Which one?? Nikon d5000 or Canon 500d ??? Any views and comments will be greatly appreciated!!!! Thanks.

Which one?? Nikon d5000 or Canon 500d ??? Any views and comments will be greatly appreciated!!!! Thanks.

Image quality on both is excellent. THe Nikon feels a lot more solid and better put together and I much prefer its ergonomics, but this is subjective.

The D5000 will not AF on older non AF-S lenses, which may be an issue for you. The only dividing line I would draw between the two is the way they handle - so go to a shop and hold them and buy whichever feels the best to hold.

Both are good cameras. Depends what you want. Another suggestion for you to think about is that you can pick up an EOS 40d for a similar price to the 500d now. The 40d is a semi pro camera, and in terms of build quality, performance (eg 6.5 fps speed) it is a step above the 500d. I had a 1000d and the jump up to the 40d was significant. The 40d doesn't have video, so if you want that, my idea is no help. If you want the best quality DSLR for the money, I'd take the 40d over either of the two entry level models.

The 40D's ergonomics are miles miles better than the 500d. I really hate how canon's entry level cameras handle.

As far as IQ goes, I'm not sure which would be better between the 40D and D5000; the D5000 is newer technology. If you're open to second hand then the D200 is also an option, and if you can stretch to it a 5D mark I blows away all competition seeing as they go for about £600 used.

I would vote for neither and get the Nikon D90, which I did faced with the same decision. However as others have said you need to try them:
a) pick a sunny day and armed with an SD card go to a friendly camera shop.
b) Use the 500D, D5000 and D90 taking images (most probably jpegs unless you can handle the RAW files at home) making sure you know you are being consistent in colour space (sRGB/AdobeRGB) and take a video clip. Important - take a movie with the latest Canon G series. When taking the video clips, pan, with moving objects in the frame, cars or whatever. Say you want to compare the DSLRs to a high end compact.
c) On your computer at home, view the images. Hopefully you know how to handle the RAW files if you have the software, otherwise stick to the jpegs. if you have Photoshop (elements is OK) update your adobe RAW so it supports these new cameras; which will need a newish version of PS. Or, download MS Photo Gallery which reads my D90 RAW files OK and it is colour managed (so it can handle AdobeRGB). Don't know if it supports the 500D.
d) Look at the images: look at the colour, shadows, sense of light, skin tone accuracy, etc Do the colours shine in the daylight? Do the images look natural yet colourful? Do not factor in sharpness, vignetting and distortion - this is down to the lenses and they are all different, and sharpness/vignetting could be down to your lack of familiarity with the lens, use of aperture etc.
e) Now look at the movies and compare them to the G series.
f) factor all this in with your impressions of the cameras - build, handling, secure grip, buttons in the right place, etc

If you've got this far you have done what I did - except I already have Canon G series video clips...as I own one.

Prediction: if like me you are about to buy Nikon, maybe the D90. Or possibly you'll buy a G series after all if that movie mode was so important! Sub-£1000 DSLR video clips are in their infancy - you are better off with a video camera or good compact. So buy your DSLR based on the still image quality, colour accuracy, luminosity etc coupled with handling, build, etc

If you are into image editing and you buy Nikon, consider trying to get Capture NX2 bundled (I did - or pretty close). Otherwise Adobe RAW, View NX (with Nikon cameras), Microsoft Photo Gallery, other Adobe applications, or Mac equivalents all offer various features to handle either Canon or Nikon RAW files with more or less editing/organisational functionality. Generally Canon gives you more software.
Now buy.
Enjoy!
ps - as a courtesy check the camera store's website for your purchase and see if they are competitive, or if possible select a store that has a website with good prices. if you feel the support and advice is particularly good then perhaps preferentially buy from them. Your call. I have done this, and the staff in the shop I use point me to their own website were some of their prices are very good (even cheapest). I don't feel guilty for combining high street advice with on-line buying in this situation. One thing I have learnt is that there is little advantage post-sales in either avenue of purchase and I have had direct experience of using such services.

both are good but if you can afford it go for the nikon d90 i did and cant fault i have some shots on a site called trek lens under the name of luckybry if you want to see what it can do
bryan j

@P. Ward: "Look at the images: look at the colour, shadows, sense of light, skin tone accuracy, etc Do the colours shine in the daylight? Do the images look natural yet colourful? Do not factor in sharpness, vignetting and distortion - this is down to the lenses and they are all different, and sharpness/vignetting could be down to your lack of familiarity with the lens, use of aperture etc."

Color, contrast and so on are also affected by the lens and by the conversion settings. You can't compare cameras on these things unless you really, really know what you're doing, and the differences will be small.

There is little point recommending the D90. If the OP had £650 to spend then yes, but the price of the D5000 is £180 less. The D90 is not £180 better in terms of image quality, functionally yes, image quality, no.

The obvious answer has been given. Go and hold Nikon, Canon, Sony, Pentax and Olympus. Get the one that feels right in your hands, has plenty of dedicated buttons and dials in the right places and a menu system that you like. They are ALL excellent cameras, don't limit yourself to Nikon and Canon just because the fan-boys say they are best.

If the camera doesn't feel right, then you will not take it out with you. Forget brand it is irrelevant.

I having been dealing with the same question for the past couple of weeks. Last week I took the plunge and bought the D5000. I did heaps and heaps of research, and it really does come down to your own personal preference. You'll get great pictures from both. I bought the Nikon over the canon because it felt alot nicer in my hands, and felt a little more high quality. I am still learning how to get the most from it, but it's a great camera and I don't regret my decision at all. Good luck with yours!

Another factor to consider is which brand do you want to stay with long term... later on you may want to upgrade your camera, but not necessarily any lenses you have.

There are plenty of lenses available for the major brands, more than an average dSLR user would ever want or could afford!

I got the Nikon D5000 for my birthday last month - LOVE IT - totally recommend it with no hesitation!

The answer is a lot simpler than you may think - Go out & try them both to find out which one sits in your hand the best, not forgetting to hold both in portrait mode - Simples! If still undecided, Canon have the biggest choice of lenses, usually slightly lighter & cheaper, whereas Nikon get marginally better reviews, are heavier, slightly more expensive with a lesser range. Nikon's kit lenses are generally better than Canon's! I would still go with which one feels the best though!

Little to choose really as they are both OK for the price. I prefer Canon as I own a 5D Mk11 but I wouldn't pooh pooh Nikon either. It's a question of which one feels right in your hands. Compare the specifications to see if one offers something that the other doesn,t then ask yourself "Do I really need that?" and then check the prices. Which one is best value for you. Choosing isn't that hard once youv'e had a good look at them. It's worth checking out the prices of accessories too, like additional lenses, cases, spare batteries, flash,etc. That might help sway you a little. Cheers!

I also had the same dilemma and eventually bought the Nikon for no reason other than the fact that I preferred the look of it, plus it was £40 cheaper which meant I could get a bag, memory card as well for the same price as the Canon. Very happy with it, my only issue would be that the screen quality is not that good compared to what I have seen (the Canon has 4 times as many pixels). I knew that and bought it anyway as I figured it was not that important as you use a viewfinder anyway, and only use the screen for a quick review afterwards. The Camera really feels designed for someone who wants a little help from the camera in terms of getting the right setting for a particular subject (it even has an Autumn leaves setting). The pictures taken so far are so far superior to what I thought where really good pictures from my old Canon compact.

I had exactly this dilema but after many conversation with many "experts", helpful shop staff, website companies and then just trying the cameras I have now ended up with a Sony Alpha 350 which does everything I wish to do and has interchangeable lenses from other manufacturers. I ended up spending as much money, but getting extra lens, bag, card, lens filters etc for the same price as the kit D5000 or 500D... just another viewpoint and everyone's opinion is only right for them. At our photography club there is no "better" pictures being taken by the 2 main brand names...

I would look at a wider sample than just the 'big two' - you can often get more value for money with other brands, and image quality differences between most major brands are negligible. So by all means look at the 500D and D5000, but it might be worth checking out the Sony Alpha 350, Olympus E-620 and an equivalent Pentax. And if you can, try them in-store to see how you like the ergonomics and handling.

I'd almost promote handling and usability above image quality. The weakest point for any photo is probably the user so having a camera where you can easily see and adjust all your settings without trawling through menus will probably make you take better photos. Either of those cameras are capable of producing fantastic images in the right hands. See which one you prefer when you go to a shop and have a fiddle!

As people have stated both very good, however i personally prefer the d5000, it is slightly heavier (mainly down to the vr lens) however feels more solid and confortable, i also like the idea of the tilt and swivel screen, for if you are in a crowd of people or just wish to protect it. also with the 500d the hide the live view feature well into the depth of the menu, which is a pain initially but a very minor gripe. I can guarntee (that i can not spell) you will not be dissopainted with either of them. I hope my views help your decision, as a none biast view (as i own all pentax gear, but work in jessops). good luck

Without a doubt Canon for me every time.I have used Canon SLR and DSLR for all my photography over the last 40 years and to me the Canon is a superior product.
Also the After sales on Canon is absolutely superb if anything should go wrong the service centres are a pleasure to deal with.In one instance I accidently dropped my camera and on enquiring with Canon about repair costs was asked to return the camera to the service centre and then received atelephone call saying the work would be done Free of Charge as from my description of the accident the camera should not have suffered the damage also the camera was cleaned and latest upgrades installed.As one of the other people suggest look at the EOS40D for the price a fabulous camera although a bit aged now it is a superb piece of kit.Whatever you buy hope you enjoy your photography.

hi there i have a canon 400d i know its not the model your question relates to but i really love mine its fantastic, canon have everything right with their design and superb quality! nikon might be good but canon are better. but i agree with the comments above as you do need to see what they feel like, comfort and weight wise as some bodies can be to heavy for a smaller hand. hope this helps

You can get a Canon 50D for circa £700; absolutely superb semi-pro camera...

I've got a 50D and agree with the above point entirely. If you are looking at spending money on an entry level DSLR can I suggest you look on eBay for used examples of the Canon 40D and the Nikon equivalent. I'd strongly recommend going that route. Don't buy it unless it has the box - keeping the box is a strong indicator of how the owner treats their gear. Alternatively consider hiring one or the other for a weekend and taking LOTS of pictures. As to the two cameras themselves - it doesn't really matter which one you go for. Except Canon are a lot better ;-D

I am a botanist looking for advice. going to my field-trip soon to take some photo of my tiny plants with tiny flowers. any advice for which cheap camera and macro lens with good quality pictures. sony or canon and which macro lens for good quality pictures. Thanks a million, can't wait for your advice.
Faddit

Just to correct something here - Live View on the 500D has a dedicated button on the back of the camera and is not "hid well into the depth of the menu" at all.