By lou ciorra

27 June 2007

CAMERA STATISTICS:

The NIKON D200 list price $1800.00 (Moderately Priced) features a 10.2 megapixel CCD CENSOR, a 2.5" LCD, can shoot at a sustained 5 frames per second for up to 37 frames, and can take up to 1800 shots per charge.

The Canon 5D At a list price of $3,300 (expensive) 12.8 MP CMOS sensor is more than a very nice camera. Canon is a pioneer in full size digital sensors and is currently the only company producing cameras with them. So if any company is going to lead the way to full size sensors for less than highest-end professional cameras, it's Canon.

Nikon has introduced a number of very fine digital SLRs, but none of them have full size sensors.

I have been a fan of Canon for the longest time. For as far back as i can remember my family and close relatives have sworn by them. I have a few Canon Manual focus cameras that had taken the most vibrant color photographs and still own them to this day.

Usually when I'm at a shoot i have 2 cameras around my neck. I have the Nikon D70 (digital) and the Canon EOS 3000 (film). Most people like to ridicule me cause of the 2 different brands that I use. I have been confused on which optics are better and which software is better and which image sensor is better.

My first digital camera was a Nikon D70. I figured at the time in 2004 when it was new that it would be a great start off camera for the digital world. Plus it was awarded the Gold seal from D.I.W.A. (Digital Imaging Websites Association) Once i started to snap pics away, I fell in love with this camera and its capabilities. 6 Mega Pixels in my hand. That meant alot to me at the time cause I wanted the best overall image and quality that I can get.

So here I am 4 years later and still using this wonderful little camera. I have had alot of fun with this camera. I have never dropped it before, but came close a few times. the camera has never been to the beach or out in the rain, so if i ran into some instances where the camera started to act up then i would know its wouldnt be from neglect.

Recently I have had some bugs with the software. The camera just decides to shut off from time to time and sometimes the Fstop locks up on me and sometimes when doing multiple exposures i find that the camera shutter is not accurate when it comes to continuous shots. Some of the shots are high in color such as magenta when Im outdoorsw and when using a Hot synch flash indoors I notice the images are really noisy; correction Very Noisy.

I went over to the Nikon website to study F.A.Q.'s to see if other photographers had the same problems as me. Alot of what is on there is usually positive responses, I guess they dont like the negativity exposed on their site.

So here I am confused of the lifetime expectancy of my Nikon D70. I know i have surpassed its capabilities of what it has to offer but I have a Canon F4 from the 1970's and it still works remarkably till this day. I know for a fact that I have dropped that one plenty of times and it still works like a gem.

So maybe digital is only good for a few things and the Manual focus film cameras no matter what type are still better and cannot be replaced, you just cant beat the realiability image quality of a older manual focus camera.

Alot of people would say well its all in the glass. People have asked what kind of lenses do i use, and honestly i have rented them all to see if it was me or am i Just plain crazy.

I have a Holga that I play with and I have taken some really remarkable shots with that camera and that camera has a plastic lense. So I'm starting to believe that its not the lense or the optics, It might play a certain role in the outcome but I'm not big believer in the optics as for being what it takes to do a great shot. I just want the image to come out the way I see it with my own eyes.

So now I am frustrated and I go to my local camera shop to see if the higher end model of Nikon is any better and how does it compare to the competition. I needed to know what was what and what performs better.

So I was testing out the Nikon D200. A step in the right direction in my eyes cause it would have to be; its their top model in manual mode and great for continuous shots. (So they Say)...

I explained the problems i was having to the camera technician and was wondering if he can tell me his personal opinion on what he felt was the better buy Canon or Nikon. I told him I usually shoot Retro 50's Pin Up Style Models for the record.

Now since i had purchased Studio Strobes i have noticed that alot of my images come out really noisy even at 200ISO which is the lowest setting ISO on my camera.

We looked at 2 model cameras. And we did a noise test and I couldnt even believe what I found out as far as actual visual proof.

We used a Nikon D200 and A Canon 5D.

The technician zoomed in on a backpack which was only 3.5 feet away with a 100MM zoom lense @100 ISO on the Nikon 200 and the Image was a bit Grainy and Noisy. I would have figured that with a camera with such a reputation that it would have been a bit less grainy.

SO

We set up the same kind of lense on the Canon 5D and did the same exact shot as the Nikon D200 and but we did it at a higher ISO to see if the CMOS Censor on the Canon would be better than the CDD chip

on the Nikon.

The Nikon D200 was at 100 I.S.O. but when we did the shot of the Canon 5D we shot it at 600 I.S.O. What we found was, that the image results of the Canon 5D had absolutely NO grain or Noise in the image and was still very sharp. How can that Be? We were at a ISO that I would never dream of shooting on my D70 cause of the amount of Noise that I would get, But when we did the shot on the D200 there was grain, We actually used the image preview zoom at 400% to see the comparison and the image

I guess the CCD Sensors In Nikon Cameras are not what they are dreamed up to be. Yeah the Nikon D200 offers 5 F.P.S. @ 10.2 Mega Pixels But who needs that except for Tabloid Photographers. Im not a Papparazzi, and have no intentions on being one.

The Nikon D200 Would be A little More Affordable as far as overhead expenses, but who cares it's a write off on our taxes, So spending more money on a camera would only make sense for the image quality and for the write off. So i might have to go with the Canon end of it.

But I also came upon the Canon Rebel XTI and It has a newly designed 10.1 Megapixel Canon CMOS sensor, plus a host of new features including a 2.5-inch LCD monitor, the exclusive EOS Integrated Cleaning System featuring a Self Cleaning Sensor using Sonic Technology to vibrate off the dust and hairs that might stick to the sensor, all in a lightweight, ergonomic body. The Digital Rebel XTi is proof positive that Canon continues to lead the way with their phenomenal digital SLRs.

So for the Affordable, clean images with out the 5 F.P.S. i gues Im either getting this model or the european version EOS 400D Which is the same camera except in ameraica we call it the Rebel XTI and In europe they call it the EOS 400D.

But if anyone reading this wants to buy the REBEL Make sure your buying the EOS Rebel XTI and not the XT or X. There is a huge difference!!! So beware.

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