[gd1418]

Since this is a thread devoted to DSLRs, I don't think my post would be OT and secondly, please, please let this not be an excuse to rekindle the Nikon Vs Canon debate.

My friend, a professional photographer was recently in the Chamba region of HP to be with the Gaddis to record their lifestyle etc. While crossing the swollen Ravi river at some village, he slipped and got carried away in the strong currents for about 2 kms before being rescued. He is fine and has no injuries etc.

The point what I'm making is, along with him, his camera gear - Nikon D700 with 17~35 F/2.8 and the D300 with 70~300 VR also did the rafting in the rapids for 2 kms . He dried his gear on a makeshift fire in the open the whole night and half of next day.

The camera bodies, lenses, memory cards and the pictures taken are all safe and working normally as before. There is no dent or a scratch on the equipment..

[lohithrao]

Some queries, my Kodak Digicam has some sensor issue the repair guy in Mangalore told it is not possible to fix it, so its good as gone. now any suggestions on what can be done with it? i know this is OT

Also since am thinking of picking a SLR he suggested me to go for "Nikon" as the canon cant take the coastal climate not sure how true is this?

Am still juggling between D90 and 550D...

Has he D7000 been launched in India yet, does it make sense to go for it instead of D90??

[cruiser@0523]

Originally Posted by lohithrao

Also since am thinking of picking a SLR he suggested me to go for "Nikon" as the canon cant take the coastal climate not sure how true is this?

Am still juggling between D90 and 550D...

Dont believe such shopkeepers, they always support the cam which gives them more margin, the shop from where is bought my 1000D pushed me hard to get a D3000 instead, because Canon cameras are not durable as he said.

The D90 would be a better option IMO.

[shajufx]

Originally Posted by gd1418

.....Nikon D700 with 17~35 F/2.8 and the D300 with 70~300 VR also did the rafting in the rapids for 2 kms....... are all safe and working normally as before. There is no dent or a scratch on the equipment..

Nikon is the best and I use one

Originally Posted by lohithrao

......canon cant take the coastal climate not sure how true is this?

I think its as equal as telling living in the coastal area is not healthy LOL. And I wish what he said has some truth in it, because I am fed up of seeing 90% canon guys whenever I got out for a photo walk, its frustrating.

Originally Posted by cruiser@0523

....because Canon cameras are not durable as he said.

Again, NIKON is the best and will remain the best. I love such debates, not on the forum, but face to face !

[rajatsingh78]

Just visit amazon's website and search for the model, you will find it in the first page itself.

Originally Posted by naveenvenkatesh

Hey thanks. I will be buying 50mm f1.8.

For zoom lens, i am looking at about 70-300 or 55-300. Which one would be better?
Also, Sigma 70-300mm F/4-5.6 DG OS (this is has auto focus & optical stabilization) is 599$ on the official site. Can i get it for 380 as you mentioned elsewhere? Do you have a link?

[shyamhegde]

Originally Posted by cruiser@0523

Dont believe such shopkeepers, they always support the cam which gives them more margin, the shop from where is bought my 1000D pushed me hard to get a D3000 instead, because Canon cameras are not durable as he said.

The D90 would be a better option IMO.

Do you think, it is good to buy the brand which shopkeeper is not promoting from that shop? If a shop is promoting Canon or Nikon, likely he has more margin on them, and also likely he can get you 'better' deal on them as well. If you buy the opposite brand in that shop, he might not be able to give you a decent deal, as his margin itself is low on it and he can not play with prices much.
Just a thought. Not sure, how the business part of Cameras goes.

[ampere]

Originally Posted by shyamhegde

Do you think, it is good to buy the brand which shopkeeper is not promoting from that shop? If a shop is promoting Canon or Nikon, likely he has more margin on them, and also likely he can get you 'better' deal on them as well. If you buy the opposite brand in that shop, he might not be able to give you a decent deal, as his margin itself is low on it and he can not play with prices much.
Just a thought. Not sure, how the business part of Cameras goes.

I guess the idea is to first choose which camera one wants. Then one should find a shop which will get the product at the best of deals.

[MileCruncher]

Does anyone know if Sigma 70-300 f4-5.6 DG OS is available in India or not ? I came across this release Sigma releases 70-300mm F4-5.6 DG OS

And what would be its price?

Also would do you think is should be the best rate for a Canon EF-S 55-250 IS lens used for 10 months but well maintained. Present best buy is about 12k and grey 11.5k. The last price quoted is 8K by the guy.

Also which one do you think would be a better buy, Sigma 70-300 OS or Canon 55-250 IS

[shajufx]

Originally Posted by ampere

I guess the idea is to first choose which camera one wants.

I would like to add; One has to go to the exclusive showrooms of both Canon and Nikon and physically feel the cams thats in mind. There is a serious reason to tell that. Some people feel very comfortable with a Nikon body compared to its Canon counterpart just due to the ergonomic difference of the body. So physical checking is more important than depending on websites or print material. One should forget about the Megapixel count, end of the day it hardly matters. I know few friends who have selected Canon just because those models were 5 MP extra from its Nikon model, but will that extra MP make a difference ? I really doubt. So, take whats most comfortable to your hands, its not every year you buy a body

Originally Posted by MileCruncher

....which one do you think would be a better buy, Sigma 70-300 OS or Canon 55-250 IS

If you are a die-hard brand fan, only Canon will give you that end-of-the-day satisfaction. Speaking on the quality output terms: Sigma has very competitive lenses for half the price. I own 2 Sigmas, not a complaint till date and my photos have convinced many friends to save money and chose a Sigma. Please dont think I am boasting of my photos, friends who were in a lens dilemma checked it themselves and found the myth of "low-quality 3rd party" thoughts. It was true years back, not anymore.

[cruiser@0523]

Originally Posted by shajufx

Nikon is the best and I use one


I think its as equal as telling living in the coastal area is not healthy LOL. And I wish what he said has some truth in it, because I am fed up of seeing 90% canon guys whenever I got out for a photo walk, its frustrating.


Again, NIKON is the best and will remain the best. I love such debates, not on the forum, but face to face !

I would say both companies are at par with each other, a lot of people use canon including many professional photographers and i think when they buy a camera worth a few lacs, there is no compromise anywhere and no one would buy an inferior cam for that price. Same case, if Canon cams were inferior they would not sell as much.

Originally Posted by shyamhegde

Do you think, it is good to buy the brand which shopkeeper is not promoting from that shop? If a shop is promoting Canon or Nikon, likely he has more margin on them, and also likely he can get you 'better' deal on them as well. If you buy the opposite brand in that shop, he might not be able to give you a decent deal, as his margin itself is low on it and he can not play with prices much.
Just a thought. Not sure, how the business part of Cameras goes.

What i was trying to say is go for the cam you want, dont go by what the shop keeper says when you have done all your homework. I think there is not much difference in a 'deal' a shopkeeper can give you and the other cant, not more than 500 bucks i would say.

[ampere]

Originally Posted by shajufx

I would like to add; One has to go to the exclusive showrooms of both Canon and Nikon and physically feel the cams thats in mind. There is a serious reason to tell that. Some people feel very comfortable with a Nikon body compared to its Canon counterpart just due to the ergonomic difference of the body. So physical checking is more important than depending on websites or print material. One should forget about the Megapixel count, end of the day it hardly matters. I know few friends who have selected Canon just because those models were 5 MP extra from its Nikon model, but will that extra MP make a difference ? I really doubt. So, take whats most comfortable to your hands, its not every year you buy a body

Well said. I had almost decided on Canon. But to be fair to Nikon, today went to check out Nikon body. Needless to say, I still continue with Canon!

But yes one needs to physically feel the ergonomics of the product before buying it.

[MileCruncher]

Originally Posted by shajufx

If you are a die-hard brand fan, only Canon will give you that end-of-the-day satisfaction. Speaking on the quality output terms: Sigma has very competitive lenses for half the price. I own 2 Sigmas, not a complaint till date and my photos have convinced many friends to save money and chose a Sigma. Please dont think I am boasting of my photos, friends who were in a lens dilemma checked it themselves and found the myth of "low-quality 3rd party" thoughts. It was true years back, not anymore.

I'm not a brand fanatic either, but being a relative newbie in the DSLR arena wanted to know if there are any known skeletons in the closet. Would you have any idea whether the Sigma 70-300 is available with Optical Stabilisation as I don't want to buy a telephoto lens without a stabiliser.

Any inputs on availability or price will be welcome!

[aa_asif]

Originally Posted by shajufx

Nikon is the best and I use one

+1 to that! I was a free bird before choosing a DSLR for myself.
I was so stuck between Nikon D80 and Canon EOS 40D (This was in 2007)

I chose Nikon D80 because:

1. The right hand grip! I am sure that Canon will not be able to match that. Try to believe!
2. The dual jog dials on back and front of the body. I cannot shoot without these as I use only Manual mode.
3. Build quality!! That shutter release sound itself is so addictive! It tempts me to click more

[shajufx]

Originally Posted by cruiser@0523

I would say both companies are at par with each other, a lot of people use canon including many professional photographers ....

Originally Posted by ampere

..But yes one needs to physically feel the ergonomics of the product before buying it.

I was just kidding buddy by telling Nikon is the best etc. because that Nikon/Canon war is to continue forever. I dont want to waste my time favoring one, but one thing is sure, my fingers were feeling awkward when I held few Canon models. Thats the only reason I said, feel of the body is very important and it depends on the length and size of your fingers. Personally speaking I feel every button and dials on my D90 perfectly falls to my easy reach, no straining after 4 hours non-stop shooting, its no more kidding, I am serious !

Originally Posted by MileCruncher

....Would you have any idea whether the Sigma 70-300 is available with Optical Stabilisation as I don't want to buy a telephoto lens without a stabilizer.

Optical stabilizer according to me (totally personal opinion not expecting any debates on this ) is a waste of money. I have a Sigma 70-200 f/2.8 and I also use it with a 2x teleconverter for birds. So thats 400mm at f/5.6. I never felt lack of sharpness or clarity because it doesn't have an OS function. Technically, keep the shutter speed higher than the reach of the lens (keep above 1/500 sec if you are shooting at 400mm), you are guaranteed to get a crisp shot unless you are shivering with fever or dengue May be experts could comment on this part. Experiment it yourself and see. To attain this higher speed more than the lens reach, use a higher ISO or wider aperture or even a -1 or -1.5 exposure on a bright day. It works for me and I shoot RAW.

Originally Posted by aa_asif

1. The right hand grip! I am sure that Canon will not be able to match that. Try to believe!
2. The dual jog dials on back and front of the body. I cannot shoot without these as I use only Manual mode.
3. Build quality!! That shutter release sound itself is so addictive! It tempts me to click more

Almost the same reasons why I chose a Nikon body. Point 3 is very important too, Canons make a lot of shutter noise. I always go out shooting with Canon friends, I can guarantee they make a lot of noise outdoors, so no need to mention the intensity indoors.

[MileCruncher]

Originally Posted by shajufx

Optical stabilizer according to me (totally personal opinion not expecting any debates on this ) is a waste of money. I have a Sigma 70-200 f/2.8 and I also use it with a 2x teleconverter for birds. So thats 400mm at f/5.6. I never felt lack of sharpness or clarity because it doesn't have an OS function. Technically, keep the shutter speed higher than the reach of the lens (keep above 1/500 sec if you are shooting at 400mm), you are guaranteed to get a crisp shot unless you are shivering with fever or dengue May be experts could comment on this part. Experiment it yourself and see. To attain this higher speed more than the lens reach, use a higher ISO or wider aperture or even a -1 or -1.5 exposure on a bright day. It works for me and I shoot RAW.

I agree what you are saying but that only holds true in day light and not at night. It close to impossible to shoot sharp images in night without OS/VR/IS with 1/125 or lower shutter speeds.