Nikon and Canon—eternally locked in battle—do each other good by keeping product quality neck and neck. But in the newest entry-level DSLR shootout, if there has to be a winner, it's Canon's Rebel T1i.
I'm not trying to be all namby pamby, like "Oh, you're each so special in your own ways, it's so hard to choose!" but I can't stress enough how solid both the Nikon D5000 and the Canon Rebel T1i are. For the price—$850 for the D5000, $900 for the T1i, both including beginner-level 18-55mm lenses—either one will work fine, whether you're a beginner looking to learn about photography, or a veteran with investment in a few lenses but not enough cash for a step-up Nikon D90 or D700, or a Canon 5D Mark II. (I highlighted their spec differences here.)
In fact, the differences between the D5000 and the T1i tend to be more about button layout and interface design than picture-taking ability. If you basically know what you're doing, you can take essentially the same picture with either camera, except in certain situations mentioned below.
I'm not trying to be all namby pamby, like "Oh, you're each so special in your own ways, it's so hard to choose!" but I can't stress enough how solid both the Nikon D5000 and the Canon Rebel T1i are. For the price—$850 for the D5000, $900 for the T1i, both including beginner-level 18-55mm lenses—either one will work fine, whether you're a beginner looking to learn about photography, or a veteran with investment in a few lenses but not enough cash for a step-up Nikon D90 or D700, or a Canon 5D Mark II. (I highlighted their spec differences here.)
In fact, the differences between the D5000 and the T1i tend to be more about button layout and interface design than picture-taking ability. If you basically know what you're doing, you can take essentially the same picture with either camera, except in certain situations mentioned below.
HandlingLike I said, there are differences in interface. Unlike fancier DSLRs, both have single dials on the right-hand side, and both have just one large full-color LCD screen for managing settings, setting up shots and reviewing them later. The Canon's is a little bigger with a lot more resolution, which makes a big benefit when you're shooting video or focusing in Live View, but is otherwise irrelevant.
In interface design, however, the better design goes to Nikon. As you can see below, the organization of information on the screen is much more palatable and less arbitrary. Nikon users who are used to having the second LCD screen up top for basic info—plus specialized buttons—can quickly learn a new behavior, getting all information on the big LCD, using the "i" info button for making most quick setting tweaks.
The Canon interface is similar to previous Rebels, and is pretty durn fugly, and the extra buttons only help in some cases where they are clearly labeled. (And even when the buttons are clearly labeled, there are some hidden functions—hitting the ISO button while shooting video will lock the auto exposure, for instance.)
In Summary
Nikon D5000
- Great all-around entry-level DSLR camera
- Well-designed user interface; more friendly to beginner photographers
- Vari-angle LCD rendered less effective by slow auto-focus in Live View
- Can't autofocus during video shooting
- High ISO settings have more noise
- Canon T1i Great all-around entry-level DSLR camera
- Live View autofocus technique is fast and effective, and you can also auto-focus while shooting video
- Less noise at high ISO, better automatic-shooting results
- Interface can be confusing to new photographers
- Autofocus in video mode is noisy (as in "audibly annoying") and slow, so it's a better perk than the Nikon but not a hands-down win
Canon T1i
- Great all-around entry-level DSLR camera
- Live View autofocus technique is fast and effective, and you can also auto-focus while shooting video
- Less noise at high ISO, better automatic-shooting results
- Interface can be confusing to new photographers
- Autofocus in video mode is noisy (as in "audibly annoying") and slow, so it's a better perk than the Nikon but not a hands-down win
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