28 replies to this topic

[Rocha]

Here in Ohio (and elsewhere in the U.S.) the Canon Rebel XTi was selling at Best Buy stores last Friday, 9/1!!!!

www.dpreview.com had real live people shooting and posting photos the whole weekend. This considering Canon announced their new camera AFTER Nikon announced the D80.

Now you are picking on Nikon , the D80 was in stores on 9/5, what is a 5 day difference?

...Sigma 15mm Fisheye (or Canon 15mm and Nikon 16mm) make wide shooting a draw no matter which brand you go with.

The Nikon 10.5 is the tie breaker!

As previously stated, Buy it (whatever IT is for you), Learn it and go make Images

dhaas

Completely agree!

[herbko]

The Nikon 10.5 is the tie breaker!

I agree with that one.
However, I think Canon has the advantage with macro lenses with USM 100mm and 60mm.

[JackConnick]

You guys are awfully good at spending my money...

Jack

[herbko]

You guys are awfully good at spending my money...

Jack

Helping others spend money is one of my favorite things to do.

[dhaas]

Jack,

Yes, we all can recommend how to wear the numbers off your credit card

Rocha, I'm not picking on Nikon. My first dSLR was a Nikon D100, used it for a year or more and enjoyed using my lenses since I had Nikon N90s and N80 film cameras prior to that. I was very torn when I switched back to Canon EOS in 2003 (I was a Canon EOS shooter in 1990 -1992) So I have used both over the years....

The Nikon 10.5mm Fisheye is s spectacular lens but takes quite a bit of practice to use it well. I only know a few photographers (our own Dr. Mustard is one) who can make the 10.5mm Fisheye lens look like a "normal" very wide lens. Then move the camera a bit and voila', the Fisheye look reappears in his images! For most, a 15mm or 16mm Fisheye from Nikon or Canon or Sigma will be fine....Geez Louise, the Sigma focuses to 5.9" !!!!

I think people should read the reviews and make up their own mind. In the end very, very few of us will be hadicapped by the equipment. Maybe not traveling, shooting and practicing enough, but certainly not the gear....

YMMV

dhaas

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[SilvioMarchena]

were out for a "Boy's Night" having a burger and a beer. We were debating how can Nikon announce their new camera first, then Canon ship theirs earlier (?????)

Boy's Night out for burgers and beers and you guys talk about------------------cameras

Am I *that* much of an anachronism for believing Boy's Night with beer and burgers is for talking about, with little or no sensitivity, women and sports

[SilvioMarchena]

The Nikon 10.5mm Fisheye is s spectacular lens but takes quite a bit of practice to use it well.

The 10.5 is a very forgiving lens and it requires no more special technigue than did the rectilinear Nikon 14mm on film. With any wide lens you have to learn how to shoot it to either employ the visual eccentricities or to eliminate them. I don't find the 10.5 to be any different in use than any other fisheye I have used in the past. To me it is an easier lens to use than the 13 on my RS, which really did require special attention on the edges for CFWA use. The DX eliminates a lot of that right of the bat. This is one reason the lens is so perfect for the Nikon DSLRs. Some day I am going to have to put it on an F100 and shoot some film through it, just to see how the edges of the lens are.

But in my view it is the best wide WA lens being used underwater on DSLRs at this point in time.

[dhaas]

Manaul,

Good one about the "Boy's Night Out for Burgers and beer" and what on earth? We're talking about cameras? (!!!!!!!!) Since since I am the only one married in the group, I go for the camera talk, of course

Yes, I agree the Nikon 10.5mm on a Nikon DX sensor dSLR is a new and bettter tool. I just wanted to make the point that one lens shouldn't be the sole reason anyone chooses Nikon or Canon.

dhaas

[JackConnick]

OK, now I'm confused.

First off, every piece of dive gear I own seems to be on the fritz. My Fuji E900 started mis-focusing and now way over-exposing, so back for warranty repair - at least there's a place in town, but they are a month backed up, hopefully will get back before my next long-weekend trip up to Canada in Oct.

My drysuit suddenly sprang a leak in the arm, I'm hoping it's only the valve. And my regs are due for servicing.

Then my Oceanic dive computer died. Tried 2 new batteries to no avail. It's 6 years old and has like 450 dives on it, but the guys at UW Sports are sending it back and will see what they can do about getting me a refurb or something. Needless to say that has a big part of my camera budget tied up.

What the heck did I do??

OK, when in doubt go to the camera store.

They got their xTi's in as well as having a D80 demo. So I could sort of A-B them.

There's a lot to like in both. The D80 viewfinder is just huge, a nod to build-quality. It's bigger and heavier, didn't think 1/2 a pound would matter. On second try the D80's grip isn't that much bigger than my hand, although the xTi is almost a bit too small; it feels better because of it's size and weight. I also liked the top display on the D80, very nice if you were to have it mounted on a tripod. The zoom/pan control on shot images is very easy to use.

Nods to the xTi for 3 user modes, very useful UW, and I liked it's display better, although both are pretty damn nice coming from the itsy-bitsy Fuji. The xTi's viewfinder is pretty nice really, and for some reason seemed brighter, but that could be the difference in lenses.

Wow, tough choices, but until I see what's happening on my dive computer, I'm going to have to keep drooling.

Camera-less in Seattle,
Jack