Cannon 450D or Nikon D5000

[Loza]

Hi Guys,
New to this forum,
I'm looking at purchasing a Cannon 450D or Nikon D5000, both come with a twin lens package about 18mm-55mm,55mm-200mm lens.Both are good cameras, price is tops for me, not sure which one. Is there any problems or is one a real stand out for the money,could I please have some advice from the experts who use them, as the salesperson will sell you what ever you want. Also thinking about a flash as well.
Thanks.
Loza

[The_Scroop]

Hey there

Do you have friends who also have DSLR's? If you are stuck on choice with very little difference like this situation, perhaps going with what your friends may have is a good way to look at it. This way you can share lens's, flashes etc.

From my point of view, I'd go with the Nikon since it's a newer model comapred to the 450D. The Nikon is better with ISO ratings too, meaning it will perform better in low light conditions. And the tilt/swivel screen may be useful. It also has the ability to take videos whilst the canon doesn't.
Not saying these things from a 'fanboy' point of view, but as it is a newer camera you would expect a couple of minor differences that put it ahead of the canon

[etherial]

Nikon vs Canon is really a toss of the coin overall. I recommend you try out both (in a store or if friends have them) and see which one feels right to you. It comes down to personal preference as both brands produce good products.

[peterb666]

Both are fine cameras.

Points to note are that the Canon 450D has twice been superceded so it is 2 generations old as a camera.

The Nikon D5000 is a current model but has been around for a little while.

The Canon is a more up-market camera than the Nikon. The 450D equivalent is really the Nikon D90.

Performance wise there is very little difference between the Nikon D5000 and D90. Likewise to the 450D.

Hard to go wrong with either camara but look at he cost of the Canon 500D and 550D. The price difference may not be as great as you imagine.

[chrisprendergast]

i used to shoot with a 450d and couldnt put a bad word for it. it did what i wanted and expected out of a entry level dslr , but as others have stated its been superseded twice so maybe give the 550d a look? depends on budget and alike i know but if your purchasing new then 550d might be the way to go

[TOM]

forget about comparing the cameras, and forget about comparing the kit lenses. you likely won't keep your kit lenses for great lengths of time, and the digital camera is only a short term purchase. either system will do almost exactly the same thing. what you need to look at it the respective brands lens range, as you will likely move to a faster lens or two in the future. go to your local pro camera store and look at the range of lenses they have on hire, and as also suggested, see what system your friends have. if i were going back to a dslr system, i would go for canon purely based on their lens offerings. their larger lens mount gives them a little more flexibility.

[sky]

I use a 450D and a friend has one also, a great camera, it will do all you want it to do,
I bought mine from e-bay-body only-and then bought a quality lens.

[RebelT2]

i recently bought my 550d twin lens kit for $1497 brand new, frorm what i have seen in reviews it produces shots as good as the 7d. And has an iso up to 6400. Not to mention is 18mp.

[Tjfrnds]

I own a 450D, only bought it last August. At the time I was tossing up between the Nikon D90 & 450D. I chose the 450D as it was smaller and lighter and so more comfortable for me to hold. I love it and honestly it does everything I want it to. I rarely go above ISO 200 so at the moment the limit of 1600 on the 450D doesn't bother me. Although I use it daily, I still learn something new every time I pick it up, and playing with the custom functions gives you some more options for capturing various types of images IMO.
Good luck with the choice!

[mpot]

forget about comparing the cameras, and forget about comparing the kit lenses. you likely won't keep your kit lenses for great lengths of time, and the digital camera is only a short term purchase. either system will do almost exactly the same thing. what you need to look at it the respective brands lens range, as you will likely move to a faster lens or two in the future. go to your local pro camera store and look at the range of lenses they have on hire, and as also suggested, see what system your friends have. if i were going back to a dslr system, i would go for canon purely based on their lens offerings. their larger lens mount gives them a little more flexibility.

That's about the most useful response in this thread so far, and I absolutely agree (and I wrote about this approach a couple of years ago).

Pick a brand based on their lenses and other offerings, and then pick a body based on your current budget.

[rwg717]

450D every time!!!!
Richard

[mikec]

I'll agree with Tom and mpot. At the end of the day both brands are good. It ultimately comes down to what you think you'll be shooting in the future because you are ultimately investing into a brand / system. It become very $$$ to change brands.

On another note I had a 450D and couldn't fault it, brilliant little camera. But again as others have said try and pick up a newer model maybe a 500D or 550D as the 450D is getting a little old now.

[soulman]

I also think that the lens system is ultimately what counts. I was a Nikon user back in the dark ages but when it came to buying SLR gear again a few years ago I looked at the lens offerings & decided that Canon had the kind of lenses I wanted.

I would also never buy a kit lens, because they're just not that good usually. SLRs are a pain to lug around. There has to be some sort of payoff. For me that's image quality and kit lenses rarely provide enough of a step up from good compact cameras to warrant the extra hassle and cost in my opinion. Instead of covering every focal length from 18 to 200 with soft slow lenses, get one lens that does one thing well, like a 50mm f1.4 or Canon's 28-135 (or Nikon's equivalent) which is a good mid-range zoom. You will make better pictures.

[mpot]

I would also never buy a kit lens, because they're just not that good usually.

Exactly - why spend your hard-earned money on a decent body, then put some cheap glass in front of it?

It's also worth considering what your relatives / friends / colleagues / acquaintances are shooting with. For example, if you have a few relatives shooting with Canon gear, you may be able to borrow lenses/etc from them...

[Loza]

Hi Guys,
Thanks to everyone for your IMO'S to this question it has been very interesting to read, I'm now probably going to look at the Cannon 5000, as the 550 has apparently more video features on it. I allready have a good video camera, so I might look into this abit more.
Thanks,
Loza.

[kevinj]

The 450D is a great camera,the 500D should be better.I had a 450D and loved it,a great camera,I upgraded to the 7d,but,still miss my 450D,the 500D would be a good choice,then put some L glass on it.

[RRRoger]

I recommend starting with a Nikon D90 + 18-200 Nikkor lens.
This is the best of any combination for the money.

Go to a camera store and get hands on.
How it feels makes a huge difference in your performance with the SLR.
If the canon is more comfortable and has better layout for your use then get that.

I personally do not like white lens. My 5D2 kit contains 4 Sigma lens + Kenko converters.
My Nikon D3 kits contain all Nikkors.

[pod3009]

Thought I'd add my monies worth. My wife uses the 450D and it is a great camera. As has been mentioned above, the most important part is the lens on the front. The kit lenses are OK - she has both, but we recently went to the 18-135mm canon lens. Still not a pro lens, but so much better. She has picked up prizes at the local photo club with that combo. So, I'd suggest that you go for a 450D and take the 18-135mm Canon lens - a good walk around lens with better quality than the kit lens. get a longer tele zoom later (70 to 300mm for example). Nikons are great (so I'm told) but I haven't had personal experience of them.