Nikon D100 or Canon EOS 10D

[PaulSands]

I've finally given up on my Sigma SD9, Plum Pudding grotty pics sealing it, and am going take the hit for my mistake.
Gonna trade but I have the choice of a Nikon D100 for £1,100 or a Canon EOS D10 for £1,200 and I'm torn.
I believe the D100 is a higher spec camera but I'd really appreciate some feedback from the snappers out there

[Tim Falce]

Hi Paul
I have a D100 but feel I should have gone for a Canon.
IMHO Canon make better lenses than Nikon and it is the lens that is most important. They are ahead when it comes to lenses with anti vibration devices built in I think the optics are better.
Also isnt the sigma a rebadged Nikon? so you have half a clue as to what the Nikon is like.
I cant remember why I chose the Nikon, I think it was £600 cheaper at the time, they have dropped in price a lot and the difference is closer.
Tim

[gi_gav]

Absolutely no doubts at all - 10D every time.

Incidentally, working in Jessops, i've never had to try to sell a 10D - they're almost never in the stores due to continued demand.

I've rarely even been asked about the D100...

Admittedly, demand isn't everything but i don't think its irrelevant either.

Agree with falcemob about the optics, but (as ever!) i'd appreciate a pro's opinion

[vwpilot]

I have to disagree with the optics part. Yes, Canon has the IS advantage, but Nikon is fixing that. As far as the sharpness of the optics, I think you will find that Nikon is probably slightly ahead or they are tied. Nikon definately has the advantage in optics when it comes to wide angle glass, they are definatley sharper than Canons.

As for the two cameras, its almost a dead heat. If you use good Nikon glass like the AFS lenses focus should be almsot identical in speed, the Canon will be faster if you do not use the AFS lenses.

Picture quality is a toss up, I say they are dead even.

Though the Canon might feel sturdier on the front end because of its metal frame/exterior, I know of many people that have bashed around thier Nikons and I would have no issue betting the Nikon would hold up just as well as the Canon.

The Canon does have a PC sync, so if that is important to you or you use strobes a bunch that is a plus, the Nikon does not have it.

What I do like about the Nikon is that it has a few little things the Canon does not. It has a 6400 ISO setting, and though it is very noisy, if it means the difference between getting the shot and not getting it...you know the rest of that.

It also has a FAR FAR superior flash system. If you use the flash a lot, Nikon BY FAR is a better system. Just ask any Canon shooter that does a lot of flash photography what they think of the Canon flash system.

I also like the fact that the Nikon can change the ISO in third stop increments. That means if I need just a little mroe speed I can kick it up just a bit from 400 instead of having to go right to 800 and the extra noise that comes with it.

Now if you are truly buying for the future, you may want to go Canon, as a Nikon shooter that is in the process of changing to Canon for certain other issues, I do feel that in the long run, Canon will be in the lead in digital technology. At least in the pro ranks, not necessarily in the kind of camera we are talking about here.

So how is that for an answer. I am leaving Nikon, but I actually think that the D100 is a better camera than the 10D in some small respects.

But in the end you want to hold both. You want to choose the one that feels better. Both cameras take great shots and are almost a dead equal system. I personally like Nikon ergonomics better, I totally hate the ergos on my 1D, I miss my D1 ergos, but everyone is different. The best thing between these two cameras is to just choose the one that feels better to you. Good luck.

[gi_gav]

As vwpilot points out, you could get into nit-picking over two excellent cameras, but there's just a couple of things i'd add:

1) Nikon has ISO 6400, but its normal range i believe to be 200-1600. The 10D is normally 100-1600 with 3200 as your back-up (plenty fast enough for most things). The Nikon's third stop increments i didn't know about, but i've found that noise on the 10D varies only slightly between 100 and 400, is still excellent at 800 and not a problem at 1600.

2) I've not used my 10D's flash extensively with a speedlight, but for most use (including motorsport) i doubt you'd be disappointed with Canon's stuff, particularly the 550EX. That said, i wasn't aware the D100's is better specced, and i'd be interested to hear why. (excellent though it is, I know that the 550EX lacks quite a few details compared to Nikon's equivalent)

Anyway...

Originally posted by vwpilot
The best thing between these two cameras is to just choose the one that feels better to you. Good luck.

By far the best advice anybody could give you! Enjoy making your choice!

[Ramsey]

Have used the 10D since it came out and its excellent along with a wide range of available lenses. Seen it for £1109 inc VAT.

[neil_davidson2]

It'd be the Canon for me too. I've used a D60 (the D10's fore-runner) for a couple of years and have got consistently good results. I can't comment on the comparisson with the Nikon since I've never used one - I've always been a Canon fan and still carry my old EOS10 for use where film is required.

[PaulSands]

I've taken the plunge and opted for....the Pentax...... what? no no seriously I've ordered the Canon now I just have to find a piece of glass to do it justice
any comments on this? When it says Canon EF is that a different fitting than EOS?
http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll...&category=4687

[gi_gav]

Nope, EF is just another name for any of the autofocus (EOS fit) lenses. Come to think of it, won't EF possibly stand for 'Eos Fit'?

[PaulSands]

does that look a good lens then?

[Ramsey]

I've just ordered the 70-200 f4 L lens which is £500 compared to £1200 for the f2.8 version. You are aware that if you live in the UK you are liable to pay VAT plus import duty on that advertised lens?

[neil_davidson2]

Definitely a decent lens. The only comment I'd make is that 200mm might leave you a bit short of range for the motorsport end of things depending on how close you manage to get to the track.

[Ian_H]

The Canon EF 70-200mm f2.8 IS Lens is a fantastic lens for the 10D, I bought it just before Christmas and I am very impressed with it, the auto focus is instant and I am finding I am getting more 'keepers' while using this lens. Also just bought the 1.4 extender to go with it and again very impressed with the quality.
By the way EOS stands for “electro-optical system” but is also meant to be a reference to Eos, a Greek goddess of the dawn and EF stands for “electrofocus.” Older Canon lenses which are not marked EF, such as FD and FL series lenses, are not compatible with EOS cameras.
Another recomendation now you are moving to Canon is EOS Magazine only published 4 times a year but usually full of good articles.


Cheers
Ian

[PaulSands]

Ramsey
I've been stung before by import duty plus vat plus parcel force bite of the cherry...but I also received stuff that got through scott free

[PaulSands]

What is the difference between
EF70-200 f2.8 L IS & EF 70-200mm f2.8 L ?
Does the IS stand for image stablisation?
If so how essential would anybody think it was?

[Aysedasi]

I can't make a comparison between the two cameras mentioned originally, but I know I've fallen in love with my 10D since I bought it a couple of months ago - and I haven't even snapped a car with it yet!

[Aysedasi]

Originally posted by Ian_H

Another recomendation now you are moving to Canon is EOS Magazine only published 4 times a year but usually full of good articles.

Give it a try by all means, but I cancelled my subscription last year (after subscribing for a long time - long before it became a glossy colour Mag). I found it was interesting but there was an awful lot of very basic stuff in it - and although I'm a long way from being a pro, I really didn't want to read about depth of field in every third issue......

[gi_gav]

In case you're interested, there's a couple of nice lenses (both the same model, just listed differently) in Jessops second hand stock at the moment -

CANON 70-200MM F4 L
EF Fit Condition 2 London - World Camera Centre
020 7240 6077

CANON 70-200MM F4 L USM
EF Fit Condition 2 Brighton - Western Road
01273 323784

These are actually not second hand, but are 'refurbished' - either returns or ex-demo but usually fully reconditioned by the manufacturer and considerably cheaper than buying new. Also get 12 months warranty...

By the way, this isn't as much of a sales pitch as it seems, just thought you might be interested!

[gi_gav]

Originally posted by Ian_H
By the way EOS stands for “electro-optical system” but is also meant to be a reference to Eos, a Greek goddess of the dawn

always amuses me when customers in Jessops ask, "so, what does E-O-S mean anyway?" and i reel off almost exactly that line!

[PaulSands]

its the f2.8 that makes the other lens more attractive as I found that the lens I used with my Sigma 135-400mm f4.5-5.6 AP0 just wasnt up to low light conditions

[gi_gav]

Never actually used either of the 70-200 2.8s, but I can imagine the IS would be pretty useful if you can afford it.

What i'd thought is that you wouldn't really need it for head-on shots and the like cos you're aiming at a shutter speed fast enough to freeze motion (so camera shake shouldn't be much of an issue).

On the other hand, i've been led to believe that the 2-mode IS (where you can disable the horizontal stabilisation) is ideal for panning shots. Also, i've seen a few truly beautiful naturally lit shots (pit-lane stuff mostly) from some of LAT's F1 snappers that rely on hand holding at really slow speeds, which is where the IS would be an advantage.

All i know is that i want one!

[Tim Falce]

Paul, you could try here for the lens you want. It is £1400. By the time you pay VAT and duty on the US import you won't be saving much.
Tim

[PaulSands]

might it be cheaper for me to start racing do you think?

[Tim Falce]

might it be cheaper for me to start racing do you think?
No, it would be cheaper to get a stack of £50 notes and throw them on a bonfire

[redshoes]

I keep eyeing up something like this - http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.d...&category=4687
Just not sure how I'm going to get it past the bank manager. Any comments/thoughts on this one?

Anyone any experience of buying from overseas? It's quite a saving from buying in the UK but you're at the mercy of inport duty/VAT.