I was thinking to buy a entry level DSLR (Digital single-lens reflex) camera a years ago. Now is the time to get one. After I had reviewed several DSLR cameras at several websites and forums, I have shortlisted two good and affordable one. They are the Canon EOS 400D and Nikon D40X.
The one on the left is Canon EOS 400D and another one is Nikon D40X.
Below are the pros and cons for both cameras (from dpreview.com)
Canon EOS 400D
PROS
- Excellent resolution, lots of detail, not a leap from eight megapixels, but certainly from six
- Good color with selectable PictureStyles for different subject types
- Good dynamic range (more than peers) with soft roll-off of highlights
- ‘Integrated Cleaning System’ designed to keep dust at bay
- Widest range of image parameter adjustments among its peers
- Low noise throughout the sensitivity range, noise reduction maintains detail well
- Good in-camera image processing, resolution advantage shooting RAW is slight
- Larger, brighter and more detailed LCD monitor
- Re-designed user interface a great improvement over the EOS 350D
- On-screen setting adjustment (ISO, WB, etc.) surprisingly quick and easy to use
- Updated nine point AF system, proved fast, accurate and still good in low light
- Very fast off to shot time (virtually instant), slightly slower if you want to read screen
- Numerous small bug fixes improve usability
- Magnification available in record review (although requires two button press)
- Small and light but hand grip is still too small, can be uncomfortable for large hands
- Excellent supplied software bundle, two RAW conversion options
- Remote capture software included for computer controlled shooting
- Unique JUMP mode in playback (by date, 10 or 100 images)
- Value for money
CONS
- Kit lens disappointing, better to buy body only and spend more on a good lens
- Sporadic continuous shooting once buffer is full
- Occasional under-exposure issue with Evaluative metering
- Average automatic white balance performance, still very poor under incandescent light
- ISO, WB, Metering mode etc. not displayed on viewfinder status bar during change
- Flash must be raised for AF assist
- No Kelvin white balance selection in-camera
- No spot metering
- No mass storage device USB driver, poor WIA transfer rates (and awkward to use)
- Opening the CF compartment door shuts camera down, loses any buffered images
- Small viewfinder view
Nikon D40X
PROS
- Resolution and sharpness on par with the best of the current ten megapixel bunch
- A demonstrable resolution gain at lower sensitivities, less obvious at ISO 800 and 1600
- Surprisingly good build quality, tight shut lines
- Very compact and lightweight (especially with kit lens) yet still comfortable to use
- Kit lens is better quality than many others
- Great in-use performance, very responsive, short black-out time, very fast media write
- Good fast auto focus system (only 3 areas but that’s not a big issue for this camera)
- Auto-focus assist lamp rather than requiring flash to be raised
- Reliable, sophisticated, if sometimes a little conservative matrix metering system
- For a Pentamirror the viewfinder delivers a surprisingly bright image
- Extremely useful, customizable automatic sensitivity (ISO)
- Easy to use playback / delete combination
- All playback functions available in record review
- Very attractive and intuitive menu system
- Unlimited 3 fps continuous shooting in JPEG mode (with a reasonably fast card)
- Good SD card throughput and USB 2.0 transfer speed
- In-camera retouching features including D-Lighting and Red-eye reduction
- Support for SD and SDHC cards
- Good large LCD monitor with wide viewing angles
- Dedicated help button provides both shooting and in-menu assistance
- Programmable Fn hard button
- Value for money
CONS
- No lens motor in body means non-AF-S/AF-I lenses are manual focus only
- Disappointingly RAW+JPEG setting only records Basic quality JPEG’s
- No status LCD panel on top of camera (we hate to see these go)
- No exposure or white balance bracketing
- No hard buttons (without customizing) for ISO or White Balance
- No depth-of-field preview
- Occasional visibility of moire artifacts (although seldom)
- Fixed exposure steps (1/3 EV)
- Disappointing automatic white balance performance in incandescent light
- No RAW adjustment with supplied PictureProject, only simple conversion
- Limited image parameter adjustment (especially for color saturation)
Finally, Canon EOS 400D is my final choice. The reasons I chose Canon EOS 400D is
- Nikon D40X does not have built-in motor in body. Therefore only lens with motor can be used for auto-focus. And also “in my opinion” lens with built-in motor will be much more expensive than lens without motor.
- Wide variety of available lens .
- Auto dust-cleaning system in Canon EOS 400D.
- Canon 400D’s design looks better to me.
- Although kit lens for Nikon D40x is much better than Canon EOS 400D’s but I think Canon EOS 400D kit lens is not too bad for a beginner who start learning to operate DSLR camera. Thus I can accept that.
“Selangor Photographers”, a camera shop at Wisma Pertama, quoted me the Canon EOS 400D for RM2450, which I think is quite cheap. And I’m going to get it very soon :)
Also, thanks to yuanhui‘s bf for his generous comments on the cameras.
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