Digital SLR's for Birding

[David Stowe Photography <>]

Hi Peter
I am a Canon man myself as I am confident they give a more natural colour reproduction than Nikon in the digital SLR’s. As a budget model the EOS 350D would be a good buy as it is 8MP and also has a reasonable frame rate (frames per second) which means less shutter lag than previous models. I’m pretty sure they have “enthusiasts kits” that include a couple of lenses too. Check out www.canon.com.au although ignore their RRP. You can usually do a lot better shopping around of course.
If you can afford a 20D it is a great camera but depending on your needs might stretch the budget needlessly. It is more robust, more fps, metal lens mount, etc. For amateur use the 350D would be fine.
Another small advantage of the 350D or 20D over the Nikon in birding terms is that the lens conversion factor (due to sensor size being smaller than 35mm film) is 1.6x in the Canon and 1.5X with the Nikon. This means that for telephoto lenses (bird shots) you actually get a slightly longer lens. Eg a 300mm lens becomes equivalent to a 480mm. 
Having said all this the best thing is go and hold each camera yourself and see which one feels better for you. Certainly the D70 has got very good reviews from Nikon users I know.
Cheers
David Stowe

PS – I have no vested interest in Canon besides being a loyal user for over 15 years.


On 28/10/05 8:20 AM, "Peter Johnson (ITD)" <> wrote:

> I know there have been a number of threads in this forum in the past in relation to cameras for birding, but things change so quickly these days..... I wish to upgrade from a compact to Digital SLR. I have come across a package comprising a  Nikon D70 with 18-200mm zoom and tripod bundle for under $2000. Does anybody have any advice on such?
>  
> cheers
>  
> peter