were looking to get her a new camera for xmas, unless she knows all the things I note above it's not likely to really improve her photos. Instead, it would be much better to give her some excellent books on photography, or better yet classes or seminars on photography so she can really improve her skills with the camera she has. I know this doesn't have the "wow" factor that a new camera under the tree has, but it's what would really improve her photo work. If you want to get her a "wow" gift for photography, consider a photo trip led by a master photographer. These are part vacation, part tutorial, part seminar, 100% fun.

Good luck!

[Jetranger]

When you go into the DSLR world, you are making an investment that you will likely add to as time goes on. Choosing the right brand is key. If you pick one now, and then change your mind it could be a costly decision. So my advice is to investigate them thoroughly.

There are many good makes of cameras. Many good lenses. Once into DSLR, you will find there are 2 grades of lenses. Consumer grades (cheaper and slower) and professional grade (more expensive and faster). Also, you will likely have a choice of crop factors. If you are a wideangle or scene shooter, you may prefer a full frame camera. If you shoot wildlife and sports (like me) you will want the huge advantage of a 1.5 crop sensor. (for Nikon these are the DX models)

Go into a camera store and try out the different models. Hold them, play with them, shoot test shots with the same quality lenses and compare photos. Don't focus on the number of MegaPixels as this does not have as much to do with photo quality as most people think.

Personally, I like the feel, response, IQ, and build quality of the Nikon products. Make sure you are happy with the brand you choose. Don't go by what is the most popular, go by who is manufacturing the best quality. Look at what the pros are using. (Selling more Fords than Ferraris doesn't mean they are better).

Besides the superior quality, the Nikon seems to hold their value more than any other brand I have seen. I bought a used D200 and sold it after over a year of using it, and got more than I paid for it. The same with 2 of the pro lenses I have sold. I got more than I paid for them.

But, the real test is the results you get. A good photographer can get great photos from any camera, but the equipment can give any photographer shots that they may not be able to get with lesser equipment.

If you can afford the pro glass - it will make a huge difference to your results. The quality of your lenses will have the greatest impact on your photos than any camera body will. Make sure the majority of your budget goes to the lenses.

I have been shooting Nikon for over 25 years. I have never had a body or lens or part need service. Ever. My photos can be found in magazines, on websites, and large billboards. I have never regretted buying Nikon, nor ever seen anything better on the market.

Choose what you like the best. What feels natural in your hands, and intuitive to how you shoot. If you do, you will likely spend more time with it, and get more enjoyment out of it.