Nikon D200 or Canon EOS 30D?

[nuruls]

Hi,

Any pros and cons between these two models; Canon EOS 30D or Nikon D200? :? I'm going to DIGITAL soon and hope not invest wrongly...

[ND40]

www.dpreview.com

you can browse the review for these 2 machine and with some samples. The reviewer also review the pro and cons of the machine.

Hope it help.
Good luck on your decision and welcome to World of D-SLR!!

[nuruls]

www.dpreview.com

you can browse the review for these 2 machine and with some samples. The reviewer also review the pro and cons of the machine.

Hope it help.
Good luck on your decision and welcome to World of D-SLR!!

TQ ND40... but, I need personal and honest review from the owner itself in this forum... ;)

[noruazumi]

i just purchased D200 as an upgrade to my D50 about 2 months ago.
so far i'm really satisfied with D200's features.

everybody wish that everything is perfect, but it is not. :D
i find 2 things on D200 that is not that good.

1st is the battery life.
the battery drain-up quite quickly if compared to my D50.
well, D200 have larger LCD display compared to D50.
and of course D200 also have far more features that of course consume more power.

2nd is the noise produced in high ISO.
i find that at ISO800, the noise is visible but in acceptable level.
and at ISO1600, the noise is so obvious.

however these two downside of D200 doesn't really bother me as the battery life problem can be easily solved by purchasing another battery which is not expensive or battery grip which cost a lot, of course.
and for the noise, i rarely shoot at low light condition. plus i got a flashgun which help me in the lighting.

the features offered in D200 really help me in my routine shooting and they overpower the downside of the D200. i would say D200 is worth to buy.

hope this is helpful. now, we need 30D to give some advices on this. 30D is not bad at all IMHO. but i never use it before. good luck in your "migration". :D

[nuruls]

hope this is helpful. now, we need 30D to give some advices on this. 30D is not bad at all IMHO. but i never use it before. good luck in your "migration". :D

Thanx for the opinion. I'm waiting for a few canon and nikon user first to give out their advices :)

[ShaolinTiger]

D200 is superior to 30D in every way except high ISO control, that's why it's quite a bit more expensive.

Thankfully the D200 dropped price quite drastically recently making a very viable buy for hobbyist and advanced amatuers.

Noruazumi has already mentioned the downsides of the D200, I have never had any problem with the battery life as I bought 2 batteries straight away and the battery grip soon after. I have never run out of batteries during a shoot so far.

The high ISO can be a problem if you don't control your exposure well as the camera tends to underexpose slightly to retain detail, so when you pull the exposure back up it will expose the noise.

But if you overexpose slightly it's perfectly usable at ISO800 and ISO1600 can be used at a push for small prints.

The 30D definitely has better high ISO performance.

Also the Nikon flash system is superior in both consistency, output, remote control and of course it's cheaper!

When you are looking to buy an SLR remember you are looking at the system as a whole and not just the body, bodies have a shelf life of about 2 years, so they come and go, where as the lenses, flashes and other accessories will be with you for a long time.

Generally Nikon lenses/flashes are cheaper than the Canon equivalents, quality is similar but it's mostly regarded that Canon has better telephoto lenses and Nikon has better wide angle lenses.

Medium telephoto (70-200 f/2.8) are about the same on both sides.

So do your research, it really depends what you want from the system.

The second hand market and third party lens availability for both Canon and Nikon is no problem.

For me the D200 is the best camera on the market at the moment for the price point, past the D200 the next best buy is the Canon 1D MKIII which came out recently and is close to triple the price of a D200.

[nuruls]

Wah.... only nikon user gave their opinions? How about canon user? :run_away:

[jackyyong]

I'd like to give my 2 cents, for what it's worth.

ST and noruazumi missed out an important aspect when choosing a camera: its user interface. I personally like the Canon's dial control. It's that big round thing that you can just dial (like your old classic telephone) for settings like White Balance, and while you preview your image. A lot of Canon users find this feature very useful and fast especially when they have grown accustomed to it. You can view it in dpreview.

But then again, this is a very subjective issue. You can say that you are more familiar with Nikon's interface, in which case, you might find Nikon's hard buttons more intuitive instead. I have personally never tried both cameras (I guess I am not qualified to comment on this matter huh? :D) but I strongly suggest you go to a camera shop and try both cameras with your own hands and take a few shots. And make your decision from there. Happy bargain hunting!

Edit: As ST has already mentioned, your purchase should never be about which camera bodies you will get, but rather, which camp you will belong to. Generally, Nikon's accessories are cheaper than Canon, so go for Nikon if price is your main concern. But if quality is your cup of tea, Canon's L lens series might appeal more to you. That said, I'm not saying Nikon lenses are bad. (Please do not mistake this for flame, because honestly this is not. I respect Nikon users, really. :))

Just my humble 2 cents

[noruazumi]

I personally like the Canon's dial control.

But then again, this is a very subjective issue.

a definite subjective issue indeed. ;)
but u know what, D200 got TWO control dials.
don't get me wrong though. hehe.

[nuruls]

It is true Nikon accessories / lenses cheap because mostly of them MADE IN THAILAND even the body (D200) Made In Thailand? Are Made In Thailand product not as good as Made In Japan? :?

[ShaolinTiger]

Well a lot of the modern Canon stuff is made in China, personally I much prefer Thailand over China.

[Fishhook]

i am using a D80,made in thailand as well for 5-6 months now no complaints at all:D also if u buy nikon lens it can be used on fuji body as well if suddenly u want to buy fuji body. from ex cannon user feedback is that nikon functions easier to use,maybe its a matter of getting used to it. nikon has grid in viewer, 30D i got no idea got or not. telephoto lens cannon is better than nikon in sense of focusing speed. noise n shutter speed should be the only thing cannon is better than nikon i think. canon colour softer,nikon colour better n sharper. that is all i notice. nikon old lens can be used in most newer nikon bodies,minus few things. hehe. for me i brought nikon cause i c pro n cons than choose it n also an important thing for me is, most spas members using nikon so easier for me to try out lens and also seek advise. thats all from me

another thing i wonder is,can cannon flash keep flashing non stop without flash plastic melting? my fren using D200 with a quantum battery connected with wire to flash, SB800 clear cover in font melted abit. with that rm2k plus batt u can just fire away without losing any recycling time. so now he buy a quantum flash. :redface:






*you can edit your previous post using the "edit" function to avoid double/multiple post. thank you*

[dSLR]

:) I have both 30D and D200. I shoot 80% of the time with the Nikon. I only shoot with the Canon if I really need to use high ISO (greater that 800).

:D Also, the feel and ergo of the D200 is so much better that the 30D.

[andythology]

think it as a system.
You said you are swithcing to Digital. I assume you existing gears. That might put you into new dSLR buying cosideration.

30D vs D200. Later won, all out.