Need Help Deciding On A SLR.

[ljqing]

Hello everyone, I know that there are already tons of D80 Vs 400D threads out there but I guess I'll still need to ask you guys a few questions before I go out and buy my first SLR.

I am looking to buy either the D80 or the 400D(bodies only), but I'm torn between some issues which I really hope that you guys can take your time off to enlighten me =) :

1) I prefer the grip and handling of the D80, but due to the price difference of the 400D and D80, I figured I could buy the 400D with the hand grip to match the handling of the D80. (Went to try out both cameras and the 400D alone is too small to be uncomfortable for me)

2) I prefer the interface, viewfinder of the D80.

3) I read reviews from www.dpreview.com and found out that the 400D performs better at higher ISO's and to my noobish understanding ISO is required for dim light situations or I could get a good lens which can perform in dark settings but that would really costs a bomb right?

I need the camera to work in my church settings, not the standard bright light church settings but the church I come from has rather a dark atmosphere and funky lights =) (Concert that type of lighting)

What I would ask is that is the review from dpreview applicable to real life settings? Or is it way too stringent for me to bother? I'm looking to print up to A3 at a maximum. Should I really bother with the performance at high ISO's like 800 and 1600? If ISO at 800/1600 doesnt really matter much I'll settle for the D80, if not I'll settle for the 400D.

And also I would like to ask is F3.5 onwards enough for dim light settings? Or I'll need to settle on those 1.8 and below primes or those expensive F2.8 zooms??

Budget Around $2000, dont need to buy flash. And already have a good tripod and lots of SD/CF cards.


I thank everyone in advance for replying =)

 

[aaron80]

400D and D80 are both good cameras with their own strengths. I will guess u already done most of ur research on websites. 400D image quality is slightly better and sharper than D80 and noise performance is definitely better than D80. D80 wins in the handling department. With the additional batt grip on the 400D, the handling will not be inferior to D80 liao(plus u can shoot portraits easier too).. From your post, I can see u are leaning more to D80 and I guess most ppl here will advice u to get D80 as well. But I feel 400D is a much better value camera than D80. Image quality-wise, its slightly better too. I feel thats the most impt point. In the end, its up to ur personal preference. For me, I will go for the one which offers the best compromise in performance and price. Anyway I am not biased against Nikon, I am a Nikon-user myself..

 

[ortega]

try them both and decide with your eyes and hands

basically which do you prefer using?
no point buying a camera that you don't feel comfortable using

 

[lightning]

Personally I hate the 400D's design of having the LCD to display the photo as well as the camera status all in one LCD. Just had a friend who sold of his 400D after one week.

If you really want low noise at high ISO, go with the 350D (if you want it cheap). Else D80 will be a better choice. D80 is still small to me, so a grip will be really helpful.

If you can pay a bit more, try the 20D or even the 10D (very good handling and cheap).

Canon DSLR(except the 1 series) can meter and focus at -0.5Ev. Very good for low light as in a church setting.

 

[hanafi]

Read this

 

[DeSwitch]

haha....if to decide on these 2, my choice is the D80. i just took 1 look at the 400D without touching the cam and it put me off right away at Comex. the grip is even too small for my 6 yr old son to hold.


On theother hand i love the D80 and had been playing with my Nephews cam. love at first sight.

Noise can be rescued with photoshop to an extend. just like Ortega said...go and try out both the cam and decide for yrself. Noone know better than yourself what exactly that you want.

a 2nd hand 20D might be a better choice...esp its so cheap now..