Canon, nikon, canon, nikon.....

Well after spending way too many hours on here researching cameras and not really finding the a solid answer I was curious what Canon you guys would recommend as a good starter DSLR that I could grow into. I had pretty much settled on a Nikon D40 after reading the Ken Rockwell reviews, but then red some negative things about his reviews and how accurate they are. Then I saw a bunch of pictures taken by a guy using a Canon Tsi and 10D and they both looked pretty solid and they sware by canon. I actually have a Canon SD1000 point and shoot, but it stinks for indoor pics. I want to get a camera that can be an all around camera much like my point and shoot. I want to be able to do sports, boarding pics, landscapes, and basic portraits. So any opinions you would like to give, I would appreciate it.

I'm a DLSR newb, so my advice/opinions may not hold a lot of weight, but I personally feel that you can't go wrong with either Canon or Nikon. I bought a Canon T1i a few months ago and am loving it. As you get into shooting with a DSLR you'll find that even the entry level models are VERY capable of producing great pictures. With photography you truly get out what you put into it. If you take the time to dial in your settings or read up on how to use your camera, you can produce great pictures even with the kit lenses that come with the camera. Invest in some better lenses and you can take your pictures up a notch.

As far as which model to get I think it comes down to your budget and how far you want to take the hobby. There are plenty of higher end cameras within Canon's line that have more/better features than my T1i, but for now my T1i suits my needs just fine. If I continue to get more into the hobby over the next few years I may find myself wanting to upgrade, but for now I'm completely satisfied.

One thing to consider when searching for a camera is to realize what you really want to use it for. At first the fact that some of the newer DSLR cameras also shoot HD video was appealing to me. Then I discovered that they are much more limited as far as video features go when compared to a traditional camcorder. This helped in making my decision to buy a separate HD camcorder and then spend less money on a DSLR that didn't have as good of HD video features (T1i vs T2i) since I wouldn't be using the DSLR for video.

The selections are overwhelming at first, but if you just really study the models within each brand and then pick the one that best suits your needs, the decision will be simple.

Depends on your budget, what are you looking at spending? I used to have an XTi, and upgraded to a T1i about a year ago. You can probably get an Xs, Xsi, Xti, fairly cheap ($300-$400). T1i you're probably looking a bit more expensive. Either one will be just fine for you, the Xti is easy enough to use for a beginner, but has enough manual settings and options to advance your photography. The T1i is a little bit more stepped up, just based on ranges of settings and a few extra settings, but not much. I'm starting to look for a 7D just because I want the increased versatility and functions. I've been using a dslr for 3 or 4 years now, and both cameras have fit my skill level at the time very well. I think you'll be good to go with any dslr model from canon, to be honest. It just depends on how much you want to spend.

Nikon, tough as nails, lasts forever, easy to work with.

You'd think that touting the ability to still use 30yo pieces of glass is nothing. Till you realize I can & have used the glass on a 1983 FA on my D300s.
Being able to just go buy some of the amazing old lenses for dirt cheap is great.
New VRII is insane. Makes about any movement smooth as silk.

Manual focus lenses on his first DSLR??? I'm not sure that's a valid reason for a new user to consider one brand or another.

Besides given the larger overall size of the Canon EF mount it's a given that Canon is a lot more versatile when it comes to using the myriad of different brands offering the older manual focus lenses (including Nikon) available out there.

I don't think there's any great reason to choose one brand over the other these days if you're not invested in the equipment already.

That's a fairly ignorant statement & taking what I had to say out into left field. It's not like you buy ONE old lens.

Consider the following. That manual focus will not hamper you from taking:
Ski pictures - In fact it is much preferred. Any lens worth anything is going to have it's focus point marked. Water skiing of any kind is going to involve a rope of a set length. The focus point never changes
Portraits - Again. Subject matter is not in movement
Landscapes - Not going anywhere

Manual focus stops you from doing none of the above & when taking pictures from the boat your subject is in, it is greatly is preferred. This entire website's subject is something you would nearly always be taking pictures of at a set distance!

"Consider the following. That manual focus will not hamper you from taking:
Ski pictures - In fact it is much preferred. Any lens worth anything is going to have it's focus point marked. Water skiing of any kind is going to involve a rope of a set length. The focus point never changes"

If you shoot from the tow boat you have a good point, that said, I think most of the photogs on this board shoot a lot of wakeboarding from a chase boat making manual focusing a bitch.

http://photofocus.com/2010/10/26/can...really-matter/

I'm a Canon guy (started 30D, now a 7D). I was also leaning Nikon because that is what friends/family had...then I went to the store and physically held them. The Canon 'felt' right, the Nikon was too small for my liking. I have never regretted my choice, although I wish I had more cash to invest in some new glass. I thought the camera was the investment...you'll soon find that lenses are where the money disappears. It really is like the Ford/Chevy argument...I've had both trucks, they both were great...it just comes down to personal preference. Go and play with them, see which button setup is intuitive to 'you'.

And BTW Toysrme...I've yet to see an ignorant statement by Rich about photography...if you' have seen his work you'd understand he knows what he's talking about. Typically, newbs on a DSLR put the settings on auto and just shoot. Complicating that with manual focus is just asking for disappointment from the new owner.

It's hard to visualize a new user buying old Nikon or Canon mount lenses (or caring about that as a benefit) which was my main point.

As far a manual focus lenses go in general on Canon vs Nikon bodies I have been down that road a bit and with various older brands of MF lenses, focus screens adapters etc so I'll leave it at that since this thread is about which brand to start out with.

I personally have found very few disciplines where manual focus was an major advantage over properly configured AF in Canon 1 series bodies and I have always had better results shooting WBing from the boat using AIservo (vs 1 shot or MF modes) but that's just me.

Toysrme, your habits seem to make you an exception and not the norm. Most people will just shoot with the lenses that they already have- especially those people who create threads about which camera will they buy. So I'm not sure if your input thus far has done much to further the This vs That debate given the type of (amateur/advanced amateur) shooters that most of us are. If you were on a die hard landscape or portrait forum where nothing ever moves then fine, but not so much here. And not when the truely desired shooting angles in wakeboarding require autofocus.

But if you wanna play this game, Canon's EF mount is far more versatile than Nikon's current offerings since the entire EF line can be used on any crop body and any film body without compromise. Anyone shooting Nikon DX lenses will have to replace them if they wanna shoot full frame. SO THERE! My ability to use my 15mm fisheye on my 1.6x crop 10D, and then my 1.3x crop 1D, and then my 1V film camera...it's delicious!

Honestly both are good cameras and either way you go you will be fine. Nikon guys are gonna reps the nikons and canon guys are gonna rep the canons. You will be able to take great pics with either brand, and both will last a long time if taken care of properly

Still researching things, but it seems like I am leaning towards a Canon 40D or saving for a while until I can get a Nikon D300. I know I will use the camera a lot for sports photography and a majority will be indoors so it seems like I will need a camera that functions well at higher iso ratings because of the lighting ect. At least that is what it seems that I have seen through research, although I know lenses make a huge difference too. The only other camera that I may consider right now is a Nikon D90 since they seem to be pretty versitile but then again I do like the fact that you can use more lenses on a canon, or so it seems.
If anyone is looking to sell anything in the next month or so, let me know.

Check out the Nikon D7000. It's the D90 replacement, and it does an amazing job with high ISO, low light photography!