Hunting for a Digital SLR

The new year resurfaced an old itch of mine- to own a Digital SLR. I spent a few days going from "I don't really need a DSLR as I have a film SLR and a good digital camera" to "which would be the better DSLR to buy". I put the idea to Sheetal, confident that she will throw the proposal out of the window given that it is easily costs 35K+ (INR). But she pulled a fast one on me by readily agreeing to it, setting the ball rolling on a month of research, ego trips, guilt and finally joy!

I primarily enjoy taking these photos:

1. Photos of Ilisa, my 20 month old daughter in her various moods and activities- close ups, portraits, whatever I can get. Some of these are from up close, while a fair number are from far away so that I don't spoil the moment :P
2. Nature photos, especially landscapes with lots of blue sky
3. Creatures of flight- birds, butterflies...
4. All delicacies prepared by Sheetal

Based on the above, I came with the following requirements:

1. Telephoto lens for 1 and 3, with image stabilization to minimize shake
2. Wide-angle lens for 2
3. Excellent colour reproduction in outdoor shots
4. Good low light capability to ensure good portraits at home under fluorescent/ incandescent lighting
5. Good depth of field and sufficient control over aperture etc for 4.

Being a victim of brand loyalty, I restricted my research to Nikon (we own a 35mm Nikon SLR N75 and two Nikkor lenses) and Canon (we own a Canon Powershot G2 and iXUS 850IS). I shortlisted 3 cameras - Nikon D40x, Canon XTi and Nikon D80 (in ascending order of cost), all of which met my requirements quite easily and are known to produce pictures of high quality. The differentiating factor between them for me would either be cost, or advanced features I am only likely to use sometime in the future (as and when I follow up my age old plans to learn photography).

• Nikon D40x. This lower end DSLR from Nikon received good reviews for its fit and finish and its picture quality. However, it does not contain an auto focus motor in the body, requiring us to buy lenses with in built motors for auto focus. Since I am not yet into manual focus for every photo, this ruled out the usage of my N75 lenses (which turned out to a moot point eventually). It also makes all prime lenses unusable on the camera. The lack of a LCD panel on the top also meant that we need to use the LCD monitor even for setting up the photo (and subsequently reduces battery life). And finally, it doesn't feature a depth of field preview, making it more difficult to understand apertures while taking the photos. Reviews: @dpreview @dcresource

• Canon Digital Rebel XTi /EOS 400D. This is the default choice for anyone buying a DSLR and justifiably so. It is very well featured, is smaller and lighter than the two Nikon models (good for a small and relatively frail person like me) and comes at a very good price point. The inbuilt dust removal system is also a great feature for people like me who might get messy when changing lenses. The negatives I could find were a lack of spot metering support, poor kit lens, CF memory card as against SD I use in my other camera, not so great battery life and an inferior fit & finish and viewfinder to the Nikon models. Reviews: @dpreview @dcresource

• Nikon D80. This is a top of the list for entry level DSLRs for most reviewers, and the only negative keeping it from the default choice is the price point- it costs a good 300$ more than the XTi. In terms of features, it has a reputation for great usability, excellent photo quality, brilliant view finder, solid fit and finish and body construction, instant power on time & on to shot time, very fast autofocus even in low light, excellent continuous shooting mode, very short viewfinder blackout when clicking, great LCD screen to go with the backlit LCD info display, SD support, great battery life and all the advanced controls I would ever need. Reviews: @dpreview @dcresource

As expected, the list of negatives keep getting shorter as the price goes up. Given that this is not a purchase I am likely to make every few years, it came down to a straight fight between the XTi and the D80. I took the fact that I had Nikon lenses already out of the equation once I realized that it would be difficult to sell the N75 without lenses, and also that it is perhaps better to buy newer lenses designed for the digital cameras.

The XTi vs the D80 seems to be a common dilemma for a lot of people and the conclusion was more or less the same across the board - D80 is better, XTi is cheaper, both are good but buy D80 if you can afford it. We found the review at Cnet particularly useful. I was initially inclined towards the following XTi configuration as it offers the best value for money in my perspective:

• Canon EOS Digital Rebel XTi/ EOS400D ($600.60 for 1+2)
• EF-S 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6 USM lens (the default kit lens). I considered the new IS variant of the same lens, but dropped it considering the effective 100$ additional cost as the new lens is not yet available as a kit. ($0)
• EF-S 50 f/1.8 lens ($70.75)
• EF-S 55-200 f/4.5-5.6 USM lens. I was initially considering the EF-S 75-300 f/4-5.6 lens, but then thought that the coverage of 55-75 is more likely to get used than the telephoto from 200-300. ($209.90)

However, Sheetal intervened here and put her foot down to make me realize that once we are spending so much, value for money is not really in the picture. This is a splurge, and might as well splurge on the thing you like the most. It is just not worth the risk of having the thought at the back of the mind that you bought a "compromise" camera after paying 35K!

So it was that I finally listened to my heart/ego over my mind and ordered the following:

• Nikon D80 10.2MP Digital SLR Camera Kit with 18-55mm ED II AF-S DX Zoom-Nikkor Lens ($869.88)
• 2) Nikon 55-200mm f/4-5.6G ED IF AF-S DX VR Zoom Nikkor Lens ($219.95)

I got my D80 in hand last week, and I can testify that it is an awesome camera. I am enjoying every photo I take, and fully agree with the reviewers on all the good things that they have called out about the D80. I have already forgotten the cost differential as well- so the decision taken seems right in hindsight too :).

-Phani