Rebel T1i or Nikon D90?

[RobG]

I'm looking at getting an SLR camera, I've narrowed it down to the Rebel T1i or the Nikon D90, are there others that are worth looking into?

[R_Ethug]

Re: Rebel XTi or Nikon D80?

rebel! i love my canon to death

[stefan]

Re: Rebel T1i or Nikon D80?

I haven't played enough with a canon to be impartial. Been really happy with the nikons I have played with (D80 and D40). I like Nikon.

[RONDAL]

Re: Rebel T1i or Nikon D90?

both are quality cameras.
what you are going to find out the minute that you buy any body, is that the real money in photography is in the glass. Especially if you plan to get at all serious.
The money you spent on the body becomes an afterthought...and it sucks.

What you should do is go to the camera store, and hold and play around with both cameras in your hand. You are going to like the feel and layout of one more than the other. If a body is not comfortable in your hands, or you battle to use the menu's and selectors you are not going to be inclined to use it.

I'd buy whichever feels best.

I picked up the D90 because it felt better in my hands and I absolutely love playing around with Nikon's CLS. The things you are able to do with just the camera body and speedlights is incredible. Sure eventually you wind up having to upgrade to pocketwizards, but there are few things that you can't do with CLS, which makes it fun for beginners because it allows you to experiment with light without having to jump in with both feet.

[Kunu]

Re: Rebel T1i or Nikon D90?

Professional Photographer??????? - If not, you won't be able to tell them apart. Either one is awesome. Go with your heart, and wallet

[stefan]

Re: Rebel T1i or Nikon D90?

Just FYI... Not that critical:
consumer level canon and nikon bodies use a little different lens multiplier, just based on the construction of the body, so the lenses are not directly comparable.
typical canon = 1.6x
typical nikon = 1.5x

ie: a nikon 18-55 = 27-82.5 with 1:1 ratio (like a film camera)
the same lens on a canon would give you 28.8-88 at 1:1. (don't think they make the exact same for canon - just example)

So basically, if lens length is equal, you will get a little better wide angle on a nikon and a little more zoom on a canon.

17mm on a canon is close to 18mm on nikon. If you have a canon and a nikon, both lenses at 18mm, the nikon will see more. I've tried this.

If you go to the more professional bodies, this multiplier changes. Both companies make 1:1 bodies now I believe.


Not critical, but useful if comparing lenses

[RONDAL]

Re: Rebel T1i or Nikon D90?

Professional Photographer??????? - If not, you won't be able to tell them apart. Either one is awesome. Go with your heart, and wallet

Just because you are a pro doesn't mean you wont be able to tell them apart. Maybe image quality wise.... but picking them up immediatly you will notice a difference in the canon's and nikons. The bodies designs are different as are the menu layouts.

Someone interested in both should go look and play around with both and figure out which works best for them.

[MusicalGenius]

Re: Rebel T1i or Nikon D90?

I'm a fan of Canon, but I'm also biased since I've been selling some Canon products for years. Nikon's just don't feel as nice in MY hands. Like Rondal said, go play with both and make your own decision. We'll all have our own opinions but you're the one who will be getting the dSLR and using it.

[Shoppingcart111]

Re: Rebel T1i or Nikon D90?

All these guys are right about the pros and cons of different bodies, lenses, etc, and Rondal is correct about the glass qualilty, but in all realilty it is digital. Any digital photo can be manipulated so much that a 4yr old can take a professional photo, as long as its in focus. I'm a professionaly trained film photographrer and thats were the real art of photography lies cause you get one shot, and film doesnt lie. Dont get me wrong I love my digital setup for ease of convience and digital manipulation like HDR is cool. If I'm shooting a wedding or standard photo shoot, I'll use digital for quick and dirty but I'll also shoot film medium format for archival reasons. Works better for landscape also.

Rondal, how did you like the feel of the D90 body buy itself or do you have a grip? I had to get a grip fro my D80 to make it feel good, body buy itself is to small. Plus the addes vertical grip is nice.

Cheers

[RONDAL]

Re: Rebel T1i or Nikon D90?

i have a grip, and i use it on and off depending on what i am doing. sometimes its nice to have a smaller lighter camera to carry around. It does add some nice weight to the body so when you are using bigger lenses it feels a lot more even.

i dont fully agree that just because its digital it means you can get away with sub par lenses. fast quality glass is fast quality glass. It allows you to take sharper images, in all kinds of different settings. Shooting with crappy glass for example in low lighting is not going to produce stellar results. Sure you can enhance the image in post processing, but its still going to be sub par to using quality glass.
It's nice however that a lot of the glass is inter-generational so that you can go dig out your old canon or nikon lens from the 80's and it will likely fit the current bodies.

[v10treg]

Re: Rebel T1i or Nikon D90?

Rob, It's Canon for Life! Lol. My parents and family have used Canon, and I will stay true to them. Even though there may be no difference between the two (Nikon), and my Grandfather being the exception, Canon is my preference. They haven't fallen behind, like how Kodak has. Canon/Nikon, it's your personal preference, and Canon is Mine!

[turbomeyers]

Re: Rebel T1i or Nikon D90?

i love my d80 and my d300 bu somepeople like the feel of a cannon . i love the operation of my nikons

[RobG]

Re: Rebel T1i or Nikon D90?

So I went to the Camera Store and played with both of them and it was fairly quick decision. The Canon has it's place, but it felt smaller and more like a toy and less like a tool. The layout of the buttons on the D90 allow for easier access to the settings without going through menus, here are a few more differences.

- Nikon video is an avi file, Canon is a mov, avi is an easier file to share/xp friendly.
- The battery on the D90 will take twice as many pictures per charge.
- Nikon, you can re-touch pictures within the camera after picture is taken, probably not the best, but the option is there.
- Nikon is compatible with older Nikon lenses, Canon only takes newer lenses.
- Nikon works with wireless flashes without any other accessories.
- Nikon 2 year warranty, Canon is 1 year.

[tintin]

Re: Rebel T1i or Nikon D90?

So the Nikon it is then.

For me - I was a Canon guy bigtime for a decade. I had a G9 point and shoot that I loved but I wanted more. I did my research and went to the store to buy the Canon. It felt ok in my hands, but then I, out of obligation to "just try it to say I did" I tried a D80 and told the guy to put the Canon away. In my opinion, just as yours, the Canon feels like a toy and the Nikon controls are there in the right place at the right time.

The best photo is the one that you actually take rather than fiddling with settings that are not intuitive - for me that meant the Nikon.

[R_Ethug]

Re: Rebel T1i or Nikon D90?

as far as battery use.. when i took my rebel to asia.. i charged it once in a the entire month! and took over 6000 photos with it.. so thats a testimate to how long it can go for.. and i was doing photos daily