Olympus e500 or Nikon d60

[virginia_carden]

I am pretty new slr cameras. But would like a good one i can take good shots

with. I will be shooting mostly portraits and some nature shots. Pretend i am

an idiot please. The more input the better!

 

Thank You

[richsimmons]

Either one will do, but the E-500 is now a couple of years old. The D60 is the new entry level model for Nikon. You can also look into the K200 from Pentax, the Canon XSI Rebel or even the Sony A200. They're all around the same price.

 

Start here for a comparision and read, read, read all the reviews you can. But get down to a reputable camera shop and hold them in your hands.

 

http://www.dpreview.com/reviews/compare_post.asp?method=sidebyside&cameras=canon_eos450d%2Cnikon_d60%2Coly_e510%2Coly_e420%2Cpentax_k200d&show=all

[ambers-photos]

I use Olympus and would in my opinion i would go with the Nikon for the simple reason of a larger selection of lenses i love my Olympus and if you went that way i would go 420 or 510

 

Amber

[michael j hoffman]

Like Amber said, check into the Olympus E-420. I have a copious selection of Canon equipment, but the size and capabilities of the E-420 appealed to me, and I don't regret my purchase one bit. Its hard to purchase a really awful camera from any of the top manufacturers. Good luck, and good shooting, whatever you choose!

 

Michael J Hoffman

[seismiccwave]

The D60 is more versatile as a whole. You have more lens choices although not all

will have AF that works with the D60.

 

The e420 is extremely small and light weight but there are limitations with the

camera.

 

Low light focusing is a bit hard with the Olympus but super easy with the D60.

 

The sensor is slightly bigger in the D60 and Canon XSi but smaller in the Olympus.

 

The e500 is two generations old. Olympus already has the e510 and the e520. The

D60 is brand new and so is the Canon XSi.

[luisarguelles]

Virginia, try the Oly 420. Also, if you want to learn photography, buy the 420 with the

prime lens Zuiko 25mm f/2.8. Why?: </p>

1. Not being a zoom lens it would force you to look for better composition in your

images. You'll discover that is no better zoom than your own legs. </p>

2. You will love the size and weight of the 420/25mm f/2.8. Remember that the better

camera is not the one with more bells and whistles, but the one that is with you

everytime and everywhere.

[glenbarrington]

I have an E500 and I love it. It is still a viable camera and produces superb results. But I wouldn't recommend buying it unless you are offered a VERY good price (Say, less than $300 US for the body alone, and say, $75 each for the kit lenses).

 

Why? The newer Oly models have moved on and addressed some of its shortcomings. It's a little weak in low light/high iso situations. But if you rarely go higher than iso 400 (and few really do despite what they say), it is still a most capable camera. But newer models address that issue, and it's better to have that feature and not need it, than to need it and not have it.

 

But. . . if the price is right, and you never shot high speed film anyway, it is worth considering.

[rcmphotography]

I recently purchased an Evolt500, and I have to say that as being a 'newbie' to the DSLR revolution, it has everything I need to get going. I didn't want to spend lots of money for a digital camera that I knew nothing about. I did my research, looked at all of the different models and all of the options they offered. I found that the Olympus offered what I wanted for a fair price. This is not to say it will be my sole camera for everything I shoot, but it is a great starter camera.

[jessica_hankins]

I have an e500 and I liked it so well that I bought one for my mother too. I do find the low light problem annoying, though I worked around it with the FL-50 flash. Even still I have been considering upgrading to a 510 for awhile now and I might jump to the 520 instead since they are relatively close in cost