Nikon D5100 or Canon EOS 550D.


xDreamerZ

Member
May 3, 2011
98
1
6
29
Disney!
Hi I just started to take up photography as my interest.
I'm just a newbie with a budget of around 1000 bucks, so i was wondering which DSLR to buy, Nikon D5100 or Canon EOS 550D.
If i have a little bit more budget, which DSLR to buy then?
Thanks!
 

Hi I just started to take up photography as my interest.
I'm just a newbie with a budget of around 1000 bucks, so i was wondering which DSLR to buy, Nikon D5100 or Canon EOS 550D.
If i have a little bit more budget, which DSLR to buy then?
Thanks!

Are you kidding me ? D5100 is the latest Nikon model using D7000 sensor, EOS 550D 1-1.5 years old model......
 

Hmm because canon has an AF motor while Nikon doesn't have. So was wondering if Nikon d5100 would AF with other brand lenses. x/
If i have a bit more budget is it advisable to get the D7000? Whereas D5100 has the movable screen.
 

If you want a Nikon Dslr and have the budget D7000 :thumbsup:
 

Last edited:
I'll get d90...
 

Hmm because canon has an AF motor while Nikon doesn't have. So was wondering if Nikon d5100 would AF with other brand lenses. x/
If i have a bit more budget is it advisable to get the D7000? Whereas D5100 has the movable screen.

Technically speaking, Canon body DO NOT have AF motor, it's that each and every lens made for Canon modern DSLR comes with in-built motor.

On ther other hand, D5100 is like a D90 without in-built motor, commander flash and several semi-pro features that TS would not be worried about now.

To recommend D7000 might seem too much for TS, but it's really up to individual. If TS learn on a fast pace, a D5100 (or maybe even D90) might shows it's weakness compare to the better camera very soon. It was a bit of a regret not getting D300s back then. But it still a great journey travelled with my trusty D90.
 

Thanks for all your replies!
Guess i will be getting a D5100 for now and maybe upgrade in the future.
 

Technically speaking, Canon body DO NOT have AF motor, it's that each and every lens made for Canon modern DSLR comes with in-built motor.

On ther other hand, D5100 is like a D90 without in-built motor, commander flash and several semi-pro features that TS would not be worried about now.

To recommend D7000 might seem too much for TS, but it's really up to individual. If TS learn on a fast pace, a D5100 (or maybe even D90) might shows it's weakness compare to the better camera very soon. It was a bit of a regret not getting D300s back then. But it still a great journey travelled with my trusty D90.

i regretted not getting the d90 instead. was using d5000 for a year before upgrading to d300s coz i can't stand changing of settings via menu scrolling anymore n d5000 being not compatible with older AF-D lenses. the current d5100 isnt compatible with the older AF-D lenses also. to TS, this is another factor for u to consider b4 u purchase it, since AF-D lenses r cheaper than AF-S lenses with great performance comparable to the AF-S versions.(for e.g AF 50 f/1.4D vs AF-S 50 f/1.4G)

n TS, IMO, i suggest that u shld take the plunge n get the d7000 if u forsee urself outgrowing the d5100 anytime soon during ur learning journey. otherwise d5100 is the camera for u.
 

Last edited:
im going for the nikon d5100 too...buying in these few days...but i wonder if more people buy together will have discounts or more freebies?
 

Jinyuan said:
im going for the nikon d5100 too...buying in these few days...but i wonder if more people buy together will have discounts or more freebies?

Dun bet on it, unless you can do a 20 sets or more mass order. Like what happens to the D7000 a month ago.
 

i regretted not getting the d90 instead. was using d5000 for a year before upgrading to d300s coz i can't stand changing of settings via menu scrolling anymore n d5000 being not compatible with older AF-D lenses. the current d5100 isnt compatible with the older AF-D lenses also. to TS, this is another factor for u to consider b4 u purchase it, since AF-D lenses r cheaper than AF-S lenses with great performance comparable to the AF-S versions.(for e.g AF 50 f/1.4D vs AF-S 50 f/1.4G)

n TS, IMO, i suggest that u shld take the plunge n get the d7000 if u forsee urself outgrowing the d5100 anytime soon during ur learning journey. otherwise d5100 is the camera for u.

Thanks! Guess i will have to consider between the D7000 and D5100.
 

Thanks! Guess i will have to consider between the D7000 and D5100.

For me i chose to go straight to D7000 as my 1st DSLR as I know I will be staying DX (NO MONEY :( ) and wont be upgrading for the next 4yrs.

It has got more features that I want in the D7000 compare to D5000 (or 5100).

Indeed, taking the plunge into D7000 will increase the cost by nearly 2x, it will be a very gd investment if u know u will not be doing any body upgrades (ie. to FF) in the near future.
 

For me i chose to go straight to D7000 as my 1st DSLR as I know I will be staying DX (NO MONEY :( ) and wont be upgrading for the next 4yrs.

It has got more features that I want in the D7000 compare to D5000 (or 5100).

Indeed, taking the plunge into D7000 will increase the cost by nearly 2x, it will be a very gd investment if u know u will not be doing any body upgrades (ie. to FF) in the near future.

Hmm then would the HDR and the Flip out screen matter alot? And is there any other brands of camera that is a close competitor with the D7000? Also, is the controls for D5100 easy to use? Thanks!
 

Last edited:
Hmm then would the HDR and the Flip out screen matter alot? And is there any other brands of camera that is a close competitor with the D7000? Also, is the controls for D5100 easy to use? Thanks!

1. Usefulness of HDR function and flip out screen depends on yourself. I don't use the flip out screen a lot, but there are times where it made things easier (I upgraded from a D5000 to a D90 and the flip out screen is either very helpful or utterly useless depending on the shooting situation). Take note that HDR processing is better done yourself, not through the camera.
2. Other brands: Canon 60D, Pentax K-5, Sony ???
3. Ease of use depends on yourself also. I personally find the Nikons easier to use than Canons, but some prefer Canon over Nikon, some prefer Pentax, etc. Try out the various cameras and see which makes the most sense to you. For me I would go straight to the Nikon D7000 if I were to go with a Nikon system.
 

xDreamerZ said:
Hmm then would the HDR and the Flip out screen matter alot? And is there any other brands of camera that is a close competitor with the D7000? Also, is the controls for D5100 easy to use? Thanks!

HDR in D5100 is done using in-built software that merge 2 (I think) images at 2 exposures to obtain a higher dynamic range image. Search for HDR in wiki to obtain a better understanding of this term.

The flip out screen is targetted for videographer and self portrait shooters. Depends on your needs, you may or may not find it necessary.

Ease of use of DSLR is really subjective. For me I find it harder to use entry level body becos I've to dig deep into menus to change certain settings while beginners might find it overwhelming with too many buttons to ponder their uses, which confuses them. My advice is to jump straight to at semipro body (D90, D7000) at least if you really want to learn photography. If you just want a tool to take snapshots, or to look nice with a trendy "necklace", just buy an entry level body.
 

Hmm then would the HDR and the Flip out screen matter alot? And is there any other brands of camera that is a close competitor with the D7000? Also, is the controls for D5100 easy to use? Thanks!

HDR can be accomplished for any camera (Manually take different exposures + PP)..
Flip screen is sometimes useful if u're taking self portraits or take high angle shots (ie. shooting stars etc).. But to me, i dont mind bending the knees and cranking the neck to focus the camera and compose shot.

Canon has the 60D (IMO, Only better in Video and bigger buffer for burst shots) & the 7D (more FPS, more responsive, more cross-type focus points BUT increasing ur budget by 2x)
There's the Nikon D300s (more focus points, more responsive, more fps BUT also increasing ur budget)
Nt sure bout sony & pentax models..

I chose the D7000 cos it had enough buttons that i can change some often-used settings easily, Not too much to get overly confused, nor too little to be able to change settings quickly.
39 focus points + high iso performance is key too.

To me, it's just nice there in the middle, not too low not too high. Not too beginner Not too pro.
 

Last edited:
Hmm then would the HDR and the Flip out screen matter alot? And is there any other brands of camera that is a close competitor with the D7000? Also, is the controls for D5100 easy to use? Thanks!

HDR function can be fun for beginners, but like others had said, it'd be better if u do the HDR urself by doing exposure bracketing. as for the flippy tilty screen, as an ex d5000 user, i had only used it for extremely low or extremely high angles shots, but i dun do that often as i find the AF in live view mode is super slow (i dunno for d5100 tho, might be faster compared to d5000). can also be used for self-portraits n can be useful when it comes to recording videos also if u wan to hold the camera by the waist instead.

weigh out these features n see if they matter to u alot. to me, they may seem attractive at the start, but after awhile, i will get bored of them. for canon, 60D is the direct rival to the d7000. read this article for more info if u r considering these 2 bodies: http://www.digitalrev.com/en/canon-...-which-one-is-right-for-you-6460-article.html

d5100's interface is beginner-friendly, but like i mentioned earlier, u may end up like me at one point, where u cant stand changing the settings by scrolling thru the menu n crave for a higher-end body. d7000 is easy enuf for beginners to use, n also great for professionals to use it for their work.
 

Last edited:
if you intend to get 3rd party lenses(like Sigma) for nikon mount, you must note that there are some lenses that are not compatable with some nikon bodies.
 

TS if u wanna buy D5100(i am using), PM me.. maybe u can get a cheap deal from my friend shop