Nikon D300 or Canon 40D?

I'm about to consign a bunch of OLD gear and will be buying a new DSLR body and some lenses. I will not be tied to one platform, so I am free to switch. If you were starting FROM SCRATCH, no investment in platform-specific gear right now, what would you get, a Nikon D300 or Canon 40D? (No, I'm not going to go full frame.)

- The 40D body is $500 less.
- I could be wrong, but my first impression is that equivalent lenses and accessories (flashes) for Nikon cost less.
- D300 has better feature set, supposedly better/faster focussing, better display, and better image quality (!)
- Nikon has Nikkor ED glass (in my biased opinion, ED > L)
- D300 has more pixels 12.3 vs. 10.5
- Both have 3" displays, but Nikon's is much higher resolution (922K vs 230K pixels)
- 40D is lighter (740g vs 825g)
- Both have a CMOS sensor now

Side-by-side spec comparison
http://www.photolectic.com/reviews/dslr/comparison-canon-40d-vs.-nikon-d300.html

D300 is Popular Photography's Camera of the Year
http://www.popphoto.com/cameras/4857/the-camera-of-the-year-2007.html

Here is a hands-on report on the Canon 40D (including a section entitled "What About The Nikon D300?")
http://www.luminous-landscape.com/reviews/cameras/canon-40D-handson.shtml

If you want to get über-geeky
http://theory.uchicago.edu/~ejm/pix/20d/posts/tests/D300_40D_tests/

I may have to build a spreadsheet like I did when deciding about my car. I'll be pulling the trigger on my purchase in early February.

If you have any input or opinions they would be appreciated. TIA!

i have absolutely no basis for the following statement:

Nikon D300

omegach said:

i have absolutely no basis for the following statement:

Nikon D300

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I saw your gear list. :biggrin:

D300 flat out. just an overall better camera.

what lenses were you gonna get?

heftylefty said:

D300 flat out. just an overall better camera.

what lenses were you gonna get?

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That's what I'm thinking too, heftylefty. I just wanted a sanity check.

Lenses? Probably the 18-200 Nikkor as a general walking around lens. I'd also get an ultra-wide zoom (11-18 Tamron, if it's any good) and a few fast Nikkor primes.

ya those would be great for starting out. you have any options for wide zooms. you could also look into the sigma 10-20mm or the tokina 12-24mm.

D300 + Tokina 11-24mm = :drool:

That Tokina 12-24mm sure is getting rave reviews everywhere. An ultra-wide will be the second lens purchased for this new body.

Turbo said:

That Tokina 12-24mm sure is getting rave reviews everywhere. An ultra-wide will be the second lens purchased for this new body.

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I own one. It is a great lens.

This is one of the reasons that I'm waiting until early February (after PMA):

http://www.news.com/8301-13580_3-9835381-39.html

cool beans. im curious to see what nikon is gonna release to compete with it. i took a quick browse on dpreview forums and they said there is talk about nikon releasing the D3x early next year.

Get the one thats gonna make our cars look bad ass on the night shoot gtg.:thumbsup:

then i would say a D300 with a Nikkor 14mm F/2.8... or stand a ways away and shoot with a 70-200 VR

Or a 50mm 1.4. That will be tack sharp with some sick bokeh.

heftylefty said:

cool beans. im curious to see what nikon is gonna release to compete with it. i took a quick browse on dpreview forums and they said there is talk about nikon releasing the D3x early next year.

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I'd be happy if Nikon announces a price drop on the D300.