Dptips :. Digital Photography Tips, Tricks, and Techniques

A friend was debating between the Nikon Coolpix 8800 and Canon Digital Rebel XT 350D and asked for some advice, so I thought it would be appropriate to share some of my thoughts. Based on some past experiences with digital cameras, both SLR and P&S (point and shoot), I have to say they both have their pros and cons, so it really depends on what the photographer needs. However, with price and performance taken into consideration, the Digital Rebel Xt is a slightly better valued contender. In the following, I will discuss some key points pertaining to performance features, size, and pricing.

Lets start with the Coolpix 8800. This model was introduced late 2004 and has been the high end digital camera in the Nikon Coolpix line for some quite sometime similar to the G-series for Canons or C-8080 from Olympus. The camera is currently hard to find new as it has been discontinued and no longer stocked at the major retailers. $600-800 was the going range and can be had on Ebay for slightly less used. The camera is 8MP with a 100-400ISO range, 2.3 fps w/ 5 frames, and a 35-350mm zoom range.

In contrast, the Rebel XT was introduced early 2005 and a successor to the Digital Rebel 300D. The Rebel XT was revamped with 8MP, a smaller alloy body, 2.8 fps w/ 14 frames (jpeg), and many other features. Priced at $700-$900 for the body w/lens kit it might intimidate some, but make others think twice at why they paid $700 for their point and shoot (point and shoot as I refer to are cameras without interchangeable lenses). Nevertheless, both cameras can suit one’s purposes quite well.

The Nikon Coolpix 8800 or equivalent model is a good candidate for those who like to have a high performance camera handy (ie. Carry around) while having the flexibility of playing with manual features. With the limited ISO (higher number for poor lit situations) and fps continuous drive, this makes the camera a poor candidate for the sports or indoor photographer, granted flash is not used. One of the definite pluses is the 10X zoom (35-350mm focal length) and battery pack upgrade pack to give the camera a better feel and longer battery life (only a couple high end PS cameras have this option). With the Rebel XT you are getting a state of the art SLR at almost the same cost. With the benefits of higher ISO, fps, it’s a well rounded choice for sports and indoor photographers (sorry to be so vague with “indoor”) and any photographer for that matter. Having a smaller body, it can be a hit and miss with larger hands and with a lens attached definitely not as easy to carry around as the Nikon 8800. The only other debatable con is that with SLRs start saving for those new lenses. To attain the 35-350mm range of the Coolpix be prepared to carry multiple lenses.