Canon 500D or Nikon D-5000?????

So I have been waiting to buy a DSLR for a while now and feel that im entering the market at a great time with the release of the Canon 500D and the Nikon D-5000. What I like the best about them is the fact that they have live view auto focus as I am used to looking at the live view with my point and shoot. I am a novice photographer and have been using a point and shoot so I know I will be very happy with either of these set ups, my question is which would you prefer (ignoring which lenses you own etc..)??? I was just reading the Nikon vs. Canon thread under the "Best of DSLR" forum and my understanding is that Canon does not make 180 degree fish eye lenses for anything other then the 5D, if this is the case then Nikon will be my easy choice as I love shooting very wide angle, can anyone confirm this?

Just from reading the descriptions of these two cameras it seems the Nikon has neater live view autofocus features, but less mega pixels, and is fifty bucks cheaper. So I guess what im really asking is: Nikon or Canon, which should I go for??????

If you are hoping to use the camera underwater, you better wait and see when housings will be available.... apart from that, you should do more research on other forums. The D5000 is really new. It will take some time before the verdict is out.

I am a Nikon fan and my advice is to get the best Nikon out there that has a housing readily available.... your mileage may vary....

If you are hoping to use the camera underwater, you better wait and see when housings will be available.... apart from that, you should do more research on other forums. The D5000 is really new. It will take some time before the verdict is out.

 

I am a Nikon fan and my advice is to get the best Nikon out there that has a housing readily available.... your mileage may vary....

what other forums would you suggest? i have a couple months before im making the purchase so hopefully the housings will be out and I can get some good feedback.

I dont want to sound like an idiot but what do you mean by mileage? Are you saying that Nikons last longer then Canons, or vice-versa?

Cheers for the info!

I dont want to sound like an idiot but what do you mean by mileage? Are you saying that Nikons last longer then Canons, or vice-versa?

Some people are Nikon Fans some are Canon and some do not care, and for the most part the Canons and Nikons should last the same.

As to Live View, note that it is still not really usuable for UW (do a quick search for Live View here and you can see the opinions)

If you have done all the research and found that Nikon is the only one that has the lens you really want, then go for it. (I shoot Canon myself, just the last couple of years when I got a dSLR, and I do not really get into the Nikon/Canon debate, each has its points I guess.)

I know at least one company will have a housing for the new Canon and I am sure the rest will also. (Would guess Ikelite would be first on the scene if they develop it, due to how quickly they get things to market). To the extent the new Nikon can fit in an existing housing (have not heard one way or the other, but have not really looked) then a housing may be available already (ditto for Nikon), but you should off until the housing manufacturer/others here confirm.

I dont want to sound like an idiot but what do you mean by mileage? Are you saying that Nikons last longer then Canons, or vice-versa?

That's a strange idiom that originates with car advertisements where they tell you what mileage a car will get per gallon of gas - then add a disclaimer that "your actual mileage may vary".

You may see YMMV instead of the words ... It means that someone is saying something - and then qualifying it by saying "but that's just my take - you may come to a different conclusion or have a different experience".

Don't buy a dslr just because it has live view (which, based on my experience with the D300, is useless u/w). You will get rid of shutter lag but will then have LV lag. Time to forget about some of the P&S features & get used to the more versitile dslr, even thou you may have to look thru the viewfinder.

I was struck in something similar last year when the D90 came out...

Don't try or wait for the Best&Newest.

Get the best housing/camera combination you can buy today and go underwater.

I am a Nikonian though...

Live view DOES NOT WORK on a dSLR except for the Olympus E-330.

The benefits of dSLR's over P&S cameras are:

1-Shutter lag- You push the camera fires

2-Repeat shots-You push again the camera fire again

3-Better lenses.

Except for the E-330 you either have the contrast detect live view/autofocus method which is the source of a P&S's shutter lag OR the "mirror flip" shutter lag whic is the result of the DSLR flipping the mirror from the live view screen to the sensor, then back. Either way he delay is simply unacceptable. It is roughly equivilent to a P&S. There is no (read zero) reason to upgrade.

The Olympus E-330 is NOT a modern camera. The live view in is is, however, unique. A separate sensor provides the live view image so the autofocus is not affected by the live view and the shutter lage is zero. If you MUST have a live view underwater this is the only option.

Regards

If this is for underwater, you have to also consider things like compatibility with strobes for rear curtain/TTL.

As of now, Nikon has a cheaper solution for iTTL and rear curtain shutter control with strobes, either with the Heinrich Weikamp or Sea & Sea or ikelite. With Canon, there is eTTL but no rear curtain except for Seacam strobes.

Rear curtain is allows for more creative shooting and iTTL is great for instant shots of skittish creatures.

Liveview has its uses despite its shortcomings.

Live view DOES NOT WORK on a dSLR except for the Olympus E-330.

 

A separate sensor provides the live view image so the autofocus is not affected by the live view and the shutter lage is zero. If you MUST have a live view underwater this is the only option.

 

Regards

It's not completly true. Sony a300/350 has a similar, but improved fast live-view system (probably the best for UW photography today). Ikelite has housing for them with TTL support.

With Canon, there is eTTL but no rear curtain except for Seacam strobes.

Is there no support of rear curtain set in the camera for Ikelite housings with DS strobes? I thought that was solely determined by the camera.

/Bent C

From what I understand, all eTTL circuitry from heinrich and heinrich derived circuitry (S&S) as well as Ikelite, does not have read curtain. I certainly would like to be proven wrong very quickly!

From what I understand, all eTTL circuitry from heinrich and heinrich derived circuitry (S&S) as well as Ikelite, does not have read curtain. I certainly would like to be proven wrong very quickly!

I didn´t know that at all, have never heard about that limitation on the Ikelite system. I was just planning some shots where I was going to use rear curtain with my Ieklite and 5 D!! I´ll have to assemble the set up and see what hapens if the camera is set to rear curtain. I guees it would be possible to check if it works with a slow shutter and panning the camera while triggering the flash.

/Bent C

It's not completly true. Sony a300/350 has a similar, but improved fast live-view system (probably the best for UW photography today). Ikelite has housing for them with TTL support.

Yeah the Sony 350 was my original choice then these two came out, is it not possible that Canon and Nikon have improved their live view AF features????? (as far as I could tell on the 450D it was not even possible to have AF on live view)

Im working in Africa for the next few months and dont have access to camera shops to test these cameras out, thats why I have to wait a few months to make my purchase, and why I have to ask questions like this, hopefully somebody will be able to test them out for me in the meantime...

I didn´t know that at all, have never heard about that limitation on the Ikelite system. I was just planning some shots where I was going to use rear curtain with my Ieklite and 5 D!! I´ll have to assemble the set up and see what hapens if the camera is set to rear curtain. I guees it would be possible to check if it works with a slow shutter and panning the camera while triggering the flash.

 

/Bent C

If you do a search on WP, you'll find that for exposures less than 1 sec, it will look like preflash and then flash. Go to 4 sec and you'll see that the strobe is just flashing in intervals. Rear curtain certainly isn't a deal breaker but it does allow for more creative shooting.

HappyBubblz

If you go on holiday to Aliwal Shoals in South Africa or the Red Sea, I'm quite sure you should be able to demo a DSLR setup of some sort.

If you do a search on WP, you'll find that for exposures less than 1 sec, it will look like preflash and then flash. Go to 4 sec and you'll see that the strobe is just flashing in intervals. Rear curtain certainly isn't a deal breaker but it does allow for more creative shooting.

 

HappyBubblz

If you go on holiday to Aliwal Shoals in South Africa or the Red Sea, I'm quite sure you should be able to demo a DSLR setup of some sort.

You were right, I got a reply from Ikelite that they currently do not offer rear curtain for Canon, have solved it technically for the 5DMII, and are deciding if they are going to offer it in the future for the 5DMII housings.

/Bent C

You were right, I got a reply from Ikelite that they currently do not offer rear curtain for Canon, have solved it technically for the 5DMII, and are deciding if they are going to offer it in the future for the 5DMII housings.

 

/Bent C

With no upgrading of previous Canon's I guess. Pity..

Otara

Yeah the Sony 350 was my original choice then these two came out, is it not possible that Canon and Nikon have improved their live view AF features????? (as far as I could tell on the 450D it was not even possible to have AF on live view)

 

Im working in Africa for the next few months and dont have access to camera shops to test these cameras out, thats why I have to wait a few months to make my purchase, and why I have to ask questions like this, hopefully somebody will be able to test them out for me in the meantime...

Compared to sony they are disappointingly slow.

I was just reading the Nikon vs. Canon thread under the "Best of DSLR" forum and my understanding is that Canon does not make 180 degree fish eye lenses for anything other then the 5D, if this is the case then Nikon will be my easy choice as I love shooting very wide angle, can anyone confirm this?

The D5000 does not have in internal focus motor in the camera, so lenses like the Tokina 10-17 and the Nikon 10.5 can only be used in MF mode since they do not have internal focus motors in the lenses. To me this is a total deal killer for underwater wide anlge use. You can use the Tokina 10-17 Canon version with the 500D and it will get you 100-180 degrees, so this will solve your problem of Canon not making a 180 degree fisheye lens for crop sensor cameras.

Best regards,

Jim

The D5000 does not have in internal focus motor in the camera, so lenses like the Tokina 10-17 and the Nikon 10.5 can only be used in MF mode since they do not have internal focus motors in the lenses. To me this is a total deal killer for underwater wide anlge use. You can use the Tokina 10-17 Canon version with the 500D and it will get you 100-180 degrees, so this will solve your problem of Canon not making a 180 degree fisheye lens for crop sensor cameras.

 

Best regards,

 

Jim

Thanks Jim that helps big time... Also ive figured that the LV AF is not an option for either of these cameras underwater, I guess I will be going for the 500D or a Sony instead. Thanks everyone for the advice!