I have finally narrowed it down to these two before I buy one. Alot of the reviews I have read favor D90 more and consider it to be one of the best forthcoming DSLR but then I have friends who swear by Canon so I am very confused.
Someone help?
Re: Nikon D90 vs. Canon Rebel XSi (450D)
lets see shall we . .. .
for image quality, 450D is better than D90
Re: Nikon D90 vs. Canon Rebel XSi (450D)
you think so? alot of people have been saying otherwise
450D costs half the price of D90, D90 is 1st ever DSLR wit HD quality movie recording
and
Nikon D90 Nikon D90 Review: 1. Introduction: Digital Photography Review
Pros
* Image quality comparable with its peers
* Excellent viewfinder
* Superb high resolution LCD monitor
* Automatic chromatic aberration correction improves performance from all lenses
* Punchy but not un-natural colors (and plenty of control if you want to change them)
* Good dynamic range - and Active D-Lighting to help make the most of it
* Useful in-camera RAW processing option
* Excellent degree of customization (reversible dials and meter ease transition from other systems)
* Fast Autofocus with useful control options
* High sensitivity performance up there with the best we've seen
* Sophisticated wireless flash commander built-in
* Programmable FUNC button with useful list of functions
* Configurable 'My Menu' (and option for FUNC button to access the top item on it)
* Excellent build quality, tight shut lines, quality materials
* Instant power on, very responsive in-use
* Auto-focus assist lamp rather than requiring flash to be raised
* Control over high sensitivity noise reduction
* Customizable automatic sensitivity (ISO)
* Easy to use playback / delete combination
* Status LCD panel on top of camera (we still like them)
* Fast continuous shooting mode
* Good SD card throughput and USB 2.0 transfer speed
* Extensive retouching features including D-Lighting, Red-eye reduction and distortion correction
* Good battery life and precise charge-level indication
* Dedicated help button provides in-menu assistance
* HD video
Cons
* Over-enthusiastic metering a little prone to blown highlights
* Very soft (default) JPEG output compared to its peers
* We believe more of the captured dynamic range could be incorporated into Jpegs
* Menus getting long and complex (though well organized and differentiated)
* Bundled software pretty limited
* Arbitrary 100-shot limit on continuous shooting
* Disappointing automatic white balance performance in incandescent light
* In-camera RAW conversion could provide more control
* Video capabilities limited in a number of ways
Overall conclusion
We described the D80 as a photographer’s camera and, despite the addition of video, the D90 appears to share that same ethos. On a purely specification level, it’s a highly competitive piece of kit, but it’s the way the features have been chosen and put together that make it the camera that it is.
The D90 viewfinder is amongst the best you’ll find on any APS-C camera and it sits above the highest-resolution screen we’ve yet seen on a camera of this class. The buttons are well chosen and sensibly positioned, and the two-dial interface is a pleasure to use. (Buyers coming from other systems can even reverse the operation of the meter and dials to make everything that bit more familiar).
The image quality, whether at base ISO or the higher settings, is excellent even if it can need a bit of tweaking of the internal settings to tailor the output to specific needs. While it’s understandable that Nikon would want to try to bring the processing settings into line with its more expensive cameras, it’s questionable how well the rather under-sharpened default output will serve the buyers of this camera. A little more contrast and saturation improve things, without any ill effects.
The early talk about the D90 was about its video capability and indeed it does record HD videos - good ones by digital stills camera standards. But don’t let that distract you, this is a camera which lets nothing get in the way of taking photos. Its degree of configurability results in long menus but they’re generally well arranged and color-coded to minimize the likelihood you getting lost in them. There’s also the option to create a menu of your most used settings (or list the most recently used ones, if you don’t want to spend time setting it up), and a status screen that gives fairly fast access to those key parameters that don’t have their own buttons.
Our only real worry about the D90 is the matrix metering, which seems to be so strongly connected to the selected AF point that it allows highlights to clip a bit too often for our liking. There is an option to fine-tune the meter (and assign a different amount of correction to each metering mode), if you find it a consistent problem.
The D80 was a very well respected camera, offering a feature set that seemed perfectly tailored to the enthusiast market - the D90 builds on this by including many of the options from the D300. The automatic Chromatic Aberration correction is just one example - without ever having to think about it, it instantly improves the results of every JPEG, regardless of the lens used. Picking the images apart to find differences between cameras reveals it’s not quite a half-price D300 but that was a camera we described at the time as being best semi-professional digital SLR on the market, setting the bar pretty high. After using and testing the D90 extensively, it’s hard to think of a better enthusiast-level camera.
Build quality 8.5
Ergonomics & handling 9.0
Features 9.5
Image quality 8.5
Performance (speed) 9.0
Value 8.5
Canon EOS 450D Rebel XSi Canon EOS 450D / Digital Rebel XSi Review: 1. Introduction: Digital Photography Review
Pros
* Superb resolution, good per-pixel sharpness (especially in raw files)
* Good tonal response and dynamic range
* Trademark Canon CMOS noise free images, remain detailed even at high sensitivities
* Optional high ISO NR removes all chroma noise
* Viewfinder bigger and brighter than predecessors
* New features (live view, spot metering, MyMenu, Highlight Tone Priority, 14-bit raw) lift it above the typical 'entry level' and move closer to 40D territory
* Improved continuous shooting, 3.5 fps and better buffering
* Feels very fast and responsive in use
* Good battery life
* Compact, sharp stabilized kit lens (though it can't match the sensor's superb resolving capabilities)
* ISO indication in viewfinder (finally!)
* Lots of external controls including new ISO button give instant access to commonly changed functions
* Contrast-detect focus in live view (though see cons, below)
* Bright, clear 3.0-inch screen and clear, logical menu system
Cons
* Average automatic white balance performance, still very poor under incandescent light
* Limited exposure compensation range (+/- 2.0 EV)
* Contrast detect AF so slow it's useless for most types of photography
* Metering has tendency to overexpose in very bright, contrasty conditions
* Default JPEG output may be a little 'over processed' for some tastes (raw far more flexible)
* Flash must be up for AF assist lamp (although AF is good even in low light)
* Automatic AF point selection unpredictable (use center AF, it's safer)
* Occasional total focus failures (in our case only 5 or 6 shots in almost 2000)
* New Auto Lighting Optimizer doesn't really seem to do anything
* No mass storage USB support
* A little pricey
Overall conclusion
The EOS 450D represents Canon’s response to the increasingly crowded and competitive nature of the entry-level DSLR market. Where the original ‘people’s DLSR’, the EOS 300D, owed at least some of its success to the simple paucity of competitors, the market in 2008 is a very different place indeed, and one that’s seen Nikon (with the D40/D40x/D60) carve a sizeable slice of the action, and where Olympus, Sony and Pentax have strong offerings at price points unthinkable just couple of years ago.
It would appear that Canon decided the best way to avoid getting caught up in the melee was to aim just a little higher, giving the EOS 450D as much of a feature boost as it could without it treading on the 40D’s toes. So although some of the upgrades are an entirely predictable box-ticking exercise (bigger screen, live view etc), there are some pleasant surprises too. The new sensor is superb, and from a resolution point of view puts the EOS 40D to shame without losing any of the high ISO performance that has been Canon’s trump card for so long. Canon was never going to take any risks with its biggest breadwinner, and we feel the EOS 450D is a significant, albeit incremental step in the right direction. We’re certainly happy to see the improved buffering, spot metering and ISO button / viewfinder display, as well as the improvement in the viewfinder itself.
These performance improvements (not just in continuous shooting but across the board) and new features make the EOS 450D feel a lot less intentionally crippled than any of its predecessors, and put some clear blue water between it and cameras such as Nikon’s D60 or Olympus’s E-420 (with a small price premium to match). In fact you can’t help thinking that there is now a space at the bottom of the EOS range for a true ‘entry-level’ model, something the internet’s rumor mongers haven’t failed to notice either.
The EOS 450D feels like a mature product, it is capable of superb results (even if it’s actually now good enough to reveal the limitations of the cheaper EF-S lenses) and it has a feature set that offers an excellent balance between beginner-friendly ease of use and the manual control / customization demanded by those wanting something a little more serious. The new stabilized 18-55mm lens is a distinct improvement on some of Canon’s earlier kit zooms and the fact it only adds $100 to the body price is a real bonus. That said, you really need to be using primes and pro-level zoom lenses to really see what the sensor is capable of.
Of course no camera is perfect and the EOS 450D isn’t without its annoying foibles and weaknesses; the default JPEG output is very punchy but it’s a bit ‘over cooked’ for my taste (too bright and contrasty) and I found myself using RAW even more often than normal. The metering occasionally gets it wrong and I’d recommend turning off the auto focus point selection as it can get jumpy and produce unpredictable results (if the focus is wrong the metering, which is linked to the AF point, gets it wrong too). But the overall hit rate is very high, and virtually all the things we found to complain about can be dealt with easily if you know your way around a camera, or by shooting RAW if you don’t like Canon’s processing.
We’re still not keen on the handling (the small grip means it doesn’t sit as comfortably in the hand as, for example, the Nikon D60 or Olympus E-520) and we’d love to see a second control wheel - and like most current SLRs the live view feature is of limited use outside the studio - but we’ve moved far from ‘deal breaking’ territory here.
Perhaps the biggest challenge facing Canon at the sales counter is that the EOS 450D costs too much to compete with the real entry-level DSLRs and and - on paper at least - cameras such as the Sony Alpha 350 that offer a lot more bang for your buck. But compared to many of its competitors the EOS 450D just feels like a more ‘sorted’ camera; in the half decade since the original ‘Rebel’ the line has matured to the point where we have to dig pretty deep to find anything serious to complain about.
Canon may no longer be the automatic choice for the entry-level SLR user, and I possibly wouldn’t recommend it over a Nikon D60 or Olympus E-420 for absolute beginners or anyone wanting ‘point and shoot’ access to well optimized JPEG ouput. But if you want to move to the next level of image quality and performance, and are prepared to take control of parameters (and ideally shoot raw) to get the best possible results, the EOS 450D is an easy recommendation.
Build quality 8.0
Ergonomics & handling 8.0
Features 8.5
Image quality 9.0
Performance (speed) 8.5
Value 8.5
Re: Nikon D90 vs. Canon Rebel XSi (450D)
I am a canon guy. I have used pretty much all Canon Rebel DSLR's and couple of Nikon. Both are extremely good cameras. Don't worry about image quality and other differences - these are somewhat minor differences (for our purposes).
What you need to consider is:
- Lens market (used and new) - is much better and cheaper for Canon. This is the most important hardware that makes the picture better.
- Smaller / Lighter DSLR = Canon are the smallest DSLRs
- Nikon feel better on hand though (because of bigger size). I still prefer canon though
I can't think of any other decisive factor that will help you make a choice.
Even though I am not a nikonian but specifications wise the better camera out of those two is D90, but the differences from the comparison below is not something that would mean a lot for a new beginner like you, so unless you know what you want to do I would pretty much suggest you get 450D and spend some extra money that you were gonna spend for the D90 on a better lens, because akhir mai it is the lens that has the major role and not just the camera body, and like PrinceMS said canon has bigger market.
Please check the comparison at: Digital Cameras Side-by-Side, 2 cameras: Digital Photography Review
In short get the Nikon D90. It has better ISO performance, ranging 100-6400 where as the XSi only goes from 100-1600. The D90 takes video, the XSi doesnt. The D90 shoots at 4.5 fps where as I believe the XSi only does 3 or maybe 3.5. The D90 has 11 AF points, the XSi only has 9. The LCD screen of the D90 is 920,000 pixels, and the XSi screen is only 230,000 which means the D90 is a lot better for reviewing pictures on screen, and the live view will also look better. IMO the XSi is not quite in the same class as the D90, as the D90 costs a few hundred more. Ultimately you should hold both a Canon and a Nikon camera to see which one you like the feel of better, because once you begin to invest in a brand, it can be difficult and expensive to switch, unless you are a pro and have a budget or can simply afford to switch because it means making more money.
Lastly go to your local shop and hold those two cameras, TRY them out. Take some pictures (take your laptop with you if you have and LOAD the pics, check the quality / take all your time there) They do let you try the cameras out.
And one more thing you can do is to TAG SEARCH d90 and 450D on the biggest photography website on the net which is Welcome to Flickr - Photo Sharing / Search for those two tags and check the quality of pictures (bear in mind that some ppl will be using better lenses, but still over all you can get some idea)
So
- Study the specifications / dpreview comparison
- Search FlickR.com (for those camera tags , or use their “camera finder” and check the listings.
- Google their prices (if d90 is more expensive than 450D, you might want to end up buying 450D with a better “L” series lens with some good aperture, rather than buying a more expensive d90
- Go to a good photo shop and TRY those bodies out, HOLD them, TAKE some pictures, VIEW them on your LAPTOP.
Nikon D90 is my personal favorite DSLR at the moment.
Re: Nikon D90 vs. Canon Rebel XSi (450D)
samad u rock!! nikon all the way!