Canon 10/20/30d vs. nikon d100, which to buy?

[faster4_tec]

I've been on some dedicated photography forums and all they banter on about is sensors and frame rates and stuff which doesn't interest me that much LOL.


Ok, I'm using it mostly for low light long exposure situations (exploring buildings) will be finding (to begin with) another super wide lense, so canon 10-22 would be OMG amazing, or a sigma 10-20 for the canon, or for the nikon the sigma/nikon 12-24

what I'm interested in is ease of use/reliability and how people find the bodies stand upto mild abuse + damp ingress.

I'll also be using them for a bit of studio good'ness, so would be finding a 18-200mm kind of sized stabilised lense with macro facilities.

the price of the bodies range between £140 for a 10d, to £220 for a 20d, and sometimes £300 for a 30d (30d = 20d + bigger screen and more functions).
d100 = £220 same as 20d basically.

mpixel count doesn't bother me, although I'm looking for the silkiest smoothest colour tones, you know when you get light streams that just look loverly and milky? I want that

Also would like to see as big a viewfinder as possible, just I've used quite a few dslrs and all of them (well aps-c models) have tiny viewfinders that look about a million miles away, the best I've used was a 1dHs that was huge like a film slr :slayer:

 

[bozzy]

Those prices puts you in the new 400d/D40 territory. See custard's post. I saw an Olympus e-510 with twin lenses (weeks old) for £275 delivered on avforums today, gives you an idea of how it's wise to shop around.

For studio/macro work is IS really necessary?

 

[faster4_tec]

yeah you can get new d40's + 400d's for under £300 easily now with a basic lense.

BUT they are just low end models, the sensors whilst they have double the mpixel count don't turn out the same silky smooth shots.

they are also only made from plastic, and the way I use cameras (climbing cranes, going thru asylums etc) it HAS to be able to take a few knocks and bangs, and from what I've seen of other ppl's budget dslrs they tend to POP open if they are banged whcih spells death for them :bang:

I'm also not keen on the way the 400d works, or the d40, just don't like the buttons and menu system, I like the olympus dslr's and the way they work, and I love the zuiko lenses. BUT 4/3s system makes a 10mm uber wide lense into a 20mm not quite so wide.

 

[vtec]

not completely related but have youy seen those silicone skin thingy you can get for most popular cameras these days? there really handy for those times when the camera is gonna get some abuse.,

 

[bozzy]

Body armour, look very effective.

 

[faster4_tec]

yeah am gonna get that too, but just for daily tough'ness.

Also lookeed into a D1x, but the colour on them looks flat as a pancake but they are uber tough/benchmark awesome.

 

[The Beard]

Don't know much about digital cameras, but I've used Nikon film cameras for 30 years+. My FE has been used on the R.A.C. Rally in sub-zero temperatures
and it wasn't till I got back in the car that I realized there was frozen tomato ketchup and onions all over it. It also fell from the balcony (30 feet) of the Free Trade Hall one night, landing on the pentaprism, denting it, but still functioning today. Along with an F3, I've also found they are very good in low
light conditions, including taking shots of the lights of Benodet in France from half a mile away in complete darkness. I've no reason to believe the digitals are any different.

 

[faster4_tec]

the sensors + lcd backscreens are extremly fragile. hence you need a strong metal body/structure to prevent torsion within the camera and hence a cracked sensor/screen


I to have a 1979 pentax me super, I got it tested and its been over estimating the amount of light on its very basic TTL meter, but still, it works fine and will be 30yrs old very soon!! I take it most places with me