Which DSLR to buy?

I'm planning to buy a DSLR in the next couple of weeks, and need some advice: I mainly take pictures of my students in class, in church, or when they are playing outside. I also occasionally travel to different countries, and this summer, I'll be going to Africa, so I want to take pictures of the wildlife there. Some people have said that the Nikon D3100 is better than the Canon EOS 550D for wildlife; some have said vice versa. Which of these cameras would be better, or is there a totally different camera that would be better? Thanks for your help!

They are both about equal. The Nikon is a little cheaper. The most important thing is you get a lens that is suitable for wildlife. A 70-300mm lens is appropriate for shooting wildlife as you want the long range to get a close shot from far away. The budget versions for Canon and Nikon are very affordable, $150 or less.

More advanced models are always attractive. But the improvement in image quality is slight, these will do. Links to more threads on the D3100 etc -

http://forums.dpreview.com/forums/readflat.asp?forum=1031&message=36080453

http://forums.dpreview.com/forums/readflat.asp?forum=1034&message=36598385

http://forums.dpreview.com/forums/readflat.asp?forum=1002&message=38017845

Kelly Cook

The cameras are equivalent. More important is which feels best in your hands. Go to a store -- preferably a real camera store rather than a big box emporium -- and try out some cameras. The two you mention are adequate first dslrs. So are comparable models by Pentax and Sony. Digital camera technology is relatively mature, so all major brands are equivalent; the differences among them interest only camera nerds. And in the long run lenses are more important than digital camera bodies. Find a camera which feels good in your hands, buy it, and enjoy taking pictures.

josephmccutchen said:

I'm planning to buy a DSLR in the next couple of weeks, and need some advice: I mainly take pictures of my students in class, in church, or when they are playing outside. I also occasionally travel to different countries, and this summer, I'll be going to Africa, so I want to take pictures of the wildlife there. Some people have said that the Nikon D3100 is better than the Canon EOS 550D for wildlife; some have said vice versa. Which of these cameras would be better, or is there a totally different camera that would be better? Thanks for your help!

Click to expand...

I agree, go to a store and check them out
The newer Canon 600D has more features but the older 550D is a better value
http://www.popphoto.com/reviews/cameras/2010/05/camera-test-canon-eos-rebel-t2i