[Dave]

As I was in town today I popped into Jessops to compare the look, feel & handling of the Canon 5D, 30D & Nikon D200.

First camera I tried was the Nikon D200 & I have to say I was mighty impressed. It looked very well made & when I picked it up, it immediately felt comfortable ,with a good texture to the camera body. A very solid bit of kit that really does make you feel like you have a Pro body in your hands. Top marks.

Next I tried the Canon 5D. 1st impressions after the D200, were how plain the body looked. I put this down to more smooth plastic on the body & less buttons than the D200. Picking it up , it also felt comfortable & quite a solid piece of kit. I suppose as I've been used to Nikon for the last few years, the layout feels a bit weird....... biut that wouldn't be the case for a Canon owner

Lastly I tried the D30. Feeling lighter than the 5D, it still handled well &is built to a high standard.

From the visit I have to say I prefered the Nikon D200....it just felt better built. Handling was similar between the models & layout is hard to comment on , unless you played with camera for some days. All this said, I wouldn't say no to any of these if Santa dropped them off this Christmas

Anyone else handled these cameras side by side ?

[VikingPhotography]

Not side by side, no, but when I've met other agency and freelancer photographers on press jobs, we sometimes get a chance to check out each other's kit.

I've handled 1Ds MK II, 1Ds MK II N, 5D, 20D, 30D and others... checking them out alongside my D2X. I've been able to try the other Nikons too, such as D70, D50 and D200. Not to disparage other brands but I have no personal interest in other dSRL's.

It certainly appears to be the case that Nikon puts the majority of frequently used controls directly at your fingertips. This is backed up with the amount of information that is presented through the viewfinder.

I've not spent much time with Canon's UI for their cameras but I'm sure that it would become second nature to someone familiar with it... but, in my opinion, Nikon's on-body controls make shooting a breeze for many folks.

[stepheno]

Talking of controls...I have never handled any Nikon so no criticism there. But the rear control wheel on my 30D is indispensible to me. I suppose with any camera, once you get used to it, it becomes second nature.

[Sonsey]

As with the others not side by side, but a friend recently got a Nikon D200 bought for him by his wife on his birthday (lucky bugger) and I have to admit it felt very comfortable in my hands and had a very high quality feel to it... very nice camera

[Angela]

I got my hands on a 5D last week....my evening class tutor uses one....but didn't get a chance to try it out unfortunately!

[Steve]

I have handled Nikon, Fuji and Canon DSLR's and have to say that there really isn't much between them in terms of ease of use. What you will find is that whichever you are most familiar with will be your preferred choice. Each of the makes functions and user interfaces have been tried and tested by many thousands of people and as a result although they are all different, it is probably just the fact that you may know one better than another that makes one seem easier to use.