Need camera opinions from the pro's

[lscottpht]

I have to agree with Fran. I have 2 D70's, but I ended up buying Canon, despite the fact that I only have a kit lens for it. I am still keeping those as backups though. If you are def. set on Nikon, I used a D200 the other day at a wedding. I really liked it a lot, not near as much as say the Canon 5D, but it's a nice camera. The noise is so much better than the D70, but that being said, I find it to still be quite noisy at higher iso's. I would stay away from the D80, mainly because it doesn't use CF cards. The D200, imo, is also more of a pro camera.

[bondarnes]

Originally Posted by fran reisner

OK, I know it's a big leap, but in all honesty... I had to take the leap myself not all that many years ago. I had three nice Nikon lenses I had to part with when I realized that Canon was, without a doubt, the way to go. In my opinion their image quality and technical advances are far superior to the others.

Was that gentle enough?

Canon makes some great cameras and I don't intend to start a war here, but in all honesty the two Canons in this price range are the XTI (which would be comparable to the D80) and the 30D. I believe the D200 is as good if not better than the 30D and there would not be the financial toll of switching systems.

[Wes]

Originally Posted by bondarnes

...the XTI (which would be comparable to the D80) and the 30D....

Don - wouldn't the XTi by comparable to the D40x? I always felt that the 30D would be somewhere between the D80 and the D200 (probably closer to the D80).

[bondarnes]

Originally Posted by Wes

Don - wouldn't the XTi by comparable to the D40x? I always felt that the 30D would be somewhere between the D80 and the D200 (probably closer to the D80).

I was trying to be kind and not start a flame war.

[Cope]

Bats 21 is debating between the D80 and D200. The only way I would buy Canon is for the 5D or better, and the price of the 5D is a whole lot more than the D200.

I don't think you can go wrong with the D200.

[boxofrocks]

Originally Posted by fran reisner

OK, I know it's a big leap, but in all honesty... I had to take the leap myself not all that many years ago. I had three nice Nikon lenses I had to part with when I realized that Canon was, without a doubt, the way to go. In my opinion their image quality and technical advances are far superior to the others.

Was that gentle enough?

Plenty.

You may have a lot more company should the next pro Nikon body that comes out fall short of expectations.

The natives are growing restless.

[AndrewCCM]

The D200 is a solid choice.

[Ahh!]

D200 and D80.

I went with the D200 after using the D70s for a year. Same reasons as Don...plus a look at those 2 reviews above. I use my D70s as my backup and/or point and shoot when I can wrestle it away from my Favorite Second Shooter.

[jeffkohn]

In my opinion their image quality and technical advances are far superior to the others.

IMHO the only place where Canon bodies have a signficant lead on everybody else is high-ISO performance, and that's really only if you're looking at the 5D or 1D series. The difference in noise performance between, say, the D200 and the 30D is not signficant enough to warrant switching brands, especially when you consider that in many other respects the Nikon is arguably a better camera. The case isn't so clear-cut when it comes to glass, either. Canon has IS in more super-telephotos, but if you're talking sheer optical quality many believe the Nikkors are superior.

For some people high ISO and IS seems to be all that matters, but there are other factors to consider, so make sure you think about what you'll be shooting and what's important to you. It also doesn't hurt to do a little hands-on evaluation becaue the ergonomics and overall feel of the two systems is different and some people have pretty strong preferences about that.

[AndrewCCM]

Originally Posted by jeffkohn

IMHO the only place where Canon bodies have a signficant lead on everybody else is high-ISO performance, and that's really only if you're looking at the 5D or 1D series. The difference in noise performance between, say, the D200 and the 30D is not signficant enough to warrant switching brands, especially when you consider that in many other respects the Nikon is arguably a better camera. The case isn't so clear-cut when it comes to glass, either. Canon has IS in more super-telephotos, but if you're talking sheer optical quality many believe the Nikkors are superior.

For some people high ISO and IS seems to be all that matters, but there are other factors to consider, so make sure you think about what you'll be shooting and what's important to you. It also doesn't hurt to do a little hands-on evaluation becaue the ergonomics and overall feel of the two systems is different and some people have pretty strong preferences about that.

Good overall advice Jeff.

[Terrancelee]

I was thinking of getting the D200 before they were released, but found a D2H for a grand. I'm quite happy with it, so you might think of looking at some used pro models. Here's a 200 that Joe has for sale ..

http://www.texasphotoforum.com/forum...ad.php?t=53424

[jeffkohn]

Yeah if it's the price holding you back from the D200, I'd jump on Joe's used D200.