Hi,

My wife loves taking photos and isn't bad with the compacts we've had, so she's now looking at getting a DSLR. From reviews I've seen, it looks to be a case of a Nikon D60 or Canon 450.

Can anyone give any real advice on why either would be a better option for a first DSLR? I know next to nothing about cameras, and both have had lots of good reviews - the main difference to me seems to be that the Canon has live view and costs about £100 extra.

Any advice welcome.

Ade

Most new DSLRs will serve you well, I think you'd be hard pushed to find a 'bad' one that doesn't satisfy your needs.

Would be worth checking if the Nikon supports screw drive lens or only in-lens motors, if the latter then that rules out a chunk of the market of Nikon 2nd hand lenses later. Nikon released an entry level body a while back without support for the older lenses, can't remember which it was.

Canon and Nikon are the big two, they have the biggest lineup/most users, but don't rule out the other manufacturers.

Go to a shop and try a few bodies in hand rather than relying on someone else's review. They all feel slightly differant and will appeal to differant people in how they feel.... I didn't like the Canon 400d when I had a play with for example. Just felt too small for my hands.

Yeah - what he said! The big two, Canon and Nikon usually leap frog each other with Nikon generally regarded as slightly in the lead on features just now while Canon generally has the edge in resolution terms. Bear in mind that the 2nd hand market for Canon and Nikon fit accessories is far bigger than the other makes and that 3rd party lenses (eg. Sigma and Tamron) usually come out in Canon and Nikon fit first and then the others much later - sometimes not at all. That said, the likes of Pentax, Sony/Minolta, Olympus etc still make good cameras and, to compete, often give you more features for your money.

If you're after acquiring a system - lenses, flash guns, exotic accessories - go for Canon or Nikon but as Dafoot says, go to some shops and play with the cameras to see which you like best in practice.

Do you need to look through the lens ?

Do you want to carry more than one lens ?

Have a look at Panasonic's FZ18, Leica lens, (you cannot get a better lens than Leica), 18x optical zoom, which is 28-504mm focal length. That's a big zoom range, and an Optical Image Stabilizer means you can hand hold it at 18x zoom and get a steady shot.

£249.99

Remember all cameras are now make to a price, last 3-4 years then you buy a new one.

£130.00 min repair charge.

Fully Intelligent Auto, but you can still select Shutter or F stop, or full manual just like an SLR.

I work in the trade, and it is very rare i get a panasonic camera brought back.

If you do want to go down the SLR route, Canon is the best bet, you cannot use Nikon auto-focus film lens on a D60, go for the Nikon D80 if you want Nikon, much better build quality.

Thanks for the comments, gives us something to think about.

Cheers,

Ade

I bought a dslr a year or two ago, as it turned out a Nikon D80, BUT as previously suggested I tried a few other makes and that Nikon felt right in my grip.
I'd had an Olympus OM1 and OM2 before I changed and was drawn to an Olympus but it felt too small,as did the Nikon D40, and the viewfinder was too dark FOR ME.
It's quite heavy and if I'm feeling lazy I often take my compact instead !
So try before you buy....good luck.

Thanks......coming from a position where I know nothing about cameras, it's nice to get the advice here.

Ade