Which DSLR?

[cbelt3]

The first question nobody asked yet is... do you already own any SLR AF Lenses from a film camera ? The brand of lenses (if they're any good) may drive your camera choice. If no, then play with them until you choose the one you like. Unless you're a Pro / ProSumer, the specs are semi-irrelevant. Most of us just want to take pictures of stuff we see and have it look kinda normal. If you're looking to do unusual things, THEN go for the specs / features.

[pRICE cUBE]

I own a bunch of Canon and Nikon and I can tell you that the lenses are fine. Canon has some lenses that are sharper, Nikon has some that are sharper. I have yet to have a client that can discern any difference nor complain that my images were not sharp.

Nikon may make a nice 14-24mm but you can't put a filter on it. I prefer to use my Canon 16-35mm 2.8 II over my Nikon 17-35mm 2.8

[Kiva]

vision63 wrote:
If you got staggeringly drunk and picked the camera you threw up on, you'll be very happy with it. 2 great products.

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

pRICE has been helping me with this same choice...

I am going to go Canon, as I have no current Nikon lenses. I think this quote sums it up though

[pRICE cUBE]

Kiva wrote:
[quote=vision63]
If you got staggeringly drunk and picked the camera you threw up on, you'll be very happy with it. 2 great products.

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

pRICE has been helping me with this same choice...

I am going to go Canon, as I have no current Nikon lenses. I think this quote sums it up though

I am thinking about a D5000 so I can use it with a 10.5mm fisheye. No AF but I like the reticulating LCD. I have some outdoor activities coming up including a 15 mile hike, may end up with a T1i and 18-200mm so I don't have to end up hauling a hd camcorder along. Discussions decisions.

[Billybob]

marksomebodyelse wrote:
Thanks for all the info. I will need to buy a wide angle lens to take pictures of the interiors of hoses I have listed. Does this make a big difference in my choices. I do not want to spend a grand on a wide angle lens.

The kit lenses that comes with both cameras, 18-55mm, I believe, are fairly wide.

If you need to go wider, I recommend the Tokina 11-16mm f/2.8. It's about $600-$650 (even less with Bing cashback), and it is phenomenally sharp. It comes in both Canon and Nikon mounts.

If you don't trust third party lenses, or the range on this one is too narrow, I'd recommend the Canon 10-22mm. It's about $100 more. The Nikon versions are not as wide and cost more money.

I opted for the Canon lens because I irrationally shy away from third-party lenses.

Go to Photozone.de to read about the tradeoffs between these lenses.

Good luck!

[pRICE cUBE]

3rd party lens makers have come a long way. The tokina mentioned above is a better value than what canon And nikon make that perform better and cost less. I wouldn't hesitate to use it for client work.

[Grateful11]

New York, NY (PRWEB) November 27, 2009

Pentax K-7 Voted Readers’ Choice Camera 2009 by Adorama Learning Center Readers

http://www.imaging-resource.com/NEWS/1259398838.html

[Mac1337]

While you are at it take a look here too

[pRICE cUBE]

Grateful11 wrote:
New York, NY (PRWEB) November 27, 2009

Pentax K-7 Voted Readers’ Choice Camera 2009 by Adorama Learning Center Readers

http://www.imaging-resource.com/NEWS/1259398838.html

While I commend the efforts of Pentax with the K7, it is $1300 for the body alone.

[Don Kiyoti]

B&H has the K7 body for $1084 before a sort-of rebate ($100 Visa card). Still probably more than the OP wants to spend. He might consider a K-x with 18-55mm and 50-200mm lenses for $720, or the same but with the 55-300mm zoom for $750.

For the OP's wide angle needs, I really, really like the Pentax 12-24mm ƒ4 ($720). The Tokina version of this lens is available for Canon and Nikon. Pentax also has 14mm and 15mm primes.