[Hawk66]

Im a long way from being a professional photographer, but have always had a keen interest and can appreciate good images. Im currently using a Canon EOS 10D and im currently trying to work out a suitable upgrade/replacement. The lenses I have are fairly modest and im keen to invest in some quality glass. Before I do that though, I want to work out what the next option for me is camera wise. Im not sure that the 30D is a big enough improvement to warrant the investment and the 5D is possibly a bit much at this stage so im keen to explore the Nikon 200D.

Any thoughts or suggestions would be welcome

Regards

Hawk66

[stepheno]

Hi Hawk and welcome to Pixalo. I'll leave others to talk about the D200 but I reckon Canon will announce the 30D's successor this year and that has got to have some major improvements - just a thought.

[Charlotte]

Personal fan of Nikon here. On a D50 at the mo' - love it, but am starting to think about upgrading to the D200 ...

Don't know anything about Canon, but I do know that Nikon are very upgrade-orientated in that most Nikon lenses will fit almost any Nikon camera, which is important to think about when buying a new system.

[Hawk66]

Originally Posted by Charlotte

Personal fan of Nikon here. On a D50 at the mo' - love it, but am starting to think about upgrading to the D200 ...

Don't know anything about Canon, but I do know that Nikon are very upgrade-orientated in that most Nikon lenses will fit almost any Nikon camera, which is important to think about when buying a new system.

Thanks for the replies so far.

In fact the point you raise Charlotte is one of the reasons that im considering changing to Nikon. Ive only got two lenses I use with the EOS, both sigma and Im starting to appreciate the difference some quality glass can make. The Sigmas that I have are not compatible with all the DSLR Canons so even if I stay brand loyal there is a chance ill need to replace them anyway. If I do make a big investment in glass I'll want them to last more than the life of a single DSLR body so the Nikons are high up on my list.

Thanks again

Hawk66

[Steve]

I am not going to push you either way however you should be very aware that Canon make some stunning glass (take a look at some of their 'L' Lenses from the professional range). These may not be better that Nikon overall, but they are definitely no worse and many professional press, editorial and exhibition photography has been shot using Canon glass. If you are at the point where you can feasibly go either way (Nikon or Canon) then you are the point where you should take a proper and detailed look at the full ranges of lenses available from both makes (and third parties such as Sigma, Tokina and Tamron). Once you have a understanding of those (in relation to your photography interest and their respective price ranges, you will be in a much better position to make an informed choice.

You are lucky in a way that you can go either way currently and this decision should not be rushed in my opinion. Both the Bodies you mention are (for most) serious money, but when you start adding in quality glass to do those justice the body prices will fade into almost insignificance

If you can give some more information on your preferred area of photography, landscape, event, sports, macro etc (or what interests you the most for the future) then we will be able to offer more specific advice (both on cameras and lenses) backed with facts and examples of why we recommend what equipment.

Also, you will find that we have a fairly broad user base that have both brands of equipment, so the advice should be balanced and factual as well as from real hands on experience.

Hope that helps a little and look forward to helping you make the right choice

[Charlotte]

And Sigma is down at the bottom of my list Hawk66 This is not through personal experience, I have to say, but from observation: I've bought most of my kit from warehouseexpress.com - they are brilliant - and I sometimes scan the 'bargain basement' which lists returns at reduced prices, and there is hardly ever any Nikon gear, which speaks volumes about their high quality, whereas there are always loads of Sigma lenses which have been returned/repaired, which also speaks volumes ... so I stick with Nikkor lenses

[Steve]

Originally Posted by Charlotte

And Sigma is down at the bottom of my list Hawk66 This is not through personal experience, I have to say, but from observation: I've bought most of my kit from warehouseexpress.com - they are brilliant - and I sometimes scan the 'bargain basement' which lists returns at reduced prices, and there is hardly ever any Nikon gear, which speaks volumes about their high quality, whereas there are always loads of Sigma lenses which have been returned/repaired, which also speaks volumes ... so I stick with Nikkor lenses

I disagree with that statement as it is impossible for you to know all the facts.

If Warehouse Express sells 10x more Sigma lenses than Nikkor then you would expect 10x more to be retuned (as a percentage). Also you have to bear in mind the price range that each lens is manufactured to meet, and then look at how many lenses Sigma make for the cheaper end of the market compared to Nikkor (or Canon) for that matter. I myself don’t particularly like Sigma lenses due to their finish and size (I have seen many simply stunning images shot through Sigma glass though), but I really do think you are treating them unfairly in the assessment above.

There are a lot of assumptions in your statement that make it very hard to quantify

[Charlotte]

Steve, I did make it clear that my comments are based upon assumption and not personal experience. It is my opinion which I've reached after assessing a trend that I've observed, and I'm sharing that view, that's all. I'm not saying 'don't buy Sigma', just that I wouldn't. My opinion here may be useful to somebody, or it might not, so readers may take it or leave it

[Steve]

Don't take me the wrong way Charlotte

Like you I have a right to express my opinion here too, and the members (and readers) can take it or leave it as much as they can with yours. We both also have the opportunity to question and debate on what grounds others form their opinions posted here as long as we remain civil (which I believe we both have and are capable of doing so)

The section of your post that (for me) made me reply was the bit where you wrote

I sometimes scan the 'bargain basement' which lists returns at reduced prices, and there is hardly ever any Nikon gear, which speaks volumes about their high quality, whereas there are always loads of Sigma lenses which have been returned/repaired, which also speaks volumes

I mealy pointed out that without more facts I believe your opinion is based on flawed snapshot. The conclusion could well be correct but without more (real) facts to back it up, it remains a very broad (and strong) statement, even if it is a personal one

[Sonsey]

Originally Posted by Charlotte

And Sigma is down at the bottom of my list Hawk66 This is not through personal experience, I have to say, but from observation

That is a bit of a strange way to come to that conclusion, based on WarehouseExpress's "bargain basement" section!

My experience with Sigma lenses has been nothing but good having owned two of them now, one of which, the Sigma 100-300 f/4 was an excellent lens, very sharp (even wide open) and built like a tank. I only sold it as I wanted more reach and IS so I could handhold more. All lens manufacturers have a few "less than good" lenses in their range so you need to do a bit of research to find out which are the better ones... The other Sigma lens I own is the 10-20 which is currently sitting in my bag, I've no intension of changing it as there's nothing better for the price, or even a bit more for that matter!

[Hawk66]

Originally Posted by Steve

I am not going to push you either way however you should be very aware that Canon make some stunning glass (take a look at some of their 'L' Lenses from the professional range). These may not be better that Nikon overall, but they are definitely no worse and many professional press, editorial and exhibition photography has been shot using Canon glass. If you are at the point where you can feasibly go either way (Nikon or Canon) then you are the point where you should take a proper and detailed look at the full ranges of lenses available from both makes (and third parties such as Sigma, Tokina and Tamron). Once you have a understanding of those (in relation to your photography interest and their respective price ranges, you will be in a much better position to make an informed choice.

You are lucky in a way that you can go either way currently and this decision should not be rushed in my opinion. Both the Bodies you mention are (for most) serious money, but when you start adding in quality glass to do those justice the body prices will fade into almost insignificance

If you can give some more information on your preferred area of photography, landscape, event, sports, macro etc (or what interests you the most for the future) then we will be able to offer more specific advice (both on cameras and lenses) backed with facts and examples of why we recommend what equipment.

Also, you will find that we have a fairly broad user base that have both brands of equipment, so the advice should be balanced and factual as well as from real hands on experience.

Hope that helps a little and look forward to helping you make the right choice

Thank you.

Taking pictures of my little girl, both formal and informal is a very important area for me and I enjoy using my sigma at 300mm so that she is not aware of the camera. Also my job can often give me good access to motorsports so I would like to make more of that opportunity when it arises so a quality long lens is a must have. In the future I would like to have a stab at some macro work, and I'm hoping to travel more this year so interesting buildings and landscapes are also on the radar. I have an 18-50mm but feel the need for something a bit wider perhaps, and also something that will take better quality portraits.

Ive enjoyed using the EOS10D, but i've come to realise that my biggest limitation (apart from myself!) is the glass I use. The 10D is already a couple of generations old now, so I want to consider where to go with my next body before then commiting to lenses that I hope will last close to a lifetime. I'm not unhappy with Canon, its just at this point in time i'm not sure if the 30D is a big enough improvement on my 10D, and it seems to fall short of the D200 Nikon. The latter is just my opinion, so im happy to hear arguments for either brand, and if anyone can de-mystify the Canon lens compatibility situation for me I would also be grateful! as this is also putting me off.

Thanks in advance

Hawk66