Nikon D40 vs. Olympus E-420???

Question

Which one would you go for? What are the up's and down's of each? btw, I'm an amateur photographer and I would like to get a dslr camera for $500 or less, since it would be my first if I bought one. Or maybe you know of another brand of camera that is within this price range...

Also, if you can, please give me some review sites on these 2 cameras

Answer 1

I go with Canon. You have the Rebel family Rebel XT, XTi and XSi could fall in this price range. I ordered them in order of their cost. You also have to factor in the price of lenses. Some packages come with lenses and some don't. The other cost is also a memory card but that is minor.

Good reviews at http://www.dpreview.com

Update:

Actually most of the photos on my site are with the Rebel XT and it being lightweight/plastic didn't have an effect on performance. The fact that it is light is sometimes a plus during long shoots.

visit my site at http://www.elarabiphotography.com

Answer 2

Nikon D40

http://www.stuffadvisor.com/item/B000KJQ...

Olympus E-420

http://www.stuffadvisor.com/item/B0015AS...

Answer 3

I had an Olympus E-300 and recently upgraded to the E-510. I like Olympus, the quality is great. Olympus uses the 4/3 standard for their cameras along with Fuji and a few others. The great thing is Olympus lenses were designed digital and you can get a full range of lenses and accessories. Because the sensor is a bit smaller, the cameras are smaller and lighter. That makes carrying them easier, especially on those long days. I initially chose Olympus because of the reputation and pricing. Olympus tends to be a better value.

Rather than the E-420, go for the E-510, then you get image stabilization in the camera body. That means the IS works with any lens you put on the camera, not just a few expensive lenses.

The older Olympus DSLR's had issues with noise at higher ISO levels (ISO 800 and above). That has been solved and they compare against Nikon and Canon now.  The Olympus lenses can be a little more expensive. I find the kit lens is great for most of my shooting and the 45-150mm lens I bought later covers everything else.

Be aware, the D40 can only auto focus with certain lenses. Any lenses you buy would become more expensive. Check out some reviews at dpreview.com. It's a great resource.