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Hi all. I am currently shooting with a Fujifilm S6500 fd and love my camera, its saturated colour, and crisp results. I am know looking to go DSLR as apposed to bridge, and my local camera store advised that if I want to retain similar results in terms of colour saturation and sharpness I should by Nikon.

looking on the net it appears to me as if Nikon's results are sharper and more saturated, with Canon being described as softer. However, Canon's camera's in my price range Eos 1000d or 400d appear to offer more in terms of spec, compared to a Nikon D60 for eg

Can one adjust Canon's settings to produce the same sharpness and saturation or is this a functioning of processing and lenses.

Suitably confused

Horrace

If you shoot in RAW you can do anything with your photos, and even make them look as if you used an ancient camera with the glass panels.

Saturation and such you can adjust to your hearts content in Adobe Lightroom or even Photoshop.
So for that it doesn't matter which brand you use.

Sharpness is impossible to see on the internet, unless people post the unedited full photo on the net.
But in real life there isn't much difference in sharpness between Canon, Nikon or Minolta. The top lenses are all top quality.

I think the salesman may get a provision of sales of Nikon cameras?

Horrace,

I'm learning more about my canons each year (I've got a 400D and an old 10D). I'm no expert, but nor do I rely on the little green square - ie the fully auto setting - either.

One thing I never really touched was the white balance setting, as I alsways left this to sort itself out. A professional photorgrapher showed me a few tricks to improve my pics and one of these was to adjust the white balance to suit the time of day/light conditions. You can do this by changing the settings using the small picture icons that (more or less) correspond to different light conditions. It made quite an immediate difference to the colour saturation in my pics, when shooting in the "P" (program) mode.

tony

That's just rude

Even if you shoot jpg images you can set the camera (400d) to oversaturate and sharpen. Canon uses scene parameters such as "Standard" or "Landscape" or "Neutral" and these can be tweeked in the menu to add or remove saturation etc.

Rob

Hi Horrace

Canon SLRs come with software, Digital Photo Professional, that can alter the color balance, saturation, brightness etc. etc. though Adobi Lightroom is the real Professional way to go. Differences between Canon / Nikon in these respects are really irrelevant.

The rule for SLRs is always shoot in RAW then you can make your decisions on color saturation etc. later and concentrate on getting those LIT pics. framed and focused!

It really isn’t difficult, my technophobic SO, got the hang of it after about 15 minutes, plus of course the year of trying to persuade her to have a go!

Postprocessing soon becomes part of the fun, just as the chemicals in the darkroom were in the olden days, just a lot more convenient and less smelly.

Hi Horrace
The software which you get with Nikon, Nikon Capture, is very good and all Nikon photographers i know prefer this to photoshop
While the software coming with Canon isnt all to great so all Canon photographers i know (including myself) use Photoshop.

Think that is what the salesman meant

If you are happy with the results from your S9500, you are going to be delirious with what you get from a DSLR, no matter if you take either the Canon or the Nikon.

One word of advice, tho': don't skimp on the lenses that you buy. Rather wait until you have saved enough to buy best quality. The secret to sharp pixs is hidden here... and the diffs between a top-of-the-range lense and a low-budget brand one is immense!

And a word of warning: if the bug bites you properly, it is going to be expensive! With lenses, converters, extention tubes, supports, bags, battery packs, flash cards, card readers, software and other bits and pieces one can easily blow R200K and still not have it all!

But you will be able to boast with GREAT shots!

If you need answers on any photographic questions in simple terms log onto www.perfectpictures.co.za and pose it there ,i learnt photography on this site

Hi all, thanks for all the input

After speaking to 1 or 2 of the local guys at my nearest photo shops, the consistent advice I have been given is to invest in a decent body, as well as good lenses I was leaning towards the "old" nikon D60 with a 18-55VR and 55-2000VR lens, as I preferred the look and feel of both Nikon camera and results to Canon. However, Canon did offer more bang for my buck in the form of the Eos 1000d with its similar lens package to Nikon.

Rights now I have just seen the new Nikon D5000 and am seriously considdering purchasing the camera now with its 18-55Vr kit lens, and my longer lenses at a later satge, as this is all my budgest will allow.

Only bug bear with the D5000 is weight and the fact that the LCD does not switch of when you look through the view finder .

Still searching.....

Horrace

Horrace,

All I would say is don't go off just price alone. A dSLR is a major investment and you have to be 100% happy with it. If not then you will begin to resent the camera and won't use it, thus turning it into a complete waste of money. I guess I'm trying to say is don't compromise on the things that are important to you. These things may or may not be monetary.

To me camera brand does not make that much of a difference, it all depends on which one you feel comfortable with. Me ,im on my second pentax DSLR and will never change to another brand Lenses and shooting in RAW make the most difference, there is a remarkable difference between a jpeg and RAW picture after post proccesing.

Enjoy, the best investment you will ever make