Camera Labs

Hi i'm new to this forum.

I'm currently looking to buy my first DSLR.
I've already read a topic in the Nikon forum about someone who wanted to buy either a nikon d80 or eos 30d.

Now I have the same problem.

So Gordon Laing answered that he thought that that person would be better of with a Nikon d80 than with the 30d.

I'm still hesitating between the two camera's.
I want the camera with the best image quality.
I think that you can't see which is an 8 mp image and which is a 10 mp one.
And more pixels on the sensor = more noise.

But on the other hand the 30d is more expensive than the d80.

So I really don't know what to do.
At first I leaned to canon because I wanted to buy the EF 70-200 mm f/4 L
lens later on but maybe Nikon or Sigma has a good alternative for this lens.

This is going to be my first DSLR but on long terms I want to upgrade to a professional camera with professional lenses. Now my opinion is that Canon has better high end camera's than Nikon so maybe that's also a good reason to go for canon.

But if it's really worth it , i'm prepared to pay the extra money and go for the 30d. Maybe you could also do a video tour ?

As you can see I have a lot of questions.

Please help me out !

Bart

p.s. : Sorry for my bad English , I'm from Belgium.

Hi Bart, welcome to the Camerlabs forums!

I think we've covered most of the 30D vs D80 stuff in that thread in the Nikon forum. Bob makes a great point about choosing a body based on the lenses you'll want now and in the future. So if you have your heart set on a Canon lens, get a Canon body.

But if you're not bothered about specific lenses, then the D80 beats the 30D for general use - unless you need 5fps shooting and a PC Sync port for external studio lighting.

As for Pro cameras, both Nikon and Canon have great models - BUT and it's a big BUT Canon's Pro DSLRs have full-frame sensors which won't work with EF-S lenses. So if you're buying now with a Canon Pro body in mind for the future, it's best to buy EF lenses only, and if possible L ones as well, as a Pro body will really show up cheaper optics.

That said, if you do go for the 30D and need a wide angle general purpose lens, you'll almost certainly be getting an EF-S model. But if you think you might go Pro sooner rather than later, I'd say don't get anything pricier than the 18-55mm EF-S kit lens for the 30D, as the pricier EF-S alternatives won't work on the Pro body.

You should also think about the Nikon D200 as it's a great camera right now and sufficiently 'Pro' for all but the highest-end photographers. It could be good enough for you now and save you splashing out on a higher-end model in the future... just a thought!

Gordon

So what you're saying is that (if you leave out the lens factor) the d80 has a better image quality and lower noise levels than the 30d ???

Bart

I have the same doubt. I can't decide between d80 or 30d. Even because I can find these cameras for almost the same price. I found in nyc after rebate a canon 30d for just 50 dollars more than nikon d80.

Hi guys, the D80 can slightly out-resolve the 30D, but they handle noise slightly differently. If you check our reviews at the links below, you'll see the D80 appears to have less visible noise, but it does apply a little more noise reduction.

http://www.cameralabs.com/reviews/NikonD80/page4c.shtml

http://www.cameralabs.com/reviews/Canon30D/page4c.shtml

To be honest, you're unlikely to notice one being more or less detailed or noisy than the other though in real life.

So choose the one you want based on look, feel, price and features, along with support for specific lenses.

Between them, I'd personally go for the D80 unless I had my heart set on a Canon lens or if I needed 5fps shooting or a PC Sync socket.

Gordon

Hi ,

I compared the noise results between the d80 and the 30d at low iso's the results look the same but according to me the 30d has much lesser noise than the d80 at high iso speeds , especially at 3200 iso.

Gordon , you said the d80 makes use of noise reduction. Does this go at the cost of the level of detail in the image ?

Bart

Bart, there's a little smearing on the D80 through NR, but honestly, you'd barely notice it unless you spend all day peering at crops at 100%.

But you have to judge for yourself - have a look at the D80 Gallery on the review and see what you think.

Gordon