DSLR Choice

I am seeking advice on which DSLr to purchase.

I have been reasonably happy with the image quality of my Pro 1 under the right conditions but am fed up with its limitations (slow response, poor iso performance etc).

I have been following lots of threads re the new D80 and am very tempted and am deliberating between this and the Canon 30D which I have seen on E-Bay (refurbished - £460).
I am not a professional by any means, merely a keen amateur.
I already have a Canon 550EX flash and compact flash cards.
Any advice would be much appreciated.

DavidPro1

DavidPro1 said:

I am not a professional by any means, merely a keen amateur.

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Neither the D80, or 30D will give you better photos than the other one

DavidPro1 said:

I already have a Canon 550EX flash and compact flash cards.

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I'd buy a Canon then

The D80 does not accept Compact Flash Cards. Get the Canon if you want to stick with them.
--
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The compact flash cards are not a major consideration and I can always sell the 550EX.

Any recommendations or thoughts would be much appreciated.

DavidPro1

If you have not already done so, you need to visit your local camera store and get your hands on both models. How they feel to you and the effectiveness of their controls will have a lot to do with how much you like the camera. Both models are fine, and there are pros and cons for specifications and features, but I think that one of the deciding factors should be whether or not you like the user interface.

After looking at tons of photos on the net and reading lots of discussions before my (very recent) first dSLR purchase, I decided that, in my opinion, there was little difference for me, as a newcomer, between the D50, D70s, D80, XT or XTi and what images that I personally could expect to get out of them. (Wow, that's a long sentence lol )

Once I realized that, my choice really came down to price, features and lens selection. You can glean almost all of that information from this site's reviews for features and maybe an online dealer such as BH Photo for lens selection and prices.

Good luck and don't miss too many more shots agonizing over the choice.

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Nikon D50 (Nikon 18-55mm, Nikon 50mm f1.8, Sigma 70-300 APO DG Macro)
Panasonic FZ7

Thank you for all the replies so far.
DavidPro1

id rather get something brand new than something refurbished...
but thats just me
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my 2 buddies. canon 20d and nikon d80.

Grab the Nikon D80 you won't be sorry. I think the Nikon cameras are far better at letting the user control the ISO, WB, F-stop, Shutter speed, ect, then the Cannons do. The D80 gives you plenty of room to grow and a photographer, and when you pick one these DSLRs up, you learn fast. So you might as well just grab the D80.

I changed from a Konica Minolta 5D to a D80 a little time ago, and whilst it is difficult to pinpoint the exact reason for picking Nikon, a serious consideration for me was the quality of the Nikon 18-200 lens as this was my only lens on the KM 5D.

Nikon also has a great flash system (my KM external one was rubbish, often totally overexposing images) which can be operated off camera.

Other than that, I am sure I would have been equally happy with a Canon.

My priorities for choosing between these two would be:

1. Price - if one was much cheaper, then easy decision. Factor in exisiting kit.

2. Quality - if one seemed to give better shots than the other, then go for it, though personally, I doubt there is much real world difference here.

3. Ergonomics - if none of the above have solved it, then I'd give this one a whirl. Who knows, one may feel perfect, the other awful, one may seem logical, the other chaotic - though personally, I think you adapt to anything, otherwise the two systems would not exist.
4. Coin toss - wars are won and lost this way.

I don't see much difference between these two in terms of quality, so £££ or $$$ would decide for me - but try to think long term, not the immediate price difference. Its all the extra bits which mount up.

I just bought a D80. It is a fantastic tool and produces great pictures. I chose it over the Canons after handling them in the store. The D80 just felt better plus I have always viewed Nikon as the ultimate.

Thank you to all who have responded to my post.

Leaning towards the D80 !

A joyous Christmas to all.

DavidPro 1