Please Help Me With The Dilema Of Deciding Between The Nikon D7000 & The Canon EOS 7D

[Turborama]

Poll question: Please Help Me With The Dilema Of Deciding Between The Nikon D7000 & The Canon EOS 7D

Hi guys, I'm just about to make the leap into semi-pro DSLRs and have whittled it down to two cameras mentioned in the title of this poll.

DPReview have some great reviews of both cameras.

D7000: http://www.dpreview.com/reviews/nikond7000/


EOS7D: http://www.dpreview.com/reviews/canoneos7d/


However, I am having waaay too much difficulty deciding between the two models (I have been Canon one day/Nikon the next for the past month and it's really confusing me now so much I feel tormented) and thought it'd be fun to post a poll to see what DU's Photography Group thinks of both of these cameras.

They both have their merits and I guess the best differentiator is to explain what the subject matter of my photographs is. Natural landscapes, macro photography of nature, architecture, sunsets, sunrises, low light trying to avoid using the flash.

I have never had a Nikon or a Canon so I have no affiliation and am easily persuaded either way, lol

Please could you give your reasons for your votes?

Thanks in advance..

[WannaJumpMyScooter]

1. have you held either one?

spun the dials?

do what feels right to you... TO YOU... not to what marketers want you to believe

[Turborama]

2. I really wish I could. Where I live they won't let you take them out of the box

I'm not kidding.

I'm an expat living on an island in Indonesia and have explored all the options of buying the camera. It's either online, fly to Jakarta or Singapore (at great added cost) or buy it here. Buying online isn't an option as they'd charge a small fortune for the 'duty' (I've had previous experience with other electronics I've had sent here).

They said in the shop, go and research it online (yes, I'm also writing a letter of complaint to Canon and Nikon about these particular 'official' partners) and that's what I've been doing for the past month.

[ohheckyeah]

3. I can't be much help except to say

that when I bought my SLR I tried both the Canon and Nikon and I purchased the Nikon and was never sorry. The two cameras were pretty comparable but I liked the way the Nikon felt in my hand. I sort of wish I had never sold it.

When I move up and purchase a semi-pro DSLR it will probably be a Nikon. If you haven't checked out B&H yet I suggest you do. Sometimes they have good deals and they are great to deal with. I bought all of my photography supplies through them including an extra lens for the Nikon. I wish I had known about them when I purchased the SLR.

[Turborama]

15. You're comments are quite helpful, actually

When my brother was here for the holidays I took a few shots with his D80 when we were inside a volcanic crater and really liked the way it felt.

This is one of the pics I took. It's of a smaller volcano inside the volcanic crater (you might recognize it as I've been using it as my avatar). It was the 1st time I'd ever used one of these types of camera and I took this using manual settings instead of just going for auto:



I think it was taking those pics which finally made me make a decision to go for it and invest in a semi-pro.

My gut instinct says Nikon, but, after reading all the reviews and seeing comparison videos on YouTube I have this curiosity about the 7D I can't seem to shake, if you know what I mean?

[ManiacJoe]

4. One vote for the Nikon.

You cannot go wrong with either camera. The Canon has slightly more megapixels while the Nikon has a higher ISO boost. Nikon's new 39 point autofocus looks good, too.

Back when I was buying my first DSLR, the most noticeable thing was the ergonomics. The Nikons just felt so much better in my hands.

[CC]

5. Both are good cameras.

My big thing was how you used dials in manual. The Nikon's placement was pretty much the same as a film SLR. The Canon you had 1 dial and had to hold a button to get it to do one thing and another button to do another. Not sure if it is still like that and Canon user can set anything there straight. You aren't going to go wrong with either camera. Maybe check into the availability of lenses and see if there is a difference there. It is a shame you can't hold each because that can make a big difference too. Then again if you only ever hold the one you will never know the difference.

You could look up the reviews on Steve's Digicams. He is very good at showing you photos of what he is talking about. http://www.steves-digicams.com/ Seeing details might help you decide. Good luck and happy shooting.

[NV Whino]

6. I'm a dyed in the wool Nikon person

My client just bought the D7000, and he loves it. I bought his D300 and I love it. The thing that impresses me most is the focusing grid, and apparently thee D7000 is even better. My 2 pennies.

[postatomic]

7. Why do you need a DSLR?

There are excellent compact cameras out there that will do everything you want. When you invest in a DSLR you then have to decide on what lens or lenses you will need. Are you going to do lots of prints? If not, then why do you need a DSLR? You'll need to pay more for things like tripods and with a compact you can get a very good tripod for $20 or $30.

If you're going to end up like 90% of the people that buy a DSLR and only use the 'auto' settings then why do you need a DSLR? Just asking.

:hi:

[Earth_First]

9. +1

Excellent advice!

My father just purchased a Canon SX30 and was conflicted on this or the dslr route...

[Turborama]

14. I've had a Pentax film camera and compacts for years and have decided to go to the next level

Unfortunately, compacts don't last very long with me, I go through about 1 every 2 years so it's ended up being a false economy.

Also, I have decided to take the leap into trying to make a profession out of my photography. First thing I want to do is finally get working on a book (the 1st of what will be a series) I have conceptualized and to do that I obviously need a good enough camera.

I have just bought Adobe Photoshop CS5 and am starting to learn how to use it in preparation, too.

:hi:

[postatomic]

17. Got it

:thumbsup:

I've been equally abusive of my compacts and my DSLRs. Haven't lost a camera yet. A couple of lenses have met their demise. But not any camera.

I can understand your desire to own a DSLR. As you can see from your poll it's 'flip a coin' time. I'm sure either will work well for your purposes. You might want to consider what type of lenses you'll need and the cost of those before making your final decision. The DSLR is just the foundation. You'll need to consider a good tripod, lenses. shutter releases, extra batteries, filters, etc, etc, in the total cost of things.

I wish you great success in your photography endeavors. Once you get started I hope you'll share some of your work.

[WannaJumpMyScooter]

8. camera club? newspaper? any pros?

tell them you want to hold it, I bet they let you

[Turborama]

16. Good idea, thanks

I'll try and find out if there are any camera clubs within reasonable travelling distance from where I live. I would really like to hold a Canon and check out how they feel, just so that I know.

[WannaJumpMyScooter]

18. people approach me all the time and

ask to hold the d700... I am more than happy to help them out

[Cassandra]

10. Google the one vs the other...

and see what people say their reasons for choosing were. That's how I decided between the 7D and the 5D Mark 2.

[Blue_In_AK]

11. I am quite fond of my 7D

and it's fast.

[alfredo]

12. In the conclusion section at DP Review you can do a

side by side comparison.


Either camera will be a great performer.

Check prices of lenses and other accessories. Read reviews of the lenses too.

http://www.dpreview.com/reviews/nikond7000/page22.asp

You will have to click on the "include all categories" checkbox to compare the D7.

[qnr]

13. I can't help, haven't used Canon or Nikon SLRs since my film days. Apropos of nothing

though, I though it was interesting how the external white balance sensor differed between my Oly E-30, the D7000 and the 7D. Incidentally, I won't vote, but while I preferred Canon to Nikon in my film days, I like the 'feel' of the Nikons more these days. Here's the external WB on my E-30:

[BrightKnight]

19. I bought my fist Nikon in 1987 and have never owned any other brand of SLR.

I still use and treasure my first Nikon and would never dream of parting with it. You can't go wrong with Canon but I'll never change.

I have heard people say the the Nikon has much better user interface design. It is not difficult to find people complaining about the Cannon design.

You can get very good top professional grade lenses for both cameras. Canon probably has the edge in a few specialized very expensive lenses. Canon has more pro market share. Nikon has always been smaller and hungry.