Canon T1i vs. Nikon D5000 - Help

Hi everyone;

I apologize for yet another Canon vs. Nikon debate but I need help with my purchase. I was looking at the Olympus E-620 although I have now ruled it out and am choosing between the Canon T1i and the Nikon D5000. I've held both and personally have no preference. This is going to be my first dSLR and I assume I'll have it for a few years. Please help me weight in on the following. Anything I'm missing?

Canon T1i

Cheap 50mm prime (1.8)
Higher resolution LCD
9 point AF

HD Video not limited at 4mins (although this isn’t a major point as I probably won’t use it often)
DOF Preview

Nikon D5000

AF Assist beam (not strobing flash)
Articulating LCD
11 point AF
4fps
Interval shooting
Time-lapse movie mode

Did you not find the answer you were looking for from a search?

Here is a recent thread:
http://forums.dpreview.com/forums/readflat.asp?forum=1031&message=32537873

Choose a side, both are great.

Good Luck

Should impact your decision.

Ric

Above +1.... some models affected by the recall may still be for sale.

The T1i will give you more room to grow with, a wider lens selection, and there was a speedlight specifically released for smaller DSLRs that will result in a more compact setup.

The T1i menu is less cluttered, and personally for me it's a lot easier quickly changing settings when menu diving is required (which is the case for many settings on the D5000) and also a faster way to change settings on the shooting information screen by default (set button).

For low light situations, the T1i performs very well up to ISO 1600 (haven't tried 3200 yet).

The 9 AF points are plenty in a vast majority of shooting conditions you'll encounter, and time-lapse is really a novelty to have but there are external options for that. The AF beam on the D5000 is nice, but it's fun to turn off all the lights and watch the flash trigger on the T1i, see what it focused on and then end up with a sharp picture in pretty much a no-light situation

It's all up to what you're looking for in what you're buying.

500d has that old AF system from 400d, and not from 50d.
d5000 has the AF system taken from D90.

D5000 had gridlines in the viewfinder which is essential for horizontal shooting of landscapes.

D5000 also has the optional smallish speedlite.
Don't forget the excellent Nikon 35 1.8 DX AF-S lens which is much better
than 50 1.8 lens on a crop.

All reviews claim D5000 has superior sharpness and noise control.
D5000 is something new.

I will be getting D5000 along with the 200 2 VR lens (which in CanonLand costs way too much). I will be keeping 135L and Sigma 10 fisheye to use it with my 400d but I will be slowly phasing out Canon and be moving to the Nikon shore.
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D5000 has no in body focus motor, so it won't AF with any of the D lenses. This is huge IMO. I am surprised it isn't mentioned more often. Effectively, what this means to me is, you either get into Nikon with a D90, or you don't get in at all. Unless you just don't like prime lenses, which are generally faster, better and CHEAPER than their zoom counterparts. Then I suppose you can forego AF-D.

I know I am repeating myself here, but I can't stress this enough. Losing the ability to AF with the D lenses is a huge kick in the groin from Nikon. The D90 is an amazing camera, better than anything Canon offers at the entry level (in fact it kinda sits on the fence between entry and prosumer). If you can afford it, and want to go Nikon, there is no other good choice in my opinion.

tom sugnet said:

D5000 had gridlines in the viewfinder which is essential for horizontal shooting of landscapes.

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No it is not "essential", it is "helpful".

tom sugnet said:

D5000 also has the optional smallish speedlite.

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So does Canon.

tom sugnet said:

Don't forget the excellent Nikon 35 1.8 DX AF-S lens which is much better
than 50 1.8 lens on a crop.

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No, it is not "better", it's different, for example I do prefer 50mm on a crop body and have little use for 35mm.

There is a huge difference between one's opinion and statement of fact you see.

tom sugnet said:

All reviews claim D5000 has superior sharpness and noise control.

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Seriously, superior compared to what?

http://www.dpreview.com/reviews/nikond5000/page16.asp
http://www.dpreview.com/reviews/nikond5000/page31.asp

tom sugnet said:

D5000 is something new.

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What one NEW feature has this camera got that has not been seen before?

Go to your favorite store, touch them, feel them, buy the one that feels more natural and more comfortable. if possible rent/borrow each body for a weekend, see which body seems easier to use, more comfortable. There is pretty much nothing between those cameras, it really comes down to personal preference if you already don't have a collection of lens and if you are not influenced by other external factors.

Simkins said:

Hi everyone;

I apologize for yet another Canon vs. Nikon debate but I need help with my purchase. I was looking at the Olympus E-620 although I have now ruled it out and am choosing between the Canon T1i and the Nikon D5000. I've held both and personally have no preference. This is going to be my first dSLR and I assume I'll have it for a few years. Please help me weight in on the following. Anything I'm missing?

Canon T1i

Cheap 50mm prime (1.8)

Click to expand...

Also has an affordable 35mm f2 prime. Smooth bokeh (but 5 sided highlights), it is a surprisingly good lens for the money. I like 35mm more on APS-C cameras. The 85mm f1.8 USM from Canon actually is also surprisingly affordable.

Simkins said:

Higher resolution LCD

Click to expand...

Bigger, brighter, sharper screen

Simkins said:

9 point AF

HD Video not limited at 4mins (although this isn’t a major point as I probably won’t use it often)
DOF Preview

Click to expand...

Mirror lock up
Good RAW conversion software supplied
USB remote software supplied

Much better live view implementation, which simulates the exposure and WB well, which offers next to the slow contrast detect AF also the faster phase difference detect AF, and offers a histogram during live view.
Better interface regarding changing of settings

Does not need AF assist as soon as the Nikon does, so AF assist is not something to be concerned about.

Simkins said:

Nikon D5000

Also has a cheap 50mm f1.8 prime. It is just not as cheap as the Canon, but it is cheap and it is good. Better build than the Canon. The Nikon also has a cheap 35mm f1.8 prime. I do not like it (too much distortion and horrible bokeh) but some others like it. 35mm is a nicer focal length to have in my opinion.
AF Assist beam (not strobing flash)
Articulating LCD

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Which articulates DOWNWARDS, making it quite useless... (gets in the way while holding camera and lens, gets in the way with camera on support, useless for making self images).

Simkins said:

11 point AF

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11 points vs 9 points really is not any difference

Simkins said:

4fps

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4fps vs 3.5 fps really is not any difference

Simkins said:

Interval shooting
Time-lapse movie mode

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Darrakk said:

D5000 has no in body focus motor, so it won't AF with any of the D lenses. This is huge IMO. I am surprised it isn't mentioned more often. Effectively, what this means to me is, you either get into Nikon with a D90, or you don't get in at all. Unless you just don't like prime lenses, which are generally faster, better and CHEAPER than their zoom counterparts. Then I suppose you can forego AF-D.

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There are Nikon primes with AF-S that AF-focus with the D5000 - like the 35 1.8 AF-S, 60 2.8 Micro AF-S, 105 2.8 VR Micro AF-S, 300 F4 AF-S, and of course a bunch of expensive super teles (200 F2, 300 2.8, 500 F4, 600 F4).

Darrakk said:

I know I am repeating myself here, but I can't stress this enough. Losing the ability to AF with the D lenses is a huge kick in the groin from Nikon. The D90 is an amazing camera, better than anything Canon offers at the entry level (in fact it kinda sits on the fence between entry and prosumer). If you can afford it, and want to go Nikon, there is no other good choice in my opinion.

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grzesc said:

For low light situations, the T1i performs very well up to ISO 1600 (haven't tried 3200 yet).

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You are kidding right?

The T1i is a disaster if your concern is noise. Look at the crops. See the color shift between iso 100 and 400. Not to mention iso 800 and above. I just don't get it, how this camera can get a highly recomended rating. For what? Video? Even DR is much poorer than the competition. Canon is better only to sony and just because it doesn't have such huge blotches like sony. Canon blowed it this time.
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Darrakk said:

D5000 has no in body focus motor, so it won't AF with any of the D lenses. This is huge IMO. I am surprised it isn't mentioned more often.

Click to expand...

Number 1 reason I didn't go with entry nikon(d40/d60) at the time. I wanted to use all the lenses available, and didn't have the money for the d80/d90. So my only choice was canon because I wanted a large lens selection that I could use all of the lenses they offer.

Yes, but there are many more that are D lenses. Additionally, check the cost on ebay. There are currently 5 times more used D primes than S. As Michael said below, this is one of the reasons I went Canon rather than Nikon.

PerL said:

There are Nikon primes with AF-S that AF-focus with the D5000 - like the 35 1.8 AF-S, 60 2.8 Micro AF-S, 105 2.8 VR Micro AF-S, 300 F4 AF-S, and of course a bunch of expensive super teles (200 F2, 300 2.8, 500 F4, 600 F4).

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One of the major differences for me is the fact that frequently accessed functions, such as ISO and white balance, have dedicated buttons on the Canon but you have to go digging through the menus on Nikon for these and other functions.

Here is a side by side comparison:

http://www.dpreview.com/reviews/compare_post.asp?method=sidebyside&cameras=canon_eos500d%2Cnikon_d5000&show=all
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When you get down to the 'nuts and bolts' of photography, the results depend on the 'nut' behind the camera!

See my 'Profile' for my current equipment.

As a newbie like yourself and also on the fence with the Canon/Nikon, I found the following to be big pluses.

• Software - the Canon comes with some really amazing software, including the remote control (via USB) software that even includes a live preview window.

• Lens options - I was new to dSLR and instead of trying to figure out if a lens I wanted to buy would work with the Nikon (because of the focusing mechanism), with the Canon I can safely purchase any/all lenses and have them work worry free.

• Feel/Ergonomics - Personally I didn't like the control interface of the Nikon, but this is a very personal thing. The Canon felt better in my hand as well.

My choice was the Canon 500D, and so far I have realized that the money I saved (the Nikon I had in mind (D90) was more expensive) went towards some filters/bags/lenses so in the end I felt I came up on top.

You can't go wrong with either one since you don't have existing equipment you want to make sure is compatible. I say give them both a good hands-on at your shop and then go with whatever feels better.

Hi, as a Nikon user I can give you some thoughts on the D5000 side. This camera has an upgraded sensor compared to the D90, which means you'll get almost noise-free images up to ISO 3200, you can see it from DXOMark that you'll get a bit more DR than with the D90 and D300. I think that's one real advantage of the Nikon compared to the 500D. Other aspects as the rotating LCD are not a big deal for me but it may be important to you. The AF performance seems to be better with the D5000 also.

The biggest disadvantage of the D5000 is the viewfinder which I find it so small, yes it is as small as my D50's.

Concerning lenses, you may find some problems if you like primes due to the lack of AF motor. There is a superb prime with AF-S motor though, the 35mm f/1.8 G which I have and I'm in love and I bought it for only 199 €. Other popular possibilities are the Nikkor 50mm f/1.4 G ( 450€) and the Sigma 30mm f/1.4 EX ( 450€). Standard zoom Nikkor and third-party lenses in the range of 16 to 200mm all have AF-S motor; lenses like the Nikkor 16-85mm VR, the 18-105mm VR and the 18-135mm have high reputation on the Nikon community. You have also a wide range of very good third-party lenses with AF motor including the superb and very affordable Sigma 18-50 f/2.8 EX HSM or the Tamron 17-50 f/2.8 SP. I myself have a Sigma 17-70mm f/2.8-4.5 HSM (399€) and I'm very happy with it. Affordable telephoto zoom lenses with good quality are the Nikkor 55-200mm VR (219€), Nikkor 70-300mm VR (599€), and many other from Sigma and Tamron in the range of 150 to 700€. There are 2 excellent telezoom lenses for 699 €: the Sigma 70-200mm f/2.8 EX HSM and the Tamron 70-200mm f/2.8. Unfortunately both don't have image stabilization...

In conclusion, with the D5000 you will benefit from amazing DR and IQ, especially in RAW since the JPEGs are a little soft; you'll have to deal with a tiny viewfinder and the downgraded LCD monitor resolution; the range of prime lenses with AF motor is small but all other lenses, at least the most popular types, are many and they're good and affordable.

Don't know much about the 500D besides IQ and AF performance, so the best you can do is try both at the store and get the one that fits your needs.

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I was in exactly the same place (500D vs D90) until yesterday. Same comparisons rolling around in my mind (thanks to all the great info on this forum). In my case, the following factors pushed me over to the Canon side of the fence:

1) Overall cost. The advice I read was that great pictures are more about the photographer and the glass rather than the body, so the saved money will go toward better lenses. I also bought Michael Freeman's book "The photographer's eye", which is excellent.
2) Canon lenses seem to be cheaper for similar quality to Nikkor.

3) I took advantage of the Canon T1I/Pro9000 printer rebate ($400 off a $450 printer). I had the old S9000 (?) printer and it made beautiful 13X19 prints off my G2.
4) I have an old 420EX flash from my G2 that I hear can be slaved to a 580EX II.

I bought the T1I kit and Pro9000 yesterday at crutchfield.

Do not read too much into their figures, they do not really know what they are measuring.

They are both good cameras.

You can go to any magazinze stand and read comparisons and they'll both be with a couple of points or percents of eachother.

If you are just beginning, no need to worry about prime lenses. Canon's 50mm is a bargain, Ninon's 35mm is a bargain...

Flip a coin.

(I use a T1i and it's a grerat camera)

i second this point. when i bought my first DSLR, i was deciding between the nikon d40 and the eos 400d. the eos 400d was superior on paper, and having owned and enjoyed canon cameras before, i figured i would buy the canon. my father-in-law also owned a 400d, so i figured we could share lenses, etc. the d40's only advantage was price.

but when i actually went to a store and tried them out, the d40 was the superior camera. ergonomically, it was considerably better. the 400d buttons are in weird places; nikon button placement is more intuitive. the d40 buttons also had a better feel. they were not as "mushy." the control dial in the 400d was near the shutter release button, in a vertical orientation. ergonomically, that makes absolutely no sense. the d40/d5000 have their control dial on the back of the camera in a horizontal orientation. this allows for easy manipulation with the thumb while holding the camera. with the 400d, you have to take your index finger off the shutter release button to operate the control dial... or you have to have index finger on one, middle finger on the other. that's a bad design in my opinion. little things like this make a big difference if you spend any significant time taking photographs.

so, long story short... try the cameras out. don't make a decision solely based on specs or reviews. you may find that the t1i is a better fit for you. or you may like the d5000 more. try them and see. also, don't get hung up on image quality or megapixel concerns. in real-world shooting situations, you won't see a difference between these cameras.

Michal Rosa said:

Go to your favorite store, touch them, feel them, buy the one that feels more natural and more comfortable. if possible rent/borrow each body for a weekend, see which body seems easier to use, more comfortable. There is pretty much nothing between those cameras, it really comes down to personal preference if you already don't have a collection of lens and if you are not influenced by other external factors.

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