The Nature, Wildlife and Pet Photography Forum - Fine Art Landscape Photography

Help me choose

Posted By: Giovanni

Help me choose - 03/29/08 07:06 AM

Hello everybody.Recently, I have decided to go on photography, and I am planning to buy one dslr camera. I am choosing between olympus e510 and Nikon d80, please help me decide which of the two i will acquire for a start. Big thanks ahead!
Posted By: Jim Garvie

Re: Help me choose - 03/29/08 10:42 PM

Giovanni,
telling you what initial DSLR you should buy is presumptive at best. It depends on what you shoot currently, what you intend to shoot, how you intend to output those images and how much you intend to invest in your system.

The good news is that all the systems currently offered by Canon, Nikon, Olympus, Fuji, Sony, Panasonic, etc. are excellent. You can't go wrong with any of them in terms of being better than what you are currently using.

The key is expandability and how that fits in with your photographic objectives. All of those manufacturers make good bodies and great glass. All make the rest of pieces of a complete system: flash units, macro accessories, etc. So the best thing you can do is go out and actually handle the cameras you are considering. If possible, rent them and use them for a weekend or a week. Once you have a feel for how they handle and how they fit your style, you can decide what to buy. And always remember that the lenses you put on your camera are always at least as and possibly more important than the camera body itself.

That may not answer your question directly but that's because it's impossible for anyone else to answer that question but you. Good luck with your decision.

Jim
Posted By: Jim Rickards

Re: Help me choose - 03/30/08 12:10 AM

I have to agree with what Jim is saying. Usually when you ask somebody what camera you should buy, the answer is: "Buy the one I have." That's the same as if you asked someone what car to buy. ( Buy the one I have. Everybody recommends their own car brand)
Fortunately you got a more mature answer.
His answer said the lenses are equally important. Yep. And the selection of lenses available from the camera company is important. Also, the money you pay for the camera is usually a lot less than the money you pay for the lenses. One lens doesn't usually do it. You buy a DSLR and (usually) buy a selection of lenses, over a period of time.
Good luck.
Posted By: Tony Bynum

Re: Help me choose - 03/30/08 12:13 AM

Buy the d80. . . .
Posted By: James Morrissey

Re: Help me choose - 03/30/08 02:49 AM

LOL, Tony, you tell him!! On a serious note, go to the local store and see which one feels more comfortable to you. Both cameras are real winners, as far as I am concerned. Both the 510 and D80 are real bargains as well.

James
Posted By: Tony Bynum

Re: Help me choose - 03/30/08 02:53 AM

LOL - I just threw that out there because both are good, neither will hamper your shooting skills. The thing nikon has going for it is that you can use any nikon mount lens on it, and that means you have a huge selection. . .
Posted By: RomanJohnston

Re: Help me choose - 03/30/08 05:56 AM

You buy a system as much as you buy a camera. With that in mind...of the 2 you mentioned, Nikon has the more solid system in place. Both are awesome cameras, and both should serve you well.

Roman
Posted By: James Morrissey

Re: Help me choose - 03/30/08 07:44 AM

Hey Guys,

To play devil's advocate...the 4/3 system has been growing in leaps and bounds. Those F2 zooms (the 14-35 and 35-100) really make me drool...not to mention the 90-250 F2.8. Given the additional Sigma and Leica/Panasonic lenses, isn't it fair to say that the '4/3 System is not robust enough...' is not really accurate anymore?

James
Posted By: Giovanni

Re: Help me choose - 03/31/08 01:41 AM

Hey, thanks for all the advice. I just bought the olympus e510. Nikon d80 is nice but I still have to buy another lens. In olympus that I just have bought, two (2) lens are included in the package with 2 gig memory card and a tripod. What a bargain, what you think? What i like most in e510 is the built in image stabilizer and the live view LCD. Admittedly, I am still a neophyte in photography. I hope you can give me tips on how to use it professionaly. Big thanks ahead!
Posted By: Klarich

Re: Help me choose - 03/31/08 05:46 PM

Just buy one and use it. You can't go wrong all the cameras over a certain price break are great. No matter what you decide, in a couple of years improvements will be made and you'll just want another one. Stay away from reading reviews, if you're like me you'll be lusting over all kinds of new bodies & lenses. It's never ending. Just get out there and shoot and enjoy the camera you pick (for now).
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