Canon, Nikon, Canon, Nikon, Canon, Nikon....

Warning:  Long post ahead with several tangents... read at your own risk!

So - for starters, I recently came to the conclusion that I want NEED a DSLR camera.  Why, you ask?  Because if you know me, you'd know that I am obsessed with taking pictures.  Obsessed really doesn't even begin to describe it.  My camera (currently a Canon Powershot SD600) is on me at all times.  I feel naked without it.  It's my baby.  It took me a while to jump onto the digital camera bandwagon.  I was old school for the longest time with a regular Canon Elph until I realized that with a digital, I would have instant gratification and the ability to see the photo right away and decide to delete or keep.  However, I'm not going to lie, there was something special about dropping off a roll of film to be developed and looking through the pictures for the first time when you picked them up, not remembering some things you took pictures of.  But, I digress.....

My first experience with the digital world was actually with a Sony Mavica - a state of the art electronic device that weighed about 10 lbs, took a full floppy disk to store pictures on, and cost well over $500 (at the time).... and my mom and I purchased this for my dad back around 1999.  The quality of photos definitely left something to be desired and I swore I would always remain faithful to my Olympus Stylus 35mm camera (up until it started leaking light and I dumped it like a bad habit - and switched to the Canon Elph).  Several years later, we heard that digital cameras had really come a long way, and bit the bullet again and bought my dad a Sony Cybershot 7.2 megapixel camera for Christmas - also costing upwards of $500.  MUCH improvement over the Mavica though, and he still uses it today. 

Warning: Tangent.
When I was younger, I was infatuated with airplanes and one of my favorite things to do was to go to the Ft. Lauderdale/Hollywood International Airport on Sundays with my Dad and watch the planes take off and land.  Obviously, this was way back before all that Homeland Security crap, when the road around the airport was open for you to just park your car and sit on airport property and watch the planes.  Somehow, my love of airplanes, translated into a huge hobby for my dad.  He began to photograph planes and kept detailed records of them, subscribed to airliner books, magazines, etc. and has even sold some of his photographs to different publications.  Anyway - the reason we made these digital camera purchases for him was because he used to store all of his photos on slides.... and just trying to look through them was a mission - you needed a lightbox and a magnifier - so the logical solution was for him to switch to digital - instant gratification, remember? 

My own personal first introduction with owning a digital camera came on my birthday in 2006.  My boyfriend bought me a red Canon Powershot SD30.  It was super tiny, took the prettiest outdoor pictures, and became the love of my life.  It traveled to St. Martin with me in October of 2006 and really took beautiful photos.  Then, at my best friend's wedding in early November, its life ended - after only 4 short months.  SOMEONE (I won't name names), dropped the camera while it was on and we got the dreaded E18 error and that was the end of it.  After Thanksgiving we purchased my current Canon Powershot SD600 that I still use. 

Fast forward to today, and I NEED to own a Digital SLR.  I originally had my heart set on the Canon EOS Rebel XS.  Now, I'm not so sure. 

Warning: Tangent.
I'm a tense person.  I'm always on edge - and half the time, I can't even tell you why.  I over-research every decision in my life, and I over-analyze almost everything.  We took a family trip to Italy over a year ago, and my boyfriend and I were taking the train to Rome and Venice on our own and I was in charge of booking all of our hotels and deciding which trains to take etc.  (Naturally, I was in charge because I have a problem letting others make important decisions too).  I'd never been to Rome, so I had no clue where to even start.  For WEEKS, I researched, read books, studied maps, joined TripAdvisor to read reviews, participate in forums, etc.  It became almost like an obsession.  I had dreams about it..... I was incredibly stressed over it.  Sidenote - if anybody needs any information on Rome or Venice - let me know!  Eventually, I made a decision and we had a fabulous trip and everything was fine, but knowing now what I know from actually doing it, I would choose differently if I were to go back.  Hindsight is always 20/20. 

Okay, where was I?  Oh yes - over-analyze.  SO - after I made the decision about the DSLR I wanted, I saw an ad for Target running a sale on a Nikon D3000 - same level of camera as the Rebel XS, better price, and it came with 2 lenses.  Let me just say - for someone who wants to drop a bit of money on a good camera, I really know nothing about what I am puchasing.  Aperture, white balance.... huh?  No clue.  I just want a camera that has fancy lenses and takes pretty pictures.  It's also no help that my dad's years and years of photographs were all taken with his aresnol of Nikon cameras and lenses....... and I usually trust my dad's judgement on EVERYTHING.  He's always favored Nikon - a fact that has caused me huge amounts of distress since I've always favored Canons.  I've also found in my research between Nikon and Canon that there are people that either LOVE Nikon or they LOVE Canon.  So I have a big decision to make.  I know that with these cameras, I am "marrying" a lens kit more than "buying" an actual camera.  The body can be replaced - the lenses are what will last (if you take care of them).  And also - DAMN - lenses are expensive as hell!!!!!!  So yes - it would be nice to get a camera that came with more than one!

Dilema....... now I was forced to start my over-analyzing of all things Canon and Nikon.  What started as a study of the Canon EOS Rebel XS and the Nikon D3000 quickly turned into an upgrade to the Canon EOS Rebel XSi and the Nikon D5000 too - because, well, why not?  Here are the facts from my professional research: There are things called "bundles" that almost all retailers sell which include the cameras, and some lenses.  The Nikon bundle I was looking at also threw in a Nikon camera bag and SD memory card.  If you know me, you know I like getting stuff for "free" - or what I consider "free."  Camera bag = big plus!  The Nikon also came with 2 lenses - 18-55mm VR and the 55-200mm VR.  I can't tell you exactly what the VR stands for, but it's important because the lenses that say VR on them are $50 more than the ones that don't - so of course, that's the one I want need.  That bundle is for the D3000 and cost $649.99.  Also, Ashton Kutcher seems to be having a really good time with both the D3000 and the D5000 in all the commercials.  Here's where it starts getting complicated.  Little did I know, most DSLRs don't have live view.  WHAT?  Every cheap point and shoot camera has it, why wouldn't a DSLR?  Apparently it has something to do with - well I don't even know - but just know that the Nikon D3000 doesn't have it at all.  The cameras that do have it turn off the viewfinder when it's in use.  Also, most entry-level DSLRs don't have video recording.  WHAT?  Every cheap point and shoot camera has that feature too.  I know!  The Nikon D5000 has both - and costs more as a result.  (Hense the reason it got thrown into the mix!)  Now, regarding the Canon EOS Rebel XS - supposedly it has live view, although when I was at Comp USA, I couldn't figure out how to turn it on and the asshole next to me was hogging the salesman's time and I am not a patient person.  So - that camera has a bundle that includes the 18-55mm IS lens (IS stands for Image Stabilization - similar to whatever the VR is for Nikon), and also includes the EF 75-300mm lens (not IS - which of course, I want need).  That bundle is $669.99.  Now, the Rebel XSi has more megapixels, the 18-55mm IS and 55-250mm IS lenses, an an SD memory card for $749.99.  No camera bag though (bummer). 

Decisons, decisions..... so I did what any distraught-over-analyzing-tense-uneducated-consumer would do.... I went to the store and played with them.  I'm not going to lie, the Nikons felt a little more substantial in my hands.  And while I enjoyed the live view feature on the D5000, I felt like I could break the swivel screen or that somehow it would cause me problems down the line.  So that one was out.  I liked the way it looked when I put my eye up to the viewfinder in the Nikons - I did have a slight perference there...... SLIGHT.  Like I said, I couldn't figure out how to work the live view on the Canon XS, but I did figure it out on the XSi - and to be honest, I prefered to look through the viewfinder - so that also became a non-issue for me.  This is where the Canon one-upped the Nikon in my opinion:  it felt faster.  It focused faster (or so it seemed) and it felt like the picture shot off faster.  I LIKEY.  There is nothing I hate more than when the shutter lags.  I miss the best pictures that way.  So I think.... *THINK* that I am going to go with the Canon EOS Rebel XSi.  What started out as a $500 purchase, somehow quickly turned into a $750 purchase.  Of course, I'll also need to get a camera bag, so figure another $50 or so - give or take. 

Moral of the story - there is no clear cut "better brand" when it comes to Canon or Nikon.  The only way to make a decision like this is to scrutinize and over-analyze every single detail like I did.  Just kidding.  But that being said, I am going to take a break from all the researching, bite the bullet, and hopefully soon be posting pictures that I take with my new camera!