Nikon D90 or Canon 50D

Both cameras are excellent and will serve you well, although the Canon line has more lenses and as a whole are a bit cheaper than the Nikon line of lenses. I personally would go with the Canon 50D.

Both will handle those tasks well. I would say got o your local dealer and try each. Spend an hour or more there and see which is more comfortable in temrs of hand position, weight, control positions etc. Its a personal thing and the one you will be more happy with should be the one you feel comfortable with.

costabunny said:

Both will handle those tasks well. I would say got o your local dealer and try each. Spend an hour or more there and see which is more comfortable in temrs of hand position, weight, control positions etc. Its a personal thing and the one you will be more happy with should be the one you feel comfortable with.

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I agree. Go get a feel for both cameras in your own hand. One will probably feel better than the other. Both systems will give you the ability to create great images for years to come.

Any SLR-using friends? If so, what brand do they predominantly use (if any)?

50D is closer to the D300 than the D90.
D90 shoots at 4.5fps. For action shots you might want the D300's 6/8fps or the 50D's 6.3fps.
but between the D90 and the 50D I'd say go for the 50D

Nikon D90:
Cheaper
Plastic Body (Lighter)
12 mega pixels
12 bit processing
4.5 fps shooting
11 point AF with 1 cross type sensor
Fastest Shutter speed 1/4000
SD Cards
Good Nikkor Lenses tend to be more expensive

Canon 50D:
More Expensive
Magnesium alloy body with weather sealing
15 Mega Pixels
14 bit Processing
6.3 fps shooting
9 AF Points all cross type sensor, centre point sensitive to f2.8
fastest shutter speed 1/8000
CF Card UDMA compatible
Bigger image buffer
Good Cannon Lenses are usually cheaper

weigh up the differences, what sounds better to you

Go with the d90. It is a superb camera with a better dynamic range than the d300. A very good performing camera at an excellent price.

The 50D is the better camera between the two.

I went with a 40D instead of a D80 not just because it was a better camera, but also because it fit my hand better and I liked the button layout better. I also liked the selection of glass a little more.

You can't go wrong with either, so go down to a camera store and see which one you like holding more, which one fits you.

I use Canon, but I voted for the D90 since it sounds as though you're just starting out. That ought to be plenty of camera for your needs.

As mentioned by others, go into a camera shop and have a play with both platforms.

Don't just go by specifications. You won't often need 1/8000 sec shutter speeds, or whatever. The weather sealing that the 50D provides is very handy though. But only if you buy weather sealed lenses...

bchamorro said:

I need a Digital SLR.
I currently don't own any lenses of any brand.
I will be shooting horses in motion and landscape/nature (tropical beaches).

Would you recommend me the D90 or the 50D?

The reason I won't go any higher than the D90 with Nikon is because I like the auto mode and presets that the D90 has. The D300 is too much of a pro camera.

So which one? D90 or 50D?

p.s. I don't care about the movie function on the D90. I already own a Canon HF10.

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EVERY single last beginner does this. They ask about which body to buy and ignore the fact that the body, be it a D90 or 50D is the smaller part of the system.

What you are buying is an "SLR System". That system will have a few lenses and maybe a flash unit.

You said "horses in motion" which to me says "expensive lenses". So the above applies double to you. The body is the less importent and less expensive part of the deal. Most (well over half) of your budget will go to the lens(es). Take a good look athe 70-200 and 80-200 lenses from both Nikon and Canon and some of the other f/2.8 zooms from both compaies. Deside wich of these you like. You will not buy everything at once but over time yo will. Figure out what you might want to own in three to five years.

Then, buy the body that fits the lenses.

Shooting animals that move is going to require a fast lens hat is medium to long in length. Landscapes will require a wider lens but speed is un-important there and you can use a tripod. "nature" is a big topic. If it means wild life then it is even more expensive (in terms ofthe glas you'd need) than horses because you can't get as close.

Bottom on line "Nikon System" vs. "Canon System" not D90 vs. 50D. When you think about "system" look at your total budget. If you can't afford the nice SLR body and the nice lens come down a price point or two on the body. For your purpose the lens isso much more important. Also bodies don't last long. You will be upgrading in 3 to 5 years but a good lens lasts for decades. It's just not worth stretching the budget to fit a body if it means skimping on glass. But if you can aford both, go fo it.

What ChrisA said is all true and worth considering, especially if you have some SLR experience and the ability to evaluate exactly which lens would be perfect for you.

However, if you don't have any experience, then don't fret too much about the particular lenses available from these two manufacturers. The Canon and Nikon lens lineups do not vary significantly enough to make either one of them right or wrong for your particular needs. Besides, you can always sell whatever camera and lens you get and move on to a new system, if need be. Lenses on eBay tend to go for only slightly less used than they cost new, so you're unlikely to take a big financial hit if you sell your kit (unless maybe you first acquire a whole lot of lenses).

As cameras, they're both going to be able to take the photos you want, and at the quality you want.

However, I like Nikon's camera bodies better. They've always made more sense to me, and is why I chose Nikon instead of Canon, despite originally wanting a Canon. Even if I were to be more objective, I'd still think that changing settings on the D90 is quicker.

I own a D300 and I love it, but if I didn't have a Nikon right now, I'd choose the D90 over the D300, and just use the money I save on lenses. The D90 is really outstanding.


Oh, and the lenses you'll want are probably available from both Nikon and Canon, so I don't think there should be a lot of concern there. Want to shoot horses? You'll be able to shoot horses using either camera.