Nikon D40 or D60

[The Fox]

I think Canon holds the record for pissing off customers with their 1D MKIII AF problem!

And then there is the high failure rate on the new 5D MKII:

http://www.luminous-landscape.com/essays/antarctica-2009-worked.shtml

Well, the 1D AF issue was something that could hit any camera. Canon fixed the issue and people are just nit picking the issue more now.
The article has been discussed many time and every time those are still not controlled situations and outside Canon's rating for the camera use. There was also a 80-400mm nikkor that fell apart.
http://photography-on-the.net/forum/showthread.php?t=645696

Anyways, Nikon still has problems on the D300, out of the 3 I have used the AF response is horrible. Too much lag for me when shooting sports. That and I sent my old F5 to Nikon with the older 80-200mm F2.8 because it would crash the camera when I pressed the DOF preview button. It did it only on this lens, and it was one of the only lenses I used besides the 50mm F1.8. Sent it to them 4 times and every time it came back in just as broken as before. I said screw this and got a used canon EOS-3, and it is much better then the Nikon every was. I just had bad problems as of late with the Nikon gear that I use, but the D3 is one hell of a camera. Nikon has lost a customer and will never be able to make it up unless they give me one of everything they make, then maybe.
Nick

 

[Bob Ayers]

Well, the 1D AF issue was something that could hit any camera. Canon fixed the issue and people are just nit picking the issue more now.
The article has been discussed many time and every time those are still not controlled situations and outside Canon's rating for the camera use.

Yes, any manufacturer can have an AF problem like the 1D MKIII has. However, what pissed Canon customers off was how Canon handled the problem. The problem was first found by Ron Galbraith on a pre-production model of the 1D MKIII, and he described the problem as "The AF is broke".
Canon totally ignored Ron, went into production with a known defective camera, which Ron verified still had the AF problem.

Here is the entire article:

http://www.robgalbraith.com/bins/multi_page.asp?cid=7-8740-9068





And here is the latest (as of August 2008), as you can see the AF performance still isn't there under certain conditions:


Q. After more than a year, three firmware updates and a hardware fix, does the Canon EOS-1D Mark III now offer reliable AI Servo autofocus? How about the EOS-1Ds Mark III?

Both of Canon's current 1-series models now deliver acceptably stable and accurate autofocus of subjects that are stationary or whose distance to the camera is changing fairly slowly. With the lenses we own, from wide angle to supertelephoto, we have no significant complaints about the EOS-1D Mark III with firmware v1.2.3 and EOS-1Ds Mark III with firmware v1.1.2 when photographing things that are static or moving slowly. Are these camera reliable for shooting things that mostly hold still? In our experience, yes.

(It should be noted that we've had a number of complaints about static focus consistency with these cameras and the new firmware from owners of the EF 50mm f/1.2L and EF 85mm f/1.2L II, but because we've not used either lens we can't confirm an autofocus problem when they're used with the Mark III models.)

When using telephoto lenses at wide apertures and subject-to-camera distance changes more rapidly (as it does often when shooting sports), autofocus performance is mixed at best. The tendency of these cameras to frontfocus when tracking in any light, combined with autofocus performance in backlit or shadowy conditions that can at times be poor, means that the EOS-1D Mark III with firmware v1.2.3 and EOS-1Ds Mark III with firmware v1.1.2 produce too many out of focus frames of subjects that are moving quickly.

Canon has put considerable effort into correcting and improving EOS-1D Mark III autofocus in the 14 months since the cameras was introduced, but they have not yet made it, or its high-resolution counterpart the EOS-1Ds Mark III, deliver reliable autofocus of subjects in motion.

 

[th31d10t]

I went with the Nikon D40 kit with the 18mm-55mm lense since that was basically all the store had in stock. I think I will also be purchasing a 55mm-200mm lens as well to go with it and see where it goes from there.

 

[Jason]

I went with the Nikon D40 kit with the 18mm-55mm lense since that was basically all the store had in stock. I think I will also be purchasing a 55mm-200mm lens as well to go with it and see where it goes from there.

Not a bad idea. for the 55-200mm, get a tripod or something to help stabilize the camera at full zoom.

 

[Bob Ayers]

Not a bad idea. for the 55-200mm, get a tripod or something to help stabilize the camera at full zoom.

If he gets the VR version, he should be able to use it at 200mm without a tripod.

 

[Jason]

If he gets the VR version, he should be able to use it at 200mm without a tripod.

I know that Bob, but I am guessing he isn't going to buy a lense right away that costs almost as much as the camera. I would bet on the non-vr for under 200.

 

[th31d10t]

What are some good websites for purchasing lense?

 

[Bob Ayers]

What are some good websites for purchasing lense?

I've had excellent service from this place:

http://www.bhphotovideo.com/

 

[jebus92]

I've had excellent service from this place:

http://www.bhphotovideo.com/

^^^^^Agree.. I bought some lenses for my D100 & D80 and got really good service

 

[Jason]

www.cameta.com is also good. They have a nice assortment of used stuff at any given time which they are honest about the condition of. Service is good and shipping is quick.

 

[Bob Ayers]

Well, the 1D AF issue was something that could hit any camera. Canon fixed the issue and people are just nit picking the issue more now.

GEE Nick, If Canon fixed the 1D AF problem, why are they fixing it again?

http://www.dpreview.com/news/0903/09030310canon1Dfirmwareupdate.asp

 

[The Fox]

Because it is about time for a firmware update and some people still have not taken it to canon to get the sub mirror replaced. That would also cause the problem of soft focus. I am about to get one here in the next few weeks, and I doubt that there will be any problems with it. My 1D mk IIn AF is one of the best I have ever used, so it can only get better.
Nick

 

[Bob Ayers]

Because it is about time for a firmware update and some people still have not taken it to canon to get the sub mirror replaced. That would also cause the problem of soft focus. I am about to get one here in the next few weeks, and I doubt that there will be any problems with it. My 1D mk IIn AF is one of the best I have ever used, so it can only get better.
Nick

Now the "TRUTH" from Canon:

http://www.usa.canon.com/consumer/c...oryid=139&modelid=15710&keycode=2112&id=56399

 

[The Fox]

Well, I have not used/ heard of anyone on either the Canon board or talk to anyone in real life that had AF issues since the AF fix in 2007. Now some had front/ back focusing that was fixed with AF micro adjustments. I am not totally sure why canon would use a firmware update to fix something that has not been a problem yet. But then again I am just me.
Nick