Oct 3, 2005, 06:51
I think the DSLR market is in quite an interesting situation at the moment. Prices seem to be coming down, especially on the "other" brands which are aiming to compete with the Canon/Nikon juggernaut.
I'm wondering what buying advice you could give to a prospective DSLR buyer, who has no prior investment in any particular brand (lenses, accessories etc.)
Put another way, brand prejudices aside, which would you get?
- Canon 350D: 8 megapixel sensor, very popular at entry level
- Nikon D70s: lots of "almost pro" features
- Nikon D50: cheap and cheerful
- Pentax *ist DS/DL/D?: super large LCD
- Minolta 5D: image stabilisation in body
- Olympus E-300: 4/3 system
- Any others
(Budget is a factor, price range would be towards the low end)
Amazingly enough, in Oz, I've seen the Olympus E-300 + lens at under a grand, while the 350D and D70s retail upwards of 1500. Another noteworthy observation is the Minolta 5D, which is essentially a semi-pro type DSLR, can be got at around the same price point as say a Canon 350D.
I'm wondering what buying advice you could give to a prospective DSLR buyer, who has no prior investment in any particular brand (lenses, accessories etc.)
Put another way, brand prejudices aside, which would you get?
- Canon 350D: 8 megapixel sensor, very popular at entry level
- Nikon D70s: lots of "almost pro" features
- Nikon D50: cheap and cheerful
- Pentax *ist DS/DL/D?: super large LCD
- Minolta 5D: image stabilisation in body
- Olympus E-300: 4/3 system
- Any others
(Budget is a factor, price range would be towards the low end)
Amazingly enough, in Oz, I've seen the Olympus E-300 + lens at under a grand, while the 350D and D70s retail upwards of 1500. Another noteworthy observation is the Minolta 5D, which is essentially a semi-pro type DSLR, can be got at around the same price point as say a Canon 350D.