Another which DSLR thread?

[incisor]

Inc if you like to disagree it is your privilege.
I just going for what the Dept of Fair Trade informed to me and as a result enforced the importer of a product to honor the warranty.

but you miss the point that it is only enforceable if the importer is still in business.

in your case they were still in business, that is not always the case

with "manufacturer warranty" you can take it to any agent of the manufacturer and are not just depending on the importer that may or may not be still in business when it comes time to make a claim.

[Cap]

Check out the DWI site for camera and lenses

[300+]

I bought my camera from PC in Brisbane after they price matched a discount genuine Australian import. Whilst I didn't get grey import prices, it was quite close. Teds and Camera Warehouse didn't want to know even though I was standing there in the shop ready to buy then. They were both quite rude about it as well. So I went outside and phoned PC and did the deal on the phone.

Cheers, Steve

[drifter]

<snip>
In the case of Canon, is better because Canon repair cameras imported by grey importers.
I think that I have said before: look into the reputation of the importes and would be OK.

I use the same importer that you identified. The owner is a good guy (and prefers Nikon for himself). He has been around a long time and has never caused me any problems with warranty issues. I happen to know my 1DMK3 was sourced from Egypt - but he has not only stood by me, he has pointed me to Canon for service and, I believe, has picked up the tab for the grey import repair.

Regarding the pro forums and Nikon/Canon I have to say that in the avian forums the use of Canons is 2 to 1 to Nikon because the cost of the lens.
However because a lot of problems with Canon in the last 3 years or so a lot of Canon users are going to Nikon now.
I am not biased, the Canon lens are excellent and a package of Canon 40D with a 300mm F/4 IS lens it is awesome and the best value for dollar and quality.
I selected the D200 instead of the Canon 40D because the sealed body and a lot of problems with the software when the 40D was launched.

I own 3 Canons - the 40D, the 5D and the 1DMK3. The 40D was such a lump of crap I gave it away. I bought it from Teds and, on a tripod, it couldn't take two in-focus shots on a fixed object in a row. Canon serviced it and it was slightly better, but not good enough. They advised me that it was 'within manufacturers tolerances'. That camera is a local purchases, local warranty $1800 door stop. The other two are running as expected.

As to the OP - you choose what feels best for you. Go to a store and feel them in your hands. See if the buttons feel intuitive to you. (Most people prefer the shape and layouts of Nikons).

Once you have decided on the camera you would like, go shopping. Look online. Look at some of the others like Photo Continental. Some of them will do deals if you ask. If you choose a grey-market importer, talk with them. Look at how long they have been around. Look at the 'quality' of their operation. Ask people about them.

If you have doubts - ask. There are many people around who have 'been there, done that'.

In whatever you choose to do - good luck and let us know how it goes.

[Chucaro]

Perhaps you got a lemon with your 40D
I know few avian photographers that have excellent result with it specially the ones that coem on the 2nd year.
Having say that I like and use Nikons

[big guy]

Perhaps you got a lemon with your 40D
I know few avian photographers that have excellent result with it specially the ones that coem on the 2nd year.
Having say that I like and use Nikons

I must admit that I do not know any avian(bird) photographers and do not know their preferences but I do know they are like Land Rover owners.
That is one eyed and know their gear.

My preferred bird photography is of the non flying variety but i guess the same skill set is involved.

So, to get best equipment for above mentioned is to go to shop and have a fiddle.
See what feels right and perhaps even see what is on the 2nd hand market as at the entry price bracket its pretty basic and one will soon outgrow it.

D200's are going cheap and a good starting point I would have thought.

In all the years I have never had a single warranty issue with a SLR yet.
I had a compact Panasonic which was terrible but that is another story.

[abaddonxi]

I must admit that I do not know any avian(bird) photographers and do not know their preferences but I do know they are like Land Rover owners.
That is one eyed and know their gear.

My preferred bird photography is of the non flying variety but i guess the same skill set is involved.

So, to get best equipment for above mentioned is to go to shop and have a fiddle.
See what feels right and perhaps even see what is on the 2nd hand market as at the entry price bracket its pretty basic and one will soon outgrow it.

D200's are going cheap and a good starting point I would have thought.

In all the years I have never had a single warranty issue with a SLR yet.
I had a compact Panasonic which was terrible but that is another story.

Sorry to disagree, but I'd suggest not taking your bird photos to a camera shop and having a fiddle with the equipment.

[Cap]

Sorry to disagree, but I'd suggest not taking your bird photos to a camera shop and having a fiddle with the equipment.

Or would that be fiddling with your equipment and trying to take bird photos? Talk about zoom lenses

[ozscott]

The D5000 is an amazing bit of kit - particularly for the price. Do a LONG internet search and you will see that there is a bloke who used it professionally in Germany recently and reckons if he was starting up again rather than going the super expensive full frame Nikon he would go 2 x D5000's... There are also a host of other reviews and comparisons. Have a look at Flickr also for the Nikon D5000 user groups photos. Most reviews on dedicated photography sites put the D5000 ahead of the Canon Rebel.

The people who say Canon have better colour probably dont understand the difference in the stock settings in the 2 brands. Having used both, Canon have their saturation turned up out of the box - vibrant colour. Nikon do not - natural colour. I prefer colour in most cases - the more vibrant the better, so within a few minutes I had tuned my D5000 to higher saturation (which you can easily turn off again - its a program selection) and the colour is outstanding and better than I have seen from a Canon in the same price range.

The D5000 in low light gives the Canon Rebel a good kicking. The Canon has the edge in one area and that is video, but I am not worried about that.

The kit lenses on the D5000 are quite good especially in daylight. I just purchased a Nikor 38mm fixed and it is an amazing bit of kit.

Cheers

PS. Its a bit ford versus holden, but for me who has always had Canon, I love Nikon and their software.

[DeanoH]

..............Basic body with lens kit, and later upgrade to decent lenses.

Thanks

At the risk of paddling against the current.

Buy a decent lens that suits the type of photography you intend doing. Chucaro is right, kit lenses are generally rubbish and not good value for money at all. You will soon be disappointed with their limitations if you buy one and will ultimately leave it in the cupboard when you upgrade. Spend the bulk of your money on a decent lens and couple it with an obsolete second hand camera. You will still have a quality setup, just a bit outdated in the body. There's no point putting a crap lens on a good camera as you will not get the benefit of the good body.
If it were my $1K, I'd go for a Nikon D70 with an AF-S DX VR Nikkor 18-200mm f/3.5~5.6G IF-ED lens and upgrade the body when I'd reached the limitations of the camera. If you don't need this much zoom go for a AF-S Nikkor 18-70mm f/3.5~4.5G ED which is an excellent lens and far superior to the usual kit lens offerings. You could probably get this with a D80 for your $1K. The point I'm making is to spend the bulk of your money on the lens and upgrade the body later, not the other way round.
The D5000 is a real good camera and quite highly regarded. The D3100 is a brand new model to supercede the D3000 and should be a heap better as the D3000 is not Nikons finest and best left alone.
My two bobs worth.

Deano