Nikon D 90 or Cannon T1i

[Dane]

So I am looking into getting my first every Digital SLR. Hopefully when the prices come down...I'm able to get the Cannon for $729 plus tax, and the D 90 for in the $800's. Both new. Which would everyone prefer and why? I've never played with a D90 before, but have used Nikons in the past (the D40's), I've used my friends Cannon T1i, and the pictures it takes at night time with no changes to the settings other then I think the nighttime are sooo crisp and clear. The feature "Vivid blues and greens" is awesome too.

I'd like to do some time lapse stuff as well, but unsure if the Cannon has it, I know the D 90 does for sure. I like how the Cannon has Full HD, while the Nikon doesn't....I wouldn't really use it, but it would be nice to have it if I would ever need it.

Anyone have any pros vs cons for both cameras?

[CCRATA]

Their both good cameras so go with whichever's interface you prefer. With DSLR's you are going to end up investing a lot in lenses so make sure you like the interface because once you pick a brand (Canon vs Nikon) it will be an extremely costly proposition to switch.

I have the Canon XSi and love it, as well as the 50mm F1.4 and 70-300IS Lenses. Never really used the T1i but assume its probably pretty similar.

-Matt

EDIT:

Here's a decent site for camera reviews. They do comparison shots and a bunch of other tests you may find useful

http://www.dpreview.com/

[Dane]

Their both good cameras so go with whichever's interface you prefer. With DSLR's you are going to end up investing a lot in lenses so make sure you like the interface because once you pick a brand (Canon vs Nikon) it will be an extremely costly proposition to switch.

I have the Canon XSi and love it, as well as the 50mm F1.4 and 70-300IS Lenses. Never really used the T1i but assume its probably pretty similar.

-Matt

EDIT:

Here's a decent site for camera reviews. They do comparison shots and a bunch of other tests you may find useful

http://www.dpreview.com/

Thanks for that link. I also considered the XSI as well. It seems like a good camera as well. The XSI doesn't have that automatic cleaner does it?

[sask]

I can only really give you advice about the D90. It's a great camera. However, when considering the purchase, don't worry about features like "sensor cleaning" and "HD video". They are gimick features and have nothing to do with actually taking photos.

[Dane]

I can only really give you advice about the D90. It's a great camera. However, when considering the purchase, don't worry about features like "sensor cleaning" and "HD video". They are gimick features and have nothing to do with actually taking photos.

What features should I worry about? I've never bought one before, only messed around with them and worked with a D40 and played with the Cannon a few times.

I want one I can take great night pictures with, whether it be long exposure or what, good time lapse feature. Easy to use, and will last for years.

[crazzy88ss]

A self cleaning sensor is hugely important. My D50's sensor was horridly dirty. But my D90, with the self cleaning feature, is still perfect, over a year later.

"I want one I can take great night pictures with, whether it be long exposure or what, good time lapse feature. Easy to use, and will last for years. "

Both will do that identically well. Just go to a store and try one out and see which you like the most.

[Andre]

You should rather ask yourself what glass you would spend your money on in the long run.

[S a i f]

over the long run I think you're better of with T1 simply because it has faster accessibility to some basic settings such as white balance and ISO..etc. but D90 has two strong features over T1, a faster continuous shooting (4.5 compared to 3.4 on T1) and geo-tagging

[noroom]

You should rather ask yourself what glass you would spend your money on in the long run.

This is the single most important piece of advice in this thread, I can't believe it came so late.

When you get your first DSLR, you shouldn't just look at the models within your price range, but look at the entire lineup, especially lenses and flashes. While Nikon and Canon are priced very similarly, once you buy into a brand, it'll be very hard to leave if you've bought other lenses and accessories.

Personally? I'd go with Canon (I have a 50D). I just love their GUIs. But if you plan to do a lot of nighttime photography, you should look at high ISO shots of both cameras (@dpreview.com) and decide based upon that. Also, I believe the D90 has a flash master function, to get an off-camera flash to fire without it being attached to the camera (given a line-of-sight).

[Dane]

For lenses, I would stick with the stock lens for awhile. then go to a bigger zoom lens

[mDagar]

I think, more importantly than what interface you prefer, you should go out and actually handle the cameras in question, and see which camera feels better in your hands.

For me, one of the deciding factors was that the Nikon D50 (which is pretty close in size to the D90) felt better in my hands than any of the Canons that were in the same price range. My buddy and my sister both have the XTI (which is pretty much the same size as the XSI, which is pretty much the same size as the T1I, but correct me if I'm wrong...) and the grip is TOO SMALL. My hand feels cramped when holding the camera. I couldn't imagine shooting long days with a camera that felt too small. And I don't have large hands, I have pretty average hand, as far as size goes.

Try not getting into lens lust/upgrading to the latest gear. Just shoot, make photos, and enjoy the camera that you buy.

[HawkMan]

over the long run I think you're better of with T1 simply because it has faster accessibility to some basic settings such as white balance and ISO..etc. but D90 has two strong features over T1, a faster continuous shooting (4.5 compared to 3.4 on T1) and geo-tagging

umm. are you sure you're talking about the D90 and not somethign like the 40 or 60 ?

how much faster than holding the iso or WB button on the back of the camera and turning the wheel can it get ?

Oh and Nikon seems to frequently (almost permanently) have campaigns where you get a free battery grip when you buy a D90. and the Battery grip can be immensely useful, not only for the battery (I still only have one...) shooting portrait style a lot easier.

[Dane]

I think, more importantly than what interface you prefer, you should go out and actually handle the cameras in question, and see which camera feels better in your hands.

For me, one of the deciding factors was that the Nikon D50 (which is pretty close in size to the D90) felt better in my hands than any of the Canons that were in the same price range. My buddy and my sister both have the XTI (which is pretty much the same size as the XSI, which is pretty much the same size as the T1I, but correct me if I'm wrong...) and the grip is TOO SMALL. My hand feels cramped when holding the camera. I couldn't imagine shooting long days with a camera that felt too small. And I don't have large hands, I have pretty average hand, as far as size goes.

Try not getting into lens lust/upgrading to the latest gear. Just shoot, make photos, and enjoy the camera that you buy.

Inded, Yeah I've played with the T1i, not the D90 i'll have to check it out. Even a XSI isnt too bad i would think (never played with that one).

[zivan56]

Keep in mind the lens is the main issue when doing night photography. For best results, you need to buy a prime lens (no zoom). Canon has the 50mm 1.8 for dirt cheap (~$100)...and the 50mm 1.4 for ~$400...not sure what Nikon offers (or 3rd party manufacturers). So as had been said many times, look at the selection of lenses before deciding on a body.

[Argote]

Isn't the T1i more like a D5000 while the D90 is a higher end camera?

[crazzy88ss]

over the long run I think you're better of with T1 simply because it has faster accessibility to some basic settings such as white balance and ISO..etc.

Uhh... have you ever seen a D90? It has dedicated BUTTONS for ISO/white balance... not sure how you can get any faster than that.

Keep in mind the lens is the main issue when doing night photography. For best results, you need to buy a prime lens (no zoom). Canon has the 50mm 1.8 for dirt cheap (~$100)...and the 50mm 1.4 for ~$400...not sure what Nikon offers (or 3rd party manufacturers). So as had been said many times, look at the selection of lenses before deciding on a body.

nikon has both of those lenses for basically identical prices.

[a1ien]

Gezz, how do you make a non-random decision on this one? Canon or Nikon? If you start getting lenses well, then you're committed with the platform.

For example, crazzy mentioned the d90's cleaning system... well the t1i has that too

I for one inherited some EF lenses from the family so they chose a system for me... But really you'd think one could make a better decision than which one "feels better" in the store.

Are the systems so close to each other that this is not possible, or might one be better than the other depending on the person's needs?

[OOOOOOOO]

Have a look at what my girlfriend does with a D40 :)

She's pretty good if you ask me :p A lot better than some of the more expensive 'pro' photographer's you find out there.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/perriebelle

[mDagar]

If somebody is looking to get their first DSLR, and they don't have any people around them that they can inherit some lens' from, I think the best (maybe not the best word to use here) thing to do it just jump in head first and JUST PICK one system or the other. That is what I did, and I have not looked back.

You CAN'T go wrong when picking Nikon or Canon.

People will tend to steer you towards the system they use. You're going to get high praise from both sides. I think that might make it even harder to choose. The people you would want to talk with are the people that have switched from one system to the other.

You're going to be able to find pretty similar lens' on both sides of the fence. Though, Nikons tend to be more expensive.

My vote goes to Nikon. I think that their Auto Focus is better and the Flash system is also better.

[lawtai]

I agree that you can't go wrong with either Nikon or Canon. However, as a Nikon D90 user myself, I'd have to suggest the D90 over the T1i.

When I was first trying to decide, one big thing that helped was holding the cameras to see how they felt. To me, the Nikon felt sturdier than the Canon camera. Also, the buttons seemed more intuitive to me than they did on the Canon. This may not be true for everyone, so definitely go try and get a hold of both cameras.

[jonhapimp]

doesn't the t1i compete with the d5000 not the d90

[lawtai]

yea, I think you're right about that.

[Argote]

doesn't the t1i compete with the d5000 not the d90

That is exactly what I said. The D90 is a higher end camera than the T1i, period.

[jonhapimp]

thought so go for the D90

[CCRATA]

thought so go for the D90

its not as simple as that. Even now given said choice I would still go canon. I simply like their interface and menu-systems better. I'm sure I could learn to use Nikons and eventually get familiar, but why bother. Pick a system that you find the easiest to work with and go with that. You won't be disappointed with either body. And yes as I stated Lenses make the DSLR, so make sure you pick the system you are comfortable working with since you will be stuck with it for a long time to come.